Self Help Hypnosis

All I ever want to do is stay in, Im losing friends because I never want to leave my house.
Could self-hypnosis help with this?
How would I do it?

I heard that with self-hypnosis you can control your subconscious which implies that you can also rid yourself of bad habits, increase your concentration….etc… in other words you can CHANGE yourself.
Is it true? if so, does it have any side-effects? Is there a simple way to do it? and How?

I am interested in self-hypnosis, mainly for assertiveness and academic performance. Can anyone suggest a book or a tape or anything at all that they have tried and were successful with?

I’ve heard that self-hypnosis can cure stammering. I also found some self-hypnosis mp3 for it. But they are expensive. Is there any site from where I can download free self-hypnosis mp3 for stammering?

Both of them turn you relaxed. Meditating on something is like the hypnosis commandant.
So what is the difference between self-hypnosis and meditation?