Addictions

Eliminate Drug or Alcohol Addiction
What is substance addiction?
Addiction is a physical and/or emotional dependence upon a chemical substance. An addict believes he or she cannot physically and/or mentally function — that life would be unendurable — without that particular substance. Alcoholism and drug use are two of the most common addictions in our society.

Any addictive or habitual problem can be treated effectively and permanently with hypnosis —even a chemical dependence.

A habit becomes an addiction when you can’t stop without experiencing symptoms of withdrawal such as irritability, anxiety, and jumpiness. You may feel physical discomfort similar to getting sick such as headaches and other aches and pains. You may obsess about the behavior or substance and feel a constant and intense desire to return to the behavior or substance.

While physical addiction is a contributing factor it is only part of the problem. If it was the only cause of the addiction a gradual reduction of the dosage would be enough to end the addiction. In addition to the physical addiction, the underlying emotional reasons for an addiction must be addressed. The physical withdrawal is gone after a few miserable days. The habit is gone in about twenty-eight days. However, the emotional (and spiritual) aspects are the most important, longest lasting, and often the most under-treated.

Conventional counseling based on Twelve Step Programs can be successful, but according to most statistics their success rate is only about 22 percent. However, many studies show that using hypnotherapy in addition to Twelve Step Programs results in up to 87 percent success. Hypnotherapy provides the individualized and specific reprogramming that each person needs to be clean and sober, based on that person’s underlying needs.

People become addicted for a reason. They turn to drugs to relax, to escape from an unpleasant reality, to relieve pain, to energize themselves, to bond with friends, to assert their individuality or to give themselves a little treat at the end of the day.

The purpose that underlies the addiction is not bad. Everyone needs to relax once in a while. Everyone needs a treat sometimes. People need to feel independent and they also need to feel a part of a group. People sometimes need an escape.

While these needs are natural and normal, the addict’s way of taking care of them is unhealthy. By understanding the underlying and often hidden reasons for their behavior addicts are able to replace old habits with new and healthier ways to relax, unwind or whatever it is that they need to change.

Hypnotherapy is safe, reliable and quick. It eliminates the cravings, helps the addict through the physical and emotional discomfort while helping them discover and deal with the feelings they are avoiding. It is the missing piece of the puzzle. When a person deals with the underlying feelings and emotions that drive an addiction, the desire and dependence melt away. The urges disappear, are lessened or are replaced with a desire for healthier substitutes.

Significantly More Methadone Addicts Quit with Hypnosis
94 Percent Remained Narcotic Free
”Significant differences were found on all measures. The experimental group had significantly less discomfort and illicit drug use, and a significantly greater amount of cessation. At six month follow up, 94 percent of the subjects in the experimental group who had achieved cessation remained narcotic free.”
A comparative study of hypnotherapy and psychotherapy in the treatment of methadone addicts.
Manganiello AJ.
American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis 1984; 26(4): 273-9.

“Hypnosis seems helpful in treating addictions, and the depression and anxiety associated with them…”-Psychology Today, 9/96