How hypnotherapy can help with addictive habits
Understanding addictive behaviour and dependencies
By the time people seek hypnosis therapy for their addictive habit or dependency, they have usually recognised their problem, or been told enough is enough.
Common habits such as smoking, substance abuse, drinking and gambling not only affect the individual but can also impact family members and others close to them as well as leading to longer-term health problems.
Often those struggling with their habit know it is causing them more harm than good, yet they find it hard to beat and feel like they lose control. Each day, they repeat the same promise to themselves that they won't do it next time, only to feel disappointed and self-critical when they break that promise.
I often hear the same explanations such as it relaxes me, or it helps me fit in. Some believe they have an addictive personality and describe it as a voice that is calling them.
As I dive deeper into their behaviour, I discover their habit is often used to relieve emotional discomfort attached to certain issues, and it’s not uncommon to find their dependency is associated with past traumas or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Once reflected, clients will almost always share a fear of what will life be like without it.
Hypnosis for addictive habits or dependencies
Whether you are looking to give up drinking or stop smoking, hypnosis for addictive habits and dependencies can be an effective way to help you.
As a clinical hypnotherapist, I work with clients struggling with their addictive habit and dependency to help find the cause of their problems and build an effective treatment program. Typically delivered over four to five hypnotherapy sessions, I will help you deal with the thoughts and behaviours that are maintaining the habit by:
-
Interrupting the desire or craving that is driving you to maintain the problem
-
Building your desire for healthy habits
-
Enabling a relaxation response to keep you grounded throughout the day
-
Enabling you to automatically filter out thoughts and feelings you should be ignoring
-
Working in partnership with a GP and other mental health professionals to address chemical dependency
Unlike talk therapy, clinical hypnosis therapy sessions encourage helpful cognitive, emotional or physical responses that your brain absorbs and will become your new autopilot.
To understand more about hypnotherapy for addictive behaviours or dependencies treatments, and common questions people have about hypnosis such as side effects, treatment options and what to expect from a hypnotherapist, visit our FAQ page.
