Hypnosis and Addiction

There appears to be agreement that “denial” is commonly used by addicts to maintain their addiction. Every day the addict believes that, in fact, he does have the control to stop his/her addiction anytime. The reality is that he cannot. In the meantime, relationships crumble considering the choices he makes. Employment suffers and health declines, as well. Self-esteem plummets because the addict’s values and beliefs are affected. The person experiences anxiety, depression and guilt. It is a mistake to think that recovery from addiction lies in any one of the many treatment initiatives presently available. However, there is wide agreement that a combination of social network support such as AA, rehabilitation centers, hypnosis, psychotherapy and behavior-oriented treatment plans are necessary for recovery. In hypnosis, for example the hypnotist through trance guides the client to the unconscious mind where the problem has laid dormant but has brought about the compulsion. Simultaneously, the hypnotist begins with the client a strong behavioral plan, such as NLP (Neurolinguistic Programming).

From the perspective of the brain, the addict sees to have a squirt of dopamine, a neurotransmitter which delivers pleasure and motivation. The problem is that once is never enough because a vicious cycle maintains the addiction. For example, the person has a stressor such as death, job loss, divorce. The person seeks release (dopamine) but after guilt follows which is another stressor. The cycle begins again. Hypnosis addresses the unconscious mind where the problem exists without conscious awareness. The addiction (behavior) is addressed with a behavior-oriented treatment plan.