Achieved a milestone? Success we celebrate with a drink! Adje for the atmosphere? Of course, cozy! But liquor also takes the edge off in grief or pain. In our Western society, alcohol is indispensable. As long as you drink in moderation, you are safe. Until the line becomes blurred... This is how to master alcohol.
How to master alcohol
Drinking in moderation(s) is an enjoyable habit for many people. In principle, there is nothing wrong with this, but we often see the other side of the coin: once it becomes an addiction. Alcoholics can be recognized by their repeated behavior of lying, stealing and being violent or confused. They endanger not only themselves but also others. Alcohol claims more victims than any drug. Nevertheless, liquor is ridiculously easy to obtain. Therefore, the first step for anyone who consumes alcohol excessively is: awareness and recognition of its use.
Are you hooked?
Not every alcoholic fits into the standard picture. There are also people who are addicted and actually function fine otherwise. It is then easier to deny that you have a drinking problem because you still have your job, can pay your bills and your relationships do not suffer. But actually, in doing so, you are mostly deceiving yourself. If you tap the bullets below, you are already at risk of physical addiction:
- You drink more than 3 glasses of alcoholic beverages daily or more than 14 glasses per week;
- You already take a drink in the morning;
- You regularly drink alone;
- You start with a drink for relaxation, but wake up the next day with a hangover and a hole in your memory;
- You deny drinking or get angry when someone confronts you about it;
- Your loved ones (and you) make up excuses for why you drink;
- You joke about alcohol use and you don't take it seriously.
Preparing for withdrawal
If the above scenes seem familiar to you OR someone close to you is struggling to give up the bottle, it is wise to (help with) withdrawal. An addicted body has become dependent on the addiction. Once you stop drinking, you may experience severe withdrawal symptoms in the first few weeks: trembling, sweating, nervousness, anxiety, restlessness, depressed feelings, insomnia, stomach problems and an overall feeling of malaise. Just when you get these withdrawal symptoms, it is very attractive to grab something that contains alcohol anyway. Also, a rehab patient can be overwhelmed with a seizure or delirium tremens, a period of acute confusion. It is therefore important to overcome alcohol addiction under supervision. At the Hypnosis Institute, we help many clients with their alcohol addiction, and do so successfully. We do this using regression therapy and hypnosis:
In search of the cause
Regression therapy aims to detect the unconscious automatic program of addiction. When we skip this step, the addiction often remains dormant and active. This is why it is so important to identify the cause.During the first sessions, you identify the patterns that cause you to keep reaching for the bottle. These patterns change into patterns that promote healthy behavior. From here you can then transform and install a new unconscious program.
Relax with hypnosis
Because alcohol suppresses an addict's brain activity, it can suddenly skyrocket again when you stop drinking. Hypnosis techniques can teach you to relax better and shut out stimuli. During the phase of withdrawal, a hypnotherapist can help you stay focused on your goal through hypnosis. In addition to physical withdrawal, your brain can "lag behind. The rehab process can be good for weeks, and suddenly that extreme urge to drink is there again. Now self-hypnosis can help you get back into that state of relaxation at home:
