Hypnosis against ritalin addiction

Work, housekeeping, picking up kids, playing sports by yourself, getting kids to calm down. Ritalin can be used for all sorts of things besides reducing the child's ADHD symptoms. More and more mothers are therefore becoming addicted to their children's ritalin. This is of course very annoying, because the mother becomes addicted and therefore the child has less medication or a "worse" form of ADHD because "he has to take so much ritalin now." Very annoying all around...

Therefore, in this article I will discuss what ritalin is and what you can do about ritalin addiction.

What is ritalin?

As early as 1960, Ritalin was used to calm children with “hyperactivity,” and its use has grown rapidly, especially since the 1990s. Ritalin stimulates the central nervous system and is therefore also called an “upper.” By comparison, sleeping pills are “downers.” Because of this stimulation, you’re more alert, have better focus, and feel less tired.

The chemical methylphenidate—the scientific term for Ritalin—blocks the dopamine and norepinephrine transporters. This inhibits the reuptake of these substances. Because of this blockade, your body has more dopamine and norepinephrine than usual. As a result, you have more energy—even if you don’t have ADHD or ADD.

Ritalin is also prescribed for people suffering from narcolepsy and may be prescribed off-label for people with bipolar disorder or severe depression.

How does ritalin affect people who do not have ADHD or ADD?

So if you don't have ADHD or ADD you should be able to focus on tasks at hand in a normal way. If you don't suffer from this, ritalin mainly gives you more energy and allows you to delay the moment you fall asleep.

Why is ritalin addictive for healthy people?

In the introduction, I actually still gave the most obvious way to get ritalin pills and so I acted like it's a housewife's problem, but a drug dealer really does know that there are people who just want a little more energy and more sense of focus and so sells ritalin even for the people who don't necessarily want to be completely off the planet during a night out.

German research shows, for example, that ritalin abuse, in Germany, in 78% of cases, that is almost 8 out of 10 cases, is committed by a man and the average age is 29. So housewives and students really don't have to be at the top of the "suspect list."

Ritalin, for example, is also a drug that students might use when they need to meet a deadline, or perhaps someone with an office job might use it when they have to work overtime (1). Pretty convenient, right? And if children are prescribed it, how bad could it really be?

In modern society, we live under immense time pressure, and the only way to free up more time is by sleeping less. Ultimately, that’s not healthy at all, but for some people, the idea of working through the night to at least clear that mountain of tasks off their plate—or finally having the time and energy to tidy up their home—still sounds very appealing.

The problem with stimulants is that, figuratively speaking, you’re borrowing energy from the future. So after using Ritalin, you’ll inevitably hit a point where you feel extremely tired and down. This may not be exactly the same as the “Tuesday slump” associated with XTC or cocaine use, but it can lead you to use Ritalin more often or in different ways in an effort to regain your energy.

It can even cause you to turn to heavier drugs, such as coke or speed, to still get that feeling of energy back. Taking more ritalin can eventually lead to headaches and even hallucinations yourself!

It is precisely the convenience and the idea that it can't be super bad because children are given it for ADHD that makes ritalin addictive for some people. Besides, you have to remember that children under the age of six are not allowed to take ritalin! So then how good can it be for a normal person?

So it’s a myth that Ritalin isn’t addictive; you may not become physically addicted to it the way you do with alcohol, but you do develop a tolerance, and you can become just as addicted to it as you can to ecstasy.

Treating Ritalin addiction with hypnosis

Ritalin is a substance you can't really become physically dependent on, so in principle you can quit it overnight. However, due to mental addiction, this is easier said than done. Hypnotherapy is a good solution for anyone who is really looking for a way to kick ritalin and never want to take it again.

Hypnotherapy can help you kick your Ritalin habit, precisely because it is a psychological addiction. To overcome a Ritalin addiction, it’s important to address the underlying causes. For example, if you use Ritalin because you want to perform well at work, it’s important to figure out why this is so important to you and why you think you can’t do it without Ritalin.

The decisions you make in life and the behaviors you exhibit are often largely determined by your beliefs. With hypnotherapy, you can identify which beliefs cause you to take Ritalin for that extra task, instead of saying no or finding another way to get the job done.

If you’re not sure why you’re taking Ritalin, regression therapy can help you identify the cause—especially if a specific event has led to beliefs that aren’t actually helping you move forward.

Breaking rituals with ritalin

In addition, when abusing medication, there is often a ritual for using it. Something triggers you to use it and the use also happens with a certain routine. During hypnotherapy, that routine can be totally overturned to give you the insight that the routine is not healthy. In its place, a new routine can be given to the subconscious that is actually healthy, such as drinking a cup of green tea while working overtime or something else that suits you better. These are also called post-hypnotic suggestions. These may include:

"You live your life the way you always do, but every time you get triggered to take ritalin you actually go drink something healthy."

Other rituals that are somewhat less literal are thought patterns. As an addict, you can also develop all sorts of thought patterns that maintain your addiction. Hypnosis can help you figure out and break the thought patterns. A negative thought spiral then no longer has to lead to the use of ritalin. A positive thought spiral may even lead to not taking ritalin at all.

Increasing self-confidence

Addiction often has a negative effect on your self-image. Hypnotherapy can help you rebuild your self-confidence and bring it back to a healthy level. This can be achieved, for example, through ego-strengthening suggestions such as:

• I am good at my job.
• I don't need ritalin.
• I can go out without ritalin.
• I am strong.

As you read this, you might be thinking, “Yeah, right,” but the beauty of the hypnotic state is that you’re more open to these kinds of suggestions, and as a result, your subconscious will absorb them more effectively. In addition, a hypnotherapist provides suggestions tailored to the individual, which are less general than what’s described here.

Self-hypnosis to enhance treatment

Ego-strengthening exercises can also be performed during self-hypnosis. Performing self-hypnosis at home can enhance the effects of hypnotherapy. If you find it difficult to repeat the suggestions yourself during self-hypnosis, you can get an audio recording from your hypnotherapist repeating the suggestions that apply to you.

In short:

Ritalin is a medication designed for people with ADHD and ADD to help them concentrate better and is also used against narcolepsy.

People who do not suffer from ADHD get temporarily more energy from ritalin, and as a result, it can be addictive to have just a few extra hours of energy a day to perform tasks you otherwise think you don't have time or oomph for.

Hypnotherapy can help in multiple ways, such as with breaking rituals and boosting self-confidence to make sure you are no longer dependent on ritalin.

Would you like to learn more about the benefits of hypnosis and hypnotherapy? Then check out the seminars and training programs offered by the Hypnosis Institute of the Netherlands.

Sources:

http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/ritalin/how-ritalin-abuse-starts.html

http://www.psy-journal.com/article/S0165-1781%2813%2900739-7/abstract?cc=y=

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2608811/?page=1