Addictions: some are more susceptible to it than others. It is therefore very annoying if something that should have been an experiment has suddenly made you addicted to drugs. The feeling that you can handle anything, that you are super sharp in conversations, that you are the man (or the woman) or just that all worries don't nag at you for a while is terribly attractive and that's why you can become addicted to it. That's why in this article I will discuss what addiction does to your brain and how hypnosis can help you quit drugs.
It's so much fun at the party that one line, joint, pill extra will do. Much better than a tired slumped feeling and going home first.
Afterwards, when the drugs wear off, instead of normal, you feel low and not yourself. While just then you are yourself. This can be an incredibly unpleasant feeling, which is why most people find it extremely difficult to withdraw from drugs on their own. Therefore it is not at all strange to seek professional help.
With some drug addictions, it is also wise to do so under the guidance of professionals because of the physical withdrawal symptoms.
Drug addiction and your brain
In addition, drug addiction changes your brain [1]. That change may explain why you can sometimes relapse into addiction even months after an addiction. This is because during addiction, the brain's reward system is totally deregulated. All the threads for normal reward are diverted so that they give you the idea that drugs are the best there is. Better than learning, sports, food, love and other things that are healthy for you and those around you.
That rearrangement of the brain then causes you to continue using drugs compulsively.
For opiates, addicts are often given medication to stay off the drugs. However, research [2] shows that just giving medication, without psychological help usually does not get the addict out of addiction. This is because addiction depends not only on biological factors, such as physical addiction, but also on psychological and social factors.
The addict's mental state, such as sensitivity to addiction or wanting to repress emotions with addiction, must also be healed. If the addiction is caused by an underlying problem, you cannot remove the addiction without finding and solving this underlying problem.
In addition, the social environment also affects addiction. Any addict who tries to quit on their own may have difficulty doing so if the social environment actually encourages them to use drugs, such as at parties or while visiting friends. Therefore, the addict must be given tools on how to deal with these situations without disturbing his/her social environment in a way that affects him/her negatively.
Quitting drugs through hypnosis
Alternative treatments are increasingly being scientifically researched. In fact, hypnosis has been used for hundreds of years and researched since the early 20th century. Now, the effect of hypnosis on addictions and the abuse of other substances, such as food, is being studied more frequently again scientifically after a dip of about 10 years.
Scientists are already indicating promising results and that hypnosis can certainly add to existing treatment methods. This is because during hypnosis you enter a state of relaxation that benefits addiction treatment. You go through the following changes when you are in hypnosis.
- You are less susceptible to events in your immediate environment, such as noise from traffic.
- Your thinking is less critical, leaving you open to treatment.
- You have an improved ability to visualize and fantasize scenes.
- Your muscles are relaxed.
- Your perception of things can change.
- You can view memories differently than usual.
- You raise your expectations and motivation.
- You accept a different view of your memories faster.
During hypnosis, you are more susceptible to suggestions from the hypnotherapist that help you stay off drugs. Hypnosis mainly affects the cortex and subcortex. This is the part in your brain that shapes your thoughts and influences your behavior. Through hypnosis, connections can be made differently, making it easier for you to achieve desired behaviors, such as staying off drugs.
Hypnosis techniques for quitting drugs
Not all drugs are the same, cocaine is different from XTC and pills are different again from weed. For some addicts, 1 hypnosis session is enough to stop using drugs, but for others it is more difficult because of the physical dependence where hypnosis is just a way to help you through the withdrawal phase. Therefore, different techniques are also used by hypnotherapists to deal with drug addictions.
Building self-confidence
Especially if you have already tried to quit drugs on your own and failed, it can lower your self-confidence and self-esteem. In order to kick the habit, it is important to believe in your own strength and be mentally strong. Thoughts such as:
- I can't.
- I never succeed anyway.
- Drugs aren't so bad for me.
- I'm going to die anyway.
Be transformed into the following thoughts:
- I am strong.
- I'm already succeeding, so will tomorrow.
- I want to live longer than I can with drugs.
- I even want grandchildren.
- Life is worth living.
- Worth.
Therefore, the hypnotherapist will use special techniques to restore your self-confidence. If you need long-term hypnotherapy because of physical withdrawal symptoms or fear of relapse, the hypnotherapist can also give you homework in the form of self-hypnosis that will help you stay focused on your goal and keep you mentally resilient to the drugs.
Interrupting and changing drug rituals
Using drugs often has a ritual. For example, according to an addict, it is part of a ritual of socializing, getting up, eating, watching television and even more events can take on a ritual in which drugs play an important role.
One of the methods in which hypnosis helps against drugs is by detecting those rituals and givinganother ritual in their place. The user rituals are thereby destabilized. Instead, the hypnotherapist gives future rituals that the addict can apply in place of the drug rituals.
Reframing
During addiction, a patient can become incredibly selfish. This is because the addiction monster wants to be fed and will do anything to get it. This makes it difficult for an addict to empathize with his loved ones who see him deteriorating and are especially concerned.
During reframing, patients are given the opportunity to view their behavior from a different perspective than normal. Also, thoughts such as: "My family doesn't love me anymore anyway.", can be viewed from a different perspective to see where that thought is coming from and if it is justified.
Connected suggestions
People suffering from severe addiction do not always accept what the hypnotherapist suggests. Therefore, sometimes giving 1 suggestion about behaviors or values related to drugs may not be enough. Linking these suggestions allows for a greater assault on the mental barrier that addiction has given your brain. Because, of course, that monster doesn't just give up.
The hypnotherapist gives the patient new suggestions about behaviors and values. Because addiction can be persistent, connected suggestions are a stronger method than one suggestion at a time. In fact, by linking suggestions together, they are more quickly accepted by the addict, making it easier for him to get rid of his addiction.
Paradox
Paradox shows patients that their behavior is destructive and that they do not wish the addiction on others either. This technique must be done under the guidance of a hypnotherapist. This is because people often do the opposite of what they should be doing.
You need to stop taking drugs and this actually makes you take more drugs.
How would you react if you were suddenly no longer under the pressure of having to quit drugs? You still have to quit, of course, but the feeling of "having to" somehow falls away. When that pressure falls away, it may well become much easier to stop using drugs. Under the guidance of a hypnotherapist, the pressure to quit drugs can be reduced, making quitting and rehab a lot easier.
Stop drugs instantly
Helping people quit drugs is what I do. In some cases you are rid of drug addiction after just 1 hypnosis session and sometimes you need several sessions. During this session I help you get back into the right mindset to quit drugs.
Helping others with drug addiction
Hypnosis is a great addition for treatment with a longer trajectory. If you would like to become a hypnotherapist yourself to guide people through drug rehab, you can take a course at the Hypnosis Institute Netherlands where you will learn everything you need to know about hypnosis. With this knowledge you can not only apply self-hypnosis, you can also help other people get rid of their drug addiction.
Also pin this handy infographic as a reminder:
Sources:
http://www.nature.com/npp/journal/v24/n2/abs/1395603a.html
http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-45378-6_29
Handbook of Hypnotic Suggestions and Metaphors, Hammond, 1990.
