CAN HYPNOTHERAPY HELP WITH BREAKING ADDICTION?
When we mention addictions, most people associate the word with alcohol, drugs and gambling. However, an addiction can involve any behaviour which is done in excess and results in a negative impact on one’s life. It’s also possible that one may have an addiction and not be aware of it. For example, some people can become overly obsessed with work, which can impact them physically as well as mentally. Unfortunately, in many cases people don’t realise that there’s a problem until it has taken a toll on their families and relationships. And if they’re not aware of the addiction, they’re unlikely to get help to quit smoking, alcohol, drugs, gambling or any other addictive behaviour.
Shopping is another example of addiction, where people buy things they don’t need. Research shows that people get an “instant high” whilst in the process of their shop, yet feel deflated instantly after. This further perpetuates the problem, as they need to go buy the next item, and the next, and so on.
Smart devices and computers are another huge problem, especially in today’s society where the younger generations are being affected in ways we haven’t experienced before. We also don’t know the impact this will have as these generations mature.
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF ADDICTION
The underlying causes as to why addictions begin is beyond the scope of this blog post, so you may want to do some further research after finishing this blog. The good news is that there’s a lot of help available for people who are ready to acknowledge their addictions and want to do something about them, including hypnotherapy and life counselling in Melbourne.
There are two main parts to the human mind: the conscious and the subconscious. Today’s science estimates that 90-95% of what we do comes from the subconscious. The subconscious is where all our emotions, memories, beliefs and past learnings are housed. As humans, we don’t like negative emotions and memories, therefore we go to great lengths to repress or eliminate these feelings. Through repetition of a particular behaviour, such as drinking alcohol to reduce feelings of sadness, we anchor the experience (if eradicating the emotion via alcohol) into our subconscious mind. Then the next time we want to eliminate a particular emotion, we go to the “stored” trusted method of drinking, becoming addicted to the behaviour. It’s as if the subconscious becomes fixated on alcohol. And even when the person understands consciously that the alcohol is a problem and wants to make a change, the person finds it very difficult to break the negative addictive pattern.
HOW HYPNOTHERAPY WORKS TO BREAK ADDICTIONS
As emotions and behaviours are stored in the subconscious, hypnotherapy can be used successfully by mental health professionals to address addictions and dependence. Using hypnosis, it’s possible to gain access to the subconscious brain.
Scientists have concluded that humans are very suggestible. Through the power of suggestion, a therapist can strengthen one’s willpower to overcome their addictions. It’s because of the way that hypnotic suggestions rewire certain behavioural patterns that this modality can help with breaking addiction.
Often times, there may be unknown blocks (emotional or memory) on a subconscious level, and through hypnosis it can be possible to access these blocks to assist with the healing process. What would normally on a conscious level appear difficult is easier under hypnosis, with people able to change their perspective on their addictive behaviours so they can overcome them.
Finally, it’s important to understand that hypnotherapy is not a one-session-cures-all, like Hollywood would have you believe. It’s very important to seek out an experienced clinical hypnotherapist who has had years of experience working with addictions and traumas. Sometimes it may take a few sessions to understand one’s unique triggers for addictive behaviour, but once uncovered, the road to recovery can be made a lot easier by addressing them at the subconscious level with the use of hypnotherapy.
To make an appointment with an experienced hypnotherapist in Melbourne who can help with breaking addiction, contact Melbourne Natural Medicine Clinic today.
