How hypnotherapy can help with alcohol addiction
Hypnotherapy works well in conjunction with conventional treatments to address alcohol addiction thoughts and behaviours.
Alcohol Use Disorder is a pattern of drinking that includes issues with self-control, obsession with alcohol, or using alcohol even when it creates issues.
Other signs of this illness include needing progressively higher levels of alcohol to achieve the same level of desired intoxication, or experiencing withdrawal reactions within your body when drinking is abruptly reduced or stopped.
This type of over consumption is frequently referred to as alcoholism, and is a component of Alcohol Use Disorder. Any alcohol usage that threatens your health or the health and safety of others is considered unhealthy. Often alcoholism can result in other harmful alcohol-related behavioural issues like binge drinking, which is the pattern of drinking when someone typically consumes five drinks or more in two hours, on a regular basis.
Symptoms of alcoholism
Depending on how many symptoms you have, Alcohol Use Disorder might be mild, moderate, or severe.
Among the warning signs and symptoms are:
Not being able to control how much alcohol you consume
Having zero desire to cut back on your drinking, even after your friends, family or workmates have raised concerns about your destructive or unhealthy behaviour patterns
Making promises to quit drinking or reduce consumption levels that result in half-hearted attempts at doing so. This demonstrates little or no real commitment to stop drinking
Spending a lot of money, time and energy to obtain alcohol
Having a strong urge or desire to consume alcohol, or having thoughts that are predominately drinking related
Not being able to sleep, or feeling uneasy knowing that there is no alcohol in the house
Repeatedly abusing alcohol and failing to meet important duties at work, school or home
Continuing to use alcohol while being aware that it is harming your health or interfering with your relationships, career, or social life
Giving up or decreasing social, professional, or recreational interests in favour of drinking
Consuming alchohol in unsafe circumstances, such as driving or operating machinery of any kind, or drinking while supervising children.
Alcoholism predispositions
There can be other factors that predispose a particular individual to alcohol addiction.
Similar to other drugs, alcohol has a potent effect on the brain that causes pleasure feelings, while dampening unpleasant ones. Some people may be driven by these emotions to continue drinking alcohol despite potential consequences to their health and wellbeing.
For instance, research demonstrates that drinking to deal with stress tends to amplify unpleasant emotional states in between episodes of drinking, even while it may temporarily relieve emotional discomfort. These alterations may encourage more drinking and result in a person getting caught in an unhealthy cycle of alcohol use.
Progressive rewiring in the structure and operation of people's brains may take place over time as they continue to drink alcohol. These modifications may impair cognitive function and accelerate the shift from moderate, infrequent usage to chronic abuse.
Any kind of addiction can be magnified through genetic traits.
This field is not black and white by any stretch of the imagination. Just because a parent has a predisposition to alcoholism, it doesn't guarantee that it will be passed onto the next generation. It is however worth knowing that there is a genetic link that scientists have been able to identify, so genes can play a role in addiction behaviour.
The three stages of the addiction cycle
Addiction can be thought of as a cycle that repeats. Every step is connected to and dependent upon the others.
This three-stage cycle can be completed once, numerous times throughout the day, or over the period of weeks or months. Also keep in mind that anyone can start the addiction cycle at any of the following stages:
Stage 1: Binges and intoxication
This stage rewards, incentivises, and encourages pathological routines. The positive effects of alcohol, such as feelings of euphoria, a decrease in anxiety, and an ease in social relations are felt during this stage.
Alcohol use can affect your brain, especially the basal ganglia, which is the reward system in the brain. The basal ganglia can create a feeling of euphoria when you drink, which is the feeling that addicts are often chasing, regardless of the drug involved.
The chance of repeated alcohol use rises when the basal ganglia's reward system is repeatedly activated. The development of habits and other automatic behaviours, as well as motivation, are all significantly influenced by stimulating the basal ganglia.
Stage 2: Withdrawals
During the second stage of the addiction cycle, you can experience polar opposite physical and emotional responses compared to highs experienced in stage 1.
The negative effects are magnified, making you uncomfortable, with greater levels of anxiety. Loss of euphoria can lead to a feeling of being unable to enjoy oneself.
Symptoms can also include things like:
Physical sleep disturbances
Feelings of pain during detox
Physical pain
Headaches and migraines
Irritability
Body sweats and shakes
At this stage, the person is no longer drinking alcohol to achieve a high, but rather to avoid the extreme lows that chronic abuse of alcohol tends to generate in both body and state of mind.
In order to stimulate the basal ganglia to achieve the same highs that were experienced earlier in the addiction cycle, a much higher dosage is required, causing the addiction to spiral further.
Stage 3: Anticipation
Physical craving and preoccupation with thoughts of drinking are the hallmarks of the third stage in the addiction cycle.
What's happening is that the prefrontal cortex of the brain (responsible for decision-making) is now justifying the use of alcohol. It starts prioritising alcohol over other important things, like children, relationships and your own wellbeing.
You experience a huge internal justification for continuing the alcoholism.
Treating alcoholism through hypnotherapy
Alcoholism is a serious disease and going "cold turkey" can have serious health risks and consequences with it. Your first step should always be to consult a doctor or health professional to assist with easing these risks as the alcohol leaves your system.
Hypnotherapy works well in conjunction with conventional treatments to address psychosomatic addiction thoughts and behaviours.
Medical professionals will be able to help you in a number of ways, including helping you to enter a rehabilitation programme, providing you with a form of medical treatment to make the detoxification safer and to take off some of the sharp edges.
Hypnotic suggestions can help you deal with:
Physical cravings
Breaking unhealthy patterns or rituals
Increasing determination and willpower to stay sober
Positively rewire your brain to seek healthier alternatives to the addiction high.
To get started on your hypnotherapy journey and to achieve the best possible results, contact us today and let's have a confidential, no obligation discussion about your addiction and goals.
The "No BS"
No treatment or rehabilitation programme will be successful without the addicted person making a full commitment to their own recovery.