Background
Anna is a 45-year-old woman who has been drinking alcohol excessively for over 20 years. She started drinking socially in her twenties, but gradually increased her intake over the years to cope with stress, boredom, loneliness, and depression.
She drinks every day, usually starting in the afternoon and continuing until she falls asleep. She often drinks more than a bottle of wine or a six-pack of beer per day. She has tried to quit or cut down several times, but always relapsed after a few days or weeks. She has experienced withdrawal symptoms such as tremors, sweating, anxiety, insomnia, and nausea when she tried to stop drinking abruptly.
She has also suffered from health problems such as liver damage, high blood pressure, weight gain, and memory loss due to her alcohol abuse. She has lost her job, her friends, and her self-esteem because of her drinking problem.
Hypnotherapy
Anna decided to try hypnotherapy as a last resort after getting “word of mouth” from one of my previous clients. She contacted Hypnotic Universe, who have over 10 years experience with alcohol reduction and addiction recovery and arranged an initial consultation.
The hypnotherapist explained that hypnosis is a natural state of relaxation and focus that can help change negative beliefs and habits in the subconscious mind. They also explained that hypnotherapy can help reduce or stop alcohol intake by creating new associations and responses to alcohol and by addressing the underlying emotional issues that trigger drinking.
The hypnotherapist assessed Anna’s level of dependence and motivation and found out that she wanted to quit drinking completely, but was afraid of the withdrawal symptoms and the risk of seizures (a very real risk, if not weaned off slowly). They then designed a personalised treatment plan for Anna that involved eight sessions of hypnotherapy. Each session lasted about an hour and consisted of the following steps:
Induction
The hypnotherapist used a progressive relaxation technique to help Anna enter a state of hypnosis. They used suggestions of warmth, comfort, safety, and calmness to deepen Anna’s relaxation.
Deepening
The hypnotherapist used a staircase imagery to help Anna go deeper into hypnosis. They asked Anna to imagine walking down a staircase that led to a peaceful garden where she could relax and heal.
Intervention
The hypnotherapist used various techniques to help Anna reduce or stop her alcohol intake. They used positive suggestions, metaphors, stories, affirmations, visualisations, and role-playing to help Anna see alcohol as harmful, disgusting, and unnecessary for her well-being.
They also used desensitisation techniques to help Anna gradually reduce her alcohol intake in a safe and controlled way. Theyasked Anna to imagine drinking less and less alcohol each day until she reached zero.
They reinforced Anna’s confidence and success with praise and rewards. They also used hypnoanalysis techniques to help Anna identify and resolve the emotional issues that caused her to drink in the first place.
They helped Anna release any negative emotions such as anger, guilt, shame, sadness, or fear that were associated with alcohol or her past experiences. They helped Anna replace these emotions with positive ones such as love, joy, peace, or gratitude.
Termination
The hypnotherapist used a count-up technique to help Anna return to normal awareness. They gave Anna some post-hypnotic suggestions to help her maintain her positive changes and cope with any challenges. They also gave Anna some homework assignments to practice drinking less or no alcohol at home with his support.
Results
After eight sessions of hypnotherapy, Anna achieved her goal of quitting drinking completely. She reported feeling more relaxed and happy without alcohol. She did not experience any withdrawal symptoms or seizures during the process of reducing her alcohol intake. She also improved her health and well-being by eating better, exercising more, sleeping better, and engaging in more positive activities. She regained her job, her friends, and her self-esteem because of her recovery.
What next?
If you have an excess of something in your life, know that hypnotherapy can work just as well for you too! Just contact here. To find out more about case studies, go here.
