I am truly horrified to find out that hypnotists are claiming they can hypnotize people to cure addictions and my heart goes out to those who will end up duped into believing it is true.
Let’s Look at Addiction Facts:
- Addictions are both behavioral and physical. While you can effectively treat behaviors, you cannot treat physical disease. Therefore, telling an addict you can cure them through hypnosis would be like telling a client you can cure cancer through hypnosis. Not possible.
- Stopping an addiction is not curing an addiction. Hypnosis is wonderful in helping someone stop an addiction, but that is not a cure, that is a remission from active using.
The reason I’m bringing this up, well, hopefully to save lives, but also because I will be adding hypnosis into my mix of Life Coach skills and am working hard to learn the ropes. I was really excited to find a series of interviews being given by a hypnotist I won’t mention by name. One of the interviewees, a woman who shall also be unnamed starting talking about how all you need to cure an addiction is hypnosis and that programs such as treatment facilities ran by world renowned specialists and AA was a bunch of hogwash. I was tempted to leave a comment about how she is on her way to killing people with that line of thinking, but refrained and clicked off to another site.
Upon further research I found out that other hypnotists were also making the same claims. People, this is dangerous stuff here! They even quote percentage rates, but you can’t accurately quote recovery statistics with treatments programs because many people are forced to seek treatment by their work, family or courts, with no intention of quitting whatever addiction they are getting treated for. To get an accurate reading, you would have to weed out those who entered treatment because they WANTED it and then, the percentage will be much higher than what these hypnotists are trying to present to you. Even still though, none of those percentages equal a cure, they only equal those who have been able to remain sober from their addiction of choice.
Hypnosis for Addictions
Hypnosis to help with addictions is extremely effective to:
- Help stay relaxed
- Implement new behaviors to support recovery efforts
- Help decrease cravings and urges
- Help continuing recovery efforts
Combining hypnosis with other recovery efforts such as in-patient and out-patient treatment, working with a Life Coach and/or a 12 step program is the ideal situation. Make sure when you choose a hypnotist though that they don’t tell you that all you need is hypnosis to cure an addiction. While it can help you stop your addiction, it is not a cure and thinking it is will put you at risk for relapse and we all know what serious consequences can happen from that point.
About the Author:
I'm Tracy Morrow, a Personal Life Coach with certifications specializing in Conflict Resolution, Energy Psychology and Analysis / Evaluation of Emotional Issues. I work with people from all different walks of life to set goals, clarify decision making, improve relationships and overcome specific conflicts. Expect more from life - Claim your FREE life coach session now and make today the day you define a more direct path to the brighter and happier future you deserve.