Hypnotherapy for Drug Addiction

Drug Abuse is becoming more and more prevalent in today’s highly stressed and pressurised society.

Many people are able to use recreational drugs (Cannabis, Cocaine etc.) without developing major addictive disorders or suffering any negative consequences, but for some users, it can become a significant problem that has a truly devastating impact on your life at home, work or socially.

Drug Abuse can lead to increasing isolation and withdrawal from everyday life and for a number of sufferers, can lead to the ultimate penalty. Loss of loved ones, family, career and self worth. 

In order to effectively deal with the problem of drug abuse, it is important to understand the nature of addiction and how this addiction manifests itself in symptoms and behaviours.

The Features of Drug Abuse

There are a multitude of reasons why people try out drugs, often this can be due to peer pressure in adolescence and the need to feel like one belongs to the right group.

Sometimes abuse offers a way to escape from some previous traumatic experience, often which occurred in earlier times but which still produce negative feelings in the present for example Anxiety, Depression or Stress.

It does not necessarily follow that all abuse will lead automatically to a state of Addiction as Character and Personality Type can play an important role in determining susceptibility to Addictive Behaviours.

In some cases, drugs may only create a habitual behavior and not actually be addictive. But after a long period of repetitious use the drug can become a dependent nature in your everyday lifestyle. Friends and social network can contribute to use but also being comfortable with using and not recognizing the results or after effect it has on your life or health. 

Abuse and Addiction can become a problem it impacts upon  the level of use at which addictive behavior can said to occur is NOT directly related to the amount of drugs being used or what typeof drug. Many don’t realize even prescription drugs have a overwhelming effect of feeling it was approved so it should be ok but its the overindulging or using when not needed is the problem.

IF you ARE using drugs AND it IS having a negative effect on your life, then it is likely that you have a drug abuse problem.

Why Do Some People Develop Drug Abuse Problems

As is true with almost all Psychological problems and conditions, the degree of vulnerability to addictive behavior is determined by personal factors such as your nurturing environment, genetic factors, personality type, social conditioning and any previous mental health problems.

Susceptibility factors may include:-

• Addictive behaviours in your family
• Childhood Emotional Traumas – Conscious or Unconscious
• Other prevailing psychological problems such as Depression or Anxiety
• Substance Abuse at an early age
• Physical method of ingestion – Injecting may lead to addiction more swiftly

The Effects of Drug Abuse on the Brain

Drug Abuse is complex (due to so many factors being involved) and despite the fact that all drugs produce slightly different effects on the Brain, one effect that all abused drugs have in common is their ability, through repeated use, to actually effect the way the Brain functions.

Recreational drugs produce a pleasurable effect by triggering the release of Dopamine into the bloodstream.

These feelings are so pleasurable that the Brain wants the experience to be repeated.

The importance of these feelings can become so profound that the brain regards them as being as important as other “survival” activities such as eating or drinking.

This behavior can become “normalised” and impede the ability to rationalise in a clear way, leading to the belief that you cannot “cope” or “survive” without the drug.

Under these conditions, the urge to keep using the drug becomes so dominant that the mind starts to develop arguments to deny the “addiction” and to thus continue to use, often leading to a total inability to gauge the amount of drugs that are being consumed, or “need” to be consumed.

On the positive side is the fact that all of these Brain behaviors can also be “unlearnt” and with hypnotherapy and personal effort drug abuse and addictions CAN be resolved.

Common Symptoms and Indicators of Drug Abuse

The most common indicators of a drug abuse problem are:

• Your substance abuse is starting to become more important than your home life, work or schooling and you are starting to neglect your responsibilities
• You are taking risks whilst using your drugs, for example driving while under the influence
• You are having problems with the law, for example being arrested for disorderly behavior or convictions for theft through trying to obtain funds for buying your drugs
• Your relationships are falling apart due to fights or disagreements which may be frivolous 
• You need larger quantities of drugs to get the hit that you used to get with smaller quantities. 
• You are starting to experience more severe withdrawal symptoms when you are without your drug such as nausea, depression or anxiety
• You feel “powerless” to keep the amount of drugs you’re using to a level you can control
• Your primary focus has shifted to drug abuse and you may have quit doing the things you used to enjoy such as socialising or keeping fit

If you demonstrate any of these behaviors then I strongly recommend that you weight your options and begin to realize that Drug Addiction is not only physical but mentally challenging. You can make an appointment to see how hypnotherapy could help you lead a healthier and drug free lifestyle.

Once you’re ready to face the truth about your drug abuse problem then you have already taken the first important step towards solving the problem and can move towards seeking a solution.

Whichever recovery option you decide to take, being honest with yourself and obtaining the help and support of friends and family can undoubtedly help you to make the move to a drug free life.