Addiction treatment with Hypnosis

“Have you ever tried to catch a fairy?
Every summer night I try.
But overtime I think I’ve got one —
Oh it’s just a firefly!”
~Ann Braybrooks

It is the midst of summer here in South Florida. We always say it’s like winter for us, as in we all stay indoors as much as possible because it’s just too hot to go outside!

We are lucky though to live on the ocean as the ocean breeze cools things down at night. Growing up in North Texas, we didn’t have that. It just stayed so hot that you could fry an egg on the sidewalk, regularly reaching temperatures over 100 in the daytime. But all the kids would stay up late, running around playing kick the can and catching fireflies!

A question I get a lot is whether hypnosis can be used as a first course of treatment for addiction, meaning can someone solve their addiction problem with hypnosis. Usually if someone is asking me this, they either don’t want to go to rehab or feel like their problem is not severe enough for rehab. There are heavy users (whether that’s alcohol or drugs) that want to stop use but don’t quite qualify in severity for rehab or 12-step programs. Sometimes it’s someone who would never step foot in a 12 step program or doesn’t see themselves as someone who would.

I do treat addiction in my practice depending on where someone is in their addiction. If it’s full on dependency, I recommend they do rehab and/or detox safely before seeing me. But I also recommend 12 step programs, which are free, to help support them in staying sober. Therapy and hypnosis can help and some people can get sober with just those two things. But not everyone. Unfortunately, we can’t predict who can do that and who can’t. So sometimes we just have to see.

This question led to an interview and very interesting discussion with Autumn Hahn on the podcast. Autumn was a clinical director of a rehab in South Florida and has a private practice in Weston, Florida. She gives her opinion as well as how she uses hypnosis to treat both addiction and pain blocking (attempts to control pain often lead to addiction). Before you run off and listen to the episode, please be aware that she talks about some aversive images during the discussion. If you have an abuse history or are the type of person to get images stuck in your head (me!), you may want to skip minutes 9:45 – 11:10. Listen in Here >>>> www.drlizhypnosis.com/episode83

Dr. Liz. Call for a free consultation 954-309-9071.

I specialize in hypnosis for anxiety and chronic conditions. Although my office is in Broward county and the Fort Lauderdale / South Florida area, I work with people all over the world. To see if we’re a good fit to work together, schedule your free consultation at 954-309-9071.

Yours in health,
Dr. Liz