HYPNOTHERAPY FOR ADDICTIVE PERSONALITIES

Addictive PersonalitiesDo you or a loved one suffer from alcoholism, substance abuse, codependency, emotional abuse, or other issues related to addiction? Have alcohol and drug abuse, gambling, shopping, sugar, or some other addiction of a parent, child, sibling, or significant other caused you to endure painful and traumatic moments, sleepless nights, and seemingly endless worry? Is it a struggle for you or your loved one to maintain sobriety or abstinence, even after rehab? Do the personal growth challenges of facing an addiction seem daunting? Are you worried about temptation and the risk of relapse? Does today’s fast-paced world of prescription medications, medical marijuana, street drugs, and partying lifestyles threaten recovery? Has the addiction taken on other forms, such as unhealthy behaviors or habits that result in negative consequences?

Because sobriety or abstinence is merely the first step in the recovery process, hypnotherapy is commonly recommended by rehabilitation facilities as part of the treatment and aftercare experience. The approach assists both addicts and family members in overcoming the devastating effects of addiction, including letting go of the past and reinforcing new attitudes and behaviors that promote a supportive, stable, and holistic way of living.

Addiction & Family Illness: The Lions & The Lambs

There are many types of addiction and most share the roots of chemical imbalances in the body and addictive dysfunction within the nuclear or extended family structure. The Lions & Lambs Of AddictionThe scope of addiction can be viewed as a radiating circle, a target, with the addict in the middle and those he or she touches comprising the surrounding rings. The addicted person, the rebellious and irreverent risk taker who breaks rules, pushes boundaries, and becomes the point of blame, is a lion in his or her world, and those who comprise the caring and concerned sphere of family members and friends affected by the negative behaviors, are lambs. The metaphor is poignant because many of the lions, from the outwardly ferocious to those who adopt a demure or retiring demeanor to mask their habit, are also lambs themselves deep inside, victims of neglect, abuse, or abandonment at the hands of an addict during their upbringing; indeed, this is part of how addiction perpetuates itself from one generation to the next.

Hypnotherapy is an effective means to address the victimhood that manifests in the hearts of the lions and lambs of addiction, and contributes significantly to the cycle of family illness. Issues such as guilt, denial, codependency, shame, blame, anger, and resentment, all of which are common challenges in recovery, can be overcome. The compulsive need to control is replaced with reaction modification techniques focused on detachment and surrender. Mindfulness meditation and self-hypnosis are taught as positive ways to alter consciousness and reinforce constructive behaviors and decision making.  As well, dream therapy and past-life regression are commonly employed to inspire spiritual enlightenment and incentive-driven learning.

Successful recovery from addiction and its far ranging ramifications requires diligence and a commitment to self-discovery. Hypnotherapy and therapeutic imagery are powerful and proven approaches that have helped many addicts and their families achieve not just abstinence or sobriety, but an unprecedented level of happiness and fulfillment in their lives.


View This Presentation On Hypnotherapy & Addiction

Shawn Quinlivan, C.Ht.

Shawn Quinlvan, C.Ht.

In the following video, Shawn Quinlivan, C.Ht., discusses the many facets of treating addiction and family illness with hypnotherapy. This presentation was given before a conference of the American Hypnosis Association held at the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in Tarzana, California.

You can watch by clicking here

 


If you have questions or wish to find our how Cathexis Therapeutic Imagery can benefit you, please call (818) 512-4371 or contact us.

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