Hypnosis for Drinking: Does it Work?

“He likes to have a drink.”

We all know that’s a euphemism for “he’s an alcoholic”.

But whether you enjoy one drink a week or 10 drinks every day, the bottom line is, alcohol is a drug. And you may wish to stop doing this drug, no matter what level your involvement is with it.

Just like with other drugs, such as smoking, it can be difficult to stop doing something you enjoy. You might’ve tried going cold turkey, or tapering your drinking. But nothing seems to work.

Then you read about something called hypnotherapy. Hypnosis for addiction may seem like a bunch of voodoo magic, but hey, you’d give anything a try at this point, right?

You’d be surprised at what hypnotherapy entails and what it can do for you. In this article, we discuss hypnosis for drinking and if it really works for putting down the bottle for good.

What Is Hypnosis?

Everyone’s probably seen the typical hypnosis video before. A therapist sits in front of their patient, swinging a pocket watch in front of their face.

“You’re getting sleeeepyyy,” the therapist says in a soothing, sing-songy voice. Then with a suggestion of quitting drinking and a snap of a finger, the patient’s cured.

Although there are some truths to the above, hypnosis is actually much deeper than that.

Hypnotherapy involves different types of relaxation techniques to get the patient to tap into their subconscious. This may or may not involve the pocket watch technique.

Once a person is in the hyper-relaxed state, the hypnotherapist can then subliminally suggest things. These help the patient avoid whatever it is they’re trying to quit.

In fact, a therapist can even imply a connection between having a drink and sickness, and it’d stick in a person’s mind. Once the session’s over, if the patient has a drinking, they’d actually feel queasy!

By creating an aversion to something once enjoyable, this helps break addiction in a very effective way.

How Can Hypnotherapy Help Me?

If you’ve bounced in and out of rehab for drinking, you’re not the only one. On a long-term scale, about half of those who’ve been to rehab relapse. For those in that half, it may be hard to find a permanent solution for quitting drinking.

Hypnotherapy involves different types of relaxation techniques for tapping into the subconscious. If you’ve had to deal with some tough, life-changing situations, it can be easy to rely on drugs such as alcohol to get you through those times.

Then, you form an association of relief and comfort with alcohol. So you may find yourself turning to this substance whenever you’re stressed out. It can then be hard to break the habit.

Hypnotherapy reworks the synapses in your brain in how it associates past experiences with craving alcohol. This connection is the hardest part of addiction and is key to helping you quit for good.

Does It Really Work?

Yes, hypnotherapy actually does work. But it’s not a cure-all, nor is it something to be used all by itself.

Hypnosis works because it forces people to face painful thoughts or memories. Otherwise, they probably wouldn’t think about these while conscious. Many of these painful thoughts or memories are the root causes or catalysts for drinking. By facing these things, you can then work to address these issues and stop using alcohol as a crutch.

Contrary to popular belief, hypnotherapy is not mind control. Instead, it’s a tool therapists can use to help you unlock some of your life problems.

So if you’re scared your hypnotherapist will make you cluck like a chicken whenever someone says “popcorn”, relax. This usually only happens onstage with comedy shows.

Hypnosis only works on people who want it to work. So if you’re uncomfortable with doing embarrassing things, hypnotic suggestions to do so likely wouldn’t work.

What Is Hypnosis for Drinking Typically Like?

You’ll most likely begin with a free consultation so you and your hypnotherapist can get a feel for each other. That way, you can figure out if you’re a good fit or not.

In this initial session, you’ll discuss your issues surrounding alcohol. You’ll also get the suggested time frame for your treatment and how much it’ll cost. Once you’ve agreed on a schedule, your sessions can then begin.

What Happens in Your Sessions

Your hypnotherapist will create a relaxing, soothing atmosphere in their office so you feel at ease. They will also employ techniques and skills that gradually put you into a calm, relaxed state.

Once you’re in this state, they’ll use further techniques to get you into the subconscious state. This process is called induction or deepening.

In this stage, your hypnotherapist uses subliminal messages to encourage aversion to alcohol. This can involve the association technique from above. Or it can involve you facing the truth about your abuse of alcohol. Whatever is used, acceptance and change is the main goal of the sessions.

Afterwards, you’ll be slowly brought back from the subconscious to the conscious. You then have time to voice your questions and concerns about the session with your therapist.

Turn Your Life Around

As you can see, hypnosis for drinking can be very effective for kicking the habit. But in order for the treatment to work, at your core, you have to actually want to quit.

The power of the mind is very strong, so if you go into your hypnotherapy sessions with a closed mind, it probably won’t work for you. You’ve got to want to make the change from within.

Also, hypnosis for addiction isn’t enough all by itself. In order to become a healthier and happier person, you have to make lifestyle changes. These include eating and sleeping better. Plus, possibly seeing an additional therapist to work through your life issues.

When you combine hypnotherapy with major lifestyle changes, this is how to stop binge drinking and become the better version of you.

Ready to take the first step towards quitting drinking? Book a professional hypnosis session with Richard Barker today.

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