Hypnotherapy for Alcohol dependancy

Alcohol hypnosis

Hypnotherapy offers a private, confidential and very positive approach to reducing alcohol consumption.

A dependance on alcohol doesn't just effect your physical health, it can also impact your self-esteem, self-identity, family, relationships, job and finances.

Reducing how much we drink can be a lot more difficult than just deciding not to drink anymore - social situations, peer pressure and habitual coping mechanisms are just some of the difficulties people face.

Alcohol addiction can be more than just an addiction to alcohol, it can be self medication for stress management, insomnia and even a sedative to escape intractable relationship or employment issues. Hypnotherapy works with clients to reduce their dependence on alcohol by using hypnotic suggestions to reject or reduce consumption. The therapy also usually incorporates healthier strategies for sleep, stress, confidence and relationship issues.

For the past 20 years, hypnotherapist Dr Bruce Alexander has been successfully helping men and women take control of their alcohol dependancy and alcohol addiction using clinical hypnotherapy.

Melbourne Clinical Hypnotherapy Program - Reduce Alcohol Dependence

The Reduce Alcohol Dependence Program typically takes at least 4 sessions, although this varies according to individual needs and circumstances.

The first step explored in the first session is to identify the perceived positive influence of alcohol in a person's life. For example:

  • is it helping them to unwind at the end of a busy day?
  • Is it helping them to get to sleep?
  • Is it a form of escapism away from a difficult relationship, chaotic family life or work situation?
  • Is it helping them appear confident in work or social functions?

Client and therapist then work together to establish realistic and achievable goals. These goals are built upon, over a period of time, until the final goal is eventually achieved. In this way self-esteem is boosted rather than degraded by setting unrealistic goals. Initial goals will be around reducing the desire to drink or the rejection of alcohol. Clients are encouraged to see it as a poison which should only be consumed in moderation or maybe not at all. The final goal may be complete withdrawal from alcohol but for many, it is simply a goal to cut back on consumption. This is usually not an option for severe alcoholism but for those with moderate alcohol problems cutting back is very achievable.

When alcohol is withdrawn as a coping mechanism usually underlying issues emerge which can be further treated using hypnosis. Subsequent sessions focus on these underlying issues and reinforcing the rejection of alcohol. Programs that address common underlying issues related to alcohol dependency include:

Case Study

Bill's level of drinking increased from a couple of glasses on the weekend to a couple of glasses every night. His problem began three years ago with increased work stress caused by a promotion. This led to him drinking alcohol every day as a means of coping with stress.

Recently things settled down at work but his drinking habit persisted. Bill tried to get back into his old ‘weekend only’ habit but found he was unable to resist the temptation of driving into the bottle shop on the way home from work. Bill didn't see himself as an 'alcoholic' and feels very reluctant to participate in a 12 step program or group therapy sessions. 

Bill's friend suggested hypnotherapy as a way to control how much he was drinking. He worked with his hypnotherapist to start rejecting alcohol and to set a behaviour goal of one alcohol free day in the first week. This was gradually extended to five days over a period of weeks. Bill also needed new ways to deal with stress and started to prioritise himself by arranging  two nights to himself midweek, away from his wife and the kids, to play basketball or go to the gym on his way home from work.

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Private Health Insurance: Hypnotherapy can often be included as part of private health insurance coverage. A list of private health insurance providers that are known to include hypnotherapy in some of their products is provided here. Please check your individual cover to confirm if you are eligible for reimbursement or rebate.