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Our Addictive Society

"There is no particular virtue in doing things the way they have always been done. Sometimes breaking rules, initiating a revolution in our life and overthrowing the tired patterns that are keeping us stagnant is the most sensible way to go." that is according to John Kehoe award winning author of Mind Power into the 21st century.

My understanding about this is: By breaking the rules you will break habits.

Now, would it be possible that our modern society can break this age old rules about addiction and be able to move forward without the addiction label? 

The concept of addiction is used as a fear tactic, on everything from video games to smart phones and beyond.  If you did not know; You control people by Fear. 

Perhaps we should start contemplating  the meaning of our society's -addiction - to addiction terminology.

The numbers of things that we are potentially at risk of becoming addicted to, is a staggering list of 230+ different addictions.  This excludes things like alcohol, drugs (illegal and legal), caffeine and nicotine. That makes me wonder if there is anything out there that is not seen as potentially addictive.

The true meaning of this never-ending list of pseudo-addictions is that society IS addicted all right, to the concept of addiction itself. Once, addiction meant only a few things. But our tolerance grew, and society needed more and more addictions to feed our cravings. If we try to stop, we go into withdrawal, unable to find any way to distract ourselves from responsibility, unable to avoid the consequences of our choices. Every time a new technology surfaces, we use it to the point of self-destruction, and then label it as addictive to try to regain some control over our use of the technology. We use the concept of addiction more every day, despite our growing knowledge that it is destroying our culture, our legal system, our ability to hold ourselves responsible. Our brains are changed, affected by the neurochemical rushes we get, from seeing people on television, their lives destroyed by their addictions. We get that rush from the voyeuristic insight into the suffering of others, from the joy and jealousy of watching the mighty fall, and from the relief that it's not us up there.

We do live in an "addictive culture." The addiction lies in our society's desire to label our behaviors as addictive and compulsive.

This I would like to ask, "Where is the 12 step program that our society can attend, to confess its powerlessness over this addiction to addiction."

The media, churches and government uses the concept of addiction to create moral panics, triggering fear and anxiety into parents and society. Most parents have never even seen illegal drugs. They are so fearful and paranoid about this illegal drugs that they will easily spend R 30,000 to R 50,000 to get their children rehabilitated, to no avail. Society uses the concept of addiction to justify laws and restrictions and giving young children criminal records, putting them in jail, destroying their lives forever.

So next time before you go on a march against drugs or decide to throw your child out in the street, please think.

I hope you enjoyed this post.  Please feel free to leave your comment in the comment section. We will do our best to send you a personal and prompt reply.

Hypnotherapy for Treating Substance Abuse

 Hypnotherapy, is currently gaining credibility as an addiction treatment modality in the medical and psychiatric community all over the world. Is Hypnotherapy safe in treating addiction and what are its limitations?

In this writing I would like to use comments made by Dr. Heather Good a clinical hypnotherapist. Heather has worked for many years as a mental health therapist and has dealt with many complex mental health difficulties including depression, anxiety, abuse, and trauma. In an interview on a blog called Addiction Blog.org http://addictionblog.org/ she answered most questions around this subject.

·         How hypnotherapy is used in addiction treatment

·         What hypnotherapy includes and what a typical session is like

·         Whether or not hypnotherapy is best for everyone

·         How to avoid danger or risk in seeking hypnotherapy

At the end, if you still have questions about hypnotherapy and its safe use, please use the comments section below. We will do our best to send you a personal and prompt answer.

What is the science behind Hypnotherapy?

We do know that the process of hypnosis accesses a level of the deeper mind (the subconscious) which can initiate long-lasting change. In the trance state, the client is highly suggestible, relaxed, and able to access the deeper mind and more importantly the imagination; the trance state is likened to the state between waking and sleeping. In the trance state, the conscious mind relaxes and all the memories stored in the subconscious are accessible.

The subconscious is like a store-house for all our experiences in the lifetime. People are able to let go of their addiction when (the subconscious mind and the conscious mind are on the same page). When this occurs, people are able to transform the trauma with positive support networks, self-compassion, and coping skills.

Time and time again; most often people leave hypnotherapy feeling a stronger sense of their own power and a sense of peace. Even if they don’t attain abstinence, or if they fall short of meeting the goal they set for themselves, the process of hypnosis helps to release stress that has been held in the body and mind and re-connects oneself to a sense of power and purpose.

What hypnotherapy can do – which is brilliant and needed – is to help to re-write the life story and to release the trauma of the past. As a sense of self-worth and empowerment arises, people begin to learn that they are resourceful and powerful. For some people it can make a huge difference, while for others, it can be an important aspect of their healing journey.

What is the goal of hypnotherapy in the treatment of chemical and process addictions?

One might view the goal of hypnosis and counselling to be abstinence (and this may be necessary and needed). However, I view the goal of hypnosis to be the alleviation of suffering and the strengthening of self-love and self-compassion.

Although the goal of hypnosis varies, what is of the upmost importance is to help the person who is suffering to find freedom from decades or even years of pain, to feel a sense of control and mastery over their lives. Addiction is a complex interplay of causes and conditions which results in a set of behaviors that oftentimes have detrimental results in a person’s life. Support systems and dedication to the recovery process are essential for long-term success for those with serious addiction issues.

Substance use or addictive behaviors arise in order to meet a need. In my view, the goal of hypnotherapy in the treatment of addictions is three-fold.

1.      To begin with, the client needs to have a clear picture of what they want their life to look like and they have to be ready for change.

2.      Secondly, helping people have greater self-control of their lives elicits greater control within themselves.

3.      Finally, through the hypnosis process we remove the energies that are associated with what you might call the “original trauma” so that there is more freedom and peace.

What is the cause of addiction?

As noted earlier, there is not one single cause of addiction.

In his book, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, Dr. Gabor Mate shares that addiction involves a complex interplay between humans and their environments and that addiction is a chronic neurobiological disease. He suggests that early stress is a potent inducer of addiction as it impairs brain development. He shares in his research that drug addicts show a high likelihood of being victims of early abuse and childhood trauma.

Dr. Mate goes onto to write that there are three main systems involved in addiction. The attachment system involves a sense of belonging and connection with others that may have been disrupted early in life. Secondly, because of early trauma the reward and motivation centres of the brain are impacted. Finally, those with addictions may have difficulty with self-regulation and calming themselves in times of stress.

How effective is hypnotherapy in the treatment of addiction?

Although much more rigorous research is required in the field of hypnotherapy to fully show the efficacy of hypnosis for addictions, based on randomized controlled trials, there is sufficient evidence to show that both relaxation techniques and hypnosis can effectively reduce anxiety, and help patients with chronic pain, insomnia and panic disorders.

As we also know, hypnosis helps people to become non-smokers. Additionally, hypnosis can help patients with cancer control anxiety, pain, nausea and vomiting. Hypnotherapy for trauma has also shown efficacy. Since hypnotherapy is regularly suggested and is used in many group scenarios for healing there is a need for large trials to establish its efficacy, specifically related to addiction.

In the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis (2000), Lynn et al., suggests that rarely, if ever, is hypnosis the sole form of treatment with a patient. In fact, the position of the Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis is that hypnosis cannot and should not stand alone as the sole medical or psychological intervention for any disorder. Instead, hypnosis is used in addition to some recognized medical or psychological treatment protocol.

For years now, hypnosis has been recognized as a legitimate component of medical treatment by the American Medical Association and the American Psychiatric Association. This being said, I have had experiences where a single session of hypnosis has made a significantly positive impact on the people that I have seen

.

Can you describe a typical hypnotherapy session step-by-step? What is the expected outcome?

Hypnotherapy can be an amazingly powerful component of a treatment program but one thing is for certain – the person seeking the change has to be 100 % on board with the goal and they need to be ready for change.

When I first talk to people about hypnosis, I find out their goals and I explain how hypnosis works. I then use my voice and deepening techniques to help the client to relax. This is very similar to a guided relaxation process. The client is aware that they can speak to me the whole time, that they will remember everything, and that they are in control. The client will not say anything they don’t want to say and they are completely in control.

Once the client is in a relaxed state then we journey back to clear all the things that they experienced with a negative association in their lifetime. People imagine letting go of these experiences so that when they think about them from this point onwards they do so in a neutral manner. Letting go of what has caused pain and sadness results in a release of fear, anxiety, insecurity and self-doubt. The end result is that the person feels more connected to their true essence and power and feels more accepting of themselves. We integrate in their goals and they determine their action steps for change and we solidify these through anchoring and future visioning.

I believe that strong self-criticism lies at the base of every addictive behavior. Most people I see with addictions are very hard on themselves. As people learn to love themselves more they can choose behaviors that are more in line with self-care and self-nurturing.

What co-occurring conditions do you avoid treating as a hypnotherapist? In other words, who SHOULD NOT seek treatment via hypnotherapy?

I would also never treat anyone who is under the influence of drugs or alcohol and if someone is in the detoxification or withdrawal state – which can also be accompanied by symptoms of psychosis – I would also not provide hypnosis until the person has stabilized.

What are the risks of hypnotherapy (in general) and how can someone in addiction recovery mitigate these risks?

 There are no negative risks associated with hypnotherapy. That being said, hypnosis for healing and with this intention in mind is very powerful and helpful.

Hypnosis is often experienced as a relaxing and pleasant experience. Finding a hypnotherapist, psychiatrist, or counsellor that you trust that uses hypnosis or another type of therapy that is very good for trauma called Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) can help with deep healing. Other promising therapies include Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP).  If you struggle with addictions then having a plan and treatment team to help you will support your healing journey is necessary.

How often is hypnotherapy used for addiction treatment as part of the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)? What kinds of overlap exist?

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) combined with hypnotherapy can be a part of healing for a wide arrangement of difficulties, including addictions. Although there is very little empirical data related to CBT and hypnotherapy, especially as it relates to addictions, the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Montgomery et al. (2014) determined that the results support Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Hypnosis (CBTH) as an evidence-based intervention to control fatigue in patients undergoing radiotherapy for breast cancer.

CBTH is non-invasive, has no adverse effects, and its’ beneficial effects persist long after the last intervention session. Furthermore, Kirsch et al. (1995) conducted a more broad-spectrum meta-analysis of empirical studies that had compared the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral treatments (CBT) with and without hypnosis across a number of disorders (e.g., obesity, insomnia, anxiety, pain, and hypertension). Patients receiving CBT with hypnosis showed greater improvement than at least 70% of patients who received standard CBT. Second, relaxation did not appear to be the mechanism. Third, there was a hint that the advantages of adding hypnosis to CBT might increase over time, though this was not definitive. Schoenberger’s review (2000) provides further evidence that hypnosis combined with cognitive behavioral methods, generally produce outcomes superior to wait-list and no treatment control conditions.

As you will notice when looking at the Out Patient Drug Rehabilitation Program we use not only CBT but also Transnational Analysis ( PAC) and Mindfulness training in conjunction with

Hypnotherapy.

The Abuse of Men and Boys

I was fortunate to speak to the founder of Matrixmen , Martin Pelders this week and will hopefully meet with him later this week. He is such a passionate guy. I ask you to follow Matrixmen.
https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=matrixmen.

As I found through working with drug addiction with men and boys, most of them were abused, not only sexually but physically and mentally. Broken human beings.

Unfortunately there is no platform or forum for them to say to the world what is happening to them. Men will not speak to friends or family for fear of been ridiculed or laughed at. You are not a "man" if you are getting abused by your partner or if you have been raped by older men or boys when you were younger.

In a conference I attended less than a year ago, a young man bravely stood up in front of 400 women and said that his girlfriend was abusing him.
The outcome was that 400 women laughed at him and told him to sit down. The person (also a women) that was giving the lecture simply smiled and said she is going to move on. The conference was about women and child abuse held for NGO's and NPO's by the relevant government department.

There are hundreds and thousands of stories to be told around the abuse of men and boys. This happens not only in the poor sub economic areas of the country but in the suburbs and affluent areas too. This is happening under your noses with people you know, and nobody says a word. Especially not the victims.

Although men are singled out as the perpetrators in the abuse of women and children, I believe that it is not a gender issue but a social issue that should be addressed urgently.

Men does not have a shoulder to cry on. He cries with a bottle in his hand, a needle or drugs in his veins, he is crying in the casino's and in brothels.

Nobody cares to love the men or boys in their lives, after all they are the perpetrators, according to what the media want you to believe.

I am not going to try and proof this by quoting figures to show you how clever I am, however you are more than welcome to contact me at Blue Paper Owl Out Patient Rehab Program https://www.facebook.com/bluepaperowl or Matrixmen.

Here is a video for you to watch if you dare.

Thank you for listening. Please contact us if you want to know more about this initiative.