Alcohol and Hypnosis: The Benefits of Using Hypnosis and CBT in Alcoholism Treatment

April is Alcohol Awareness Month, an observance to raise awareness about the impact the misuse of alcohol has on individuals, romantic relationships, families, friendships, and communities. If you struggle with your consumption of alcohol, and hypnosis and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) aren’t part of your therapy treatment plan, you may want to consider changing things up.

Whether you are looking to reduce your consumption, quit it altogether, or just understand your drinking habits, explore your relationship with alcohol using hypnosis, CBT, and other therapy methods. You can also use these techniques to support your wellness journey.

Miami Hypnosis and Therapy may not be a rehab or recovery center, but we’re eager to help patients navigate their sobriety goals and foster healthy coping strategies.

Hypnosis for Alcohol Abuse Therapy

Too many people think hypnosis is something out of a magic show, but clinical hypnosis is a well-established type of therapy. While you are in a deeply relaxed state, a hypnotherapist can help you access your subconscious mind to be more open to changing negative thoughts, behaviors, and patterns in favor of positive ones.

Your therapist can guide you into bypassing your conscious resistance so you can access your subconscious beliefs about alcohol during a hypnosis session. Because your mind is focused and open, you’ll be better able to identify and modify those underlying thought processes.

Because of this, hypnotherapy can be an effective aid in treating addiction to alcohol, drugs, smoking, and more.

Hypnosis and CBT in Alcoholism Treatment Plans

Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, is often used to treat various kinds of addiction, including alcohol use disorder. It helps patients recognize and reframe negative thought patterns that lead to unhealthy and addictive behavior.

Using hypnosis alongside CBT to treat alcoholism can make your therapy more effective than using just one method or the other. This is because while CBT helps adopt strategies for managing cravings, stress, and emotional triggers, hypnosis helps to rewire your subconscious mind.

The Benefits of CBT and Hypnosis for Alcohol Abuse Therapy

Adopting a holistic approach by combining these two types of therapy (and possibly others) for alcoholism or any other kind of addiction can usher you further on your mental wellness journey. Here’s what it will help you do:

1. Curb your cravings

If you subconsciously associate alcohol with feelings of pleasure, fun, or relief, hypnosis can help you shift those associations to the negative effects of alcohol. Instead, your perception of alcohol after hypnosis therapy will be more about hangovers, loss of control, impulsiveness, and poor judgment. This may help cravings feel less intense.

Meanwhile, with CBT for alcoholism, you may be able to identify what types of situations trigger your cravings in the first place so you can avoid them or redirect your emotions so that you focus on something other than drinking.

2. Understand and address underlying emotional factors

Alcohol often becomes an emotional crutch, where you may try to drink booze to cope with stress, anxiety, or past trauma. It may also be a form of self-medication for undiagnosed conditions like PTSD or depression.

Your therapist can use a combination of hypnosis and CBT to explore and address the root causes of substance abuse in a way that feels safe, supportive, and nonjudgmental. Once you are better able to regulate and process your emotions, you may find yourself leaning on that crutch less often.

3. Develop healthier coping mechanisms

Hypnosis leaves you more open to changing your behavior, while CBT will give you the tools and strategies to shift toward healthy, positive behavior when you encounter something that triggers your stress, anxiety, or past trauma.

For example, you can condition yourself to go for a walk or try some other form of exercise instead of reaching for a bottle when you are feeling sad or anxious. Reaching out to a friend or sponsor when you start to crave alcohol is another positive coping strategy.

4. Relax and reduce stress

Your therapist will likely teach you breathing and relaxation techniques to cope with anxiety and distress. Since hypnotherapy puts you in a deeply relaxed state, your body and mind may learn to relax more habitually. As you and your therapist target specific triggers and negative thoughts and beliefs, rewiring your brain to focus on more positive patterns and behavior, you’ll find your overall stress levels reducing.

Since stress and anxiety can often lead to episodes of alcoholism, CBT and hypnosis therapy’s positive effects in achieving a calm mindset may make it easier to manage the condition.

5. Build your sense of self-control and self-confidence

As you train your brain to associate alcohol with a lack of control, you may find yourself feeling more in control of yourself and your life as you progress on your wellness journey. Some of the strategies used in CBT may also help you build confidence and feelings of empowerment and gratitude.

For example, keeping a journal and following prompts that allow you to examine both positive and negative experiences in your daily life will help you become more appreciative of daily sources of peacefulness and joy.

CBT and Hypnosis for Alcohol Use: Not Just for Addicts

While those who struggle with addiction may be the most obvious patients for this type of combined therapy approach, the techniques used in hypnotherapy and CBT can benefit individuals who:

• Want to reduce alcohol consumption and struggle with habits and cravings
• Identify as “sober-curious,” wanting support in exploring life without alcohol
• Are in recovery and looking for additional tools for sobriety
• Experience stress and/or emotional triggers that lead to drinking and other risky behavior

You should also be conscious of the fact that substance abuse affects more than just yourself. While individual therapy will certainly be helpful, families can benefit from guidance about coping skills to support a loved one through their recovery. Couples and family therapy are also highly encouraged to help everyone affected heal from a patient’s alcohol use disorder.

Seeking Help

If you are in the process of or even just considering changing your relationship with alcohol, remember you never have to do it alone. Therapy can be a wonderful source of support and safety on your journey to wellness. Your therapist can and should help you uncover the underlying reasons behind your alcohol use and equip you with the tools to create lasting change in your thoughts and behavior.

Miami Hypnosis and Therapy can help you with your sobriety goals through CBT and hypnosis for alcohol use disorder, as well as other methods of therapy like Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and neuro-linguistic programming (NLP).

However, if you are struggling with alcohol dependence, we encourage you to seek additional support from specialized recovery resources. Taking the first step to change and sobriety is a powerful and courageous decision, and there are so many places and people ready and willing to help you move forward.

If you or someone you know needs immediate help, here are some crisis hotlines and sites to help you find assistance:

• SAMHSA National Helpline: Call 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or visit samhsa.gov for free, confidential treatment referral and information service available 24/7, 365 days a year.
• Alcoholics Anonymous (AA): Find your local AA chapter at www.aa.org.
• Florida National Rehab Hotline: Call +1-866-210-1303 or visit nationalrehabhotline.org for assistance with local treatment resources.

Are you looking for a safe space where you can receive therapy treatment, whether it’s hypnosis for drug addiction near you, CBT for alcoholism, or other conditions and concerns? Miami Hypnosis and Therapy offers both in-person and virtual therapy to help you grow in a calm, positive, and balanced way.

Reach out to us today by calling us at +1-305-790-3949 or sending us a message so you can get started with your mental health healing in Miami or anywhere in Florida.