addiction

Break the cycle of alcohol dependence with hypnosis

Caroline Jago hypnotherapy , , , , , 0 Comment
alcohol dependence

champagne flutes

Alcohol dependence is a killer. It’s now officially estimated that 5% of all deaths worldwide are attributable to alcohol. That’s 1 in every 20 people – enough to sober anyone up.

If you feel that you’d like to have greater control over your drinking, good news. It’s currently Go Sober for October, where you can raise money for MacMillan Cancer Support as well as giving your body a significant health boost.

But what if you know that you’ll just go straight back to your old ways with a large one once midnight strikes on November 1st?

Alcohol dependence: the physical and mental toll

A number of my clients admit that they drink more than they should, usually in response to stressful life conditions. Alcohol becomes indelibly associated with relaxing after work, and eventually the habit turns into a dependency. That this is a socially accepted norm doesn’t help.

However, excess alcohol can lead to problems which not only affect you physically, but mentally too. For example, did you know the impact that drinking has on your sleep? Many think that alcohol helps them drop off more quickly. While this may seem to be the case, the actual quality of sleep is poor. Alcohol affects the REM sleep cycle – when we most commonly dream – which in turn affects learning, memory, and mood. More serious problems such as depression can ensue, compounded by alcohol being a depressant to begin with.

Like most other addictions, alcohol dependence can create a warped reality where those affected no longer have any control. Alcohol can rip apart families, end careers – and as the stats now show, increasingly end lives. There are many medical downsides associated with alcohol, and the social implications can be equally serious. Without help, alcohol dependence can run rampant to the point where someone loses everything that is precious to them. They drink in response to their problems – but as drinking causes more problems, they have to drink more to keep reality at bay. It really is a vicious cycle, leaving people feeling that a way out is impossible.

Finding a permanent solution through hypnotherapy

However, this is an illusion, which a change of mindset can reveal. And this is where hypnotherapy can help. Having worked with people with different addictions, I’ve found that what they often needed was simply someone to help them overhaul their thinking. From there, we worked on learning healthier coping mechanisms and resolving unmet needs. In this way, hypnotherapy can offer a permanent solution.

If you feel as though you might never be free of the urge to reach for the bottle, whether to celebrate a good day or console yourself after a bad one, consider hypnotherapy. You really have nothing to lose, and everything to gain – and you can even make a start right now with this download. I am a qualified hypnotherapist, experienced in supporting clients to make the changes they want in their lives (see my success stories). I am based in Canterbury and London; and also offer online sessions, wherever in the world you may be. Please feel welcome to call me on 07947 475721 for a free no-obligation 15 minute phone consultation to see how I can help.

7 surprising uses of hypnotherapy, and how they’d help you

Caroline Jago hypnotherapy , , , , , , , 1 Comment
surprising uses of hypnotherapy

boy with surprised expression

You’re probably aware of the uses of hypnotherapy in areas like stopping smoking, treating phobias, or for weight loss. But there are some things that hypnosis can help with do that might surprise you…

7 unusual uses of hypnotherapy
  1. Learn a new skill, or enhance an existing one. It all starts in the mind. Athletes and performers know the power of mental practice to help with motivation, self-confidence, and reducing competitive anxiety. What the mind can believe, the mind can achieve. So visualising yourself employing your chosen skill can forge a strong subconscious path to start you on your way.
  2. Enjoy different foods. So you know that greens are healthy, and wholegrain bread is better for you – but what if you just don’t like the taste? A little hypnosis could change this, and change your eating habits for the better.
  3. End cravings or addictions. Conversely, hypnotherapy can help you turn down the brownies, stop drinking so much, or even say goodbye to unhealthy relationships.
  4. Enjoy public speaking. Being an effective speaker can boost your career in your company, your industry, and beyond. Once-shy clients are surprised at the changes in themselves – and the benefits they reap. As quitting smoking stops you draining money, becoming a good speaker puts money in the bank.
  5. Exercise longer, stronger, and more efficiently. Hypnosis can help turn your lack of enthusiasm for working out into get up and go. Ask yourself: ‘What would exercising give me? What would it make possible in my life?’ A powerful motivational story for your subconscious can make it so desirable that you can’t wait to shop for running shoes.
  6. Attract a partner. You think finding the person of your dreams is about mesmerising him or her? Not at all: it’s about starting with yourself. Hypnosis for confidence gives you a powerful feeling, and that confident sense of self can be very appealing to others.
  7. Get more done in less time. It’s not all about organising your files or upgrading your technology. Productivity, effectiveness, and enjoying what you do all start in the mind. And specifically, in your subconscious mind.
Breaking old habits and creating better new ones

One of the most common uses of hypnotherapy is creating or breaking habits. These might be habits of action, or habits of thought. Grabbing a biscuit, and another, and another – perhaps without really noticing – is a habit of action. But that action may have been due to a habit of thought. Perhaps you were dwelling on a painful, sad, or angry thought, or an unfulfilled desire and wanted to distract yourself. And you found that eating did that for you temporarily. You may not realise why you’re reaching for the biscuits again. You might think ‘I’m just peckish’. But it’s often connected with an unconscious habit of mind.

Hypnosis is ideal for working for working with the subconscious mind. The process of hypnosis is pleasant, relaxing, and empowering. Clients often say they feel deeply refreshed, more alive, and committed to their lives after a session. They are amazed at feeling so rested and optimistic after just an hour.

Why not see how hypnotherapy can help you? Whether you want to break old habits, create new ones, gain confidence, or be more productive, it might just be the answer. I am a qualified hypnotherapist, experienced in supporting clients to help them make the changes they want in their lives (see my success stories). I am based in Canterbury and London; and also undertake online sessions, wherever in the world you may be. I offer a free no-obligation 15 minute phone consultation, so call me on 07947 475721 and prepare to be surprised at what hypnotherapy can do for you!

Stopping smoking – for good!

Caroline Jago hypnotherapy , , , ,
stopping smoking with hypnotherapy

Stoptober runs each October, encouraging participants to quit smoking. The concept comes from evidence showing that after stopping smoking for 28 days, smokers are up to five times more likely to quit permanently. With this mass event providing external support, now is the perfect time to explore how hypnotherapy can help.

Stopping smoking by forming new habits

A successful smoking cessation programme tackles the obvious elements such as overcoming cravings and adopting new healthier habits. And it deals with potentially more tricky areas such as managing stress, needing a break from work, or getting a little ‘me time’. For many, smoking forms part of their social identity, which may require some gentle disentangling.

Smoking is not a nicotine addiction; it is a habit. This is why nicotine patches and nicotine gum are successful in less than 10% of those who use them. Helping smokers to stop seeing themselves as slaves to addiction is the first step. Then they are more likely to come up with positive solutions to help themselves break the habit. This can be one of the most transformative moments in a hypnotherapy programme. The former smoker starts to feel their own empowerment, and begins to cut the conscious and unconscious ties to smoking.

Many smokers worry about gaining weight after stopping smoking, and it’s important to address such concerns. Replacement behaviours can be tested and reinforced during a hypnotherapy programme, reassuring the former smoker that they really have stopped for good.

How can hypnotherapy help?

Smokers are rarely short of reasons why they want to give up. A good hypnotherapist will reinforce these motivations whilst giving them the support and practical tools they need to beat the habit. The cost of a smoking cessation programme is small in proportion to the outlay on cigarettes, so those looking to quit now really have nothing to lose – and everything to gain. For those who want to start right away and are happy with a generic programme, I recommend this.

I am a qualified life coach and hypnotherapist, experienced in helping clients make the changes they want in their lives (see my success stories). And I can help you move forward too, whether in stopping smoking or other life changes. I am based in Canterbury and London; and also offer online sessions, wherever in the world you may be. Please feel welcome to call me on 07947 475721 for a free no-obligation 15 minute phone consultation to see how I can help you beat cigarettes – for good.

Originally published in Hypnotherapy Directory