Intensive Therapy: Utilizing Hypnosis in the Treatment of Substance Abuse Disorders

Abstract

Hypnosis was once a viable treatment approach for addictions. Then, due to hypnosis being used for entertainment purposes many professionals lost confidence in it. However, it has now started to make a comeback in the treatment of substance abuse. The approach described here, using hypnosis for treatment, is borrowed from studies effectively treating alcoholism by using intensive daily sessions. Combining the more intense treatment of 20 daily sessions with hypnosis is a successful method to treat addictions. The treatment has been used with 18 clients over the last 7 years and has shown a 77 percent success rate for at least a 1-year follow-up.

Key Words:

• Addictions
• alcohol
• cocaine
• drugs
• hypnosis
• marijuana
• substance abuse