Workshop Abstract

The treatment of a patient suffering with an addiction can be a therapists’ greatest challenge.  The success rate for treatment is very low. The patient’s denial and her conflicting motivations to change need to be addressed.  Once resolved a practical step-by-step approach can be utilized.

Learning research and Ericksonian techniques are the foundation of this treatment. According to learning theory a person first learns to avoid or cope with a painful situation by engaging in some behaviour (alcohol, drugs, food, sex, gambling, etc.). This immediate reinforcement increases the frequency of the engaged behaviour.  This increased frequency causes long-term negative consequences such as being drunk, physically addicted, fat, sick, or broke. These consequences create new painful situations which lead back to the first learned behaviour, drinking, drugging, or eating, and around and around the patients go in a vicious circle.  Thus, avoidance and punishment are central to addictions.  Published research I conducted on college students learning to avoid a shock indicated that awareness of the problem and having a response alternative with an expectation of success leads to breaking vicious circles.

Addictions have multi-dimensional negative effects.  Thus, in order to decrease the high frequency of relapse found with all the addictions patients need to make small changes in all the areas of their life: mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, behavioural and social.  According to Erickson, making small changes ripples out into bigger changes. Central to the treatment is breaking out of the “all or none” thinking of both the therapist and the patient. Slow and steady steps and the valuing and maintenance of your progress truly create a new way of life. Keeping the progress requires discovering the power within. Even if you are not perfect you can still feel good about yourself and maintain it.

Hypnosis alters consciousness without negative consequences. It is offered to patient as a substitute to using food, drugs, alcohol and activities such as sex and gambling as a quick-fix to their problems.  Hypnosis is also presented as a route to the power with, the unconscious. Hypnosis and change are the slow fix which offers good feelings immediately and in the long run.  Hypnotic protocols aimed at making small changes in these six areas will be distributed to the participants to help them learn hypnosis and use it in their work with patients.