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Is There Any Evidence Anywhere That Hypnotherapy Can Help Overcome A Heroin/Crack Habit
Curiosity has anybody had any success working with clients using Class A substances such as Heroin or Crack . Is there any evidence anywhere that would support the use of hypnotherapy with this client group. It is all very well facilitating a client overcome a smoking habit and i have heard the argument smoking is as difficult to overcome as Heroin not by someone with a Heroin habit you haven't. The smoker that is ready to quit will turn up at your office with a substantial amount of money s/he is willing to pay to overcome their habit.You can gauge if they are willing by their financial commitment in most cases. However the Class A user can be as commited to give up yet fails. So I am asking is there any evidence to support the use of hypnotherapy with this client group. Or is it just accepted that this group are a lost cause to hypnotherapy and best left to other professionals?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Michael Ellner on -
Actually, Stephen, I have heard hundreds of heroin and crack addicts say that giving up dope and smoke was not as hard as giving up their cigarettes --
I believe that when it comes to human beings there are very few, if any lost causes -- I usually require these clients be involved with a program or detox protocol or under a doctors care and offer my services as a supplement to their recovery...
Michael E.
Here with some resources:
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/112455737/abstract
An Ericksonian approach to crack cocaine addiction: a single-session intervention
Joel D. Marcus *
Miami, Florida
email: Joel D. Marcus (jdmarcus@bellsouth.net)
*Correspondence to Joel D. Marcus, 7734 Abbott, Ave No 5, Miami, Florida 33141, USA.
KEYWORDS
hypnosis • Ericksonian approach • addiction • crack cocaine • single session • utilization
ABSTRACT
Cocaine addiction is a significant problem in the United States and treatment is hampered by high relapse rates. This is particularly the case with crack cocaine because it is smoked and consequently has a rapid but relatively short-lived effect on the brain. This readily creates a cycle of craving and dependence. Moreover, the multiple environmental cues associated with the craving set up powerful conditions for relapse. This paper describes an Ericksonian approach alongside more traditional hypnotic techniques. In particular, the methods of utilization and orientation to the future are described and a one-year follow-up is discussed. Copyright © 1999 British Society of Experimental and Clinical Hypnosis
The Use of Hypnosis in the Treatment of Drug Addiction
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2608811/pdf/jnma00497-0...
The Hypnotic Brain --
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1188412/pdf/jpn00044-00...
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Permalink Reply by John Maclean on -
I would make one point and ask one question. My point is that I have treated Cocaine "addicts" quite successfully through a combination of CBT and hypnotherapy. I don't do smoking cessation. Why? Because I am a smoker. Smoking is not an addiction. It is a habit. The key to this is Dopamine. Treating addicts is very different as it there is a physical dependency rather than a perceived dependency. Any smoker can stop smoking if they choose to because the body has no requirement for nicotine which is in contrast to drugs such as cocaine or heroin. Those drugs affect Dopamine levels in the brain and we need Dopamine. We do not need nicotine! "Addiction" to nicotine makes it hard to quit smoking once you have started, but this "addiction" can be overcome in two weeks once the psychological reasons for smoking are eliminated. You need to understand and eliminate the psychological root of the problem. The simple explanation is that when you smoke it relieves an emotional or psychological need. Cocaine, on the other hand provides a "high" which is then is "chased" to recreate a physical feeling. Believe me, I know as I have been "addicted" to both! I know my opinion will be challenged and I welcome that. We really need to look at things differently to solve these issues.
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Permalink Reply by stephen mc glame on -
John I understand the craving for a high can be so extreme that the negative effects of the come down are not sufficent in majority of cases at least not in the short term for many there will lose their families friends possesions, liberty (many times) and in some cases their lives. Although i am not convinced there is a physical addiction to cocaine, psychological addiction yes. In the case of Heroin substitute prescribing is used because there is a physical dependency as well as psychological, you need to treat the physical before you can work with the psychological habit and then there is the reason why they became dependent for some it was an escape from something horrific for others they have commited many crimes against even their own family the guilt that can come to the surface can be as unbearable for some as the life of a user therefore they continue using to escape the shame. I use CBT working with this client group and you tend to have one success for perhaps every five that continue on the cycle of misuse. Then you look at the successes claimed in hypnotherapy and you wonder is the rate of success not transferable. I understand crack is a big problem in the US and it is becoming a massive problem here in the UK . Do your drug agencies use Hypnotherapy as a treatment in the US or is it only clients that can afford to pay privately?
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Permalink Reply by stephen mc glame on
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Hi Michael thankyou for the Eriksonian approach and other related articles however not quite sure what you mean by dope or smoke, I have given clients this hypothetical question if i could take one habit away from you by waving a magic wand what would you give up, as most are multi drug users, not one has ever answered me cigarettes. and all of them have expressed a desire not to be dependent on anything.
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Permalink Reply by Scott Sandland on -
Stephen-
I work on staff in two drug rehab centers. Every week I work with people for class A substances. I know of hypnotists working in a few other drug rehab programs as well. The success rate with "hard drugs" isn't as high as stop smoking cases for a number of reasons (some already mentioned) but there are plenty of cases where hypnotherapy has helped.
In fact, if I remember correctly their was a female singer who announced a few years back that she stopped using Meth Amphetamines with the use of hypnosis.
Of course it should be noted that a hypnotist shouldn't work with anyone for a controlled substance without a medical referral. Detox symptoms can be deadly in some cases, and we aren't trained to assess or regulate their bio-chemical balances.
hope this helps,
Scott
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Permalink Reply by Pattie Freeman CH.t, MST on -
Stephen,
I have clients that come to me for other things and have addiction issues. They end up working on that also and become clean. So yes it can be done and effectively..It works as long as the client is ready to let go of the addiction, but you know that already....
one of my clients had lapband surgery and start to drink alcohol till she became a alcoholic. She was warned and she had thoight it was just casual drinking till it was uncontrollable, So Yes Hypnosis helps wih all sort of addiction issues.
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Permalink Reply by stephen mc glame on
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Thankyou Pattie
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Permalink Reply by Kelley Woods on -
Hello Stephen,
I have helped clients reduce their opiod intake significantly in cases where they used them for chronic pain management. All of these people were "stuck" in a spiral of increasing their medications in the effort to control the pain and were largely mentally dependent on their beliefs of the effectiveness of the drugs. A couple of them were at risk of going through medical intervention for their dependencies and our work prevented this necessity.
Whether it is pain of the psyche or the body, it is more than possible to reduce and sometimes eliminate suffering through hypnotic approach.
Best wishes,
Kelley
Thank you, Michael, for the excellent resources!
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Permalink Reply by Michael Ellner on
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Hi Stephen,
In my hood the street names for crack and heroin/morphine are "smoke" and "dope' or "smack" and many multi-substance users have told me that quitting cigarettes was harder for them than giving up crack and smack.
Best,
Michael E.
stephen mc glame said:Hi Michael thankyou for the Eriksonian approach and other related articles however not quite sure what you mean by dope or smoke, I have given clients this hypothetical question if i could take one habit away from you by waving a magic wand what would you give up, as most are multi drug users, not one has ever answered me cigarettes. and all of them have expressed a desire not to be dependent on anything.
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Permalink Reply by stephen mc glame on
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Thank you again Michael for the resources,
steve
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Permalink Reply by stephen mc glame on
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Thank you Kelley for an excellent example as number of clients in past have relapsed due to being prescribed an opiate based painkiller after being illicit drug free for a subsequent amount of time. I am looking for examples evidence in the attempt to persuade company it is in their interests to utilise hypnotherapy/nlp for the more stable clients that are more motivated and finding it an upward struggle. My company like most these days are exteremly cautious what therapies are introduced due to litigation. Substitute prescribing/ counselling/relapse prevention, acupuncture, motivational interviewing, group work sessions and 12 step rehabs are the main treatments on order as well as social/legal interventions. I believe a great number would benefit from hypnotherapy however i do have great amount of experience in this area the resources and replies i have received convince me even more that i am right. thankyou
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Permalink Reply by James Tripp on -
Like Michael, I have worked with both heroin and crack addicts and found them easier than smokers.
And John, smoking is an addiction - the body adjusts levels of acetylcholine to accommodate nicotine (nicotine binds to the same receptors as acetylcholine) and still function, so when you take away the nicotine, it throws the system out of kilter and it takes time to rebalance. Hence the body 'craves' the nicotine as the quickest way back to functional equilibrium. This is a long way from a mere psychological habit!
All the very best
James
http://www.hypnosiswithouttrance.com/
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