Marijuana quit script

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Pattie Freeman CH.t, MST on March 10, 2009 at 10:23am

I agree with Vikki get a stop smoking script and replace it with marijuana it should work the same since it is similar...

Permalink Reply by Michael Solinski, LPC, LCADC,NCC on March 21, 2009 at 3:02pm

Would this work for any other substances of abuse? (alcohol, opiates) Thanks for any input.

Permalink Reply by Michael Ellner on March 21, 2009 at 4:00pm

I'm guessing that your client really doesn't want to stop quitting smoking marijuana--

Great image- though, the client misses smoking and wants to stop quitting --

Okay here's the deal-- Commitment is everything -- Clients must demonstrate they mean it and as soon as they do most scripts will work... One way for a client to demonstrate their commitment to giving up the devil's weed is their willingness to give you their entire stash for safe disposal- Keeping in mind Mary Jane is an illegal substance --

As luck would have it -- I am happy to help -- I offer my clients and fellow hypnosis practitioners this very special disposal service, at no charge, I might add - So feel freel to mail me all of your client's contraband in a plain brown wrapping for safe disposal -- My friend Fable Goodman offers a similar service on the other side of the pond...

My advice is: Treat helping this client as you would treat helping any client lose interest in an unwanted behavior and expect success!

me

Permalink Reply by Bonnie H. Sher on April 15, 2009 at 2:59am

I'm not certain that a "good"non-smoking script for marijuana would be any more effective than giving a alcohol drinker a script for stopping carbonated soda. We're talking apples and oranges. Look more toward what behaviors are truly at play.

Permalink Reply by Mike Reeves-McMillan on April 16, 2009 at 6:25pm

Marijuana is considered minimally addictive from a chemical standpoint, so I would treat it as a habit. A good stop-smoking script should work even better than it does for nicotine, and even a good habit script should do the job.

Alcohol is a tricky one. I have successfully worked with people who are not alcoholics but are unhappy about how much they drink, and that's relatively easy - I use a metaphor of salt on your food, get them to imagine adding more and more until the food is disgustingly salty and make the point that too much of something spoils the effect you were after. It has worked well. Alcoholics are a whole different ballgame, and so are people who use opiates - I refer such clients to a colleague who specializes in working with addictions.

How do I distinguish between someone who sometimes drinks too much and an alcoholic? I use the diagnostic criteria out of DSM IV for alcoholism, by asking:

Have you noticed any of the following?

# Increasing tolerance (needing higher and higher doses of alcohol to get the same effect)
# Withdrawal symptoms if drinking is stopped
# Impaired control of drinking behaviour
# Neglect of important life commitments because of drinking
# Much time invested in obtaining alcohol, drinking, and/or recovering
# Intoxication or withdrawal symptoms interfering with work, school or home
# Continued drinking despite physical hazards or problems with illness, the law, employment, mental health, family life etc. which are caused by alcohol.

Three or more yeses and you have a possible alcoholic and should treat or refer accordingly.

Permalink Reply by Pattie Freeman CH.t, MST on April 16, 2009 at 7:10pm

That is a great list to run by them and yes anything mention here is a addiction one more sever then the other depends on the person and how often the use...scripts used for smokers can be turned around for marijuana users and by looking at the severity you as the hypnotherapist have to use judgement on what you need to change and what is suitable. You just don't change the behavior without looking at the script and see where it's going.

I don't use scripts I use the words I need from the notes I take for me it's more effective and gives me freedom to express more for the clients...

Permalink Reply by Michael Andrews BA DCH ACH AMD on July 4, 2009 at 9:00pm

I have had excellent results by changing some words of the quit smoking script that I wrote.. As with cigs, my clients stop smoking instantly. No withdrawals or cravings. The secret, apart from a good script, ensuring that your client is really serious about quitting. Use the same terminology as the client uses. Never misses.

Bonnie H. Sher said:

I'm not certain that a "good"non-smoking script for marijuana would be any more effective than giving a alcohol drinker a script for stopping carbonated soda. We're talking apples and oranges. Look more toward what behaviors are truly at play.

Permalink Reply by Chris Witherspoon on July 7, 2009 at 1:28pm

Layne,

Have you thought about teaching your client self hypnosis with the goal of experiencing the high without using the substance. I'm sure you could find a suitable anchor. Most people get high to escape from stress, to relax and just kick back, this can all be achieve through hypnosis without the worry of the illegality.

Permalink Reply by Graham Old on July 7, 2009 at 3:11pm

Bonnie, depending on what they're smoking, cannabis is less addictive than cigarettes. Having said that, some carbonated soda drinks can be as addictive as alcohol, so you might have a point!

Bonnie H. Sher said:

I'm not certain that a "good"non-smoking script for marijuana would be any more effective than giving a alcohol drinker a script for stopping carbonated soda. We're talking apples and oranges. Look more toward what behaviors are truly at play.

Why do they smoke marijuana? Was is it meaningful? Deal with that and it's easy. Neglect it and I suspect it might just be cruel.

Permalink Reply by William Bullock on February 5, 2010 at 7:25pm

To me, having worked with a lot of smokers of both kinds... I have usually found that they mix their marijuana, "pot", "dope"... whatever with tobacco in joints or pipes. The worst part of the addiction is the nicotine. If they really want to quit marijuana they need to deal with the real addiction. Even if they say they "only" smoke joints. Ask them if they "mull" (mix) with tobacco.
I had a client a few years ago who swore blind he didn't smoke cigarettes. But he did do 20+ bong cones a day. I asked him what he mixed his dope with and he said cigarette tobacco. How much? 5-10 ciggies worth a day. "But hey, I don't smoke cigarettes". You work it out.
Treat them as a normal smoker but add suggestions relating to their particular marijuana smoking habits.
KISS

Permalink Reply by Tanya Pillay on March 25, 2010 at 2:21pm

It is certainly very addictive and until the client becomes infuriated with the addiction itself, progress can be difficult. Even with the committment to quit, it can take months or years to unravel the layers of this addiction as the reasons are many and the instant gratification difficult to release or replace.

Regress. Reframe. Affirm. Repeat.