Addictions

Addictions and habit forming behaviours can be for substances (carbs, sugar, tobacco, cannabis, alcohol, cocaine, heroin) or to processes (work, exercise, gambling, internet, pornography, sex).

The brain uses a system of carrot and stick to guide our behaviour. Whenever we pursue an activity that is good for our survival in some way, e.g. exercising or achieving something, the brain rewards us with a hit of dopmaine (the carrot) as an incentive to continue that behaviour. However, the effect of the dopamine hit is designed to wear off because the brain doesn't want us fixated with this activity to the exclusion of all others. It still wants us to check out other potentially even better activities. However, if we abandon the activity altogether the brain tries to punish us by making us feel guilty (the stick). The brain is trying to seek a balance between approach and withdrawal. The problem is, this balance can be easily upset by the interference of other fears, or by a lack of some kind of regulating system that doesn't know when to apply the breaks. Addictions can then soon become obsessions. A fear of being unattractice can lead to an addiction/obsession with exercise. A fear of poverty or of competition can lead to workaholicism. Therapy would be used to address both the underlying causes and symptoms of addictions.

Addictions, like most problems, have a simple and a complex version. Simple forms of addiction are relatively easy to treat: It's usually possible to treat addictions for: chocolate, sugar, smoking, the simpler versions of excessive eating and alcohol consumption with just a 2 hour session using clinical hypnosis session. More complex addictions require more input as often more work is needed to be done on changing the underlying values system or obsession with the addictive substance.

See also: alcohol abuse; drug abuse: stopping smoking; weight loss

Recommended Therapies: - psychological therapies, psychotherapy, NLP/clinical hypnosis.

© 2011 – Felix Economakis, Heath Mind Body Therapies

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