When we are in addiction we have developed a habit of reaching outside of ourselves for something that has been proven to reduce a feeling of unrest.
Whatever our addiction is – anything from nail biting, to heroin – it serves a purpose, and that purpose is to remove a feeling that we don’t enjoy.
We are creatures of comfort. None of us enjoys pain. We have learned from a young age that if we touch the oven and it’s hot, we should not touch that oven again. And we didn’t need to be taught that. It is simply a mechanism of survival deep inside the Nervous System. So it makes sense that when we experience recurrent negative feelings (often resulting from trauma), and if we lack the tools to manage these feelings such as Mindfulness, self-hypnosis, and EFT – that we would repeatedly reach outside of ourselves to regulate our emotions and relieve the pain.
In addition to this very important aspect of Addiction, there are other factors at play. Things like the specific chemicals of certain drugs, availability, exposure, and Genetic Influence (though we can turn our genes on and off as proven by the science of Epigenetics) can all influence the addiction.
My protocol for working with Addictions:
- Teach why we become addicted, what the purpose of addiction is and how we heal
- Explore the history of the addictive behaviour and the current circumstances of addiction. What were the circumstances for when the addiction begin? What is keeping the Addiction in place? When is it worse/better?
- Explore triggers and emotions surrounding triggers
- Release all traumas relating to addiction and triggers
- Release all trauma relating to low self-esteem, feelings of inadequacy, and any beliefs that are keeping addiction in place.
- Build a repertoire of tools for emotional self management, and re-connecting with self and spirit
- Explore ways to attain joy
Recommended length of therapy (depending on number/type of Traumas): 8-16 sessions.
Fee $140 per hour
It would be my honour to help you find your internal resources so that you are free to live in YOUR JOY!
Contact me for a FREE consultation.