Hypnotherapy for a problem

Hypnotherapy to Cut Down or Stop Drinking

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If you drink heavily every day, do not stop suddenly on your own. The NHS guidance on alcohol-use disorder warns that it can be very dangerous to stop drinking suddenly if you are dependent on alcohol, and that you should get medical help first if you get withdrawal symptoms. Hypnotherapy can support changes in drinking habits, but it is not a treatment for alcohol dependence and should sit alongside medical care, not replace it.

How do you know if your drinking is a problem?

The NHS lists signs of alcohol-use disorder, including:

  • regularly drinking more than you mean to;
  • finding it hard to stop or cut down even when you want to;
  • feeling guilty after drinking, or others being concerned;
  • continuing to drink when it is causing health, work or relationship problems;
  • craving alcohol, such as needing a drink on waking;
  • needing more to get the same effect;
  • withdrawal symptoms when you stop or cut down.

What does withdrawal look like?

Symptoms can include anxiety, poor sleep, nausea and vomiting, a racing heart, sweating and shaking, and in more serious cases hallucinations, confusion and seizures. They typically begin within 6 to 12 hours of the last drink and usually last 3 to 7 days, though some can persist for months after heavy drinking.

The NHS advises calling emergency services for severe withdrawal, such as visible shaking, unusual restlessness or agitation, confusion, hallucinations or a seizure. In the United States, call 911; elsewhere, call your local emergency number. Do not drive yourself.

What treatment is available?

According to the NHS, treatment can include talking therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), medical help for withdrawal at home or in hospital, help to prevent relapse, including medicines that reduce cravings such as acamprosate or naltrexone, and support with other parts of life such as relationships, work or housing. The aim is usually to stop completely, especially if you are dependent, but people who are not ready can be supported to cut down.

Where does hypnotherapy sit in cutting down?

As a support for habit and stress work, once safety is covered. If you are not dependent and want to drink less, or if you are already in treatment and your clinician agrees, hypnosis can help you:

  • Rehearse your high-risk moments: the drive home, the end of the workday, a party, and a planned alternative for each.
  • Practice a calming routine for stress or low mood that would otherwise lead to a drink.
  • Rehearse saying no in social situations.

Hypnosis is not among the treatments the NHS lists for alcohol-use disorder, so treat it as an addition to them.

A rule for choosing your next step

If you have any withdrawal symptoms when you cut down, or you drink every day, see a doctor before changing your drinking. If you are not dependent, set a clear goal, such as alcohol-free days each week or a drink limit, track it, and use hypnosis or self-hypnosis to rehearse the moments that usually break the plan. If drinking keeps returning to where it started, ask for specialist help. If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 in the United States. Outside the United States, contact your local emergency number or crisis line.

This article is general information, not medical or psychological advice; talk with a licensed clinician about your own situation.

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