Addictions Brisbane

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Addictions Hypnotherapy Brisbane FAQ

1. How does hypnotherapy help with addictions?

Addiction is not a failure of willpower — it is a subconscious pattern created to escape stress, pain, boredom, loneliness, or emotional overload.
Clive’s award-winning hypnotherapy retrains the subconscious so cravings lose their power, and you regain control, confidence, and emotional freedom.

2. What kinds of addictions can hypnotherapy help with?

Hypnotherapy can help with:
• Gambling
• Food addiction
• Sugar addiction
• Phone or internet addiction
• Porn or sex addiction
• Masturbation addiction
• Shopping addiction
• Chocolate or caffeine addiction
• Smoking or vaping
• Alcohol moderation support
• Compulsive habits
If the behaviour feels compulsive, hypnosis can help.

3. Why do I feel addicted even when I know it’s harming me?

Because your conscious mind knows the truth — but your subconscious is still using the addiction as emotional relief.
Hypnosis rewires this deeper layer so your desires align with your goals.

4. Can hypnotherapy stop cravings?

Yes.
Hypnosis reduces the emotional pressure behind cravings, making them weaker, less frequent, and easier to ignore.

5. Why is it so hard to quit addictions using willpower?

Willpower fights the symptom, not the root cause.
Hypnotherapy changes the subconscious triggers behind the behaviour, making change feel natural instead of a battle.

6. How many sessions will I need?

Most clients feel a shift early — reduced urges, clearer thinking, stronger control — often within a few sessions.

7. Will hypnosis remove the addiction entirely?

It can, depending on the individual.
The goal is always freedom, control, and emotional balance, not restriction.

8. Why do I relapse even after promising myself I’ll stop?

Because relapse happens when emotional triggers overpower conscious logic.
Hypnotherapy helps stabilize your mind so triggers lose their grip.

9. Can hypnotherapy help with addictions linked to stress or anxiety?

Absolutely.
Clive specialises in anxiety-based addictions.
Hypnosis calms the nervous system so you no longer use addictive behaviours as emotional escape.

10. What if my addiction is tied to trauma or past experiences?

Clive works gently and safely.
You don’t need to relive trauma — healing happens through calm subconscious release, not through re-experiencing pain.

11. Can hypnotherapy help me rebuild discipline and self-control?

Yes.
Hypnosis strengthens focus, motivation, and mental resilience so self-control becomes natural instead of forced.

12. Is hypnotherapy safe for mild, moderate, or severe addictions?

Yes — and it can be combined with medical or psychological support for more complex cases.
Hypnosis addresses the emotional side of addiction, which is often the missing piece.

13. Can hypnotherapy help with social media or digital addictions?

Definitely.
Hypnosis is highly effective for modern addictions driven by instant dopamine and emotional avoidance.

14. Does online hypnotherapy work for addictions?

Yes — and often more effectively, because you’re in the environment where your triggers actually occur.

15. What if I’m ashamed or embarrassed about my addiction?

Shame is common — and it keeps people stuck.
Clive offers a compassionate, judgment-free space where shame fades and empowerment grows.

16. Can hypnosis reduce urges that come from boredom or emotional emptiness?

Yes.
Hypnotherapy teaches your subconscious healthier ways to respond, making urges lose their intensity.

17. What if the addiction comforts me — will hypnosis remove my coping mechanism?

Hypnotherapy doesn’t leave you empty — it builds stronger, healthier coping tools so you feel supported without relying on harmful behaviours.

18. Can hypnosis help with compulsive thinking or obsession related to addiction?

Absolutely.
Hypnosis quiets mental loops, helping you regain peace, clarity, and control.

19. Will I be judged during hypnotherapy?

Never.
Clive provides a safe, understanding environment where your experience is treated with respect and compassion.

20. How does hypnotherapy create long-term freedom from addiction?

By helping your subconscious:

  • Release emotional dependence

  • Reduce cravings and triggers

  • Strengthen self-control

  • Heal shame, anxiety, and inner conflict

  • Build a calmer, more confident identity

  • Replace compulsive behaviour with healthy choices

You don’t just “stop the addiction.”
You become someone who feels strong, balanced, clear, and fully in control of your life again.

Addictions Hypnotherapy Study

What the Evidence Shows

  • A recent umbrella review (meta-analysis of meta-analyses) examined hypnosis use across mental and somatic health conditions. While it found medium to large effects in areas like pain and medical procedures, there was little direct, high-quality evidence for addictions per se. Frontiers

  • Hypnotherapy is more strongly supported as an adjunct (i.e. in addition to other therapies) rather than as a stand-alone treatment. Cambridge University Press & Assessment+1

  • In alcohol use disorder, there is an RCT comparing hypnotherapy to motivational interviewing. The study reported some positive secondary outcomes (like self-esteem, reduced impulsivity) in the hypnotherapy subgroup who practised self-hypnosis. Omics Online Publishing

  • Clinical overviews note that hypnotherapy may help reduce relapse risk, assist in coping with cravings, and change subconscious associations, but also caution that it is not a cure-all and must be integrated carefully into a broader treatment plan. ahahypnotherapy.org.au

  • A contemporary article on clinical hypnosis argues that, although applications are broader and research more rigorous now, usage in psychology and addiction treatment still lags behind the empirical support. SpringerLink

How Hypnotherapy Might Help Addictions (Theory & Mechanisms)

  • Subconscious reprogramming: Changing deep-stored beliefs or associations (e.g. “I need X to feel calm”)

  • Craving control: Using suggestion and imagery to reduce the intensity or frequency of urges

  • Relapse prevention: Embedding coping strategies, reinforcing resilience, strengthening self-control

  • Emotional healing: Accessing traumatic or emotional roots of addiction to resolve triggers

Hypnotherapy often is combined with other modalities (CBT, motivational interviewing, psychotherapy) to maximize effect. Cambridge University Press & Assessment+1

Limitations & Cautions

  • Very few large, well-controlled randomized trials focusing solely on hypnotherapy for addictions exist.

  • Effects are often mixed, outcomes vary, and many studies rely on self-report, short follow-up, or uncontrolled designs.

  • Hypnotherapy depends heavily on therapist skill, client suggestibility, motivation, and the quality of integration with other treatments.

  • It should not replace established, evidence-based addiction treatments (e.g. CBT, medication, support groups) but can be considered a supplementary tool.