The nature of drug addiction
The New York Times had a very interesting article on drug addiction last week and recommended meditation and yoga to overcome it.
Whilst I would highly recommend meditation for restoring brain resources, improving bodily responses and wellbeing, I don't have that much knowledge of yoga to comment on it. But I thought that I would explain something of the nature of drug addiction and what hypnotherapy can do about it.
When a person engages in an activity that they enjoy, the neurotransmitter dopamine is produced. This results in feelings of pleasure. When a person tries a drug, the drug causes a huge surge in levels of dopamine - which results in more intense feelings of pleasure. The brain remembers the pleasure and wants it repeated. But normal dopamine activity is reduced and the disrupted dopamine system wants more artificial stimulation. If the procedure is repeated often enough, eventually the addict becomes incapable of feeling any pleasure from the drugs.
Hypnotherapy will aim to take a user to such a deep level of trance that innate neurotransmitters will kick in and establish a forgotten way to function - taking the power back from an addiction.
See www.effectivehypnosis.co.uk/home for details.
