AS a Clinical Hypnotherapist and a healer, I have been very frustrated by the lack of resources available to people out in the country who are trying to heal from addiction, in all its forms. While many things can be healed fast with the modalities I use, by changing our mindset and our energy when there are physical addictions such as some drugs and alcohol, the body does not always respond to the mental and emotional changes, and the client needs to be supported with the physical withdrawals by a medical team or facility. These facilities often take months to get into, and in that time, there is often more trauma and physical damage caused but the substance abuse. So I have been searching for ways people can be supported on their journey to recovery, to assist not only my clients, but anyone who is struggling with addiction.
Firstly, let me state that I am not a doctor. The resources and information are what I have gathered to assist my clients, but I recommend each person take full responsibility for their healing and researching the best methods in alignment with their own needs, beliefs and values. I have simply provided what I’ve found, to help short cut your road to a safe and effective recovery.
Absolutely anyone can be trapped in the cycle of addiction, often caused by early life trauma. Addiction is not just about drugs, alcohol, gambling, gaming, sex, smoking, overeating, hoarding, shopping or becoming a workaholic. In my opinion, OCD also fits into this category, but it’s much more than that!
Addiction is how many people deal with anxiety and trauma from their past. It’s distraction, self-medication and mind-numbing. It’s a way to push down the feelings, so they don’t bubble over into our lives and so we don’t have to feel them. So we keep doing those familiar behaviours that soothe and comfort by their familiarity, in order for us to not have to face and deal with our emotions. For some it is the only way they know how to survive.
What I know is that once we bring light into the darkness and deal with the trauma from the past, we can heal it. And once we heal the emotions, the addictions are no longer needed, so we can let them go and break the cycle to be free to change the course of our lives.
Most people who have a social drug or alcohol problem, can manage to moderate or quit drinking and using drugs with a few sessions of hypnosis to clear away the trauma, emotional issues and habit. I’ve worked with hundreds of clients like this and it’s been relatively easy for them to stop the substance abuse and get their life back on track again. However, when it comes to serious chemical addiction, clients need more. They often need medical assistance in the form of medication, to help with the withdrawal symptoms, which can include death.
So many people judge others and say “why don’t they just stop?” If it’s drugs or alcohol, it’s not as easy as just stopping. Depending on the substance and level of addiction, sometimes just going “cold turkey” can actually kill a person with sever addiction, such as alcohol when they go into seisures or delenium tremors, hallucinations, physical cramping all over their body and the possibility of a heart attack.
Drug detox treatment is the first step in overcoming a drug or alcohol use disorder. Substance and alcohol use can change a person’s brain, making it hard for them to function normally without using the substance or alcohol.
Drug and alcohol detoxification is the process where a person is weaned off of a drug or alcohol, so that it is no longer in their system.
With Drug addiction, every drug has different effects on the brain & body, so different treatments are needed to detox. This is why it is advised that you have supervised treatment in a facility. But it can also be done at home. Some people do go cold turkey, and although it may be out of their system, the ongoing effects in can take up to 6-8 months to feel back to normal again, although cravings may stay longer.
It’s not always easy as people think. but after a lot of research, I’ve found out there are some other support services that can help people deal with the physical addiction, particularly with alcohol, instead of or while waiting to get into rehab which can take 6 to 12 month to get into.
Alcohol is one of the most wideley used substance that gets abused, because it’s legal, easily accessible, something we do with friends, and seems harmless. Becaise of this, alcohol addiction can creep up on us, and before we know it, we have a serious addiction.
In regional NSW there is no real help for physical addiction to drugs and alcohol. You can’t go into the DTs and just go to hospital and ask them to medicate you through the withdrawals. If you go to jail they will just let you go through it in a cell all by yourself. It’s not pretty, but it’s what happens. And many doctors won’t take the risk and give an addict or alcoholic a prescription for diazepam, because they are afraid of adding to the problem. This is one of the reasons that people stay in addiction for so long, because they can’t see a way through without the physical pain and torture of withdrawal and no one wants to help them. So in my research, I found out that there is a way to detox at home. It’s called the Clean Slate Clinic and you’ll be able to have an online consultation with a doctor, they will prescribe medication and a breathalyser and check in with you daily. I’ll provide more links below.
Reiki can also have a profound effect, calming the body and mind and clearing energetic blocks on every level, helping to calm down and relax the body and mind, reduce muscle spasm and assisting with physical and mental/emotional healing. Once the physical addiction is dealt with, it’s time to work on the causes if they are to remain sober. It’s not easy, but breaking free is possible and so very rewarding because we get a chance to heal our lives and start to love ourselves, forgive ourselves and move on to create a better life.
Most people think it’s as simple as just stopping, but this is not the case. If someone has a serious addiction to alcohol and they are not given medication such as Diazepam (Valium), they can have twitches and muscle cramps, heart problems, go into a seizure, go into the delerium tremours, and can die. They can develop a neurological condition caused by a severe thiamine deficiency can result in Wernicke encephalopathy, an acute neurological condition that can be fatal in its most severe form.
Here is a link to read more about Alcohol Withdrawal symptoms.
Diazepam is a medication that treats anxiety, seizures, muscle spasms or twitches. It can also reduce the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. It works by helping your nervous system calm down.
There is no cold turkey quick fix, the general prescription is for the person to cut down on the alcohol by 1/4 over a 4 week period to wean off, and one if my clients was then given a prescription for 10mg of Valium per day, but if withdrawals got worse they could take 2 tablets. They were also prescribed thiamine, folate and dextrose, and perhaps other medications. Patients are also often recommended to take Thiamine, Folate and other vitamins and minerals. Read more about different types of Detox HERE.
I’ve had several clients trying to get off drugs and alcohol and while we can clear the mental and emotional addiction, if their dependence is high, they still may need help to detox safely. For people wanting to go to Rehab, there is usually a 6-12 month waiting list, and people are left waiting, so that if someone leaves a facility, an opening comes up, and they have to go with us littke as 24 hours notice.
I called the National Alcohol and Other Drugs Hotline on 1800 250 015 to ask for HELP and they shared some great information, and I’d like to share these resources with those who are searching and trying to break free from addiction.
Currently there is nowhere in Dubbo where someone can go to physically detox. However people in our region can go to the Nepean Blue Mountains Hospital/Clinic if they want to do an in-patient detox, but this is often only for a week. Keep reading!
Theoretically, people can go to a GP and tell them they’re doing an at-home detox and the doctor should give them Valium, but unfortunately most doctors won’t take the risk of prescribing Valium to someone with addictions. This leaves people feeling helpless and more depressed, and may increase their drug or alcohol use.
BUT there is hope, for those who can’t wait for a spot in rehab or don’t want to leave their home.
The Clean Slate Clinic is an online support for home detox. They can prescribe Valium, do a daily phone call check up and provide you with a breathalyser test etc. so they can monitor you.
This is the first time I’ve gotten such great information, and not many people have even heard of it.
Once I posted this information on Social Media, people came out of the woodwork adding to our resources with other useful information, which I’d like to share with you here, and I will add more when ever I learn of new resources.
These days everyone has a friend or family member who has been touched by this epidemic of addiction, so let’s all help each other to help those in need to break free.
Once the physical addiction is taken care of, all that’s left is to deal with the emotional causes, and that’s what my work is all about. Clearing the trauma so people are free to get their life back.
Please reach out if I can help, and share this article with those who may need the information.
If you are struggling with any sort of addiction, don’t give up!
If you have a loved one in your life who is struggling with any behaviour that is taking over their lives, don’t get angry and don’t give up on them either. You don’t know everything they’ve been through. There is always a reason!
You can’t force anyone to stop an addictive behaviour. When we are trying to encourage someone to quit smoking, drinking or anything else, we have a 10% to 20% effect on them, but ultimately they are the only one who can make the decision. When they’ve had enough pain and are ready to get help they need, they will take action. It may take years, but kindness, compassion and understanding go a lot further than hatred and bitterness.
This doesn’t mean you have to tolerate bad behaviour, because all people need to see the consequences of their actions, so tough love sometimes is the only option available to us, as we have to protect ourselves and also give them options if they want to be in our lives, but please don’t give up on them.
Step back if you must, but always seperate the person from the behaviour. Know that we are each doing the best we can with what we have at the time, based on our level of development, based on the history of our own lives. Everyone is struggling with their own traumas, and we all deal with them differently.
Patience and sending loving kindness and visualising positive outcomes and healing sends positive energy to our loved one, and often creates space for them to take the steps and move forward to heal their lives, and leave behind the addictive aspects forever.
If you are suffering from addiction in any area, be kind to yourself. You’re doing the best you can for now, but when you’re ready, know that help, healing and recovery are available and waiting for you.
I’ve only just built this resource page, so it will take me a little while, but I will record some MP3s and place them here, to assist you with your healing journey.
In the mean time, feel free to look around my website for the free downloads for Healing, Mini-Blitz Workshops (for Aniety, depression and more).
Click the Resources Button to take you to my Resources Page where you’ll find links to other free downoads and healing pages.
