Software to Beat Addiction

The number of resources available for people attempting to beat an addiction has grown enormously in the last couple of decades. Previously, if people wanted information about addiction, they only had a modest selection of books to choose from. Since the arrival of the Internet, there has been an explosion in the amount of written content available to help people deal with their addictions. There is also now a great deal of audio and video content available as well. Along with these informative resources, there has also been software developed that claims to help people overcome destructive habits. Included in this are iTunes apps that use hypnotherapy and neuro linguistic programming (NLP) to help people stop drinking.

Hypnotherapy

The aim of hypnotherapy is to guide people to a state of consciousness where they are more susceptible to ideas and suggestions. It uses hypnosis to achieve relaxation and to create this altered state of consciousness. It is not possible for the therapist to take over the mind of their client. Instead, the real goal is to give people the power to master their own awareness. That way they will have the power to do things such as escape negative behavioral patterns and adopt more helpful life strategies.

Hypnotherapy is based on the idea that people develop particular behaviors because of events that have occurred in their past. If similar events occur in the present then the individual will be tempted to repeat the behavior. The object of hypnotherapy is to get the individual to new (more useful) behaviors in response to these events. For example, people can learn to comfort eat every time they feel stressed; with the help of hypnotherapy they can break this connection between food and comfort.

Hypnotherapy and Addiction

Hypnotherapy can be of value to people who are attempting to overcome an addiction. This is why many rehabs have now added this technique to their program. It is less certain that hypnosis alone would be enough to help the individual escape a serious addiction. People who are still abusing alcohol or drugs are unlikely to get that much benefit from such an intervention. This is because the mind needs to be free of chemicals for hypnosis to have a real chance of promoting change. They need to achieve good levels of concentration. The real value of hypnotherapy in regards to addiction seems to be in relapse prevention; although it may also be of value for helping people develop the motivation to quit.

Criticisms of Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy is sometimes promoted as a cure-all for everything. This is claiming too much for the technique. Some hypnotherapists have been overzealous when trying to sell their services and such exaggerations damages the reputation of hypnosis. It can be difficult to assess the real benefit of hypnotherapy as any improvements the individual gains may also be helped by other factors. This is because hypnotherapy is now usually provided in conjunction with other therapies. Some would say that hypnotherapy is just a placebo; although this does not have to be viewed as too much of a criticism so long as it works.

Neuro Linguistic Programming

Neuro linguistic programming (NLP) promises to provide people with a complete instruction manual for the brain. It uses a number of different techniques that help the individual change negative thoughts and behaviors. Unlike hypnosis is does not always require that the individual enter any special state of consciousness in order for change to occur. One of the fundamental principles of NLP is that people already have the inner resources they need to achieve success in life; all they have to do is make use of these resources. This can be achieved by using techniques such as modeling the behavior and thought process of successful people, and altering the inner maps that people use to navigate the world.

Neuro Linguistic Programming and Addiction

NLP views addiction as a problem with the way people think. Practitioners point out that many individuals do manage to quit their alcohol or drug abuse without too much outside help. This occurs because they have developed the motivation to quit. NLP addiction treatment is based on the idea that the focus should not be on scaring people into quitting their self-destructive behavior but instead on developing the motivation to quit.

Criticisms of NLP

NLP has been criticized because:

* There is not enough scientific evidence to support the claims of NLP.
* Much of the evidence that does support it would not be considered rigorous enough.
* Some of the language used in NLP is considered to be pseudoscientific.

Hypnosis Apps to Stop Drinking

There are a couple of iTunes apps that make use of the techniques of NLP and hypnotherapy.

Stop Binge Drinking with Hypnosis by Benjamin P Bonetti

Benjamin P Bonetti is a self-help guru and motivational speaker. He has appeared in TV in the UK and is known to have helped a number of celebrities with personal development. His background is in neuro-linguistic programming and he has written a number of books along with audio material.

The Stop Binge Drinking with Hypnosis app promises to help people escape this damaging pattern of drinking. Binge drinking is a serious problem around the world, and it can easily lead to alcoholism, poor health, loss of productivity and alcohol poisoning. Any system that can help people escape this troublesome pattern of drinking is going to be highly useful.

The reasoning behind this app by Benjamin P Bonetti is that people binge drink in the first place because they have the wrong mindset. Changing their mental processes in regards to this pattern of alcohol consumption will lead to a change in behavior. The app consists of a 22-minute audio track in which Bonetti uses a combination of NLP and hypnotherapy to reprogram the listener. There is also a vision board and wheel of life provided as bonus items. The aim of the wheel of life is to encourage people to find balance in every area of their life. This will further do away with the need for unhealthy behaviors such as binge drinking.

Stop Drinking with Andrew Johnson

Stop Drinking with Andrew Johnson can be used by people who want to stop drinking altogether, or just want to cut down. It is part of a series of self-improvement apps, all featuring Andrew Johnson. There are also other apps for losing weight, overcoming insomnia, building confidence, overcoming social phobias, preparing for exams, giving up cigarettes and finding success in life.

Andrew Johnson provides stress management courses across the UK. Among his clients is the National Health Service. He is a clinical hypnotherapist, relaxation coach and Reiki practitioner. Andrew claims to have helped thousands of people around the world to cope better with stress and overcome bad habits.

The Stop Drinking app uses motivational audio content to help people make the best use of their powerful inner resources found in the unconscious mind. It uses hypnotherapy, relaxation and visualizations to help the listener overcome the thinking that compels them to keep on drinking. It is a simple app, with the focus being on the audio content. The same content can be purchased as a CD or MP3 download. It is currently cheaper to purchase the app on iTunes.

Effectiveness of Apps for Stopping Drinking

These apps are likely to be of most value to people who have a mild alcohol problem. This is because those who drink on a daily basis might not be able to sustain the concentration levels needed to benefit from hypnotherapy. It is possible that such apps could help people develop the motivation to quit. There are currently no reviews in the iTunes store from people who have actually used either of these apps to quit their alcohol abuse.