Can Hypnosis Help You Stop Drinking? What I’ve Learned as a Nurse Who Broke the Chains of Addiction

Addressing Why You Drink & Why Willpower Isn’t Enough

As a Registered Nurse with 18 years of sobriety, I’ve lived on both sides of alcohol use, and that perspective shapes how I support clients who want to stop drinking. I’ve learned that drinking is rarely the problem itself. It’s usually a response to something deeper. When appropriate, I also screen carefully for safety concerns such as withdrawal risk or suicidal ideation and collaborate with physicians when referrals are needed.

By the time I got sober 18+ years ago, I had a long list of attempts using AA, various therapists, and my own iron will. All of these failed because I wasn’t ready to truly address the underlying causes for my drinking.  

If you had asked me way back then why I drank, I would have said that I was “trying to take the edge off,” meaning that I was trying to free myself of a discomfort inside me that I couldn’t even define. From the outside, I appeared to have everything…a great career, a loving family, money, houses, cars, friends. But still, the “edge” never came off. Deep in my heart I had known for many years that my drinking far exceeded anything “normal,” but I was determined not to be identified by that awful label “alcoholic.”

Nothing Seemed To Work

I tried to will my way into stopping, using all sorts of techniques like only drinking after a certain time, on certain days, at certain occasions, around certain people, etc and counting the days, only to wind up drinking again after 10, 29, 91, or 156 days, without even realizing why I picked up that “first” drink. It was exhausting and led me to feel defeated,  frustrated, depressed, and riddled with guilt at my latest “failure” to quit.

Anyone who knows me would describe me as “strong willed,” but there was nothing I could do to will my way out of drinking.

My decision to finally get sober didn’t follow a judge’s order, a job loss, or homelessness. It came on the heels of a spiritual meltdown in which I realized I couldn’t live anymore with this double life always looming over me, wherein my “inside” never seemed to match my “outside.”  I found my way to outpatient rehab, then to AA meetings for about 8 years. Just the act of quitting and having a support group did wonders for me, but there was still something missing. I deepened my spiritual practices and began a relentless pursuit to dig deep into myself, and it was there that I discovered the underlying trauma and pain that was the “edge” I had always carried. This realization sent me on a path of self-discovery that ultimately led to hypnotherapy.

I have often wondered if hypnotherapy much earlier on my path could have saved me a whole lot of pain and brought me into my new life of sobriety much sooner, by getting right to the underlying subconscious beliefs that created the “edge” that drove my drinking in the first place.

What I know from many years in AA is that alcoholics suffer from a host of the same issues I work on with non-alcoholic clients: low self-esteem, fear, intrusive thoughts, perfectionism, competitiveness, anxiety, guilt, and shame.

If you are uncomfortable or unhappy with the amount of alcohol you consume, and regardless of the methods you have already tried to stop, it’s quite possible hypnosis can help you gain insight into the dysfunctional beliefs and emotions that drive you to drink in the first place. It’s really not necessary to spend time questioning whether or not to label yourself as “alcoholic.” The point is that you are ready for a change and willing to do the work. Period.

What Studies Show

In my research, I found studies dating back to the 1950s showing the effectiveness of hypnosis in helping people to achieve freedom from addiction, both alone and as part of a comprehensive program. Beyond 1:1 sessions, clients can also be trained in the use of self-hypnosis as an effective tool for relapse prevention.

In his 2004 paper, Potter writes that “long-range addiction treatment programs without hypnosis only work 2% of the time. This statistic increases up to 70% when a long-range addiction treatment includes a hypnosis program. It’s no wonder the medical community is fascinated to discover the science behind hypnosis to stop drinking.”1

I have successfully worked with several clients who wanted to stop drinking. Clients in a high state of readiness quit after only one or two sessions. For others, hypnosis may be only one facet of their journey to sobriety. 

My role is to be non-judgmental, supportive, and to help my clients gain valuable insights on their path to freedom from alcohol. If you'd like to explore that possibility I recommend my 3-session package.

1. Potter G. Intensive therapy: utilizing hypnosis in the treatment of substance abuse disorders. Am J Clin Hypn. 2004 Jul;47(1):21-8. doi: 10.1080/00029157.2004.10401472. PMID: 15376606.