Weekly Hypnotic Digest #39

Breaking Free: How Hypnotherapy Can Help You Kick Addictions (Yes, Even Sugar!)

If there’s one thing I know personally, it’s addiction. As a recovering alcoholic with over five years of sobriety, I’ve been in the trenches. I know what it’s like to crave something so intensely it feels like your whole body is demanding it. And whether it’s alcohol, cigarettes, sugar, or doomscrolling social media at 2 AM (yeah, that one’s real too), addiction isn’t just about willpower—it’s about the subconscious patterns running the show. And this is where hypnotherapy shines.

Rewiring the Addicted Brain-

Science tells us that addiction changes the brain, particularly in the reward system. Our subconscious works on the pain/pleasure principle, so it will do what it believes will help you avoid pain and give you pleasure. Dopamine, the “feel-good” neurotransmitter, gets hijacked, making us chase the next hit—whether that’s a shot of whiskey, a cigarette, or a fistful of Oreos. But research suggests hypnotherapy can help rewire these patterns.

A 2017 study published in the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis found that hypnosis was highly effective for smoking cessation, with 50% of participants remaining smoke-free after six months—significantly higher than those using nicotine replacement therapy.

For sugar addiction, a growing number of case studies (like this one in Glamour) show that hypnotherapy helps reduce cravings by working directly with the subconscious. Instead of fighting the urge to inhale an entire tray of brownies, hypnotherapy helps shift your perception so sugar isn’t the emotional crutch it once was. It will no longer believe that the thing you once craved will bring you pleasure anymore, therefore it won't do everything in it's power to make you consume said sugar, or whatever your drug of choice may have be.

Addiction is Emotional—So Is Hypnotherapy

We don’t just develop addictions for fun (though, let’s be honest, that first donut or drink is usually fun). We turn to them for comfort, escape (the modern flight response), or out of habit. Hypnotherapy gets to the root—addressing the emotions and triggers driving the addiction. Instead of white-knuckling through cravings, hypnosis helps your mind develop new coping mechanisms that actually work and give you true relief.

I’ve used hypnosis personally to navigate my own triggers in sobriety, and I’ve seen it work for clients struggling with everything from cigarettes to compulsive snacking. Imagine if you could effortlessly say, “No thanks” to something you once had to have. That’s the power of subconscious transformation.

Ready to Break Free?

If you’re tired of feeling like your cravings are in charge, let’s change that! Book a session with me, and we’ll retrain your mind to crave freedom instead. Your subconscious is so much more powerful than you think—and together we can unlock it's true power.

With Love,

Julia Viola Sokol

Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist