Support groups

[Chris Connelly]

I am a newly trained Clinical Hypnotherapist (registered with the GHR),
and I would like to work within the addiction support setting. I am
therefore trying to find an addiction support group that would be happy
to let me join their group of therapists on a voluntary basis, so I can
gain some valuable experience working and supporting people with addictions.

So far I have been unsuccessful, with groups only taking on counsellors
not hypnotherapists.

I am located in the SE of England.

Many thanks

[Mias]

Hi Chris
This is an alcoholic addicted group so to qualify to join, I think you will
first have to drink like hell untill you are no longer interested in helping
anybody save yourself.
Or - to put it differently, "Welcome in hell!"
Kind regards
Mias

"Chris Connelly" <chris.connelly@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
news:q7yHd.176210$48.139204@fe1.news.blueyonder.co .uk...
>I am a newly trained Clinical Hypnotherapist (registered with the GHR), and
>I would like to work within the addiction support setting. I am therefore
>trying to find an addiction support group that would be happy to let me
>join their group of therapists on a voluntary basis, so I can gain some
>valuable experience working and supporting people with addictions.
>
> So far I have been unsuccessful, with groups only taking on counsellors
> not hypnotherapists.
>
> I am located in the SE of England.
>
> Many thanks

[DaveB]

On Thu, 20 Jan 2005 11:32:45 +0200, "Mias"
<emiasno@spamnetactive.co.za> wrote:

>Hi Chris
>This is an alcoholic addicted group so to qualify to join, I think you will
>first have to drink like hell untill you are no longer interested in helping
>anybody save yourself.
>Or - to put it differently, "Welcome in hell!"
>Kind regards
>Mias

Lol Thanks for the chuckle.way funny,sad but true

Regards
>
>"Chris Connelly" <chris.connelly@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
>news:q7yHd.176210$48.139204@fe1.news.blueyonder.co .uk...
>>I am a newly trained Clinical Hypnotherapist (registered with the GHR), and
>>I would like to work within the addiction support setting. I am therefore
>>trying to find an addiction support group that would be happy to let me
>>join their group of therapists on a voluntary basis, so I can gain some
>>valuable experience working and supporting people with addictions.
>>
>> So far I have been unsuccessful, with groups only taking on counsellors
>> not hypnotherapists.
>>
>> I am located in the SE of England.
>>
>> Many thanks
>
>

Daveb

[Eric Waller]

You are getting very sleepy....

--
Eric Waller


"Chris Connelly" <chris.connelly@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
news:q7yHd.176210$48.139204@fe1.news.blueyonder.co .uk...
>I am a newly trained Clinical Hypnotherapist (registered with the GHR), and
>I would like to work within the addiction support setting. I am therefore
>trying to find an addiction support group that would be happy to let me
>join their group of therapists on a voluntary basis, so I can gain some
>valuable experience working and supporting people with addictions.
>
> So far I have been unsuccessful, with groups only taking on counsellors
> not hypnotherapists.
>
> I am located in the SE of England.
>
> Many thanks

[DaveB]

On Thu, 20 Jan 2005 22:13:40 -0700, "Eric Waller"
<ericwaller@cableone.net> wrote:

>You are getting very sleepy....
>
>--
>Eric Waller
>
>
>"Chris Connelly" <chris.connelly@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
>news:q7yHd.176210$48.139204@fe1.news.blueyonder.co .uk...
>>I am a newly trained Clinical Hypnotherapist (registered with the GHR), and
>>I would like to work within the addiction support setting. I am therefore
>>trying to find an addiction support group that would be happy to let me
>>join their group of therapists on a voluntary basis, so I can gain some
>>valuable experience working and supporting people with addictions.
>>
>> So far I have been unsuccessful, with groups only taking on counsellors
>> not hypnotherapists.
>>
>> I am located in the SE of England.
>>
>> Many thanks


>Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
> Regards

Daveb

[dougwa]

Hypnosis in a Drug Program

HYPNOSIS IN A DRUG PROGRAM

Being in the family was like being a candidate only harder. We were
given assignments. We had to "book" people. Booking someone was
writing someone up for a minor or major program violation and turning
them into staff. . This is where programs like this got the reputation
for being "snitch" programs with drug addicts. In addition to
booking people our heads were shaved, we were made to wear dresses and
cardboard sandwich signs.We were given confrontation assignments,
negative feedback sessions, extensive wall therapy, dyads* , and of
course we played the Synanon game. We also were subject to severe sleep
deprivation. It is interesting to note that as I write this I read in
todays Wall Street Journal that the suspected AlQueda terrorists in
Guantanamo Bay are forced to stand in uncomfortable 'stress'
positions and they are deprived of sleep; apparently there is some
concern that international treaties banning torture of prisoners is
being violated. These are the same techniques that were called
'therapy' at Tarzan. After sleep deprivation we played the game.
All this was called therapy. I don't know where it all came from.
Some of course came from Synanon and some of it more closely resembled
POW brainwashing techniques.

Some of what happened to me at Tarzana was beneficial but other parts
of the program were not. It certainly was not beneficial to be verbally
attacked and traumatized by a group of dysfunctional drug addicts and
tempted into a frenzied state of intense hate. However , to the extent
that the verbal attacks contained some truth and broke though my denial
they were helpful. Perhaps what was more helpful was that I saw people
who had been drug addicts and who were staying clean for a period of
years; I had never known anyone like that and it was novel and somewhat
inspiring. The powe of an example is a real thing.
I cant say that I was taught much about the nature of addiction or even
the solution to my problem. Of course, the staff was not able to teach
me what they didn't know. As far as my addiction I was told by one of
the Elders of the program that "I was running from my feelings".
There is an element of truth in that but more about that later.
I estimate that I stayed at Tarzana for about 4 months the first time.
It was hell. Creeps, sleep deprivation, extensive 'wall therapy"
for long periods of time, verbal assaults on a fairly regular basis in
games, shaved head, and wearing women's clothes were some of the
things I suffered.
Some of the staff at Tarzana had familiarity with hypnosis and my
falling into a trance had not gone unnoticed. I remember another time
when in a game being probed and starting to get mad at what was being
said. One of staff members started yelling at me and said there was
nothing I could do because there were so many of them.The angry state I
was in again made me susceptible to his hypnotic suggestion. Resentment
is a hypnotic emotion. With seeming authority he told me that I was
stuck in the chair and couldn't get out. The suggestion took.I tried
to get out of the chair but couldn't. He used the law of reversed
effort on me: ~"The harder you to try to get out of the chair the
more difficult it becomes". I was stuck in my chair and couldn't
get out.The harder I tried the more difficult it was to get out of the
chair. I was stuck. Then he told me to hold onto the chair because the
wind was blowing and it was blowing me out of the chair. I gripped the
side of the chair and my back arched as if a real wind was blowing me
out of the chair. Then he told me the wind was dying down and I slumped
back into the chair. At that point the staff had determined I was
highly suggestible and was prone to falling into hysterical trances
under stress and became highly suggestible when very angry.
Someone somewhere made the decision that they were going to use my
suggestibility and trance states to "solve" my drug problem.There
was no informed consent, and I never gave my permission for hypnosis to
be used. Because of my mental state at the time and because it was
nearly 30 years ago memories are somewhat hazy. One has to wonder about
the morality of such 'treatment" by supposed treatment
professionals being paid by tax dollars..
At any rate , at some point being verbally attacked during the Synanon
Game I fell into another trance state. I vaguely remember someone
saying ,"this is what we have been waiting for". "Lets deepen the
trance".The started using hypnotic techniques to deepen the trance. I
only have fragments of memories of the exact techniques used.. However,
the Hypnotist began to talking to me and they said the group therapy
was like a ring. And they had me visualize a ring in my mind. And then
the Hypnotist started talking to me about my Heroin problem. He said
"you know that little tiny Heroin problem you had?". And I was
somewhat troubled by his calling my heroin problem little. "Little"
I asked increduloulsly?. Yes, the hypnotist said." Compared to
some" I said yes. He said "you know that little tiny dinky Heroin
problem put it into the ring. I said "Ok". . I was imagining
looking at a golden ring in my mind with a balloon of heroin in it.. He
said " that little tiny dinky Heroin problem is gone." When he said
that I saw the ring in my mind shrink, shrink,shrink and then
disappear. He asked what I saw in my mind and I told him. He told me
that's good. He also told me that when I woke up I would not remember
anything,. And then he gave me the post hypnotic suggestion:. You wont
remember this but it will Still work.
At some point I awoke and the whole hynosis and even the suggestion
were gone from
my conscious mind. Those familiar with hypnosis will recognize this as
a post hypnotic
suggestion. Even though a post-hypnotic suggestion had been planted in
my mind it did
not work. After I split I did use again. There are some to this day
that advocate Hypnosis
as a cure for addiction. It is not a cure and cannot resolve the
problem because there is
no understanding of the root causes.Hypnosis is the problem not the
solution. Drugs are
a chemical means of inducing a Hypnotic state. Experienced Hypnotists
know that no
matter how severely addicted a person is he does not need
drugs,alcohol,or cigarettes
while in an induced hypnotic state. And the reason is simple: He
doesn't need something
to take him where he already is. Hypnosis is not whats needed if you
have a drug/alcohol
problem. Whats needed is waking up!!!
©2004 Christianrecovery.blogspot.com

[John Droge]

"Mias" <emiasno@spamnetactive.co.za> wrote in message
news:csnts1$c3i$1@ctb-nnrp2.saix.net...
> Hi Chris
> This is an alcoholic addicted group so to qualify to join, I think you
will
> first have to drink like hell untill you are no longer interested in
helping
> anybody save yourself.
> Or - to put it differently, "Welcome in hell!"
> Kind regards
> Mias
>
Ah yes as Chris Rea sang "This ain't no upwardly mobile freeway....This is
the road to hell"
But you can in fact go to hell and back
Peace
John

[Mias]

Thank you for the courage to share. I have had my doubts about hypnosis but
it is good to hear from someone who had 'walked the walk'
Kind regards
Mias
"dougwa" <tedw2@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:1106434275.649772.241300@c13g2000cwb.googlegr oups.com...
Hypnosis in a Drug Program

HYPNOSIS IN A DRUG PROGRAM

Being in the family was like being a candidate only harder. We were
given assignments. We had to "book" people. Booking someone was
writing someone up for a minor or major program violation and turning
them into staff. . This is where programs like this got the reputation
for being "snitch" programs with drug addicts. In addition to
booking people our heads were shaved, we were made to wear dresses and
cardboard sandwich signs.We were given confrontation assignments,
negative feedback sessions, extensive wall therapy, dyads* , and of
course we played the Synanon game. We also were subject to severe sleep
deprivation. It is interesting to note that as I write this I read in
todays Wall Street Journal that the suspected AlQueda terrorists in
Guantanamo Bay are forced to stand in uncomfortable 'stress'
positions and they are deprived of sleep; apparently there is some
concern that international treaties banning torture of prisoners is
being violated. These are the same techniques that were called
'therapy' at Tarzan. After sleep deprivation we played the game.
All this was called therapy. I don't know where it all came from.
Some of course came from Synanon and some of it more closely resembled
POW brainwashing techniques.

Some of what happened to me at Tarzana was beneficial but other parts
of the program were not. It certainly was not beneficial to be verbally
attacked and traumatized by a group of dysfunctional drug addicts and
tempted into a frenzied state of intense hate. However , to the extent
that the verbal attacks contained some truth and broke though my denial
they were helpful. Perhaps what was more helpful was that I saw people
who had been drug addicts and who were staying clean for a period of
years; I had never known anyone like that and it was novel and somewhat
inspiring. The powe of an example is a real thing.
I cant say that I was taught much about the nature of addiction or even
the solution to my problem. Of course, the staff was not able to teach
me what they didn't know. As far as my addiction I was told by one of
the Elders of the program that "I was running from my feelings".
There is an element of truth in that but more about that later.
I estimate that I stayed at Tarzana for about 4 months the first time.
It was hell. Creeps, sleep deprivation, extensive 'wall therapy"
for long periods of time, verbal assaults on a fairly regular basis in
games, shaved head, and wearing women's clothes were some of the
things I suffered.
Some of the staff at Tarzana had familiarity with hypnosis and my
falling into a trance had not gone unnoticed. I remember another time
when in a game being probed and starting to get mad at what was being
said. One of staff members started yelling at me and said there was
nothing I could do because there were so many of them.The angry state I
was in again made me susceptible to his hypnotic suggestion. Resentment
is a hypnotic emotion. With seeming authority he told me that I was
stuck in the chair and couldn't get out. The suggestion took.I tried
to get out of the chair but couldn't. He used the law of reversed
effort on me: ~"The harder you to try to get out of the chair the
more difficult it becomes". I was stuck in my chair and couldn't
get out.The harder I tried the more difficult it was to get out of the
chair. I was stuck. Then he told me to hold onto the chair because the
wind was blowing and it was blowing me out of the chair. I gripped the
side of the chair and my back arched as if a real wind was blowing me
out of the chair. Then he told me the wind was dying down and I slumped
back into the chair. At that point the staff had determined I was
highly suggestible and was prone to falling into hysterical trances
under stress and became highly suggestible when very angry.
Someone somewhere made the decision that they were going to use my
suggestibility and trance states to "solve" my drug problem.There
was no informed consent, and I never gave my permission for hypnosis to
be used. Because of my mental state at the time and because it was
nearly 30 years ago memories are somewhat hazy. One has to wonder about
the morality of such 'treatment" by supposed treatment
professionals being paid by tax dollars..
At any rate , at some point being verbally attacked during the Synanon
Game I fell into another trance state. I vaguely remember someone
saying ,"this is what we have been waiting for". "Lets deepen the
trance".The started using hypnotic techniques to deepen the trance. I
only have fragments of memories of the exact techniques used.. However,
the Hypnotist began to talking to me and they said the group therapy
was like a ring. And they had me visualize a ring in my mind. And then
the Hypnotist started talking to me about my Heroin problem. He said
"you know that little tiny Heroin problem you had?". And I was
somewhat troubled by his calling my heroin problem little. "Little"
I asked increduloulsly?. Yes, the hypnotist said." Compared to
some" I said yes. He said "you know that little tiny dinky Heroin
problem put it into the ring. I said "Ok". . I was imagining
looking at a golden ring in my mind with a balloon of heroin in it.. He
said " that little tiny dinky Heroin problem is gone." When he said
that I saw the ring in my mind shrink, shrink,shrink and then
disappear. He asked what I saw in my mind and I told him. He told me
that's good. He also told me that when I woke up I would not remember
anything,. And then he gave me the post hypnotic suggestion:. You wont
remember this but it will Still work.
At some point I awoke and the whole hynosis and even the suggestion
were gone from
my conscious mind. Those familiar with hypnosis will recognize this as
a post hypnotic
suggestion. Even though a post-hypnotic suggestion had been planted in
my mind it did
not work. After I split I did use again. There are some to this day
that advocate Hypnosis
as a cure for addiction. It is not a cure and cannot resolve the
problem because there is
no understanding of the root causes.Hypnosis is the problem not the
solution. Drugs are
a chemical means of inducing a Hypnotic state. Experienced Hypnotists
know that no
matter how severely addicted a person is he does not need
drugs,alcohol,or cigarettes
while in an induced hypnotic state. And the reason is simple: He
doesn't need something
to take him where he already is. Hypnosis is not whats needed if you
have a drug/alcohol
problem. Whats needed is waking up!!!
©2004 Christianrecovery.blogspot.com

[na]

Thank you for your comments.

However I feel there is a misunderstanding as to how hypnotherapy may
benefit alcoholics. Your experience of hypnosis, and I am calling it
hypnosis NOT hypnotherapy was obviously terribly flawed and those
practicing were obviously incompetent and ignorant in the therapeutic
aspects of hypnotherapy.

The technique you described as being used upon you, as you stated was a
PHS (post hypnotic suggestion) to suggest you don't have a problem. This
is obviously flawed as you conscious and sub-conscious is aware there is
a problem.

Instead I am not advocating hypnotherapy to convience people they don't
have a problem instead what I am suggesting that hypnotherapy - once
someone has decided to quit drinking can be used to releave the effects
of the withdrawl both physical and psychological. This can be achieved
through self-hypnosis and other techniques to benefit physical
conditions such as anxiety, insomnia, cramps, cravings and psychological
conditions such as self-esteem, guilt, forgiveness etc..

Unfortunately the organisations I have contacted asking if they would
take on a hypnotherapist (voluntary) to gain experience. Have all been
under the assumption that I am implying using hypnosis to get someone
off the alcohol - this is not the case. As I said above, I'm advocating
the use of hypnotherapy to manage the symptoms of withdrawl and to
instruct those wishing to give up alcohol how they can manage their own
symptms, so to improve their chances of coming through the withdrawl and
progress with a positive life.

Chris DCH GQHP