Reframing of an addiction via hypnotherapy: a case presentation

A chemically dependent man was treated using hypnotherapy and related psychotherapeutic techniques. I started by taking a psychosocial history and then introduced such interventions as pattern interruption and symbolic task assignments to establish initial sobriety. The majority of the sessions focused on age regressing the patient to events correlating to drug and alcohol abuse. During these events I introduced myself via hypnosis as "the voice from the future" to redefine the events and extract the useful learnings. With a new-found positive self-image, the patient was hypnotically age progressed to review future scenes. In each scene he successfully abstained from drug and alcohol use. The patient remained drug and alcohol free during treatment and the 6-month and one-year follow-ups.