“Stop drinking with hypnosis” is a common advertisement. For anyone worried about their drinking, the idea of a painless fix is appealing. The reality is that hypnosis for alcohol problems is one of the least researched areas in the field.
Safety first
If you drink heavily every day, do not stop suddenly without medical advice. Alcohol withdrawal can cause seizures and can be fatal. Signs of dependence include needing a drink to steady yourself, morning shakes or sweats, and withdrawal symptoms when you cut down. Speak to your doctor or a local alcohol service about stopping safely.
Hypnosis has no role in managing withdrawal.
What the research shows
Very little. Only a couple of randomised controlled trials have tested hypnosis for alcohol use disorder.
In a 2019 Norwegian trial, 31 patients in residential treatment for alcohol problems were randomly assigned to five individual sessions of hypnotherapy or to motivational interviewing, a standard counselling approach. Everyone also took part in the unit’s intensive group programme.
At follow-up one year later:
- Both groups had significantly reduced their drinking.
- The hypnotherapy group had improved slightly more, but the difference did not reach statistical significance.
The authors suggested three readings. The study may have been too small to detect a real advantage. Or neither addition made much difference on top of the group programme. Or hypnotherapy is at least as effective as motivational interviewing.
Elsewhere there are case series and uncontrolled reports, some claiming high success rates in a handful of clients. Without control groups, those figures cannot be relied on.
In short: unproven. That is different from disproven.
What does have evidence
- Brief advice from a doctor or nurse, for risky drinking
- Motivational interviewing
- Cognitive behavioural therapy and relapse prevention
- Medication to reduce craving or support abstinence, prescribed by a doctor
- Medically supported withdrawal for dependence
- Mutual-aid groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous and SMART Recovery
- Family and social support
Where hypnosis might fit
As an addition to proper treatment, hypnosis could plausibly help with:
- Stress and anxiety, common reasons for drinking
- Sleep, which is often poor in early sobriety
- Cravings: practising letting an urge rise and pass
- Motivation: keeping your reasons vivid
- Rehearsal: imagining a risky situation and handling it without drinking
- Self-worth, which is often badly damaged
What it cannot do
- Make drinking impossible or switch off the desire
- Replace detox, medication or therapy
- Work without your own motivation
- Guarantee anything
Avoid aversion-style suggestions meant to make alcohol repulsive. They tend to fade quickly, and there is little evidence they work.
A sensible approach
- Talk to your doctor or an alcohol service about how much you drink.
- Find out whether you need supervised withdrawal.
- Decide your goal: cutting down or stopping.
- Take up proven support.
- Add hypnosis if you wish, for stress, sleep and cravings.
- Plan for high-risk situations.
- Treat a lapse as information, not failure.
A craving exercise
When an urge arrives:
- Pause and breathe out slowly.
- Notice where you feel the urge in your body.
- Picture it as a wave. Watch it rise, peak and fall.
- Tell yourself: “This will pass whether I drink or not.”
- Do something else for ten minutes.
Most urges fade within fifteen to twenty minutes.
Choosing a practitioner
- Look for someone with a healthcare or addiction background.
- They should ask how much you drink and whether you have seen a doctor.
- They should work alongside your other treatment.
- Avoid guarantees, one-session cures and large prepaid packages.
Cutting down, if you are not dependent
If your drinking is above recommended limits but you are not dependent, small steps help: drink-free days, smaller measures, alternating with soft drinks, and keeping a record. Self-hypnosis for relaxation can replace the “wind-down drink” for some people.
Where to get help
Speak to your GP, or search for your local alcohol support service. In the UK, Drinkline is a free, confidential helpline on 0300 123 1110.
The bottom line
There is not enough evidence to say hypnosis treats alcohol problems. It may help with the stress, sleep and cravings around drinking, as part of a plan built on proven support. If you may be dependent, see a doctor before you change anything.
Next in the series: Hypnosis on Screen: From Svengali to the Sunken Place
This article is for general information and is not medical advice.