Have you been frustrated by your ability to sabotage yourself? If you have, you are like many others. Recovering from addiction is a difficult journey, and the path to recovery contains many obstacles.
Since the beginning of humankind, people have struggled with doing what they want to do and what they actually do. Within the context of an addiction, you might want to recover and to live a healthier, happier life. However, the pull of your addiction might lead you to continue using your substance of choice. Neuro-linguistic programming may help you to overcome your addiction so that you can begin a healthier, happier life much faster than you might have anticipated.
What is neuro-linguistic programming?
Neuro-linguistic programming or NLP is a process that combines elements of communication with counseling strategies and elements of therapy. The objective of NLP is to bring together aspects of the self that conflict with each other so that you can heal and change.
NLP operates with the presupposition that everyone has numerous distinct aspects to their personalities. When your aspects are in conflict with each other, you may struggle with unhealthy and dysfunctional behaviors. When you can resolve your inner conflicts, you can change your presence in the world.
The three parts of neuro-linguistic programming might help you to clarify what it means. Neuro means that it relates to your neurology and your brain. Linguistic means that it relates to the speech and language choices that you make. The programming aspect relates to how your components simultaneously function. When you learn NLP, you will be able to learn the language of your mind.
Created in the 1970s by Richard Bandler and John Grinder, NLP weaves together some elements of psychological modeling and Gestalt psychology. It has helped countless people because it offers a method to facilitate communication between your subconscious and conscious minds.
Neuro-linguistic programming and addiction treatment
There is a lot that we still have to discover about the brain, including whether it is possible to rewire it from addiction. However, the mind-body connection has been shown to help in rehab and recovery.
When you think positive thoughts, your brain produces neuropeptides that can strengthen the functioning of your immune system, organs, and overall health. NLP offers a powerful way to tap into the power of your mind and help to heal all types of addictions. Rather than disowning the aspect of yourself that is an addict, you instead can identify it and incorporate it into yourself. By contrast, many people who are in recovery either end up over-identifying with their addict aspects or they try to banish them completely.
For instance, some people will define their entire senses of self by repeating statements that limit them such as introducing themselves as addicts. Others might instead try to destroy the parts of themselves that want to use. Neither approach is a healing approach to addiction, however.
A holistic model for treating addiction allows you to become stronger by integrating all of the parts of yourself. You will not try to eliminate the part of your psyche that is addicted. Instead, you will try to get to know it and to understand it. As you work with the addict aspect of yourself, you will try to uncover the positive purpose that it has so that you can find a new role for it as you move forward with your life.
NLP and how it works
To understand how NLP techniques might work for treating your addiction, here is a brief description of what you might expect. You can begin by going to a quiet, safe place with a life coach who can guide you through the process. Start by centering yourself in compassion.
Next, you will try to connect with your addict aspect. Invite that part of yourself to converse with you. As you begin a dialogue, thank the addict aspect for connecting with you. Begin asking some questions, including the following:
How old were you when the addict aspect was created?
What was happening in your life at that time?
What are some of the strengths that your addict aspect has?
Listen to the answers that you obtain when you ask these questions. Once you are able to identify its original positive purpose, you can work with that aspect of yourself to figure out what role it will play as you move forward.
The dialogue should be reciprocal in nature, and the focus should be on problem-solving. As you end the dialogue, thank that aspect of yourself for allowing you to talk to it.
Recovery with neuro-linguistic programming
NLP is a tool that can help you along your path to connectedness and healing. You are able to rewrite the code and renew your mind. With the help of the professionals at Premier NLP Life Coaching, you may be able to recover and to move forward with a happier and healthier life. Contact us today to schedule a consultation by completing our online contact form.