NLP-ADDICTIONS (fwd from NLP-TALK)
At 17:20 06/10/1996 GMT, Dave Hook <david@hook.idiscover.co.uk> wrote:
>In additonal to the neural model, I was told that if an alcoholic person
>stops drinking at age 20 and then resumes at age 30 then their drinking will
>quickly go to the level they would have drank had they not stopped for
>those10yrs.
There is a biochemical theory about addictions describing how neuro-transmittors
need the THP molecule (tetra-hydro-papaveroline) to do their work. And
addicts (esp alcoholics and heroin addicts) are producing so much THP that
the usual way of production stops. So when they stop taking their substance
their brain can't work normally for a while until it resumes producing
THP. That would be the explanation of the *LACK* syndrom.
>This model would suggest abstinence (and an effective abstinence strategy as
>you suggest) as the only effective course of action for the alcoholic.
In fact, alcohol, heroin and others substances, in the THP theory, could be
considered as anchors : as soon as the abstinent addict's brain will receive
at least one molecule of alcohol or heroin, they will be recognized and all
the production of THP will stop again inducing the *NEED*.
In France this is the official scientific explanation of addictions and the
reason why an alcoholic can't have one drink for the rest of his life
without getting back in his habit.
Nice theory isn't ? But the fact is: this theory is a theory and in an NLP
point of view can be considered as a belief (!!). Do you think it is
a useful belief ? I don't think so because this belief induces that
you're not responsible of what happens : that's the chemestry !!!
>My question then is, if there is an on-going biochemical process occuring,
>is it possible to install a strategy within the compulsive network that
>effectively exits out into the away from decision strategy? (Thus allowing
>'no drink' or 'moderate drinking')
In a few words my answer is no if you want to do something 'within the
compulsive network'. Let the compulsive network away and create
something else.
It is a matter of logical level: a decision strategy or whatever else you
are doing in your brain has its counterpart at the biochemical level.
So any shift at the biochemical level has also its counterpart at the
psychological level : did you notice the lack of any visual submodalities
when dealing with people taking neuro-drugs (in France we call these drugs
neuroleptics) ?
I think the problem is : drinking strategies are very short, fast, efficient
and whatever you'll install most of the time it can't be shorter, faster and
more efficient. So you are risking the person will get back to the previous
strategy when a quick and powerful response is needed.
So it is necessary to install a kind of a phobic response against the old
decision strategy. Then you can install whatever you want or whatever
the client needs as decision strategies. If you're familiar with deep trance
work, you can install an automatic decision strategies generator...
I think at this point, almost everything is possible, as the old mental
structure of the patient is suddenly obsolete.
And doing all that I guess you are modifying the chemistry.
>Also, is it possible to install a prior decision making process (drink/no
>drink) that has the same compulsive elements as the drinking decision making
>process?
As the previous question my answer is no. Too risky business. There is no
objective reason for not recycling the compulsive elements in another
pattern but considering them as a network they are linked together with
short wide and 'well oiled' links so you get the risk information will
suddenly follow the old pattern because it's *easier*.
To be more precise, let's dissociate the decison strategy from the compulsion.
I do think that they are not related. Let me explain :
1 - The drinking decison strategy occurs before the compulsion. We can say
the addict is making the decision of jumping into his addictive
personalty (Addictive Part).
2 - Being associated in his addictive personalty, he can't stay there. To
maintain himself associated he is running the compulsion process and
he is drinking and drinking again. The compulsion is *only* a mean
to stay associated in the addictive part.
3 - Most of the time when they had found ways to integrate their 2
subpersonalties
there is no need to do the 'Compulsion Blow up Process' because the
compulsion is gone by itself : it isn't useful anymore.
So the major point is the *need* of a *new* decison strategy.
Best regards,
-Bernard Frit