Using hypnosis for weight loss and smoking cessation programs is well recognized for its success.
What can I be addicted to? The "brain reward region" is the part of the brain, which is sensitive to addictive behaviors involving the use of illicit drugs (heroine, cocaine), prescription drugs (amphetamines, barbiturates, antidepressants), legal drugs (nicotine, alcohol, caffeine) foods (chocolate, sugar and carbohydrates), but also to compulsive and destructive activities and behaviors (sex, exercise, work, shopping, gambling).
What makes an activity, food, and/or drug an addiction? Craving (excessive physical need ), Salience (thinking about the next high), Euphoria (produce a stimulating feeling), Tolerance (the need for more), Withdrawl (produces stress, depression, anxiety), Conflict (causes health problems), Relapse (quit and start over), Guilt (feeling bad afterwards).
Why are we addicted?
Many scientists are now convinced that what ties all of the mood-altering drugs and behaviors together are the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine, serotonin, GABA and endorphins. These neurotransmitters are responsible for the way we feel, think and act. It has been theorized that chemically dependent individuals are born with a lower number of receptor sites to produce adequate amounts of the (feel good) neurotransmitters. This may explain why a person starts using drugs to begin with, just to get high, but in the end they take them to avoid feeling low. Drugs are the quickest and strongest way to boost our neurotransmitters, however the cycle of drinking, drugging and poor food choices fools the brain, the result being the slowing down of the cell's production of theses neurotransmitters, leaving the brain starved for its natural amino acid (protein) fuel. Research has shown that successful treatment of addiction requires raising these deficiencies with natural amino acids and mood altering activities to give us that "natural high" we are lacking.
Urges Within- Creating Healthy Addictions: Rockin' Recovery