Clinical Hypnotherapist’s Tips to Reduce Negative Emotions Causing Over Drinking

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Q&A WITH GEORGIA FOSTER

Georgia Foster is a clinical hypnotherapist who specializes in the reduction of over-drinking behavior. She is the author of “Drink Less in 7 Days” (Red Door Publishing, 2/1/19), a research-based guidebook designed to help reduce unhealthy drinking habits with individualized advice. In this interview, Foster discusses the complex role of alcohol in her own life and offers practical tips and tricks for anyone who is aiming to drink less.

Q: What mental health challenges have you noticed to be commonly found alongside over-drinking behavior?

When people drink more than is healthy on a regular basis there are a wide range of emotions that are triggered.  What a lot of drinkers don’t realise is that they are drinking to run away from their fears and anxieties about life.  When we consume alcohol the critical and judgemental part of the brain shuts down and we become more relaxed and have a ‘I don’t care attitude,’ hence why alcohol can be a good quick fix to suppress negative thoughts and feelings.  This behaviour is driven by what I call The Inner Critic. This personality trait can make a once very happy go lucky person very scared about life. It’s very good at making people feel overwhelmed and can say some very nasty things.  If someone drinks to run away from their Inner Critic this is because there is some reprieve from this negative inner dialogue. Drinkers get hooked into this belief that alcohol gives them some space from this unhelpful voice– which it does.  However, in the morning when the drinker wakes, they can be full of remorse and their worries return. If someone uses alcohol for emotional purposes there is a high chance their relationship with alcohol can become an unhealthy habit. The goal of my 7 day program is to re-train the mind to reduce Inner Critic time.  The domino effect is the drinker is more calm and more logical about their life, so there isn’t that drive to drink to run away from life.

Q: There are a lot of people who want to drink less because friends and family have criticized their behavior or have begun counting their drinks. How do you suggest people approach these “outer critics” as they begin their journey to drinking less?

I believe people who drink too much alcohol ‘know’ it is an issue, so when people comment on how much they drink, they secretly worry and can start to question their relationship with alcohol. Ironically, when someone tells a drinker they need to reduce, it can make them drink more because they become anxious and scared that they have a drinking problem. Another common issue that occurs when drinkers are consuming alcohol around critical people or what I call the ‘alcohol police’ is that their Inner Critic says things like ‘ They are watching you’…’Curb your drinking.’ Which can make the drinker feel anxious, angry and drink more to annoy the person criticising them.  The ripple effect is that arguments can occur and relationships can break down. Worried drinkers may also become a sneaky drinker and hide what they consume to avoid feeling exposed about how much they drink. The problem with this is then the Inner Critic makes them feel even worse because they are becoming a secret drinker. Once again this can create a heavier load emotionally that there is ‘something wrong with them and that they need to go to AA’.

My suggestion to a worried drinker is, don’t tell people you are worried unless you genuinely know they will be helpful and supportive of your concerns.  Find someone who you can talk to about your fears in life. A lot of the over-drinking will be emotionally based. Keep an emotional diary for a week to understand what the triggers are to drinking too much.  Then find other non-drinking ways of coping that build your self-esteem without alcohol in your bloodstream.

Q: What is the benefit of maintaining two alcohol-free days per week? Do you yourself follow this guideline?

I think at least 2 alcohol free days a week is good for the soul!  A lot of people worry that they haven’t had an alcohol free day in 20 years and this makes them feel they are addicted to alcohol.  The truth is it’s not the alcohol that is the problem. It’s the emotional conditioning that needs to be addressed. Drinkers become reliant on alcohol to help them relax, to sleep and to be sociable.  Alcohol free days are liberating and great for sober self-esteem. It also helps drinkers realise that they don’t need alcohol in their lives to feel better about themselves.

During the holiday time or at Christmas I find alcohol free days are not as frequent however, the general rule is I try for a minimum of two a week.  Once someone gets their head around alcohol free days, it lifts their spirits and makes them realise that they can ‘manage their alcohol’ rather than ‘the alcohol managing them.’

Q: You recommend hypnosis for reducing over-drinking behavior. Why is this method preferred for someone who wants to see results in a short span of time?

Hypnosis is an amazing tool to help people change behaviours they are not happy with.  For worried drinkers, hypnosis is a quick and effective method to reduce alcohol consumption without having to go into long term therapy.  Many people are in fear of hypnosis but rest assured it is a natural brain activity that we all enter when we go to sleep at night and before waking.  During this window of time, the unconscious mind which is the emotional part of the mind is more available and open to behavioural change. I firmly believe that irrespective of someone’s drinking history, they have the ability to move on without digging up the past.  Hypnosis is extremely effective at training the mind to be calmer, more naturally optimistic, so that drinkers don’t need to drink to feel these feelings. The 7 Days To Drink Less approach is for people who know they want to drink less but don’t want to abstain from alcohol and don’t want to go into long term therapy to resolve this issue.   

Q: When someone gets in the habit of drinking more moderately, how can this affect not only their “drinking self” but also their “sober self”?

People who drink too much regularly have become reliant on alcohol to give them that sense of fun and spontaneity.  When they get into the groove of drinking less on a regular basis, it is amazing to see how much natural sober confidence they have.  There are crazy amount of benefits of drinking less, from sober sexual confidence to a calmer mind and body. Weight loss is a great side benefit when drinking less and that’s simply because of the reduction in calories, plus drinkers save hundreds of dollars a year too!
The biggest compliment I receive from people who do the 7 Day program is that they enjoy their own sober company better and don’t feel so reliant on alcohol to enjoy life.  And the best one is after a couple of alcohol free days, sleep becomes amazingly deep and rejuvenating!

GEORGIA FOSTER is a clinical hypnotherapist & voice dialogue trainer. She qualified with distinction at The London College of Clinical Hypnosis in 1996. She then went on to become one of the college’s senior lecturers before venturing out on her own to build her online products while running her busy London Clinic. Georgia now resides in Melbourne, Australia. She specializes in alcohol reduction, emotional overeating, self-esteem, anxiety, and fertility issues. Her unique and highly successful approach has helped tens of thousands of people learn how to feel better emotionally and physically. To learn more visit www.georgiafoster.com.


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Anna is an avid blogger with an educational background in medicine and mental health. She is a generalist with many other interests including nutrition, women's health, astronomy and photography. In her free time from work and writing, Anna enjoys nature walks, reading, and listening to jazz and classical music.

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