The two doors of hypnosis in pathological addictions: alexithymia and the memory of pleasure

Journal title IPNOSI
Author/s Nicolino Rago, Federica Volpi, Mario Marazzi
Publishing Year 2021 Issue 2021/1
Language Italian Pages 14 P. 27-40 File size 222 KB
DOI 10.3280/IPN2021-001002
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It is currently believed that addiction is a complex behavioral disorder that is influenced by biological, psychological, sociological factors, and that, as such, must be seen from a biopsychosocial perspective. The authors believe that there may be two main "magnets" that first stimulate and then stabilize addiction, fa-voring its relapse: the attempt to carry out a self-therapy of one’s affective dysregulation (alexithymia) and the activation of the memory of pleasure. After presenting a brief review on the use of hypnosis in the treatment of addictive dis-orders, the authors expose their own technique, Reverse Systematic Desensitiza-tion, illustrating it through a clinical case. The effectiveness of the technique in re-ducing the thought of the substance, therefore craving and relapse, is associated with an increased rate of maintained successful treatment.

Keywords: Drug addiction, gambling, hypnosis, alexithymia, memory, systematic desensitization.

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Nicolino Rago, Federica Volpi, Mario Marazzi, Le due porte d’ingresso dell’ipnosi nelle dipendenze patologiche: l’alessitimia e la memoria del piacere in "IPNOSI" 1/2021, pp 27-40, DOI: 10.3280/IPN2021-001002