Addicted to online psychic readings? Hypnotherapy can help

The use of online psychics has grown since the early noughties. What appears to be a harmless occasional activity to many can become harmful and addictive to others. 

Addicted to online psychic readings? 

A seemingly innocent pursuit can develop into a habit, addictive behaviour or addiction. A person may feel a compulsion to use online psychics frequently. They may experience a reliance upon doing so, and even withdrawal feelings when their regular usage lessens. 

Do you feel reliant on psychic hotlines? Do you feel you need to use them on a regular basis? Has the frequency of use increased? Are you spending increasingly more money on psychic hotlines or going into debt using them? Do you feel you need psychic readings to help you to make decisions, even simple everyday ones? Do you feel you need reassurance from a psychic reading? Do you feel relief or a sense of comfort when a psychic reading tells you what you want to hear? Do you feel you can’t get by if you don’t receive a psychic reading?

If the answer is yes to a number of these questions you may be experiencing addictive behaviour or an addiction to using psychic hotlines. 

A study by R.M. Shepherd (2009) found that participants were spending excessive amounts of their income ringing psychic hotlines and many incurred debts. Using both Brown’s core criteria of addiction and qualitative data, the study concluded that a section of the population may be addicted to calling psychic hotlines.

Although this is an area that has little research it is one that is recognised. Actress Sarah Lassez pioneered a support group website called ‘Psychic Junkie’ as a result of coming out publicly about her own addiction to psychic hotlines and the detrimental effect it had upon her. 

In the words of clients 

A growing number of my clients have reluctantly confided that they have an addiction to using online psychic readings. The embarrassment often prevents them from sharing this at first. As therapists we are here to provide support, not to judge. There is no need to feel embarrassed about developing addictive behaviour around using online psychics.

My clients have described feeling a sense of comfort, relief or reassurance after speaking to an online psychic. They are, in the main, told what they want to hear and that feels good at the time. Some explain that they experience ease at not having to make decisions as they rely on the psychics to do this for them. These may be very basic daily life decisions, or more significant life-changing ones. Others expressed that they seek personal validation from the psychics, asking what those around them think of them.

One client elaborated that it had become a struggle to read the actions of those around her without asking a psychic and felt she needed continual confirmation just to be able to face her day. Without this endorsement from online readings, she explained, she became crippled with self-doubt and fear. As well as being dependent upon the readings, she also recognised that rather than meeting her needs of validation and reassurance, it left her feeling on edge and considerably worse than before.

Her constant use of psychics had a detrimental effect on all areas of her life, including her relationships, friendships and her work life. She recognised that she had begun to use online psychics instead of seeking therapy. She then wanted to receive therapy to support her to no longer need to depend on online readings in the future. 

What is the common factor? 

My clients’ backgrounds vary and they have had very different life experiences ranging from happy uneventful childhoods and early adulthood to experiences of past trauma, abuse, co-dependency or a series of stressful significant events or issues. The majority are well educated and in employment, although several felt that they were not reaching their full potential.

Many considered that their needs were not being met in their relationships with family or friends and were unable to reassure themselves, resulting in seeking comfort elsewhere. The common element they all voiced, however, was self-doubt and lack of confidence - hence the need for external validation and reassurance. Interestingly, self-doubt and lack of confidence increased the more they relied on psychic readings. 

Hypnotherapy can help 

Hypnosis is a natural state of deep relaxation similar to daydreaming where it is believed that the subconscious mind can be accessed. Therapeutic techniques are used in order to support the client in working towards pre-agreed outcomes and goals.

There are a range of techniques which are tailored towards the client, as one approach rarely suits all. Whilst in a hypnotic trance, a client is more receptive to suggestions that they accept using their own free will. Clients are more able to access memories and have a greater imagination, enabling them to see themselves in the future having overcome their issues. 

My approach with clients is to build rapport and trust, carry out a long gentle deeply relaxing hypnosis induction and then to use techniques to try to find the root cause of the issue. The last thing any therapist would wish to do is to help a client with their addictive behaviour only for it to be replaced with another addiction or habit because the root cause has not been explored.

Hypnoanalysis can be a really useful technique to implement. Unlike its title, no analysis actually takes place by the therapist or client, it is just one technique that can be used that brings up past memories from the subconscious mind in hypnosis for release. It can be a more gentle approach and allows multiple emotional memories to surface for release over a number of sessions.

Some of the memories may feel unsettling, the hypnotherapist will support the client to release these and encourage self-comforting or other appropriate techniques before ending any session. For example, facilitating the client to reassure and comfort their younger self encourages the important ability to be able to comfort and reassure one's present self internally. 

Where there is addictive behaviour, an addiction or habit to online psychic readings, my course of action with clients, in addition to using appropriate suggestions, is to use techniques to boost confidence and self-esteem.

Further, I encourage empowerment with the optimum level of confidence for any situation and the ability to cope with setbacks proactively. Imagining oneself in the near future as being a confident, self-assured individual who can make decisions and communicate confidently with others, heightening the feelings of this in the hypnosis to feel the positive experience as intensely as possible. Sharing coping techniques and teaching self-hypnosis are incorporated too.

We don’t want our clients to be reliant or dependent upon us as therapists. Being able to self-calm, cope, feel empowered and in control are very important attributes. 

The difference hypnotherapy made 

Just one of countless examples of the difference hypnotherapy made, is one of my clients who was addicted to online psychic readings and grew in confidence as we worked through hypnoanalysis to release multiple difficult emotional memories from her past.

The experience of her as an adult comforting her younger self during hypnosis had a very profound effect on her, realising she was usually very hard on herself, the act of giving herself comfort and reassurance was very moving for her. The urge to use online psychics dwindled and she became aware of holding herself back in her career with self-doubt, procrastination and the need for external validation.

The change was remarkable, securing a promotion two stages above her previous role, feeling confident in her new position and ready to progress further. Initiating planning for her future confidently with clear goals and the ability to cope independently was a real achievement. Witnessing this beneficial change in any of my clients is the greatest reward of being a hypnotherapist. 

If you’re interested in how hypnotherapy could help you, fill out the search below to find a hypnotherapist near you or online.