Opioid Substitution Therapy Edgbaston Birmingham

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Opioid Substitution Therapy Edgbaston Birmingham

Drugs interfere with normal brain functioning and prolonged use can lead to long-term detrimental ef

Drugs interfere with normal brain functioning and prolonged use can lead to long-term detrimental effects on brain metabolism and activity. Drug addiction is an uncontrollable craving that needs treatment to overcome and resolve it. It usually consists of physical dependency and psychological dependency. Physical dependency means the body has become accustomed to the drug and withdrawal symptoms will be felt without it. Common withdrawal symptoms include sweating, tremors, insomnia, vomiting and headaches. Psychological dependency means the mind relies on the effects of the drug and its absence will initiate cravings. Addiction can affect anyone and both legal and illegal drugs can be addictive. Quite often individuals experimenting with drugs are unaware of the full effects of that particular drug and the problems it can cause. The level of addiction differs between substances and also between individuals. Drugs are often categorised by the effect they produce, namely stimulants, depressants and hallucinogens. Stimulants are drugs that increase the activity of the central nervous system and often give feelings of greater confidence, alertness and energy. Cocaine, ecstasy, nicotine, amphetamines, alkyl nitrites and anabolic steroids are all stimulants. Depressants are drugs that reduce the activity of the central nervous system and usually cause impaired judgment, coordination and balance. Alcohol, solvents, heroin, tranquillisers and barbiturates are depressants. Hallucinogens alter perceptions of reality and change the way individuals experience the world through their senses, often causing users to see or hear things that are not real. LSD, cannabis, ketamine and magic mushrooms are hallucinogens. There are many reasons why individuals may abuse drugs and these reasons will be different for different people. Each addiction will have a different physiological and emotional trigger for its behaviour and I use rapid methods for powerful effective results. From your initial session you will be empowered to effect change and strive towards a new, better, addiction free you. Opioid substitution therapy (OST )supplies illicit drug users with a replacement drug, a prescribed medicine such as methadone or buprenorphine, which is usually administered orally OST is an option for people using opioids problematically (for example drugs such as morphine, codeine, tramadol,oxycodone and methadone, either purchased or prescribed) because we know that it is very difficult to
cut down or ‘just say no’ to drugs if a person has become dependent on them. You may have seen your friend, family member struggle with trying to give up their drug use, and witnessed them experiencing distressing withdrawal symptoms when they do try to stop. OST is not a cure or complete solution for all people’s problems. Recovery takes time so patience is required as the person moves through their own recovery process. Both methadone and buprenorphine are very strong opioid medications and there is an increased risk of overdose (particularly with methadone) when they are first prescribed, especially if the person is using other substances such as benzodiazepines, alcohol, and other opioids. OST can be used short term or longer term, though research shows long term treatment is likely to produce better outcomes, especially when combined with psychosocial interventions. The length of time someone is on OST treatment should largely be up to them and is
likely to depend on their needs. I provide therapy and support to address the cause of the initial addiction and provide psychological support to break free from OST and ultimately addiction
Call Stuart 07825 599340 /0121 403 3163
email stuart@harleystreetaddictionspecialist.co.uk

15/10/2025

Insomnia, Sleep Issues , Misophonia
Client referral posted today ,
" Great, and effective hypnotherapist. Stuarts techniques really work and will change you're life for the better.
Hi my name is Neil. I came across Stuart Downing when I found myself seeking out hypnotherapy to treat problems I was having with my sleep due to living next door to previous neighbours who were very noisy and whom had kept me awake. Thankfully, after a couple of months, the neighbours had moved on, but unfortunately as a result, I developed an anxiety about getting to sleep, which in turn lead to me developing an insomnia which was caused by the anxiety. I had also developed Misophonia as a result, and had become hypersensitive to certain noises, such as any bangs or thuds. Even though the neighbours had left, my anxiety still persisted, which only caused me even more anxiety as I couldnt understand why I just couldnt relax as I knew the neighbours were no longer there. It got too the point where the anxiety around my sleep was so bad, that it really started to have a profound effect on my life. I felt I couldnt enjoy life anymore, I just wasnt happy. I had felt like I had lost the ability to relax, as a result it really started to effect my relationships with my family as I just wasnt me anymore, so to speak. Thats when I knew I had to do something as I felt it was destroying my life. I researched hypnotherapy. I was curious as to how it worked, and researched whether or not it would be beneficial for the issues that I was going through. I sought out a few hypnotherapists, thats when I came across Stuart Downing. I did my research on him, and discovered that he could treat issues around sleep/anxiety. I read his reviews, which were all positive. I booked a consultation with Stuart, who was very friendly and reassuring and explained how hypnotherapy worked and the methods he was going to deploy in helping to heal me. In the consultation, Stuart told me that I would only require three to four sessions at the most, which I was surprised about to be honest, as I felt so afflicted by my issues. What can I say? Well, after just one session, I already noticed a vast improvement in my sleep quality. I was sleeping longer and deeper, and waking up totally refreshed. Over the last few weeks of the sessions , my sleep and anxiety has just got better and better. I feel much less anxious, and lot more relaxed, like a weight has been lifted. I am so glad that I decided to invest in the sessions with Stuart, and would recommend it to anyone who is considering hypnotherapy. Stuart helped me learn that a lot of fear is irrational and totally unnessacary, and that I can rationalise with myself that I do not need to feel that fear. I have also learnt extremely effective relaxation techniques, which have really helped me. I f I ever experience any difficulties in the future, I will be sure to utilise these techniques. So, if you have any issue that is effecting you to the point where it is having a profound effect on you're life, then I would highly recommend that you book yourself a consultation with Stuart Downing, it can and will change you're life!
Neil 14/10/25

If you need help with sleep issues , contact Stuart 07825 599340
stuart@hypnotherapy4freedom.co.uk
https://hypnotherapy4freedom.co.uk/hypnotherapy-services/hypnotherapy-for-sleep-disorders-Sleep Disorders and Insomnia Therapy Birmingham
https://hypnotherapy4freedom.co.uk/reviews

Stuart Downing is a trusted hypnotherapist helping clients overcome their issues across the UK and worldwide. Read his reviews here.

25/01/2025

Opioid Addiction as an Attachment Disorder
To an outside observer, the behavior of an opioid addict seems quite bizarre…returning time and again to something that causes so much pain and suffering. Interestingly, the field of psychology has been wrestling with such things since its beginnings. In fact, Freud found our tendency to repeat painful experiences extremely problematic as he believed we were essentially pleasure seeking creatures. Then, in 1920, he finally accepted there was something else going on and suggested humans also have a drive toward self-destruction.

This, unfortunately, was not a wholly satisfying explanation and others sought more straightforward models. And arguably the most important one was put forth by Bowlby. Drawing on evolutionary theory and the field of ethology, he saw us as biologically designed to connect because of our extreme vulnerability in infancy. Therefore having attention from and proximity to a caretaker was considered more basic than even the need for food. It is from that connection, he reasoned, that all other needs can be met.

Today, few people would argue the basics of his attachment theory. As well, it had the power to explain a range of strange behaviors, such as why abused children would choose to protect and remain with an abusing parent. But if Bowlby’s evolutionary perspective is accurate, and natural selection led to a new system in the brain, how might it relate to addiction to opioids or tell us why they do what they do? An answer appears to come from where this attachment system is believed to have developed in the brain.

While many therapists know about the “Rat Park” experiments of the 70s, the effort to repeat the studies produced mixed results. At the same time, though, another group of researchers had an idea about our brain opioid system and attachment needs. In 1978, Panksepp and colleagues separated rat pups from their mothers and gave them small doses of opioids. And then they measured the cries of distress. When done, they concluded: “Functionally, administration of morphine to young puppies simulates the presence of the mother.”

In the forty years since, a line of research has emerged that has supported what Panksepp and others later called the Brain Opioid Theory of Social Attachment (BOTSA). And, in my estimation, it provides a clear, economical understanding for what I see clinically. The literature became even more compelling when, in 2004, Eisenberger and Lieberman examined studies on animal lesion and human brain imaging and similarly concluded the attachment system likely evolved from and mapped itself onto the brain opioid system.

Particularly interesting was that Eisenberger and Lieberman demonstrated social pain appears to utilize the same neural circuity as physical pain. Thus, mammals would activate the pain system in order to prevent social separation. Then, in 2011, Machin and Dunbar reviewed the literature and, while arguing the limitations of rodent research, concluded opioids may play a larger role in human sociality than even other mammals…and that we need more studies as it relates to addiction. And other studies have only strengthened the BOTSA theory.

So can we explain the behavior of an opioid addict from an attachment theory perspective? Well, if a new system mapped itself onto the brain opioid region because of how slowly we mature, it powerfully illuminates the pain and distress we experience when those ties are absent or breakdown. As well, if opioids function to not just lessen pain, but also help us feel connected we have a strong rationale for why opioid addicts return to using over and over again. Indeed, it is not dissimilar to why we think people return to any abusive relationship.

This theory would also provide a framework for treatment. That is, we would need to consider getting sober (or clean, depending on your allegiances) not as metaphors, but as literal experiences of loss. In this manner a sufficient mourning and grieving process needs to occur. As well, we could anticipate the existential anxieties, so common in this population, associated with losing a loved one. It would also validate the idea that the opioid addict, however self-destructive, felt safe with the substance and was actually seeking health.

The idea, though, of connection (and community) as a therapeutic model opposes our tendency toward increasingly specialized approaches to care. But it has been my experience that if we hold to it as a basic need, we can better understand treatment options, such as levels of care, 12-Step and mental health paradigms, medication assisted treatments, etc. Of course, the origins of and treatments for opioid addiction are more complicated than this. But if an opioid addict feels connected, I know they have a chance. And without it…

Call Stuart -07825 599340
stuart@hypnotherapy4freedom.com

I’m an expert hypnotherapist offering clinical hypnotherapy & online hypnosis across the UK from London to Birmingham, and internationally.

Address

Quadrant Court, 51-52 Calthorpe Road
Birmingham
B151TH

Website

http://harleystreetaddictionspecialist.co.uk/

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Opioid Substitution Therapy

Drugs interfere with normal brain functioning and prolonged use can lead to long-term detrimental effects on brain metabolism and activity. Drug addiction is an uncontrollable craving that needs treatment to overcome and resolve it. It usually consists of physical dependency and psychological dependency. Physical dependency means the body has become accustomed to the drug and withdrawal symptoms will be felt without it. Common withdrawal symptoms include sweating, tremors, insomnia, vomiting and headaches. Psychological dependency means the mind relies on the effects of the drug and its absence will initiate cravings. Addiction can affect anyone and both legal and illegal drugs can be addictive. Quite often individuals experimenting with drugs are unaware of the full effects of that particular drug and the problems it can cause. The level of addiction differs between substances and also between individuals. Drugs are often categorised by the effect they produce, namely stimulants, depressants and hallucinogens. Stimulants are drugs that increase the activity of the central nervous system and often give feelings of greater confidence, alertness and energy. Co***ne, ecstasy, ni****ne, amphetamines, alkyl nitrites and anabolic steroids are all stimulants. Depressants are drugs that reduce the activity of the central nervous system and usually cause impaired judgment, coordination and balance. Alcohol, solvents, he**in, tranquillisers and barbiturates are depressants. Hallucinogens alter perceptions of reality and change the way individuals experience the world through their senses, often causing users to see or hear things that are not real. L*D, cannabis, ketamine and magic mushrooms are hallucinogens. There are many reasons why individuals may abuse drugs and these reasons will be different for different people. Each addiction will have a different physiological and emotional trigger for its behaviour and I use rapid methods for powerful effective results. From your initial session you will be empowered to effect change and strive towards a new, better, addiction free you. Opioid substitution therapy (OST )supplies illicit drug users with a replacement drug, a prescribed medicine such as methadone or buprenorphine, which is usually administered orally OST is an option for people using opioids problematically (for example drugs such as morphine, codeine, tramadol,oxycodone and methadone, either purchased or prescribed) because we know that it is very difficult to cut down or ‘just say no’ to drugs if a person has become dependent on them. You may have seen your friend, family member struggle with trying to give up their drug use, and witnessed them experiencing distressing withdrawal symptoms when they do try to stop. OST is not a cure or complete solution for all people’s problems. Recovery takes time so patience is required as the person moves through their own recovery process. Both methadone and buprenorphine are very strong opioid medications and there is an increased risk of overdose (particularly with methadone) when they are first prescribed, especially if the person is using other substances such as benzodiazepines, alcohol, and other opioids. OST can be used short term or longer term, though research shows long term treatment is likely to produce better outcomes, especially when combined with psychosocial interventions. The length of time someone is on OST treatment should largely be up to them and is likely to depend on their needs. I provide therapy and support to address the cause of the initial addiction and provide psychological support to break free from OST and ultimately addiction Call Stuart 07825 599340 /0121 403 3163 email stuart@harleystreetaddictionspecialist.co.uk