Originally published May 5 2015
Red Bull addict cures her addiction with the power of hypnosis
by David Gutierrez, staff writer
(NaturalNews) A British woman who was so addicted to Red Bull that doctors warned her she could have seizures and die if she quit cold turkey was able to quit her habit with just a single session of hypnotherapy, she said.
By the time she decided to quit, 31-year-old Sarah Weatherhill was drinking 24 cans of Red Bull a day, spending approximately £105 (US$159) per week on the highly caffeinated energy drink. This equates to £5,460 (US$8,260) per year.
"I used to get my shopping delivered and used to have four or five crates and that only lasted for a week - it got out of hand," Weatherhill said.
Habit caused heart palpitations, shakes
Weatherhill said she became addicted to Red Bull while studying for a law degree. Eventually, her habit became so severe that she couldn't get out of bed unless she knew she had a Red Bull waiting.
"I was studying for a Higher National Certificate in law in 2005 and used to have the odd Red Bull for a pick me up," she said. "It is hard to say when it became every day but I remember that by 2009 I was definitely hooked. Whenever I felt tired having a Red Bull would be the first thing I would do.
"It was worst in 2010 when I was doing law exams at university and my children were off school. Sometimes I would have exams day after day - and with the stress of revising I was having 24 cans a day. I was pulling all-nighters and using the drinks to stay awake. In the end, it got to the point where I just needed Red Bull to function."
Red Bull, the best-selling energy drink in the world, has been declared safe by both the FDA and the European Food Safety Authority, but many medical professionals have warned that its high caffeine content can make it dangerous. A single 250-milliliter can of Red Bull contains about as much caffeine as a cup of espresso.
By drinking 24 cans per day, Weatherhill was consuming nearly 2 grams of caffeine per day. According to a 2005 study, a 5-gram dose would be lethal for an adult. Unsurprisingly, she regularly suffered caffeine intoxication symptoms such as anxiety and heart palpitations along with withdrawal symptoms such as depression and lethargy.
"There would be times when I would get palpitations and shakes but I think I just got used to the caffeine," she said.
Success with a single session
Weatherhill finally realized that her Red Bull habit was harming her health, so she approached cognitive behavioral hypnotherapist David Kilmurry.
"Sarah's addiction was very serious," Kilmurry said. "Coming off that amount of caffeine and taurine can lead to seizures, so she gradually reduced her intake before coming to me to make a safe escape.
"Energy drink addicts can also suffer insomnia, depression, anxiety and heart palpitations. Luckily Sarah soldiered through and has been amazed at the changes."
Shockingly, a single 50-minute hypnotherapy session was enough to help Weatherhill kick the Red Bull habit.
"It was a weird process, I felt like I was in there for 15 minutes but it was 50 minutes," she said. "All I can remember is that it was like a kaleidoscope effect, I remember him saying I didn't need Red Bull."
"It was like a paralysis because I had an itch, but couldn't move to scratch it," she said. "It gave me a lot of strength because in the past I have tried to give up but lasted a week and then gone back to the Red Bull. I am convinced I won't have another can. I feel like a different person."
(Natural News Science)
Sources:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk
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