Anxiety Disorders and Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy -- or hypnosis -- is a type of nonstandard or "complementary
and alternative medicine" treatment that uses guided relaxation,
intense concentration, and focused attention to achieve a heightened state of
awareness that is sometimes called a trance. The person's attention is so
focused while in this state that anything going on around the person is
temporarily blocked out or ignored. In this naturally occurring state, a person
may focus his or her attention -- with the help of a trained therapist -- on
specific thoughts or tasks.
How Does Hypnotherapy Work?
Hypnotherapy is usually considered an aid to certain forms of psychotherapy
(counseling), rather than a treatment in itself. It can sometimes help with psychotherapy
because the hypnotic state allows people to explore painful thoughts, feelings,
and memories they might have hidden from their conscious minds. In addition,
hypnosis enables people to perceive some things differently, such as blocking
an awareness of pain.
Hypnotherapy can be used in two ways, as suggestion therapy or
for patient psychoanalysis.
- Suggestion therapy: The hypnotic state makes the person better able to respond to suggestions. Therefore, hypnotherapy can help some people change certain behaviors, such as to stopping smoking or nail-biting. It can also help people change perceptions and sensations, and is particularly useful in treating certain kinds of pain.
- Analysis: This approach uses the relaxed state to explore possible unconscious factors that may be related to a psychological conflict such as a traumatic past event that a person has hidden in his or her unconscious memory. Once the trauma is revealed, it can be addressed in psychotherapy. However, hypnosis is nowadays not considered a "mainstream" part of psychoanalytic psychotherapies.
What Are the Benefits of Hypnotherapy?
The hypnotic state allows a person to be more open to discussion
and suggestion. It can improve the success of other treatments for many
conditions, including:
- Phobias, fears, and anxiety
- Some sleep disorders
- Stress
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Grief and loss
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
It also might be used to help with pain control and to overcome
habits, such as smoking
or overeating. It also might be helpful for people whose symptoms are severe or
who need crisis management.
Anxiety Disorders and Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy would not be appropriate for a person who has
psychotic symptoms, such as hallucinations
and delusions, or for someone who is using drugs or alcohol. It should be used
for controlling some forms of pain only after a doctor has evaluated the person
for any physical disorder that might require medical or surgical treatment.
Hypnosis is also not
considered a standard or mainstream treatment for major psychiatric disorders
like depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or
serious personality disorders. It is not a substitute for more established
forms of psychotherapy or medication
treatment used for these types of conditions.
Some therapists use hypnotherapy to recover possible repressed
memories they believe are linked to the person's psychological problems.
However, hypnosis also poses a risk of creating false memories -- usually as a
result of unintended suggestions by the therapist. For this reason, the use of
hypnosis for certain mental disorders, such as dissociative
disorders, remains controversial.
Is Hypnotherapy Dangerous?
Hypnotherapy is not a dangerous procedure. It is not mind control
or brainwashing. A therapist cannot make a person do something embarrassing or
that the person doesn't want to do. The greatest risk, as discussed above, is
that false memories can be created. It is also not a recognized standard
alternative to other established treatments for major psychiatric disorders
such as schizophrenia,
bipolar
disorder or major
depression.
Who Performs Hypnotherapy?
Hypnotherapy is performed by a licensed or certified mental health
professional who is specially trained in this technique.
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