Clinical hypnosis is not a recent method, the Egyptians and the Greeks used it for therapeutic purposes. However, it was not until 1955 that the British Medical Association officially rehabilitated it. Later, in 1958, the American Medical Association also recommended its use in the United States. Since then numerous investigations have been carried out on its effectiveness and today it is one of the most effective therapeutic tools used by psychologists.
What is it and what is not hypnosis?
Hypnosis is a psychological technique through which one works on the unconscious, a part of the psyche that influences our behavior, decision making and mood, even if we are not aware of it. During the hypnotic state, the psychologist manages to access the deepest area of the mind and, through a series of suggestions, can promote changes in habits or heal old traumas.
One of the greatest fears of people who have never undergone clinical hypnosis comes from the false belief that they will lose their will during the hypnotic state and be at the mercy of the psych logo. However, even under hypnosis, the person will do something that goes against their values. In addition, there are different levels of hypnosis and it is almost never necessary to reach the deepest degree. In Ericksonian hypnosis, for example, the person plays a more active role in the whole process.
During hypnosis, what happens is a change in the focus of attention, the person increasingly concentrates on the suggestions of the psychologist and his inner world, while the rest of the stimuli from from the middle they lose their intensity. Through this process, a state of tranquility and relaxation is usually experienced that encourages the person to be more open to suggestions, although that does not mean he loses control. In fact, hypnosis makes certain experiences flow more easily, but not strength.
Currently, hypnosis is not only used to discover ancient traumas hidden in the unconscious and change the negative emotional memories associated with them, but it is also a very useful technique to change certain habits and bet on healthier ones, everyone is known its use to quit smoking or lose weight. Although each person has their own healing rhythm, hypnosis has proven to be one of the fastest and most effective techniques to change habits and, when combined with other psychological techniques, provides excellent results in the treatment of certain pathologies, such as phobias, addictions or panic disorder.
The applications of hypnosis in the field of health
One of the main uses of hypnosis in the clinical setting focuses on the treatment of pain. In fact, when anesthesia was not yet known, hypnosis was used successfully to perform surgical interventions. Today we know that a session of only 15 minutes of hypnosis before an operation can reduce by half the amount of anesthesia administered, reduce postoperative pain and shorten the recovery time.
Recently researchers from the University of Texas reviewed 13 studies involving hundreds of people who suffered from backaches to arthritis, cancer and fibromyalgia. They concluded that hypnosis is a very effective technique for treating chronic pain, even much more than physical therapy. It has also been seen that hypnosis helps deal with the pain caused by severe burns.
However, beyond the relief of pain, hypnosis is also used to counteract the symptoms caused by cancer and the side effects that are usually caused by treatments such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Numerous research suggests that hypnotherapy reduces fatigue, nausea and hot flashes, as well as improving the sleep quality of these patients. Although perhaps one of the biggest points in favor of hypnosis is that it does not cause adverse effects, such as medications that are often prescribed to control these symptoms.
Hypnosis has also proven effective in treating irritable bowel syndrome. In fact, a recent study conducted at the University of Minnesota revealed that its effects are maintained over time. These researchers worked with more than 200 people suffering from irritable bowel syndrome and, after 12 hypnosis sessions, 58% of men and 75% of women reported significant improvement. Six years later, more than 80% of the people who had improved continued to feel good.
In addition, hypnosis is also used to treat different dermatological problems, from acne to vitiligo, psoriasis, dermatitis and herpes simplex. And it is that in the hypnotic state you can regulate blood flow and other autonomic functions over which we normally do not exercise any control. The relaxation that takes place during this process positively affects the neurohormonal system and decreases allergic responses, so this technique is also useful as a complementary treatment for asthma.
Rosario Linares
Psychologist and hypnotherapist
Director of El Prado Psychologists
Source: http://www.biomanantial.com/hipnosis-cuando-ahondar-inconsciente-sana-a-2997-en.html
Hypnosis: When to delve into the unconscious heals
