Applications of Hypnotherapy

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• QCan hypnosis help me quit smoking cigarettes?

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  A Dr. Vincent T DeVita Jr , Oncology, answered

  Hypnosis methods vary a great deal, which makes it hard to study as a way to stop smoking. For the most part, reviews that looked at studies of hypnosis to help people quit smoking have not supported it as a quitting method that works. Still, some people find it useful. If you would like to try it, ask your doctor if he or she can recommend a good hypnotherapist.

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• QDoes hypnotherapy/hypnosis help treat skin conditions (eczema, psoriasis)?

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  A Claudia Aguirre, PhD , Dermatology, answered

  Yes, I believe it can be helpful in some individuals. It is now commonly accepted that dermatologic disorders such as eczema and psoriasis carry a psychological component. Research into the stress hormone cortisol has shown that it cannot only increase skin sensitivity, but also increase skin inflammation - which leads to skin flare-ups. In any inflammatory skin condition (rosacea, acne) the increase in cortisol worsens or triggers symptoms.

  As part of a variety of non-pharmacological treatments, hypnotherapy has shown success in helping with various skin conditions including acne. It can be difficult to define 'hypnosis' - which can include altered consciousness, focused attentiveness, heightened suggestibility and restricted attention. In any case, hypnosis can help modify behavior - it can not only help control the urge to scratch an itch, but also promote healthy behaviors.

  Finally, it can also reduce stress levels, which will inevitably help relieve some of the symptoms. Overall, hypnosis does not cure disease, but as we understand the mind-body connection more and more, we can use additional therapies like hypnosis, biofeedback, relaxation, meditation and mindfulness to complement conventional medicine treatments for a more integrative approach to health care.

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• QCan hypnotherapy aid in recalling information or memories?

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  A Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center answered

  Some practitioners believe that hypnotherapy can help you recall information and improve your memory. Hypnotherapy works by accessing the subconscious mind, which houses all of our memories and information permanently. However, those memories are not always available to the conscious mind. A trained hypnotherapist uses a process of suggestion and association to tap into the subconscious to access information and memories. However, recovering traumatic memories is highly controversial and carries some risk of false memories. Some studies have found that hypnosis does not improve memory but just improves subjects' confidence in the veracity of their memories.
• QWhat application does hypnotherapy have with surgery?

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  A Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center answered

  Hypnotherapy has been used successfully to alleviate anxiety prior to a surgical procedure. It has also been shown to help post-surgically by giving the patient a sense of well being and thereby enhancing recovery. The hypnotherapist can teach relaxation skills such as refocusing attention, deep breathing, and thought interruption to relieve anxiety associated with surgery. Mental control and behavior modification can also help post-surgically to make the patient comfortable.
• QCan hypnotherapy be used instead of anesthesia during surgery?

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  A Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center answered

  There are documented cases wherein hypnotherapy has been used instead of anesthesia. The term hypnoanesthesia has been coined to represent this new and controversial application of hypnotherapy. The hypnotherapist has several sessions with the patient prior to surgery where the patient learns to associate a cue with no pain. Additionally, it may be suggested to the patient that her hand is numb and that she hold that hand over the surgical area so that this area would become numb too. In the process, the patient becomes desensitized to pain making surgery possible without anesthesia.
• QCan hypnotherapy help reduce headache pain?

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  A Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center answered

  Hypnotherapy has been proven effective against many kinds of headaches. Many common headaches are caused by muscle tension, heart rate, blood pressure, and blood flow. Hypnotherapy can put you in a hypnotic state and make suggestions that will allow you to control these factors and alleviate pain. The practitioner may also use imagery so you can visualize the pain of the headache actually leaving the body and being placed somewhere else. In this manner headache pain can be resolved in a noninvasive fashion without drugs or side-effects.
• QCan hypnotherapy be used to treat depression?

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  A Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center answered

  Hypnotherapy was shown to be more effective than cognitive-behavioral therapy for reducing depression in a 2007 study. Hypnotherapy uses suggestion and imagery to coax the subconscious mind into managing negative stimuli in a more positive, controlled fashion. New coping skills are imprinted in to the subconscious to ward off depressing thoughts. Hypnotherapy can also dig deep into the subconscious to find the root cause of depression. With this information, the patient is reprogrammed to react in a healthier manner to depressive stimuli. A professional diagnosis of the type of depression should be sought before using hypnotherapy.
• QCan hypnotherapy help people stop smoking?

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  A Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center answered

  Some studies have shown that hypnotherapy can help someone stop smoking. Hypnotherapy can help reduce the physical aspect of smoking. That is the oral fixation, the holding of the cigarette, and the method of smoking. It can also address the mental aspect. That is the addiction to the chemicals. Lastly, hypnotherapy can boost the willpower to tackle both issues. During hypnotherapy, suggestions are made to help smokers focus on the negative health and social aspects of smoking.
• QWhat are the ways in which hypnotherapy can be used?

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  A Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center answered

  Hypnotherapy uses suggestion, imagery, and analysis. Suggestive therapy helps people change a harmful behavior such as smoking by replacing the bad habit with a good one through suggestion and reinforcement. Imagery uses the imagination to bring about desired results, as in visualizing healing or performance. Analysis uses a relaxation approach to reach the subconscious mind to uproot the cause of a disorder or symptom. This often involves a traumatic past event.
• QWhat conditions can hypnotherapy be used for?

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  A Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center answered

  Hypnotherapy has many applications. It can be used to treat: asthma, phobias, bedwetting, additions, stress, tinnitus, weight loss, eating disorders, gastrointestinal issues, tension headaches, insomnia, alopecia, skin disorders, warts, pain, fibromyalgia, smoking cessation allergies, childbirth, athletic performance, academic performance, dental procedures, among others. It can also be used pre and post surgery to help alleviate anxiety and reduce pain. Recent applications to replace anesthesia are emerging.