Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy is the therapy in which hypnosis is used to treat various physical and mental disorders. Hypnosis is a state when you are extremely relaxed and concentrated, and you are able to focus on a particular feeling, sensation or memory. Your consciousness is changed under hypnosis, but you are neither awake nor asleep.
During hypnotherapy, your brain activities will be altered, and your pulse and blood pressure lowered. It is important to choose a qualified hypnotherapist with whom you will be able to accomplish optimal results. In some cases the hypnotherapist may teach you how to practice self-hypnosis so you can use it in specific situations.
Sessions
Before a hypnotherapist starts with the procedure, you will have a discussion about your problems. He/she will explain how hypnotherapy works and what you can expect. A standard hypnotherapy session takes about one hour or more. After the session you will be asked about your experience under hypnosis. In most cases, people start to see the results after about 5 sessions, but sometimes it may take much more, depending on the complexity of your problem.
Uses
Hypnotherapy can be used for various conditions. It can be used for treating emotional trauma, phobias, bedwetting, insomnia, stress-related disorders, anxiety disorders or addictions, such as smoking, biting nails or drug abuse. You can also ease the symptoms of some disorders such as asthma, migraine, gastrointestinal or neurological disorders.
- A fixed-effects meta-analysis was applied to postintervention assessment results and 4-week follow-ups. A large effect in favor of hypnosis-based (especially manualized abreactive hypnosis) treatment was found for the studies that reported the posttest results (d = 1.17).
- The temporal stability of the effect remains strong, as reflected by the 4-week follow-up assessments (d = 1.58) and also by long-term evaluations (e.g., 12 months).
Hypnotherapy can help you with various skin disorders such as acne, warts or psoriasis. If you suffer from eating disorders or you want to lose weight, you can try hypnotherapy as well. It can relieve the pain caused by cancer, chemotherapy, injury or surgery. Some women use hypnosis to prepare for labor and delivery and to ease the stress related to childbirth. Hypnotherapy can also be used in treating problems related to sex, such as impotence, frigidity or premature ejaculation.
Side Effects
Most people respond well to hypnotherapy. However, there are cases when certain side effects may occur. You may feel headache, drowsiness or dizziness after a session. Stiffness in the neck or arm and nausea can also appear. In rare cases you may experience panic attacks, anxiety, depression or confusion.
These side effects usually go away after a few hours of the session. In some cases you may create a false memory because you have had strong emotions about a specific image of feeling under hypnosis. If your hypnotherapist failed to make accurate diagnose, your condition may be worsened after hypnosis.
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