Does Hypnosis Work?

“Hypnotherapy is supported by more scientific research than any other therapy”

-The Which Guide to Complimentary Therapies 2002

Psychoanalysis: 38% recovery after approximately 600 sessions.

Behavior Therapy: 72% recovery after an average of 22 sessions.

Hypnotherapy: 93% recovery after an average of 6 sessions.

from Alfred A. Barrios, Ph.D., Hypnotherapy: A Reappraisal. Article.

Online: http://www.stresscards.com/esspsychotherapy.htm.

Hypnosis and Stress

"Ohio State University College of Medicine analyzed the effects of hypnotic-relaxation training on cellular immune function during a stressful event. Control subjects showed stress-related decreases in immune cell proliferative responses to two mitogens and percentages of CD3+ and CD4+ T-lymphocytes and interleukin-1 production by peripheral blood leukocytes. Subjects who underwent hypnosis-relaxation were, on average, protected from these immunological changes . More frequent hypnotic-relaxation practice resulted in higher percentages of CD3+ and CD4+ T-lymphocytes."

Conclusion: The results provide encouraging evidence that hypnosis- relaxation can reduce detrimental immune function changes associated with acute stress .

- Kiecolt-Glaser JK et al. Hypnosis as a modulator of cellular immune dysregulation during acute stress. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 69 (4): 674-82. Aug 2001.

Smoking Cessation

No one can guarantee you will stop smoking after one session. But here are some results that were statistically generated in a controlled study. It shows single session hypnosis increased a smoker's success chance by 1000% from 6% to 60%.

COMPARATIVE SUCCESS RATES

60%- Single session hypnosis

24%- Acupuncture

10%- Nicotine Replacement Therapy

6%- Willpower alone

- New Scientist, vol. 136, issue 1845, Oct 31, 1992.

Most clients do better than 60% success with multiple session one-on-one hypnotherapy.

Irritable Bowels Syndrome

"Hypnosis improves Irritable Bowels Syndrome (IBS) but the mechanism of action is unknown. In two studies, possible physiological and psychological mechanisms were investigated. All IBS symptoms improved substantially in both studies. Rectal pain thresholds, rectal smooth muscle tone, and autonomic functioning remained unchanged in the study. However somatization and psychological distress showed large decreases."

- Palsson OS, Turner MJ, Johnson DA, Burnelt CK, Whitehead WE. Hypnosis treatment for severe irritable bowel syndrome: investigation of mechanism and effects on symptoms. Digestive Diseases and Sciences 47 (11): 2605-2614, Nov 2002.

Hypnosis, Stress and Immune Function

"Department of Cognitive Neuroscience and Behavior, Imperial College Medical School, St. Dunstan's Road, London W6 8RF, UK, evaluated the effects of self-hypnosis training on immune function and mood in medical students at exam time."

Conclusion: The sizeable influences on cell-mediated immunity achieved by a relatively brief, low-cost psychological intervention (Clinical Hypnosis) in the face of a compelling, but routine, stress in young healthy adults have implications for illness prevention and for patients with compromised immunity."

- Gruzelier J et al. Cellular and humoral immunity, mood and exam stress: the influences of self-hypnosis and personality predictors. International Journal of Psychophysiology 42 (1): 55-71. Aug 2001.

Smoking Cessation

"To find the most effective method to stop smoking Frank Schmidt and research student Chockalingham Viswesvaran from the university of Iowa used a meta-analysis, utilizing the results of more than 600 studies totaling nearly 72,000 people. The results, which were published in the Journal of Applied Psychology and included 48 studies of hypnosis covering 6000 smokers, clearly showed that hypnosis, to use the same terminology as the quit councilor, was three times more effective than NRT (Current Chemical Treatment)."

- Elliot Wald, Tami J Eggelston PhD.& Fredrick Gibbson PhD, Cognitive reactions to smoking relapse, New Scientist, vol 136, pp6. Posted from Josephine Teague, Research Director on 07/09/2002

Alzheimer patients have no withdrawal symptoms

"Alzheimer patients wake up every day of the year and “forget” that they smoked for 40 years. They do not have withdrawal symptoms. In addition, thousands of people quit smoking in this country alone every day. Their bodies do not malfunction. I've never had a smoker tell me they wake up just to smoke. Usually, they wake up to go the bathroom or for another reason and they smoke when they are up."

- Naomi O'Keefe Ph.D., CHT, Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Hypnotherapist
Taken From Clinical Hypnotherapy Doctorate Lecture 05/2004

Pain Reduction- Surgery

"A controlled study of 32 coronary bypass patients showed that those taught self-hypnosis pre-operatively were more relaxed after surgery and had less need for pain medication..."

- Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery, February 1997

Pain Reduction- Cancer

"A review panel appointed by the National Institutes of Health found "strong evidence" for the use of hypnosis in alleviating pain associated with cancer..."

- Journal of the American Medical Association, July 24-31, 1996

Athletic Performance Enhancement

"Investigated the effects of hypnosis on set- and jump-shooting performance among male collegiate basketball players (aged 17-19 yrs). A single-subject ABA research design combined with a procedure that monitors the internal experience of the participants (N. Wollman, 1986) was implemented. The results indicate that all 3 participants increased their mean jump- and set- shooting performance from baseline to intervention, with all 3 participants returning to baseline levels of performance postintervention phase.

Finally, each participant reported they had felt the intervention had increased sensations they associated with peak performance . These results support the hypothesis that a hypnosis intervention can improve jump- and set-shooting performance and increase feelings and cognitions that are associated with peak performance."

- Pates, J., Maynard, I. , Westbury, T. An investigation into the effects of hypnosis on basketball performance. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, Vol 31(1), Mar 2001. pp. 84-102.

Medical Endorsement of Hypnosis

Hypnosis was officially accepted by the mainstream medical community by both the American Medical Association (1958) and the British Medical Association (since 1955), and has also been accepted by the American Psychiatric Association.

WEBMASTER: aspenhypno@yahoo.com .

Kipp D. Trembley, M.A., C.Ht., LMHC Owner and Author of this site.

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