Hypnotherapy

There are two kinds of attitudes to hypnosis: the followers of hypnotherapy say that they could cure almost anything; the opponents believe it does not do anything good, but messes up people’s mind. It is hard to determine which position is right by 100%.

The word “hypnosis” comes from Greek hypnos which would be translated into English as “sleep”. A specialist uses certain exercises which put the patient in a deep relaxation called trance. Such feeling of relaxation or focusing on one object is experienced by many people while they watch TV or sit at a red light.

Hypnotherapy was known to people for many centuries: shamans and ancient people of different civilizations used it in religious rituals and sacrifices. For the medicinal purposes hypnosis was first applied in 1700s by Austrian physician Franz Anton Mesmer. He used magnets and hypnotic techniques to treat blindness, headaches, paralysis and joint pain. The medical community of that time was not convinced in his methods and accused Mesmer in fraud.

During hypnotherapy a patient’s body relaxes like in any other relaxation techniques. Blood pressure and heart rate decrease while certain brain waves become active. Hypnosis relaxes the body, but the mind remains focused and attentive. In this condition a person is very receptive to any suggestion. This is why some people succeed quitting smoking with hypnosis: a specialist convinces the patient that in the future he or she cannot smoke or has a big dislike to the taste and smell of it, and then after the therapy the person does not touch cigarettes.

Despite the common belief that a person’s mind can be controlled by hypnosis specialist, it is not true. With a good professional help hypnosis can teach people to master the states of their own awareness, control bodily functions and psychological responses.

In the modern world hypnosis is used for a lot of different treatments: for emotional and psychological cures. The studies show that hypnosis can improve immune functions, help to relax, lower stress level and feeling of anxiety. It also helps to deal with chronic diseases and cope with pain.

The scientists of the University of Maryland say that hypnotherapy successfully treats following problems:

•    Inflammatory bowel diseases (namely, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis)
•    Sleep disorders, including insomnia
•    Addictions
•    Warts
•    Bedwetting
•    Fibromyalgia
•    Irritable bowel syndrome
•    Phobias
•    Labor and delivery
•    Fractures
•    Skin disorders [such as acne, psoriasis, and eczema (atopic dermatitis)]
•    Migraine headaches
•    Stress
•    Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
•    Cancer-related pain
•    Weight loss
•    Eating disorders, namely anorexia and bulimia
•    Indigestion (dyspepsia)