You probably heard about hypnosis. It is a term derived from Greek that means sleep. There is a method called hypnotherapy that uses relaxation, concentration and focused attention to achieve state of heightened awareness referred to as trance. This is a state occurs naturally but it needs a focused mind. A therapist who has undergone training can be able to help you in focusing on specific thoughts. This is not considered as a treatment in itself but an aid to psychotherapy. Usually when one is in psychotherapy process, you are in a hypnotic state that can help in exploring painful thought and memories. These are hidden in the person’s subconscious mind. With the help of hypnosis, you can block certain feelings such as pain.
There are a lot of benefits of hypnotherapy. When a person is in hypnotic state, you are open to discussion and suggestions. There are treatments that can be complimented with hypnotherapy. There are conditions like phobia, stress, sleep disorder, anxiety and depression that can be cured with this process. There are some therapists who use hypnotherapy as way to retrieve memories that are linked to mental disorder of their patient. However there are risks involved in using hypnosis like creating memories that are not true. There are people who are not a perfect candidate for this process like those who are suffering from hallucinations, delusions or a person who are into drugs and alcohol. There are times when doctors suggest this to people who have physical problem that requires surgery.
Hypnotherapy is not a dangerous process. A person needs to relax his or her body while his or her mind is focused. It decreases blood pressure and heart rate. It can alter brain wave activity. During the state of deep concentration, they are open to suggestion. The hypnosis procedure starts with reframing the problem. The mind would become relaxed and absorbed. Then there is dissociating, responding and returning to awareness stage. The last step is reflection on the whole experience.
Before the onset of hypnotherapy, you will be asked about the condition you want to clear. The therapist would explain the whole procedure. There are different relaxation techniques like using mental images and suggestions. Each session would last for an hour. The person would see improvement after 10 sessions or less. The hypnotherapist can monitor and evaluate your progress. Children below the age of 12 would respond after two visits because they can be easily hypnotized.
You can do hypnosis in different places. Hypnotherapy can improve immunity system, decrease stress and ease anxiety. It is effective if are scared of undergoing medical or dental procedures. There are clinical studies that were done on children that show that it could reduce fear, discomfort and self control in treatment centers.
Sleep disorders, addictions and phobias respond well to this procedure. Before you consider hypnotherapy, it is best to get proper diagnosis from your doctor especially if you are trying to cure phobia and anxiety. A physiatrist can provide you with the right and accurate diagnosis.