Introduction
When considering hypnosis and pain, it becomes important to first provide working definitions of the concepts. Since both hypnosis and pain really heavily on patient assessments and self evaluations, it becomes essential that all ensuing research is discussed on common ground.
First let us consider hypnosis. The Oxford Handbook of Hypnosis: Theory, Research and Practice mentions two elements that should be considered when defining hypnosis: “’hypnosis-as-procedure’ and ‘hypnosis-as-product.’” The first element of this definition ‘hypnosis-as-procedure’ involves two necessary components: an introduction and the first suggestion. As described by the book, the introduction includes informing the subject that hypnosis involves potential imaginative experiences.
Case Studies One such example involves Harold Wain, the director of the Psychiatric Liaison Service at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The case focused on a woman with a
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He noted that hypnosis alone, as in the relaxation effect produced by the hypnotic induction, did little in terms of pain reduction. This indicates that the key to pain reduction through the use of hypnosis revolves around the suggestions given during hypnosis rather than the process itself. Hilgard also demonstrated that the mind is capable of hallucinating pain, although it was less severe than the pain caused by the normal nonhypnotic state. As this also produced consistent results, it can be generalized that verbal reports can provide significant results in experiments involving pain for waking, hypnotic, and induced hallucination states. During these experiments, Hilgard also examined the changes of heart rate and blood pressure during the trials. Unfortunately, he was unable to determine significant differences between the varying states. This shows that physiological indicators of pain shouldn’t be used to determine the varying levels of subjects’
“What is hypnosis?” Describe the psychological and physical aspects of hypnosis and discuss the role of relaxation in hypnotherapy
The content of this essay will explore how hypnosis has been defined in both the past and the present. I will explain my understanding of hypnosis as well as exploring the history of hypnosis, its origins and how it was first practiced. I shall also detail some of the techniques used and the psychological and physical changes which occur during hypnosis. Finally I will discuss the role of relaxation in hypnotherapy and look at some of the reasons that individuals wish to undergo hypnosis and the benefits they may experience.
Hypnosis is widely used in therapy for a number of reasons. The promotion of hypnosis as a cure for weight loss, smoking, exam nerves and other such
Hypnotherapy has been acclimated for bags of years, in assorted forms, throughout a array of cultures. Modern hypnotherapy was accustomed as a medical action in the mid 20th aeon by both British and American Medical Associations. By 1995, the NIH issued a account that accurate affirmation advantaged the use of hypnotherapy for abiding pain.
A particular case of a 65 year old man was used to demonstrate that the extent to which this patient was involved in the process to relieve their pain and how he could personalize this process by relating it to favourable moments of his life, contributed to this effectiveness. (Williamson.A, 2004) To this extent his dependence on pharmacological medicines was eradicated for a period of time thereby boosting his ego since he contributed to relieving his own pain. Contrastingly, a 75 year old study of case studies and various psychologists reports resulted in the argument that this state of concentration brought about by hypnosis is“ simply a quantitative change in susceptibility.” (Vandenberg.B.R., 2010) Despite observations of case studies on individuals with medical disorders, it was gathered that even states such as muscle relaxation can result in hypnotic behavior. It is based on this limitation, that it was concluded that the effectiveness of hypnosis in pain management is only an idea that lacks the ability to be executed. (Vandenberg.B.R., 2010)While both these issues are valid, the effectiveness of this process should not be undermined by the fact that one can use other means to reach it. It is the ability to use it for the purpose of relieving one of their own pain which should be further regarded as it is an expansion of and compliments traditional methods of pain relief. The wider the range of
According to S. Horowitz the benefits of hypnosis "stress induced disorder, pain management (example: oncology care), anesthesia, addiction and behavior change (example: smoking cessation, weight loss), insomnia and other sleep disorders, fear of invasive medical procedures, neuromuscular relaxation" (horowitz, 2006)
Suggests that there may be cultural differences involved, since it seems that in Britain a lower proportion of patients show a useful response to hypnosis than in the USA. We find that perhaps one out of three patients will respond satisfactorily to a first induction and score satisfactorily on assessment scales at this point. Rather more will show signs of (beneficial) relaxation, but no real response to suggestion or evidence of anything more than feeling rested.
The results of this experiment include the inability of the participants to recall their specific hypnosis was discovered as the likely factor in the self-report error (Younger et al., 2005). A general tendency to the
It can be used to make patients less nervous before a surgery and can comfort them during recovery. It can also be used to combat the side effects of chemotherapy, radiation, or a chronic illness (World Book). Hypnosis can also help the 25% of Americans who avoid and fear the dentist. After a five minute hypnosis session, patients can be relaxed enough to receive novocaine and the treatment they need inexpensively and without medication (healing power). Finally, hypnosis can help burn victims. These people must have their dead skin removed every day for up to a few months. The process is so painful that most patients must be given powerful painkillers that can be addictive and can cause confusion, gastrointestinal problems, and breathing trouble. Hypnosis can relax the patient and can allow them to go through the treatment without experiencing pain. The hypnosis session is inexpensive and does not require addictive medication (healing power). Despite the evidence that supports the fact that hypnosis is a legitimate approach to treating conditions, many graduate schools have little hypnosis training in their psychology programs (Smith). This needs to change so that more people can become trained hypnotists so the approach can become more widespread. As previously stated, it would benefit hospitals financially and patients physically. It is free, can treat a variety of conditions, has no side effects, and is not addictive. Dr. Spiegel believes that it could even be used in place of addictive opiates. More time and money must be put into research on hypnosis and its practice as it could save hospitals and patients money in the long run and could help a variety of patients heal
So, I will now move onto describing the psychological and physiological effects of hypnosis. Robin Waterfield provides a valid list of this when he describes ‘a high degree of rapport between the hypnotist and subject’, use of the ‘imagination’ and also the generation of ‘expectations’ within the subject’s mind. As we can see in Linnenkamp Doyle’s case study of hypnotherapy as a cure for blindness below, these expectations ideally relate to the suggestions imposed upon the subject of hypnosis. The suggestions and expectations will often relate to factors such as the cure or severity of a disease suffered by the subject or the lack of pain during dental procedures undergone by the subject.
In this article researchers posed the question of whether or not hypnosis treated pain more efficiently than pain medication or sedation. This study specifically focused on burn victims, who experience very painful treatments to help them heal. These burn victims had been in the hospitals burn unit for longer than 2 days and were required to talk in English. These participants were separated into two different groups, one of these groups actually receiving hypnosis pain treatment and the other group receiving non-hypnosis care, more relaxation focused, from a therapist. Participants were unaware of which care they were receiving (Askay, Patterson, Jensen, & Sharar, 2007).
When you are anxious or depressed, it feeds into your pain level. By improving your mental outlook, hypnosis can reduce the pain that you experience. In addition, hypnosis can limit the perception of pain by working with your subconscious. Pain is experienced when receptors in your mind receive signals from your body. Hypnosis helps to reroute these signals so that your mind does not hear the pain messengers. As a result, you experience a lower intensity and duration of pain. Since nausea and many other side effects operate on the same principle, you can also reduce the severity of symptoms that you
Although the aim of both domains is the study and respectively the practice of inducing lasting changes in feelings, perceptions, thoughts and behavior, the two domains are approaching the process of change from two completely different perspectives. The experimental hypnosis has a mostly biological and neurological approach, while the clinical hypnosis has a mainstream cognitive approach.
Engwall (2009) defined pain as a "symptom and a warning that something is wrong in an organism” (p 370). Rathmell et al., (2006) maintained that fear of uncontrolled pain can be a traumatic situation for a patient undergoing surgery. Moreover, Pellino, et al (2005) sustained that “pain is a multidimensional experience, consisting of not only physical stimuli but also psychological interpretations of pain” (p. 182). Alleviating peri-operative pain is traditionally achieved with the use of pharmacological interventions. analgesia can incur undesirable side-effects like drowsiness, nausea and vomiting. Controlling the pain by complimenting analgesics with the use of non-pharmacological interventions, might ameliorate patients’ response to pain with fewer resultant side-effects. Thus, the need to evaluate the effect of non-pharmacological measures such as music, relaxation, hypnosis and others is highly solicited in the evolving heath system (Pyati & Gan, 2007).
Hypnosis is an intense state of consciousness in which the psychologist asks several specific questions to either alleviate pain or come to a better understanding of the symptom of event that causes them distress. Although a controversial tactic, those who choose to go through with hypnosis can only be hypnotized if they are willing. If a patient requires more treatment such as medication, a psychologist can work with medical personnel to further their recovery (“What Do”). They work with a person’s motivation and energy to examine their thoughts, feelings, and behavior to develop ideas about how to move forward with their life (Cohen).