MYTH
People often fear that being hypnotized will make them lose control, surrender their will, and result in their being dominated, but a hypnotic state is not the same thing as gullibility or weakness. Many people base their assumptions about hypnotism on stage acts but fail to take into account that stage hypnotists screen their volunteers to select those who are cooperative, with possible exhibitionist tendencies, as well as responsive to hypnosis. Stage acts help create a myth about hypnosis which discourages people from seeking legitimate hypnotherapy.
Another myth about hypnosis is that people lose consciousness and have amnesia. A small percentage of subjects, who go into very deep levels of trance will fit this stereotype and have spontaneous amnesia. The majority of people remember everything that occurs in hypnosis. This is beneficial, because most of what we want to accomplish in hypnosis may be done in a medium depth trance, where people tend to remember everything.
In hypnosis, the patient is not under the control of the hypnotist. Hypnosis is not something imposed on people, but something they do for themselves. A hypnotist simply serves as a facilitator to guide them.
FACT
Uses for Hypnosis (to name a few)
The range of uses for hypnotherapy is broad and varied, touching on physical, psychological and mental health conditions. From chronic pain or depression to acute and sudden illness, health professionals frequently recommend hypnosis to treat patients or clients.
It may help anyone considering hypnosis to take a more in-depth look at the following 5 uses for hypnosis:
1. A Treatment for Fears and Phobias
A phobia is an unreasonable or irrational fear of just about anything imaginable. People struggle with these issues every day; often paralyzed with this overwhelming fear. Common fears that grip phobia sufferers include spiders or arachnophobia, enclosed spaces or claustrophobia, snakes, heights, the fear of flying, and the fear of leaving home, which is called agoraphobia.
Hypnotherapists work with patients, while therapeutically hypnotized, to trace possible reasons for their fears and work to find ways to resolve them.
2. Smoking Cessation
Smokers who are finally ready to quit smoking, once and for all, often need reinforcements. The CDC notes that quitting smoking usually takes multiple attempts, regardless of how committed the smoker is to cessation, before finally giving up cigarettes and nicotine completely. A healthcare professional who uses hypnotherapy may help their client by creating a relaxing atmosphere while working to understand the stress factors in the client’s life that cause them to return to smoking when they consciously want to stop.
3. A Weight Loss Tool
People who struggle with weight loss sometimes feel like their lives are out of control when it comes to food. A qualified hypnotherapist can help clients learn more about their relationship with food and why the compulsion is so strong, in spite of their desire to develop a healthy perspective about food.
4. A Confidence Booster
Many people suffer from low self-confidence and often need objective assistance in making improvements. Sometimes it takes a dramatic life change, such as the need to interview for a new job or pursue a new life partner, to inspire someone to boost their self-confidence. A qualified hypnotherapist can help clients tap into their best qualities and properly acknowledge them.
5. Anesthesiology for Surgery
Surgeons sometimes employ hypnotherapists to supplement anesthesia. In some rare cases, hypnotherapy has been used as the only anesthetic during a surgical procedure, according to the ASCH. Surgeons have used hypnosis in procedures such as gall bladder removal, amputation, cesarean, and hysterectomy. Patients with allergies and sensitivities to chemicals in anesthesia can still have life-saving and health-improving surgeries that might not have been possible without hypnosis.
Hypnosis Can Change People’s Lives for the Better
When searching for a qualified professional who practices hypnosis, and by having trust in the therapy, patients can see vast improvements in their heath and everyday lives.