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Hypnotherapy

1K views 36 replies 10 participants last post by  eric 
#1 ·
I am finding that my anxiety is causing my symptoms to worsen.Does anyone find that Hypnotherapy actually works?Willing to try anything once! It's my Birthday tomorrow and I want to give myself the best present ever.(21 again for the ??????????? time)
 
#4 ·
Krazy, ask any questions you want. It is very effective for IBS and it has helped a lot of people on the bb here. Most of us have used Mikes tapes to achieve this and he is an expert on HT and IBS. It is the most research complementary treatment for IBS.If you want some in depth info let me know.
 
#5 ·
Krazy, ask any questions you want. It is very effective for IBS and it has helped a lot of people on the bb here. Most of us have used Mikes tapes to achieve this and he is an expert on HT and IBS. It is the most research complementary treatment for IBS.If you want some in depth info let me know.
 
#7 ·
Krazy, Happy Birthday!
Many members here have improved greatly from hypnotherapy and specifically Mike's hypno100 program because it relieves anxiety and IBS. Eric has all the factual medical information and will help you get what you need! Good luck and Best wishes, Norb
 
#6 ·
Krazy, Happy Birthday!
Many members here have improved greatly from hypnotherapy and specifically Mike's hypno100 program because it relieves anxiety and IBS. Eric has all the factual medical information and will help you get what you need! Good luck and Best wishes, Norb
 
#8 ·
I am not sure how I missed the b-day greetings I read that and thought hey I was 28 two years in a row. LOL
krazy.
 
#9 ·
I am not sure how I missed the b-day greetings I read that and thought hey I was 28 two years in a row. LOL
krazy.
 
#10 ·
Krazy!!!
I have also had great symptom reductions via hypnotherapy.I also am celebrating anniversaries of my 20-something birthdays at this point.
BQ
 
#11 ·
Krazy!!!
I have also had great symptom reductions via hypnotherapy.I also am celebrating anniversaries of my 20-something birthdays at this point.
BQ
 
#12 ·
Krazy,
I am in the middle of the hypno. First thing I noticed is a big change in attitude and some weeks ago I started noticing physical changes. In the beginning I was very skeptical about this; not anymore.
Somehow this has gotten into my brain (hard headed girl I am
) and changed my persective on this IBS thing. My advice: get them.
 
#13 ·
Krazy,
I am in the middle of the hypno. First thing I noticed is a big change in attitude and some weeks ago I started noticing physical changes. In the beginning I was very skeptical about this; not anymore.
Somehow this has gotten into my brain (hard headed girl I am
) and changed my persective on this IBS thing. My advice: get them.
 
#19 ·
in spite of being in mourning today, I too wish you a Schones Geburtstag, Shatze! You can also check out the stress managment program for IBS developed by Dr's Weinstock and Lipsitz at www.ibstherapy.com as an alternative for your anxiety management. They are on staff at Wahington University School of medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. I have gooten good feedback from those LEAP patients who added this CD to theor program to help with their stress-responses.happy BD again!!
MNL
 
#18 ·
in spite of being in mourning today, I too wish you a Schones Geburtstag, Shatze! You can also check out the stress managment program for IBS developed by Dr's Weinstock and Lipsitz at www.ibstherapy.com as an alternative for your anxiety management. They are on staff at Wahington University School of medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. I have gooten good feedback from those LEAP patients who added this CD to theor program to help with their stress-responses.happy BD again!!
MNL
 
#21 ·
krazy here you go.This is from a specialist on IBS from the UNC.With permissiomThe Effects of Hypnosis On Gastrointestinal Problems Olafur S. Palsson, Psy. D. Research Associate, UNC-CHAPEL Hill Department of Medicines Hypnosis is a treatment method, which still carries an aura of mystery,that unfortunately continues to be promoted by misrepresentations in movies and stage shows for entertainment. In reality, there is little mysterious about hypnosis anymore. It is a well-researched clinical technique which was formally accepted as a treatment method by the American Medical Association and the American psychological Association over thirty years ago. Clinical hypnosis is currently used by thousands of clinicians in the U.S. to treat both psychological and medical problems. Until recently, the possibilities of using hypnosis to treat gastrointestinal problems had received little attention. In the last 15 years, however, research has shown that hypnosis can influence gastrointestinal functioning in powerful ways, and that in particular, it is effective in helping patients with irritable bowel syndrome and to control nausea and vomiting. How Hypnosis Works: Hypnosis is a special mental state in which a person's focus of attention becomes narrow and intense like the beam of a bright flashlight in a dark room. This state is usually created with the aid of a hypnotist,who guides the person systematically to relax, focus only on one thing, and to allow things to happen by themselves. Whatever the mind focuses on while in this special mental state of hypnosis holds the entire attention. Therefore, people tend to experience things they think of, imagine or remember, more vividly and clearly than under usual circumstances. This is why people can sometimes recall things from their distant past under hypnosis even though unable to do so in the normal waking state (research has shown, however, that such hypnotically enhanced recall can be highly contaminated by the person's imagination). The narrow hyperfocus of this mental state is also why therapists using hypnosis are frequently able to help people make strong positive changes in their emotions and physical functioning. Hypnosis can work like a magnifying glass on the mind's effects on the body and emotion. Clinical hypnosis relies on suggestions, imagery, and relaxation to produce its therapeutic effects. Hypnotic suggestions are things that the hypnotist verbally suggests may happen while the person is under hypnosis. Due to the focused and receptive state of the hypnotized person, these suggestions happen almost automatically and without conscious decision or effort. If you, for example, receive the suggestion under hypnosis that your arm may be getting heavy, you will very likely feel it becoming heavy, without trying to do anything to make it happen. This "automaticity", the feeling of things happening by themselves, is by some considered the hallmark of hypnosis, and is often surprising to people experiencing hypnosis for the first time. Hypnotic imagery consists of picturing mentally events or situation or place in a way that has a desired positive physical or mental effect. For example, patients undergoing surgical or dental procedures are sometimes taught to enter a hypnotic state and go to a pleasant place in their mind. When successfully applied, the person gets completely engrossed in the vivid enjoyable imagery and is therefore happily unaware of the unpleasantness of the procedure. The hypnotic state is naturally accompanied by relaxation, and the physical relaxing effects are often deliberately strengthened further by clinicians through suggestions and relaxing imagery. Some of the benefits that come from hypnosis treatment are likely to result partly or entirely from the fact that hypnosis is a powerful relaxation method. Over decades of research and clinical experience, hypnosis has proven to have many valuable therapeutic uses. In psychotherapy, hypnotic techniques can speed the therapy process in various ways - for example by facilitating patients' self-understanding, extinguishing unfortunate habits, uncovering repressed or forgotten memories, reducing anxiety and phobias, and helping people to adopt a new and more adaptive outlook. In medicine and health psychology, hypnosis is used to reduce pain and discomfort associated with medical procedures such as childbirth, treatment of burns, and surgery where chemical anesthesia cannot be used effectively. It is also used to treat chronic pain and psychosomatic problems and counter unhealthy habits that contribute to illness. In dentistry, hypnotic analgesia is an effective needle-less alternative to topical anesthetic drugs, reduces bleeding and discomfort in oral surgery, and is used to treat teeth grinding and temporomandibular disorder. In recent years, the effects of gastrointestinal functioning and GI symptoms have been studied extensively. The Effects of Hypnosis on Gastrointestinal Functioning: The hypnotic state itself, without any particular suggestions, seems to slow down the gut, and clear-cut and specific changes in GI functioning can be induced in individuals by directing thinking or inducing specific emotional states under hypnosis. For example, one study(1) found that when healthy volunteers were hypnotized and simply instructed to relax, the orocaecal transit time (the time it takes material to pass through the GI tract from the mouth to the first part of the colon) was lengthened from 93 to 133 minutes. Another study(2) found that being in a hypnotic state decreases muscle movements in the stomach. The same study demonstrated that the emotional state of happiness, created under hypnosis, suppresses gastric muscle activity but anger and excitement increase muscle movement in the stomach . A pair of other studies(3) showed that when volunteers were guided to use imagery of eating a delicious meal while they were under hypnosis, gastric acid secretion was increased by 89%, and that acid production of the stomach could also be deliberately decreased during hypnosis using hypnotic instructions. Close to fifty published studies have reported on the therapeutic effects of hypnosis on nausea and vomiting problems related to chemotherapy, after surgery, and during pregnancy. Overall, this substantial body of literature indicates that hypnosis can be a powerful aid in controlling nausea and vomiting. Hypnosis may also be helpful in preventing gastrointestinal problems from recurring after they have been treated with medication: One study(4) of thirty patients with relapsing duodenal ulcers who had been successfully treated with a course of medication, found that only 53% of the patients who received preventive hypnosis treatment had a relapse within one year. In contrast everybody (100%) in a comparison group receiving no hypnosis relapsed in the same period of time. In 1984, researchers in Manchester in England published a study(5 )report in the journal Lancet, showing that hypnosis treatment dramatically improved the symptoms of IBS patients who had failed to benefit from other treatment. The researchers had randomly divided patients with severe IBS problems into two groups. Fifteen patients were treated with seven hypnosis sessions. Fifteen comparison patients were treated with seven sessions of psychotherapy, and those patients also received placebo pills (pills with no medically active ingredients) which they were told were a new research medication for IBS symptoms. Every patient in the hypnosis group improved, and that group showed substantial improvement in all central symptoms of IBS. The control group showed only very modest improvement in symptoms. Partly due to these dramatic results with treatment-refractory patients, a dozen other studies have followed, including three U.S. studies. The general conclusions from most of these studies are that hypnosis seems to improve the symptoms of 80% or more of all treated patients who have well-defined "classic" IBS problems, especially if they do not have complicating factors such as psychiatric disorders. The improvement is in many cases maintained at least for a year after the end of treatment. What is particularly remarkable is that this high rate of positive treatment response is seen even in studies where the participating patients all have failed to improve from regular medical care. The dramatic response of IBS patients to hypnosis treatment raises the question of exactly how this kind of treatment influences the symptoms in such a beneficial way. Four studies to date, two in England and two in the U.S., have tried to discover how hypnosis treatment affects the body of IBS patients. Since it is well known that many people with IBS have unusual pain sensitivity in their intestines, which is thought to be related to the clinical pain they experience, much of the focus of these studies has been on assessing the impact of this kind of treatment on intestinal pain thresholds. The two English studies both measured intestinal pain sensitivity with balloon inflation tests. The second study also measured muscle tone, to see if hypnosis relaxes the smooth muscles of the GI tract. No overall changes in pain sensitivity were detected, and gut muscle tension was also unchanged after treatment (except a subgroup of unusually pain-sensitive patients had lessened pain sensitivity in the second study(7). . In 1995-1996, during my post-doctoral fellowship in the Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition at UNC-Chapel Hill, we conducted the first U.S. study(8) on hypnosis for IBS under the direction of Dr. Whitehead. We evaluated the effects of a highly standardized treatment protocol, delivered verbatim following written scripts, on rectal pain thresholds and muscle tone. Seventeen out of the 18 patients we treated with hypnosis showed significant improvement in their clinical symptoms. However, we found, like the English researchers, that gut pain thresholds and muscle tension were unchanged after treatment. In a second study(9,) which I conducted with co-investigators at the Eastern Virginia Medical School, we used the same treatment protocol but this time measured autonomic nervous system functioning and blood levels of a gut hormone called vasoactive intestinal peptide. These are regulators of GI functioning in the human body, and the aim was to see if they would change due to treatment. Again, we found no changes in our physical measures after treatment (with the exception of reduction in sweat gland reactivity) even though 21 out of 24 treated patients were clinically improved. It should be noted, though, that in both our studies, we found clear improvement in the psychological well-being of our patients after treatment. In summary, it is clear from our work and other research that hypnosis treatment substantially improves all the central symptoms of IBS in the majority of patients who receive such treatment (see the effects of our two studies on clinical symptoms in the Figure). What happens in the body of these patients to cause such improvement, however, remains a mystery. Future prospects: In light of the many studies which have shown hypnosis treatment to be effective for such problems as IBS and nausea and vomiting, the question may be raised why this kind of treatment is not more widely available or generally offered to patients with such GI problems. One limitation is the fact that not everybody is equally hypnotizable. Research has consistently shown that at least 15% of people are practically non-hypnotizable, and even those who are able to enter a hypnotic state vary greatly in how well they respond. Interestingly, the ability to be hypnotized is a stable mental trait. In other word, if you are highly hypnotizable now, you will most likely be so also in thirty years. Fortunately, the majority of people are sufficiently hypnotizable to have a potential for enjoying at least some of the medical and psychological benefits of clinical hypnosis. Furthermore, the idea of being hypnotized does not agree with all people. Even individuals who are sufficiently hypnotizable, may not like the idea of "letting go", may have difficulty trusting a therapist to guide them in hypnosis, or may have other concerns about the hypnosis experience. Fortunately, other forms of psychological treatment for gastrointestinal problems - in the case of IBS especially cognitive-behavioral therapy -- have also been found to be effective and are good alternatives. Finally, an obstacle which has barred many patients from receiving help for gastrointestinal disorders with hypnosis is the fact that in the U.S. the technique is more commonly used by psychologists and other mental health professionals than by physicians. Many mental health professionals who use hypnosis are not accustomed to treating gastrointestinal disorders, and therefore reluctant to take on treatment of such problems. As the reliably beneficial effects of hypnosis on gastrointestinal functioning become better known both to health professionals and the general public, this benign and comfortable form of treatment will hopefully become a more popular treatment option for GI patients - especially for those who have not received much relief from standard medical management. As far as IBS is concerned, we have been making an effort in the last two years to encourage clinicians across the country who have adequate training in hypnosis to provide such treatment for IBS. We have done this by providing them, free of charge, with the complete standardized treatment protocol which has proven effective in our research. To date, more than eighty licensed health professionals, practicing in almost all states, are started using our protocol, making it a little bit easier for patients in many geographical locations to receive help with hypnosis. References 1. Beaugerie, L., Burger A.J, Cadranel J.F, Lamy, P., Gendre J.P., & Le Quintrec, F. (1991). Modulation of orocaecal transit time by hypnosis. Gut, 32, 393-394. 2. Whorwell PJ; Houghton LA; Taylor EE; Maxton DG. Physiological effects of emotion: assessment via hypnosis. (1992). Lancet, 340, 69-72 3. Klein K.B., & Spiegel, D. (1989). Modulation of gastric acid secretion by hypnosis. Gastroenterology, 96, 1383-1387. 4. Colgan, S. M. , Faragher, E. B. , & Whorwell, P. J. (1988). Controlled Trial of Hypnotherapy in Relapse Prevention of Duodenal Ulceration. The Lancet, 1(8598), 1299-300. 5. Whorwell, P.J., Prior, A., & Faragher, E.B. (1984). Controlled trial of hypnotherapy in the treatment of severe refractory irritable bowel syndrome. Lancet, 2, 1232-1234. 6. Prior A., Colgan, S.M., Whorwell P.J. (1990). Changes in rectal sensitivity after hypnotherapy in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Gut, 31, 896-898. 7. Houghton, L.A., Larder, S., Lee, R., Gonsalkorale, W.M., Whelan, V, Randles, J., Cooper, P., Cruikshanks, P., Miller, V., & Whorwell, P.J. (1999) Gut focused hypnotherapy normalises rectal hypersensitivity in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Gastroenterology,116: A1009. 8. Palsson, O.S., Burnett, C.K., Meyer, K., and Whitehead, W.E. (1997). Hypnosis treatment for irritable bowel syndrome. Effects on symptoms, pain threshold and muscle tone. Gastroenterology, 112, A803. 9.Palsson, O.S., Turner, M.J., & Johnson, D.A. (2000). Hypnotherapy for irritable bowel syndrome: Symptom improvement and autonomic nervous system effects. Gastroenterology, 118,(4) A174.He also hass a website for the public on this which has more indepth coverage and the studies they have done for IBS.www.ibshypnosis.comalso info on Mike's program which is gut specific HT. There is also gut directed HT, but a extrememly important aspect of HT is that it is tailored to IBS. http://www.firstyearibs.com/day7learnlive2.html "The IBS Audio Program was developed through ten years of ongoing IBS research by Michael Mahoney, one of the United Kingdom�s leading clinical hypnotherapists. Mahoney has over 13 years experience as a hypnotherapist, now specializes in treating IBS patients, and is regularly referred patients by gastroenterologists and family care physicians.[13] He is an associate member of the Primary Care Society for Gastroenterology, a worldwide organization. The IBS hypnotherapy program follows a scheduled 100 day treatment period and is conducted on your own time in your own home. The program is successful for over 80% of the patients who use it, and the reduction in symptoms and their severity averages 80-90% for these users. It�s interesting to note the significant difference in success rates for the IBS-specific hypnotherapy tapes versus general hypnotherapy tapes. In contrast to Mahoney�s 80-90% success rate, general hypnotherapy tapes featuring standard relaxation techniques and visualization exercises have only produced an average 57% improvement rate for IBS patients.[14] While any improvement is certainly better than none at all, it�s clear that the benefits are far greater from a hypnotherapy program specifically developed for and aimed at IBS. Most impressively, Mahoney�s statistics arise from studies with patients who were given no relief whatsoever from conventional medical therapy � people who were, in fact, referred by gastroenterologists who had exhausted all other potential avenues of help. The incomparable success rates for the tapes are likely due to Mahoney�s in-depth study and understanding of both IBS and hypnotherapy, which results in reducing anxiety, stress and fears directly related to IBS attacks, and increasing patient confidence, self esteem, and management of IBS-specific symptoms. The IBS method of hypnotherapy developed by Mahoney is gut-specific, and termed �on-going progressive session induction.� This method was created upon the basis that as a patient responds and improves, something new must continue to happen in therapy to help the patient achieve further results. Experience has shown that if the process remains the same, the patient is more likely to become stalled at some stage of the treatment. Particularly, the sounds and words used in therapy initially, when IBS symptoms are present, can become associated with this negative state of health and mind. These same sounds and words should not continue to be used throughout the therapy because the negative associations can then become anchored onto the healing methods, which will eventually limit the progress of the patient. The IBS method of hypnotherapy allows the patient to continue to progress throughout the entire course of treatment, and beyond. As patients learn new ways of thinking, they have more internal resources available to use in overwriting their previous negative beliefs. This then leads to further progress, more free mental resources, more progress, and the resultant reduction of IBS symptoms. Hypnotherapy works on the basis that everyone is continuously developing in one way or another, as every day involves learning, making decisions, experiencing emotions, etc. The IBS method of treatment takes advantage of this development and encourages it by changing the sessions and mental suggestions in ways that help carry the patient continuously forward. This approach is based on the belief that everyone throughout their lives has to keep looking for ways of moving forward, and that continuous personal development should be second nature to us all. As change is a natural part of life, we should view it as an opportunity and not a threat. The IBS method reduces the subconscious negative perceptions of change, allowing the embrace of new thoughts and beliefs, with the resultant improvement in IBS symptoms. Typically patients begin to feel much better as a result of changes in the way they think, their outlook on life, and its events, though rarely can someone pinpoint the precise moment improvements begin. These results stem from the subconscious mind, which controls the digestive system, very gently beginning to realize that the thought patterns of IBS are no longer needed. The subconscious reminds the individual as a whole that they existed very well, thank you, without IBS, and can do so again. The audio program is complex in its make up, but quite seamless and simple for the patient as the learning process is made easy through the use of enjoyable imagery and suggestions. The therapy itself allows changes, both physical and emotional, to occur without difficulty. Mahoney believes that just dealing with the symptoms of IBS is not enough, that the individual must learn to rebuild internal energy. Many people with IBS feel drained emotionally by the stress of living with the disorder, and the resultant crises and responsibilities in their lives continually deplete their inner emotional strength and reserves, often leading to anxiety or even depression. Before a patient can begin the process of working through their IBS, they frequently need an emotional �top-up� of these inner reserves. In essence, they need their emotional batteries charged, as they have likely endured years of unstoppable pain and discomfort, of being told by various medical professionals that there is nothing that can be done, and intrusive or painful examinations and tests. In addition, family and work relationships may have been strained or eroded by living with an incurable illness, social and love lives may have dwindled to non-existence, and confidence and self-esteem may be at low ebb. With all of these additional stress factors the ability to put IBS in perspective is drastically reduced. If a patient begins therapy at this point, they will be completely unprepared for the process and unable to act upon the instructions, and failure is likely if not certain. Mahoney�s program takes these IBS-specific circumstances into account, and tailors the hypnotherapy tapes to increase confidence and self-esteem first, in order to allow the patient to begin a journey of physical and emotional improvement and management. Then begins the change in their thoughts, the exchange of negative beliefs and feelings for positive ones, and the ability to move away from the symptoms and thoughts of IBS and forward towards a life without the disorder. Mahoney believes that this IBS-specific method of hypnotherapy is the best, and his patient trial results support this. The IBS Audio Program itself is structured over a 100 day period, with a listening schedule for each day (including 20 days off). The program consists of 3 double-sided audio cassettes or CDs, which contain an introduction and five different hypnotherapy sessions, each building on the preceding one. Sessions vary in duration but average 25-35 minutes. The program also includes a progress log/symptom check list. All that is required for participation is to find a set time each day when you can listen quietly and be undisturbed. Simply fit your listening time into your daily schedule at your own convenience. The introductory and five discrete sessions are as follows: Introduction * Provides detailed information about hypnotherapy, the specific process being used for the audio treatments, and information about IBS. * Acknowledges the physical and psychological combination that characterizes IBS pathology, triggers, and symptoms. * Aims to treat both IBS and the problems in a person�s life that have resulted from IBS, including anxiety, social fears, depression, fatigue, worry. * Sets a stopping point for the emotional drain of IBS; from this point on IBS symptoms will not worsen but will improve. Subconscious begins to be affected and physical changes will follow.
 
#20 ·
krazy here you go.This is from a specialist on IBS from the UNC.With permissiomThe Effects of Hypnosis On Gastrointestinal Problems Olafur S. Palsson, Psy. D. Research Associate, UNC-CHAPEL Hill Department of Medicines Hypnosis is a treatment method, which still carries an aura of mystery,that unfortunately continues to be promoted by misrepresentations in movies and stage shows for entertainment. In reality, there is little mysterious about hypnosis anymore. It is a well-researched clinical technique which was formally accepted as a treatment method by the American Medical Association and the American psychological Association over thirty years ago. Clinical hypnosis is currently used by thousands of clinicians in the U.S. to treat both psychological and medical problems. Until recently, the possibilities of using hypnosis to treat gastrointestinal problems had received little attention. In the last 15 years, however, research has shown that hypnosis can influence gastrointestinal functioning in powerful ways, and that in particular, it is effective in helping patients with irritable bowel syndrome and to control nausea and vomiting. How Hypnosis Works: Hypnosis is a special mental state in which a person's focus of attention becomes narrow and intense like the beam of a bright flashlight in a dark room. This state is usually created with the aid of a hypnotist,who guides the person systematically to relax, focus only on one thing, and to allow things to happen by themselves. Whatever the mind focuses on while in this special mental state of hypnosis holds the entire attention. Therefore, people tend to experience things they think of, imagine or remember, more vividly and clearly than under usual circumstances. This is why people can sometimes recall things from their distant past under hypnosis even though unable to do so in the normal waking state (research has shown, however, that such hypnotically enhanced recall can be highly contaminated by the person's imagination). The narrow hyperfocus of this mental state is also why therapists using hypnosis are frequently able to help people make strong positive changes in their emotions and physical functioning. Hypnosis can work like a magnifying glass on the mind's effects on the body and emotion. Clinical hypnosis relies on suggestions, imagery, and relaxation to produce its therapeutic effects. Hypnotic suggestions are things that the hypnotist verbally suggests may happen while the person is under hypnosis. Due to the focused and receptive state of the hypnotized person, these suggestions happen almost automatically and without conscious decision or effort. If you, for example, receive the suggestion under hypnosis that your arm may be getting heavy, you will very likely feel it becoming heavy, without trying to do anything to make it happen. This "automaticity", the feeling of things happening by themselves, is by some considered the hallmark of hypnosis, and is often surprising to people experiencing hypnosis for the first time. Hypnotic imagery consists of picturing mentally events or situation or place in a way that has a desired positive physical or mental effect. For example, patients undergoing surgical or dental procedures are sometimes taught to enter a hypnotic state and go to a pleasant place in their mind. When successfully applied, the person gets completely engrossed in the vivid enjoyable imagery and is therefore happily unaware of the unpleasantness of the procedure. The hypnotic state is naturally accompanied by relaxation, and the physical relaxing effects are often deliberately strengthened further by clinicians through suggestions and relaxing imagery. Some of the benefits that come from hypnosis treatment are likely to result partly or entirely from the fact that hypnosis is a powerful relaxation method. Over decades of research and clinical experience, hypnosis has proven to have many valuable therapeutic uses. In psychotherapy, hypnotic techniques can speed the therapy process in various ways - for example by facilitating patients' self-understanding, extinguishing unfortunate habits, uncovering repressed or forgotten memories, reducing anxiety and phobias, and helping people to adopt a new and more adaptive outlook. In medicine and health psychology, hypnosis is used to reduce pain and discomfort associated with medical procedures such as childbirth, treatment of burns, and surgery where chemical anesthesia cannot be used effectively. It is also used to treat chronic pain and psychosomatic problems and counter unhealthy habits that contribute to illness. In dentistry, hypnotic analgesia is an effective needle-less alternative to topical anesthetic drugs, reduces bleeding and discomfort in oral surgery, and is used to treat teeth grinding and temporomandibular disorder. In recent years, the effects of gastrointestinal functioning and GI symptoms have been studied extensively. The Effects of Hypnosis on Gastrointestinal Functioning: The hypnotic state itself, without any particular suggestions, seems to slow down the gut, and clear-cut and specific changes in GI functioning can be induced in individuals by directing thinking or inducing specific emotional states under hypnosis. For example, one study(1) found that when healthy volunteers were hypnotized and simply instructed to relax, the orocaecal transit time (the time it takes material to pass through the GI tract from the mouth to the first part of the colon) was lengthened from 93 to 133 minutes. Another study(2) found that being in a hypnotic state decreases muscle movements in the stomach. The same study demonstrated that the emotional state of happiness, created under hypnosis, suppresses gastric muscle activity but anger and excitement increase muscle movement in the stomach . A pair of other studies(3) showed that when volunteers were guided to use imagery of eating a delicious meal while they were under hypnosis, gastric acid secretion was increased by 89%, and that acid production of the stomach could also be deliberately decreased during hypnosis using hypnotic instructions. Close to fifty published studies have reported on the therapeutic effects of hypnosis on nausea and vomiting problems related to chemotherapy, after surgery, and during pregnancy. Overall, this substantial body of literature indicates that hypnosis can be a powerful aid in controlling nausea and vomiting. Hypnosis may also be helpful in preventing gastrointestinal problems from recurring after they have been treated with medication: One study(4) of thirty patients with relapsing duodenal ulcers who had been successfully treated with a course of medication, found that only 53% of the patients who received preventive hypnosis treatment had a relapse within one year. In contrast everybody (100%) in a comparison group receiving no hypnosis relapsed in the same period of time. In 1984, researchers in Manchester in England published a study(5 )report in the journal Lancet, showing that hypnosis treatment dramatically improved the symptoms of IBS patients who had failed to benefit from other treatment. The researchers had randomly divided patients with severe IBS problems into two groups. Fifteen patients were treated with seven hypnosis sessions. Fifteen comparison patients were treated with seven sessions of psychotherapy, and those patients also received placebo pills (pills with no medically active ingredients) which they were told were a new research medication for IBS symptoms. Every patient in the hypnosis group improved, and that group showed substantial improvement in all central symptoms of IBS. The control group showed only very modest improvement in symptoms. Partly due to these dramatic results with treatment-refractory patients, a dozen other studies have followed, including three U.S. studies. The general conclusions from most of these studies are that hypnosis seems to improve the symptoms of 80% or more of all treated patients who have well-defined "classic" IBS problems, especially if they do not have complicating factors such as psychiatric disorders. The improvement is in many cases maintained at least for a year after the end of treatment. What is particularly remarkable is that this high rate of positive treatment response is seen even in studies where the participating patients all have failed to improve from regular medical care. The dramatic response of IBS patients to hypnosis treatment raises the question of exactly how this kind of treatment influences the symptoms in such a beneficial way. Four studies to date, two in England and two in the U.S., have tried to discover how hypnosis treatment affects the body of IBS patients. Since it is well known that many people with IBS have unusual pain sensitivity in their intestines, which is thought to be related to the clinical pain they experience, much of the focus of these studies has been on assessing the impact of this kind of treatment on intestinal pain thresholds. The two English studies both measured intestinal pain sensitivity with balloon inflation tests. The second study also measured muscle tone, to see if hypnosis relaxes the smooth muscles of the GI tract. No overall changes in pain sensitivity were detected, and gut muscle tension was also unchanged after treatment (except a subgroup of unusually pain-sensitive patients had lessened pain sensitivity in the second study(7). . In 1995-1996, during my post-doctoral fellowship in the Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition at UNC-Chapel Hill, we conducted the first U.S. study(8) on hypnosis for IBS under the direction of Dr. Whitehead. We evaluated the effects of a highly standardized treatment protocol, delivered verbatim following written scripts, on rectal pain thresholds and muscle tone. Seventeen out of the 18 patients we treated with hypnosis showed significant improvement in their clinical symptoms. However, we found, like the English researchers, that gut pain thresholds and muscle tension were unchanged after treatment. In a second study(9,) which I conducted with co-investigators at the Eastern Virginia Medical School, we used the same treatment protocol but this time measured autonomic nervous system functioning and blood levels of a gut hormone called vasoactive intestinal peptide. These are regulators of GI functioning in the human body, and the aim was to see if they would change due to treatment. Again, we found no changes in our physical measures after treatment (with the exception of reduction in sweat gland reactivity) even though 21 out of 24 treated patients were clinically improved. It should be noted, though, that in both our studies, we found clear improvement in the psychological well-being of our patients after treatment. In summary, it is clear from our work and other research that hypnosis treatment substantially improves all the central symptoms of IBS in the majority of patients who receive such treatment (see the effects of our two studies on clinical symptoms in the Figure). What happens in the body of these patients to cause such improvement, however, remains a mystery. Future prospects: In light of the many studies which have shown hypnosis treatment to be effective for such problems as IBS and nausea and vomiting, the question may be raised why this kind of treatment is not more widely available or generally offered to patients with such GI problems. One limitation is the fact that not everybody is equally hypnotizable. Research has consistently shown that at least 15% of people are practically non-hypnotizable, and even those who are able to enter a hypnotic state vary greatly in how well they respond. Interestingly, the ability to be hypnotized is a stable mental trait. In other word, if you are highly hypnotizable now, you will most likely be so also in thirty years. Fortunately, the majority of people are sufficiently hypnotizable to have a potential for enjoying at least some of the medical and psychological benefits of clinical hypnosis. Furthermore, the idea of being hypnotized does not agree with all people. Even individuals who are sufficiently hypnotizable, may not like the idea of "letting go", may have difficulty trusting a therapist to guide them in hypnosis, or may have other concerns about the hypnosis experience. Fortunately, other forms of psychological treatment for gastrointestinal problems - in the case of IBS especially cognitive-behavioral therapy -- have also been found to be effective and are good alternatives. Finally, an obstacle which has barred many patients from receiving help for gastrointestinal disorders with hypnosis is the fact that in the U.S. the technique is more commonly used by psychologists and other mental health professionals than by physicians. Many mental health professionals who use hypnosis are not accustomed to treating gastrointestinal disorders, and therefore reluctant to take on treatment of such problems. As the reliably beneficial effects of hypnosis on gastrointestinal functioning become better known both to health professionals and the general public, this benign and comfortable form of treatment will hopefully become a more popular treatment option for GI patients - especially for those who have not received much relief from standard medical management. As far as IBS is concerned, we have been making an effort in the last two years to encourage clinicians across the country who have adequate training in hypnosis to provide such treatment for IBS. We have done this by providing them, free of charge, with the complete standardized treatment protocol which has proven effective in our research. To date, more than eighty licensed health professionals, practicing in almost all states, are started using our protocol, making it a little bit easier for patients in many geographical locations to receive help with hypnosis. References 1. Beaugerie, L., Burger A.J, Cadranel J.F, Lamy, P., Gendre J.P., & Le Quintrec, F. (1991). Modulation of orocaecal transit time by hypnosis. Gut, 32, 393-394. 2. Whorwell PJ; Houghton LA; Taylor EE; Maxton DG. Physiological effects of emotion: assessment via hypnosis. (1992). Lancet, 340, 69-72 3. Klein K.B., & Spiegel, D. (1989). Modulation of gastric acid secretion by hypnosis. Gastroenterology, 96, 1383-1387. 4. Colgan, S. M. , Faragher, E. B. , & Whorwell, P. J. (1988). Controlled Trial of Hypnotherapy in Relapse Prevention of Duodenal Ulceration. The Lancet, 1(8598), 1299-300. 5. Whorwell, P.J., Prior, A., & Faragher, E.B. (1984). Controlled trial of hypnotherapy in the treatment of severe refractory irritable bowel syndrome. Lancet, 2, 1232-1234. 6. Prior A., Colgan, S.M., Whorwell P.J. (1990). Changes in rectal sensitivity after hypnotherapy in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Gut, 31, 896-898. 7. Houghton, L.A., Larder, S., Lee, R., Gonsalkorale, W.M., Whelan, V, Randles, J., Cooper, P., Cruikshanks, P., Miller, V., & Whorwell, P.J. (1999) Gut focused hypnotherapy normalises rectal hypersensitivity in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Gastroenterology,116: A1009. 8. Palsson, O.S., Burnett, C.K., Meyer, K., and Whitehead, W.E. (1997). Hypnosis treatment for irritable bowel syndrome. Effects on symptoms, pain threshold and muscle tone. Gastroenterology, 112, A803. 9.Palsson, O.S., Turner, M.J., & Johnson, D.A. (2000). Hypnotherapy for irritable bowel syndrome: Symptom improvement and autonomic nervous system effects. Gastroenterology, 118,(4) A174.He also hass a website for the public on this which has more indepth coverage and the studies they have done for IBS.www.ibshypnosis.comalso info on Mike's program which is gut specific HT. There is also gut directed HT, but a extrememly important aspect of HT is that it is tailored to IBS. http://www.firstyearibs.com/day7learnlive2.html "The IBS Audio Program was developed through ten years of ongoing IBS research by Michael Mahoney, one of the United Kingdom�s leading clinical hypnotherapists. Mahoney has over 13 years experience as a hypnotherapist, now specializes in treating IBS patients, and is regularly referred patients by gastroenterologists and family care physicians.[13] He is an associate member of the Primary Care Society for Gastroenterology, a worldwide organization. The IBS hypnotherapy program follows a scheduled 100 day treatment period and is conducted on your own time in your own home. The program is successful for over 80% of the patients who use it, and the reduction in symptoms and their severity averages 80-90% for these users. It�s interesting to note the significant difference in success rates for the IBS-specific hypnotherapy tapes versus general hypnotherapy tapes. In contrast to Mahoney�s 80-90% success rate, general hypnotherapy tapes featuring standard relaxation techniques and visualization exercises have only produced an average 57% improvement rate for IBS patients.[14] While any improvement is certainly better than none at all, it�s clear that the benefits are far greater from a hypnotherapy program specifically developed for and aimed at IBS. Most impressively, Mahoney�s statistics arise from studies with patients who were given no relief whatsoever from conventional medical therapy � people who were, in fact, referred by gastroenterologists who had exhausted all other potential avenues of help. The incomparable success rates for the tapes are likely due to Mahoney�s in-depth study and understanding of both IBS and hypnotherapy, which results in reducing anxiety, stress and fears directly related to IBS attacks, and increasing patient confidence, self esteem, and management of IBS-specific symptoms. The IBS method of hypnotherapy developed by Mahoney is gut-specific, and termed �on-going progressive session induction.� This method was created upon the basis that as a patient responds and improves, something new must continue to happen in therapy to help the patient achieve further results. Experience has shown that if the process remains the same, the patient is more likely to become stalled at some stage of the treatment. Particularly, the sounds and words used in therapy initially, when IBS symptoms are present, can become associated with this negative state of health and mind. These same sounds and words should not continue to be used throughout the therapy because the negative associations can then become anchored onto the healing methods, which will eventually limit the progress of the patient. The IBS method of hypnotherapy allows the patient to continue to progress throughout the entire course of treatment, and beyond. As patients learn new ways of thinking, they have more internal resources available to use in overwriting their previous negative beliefs. This then leads to further progress, more free mental resources, more progress, and the resultant reduction of IBS symptoms. Hypnotherapy works on the basis that everyone is continuously developing in one way or another, as every day involves learning, making decisions, experiencing emotions, etc. The IBS method of treatment takes advantage of this development and encourages it by changing the sessions and mental suggestions in ways that help carry the patient continuously forward. This approach is based on the belief that everyone throughout their lives has to keep looking for ways of moving forward, and that continuous personal development should be second nature to us all. As change is a natural part of life, we should view it as an opportunity and not a threat. The IBS method reduces the subconscious negative perceptions of change, allowing the embrace of new thoughts and beliefs, with the resultant improvement in IBS symptoms. Typically patients begin to feel much better as a result of changes in the way they think, their outlook on life, and its events, though rarely can someone pinpoint the precise moment improvements begin. These results stem from the subconscious mind, which controls the digestive system, very gently beginning to realize that the thought patterns of IBS are no longer needed. The subconscious reminds the individual as a whole that they existed very well, thank you, without IBS, and can do so again. The audio program is complex in its make up, but quite seamless and simple for the patient as the learning process is made easy through the use of enjoyable imagery and suggestions. The therapy itself allows changes, both physical and emotional, to occur without difficulty. Mahoney believes that just dealing with the symptoms of IBS is not enough, that the individual must learn to rebuild internal energy. Many people with IBS feel drained emotionally by the stress of living with the disorder, and the resultant crises and responsibilities in their lives continually deplete their inner emotional strength and reserves, often leading to anxiety or even depression. Before a patient can begin the process of working through their IBS, they frequently need an emotional �top-up� of these inner reserves. In essence, they need their emotional batteries charged, as they have likely endured years of unstoppable pain and discomfort, of being told by various medical professionals that there is nothing that can be done, and intrusive or painful examinations and tests. In addition, family and work relationships may have been strained or eroded by living with an incurable illness, social and love lives may have dwindled to non-existence, and confidence and self-esteem may be at low ebb. With all of these additional stress factors the ability to put IBS in perspective is drastically reduced. If a patient begins therapy at this point, they will be completely unprepared for the process and unable to act upon the instructions, and failure is likely if not certain. Mahoney�s program takes these IBS-specific circumstances into account, and tailors the hypnotherapy tapes to increase confidence and self-esteem first, in order to allow the patient to begin a journey of physical and emotional improvement and management. Then begins the change in their thoughts, the exchange of negative beliefs and feelings for positive ones, and the ability to move away from the symptoms and thoughts of IBS and forward towards a life without the disorder. Mahoney believes that this IBS-specific method of hypnotherapy is the best, and his patient trial results support this. The IBS Audio Program itself is structured over a 100 day period, with a listening schedule for each day (including 20 days off). The program consists of 3 double-sided audio cassettes or CDs, which contain an introduction and five different hypnotherapy sessions, each building on the preceding one. Sessions vary in duration but average 25-35 minutes. The program also includes a progress log/symptom check list. All that is required for participation is to find a set time each day when you can listen quietly and be undisturbed. Simply fit your listening time into your daily schedule at your own convenience. The introductory and five discrete sessions are as follows: Introduction * Provides detailed information about hypnotherapy, the specific process being used for the audio treatments, and information about IBS. * Acknowledges the physical and psychological combination that characterizes IBS pathology, triggers, and symptoms. * Aims to treat both IBS and the problems in a person�s life that have resulted from IBS, including anxiety, social fears, depression, fatigue, worry. * Sets a stopping point for the emotional drain of IBS; from this point on IBS symptoms will not worsen but will improve. Subconscious begins to be affected and physical changes will follow.
 
#23 ·
* Emphasis on the safe, gentle, non-invasive aspects of therapy and its record as a safe form of treatment for many conditions for many years. First Session * The foundation session. Allows listeners to take the time to reduce their stresses and apprehensions, to become familiar with the hypnotherapy process, and to learn that they are in control at all times. * Offers a gentle introductions to reduce anxieties and emphasize calming thoughts, thus reducing the negative thought patterns which trigger IBS physical responses. * Helps manage IBS symptoms and let users begin to understand the benefits of allowing both mind and body to work together towards the goal. Second Session * Begins to address the subconscious and conscious thoughts which can trigger IBS symptoms. * Teaches users, through creative imagery, to exercise control over these thoughts. * Uses the power of suggestion to enable listeners to learn to control the speed of peristaltic waves of the GI tract, leading to normal bowel movements. * Uses the mind to regulate the body. Third Session * Uses visualization to control the entire digestive process, from start to finish. * Begins to allow user to take control and mentally search for areas within the GI tract where there is IBS pain or discomfort, and then reduce these symptoms while continuing to use positive thoughts. * Negative thoughts should be decreasing and replaced by positive thoughts, which will help develop new coping strategies. Fourth Session * Uses metaphor to help view the journey through IBS as a trip that is nearing an end. * Acknowledges struggles of the past, the many steps the journey has required, and that while there may be a step back occasionally the progression forward will remain. * Acknowledges old thought patterns and allows them to be released; enhances positive thought patterns to achieve continued improvement. * Emphasizes that while memories of old thought patterns may remain, we don�t live in the past. We live in the moment. From this moment on IBS will steadily improve, a sense of order has been reached, and progress will now continue on its own. Fifth Session * Encapsulates positive moments from the five previous sections. * Reaffirms the effects of the program. * Listeners are encouraged to review this session occasionally after the program ends to optimize their positive changes. Of the five sessions, some are listened to once while others are repeated a dozen times. Content and order are both important. The program gives people the structure necessary to allow a progression to the end of IBS in their lives, with the final result of the reintroduction of both previously forbidden foods and stressful activities. These factors are meant to be reintroduced into patients� lives in a controlled and structured way, with a subconscious and conscious mindset that prevents the suffering of physical problems from these formerly attack-inducing elements. After the program is concluded, patients are encouraged to listen to the final tape for an additional period of time to ensure the learned processes are embedded into their subconscious.There is more info on his site and you can also read peoples successes there.www.ibsaudioprogram.comYou might also want to read this from Scientific American on HT. http://www.mustin.com/hypnosissa.htm And perhaps this although its very complicated. http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php...c&f=11&t=000671 Hope that helps, if you want to can also look over the CBT/HT/Anxiety forum and post question if you like.
 
#22 ·
* Emphasis on the safe, gentle, non-invasive aspects of therapy and its record as a safe form of treatment for many conditions for many years. First Session * The foundation session. Allows listeners to take the time to reduce their stresses and apprehensions, to become familiar with the hypnotherapy process, and to learn that they are in control at all times. * Offers a gentle introductions to reduce anxieties and emphasize calming thoughts, thus reducing the negative thought patterns which trigger IBS physical responses. * Helps manage IBS symptoms and let users begin to understand the benefits of allowing both mind and body to work together towards the goal. Second Session * Begins to address the subconscious and conscious thoughts which can trigger IBS symptoms. * Teaches users, through creative imagery, to exercise control over these thoughts. * Uses the power of suggestion to enable listeners to learn to control the speed of peristaltic waves of the GI tract, leading to normal bowel movements. * Uses the mind to regulate the body. Third Session * Uses visualization to control the entire digestive process, from start to finish. * Begins to allow user to take control and mentally search for areas within the GI tract where there is IBS pain or discomfort, and then reduce these symptoms while continuing to use positive thoughts. * Negative thoughts should be decreasing and replaced by positive thoughts, which will help develop new coping strategies. Fourth Session * Uses metaphor to help view the journey through IBS as a trip that is nearing an end. * Acknowledges struggles of the past, the many steps the journey has required, and that while there may be a step back occasionally the progression forward will remain. * Acknowledges old thought patterns and allows them to be released; enhances positive thought patterns to achieve continued improvement. * Emphasizes that while memories of old thought patterns may remain, we don�t live in the past. We live in the moment. From this moment on IBS will steadily improve, a sense of order has been reached, and progress will now continue on its own. Fifth Session * Encapsulates positive moments from the five previous sections. * Reaffirms the effects of the program. * Listeners are encouraged to review this session occasionally after the program ends to optimize their positive changes. Of the five sessions, some are listened to once while others are repeated a dozen times. Content and order are both important. The program gives people the structure necessary to allow a progression to the end of IBS in their lives, with the final result of the reintroduction of both previously forbidden foods and stressful activities. These factors are meant to be reintroduced into patients� lives in a controlled and structured way, with a subconscious and conscious mindset that prevents the suffering of physical problems from these formerly attack-inducing elements. After the program is concluded, patients are encouraged to listen to the final tape for an additional period of time to ensure the learned processes are embedded into their subconscious.There is more info on his site and you can also read peoples successes there.www.ibsaudioprogram.comYou might also want to read this from Scientific American on HT. http://www.mustin.com/hypnosissa.htm And perhaps this although its very complicated. http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php...c&f=11&t=000671 Hope that helps, if you want to can also look over the CBT/HT/Anxiety forum and post question if you like.
 
#27 ·
krazy, also so you know this is safe with no side effects and the majority of people find it keep on working long term even after the treatment stops.
 
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