Does Hypnotherapy Work?

Windbit

Does anyone here have any knowledge of hypnotherapy? I want to know if it's possible for someone to use it to cure me of my obsessive anxiety disorder.

Feral

There is evidence that hypnotherapy can be used in addition to cognitive-behavioral therapy as a treatment for anxiety. As such, it's really an alternative therapy, not a primary therapy. You should not expect hypnotherapy alone to "cure" you of your anxiety.

Really, the best things you can do for an anxiety condition are (in no particular order): cognitive-behavioral therapy, medication, regular cardio exercise, and stress management. I suggest that you wait until after you get those four fundamental things under control before you start considering alternative treatments.

vonPoonBurGer

Windbit wrote: »

obsessive anxiety disorder

I studied Psych in school. I only took it as far as the undergrad level, so I'm not qualified to diagnose anybody with anything. That being said, I know of generalized anxiety disorder, I know of a number of more specific anxiety disorders (e.g. agoraphobia), and I know of obsessive compulsive disorder, but I've never heard of anything called "obsessive anxiety disorder." There is nothing in the DSM-IV anxiety disorders that goes by that specific label. Have you been diagnosed with something in the DSM-IV? If not, I would recommend getting a second opinion from a qualified psychiatrist or clinical psychologist.

There are a number of treatments proven to be clinically effective for generalized anxiety, specific anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorders. Some involve medication, some don't. However, the best treatment often depends on which disorder you have. Cognitive behavioral therapy is really effective for phobias, for example, but medication is usually more effective for obsessive-compulsive disorder. As far as hypnotherapy goes, there has been some fairly robust evidence for its effectiveness on anxiety disorders, but it's often hard to find skilled and qualified clinical practitioners.

spacerobot

I had a psychology professor a few years ago that practiced hypnotherapy. He was kind of a strange guy, but apparently hypnotherapy does work for some people. He told us a few stories in class about what he did with it. I guess if someone is having trouble psychologically with something, he would hypnotize then, and then just talk to them/listen to their stories. He would listen to them, tell them what they needed to do, or just tell them what was wrong with them.

The impression I got from it was that he would just help them come to terms with what they were struggling with, and find a psychological solution to their problem.

I am going to be getting my BA in psychology this next spring, so of course I dont know everything yet... but in my opinion hypnotherapy sounded very similar to what feral said, "can be used in addition to cognitive-behavioral therapy as a treatment for anxiety".

So I guess I agree entirely with those above me.

EggyToast

Yes, listen to spacerobot. Note what the dude is doing -- he's hypnotizing them and then asking them questions and listening to their stories.

Hypnosis allows people to be receptive to suggestion, into believing something is happening or doing things -- but it doesn't make them do anything they wouldn't normally do. As such, it's perfect for getting people to tell you to the truth in a situation where they may be guarded or uncomfortable talking about something.

Not everyone can be hypnotized, of course, and it's not exactly a perfect science. It won't "cure" you of anything. But the results can potentially help a therapist discover what's truly wrong with you, and address those issues. That is if it's something that's simply mental instead of chemical.

Seeing a therapist to determine if you're actually obsessively anxious and then following through on dealing with the outcome is more important. Anyone who suggests that hypnotism will cure you by itself is a quack.