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Process works best with other techniques
By Tracy Wheeler
Beacon Journal medical writer
Published on Tuesday, Feb 19, 2008
The shiny pocket watch swings back and forth in front of your eyes.
''You're getting sleepy,'' the hypnotist whispers. ''Sleeeeeepy.''
Forget all that. Real therapy-based hypnosis is nothing like the TV version. In fact, chances are, almost all of us have been very close to our own hypnotic state, without ever seeing a hypnotist.
Have you ever been driving, only to realize that you don't have any recollection of the last 20 miles? Yet you were awake and alert enough to change lanes and stop at intersections.
Or have you ever been reading a book, only to get so completely lost in the subject that you forget your surroundings and lose all track of time?
That's very much like hypnosis — you're awake, yet in an altered state of consciousness.
When we think with our conscious mind, we're using reasoning and decision-making skills, said Linda Popp, founder of Akron's Medical Hypnosis Center for Wellness. But under hypnosis, a person enters his or her subconscious mind, which allows the patient and therapist ''to enter the domain of the problem.''
''Sometimes people have a problem and they don't know why,'' Popp said. ''They'll come in and say, 'I don't know why I do what I do,' because, consciously, they don't know. But subconsciously, they can go into a place to have access to that because it's a state of concentrated awareness.''
The patient is awake, but in a daydreamlike state, she said, in which the mind becomes about 10 times as concentrated and the body becomes 10 times as relaxed.
Hypnosis has been touted as a tool to help treat pain, depression, anxiety, phobias, bad habits (like nail biting), smoking and weight gain. It's even been used to treat obvious physical ailments like migraine headaches, gastrointestinal disorders, skin conditions, surgical recovery, nausea, childbirth and impotence, among other conditions.
Both the American Psychiatric Association and the American Psychological Association support the use of hypnosis as an appropriate part of therapy.
''Is there evidence that hypnosis works?'' the psychological group asks on its Web site. ''Yes.''
The organization highlights a study published in the journal Gut, which found that 12 weekly hypnosis sessions helped patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Out of 204 patients, 58 percent of the men and 75 percent of the women reported significant relief of symptoms immediately after finishing treatment. Of those who reported initial relief, 80 percent were still improved up to six years later.
Recent research at Harvard showed that people under hypnosis could be convinced to see colors where there were none.
And researchers at the University of Iowa used functional MRIs to show that hypnosis alters brain activity in a way that relieves pain. The brain scans showed that different areas of the brain ''lit up'' when pain was inflicted on the patients who were under hypnosis, resulting in significant pain reduction. Hypnosis reduced pain in all 12 patients, from an average score of 8 out of 10, down to less than 3 out of 10 and even no pain in some.
Reports by the National Institutes of Health point out that hypnosis helps women have shorter labor and more comfortable deliveries. It can even improve the immune system by boosting white blood cell activity.
Insufficient evidence
Still, not everyone is convinced.
The Northeast Ohio chapter of the American Lung Association stopped using hypnosis as a smoking-cessation option several years ago, based on clinical practice guidelines released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It found that an independent review of hypnotherapy trials ''found insufficient evidence to support hypnosis as a treatment for smoking cessation.''
The NIH has a similar position, saying that the effects of hypnosis on smoking, alcohol consumption and overeating are mixed.
The Summit County Tobacco Prevention Coalition has also stopped offering hypnosis as an option, said Jill Oldham, director of Community Health Education.
Follow-ups in 2004 determined hypnosis was not ''enough of a success'' to warrant further sessions, Oldham said. The staff also has concerns that there is no process to check the credentials of hypnotists, meaning ''anyone can state they are a hypnotist.''
''On the flip side,'' Oldham said, ''different things work for different people. While I don't think we would discourage people from trying a variety of tools to help in the quitting process, I would not advocate for (hypnosis) to be the only tool.
''Usually a combination of techniques offers the best chance for success. Much like having to eat right and exercise to lose weight, when you quit smoking you have to deal with the physical impact of nicotine on your system as well as the social aspect of the addiction. In other words, changing daily routines, dealing with triggers, etc.''
Fran Dies, though, said hypnosis helped her quit smoking two years ago, and now it's helping her lose weight.
That doesn't mean it's been easy, though. It's not like hypnosis offers a simple flip of the switch that fixes everything.
''It's still hard work,'' the 62-year-old Akron woman said. ''It's not like you'll be on a diet and enjoy it like crazy.''
Like most people, Dies had tried all kinds of weight-loss approaches. Nothing ever worked permanently.
''I decided, if I'm going to lose weight, I'd have to find out why I hadn't been successful. Hypnotherapy did that. I discovered the problems and dealt with them.''
She's lost 86 pounds, ''and I have every confidence it's going to be permanent.''
It wasn't just the hypnosis that's made a difference, though. She has also learned how to choose food better and how to exercise.
And that's an important point, said Dr. Moshe Torem, chief of integrative medicine at Akron General Medical Center. Hypnosis itself is not a treatment. Rather, it is a partner in therapy, a way to enhance the outcome.
There are dangers
Used incorrectly, though, hypnosis can be dangerous. People under hypnosis can be vulnerable to exploitation, abuse and mistakes.
Torem tells the story of a smoker who was hypnotized to believe that cigarette smoke nauseated him to the point of vomiting. It was enough to make him stop smoking, but it also had dire consequences. He began to avoid clients who smoked. And being around his co-workers and boss who smoked made him physically ill. He eventually lost his job, which, of course, caused a new set of anxieties.
The point is to find a reputable hypnotist, Torem said.
''To be a hypnotist,'' he said, ''all you have to do is to declare yourself one.''
He suggested finding a professional who has been licensed to practice in their health field before practicing hypnosis. If the hypnotist is a medical doctor or a psychologist, make sure he or she has an active license. If the hypnotist is a counselor, make sure he or she is a licensed professional clinical counselor.
Torem also suggests checking to see whether the hypnotist is a member of a reputable professional organization, such as the American Society for Clinical Hypnosis (http://www.asch.net) or the Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis (http://www.sceh.us).
Popp said consumers can also check with the National Board of Certified Clinical Hypno-
therapists (http://www.natborad.com) or the American Academy of Medical Hypnoanalysts (http://www.aamh.com).
Torem knows that hypnosis and guided imagery works. He's seen his own patients learn to relieve pain, suppress urges and overcome anxieties.
Exactly how it works, though, is still unclear, but research is catching up.
''The future is bright,'' he said. ''We will understand this eventually. My prediction is that in the next five to 10 years, we will have a much better picture of what's happening.''
Tracy Wheeler can be reached at 330-996-3721 or tawheeler@thebeaconjournal.com.
The shiny pocket watch swings back and forth in front of your eyes.
Get the full article here.
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