I have written a couple of papers in the hopes of potentially getting them published in my university journal (which is a great accomplishment if successful). I failed last year, however this just motivated me to try again for the next edition of the journal. So when I was in Greece a paper I read on a case study involving self-hypnoses and insomnia inspired me and as a result I worked on the following paper over the summer holidays.
When I received the email saying how I have made it into the next edition of the journal I was very pleased. The feeling of working hard on a project and it finally paying off is amazing. Below you will find the punished paper and I hope you enjoy it.
The
beneficial effects of self-hypnosis on psychopathological disorders, and its
influence on negative impulsions.
Hypnotism…
Hypnotism
is an English word derived from the brain of a Scottish Physician and surgeon
in 1841, he went by the name James Braid. Braid suffered from rheumatism which
peaked in severity in 1844 where three days of continuous discomfort and pain
pushed him to the end of his tether. In order to relinquish this pain, Braid
proposed that he would attempt to use self-hypnotism. In the presence of two
friends, both of which had a capable understanding of the process, Braid
attempted it; nine minutes in and to his surprise all pain had diminished - he
repeated this process every time any symptoms would re-surface and had
successfully remained free from rheumatism for over six years (Braid, 1960).
The
word “self-hypnosis” is Greek, meaning sleeping. Self-hypnosis is similar to
normal sleeping, in the sense that it’s a form of deep relaxation but differs
from sleeping because you still have a sense of control. Throughout the
hypnosis process the person is capable of responding to surrounding events and
sounds, regardless of their eyes being open or closed (Miller, 1979). There are
various forms of self-hypnosis which can be achieved in a variety of ways,
these include: deep concentration, day dreaming, driving a car for a long
period of time, remembering a shopping list or past event, recalling strong
fears, and can even occur in classrooms (Lecron, 1971). So contrary to what many
may think, self- hypnosis is in fact achieved on a regular basis.
The
title of this paper should not lead people to think that self- hypnosis can
only be applied to the areas in which I mention. This paper is going to look
into how self- hypnosis can benefit mental disorders such as Anxiety, Insomnia, and Depression, and to also identify its influence on impulsions such as alcoholism
and smoking. These specific topics are of interest to me and are among many
other areas to which self-hypnosis can benefit.
Other
areas where self-hypnosis has proven to be affective are: the overcoming of bad
habits, increasing ones quality of life, eradication of phobias (Sulaman, 2014)
and stimulating the brain helping promote memory recall which can be
particularly useful for eyewitness testimonies and criminal investigations,
especially in areas of sexual abuse or aggression (Bonnet, 1994). The main
benefiters of self-hypnosis are those who would like to fix a problem, an
example being a study conducted by Hawkins and Peter (2002) where children
between the ages of 8-12 who suffer sleep problems as a result of being
traumatized from loss were taught self-hypnosis. The efforts of the
experimenters paid off and were successful in teaching the children strategies
to help manage their sleep accordingly; this is just one example of the
positive effects of self-hypnosis. Using suggestive hypnosis as a form of
remedial treatment was also highly supported by Sigmund Freud, and because of
this he was considered the spiritual father of the hypnosis movement (Strus,
1998).
Self
-hypnosis is a learned behaviour to which the councillor and the counselee must
have a sense of mutual cooperation and understanding. In order for there to be
a positive impact it must be practiced for at least two days, and for the
individual to become a professional in this skill it has to be practiced for
one day weekly (Sulaiman, 2014).
Anxiety
Anxiety
is a very voluminous disorder that is made up of multiple phobias and
disorders. These can come in the form of: Panic disorders, Social phobia, PTSD,
OCD, and many more. Unfortunately Anxiety disorders are the most common mental
disorder and have the highest life time prevalence at 33.7 percent of the
population at risk, this percentage derives from a study in the United States
(Kessler et al, 2012). To help put that percentage into perspective there are
317 million people living in America as of the start of 2014, or 317,297,938 to
be exact. 33.7 percent of this figure is 107 million, the overall population of
the United Kingdom is only 64 million as of 2014. These figures show the
Monumental influence that Anxiety has on the population. Even though America
has a much larger population and many more areas of poverty, these are still
shocking figures.
Self
hypnoses is somewhat renowned for its therapeutic effects on the mind and its
ability to decrease stress and anxiety, but when researched its interesting
just how beneficial it can be. VandeVusse and Leona (2010) conducted the
effects of self-hypnosis on 30 female college students. A variety of factors were
measured such as their heart rate and respiratory rate. Once the data had come
in, the researchers concluded that hypnosis is a low budget, high efficiency
approach to stress reduction that proves beneficial for nurses when providing
patients with stress reduction techniques. This evidence also showed increased
activation in the Parasympathetic Nervous System which is in charge of the
regulation of internal organs and glands found in the Autonomic Nervous System.
This can help maintain a steady equilibrium in the body and therefore helping
the mind be clearer.
Another
study looked into and compared the effectiveness of two treatments towards pediatric
cancer. The methods consisted of the use of local anaesthetic and pairing local
anaesthetic and self-hypnosis. Evidence shows that out of the three groups
tested, the group that was provided local anesthetic and self hypnoses showed
a decrease in anticipatory anxiety and less procedure related pain (Liossi
& Christina, 2006). Having Pediatric cancer is said to not be very painful
in its self, but in pursuit of a successful recovery many medical methods have
to be used, and unfortunately most include a fair bit of pain, but with the use
of self-hypnosis and anaesthetic this mental anguish can diminish to an extent.
Due
to the shocking susceptibility Humans have to anxiety, there have been many
forms of self-help platforms that can be purchased, such as Mindfulness or
self-help books. There are also many ways to receive support through a variety
of establishments, whether it’s through the NHS or a University, either way
self-hypnosis can be highly recommended due to its renowned effects, and once
practiced could be the difference between mental distress and one’s normative well being.
Depression
Depression
is a very serious mental disorder, it has the ability to ruin lives and induce
such emotional dysphoria that even the idea of restored normality does not feel
achievable. There has been a vast improvement of our knowledge of
psychopathological disorders over the past two decades, understanding the
reasons behind depression is much more attainable within modern times as
opposed to speculation and conjecture.
There
are a variety of neurotransmitters involved with depression, these are:
Dopamine, Serotonin, and Norepinephrine. Along with these neurotransmitters, an
area within the brain named the Limbic system which contains the Subgenual
Cingulate Cortex is also associated with depression. But what causes depression
is not always biological, there can be social and environmental factors
involved (Such as death of a loved one or rejection etc).
There
are a number of ways in tackling depression, some use antidepressants others
use counselling. You can also partake in meditations or incorporate physical
activity within your daily routine. Self-Hypnosis has also been a realistic solution,
Dobbin, Maxwell, and Elton (2009) conducted an experiment on 50 patients
suffering depression, they found that self-hypnosis programs had positive
effects and showed promise for future use of such methods within primary care,
meaning that people who suffer depression can be advised self-hypnosis programs
via their doctors or counsellors.
In
the early 1990s a self-hypnosis program for depression management was created
by McBrien (1990). Over the course of this treatment both relief and reduced
depression can be achieved with preventable relapse interventions in place.
Increased confidence and an increase in positive thoughts are obtainable with
proper use of the programme, but it takes care knowing that self-hypnosis is
more developmental that an immediate remedial strategy.
When
introducing someone to a hypnotic learning experience, there are a variety of
key elements to remember, these include:
1.
Induction.
This is the process of
moving from an awake state of consciousness to a relaxed state, commonly known
as a trance.
2.
Formulating
the suggestions.
Using carefully chosen
words to effect the change of physical and mental sensations.
3.
Ego
strengthening.
Direct the client towards
the use of positive thoughts.
4.
Deepening.
Help the client venture
into a stronger state of trance.
5.
Mental
Rehearsals.
Guiding the client
towards a desired ambition.
This
is only a very brief explanation of the client centered hypnotism Programme (McBrian, 1990) much more depth into this specific area can be reached via the references.
It
is important to know that self-hypnosis is not the miracle cure for depression,
however in some cases has shown to be a mental anchor for those on the road to
repair.
Insomnia
Insomnia
is another serious mental disorder that interferes with a normal functioning
life. It is ones inability to sleep, this can cause all sorts of problems all
of which are made worse with a consistent lack of sleep. If a pharmaceutical solution
is not an option then self hypnoses can be a suitable alternative. A paper by
Sulaiman (2014) goes into great depth on a case study looking into the effects
of self-hypnosis on insomnia, evidence showed that it helped to increase sleep
and reduce the amount of times sleep was disturbed. This paper also goes into
every procedure taken to obtain these results. Another study found that similar
methods can help to reduce anxiety associated with time spent in bed (Mangioni,
1986).
One
factor behind insomnia is how the brain does not repose, all the racing
thoughts occurring can cause sleep to feel like an impossible choice, but with
the deep relaxation inhibited via self-hypnosis the mind can relax and sleep,
can feel more achievable.
Smoking and Alcoholism
Both
smoking and alcoholism are impulsions that the human race could benefit
without, but unfortunately in a world run by money; cooperation’s take
advantage of the public by supplying such substances that can initiate an
addictive response, which financially is an opportunistic gateway to a
profitable business. Gamberino and Gold (1999) does well in grasping the
concept of addiction as: “A loss of
control with compulsive drug use despite adverse psychosocial and health
consequences”. For a while addiction was seen as a way to avoid unpleasant
withdraws from substances (a form of negative reinforcement). But as research
has advanced over the years it is now seen as a drive for brain rewards (a form
of positive reinforcement) (Gamberino & Gold, 1999).
It has been found that long term use of a substance evokes changes on a
neuronal level within the central nervous system (CNS), which in turn can
manipulate the function of neural circuits leading to the brain leading to
neuro-adaptive processes such as dependence, tolerance, and sensitization
(Gamberino & Gold, 1999).
In
the 20th century smoking was named the number one preventable cause
of death in the world with estimates of around a 100 million deaths worldwide (Hartwell,
Prisciandaro, Borckardt, Li, George & Brady, 2013). Facts like these can
help motivate people to stop but sometimes it is never that easy, this is where
the use of self-hypnosis can be a realistic substitute for other smoking
prevention techniques. A paper by Spiegel (1970) discusses a study on 615
smokers who were treated via 45 minutes of psychotherapy reinforced by
hypnosis. Just this one session showed results that are better than other
prevention strategies with a number of hardcore smokers stopping for a minimum
of six months, and another 20% significantly reducing their smoking. Even
though only 44% of the 615 participants were followed up; these results are still
very much positive.
A
case study from Rosewarne (2004) showed how one women who was the
victim of many emotional issues stemming from her past was able to overcome
them and smoking with the use of hypnosis incorporated into an array of
counselling sessions. This is a prime example of how hypnosis can be used hand
in hand with techniques such as counselling. Even though this is not strictly
“self” hypnosis, the methodology used is similar but merely originates from a
different perspective (that being the orders issued from someone in the same
room and not through audio devices).
Going
on from audio devices, Davidson (1985) devised an experiment which involved the
distribution of audio tapes among 32 subjects. 15 of the participants stopped
smoking after the 3rd session and the remaining 17 also stopped by
the 6th session. Six months down the line 24 of the original 32 had remained
abstinent. This highlights how self-hypnosis can be highly beneficial to those
motivated, it can act as an anchor in situations where addiction can become
consuming, and it allows the mind to follow its unique methods in sustaining or
pursuing desired goals.
Alcoholism
follows the same line as smoking in the sense that it is another easily
purchased substance that can elicit addiction. Alcohol allows the user to
access a state of mind which in some cases is more desirable than that of a
sober mind, this is when drinking can be a problem. Whether you waste your life
in pursuit of a constant fix or if you are a high functioning alcoholic with a
steady job; the end result is all the same with an array of health problems
being almost certain.
However
like smoking there are methods and prevention techniques used to help anyone
wanting to change for the better. Among these methods of prevention
self-hypnosis can be used towards these goals, although it is more widely known
to prevent smoking addiction to the lay person - it can also help with
sufferers of alcoholism. Pekala et al (2004) conducted
a study on 261 veterans who were admitted to Substance Abuse Residential
Rehabilitation Treatment Programs. Among the groups tested, those who played
the self-hypnosis audiotape more regularly (this being 3-5 times a week) showed
increasingly positive results of abstinence and higher levels of self-esteem
and serenity. Jacobson and
Silfverakiöld (1973) on the other hand found that a comparison between two groups
of 40, one of which receiving hypnotic treatment and the other not, showed
there to be no statistically significant difference between the two. Even
though the data points to this conclusion the authors did say that the general
trend of the data was supporting the idea that hypnoses was more beneficial to
the group using it than the group that was not.
When researched, the studies involving the use of
hypnoses to battle alcoholism are not quite as prominent as those involving
such things like mental illness or smoking. This could be a result of
self-hypnosis being somewhat a victim of its own success; due to the
sensationalised success stories of smokers becoming non-smokers and the
depressed being more joyous or the insomniacs more inclined to welcome sleep,
these end up being the faces of self-hypnoses which can lead to its uses on
other areas such as alcoholism to become unappreciated.
Throughout this paper self-hypnoses has been highly
regarded. Even with highly beneficial methods such as this, there are still
implications when practiced. One example is ones susceptibility to the methods
used, due to misconceptions people may not be fully accepting of the use of
self-hypnoses which can lead to overall failure of all used techniques (Waxman
& David, 1985). Another difficulty that may occur is the mutual cooperation
required for success, the patient needs to fully cooperate with the councillor
and vice versa otherwise things may be falsely interpreted (Strus, 1998), this
is important especially when the methods of self-hypnoses is taught to a
patient. External validity can also be problematic as some case studies are not
able to generalise to the wider population (Sulaiman, 2014).
Like any medical practice; there are always going to
be pros and cons, and our jobs as scientists and medical experts is to minimise
the bad and maximise the good through the use of studies. Self-hypnoses may
have its limitations but in general is a highly efficient way of dealing with a
large selection of problems which when used produce many positive results. The
more recognition it receives the more it can help evolve into a strategy used
in a larger number of medical facilities across the world.
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