Who's afraid of hypnosis but is afraid to ask?
Hypnosis is a state of consciousness or awareness in which hidden phenomena can be aroused through suggestive procedures. These suggestive procedures are part of a therapeutic process in which individuals are given an idea, message or new suggestion that can improve their current condition that led them to seek therapy. Suggestion refers to the uncontrolled reception of an idea. That is, the patient obtains the idea not through intellectual persuasion but rather by circumvention of intellectual processes of control. During hypnotherapy, the intellect is less dominant, while visual and sensual aspects are more alert. Indeed, during hypnotherapy the patient is likely to see images, colors, shapes—anything that is not verbal, intellectual or the product of logical thought.
During hypnotherapy, the individual focuses on self-experiences and experiences a different level of self-consciousness: thought through imagery, a slowing down of logical/conceptual thinking, sensual experiences that include sights and sounds. This condition resembles a dream state, but unlike someone who dreams at night while sleeping, the hypnosis patient is not asleep. Hypnotherapy is not a state of sleep. The hypnosis patient is conscious and can intellectually, emotionally and physically sense everything that happens during the treatment. The patient hears, listens and responds. Hypnotherapy is not a state of being unconscious. The hypnosis patient is fully conscious and knows and feels what is going on. Patients direct their attention inwardly, and this inner awareness exceeds their inner awareness during everyday life.
During hypnotherapy, patients cannot be "forced" or "convinced" to do anything that contradicts their own moral or ethical standards. Hypnosis does not breach the patient's own personal integrity but rather operates according to the norms acceptable to the patient.
Hypnotherapy is not unsafe and entails nothing dangerous, provided the therapy is carried out by a hypnotherapist licensed by the Ministry of Health to practice hypnotherapy. The certificate authorizing someone to practice hypnotherapy is similar to the license granted to practice medicine or psychology. Hypnotherapy should not be practiced by anyone not holding this license.
Hypnotherapy treatment areas
Chronic pain
Neck, shoulders, back, lower limbs, joint pain and fibromyalgia, muscle and skeletal pain after accidents and trauma.
Internal medicine
Emotional states after heart attacks, cardiac catheterization and bypass surgery, hypertension, chest pains with or without cardiac history, autoimmune diseases.
Allergic diseases
Allergies, asthma
Dermatology
Warts, atopic dermatitis, emotionally based baldness.
Gastroenterology
Ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, reflux, IBS, functional diseases of the digestive system.
Urology
Bedwetting in children.
Oncology
Chemotherapy side effects, such as nausea, vomiting and hair loss.
Emotional problems
Anxieties, stress, fears: stage fright, flight phobia, fear of elevators, driving phobia and other specific phobias, sleep disturbances.
Sexual dysfunction
Emotionally based erectile dysfunction.
Fertility problems
Fertility problems in women with emotional or unknown sources.
Habits
Obesity before and after gastric bypass surgery (ring or sleeve); quitting smoking; quitting nail biting; quitting hair pulling.
Somatization
Various physical expressions and symptoms caused by emotional issues.
Psychology of appearing before an audience
Musicians, actors, lecturers and anyone who appears on stage: treatment of stage fright, public speaking anxiety, problems with self-image, self-confidence and motivation, work burnout among performers and those in the public eye.
