Leading Medical Authorities Embrace Hypnotherapy

Hypnosis has long been a topic of interest for researchers and practitioners alike, yet its conceptual understanding remains debated. Gruzelier’s (2000) research on hypnosis advocates for an integration of neurobiological and sociocognitive perspectives, emphasizing that hypnosis involves complex alterations in brain function initiated by interpersonal and cultural contexts. This article aims to provide a detailed explanation of these new insights into hypnosis and hypnotherapy, making the findings relevant to clinical practitioners at platforms like Joymind, which specializes in applying hypnotherapy for mental health and creativity enhancement.

The study concluded that gut-directed hypnotherapy (GDH) is as effective as the low FODMAP diet in alleviating gastrointestinal symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Both treatments resulted in significant symptom improvement over six weeks, with benefits persisting for six months. GDH showed superior improvement in psychological indices, such as anxiety and depression, compared to the diet. No additional benefits were observed when combining both treatments.

Hypnotherapy is a rapid, cost-effective, nonaddictive, and safe alternative to medication for anxiety-related conditions. This review analyzes experimental literature on self-hypnosis for treating anxiety and stress-related disorders, including conditions related to cancer, surgery, burns, medical/dental procedures, tension headaches, migraines, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The research strongly supports hypnosis as an effective treatment for state anxiety (e.g., before tests, surgery, medical procedures) and anxiety-related disorders such as headaches and IBS.

Impotence, or the inability to achieve an erection sufficient for intercourse, often stems from psychological issues such as unresolved childhood conflicts, past sexual disappointments, anxiety, and relationship problems. Traditional treatments, including psychoanalysis, behavior modification, and hypnosis, can be time-consuming and sometimes require a partner's involvement.

Hypnotherapy has gained popularity due to its shorter duration and ability to be conducted without a partner. Combining relaxation with positive suggestions, hypnotherapy effectively treated nine men aged 25-58 with secondary impotence in 1-3 sessions. All patients regained potency, with only one requiring an additional session. Hypnotherapy is seen as an effective method for quickly addressing impotence and preventing relationship issues.

Recent reports indicate that hypnosis may be beneficial for treating sexual dysfunction. Five strategies for using hypnosis in sex therapy include: (1) diagnostic tool, (2) improving self-confidence, (3) adjunct to behavior therapy, (4) direct symptom removal, and (5) resolving neurotic conflicts. While case reports document these uses, they often lack detailed information on patient variables, symptoms, therapeutic interventions, and improvement criteria. Although these case studies provide promising conclusions, controlled studies are necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of hypnotic techniques in sex therapy.

In a scientific trial assessing behavioral interventions for chronic pain among Veterans, hypnotherapy (HYP) demonstrated significant efficacy in reducing daily cannabis use. Participants assigned to hypnotherapy exhibited an 82% reduction in the risk of daily cannabis use at a 6-month posttreatment follow-up, compared to an active education control group. This effect was noted despite the primary focus of the treatment not being on substance use reduction. The study underscores hypnotherapy's potential to indirectly facilitate reductions in cannabis use among individuals receiving chronic pain management.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of 85 controlled trials demonstrated that hypnotherapy is effective for pain relief. The analysis, which involved 3,632 participants, showed that hypnosis significantly reduces pain across various metrics. The benefits were particularly notable in individuals responsive to hypnotic suggestions, with those having high and medium suggestibility experiencing up to 42% and 29% reductions in pain, respectively. This suggests that hypnotherapy, especially with direct analgesic suggestions, could serve as a viable and safe alternative to pharmaceutical approaches for pain management.

In a 1992 University of Iowa study analyzing 633 smoking cessation studies with 71,806 participants, researchers found hypnosis to be the most effective method, three times more effective than nicotine gum and five times more than willpower alone. Further studies support this, including a 2004 Texas A&M University project where 81% of participants quit smoking after three hypnosis sessions, with 48% remaining smoke-free after 12 months. Additionally, a 2015 study at Beni-Suef University in Egypt showed that 65.4% of male students stopped smoking through self-hypnosis. These findings underscore hypnosis as a powerful tool for quitting smoking.

Hospitalized patients who smoke may be more likely to quit smoking through the use of hypnotherapy than patients using other smoking cessation methods. Smoking patients who participated in one hypnotherapy session were more likely to be nonsmokers at 6 months compared with patients using nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) alone or patients who quit "cold turkey."

This study highlights the effectiveness of a tailored three-session hypnosis treatment for smoking cessation conducted in a clinical setting. Out of thirty smokers referred by their primary physicians, 21 completed the hypnosis program. The results were promising: 81% of the participants successfully quit smoking by the end of the treatment, and 48% maintained their abstinence a year later. Additionally, 95% of the patients expressed satisfaction with the hypnosis treatment. These findings underscore the potential value of hypnosis as an intervention for smoking cessation and point to the need for further empirical research to validate this approach.

Mohamed and SM ElMwafie, published in 2015, discusses how hypnotherapy can aid in smoking cessation among secondary school students. The study used a experimental design with a sample of 59 male smokers from two governmental secondary schools. It found that a significant percentage of the students stopped smoking after nine weeks of practicing hypnosis.

In the 1986 study "Hypnotherapy in Weight Loss Treatment" by Cochrane and Friesen, published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, the effects of hypnosis on weight loss were evaluated among 60 overweight women not engaged in other treatments. The study, measuring outcomes immediately and six months post-treatment, confirmed hypnosis as an effective weight loss method. However, variables such as suggestibility and the use of audiotapes did not significantly impact the results.

This study assessed hypnotherapy's effectiveness in aiding weight loss among 60 obese patients with obstructive sleep apnea. In this UK-based randomized, controlled trial, two hypnotherapy approaches—focusing on stress reduction and energy intake—were compared to dietary advice alone. Over 18 months, only the stress reduction hypnotherapy group maintained a modest but significant weight loss of 3.8 kg. This group also showed more substantial weight loss over the entire period than the other groups, which did not differ significantly from each other. Despite statistical significance, the clinical benefits were minimal, suggesting that more intensive hypnotherapy could be explored further.

Marianna Pellegrini et al.'s narrative review examines the effectiveness of self-hypnosis and mindfulness in obesity treatment. Highlighting the role of psychological factors in eating behaviors, the review suggests that integrating these self-help strategies with Hypnotherapy, Mindfulness, CBT, diet, and exercise enhances weight management. These methods improve food awareness, reduce cravings, and foster a healthier body image.

This summary evaluates 49 meta-analyses containing 261 primary studies on the effectiveness of hypnosis, particularly in pain management and medical procedures. Significant evidence supports its use, though the studies often overlap, and only nine were deemed of high methodological quality. Effect sizes ranged broadly, with notable proportions showing medium to large effects. The findings highlight hypnosis's potential benefits, especially for pain relief, medical procedures, and in treating children and adolescents. Future research should focus on comparing hypnosis with established treatments and determining its efficacy in specific populations, including identifying those who may not benefit from hypnosis.

Hypnotherapy is very effective in treating psychosomatic disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), tension headaches, fibromyalgia, chronic back pain, and insomnia. The study analyzed 21 randomized, controlled clinical trials that looked at the effectiveness of hypnotherapy compared to no treatment at all or standard medical care. The hypnotherapy techniques were divided into three categories: classic, mixed, and modern. The results showed that all forms of hypnotherapy had a positive effect, but there were significant differences in effectiveness between the three types. The overall impact of hypnotherapy across these studies was moderately strong, indicating its potential as a beneficial treatment option for these disorders.

This research reviewed 38 studies involving 2,205 children to evaluate the effectiveness of clinical hypnosis in managing children's procedural pain and distress. The results suggest that clinical hypnosis has potential benefits for reducing pain and distress during medical procedures in children, with the majority of studies showing moderate to large positive effects.

This summary highlights research from the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis (IJCEH) on the diverse applications of hypnosis. Hypnotherapy effectively mitigates chronic pain in Fibromyalgia syndrome, improves sleep quality among college students, offers long-term relaxation benefits for oncology patients, reduces test anxiety in secondary school students, and addresses public misconceptions about its scientific basis and benefits. These studies confirm the effectiveness and versatility of self-hypnosis across different contexts, emphasizing its potential in both clinical and educational settings and the importance of continued research and education.

This study investigated the impact of incorporating hypnosis into a behavioral management program for weight loss. It involved 109 participants who were divided into two groups: one receiving only behavioral management and the other receiving both behavioral management and hypnosis. Initially, both groups achieved significant weight loss after the 9-week program. However, the group that received hypnosis continued to lose weight and maintain their weight loss at both 8-month and 2-year follow-ups, unlike the group that received only behavioral management, which saw little change after the program ended. Additionally, a higher proportion of the hypnosis group achieved and sustained their personal weight goals. The findings suggest that hypnosis can be a valuable addition to behavioral weight-management programs, enhancing long-term weight loss outcomes.

This meta-reanalysis published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology by I. Kirsch examined the effectiveness of combining hypnosis with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for weight loss. The study compiled results from multiple analyses and found that individuals who received both CBT and hypnosis lost significantly more weight—an average of 11.83 lbs—compared to those who received only CBT, who lost an average of 6 lbs. Additionally, the disparity in weight loss between the two groups increased over time, with the hypnosis plus CBT group eventually showing an average weight loss of 14.88 lbs compared to 6.33 lbs in the CBT-only group. These results underscore the efficacy of adding hypnosis to CBT in enhancing weight loss outcomes.

This study from the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine evaluated the effectiveness of hypnosis in treating insomnia in 18 adults aged 29 to 60. Using daily diary cards, participants recorded sleep duration and quality. The results showed that hypnosis alone significantly extended sleep compared to a placebo, and more patients experienced a normal night's sleep with autohypnosis than with either placebo or the benzodiazepine drug Mogadon/Nitrazepam. Techniques used included relaxation, guided imagery of being in a warm, safe place, and self-hypnosis, suggesting deep, refreshing sleep. The findings indicate that hypnosis can effectively improve sleep quality and duration in insomnia patients.

The study by Harry E. Stanton, Ph.D., from the University of Tasmania, investigated the effectiveness of hypnotic relaxation in reducing sleep onset latency (SOL), the time it takes to fall asleep. Published in the International Journal of Psychosomatics, the research involved 45 subjects who were evenly matched based on their baseline SOL and then randomly assigned to one of three groups: hypnotic relaxation, stimulus control, and placebo. Each group participated in four weekly 30-minute sessions. Results from the study indicated that the hypnotic relaxation technique was effective in helping subjects fall asleep more quickly compared to the stimulus control and placebo groups, which did not show similar improvements. This suggests that hypnotic relaxation can be an effective intervention for reducing the time it takes to fall asleep among individuals struggling with sleep onset insomnia.

The study "Hypnosis for Treatment of Insomnia in School-Age Children," from SUNY Upstate Medical University, analyzed the effectiveness of self-hypnosis in treating insomnia among 84 children aged 12 on average. The findings revealed significant improvements: 87% of participants noted enhanced sleep, with 90% of those experiencing delayed sleep onset and 52% with frequent nighttime awakenings reporting marked improvements or resolution of their issues. Additionally, 87% of children with sleep-related physical symptoms reported alleviation. Self-hypnosis techniques included relaxation, imagery, and further sessions for unresolved cases to explore underlying stressors. The results suggest self-hypnosis as a beneficial treatment for pediatric insomnia.

The study "Hypnosis for Treatment of Insomnia in School-Age Children," from SUNY Upstate Medical University, analyzed the effectiveness of self-hypnosis in treating insomnia among 84 children aged 12 on average. The findings revealed significant improvements: 87% of participants noted enhanced sleep, with 90% of those experiencing delayed sleep onset and 52% with frequent nighttime awakenings reporting marked improvements or resolution of their issues. Additionally, 87% of children with sleep-related physical symptoms reported alleviation. Self-hypnosis techniques included relaxation, imagery, and further sessions for unresolved cases to explore underlying stressors. The results suggest self-hypnosis as a beneficial treatment for pediatric insomnia.

The study published in the Australian Journal of Clinical Hypnotherapy and Hypnosis by Marty Sapp explored the impact of cognitive-behavioral hypnosis on test anxiety and academic performance among college students. The research involved 44 psychology students who underwent four sessions of hypnosis and 50 controls who received no treatment. Results showed that the hypnosis group experienced a decrease in test anxiety and improvements in academic achievement, with benefits persisting at a 6-week follow-up. This study underscores the potential of hypnosis as an effective intervention for reducing test anxiety and enhancing student performance in academic settings.

The study "Reduction of Performance Anxiety in Music Students" by Harry E. Stanton, published in the *Australian Psychologist*, investigated the effectiveness of hypnotherapy in reducing stage fright among music students. The research involved 40 second- and third-year conservatorium music students who were matched based on their Performance Anxiety Inventory (PAI) scores. Participants were randomly assigned to either an experimental group receiving a two-session hypnotherapeutic treatment or a control group. The treatment included relaxation techniques, positive suggestions, and symbolic success imagery. The results, measured immediately after the sessions and six months later, indicated that hypnotherapy likely helps reduce performance anxiety in musicians. Anecdotal reports from participants further supported the positive impact on their performance over six months.

The experimental study "Coping with Examination Stress through Hypnosis" by B.M. Palan and S. Chandwani, published in the *American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis*, investigated the impact of hypnosis on examination stress among medical students. Fifty-six volunteer students were divided into three groups balanced by prior performance and hypnotizability. Over nine weeks, the hypnosis group attended eight weekly group sessions focused on ego-strengthening and study habits, plus a session on age progression and mental rehearsal, and practiced daily self-hypnosis. A waking group followed a similar routine but without hypnosis, while a control group engaged in passive relaxation through light reading. The results showed that the hypnosis group significantly improved in coping with examination stress, though no group showed significant changes in exam performance.

The review "Hypnosis Treatment of Gastrointestinal Disorders" by O. Palsson, published in the *American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis*, examines 35 studies on hypnotherapy for GI disorders, including 17 randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Most research focuses on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), with 24 studies on adults and 5 on children, all showing significant symptom improvements. Seven out of ten RCTs in adults and all three in children found hypnosis more effective than control treatments. This demonstrates that hypnotherapy is highly effective for IBS, providing lasting relief when traditional treatments fail. Preliminary evidence also suggests potential benefits for functional dyspepsia, chest pain, and ulcerative colitis, though more trials are needed. Hypnosis likely impacts both gut function and brain processing of GI signals.

The study "Long Term Benefits of Hypnotherapy for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)" published in *Gut*, examined the long-term effects of hypnotherapy on 204 IBS patients. Initially, 71% of patients responded positively to hypnotherapy, and 81% of these maintained improvements over time. Symptom scores significantly improved from pre-hypnotherapy levels and remained stable for up to six years. Quality of life and anxiety or depression scores also improved significantly, although some deterioration was noted. Patients reported reduced consultation rates and medication use post-therapy. The study concludes that hypnotherapy provides lasting benefits for IBS, making it a viable long-term treatment option.

A scientist at the University of Liverpool, Dr. Simon Duff, found that hypnosis can slow the impacts of dementia and improve the quality of life for those with the condition. His research compared hypnosis to mainstream healthcare methods and group therapy discussing current events. Results showed that dementia patients receiving hypnosis improved in concentration, memory, socialization, relaxation, motivation, and daily activities, unlike the other groups. Over nine months, the hypnosis group demonstrated significant improvements, while the discussion group remained unchanged, and the usual treatment group slightly declined.