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Essay / Hypnotherapeutic treatments for stress, anxiety and phobias
Table of contentsCognitive-behavioral therapyTreatment of phobiasEricksonian therapyCurative hypnotherapyIn the recent past, compared to a study carried out in 2007 in the United States, anxiety disorders were the form the most common mental illness, with approximately 40 million adults over the age of 18, the equivalent of 18.1% of the total population affected each year (Anxiety and Depression Association of America). On the other hand, specific phobias affect approximately 19 million adults, equivalent to 8.7% of the total U.S. population, with women having a higher likelihood of having them than men. . Additionally, according to statistics from the American Psychological Association (APA), in 2015, stress levels in general were reported to have increased, with a greater percentage of adults reporting extreme levels than last year. Hypnosis is a crucial, alternative and complementary medicinal technique that attempts to solve different psychological problems, including managing stress, anxiety and phobia. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essayAccording to Golden (2003), hypnotherapy can be applied in the treatment of comprehensive anxiety disorders, including job interviews, sexual routine anxiety, and other stresses. following post-traumatic experiences. This method has shown successful results for headaches and irritable bowel disorders, which are all stress-related disorders. In addition to this, hypnotherapy can be used in the management of phobias such as agoraphobia, among others. Hypnotherapeutic treatments for stress, anxiety and phobias are carried out in five stages including orientation where the assessment and collection of historical data on the patient occurs, hypnotic induction where the hypnotic induction procedure is chosen and implemented, the in-depth analysis of hypnosis. where multiple procedures are used, use and cessation of hypnosis - the use of numerous techniques to terminate hypnosis and patients return to a fully alert state (pp47-56). The most commonly used hypnotherapy treatments for stress, anxiety, and phobias include cognitive behavioral therapy, Ericksonian therapy, solution-focused brief therapy, remedial hypnotherapy, and traditional hypnotherapy. Cognitive-behavioral therapy Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a method of managing stress, anxieties and phobias. Regarding this model, circumstances do not automatically lead to anxiety, but rather it is the anxiety-producing feelings that lead to anxiety. Cognitive and behavioral techniques capable of modifying the patient's feelings and judgment to provide a means of managing several disorders that can result from anxiety. These techniques include coping self-statements, journaling, the two-column method, and imagery. Coping self-statements can be used to reduce anxiety. According to Beck, Emery, and Greenberg, these affirmations are fruitful or productive ideas that can be used by patients to prepare themselves to face any demanding or stressful situation they may encounter in their lives. The authors further pointed out that "through the use of imagery, the individual practices these statements in their head while imagining or visualizing in their mind how these can be used to manage demanding situations, at the same time in case they are faced with such a situation(Beck, Emery & Greenberg, 2005 pp1). .The two-column method of managing anxiety involves the patient dividing a page in two. The patient then lists all the anxiety-provoking thoughts on one side of the page. Then generates a set of ideas (coping thoughts) that can be used to manage the situation on the second half of the page (Golden, 2012 pp263). Treatment of phobias Thanks to cognitive-behavioral therapy, the treatment of phobias is done through desensitization. Desensitization is an exposure therapeutic procedure established by Wolpe for the management of uncertainties and terrors (Wolpe, 2008 pp239). Desensitization gives individual patients the opportunity to confront their terrors, usually step by step. Procedures that allow the body to relax are often used in cases where moderation of the situation is of the utmost importance, especially if the situation is very terrifying for the patient. Fear is broken down into particular, specific factors that, in one way or another, increase the patient's risk of anxiety. The factors are always grouped in such a way that factors that increase the likelihood that the patient will be anxious are at the top of the pyramid, while those that have little or no effect on the patient are ranked at the bottom of the pyramid. An evaluation of randomized placebo-controlled trials by Hofmann and Smits indicates that this type of hypnotherapeutic techniques are formidable in the management of stress, phobias and anxiety disorders in adults (Hofmann & Smits, 2008 pp621). However, CBT also has some limitations. For starters, it's not for everyone. CBT requires the patient to be dedicated and determined to achieve a solution or overcome the current situation and improve with the guidance of the psychotherapist (Golden & Friedberg, 1986 pp290). Ericksonian Therapy Ericksonian hypnotherapy is a very moderate approach to unresolved issues that contribute to stress, anxiety and phobias. This model was developed by Milton H. Erickson. Due to Erickson's use of an informal conversational approach, complex language patterns in addition to therapeutic strategies, his colleagues have challenged his labeling of the approach "hypnosis". Techniques such as self-hypnosis and the rewind technique are used to treat stress, phobias and anxiety. According to Mathews, the Ericksonian therapeutic approach is based on assumptions, including the belief in an altered form of perception associated with factors that indicate interference. , the supremacy of the factors which indicate indirect suggestion over direct suggestion; and patient vulnerability. The two types of metaphors involved in this form of processing include isomorphic and interspersal metaphors, depending on their nature (Mathews, 2000 pp418). In his work, Kraft highlights how isomorphic metaphors control the patient's subconscious by proposing a kind of story that has a lesson (a moral lesson). The subconscious will then induce a one-to-one relationship between the events of history and those of the current situation that must be resolved. On the other hand, with the other command called “Embedded Command” technique, the hypnotist tells a motivating story that aims to entertain the conscious mind. Most often, the story contains a disguised suggestion intended to trick the subconscious into believing that the story is true. Additionally, the story is usually indirect. The author further states that process instructions, on the other hand, cause the subconscious to locate any type of memory that can be used as a model for learning from previous experience so that that experience can be used to bring acrucial positive change in the present (Kraft, 2011 pp235).In a study conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of Ericksonian hypnosis, by Holdevici & Craciun, which aimed to reduce stress in patients suffering from stress and those suffering from other forms of general anxiety, results showed that the use of Ericksonian hypnosis led to a significant decrease in the levels of stress, anxiety and phobias in the observed patients. Additionally, the process of training in Ericksonian hypnotherapy and the effective application of the knowledge acquired, an obstacle that only a few dedicated individuals willing to work with their therapists can successfully overcome (Holdevici & Craciun, 2012 pp75). technique for the treatment of stress, anxiety and phobias was developed through a combination of aspects of two different techniques: solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) and Ericksonian hypnotherapy. This combination produced a more goal-focused psychotherapy, compared to the initial psychotherapy which was more problem-focused. According to Gingerich & Eisengart, the technique aims to help patients achieve long-term cures for their problems rather than solving problems for a period of time without a lasting solution (2000 pp477). This approach (SFBT) was developed in a scientific context among many unreliable reports of success from therapists and clients and has not been exposed to any testing to determine its effectiveness. In their work (Gingerich & Eisengart, 2000 pp477), they carried out an in-depth analysis of all studies concerning SFBT. to find out to what extent it was accepted by the people (to what extent it had empirical support). However, this model has various limitations, including the continued perpetuation of the belief that one can be the same for all people (Stalker, Levene & Coady, 2009 pp468). Healing Hypnotherapy Healing hypnotherapy was first attempted by David Lesser, who wanted to find the causes of people's symptoms using both IMR and detailed questions. The knowledge possessed by Lesser facilitated the creation of modern therapy used today. This treatment method is used in the treatment of stress, anxiety and phobias. Healing hypnotherapy gives the patient the ability to access their instinctive mind. During therapy, the patient is able to identify the reasons why their instinctive mind reacts in such a way that it generates negative symptoms. This process is usually accomplished by examining the initial event that led to these subconscious responses. The patient then uses all the knowledge gained over the following years to decide whether the response at the time of the initial event was most appropriate or not. This allows patients to modify their responses, leading to resolution of the problem and any relevant symptoms. Depending on the patients' wishes, they can then explain to the therapist the causes of their condition (McGuinness, 2004 pp261). However, curative therapy also has certain limitations. This doesn't suit everyone. Remedial therapy, just like CBT, requires the patient to be dedicated and determined to achieve a solution or overcome their problem and improve with the guidance of the psychotherapist (Kraft, 2011 pp235). This method of treating stress, anxiety and phobia, is the form of hypnotherapy most practiced by most Victorian hypnotists. Traditional hypnosis involves making direct suggestions to the unconscious mind. This treatment method works on patients who particularly accept what they are told without questioning..