On my cell phone, I found an application that uses a type of meditation and hypnosis to help with fears and phobias called Harmony - Hypnosis Meditation. I downloaded this application to see what sort of phobias that can be helped and I found that it can help with things from the fear of spiders, the fear of being alone, public speaking, water, driving, and agoraphobia which is the extreme or irrational fear of crowded spaces or enclosed public spaces. Harmony utilizes hypnotherapy in each category and video and I found that it is more of a calming way to change the way you think about the phobia, change the way you feel about it, and eventually create a coping mechanism in the mind to find a rational way to deal with the fear. I found it very
Hypnosis can be defined as a form of highly focused concentration with relative suspension perplexed awareness used to lessen pain experience. (King.B, 2001) It can also be used alongside analgesics such as morphine. (Bamford.C, 2006) This paper will be discussing the effectiveness of its use to manage pain and related areas based on the benefits and limitations highlighted by various methodologies. These methodologies include decade long observations of case studies, testing on amputees and cancer patients whilst comparing use of pharmacological medicines to use of hypnosis itself. Some of the advantages of hypnosis include how it increases self efficacy by actively allowing patient to control pain symptoms, (Williamson.A, 2004) compliments and in some cases lessens the need to take pharmacological medicines. It lessens anxiety and depression in patients with chronic pain or terminal illnesses while enhancing the function of the immune system. (Liosso.C, 2001)All these benefits are however undermined by the process’s lack of effect on activity level or physical quality of life, (Liosso.C, 2001) the existence of individual differences in hypnotic responsibility and the fact that the effects of hypnosis achievable in non hypnotic social situation context (Brian.R.V, 2010). Nonetheless, just as the effectiveness of other methods of pain management varies due to issues such as genetic makeup, hypnosis is more effective on some individuals than it is on others. Case studies have proven its success on its own and in some cases combined with pharmacological medicine. It is therefore better to compliment what is already available than reject it due to its psychologically driven success aspect.
Jackson would be to undergo Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT is a method of psychotherapy that looks to treat psychological disorders by implementing modifications that change dysfunctional thoughts, emotions, and behavior. (Zalyte, Neverauskas, & Goodall, 2017) CBT is the most commonly used and most effective treatments for Agoraphobia. (Gloster, Wittchen, et al. 2011) In this case, therapist guided exposure during CBT will prove to be Mrs. Jackson’s best option. Self-exposure to their trigger can be difficult for phobia patients, and they will often activate avoidance behaviors which can interfere with their progress through treatment. The presence of a therapist can help to counteract this. (Hahlweg, Fiegenbaum, Frank, Schroeder, & von Witzleben, 2001).The therapist’s role in this case would be to reassure Mrs. Jackson about her safety, and identify safety behaviors that Mrs. Jackson can utilize to ensure that she is secure, such as carrying a cell phone for emergency purposes. The therapist’s feedback can help guide Ms. Jackson and promote more effective behavior by providing modeling and verbal instructions. I would recommend setting up a daily plan that included gradual exposure to the world outside of the home, with small steps being taken until Mrs. Jackson is more comfortable and can make larger and larger advances into the outside world. The therapist’s presence will help keep her accountable, and ensure that she is
A technique made up of a series of instructions and suggestions that place a person in a trancelike state of mind, possessing similarities to being asleep. Only, in this trance a person is able to hear and respond to questions or suggestions, these states are otherwise known as hypnosis. However, when it is combined with hypnotic suggestion and therapeutic understanding, it is then referred to as hypnotherapy. This alternative treatment therapy has proven to be beneficial in many circumstances. A few of these being, pain management, anxiety, the cessation of smoking, weight control and many other physiological and psychological circumstances. Over time hypnotherapy has proven to be helpful in treating a wide range of health conditions, not only medical patients but as well as nonmedical ones.
First, I have the client form a hierarchy of different fears. Next, I give a training session on relaxation, showing them how to control their breathing and release tension through meditation. In this step, they learn to relax when presented with their fear, for it is impossible to be both relaxed and anxious at the same time. Finally, my clients are presented with their fears according to the hierarchy they had documented. Thus, I start with the lesser ones and build up to the greater fears. Of course, if you’re terrified of spiders, I’m not going to put a tarantula on your arm. We would start with maybe something as simple as a picture of someone looking at a spider at the zoo or seeing a spider on television. Then I use the relaxation techniques to control their anxiety so they are able to lessen their anxiety when confronted with their
In the general population, less than five percent of people experience panic disorders, and only six percent develop agoraphobia during their lives, (MacNeil 2001). A diagnosis of panic disorder is given when panic attacks turn into a common occurrence, for no apparent reason and the person begins to change their behaviour because of the constant fear of having a panic attack. Someone suffering from agoraphobia has a fear of being somewhere where help will not be provided in case of an emergency; one third to one half of people diagnosed with panic disorders develops agoraphobia, (Hoeksema & Rector, 2011, p. 204). Research has examined two well-known ways a panic disorder with agoraphobia (PDA) can be treated: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) (alone and combined with two other medications) and Experimental Cognitive Therapy (ECT). Examining the research allows for a comparison of each treatment, along with a discussion of implications, resulting in determining which treatment is the most effective for someone who suffers from a panic disorder with agoraphobia.
Having anxiety is common and a part of everyday life however; there is a huge difference between a fear and a social phobia or anxiety disorder. The difference and important distinction psychoanalysts make between a fear and a phobia is “a true phobia must be inconsistent with the conscious learning experience of the individual” (Karon 1). Patients with true phobias “do not respond to cognitive therapy but do respond well to psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic therapy” (Karon 2). Social phobia is a serious anxiety disorder that should not be taken lightly or mistaken as a fear you will simply grow out of the older you get. Social phobia has the power to destroy lives and can prevent people from living and enjoying their life to the fullest. Social phobia is a disabling condition that often starts between the ages of early childhood and late adolescence. The origins of social phobia can be linked to “traumatic social experiences and social isolation” (Hudson118-120). Social phobia is treatable however; research and statics show that not many seek help.
In conclusion, phobias are a big part of many people’s lives these days and a growing medical condition. People do not realize how badly phobias can affect their lives so they don’t receive medical attention. There are no cures for phobias but there are treatments which will help the phobic get over their fear. I personally believe that if people care enough about their lives, they will treat their phobias. Phobias can totally alter your life so if you have any of the symptoms I have listed above, please go and get treatment.
Meditation is an age-old practice that has renewed itself in many different cultures and times. Despite its age, however, there remains a mystery and some ambiguity as to what it is, or even how one performs it. The practice and tradition of meditation dates back thousands of years having appeared in many eastern traditions. Meditation’s ancient roots cloud its origins from being attributed to a sole inventor or religion, though Bon, Hindu, Shinto, Dao, and later, Buddhism are responsible for its development. Its practice has permeated almost all major world religions, but under different names. It has become a practice without borders, influencing millions with its tranquil and healing effects.
In order to treat the fear you must treat it with relaxation while in the presence of the feared situation. The first step in Wolpe’s study was to focus on relaxing your body. He recommended a process that involves tensing and relaxing various groups of muscles until a deep state of relaxation is achieved (Wolpe,264). The second stage was to develop a list of anxiety-producing situations that are associated with the phobia. The list would descend with from the least uncomfortable situation to the most anxiety producing event you can imagine. The number of events can vary from 5 to 20 or more. The final step is to desensitize, which is the actual “unlearning” of the phobia. Wolpe told his patients that no actual contact with the fear is necessary, and that the same effectiveness can be accomplished through descriptions and visualizations(Wolpe,265). Wolpe’s participants are told to put themselves in a state of relaxation which they are taught. Then, the therapist begins reading the first situation on the hierarchy they have made up. If the patient stays relaxed through the first situation the therapist continues to the next until the state of relaxation is broken. If they feel a slight moment of anxiety they are to raise their index finger until the state of relaxation is restored. The average number
One of the characteristics of a phobia is a feeling that is greater than the fear of a situation or object with an exaggeration of the danger associated with the said situation or even object. This persistent fear often leads to an anxiety disorder that leads an individual to develop mechanisms that ensure one avoids the object or situation that triggers the occurrence of the phobia. Phobias can have highly debilitating effects on an individual including the development of depression, isolation, substance abuse, and even suicide. Many people take phobia for granted however, it is clear that it has the potential to impair the quality of life for both the affected and the people around them. The fact that many of the phobias are manageable using
This aims to remove the fear response of a phobia and substitute a relaxation response to the conditional stimulus. There are three steps to Systematic Desensitization. The first step is the relaxation techniques. Wolpe would teach his patients deep muscle, breathing exercises, mediation, deep breathing, releasing muscle tension and other relaxation techniques. This is the most important steps because tension is a result of fear so if the patient can relax, then they can overcome their phobia. The second step is where the patient and therapist create the patient’s fear hierarchy with fear rating from 10 to 100. Third and final step is that the patient enters a deep state relaxation, then they are exposed to each level of fear. The patient then uses their relaxation techniques to lower their tension and ease their anxiety. They can always go back a level of fear if the patient cannot handle the current level (Wolpe, 1964; Wolpe,
GUIDE TO HYPNOSIS HOW TO GUIDE SOMEONE INTO HYPNOSIS: NOTE THAT I SAID GUIDE, YOU CAN NEVER, HYNOTISE SOMEONE, THEY MUST BE WILLING. OK, THE SUBJECT MUST BE LYING OR SITTING IN A COMFORTABLE POSITION, RELAXED, AND AT A TIME WHEN THINGS ARENT GOING TO BE INTERRUPTED. TELL THEM THE FOLLOWING OR SOMETHING CLOSE TO IT, IN A PEACEFUL, MONOTINOUS TONE (NOT A COMMANDING TONE OF VOICE)
Treatment is available and extremely helpful for those suffering with a phobia. Medications and therapy both work well in the majority of cases. In a majority of cases a portion of the therapy is dedicated to causal exposure to the phobia. The exposure is gradually increased until the individual is comfortable in the situation without experiencing an anxiety attack. Group therapy is also beneficial as the individual is exposed to other suffering through the same fears.
What are your thoughts, views, musings and experiences etc. regarding meditation? As we all can learn from each other when it comes to sharing ways of creating a healthy, happy and vibrant life work balance.
Dunlop, J. (2015). Directed Reading. . Meditation, Stress Relief, and Well-Being. Radiologic Technology, 86(5), 535-555.