In recent years, there has been ongoing research that supports the fact that hypnosis can be seen as a viable alternative treatment to be used for people dealing with pain and other types of emotional distress. In this article we will uncover case studies highlighting the fact of using cognitive behavioral therapy along with hypnosis to deal with obstetrics.
In a recent study in England, there was a general obstetrics practice where hypnosis was used in house and patients were given the opportunity to use either standard relaxation or to incorporate hypnosis in their treatment. At first, many of the patients did not know about hypnosis, so they had to get a education about the practice in which they were able to get rid of any existing myths
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that existed beforehand. In addition, the researchers at this hospital decided to also include hypnosis as a part of the program in which every woman dealt with childbirth. While this hospital was seen as pioneers in implementing hypnosis throughout the childbirth process, they decided that future studies would need to be completed to confirm whether or not hypnosis would be viable in implementing birth strategies. In regards to this ongoing flexibility, the researchers also concluded that hypnosis can be used either before, during, or after any medical or surgical procedures, depending on whether or not the patient is open to alternative methods. Can cognitive behavioral therapy be used for postnatal PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder? Post-traumatic stress disorder following childbirth is something that is recognized by the mainstream. However, current research concludes that only 30% of women will have any type of treatment dealing with these types of depression following childbirth. Evidence also shows that women with symptoms of PTSD also have lower instances of dealing with avoidance. In the UK, over 90% of hospitals do provide postnatal services to women who have any issues dealing with difficulties during the birth process. While many of these services are midwife-led or have an obstetrician providing the services, only a small portion of the women get an understanding of the emotional strain that happens during birth. In the first case study we will look at Sarah's situation.
Sarah was a 35-year-old woman who had a child more than 14 months ago. However, when Sarah was 19 years old she actually had an abortion which she kept a secret because she didn't want people to look at her negatively. During her whole process of delivering her new baby, she had these negative pictures going on in her mind in dealing with the abortion. Because of this, during her pregnancy she had frequent bleeding and her water broke 3 days before the baby was due to be born. Sarah reported that it took more than a year for her to bond with her child. This was due to the birth experience where she felt very frightened and she kept reliving the fact that she felt helpless when she was 19 when she had the abortion.
Her treatment included relaxation exercises in which Sarah was able to relive the events of the birth of her child. She was also able to go back to when she was 19 and forgive herself for the ongoing fear. Sarah also had a total of 10 visualization sessions in which she started receiving positive reinforcement. After the 9th session, she noticed that her post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms started disappearing and she had greater positive beliefs in herself as well as forgiving herself for having the abortion while she was a
teenager. Julie is another case study in dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder after childbirth. Julie was 32 years old and she had delivered her baby 8 months prior to receiving treatment. Her labor lasted over 30 hours and she had experienced extreme difficulty because she had asthma. She also felt very weak but wanted to have a C-section immediately, but she didn't have the confidence to ask for it. During labor, Julie had experienced having fecal incontinence because there was a tear when her baby was born with forceps. Due to the tear and her fecal incident, she felt very ashamed and humiliated. She continued reliving this embarrassing circumstance for over a week and continued to report ongoing depression. During her hypnotherapy sessions, she continued to feel dirty due to what happened and she kept reliving that negative experience. She also reported hearing other negative stories from her friends that were similar to hers, and this exacerbated her levels of low self-esteem. It actually took 12 sessions working with Julie in that she was able to incorporate visualization techniques to overcome her feelings of depression and worthlessness. These sessions also improved her relationship with her husband, and she has reported ongoing satisfaction in addition to growing her bond with her daughter. While there are not many research studies highlighting the efficiency of using hypnotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy, the studies above show that using these alternative methods can be seen as a viable treatment solution for those dealing with any issues with obstetrics and post-traumatic stress disorder after the baby is born. Further research is recommended to further cement these ongoing claims.
Throughout Alice’s childhood, Jane struggled with alcoholism and panic attacks. “I wished my mother were normal, like other moms, smiling and caring, seemingly, only for her family” (37). When Alice’s rape is discussed, Jane feels anxious and goes into these panic attacks. During these attacks, Jane is in an unstable state of mind, and she cannot function properly. Normally, a teenage girl seeks out her mother for guidance in a time of need. However, in this situation, the mother/daughter roles are reversed, and Alice must comfort Jane. While Jane is having a difficult time with the rape, Alice had to step up and support her mother. Jane’s reaction to the rape influences Alice to console her, which make her a more secure
Birth is a normal, physiological process, in which a woman’s body naturally prepares to expel the fetus within. It has occurred since the beginning of time. Unfortunately, childbirth has gradually evolved into what it is today - a highly managed whirlwind of unwarranted interventions. Jennifer Block, a journalist with over twelve years experience, has devoted herself to raising awareness regarding the authenticity of the Americanized standard of care in obstetrics, while guiding others to discover the truth behind the medical approach to birth in this country. In her book, Pushed: The Painful Truth About Childbirth and Modern Maternity Care, Jennifer Block brings forth startling truths concerning this country’s management of birth.
Hypnosis has been used for a wide range of problems from, opting to remove some symptoms of certain mental diseases, reducing stress and psychological traumas, and treating phobias, to aiming to cause weight loss and cure one from illness and diseases (Keller, 2008). Although hypnosis in general, is considered to be safe and totally harmless when controlled by a physician, the present era has attached danger to it, in that it creates delusions through other people’s lives. According to MacKenzie (2011), “Hypnosis has been perceived as clouding people’s imaginations while they undergo relaxation, both internally and externally. While under hypnosis we experience a heightened sense of imagination and are open to suggestions and changes.” Coker (2010) found Pseudoscience to encourage people to believe anything they want. “It supplies specious "arguments" for fooling yourself into thinking that any and all beliefs are equally valid...
Her detrimental relationship with her mother turned into a psychosomatic disease, which later affected her life and the people in it.... ... middle of paper ... ... 12 Nov. 2013. http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=8255d75b-58ea-4383-be87-4f5601606c51%40sessionmgr13&vid=1&hid=26&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=lfh&AN=17088173>.
Hypnosis and Weight Loss Hypnosis has many practical uses, and these days it is becoming increasingly popular as a method of behavior modification. The Internet contains many advertisements for self-help programs that use hypnosis to reduce stress, quit smoking, or lose weight. In the area of hypnosis and weight loss, there are many web sites for both products and services for sale that promise to help anyone lose weight. Hypnosis uses suggestions to change a person's behavior and eating habits in order to facilitate weight loss. What are the expected outcomes?
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.
In the article “The Altered States of Hypnosis” the author, Irving Kirsch, takes one on a journey through where hypnosis comes from, what it used to be, what it is now, and what it can become. She also talks about what hypnosis is in the eyes of scholars who have researched hypnotic states of mind and concluded that the effects of hypnosis are not due to an altered state of consciousness, but are instead a product of normal psychological processes. Furthermore, Irving Kirsch makes compelling observations about the reality of hypnotic experiences. For example, there was a hypnotic test can at an university with volunteers participants where they were hypnotized by someone in the same room as them, but then hypnotized by a video recording. Also
...l position in the womb" (4). Altogether, acupuncture has withstood the test of time; not necessarily the test of criticism. The procedure seems to work sometimes, and so it has not been falsified. It seems very beautiful, ancient and creative, and so it is left alone as a non-conventional medical alternative. But there should be more studies done on the subject, especially to prevent people from depending on it because of a desire to be all-natural. This is not reason enough to abandon centuries of experience and of scientists getting it "less wrong". Acupuncture is a possible treatment – but not a perfect one.
Throughout history, hypnosis has been a widely accepted practice that was said to solve everything from psychological disorders, to weight loss. Hardly any research had been conducted on the effectiveness of hypnosis. That is, until Nicolas Spanos (1982) released his findings gathered from sixteen separate studies on hypnosis. Spanos’ theory was that hypnosis was not an altered state of consciousness, but actually voluntary actions carried out by the hypnosis patients. He claimed that due to the patients being convinced that hypnosis was real, they voluntarily abided by all instructions given by the hypnotist.
Acupuncture is considered to be a new alternative medicine in western society, and has recently become very popular in the United States (“All About Acupuncture”). Acupuncture is the insertion of hair-fine needles into the body’s surface, which is supposed to cause psychological effects on the body to cure the patient of an illness. These illnesses may be emotional mental or physical (Singer). But some doctors question the validity of this practice, and believe that acupuncture may be unsafe (Barrett).
Hypnotherapy can be used to achieve many things, as well as to modify behavior, develop decisive and healthy behaviours, secure creative insight and new-found solutions to life problems, to visualize and accomplish topmost performance in your chosen sport or area, and to switch stress and anxiety with a feel of rest and renewed energy and persistence. Hypnotherapy is besides an outstanding way to get a deeper understanding and feel of balance involving the rational, emotional, and spiritual parts of yourself.
Hypnosis: a highly controversial topic in the medical field. Capable of changing a person’s behavior, modifying daily routines, causing odd reactions to normal things, plus countless other phenomena’s. Many people believe that the mystic of hypnosis does not exist and is just a simple stage routine used for entertainment. But, in this report, I will prove that on the stage, in the therapy office, and in the mass public, Hypnosis does exist and is capable of changing our behavior and that it is a very delicate process and not a power to be taken lightly.
This practice has been around for centuries with no real origin. However, Frank Mesmer is credited with giving the practice credibility within the scientific community but applying the scientific method to test his theories on animal magnetism ( Crabtree, 2006). But is hypnosis real? Studies have proven that this technique reduces pain, regulates blood and removes physical ailments. This method has even been administered to help reduce the use of anesthesia and other drugs (Michael, 2004). Despite the overwhelming evidence that hypnosis works, it is still hard for many to accept this technique as more than a placebo effect of
Hypnotist or hypnosis can be described as a state of consciousness in which humans have their attention focused. Their peripheral awareness is described and there is intensified capacity to response to suggestion. In this state of mind you are able to concentrate on a particular thought or memory. This process usually takes place when hypnotic induction is performed. It involves a series of primary suggestions and instructions. Hypnosis is basically used an aid to counselling or therapy. This process is used as it allows you to understand difficult painful emotions, feelings and memories.