Hypnotherapy: Past, Present and Future - Research Paper Example

Hypnotherapy: Past, Present and Future Introduction Hypnotherapy has likely been around as long as human civilization itself. During that time, this practice has been the brunt of jokes around the office water cooler, credited with solving countless medical conditions, and been fiercely debated in both academic and medical circles. Many professionals focus on hypnotherapy as a solid way of helping people facing severe difficulty or trauma, while others claim it provides nothing more than false hope. No matter which perspective the reader chooses to take, the fact remains that hypnotherapy remains a part of our medical culture and is worthy of study. The practice has a rich history, is gaining notoriety in the present, and is looking forward to new and innovative methods in the future. Hypnotherapy: The Past Throughout its history, hypnotherapy has been both praised and condemned at the same time. This is perhaps the case more for this field than for any other branch of medicine in modern civilization. It is commonly accepted that modern day hypnotherapy began in the mid-1700s under the auspices of Anoton Mesmer. In addition to Mesmer, an early pioneer in this branch of medicine was James Braid. In 1855 Braid actually defined what hypnotherapy entails by, “coining the term ‘Neuro-Hypnotism’ (meaning a partial sleep or inhibition of the nervous system) which he himself abbreviated to ‘Hypnotism’” (Stubbs, 2011, p. 125). Hypnosis began out of a desire to find a way to reorganize the neural networks of the brain. This desire still forms the basis of the science today. Mesmer and Braid believed that by focusing a patient’s attention on the inner-recesses of their memory, they could recall and reshape certain memories and behaviors from their past and present. Interestingly enough, these same medical practitioners had little understanding of how hypnosis really worked in the early days of the science, but their work and dedication to hypnosis as a way to heal people in ways that traditional medicine could not was groundbreaking (Wolberg, 1948, pp. 244-246). A final important point to mention in the history of hypnotherapy centers on Braid and the reasons he became interested in hypnosis in the first place. His medical background was that of an eye surgeon. It was through this practice of medicine that he began to envision what the actual practice of hypnosis could do for patients. What he discovered over the years was groundbreaking and is what has allowed hypnotherapy to still be practiced today, even in the face of countless critics and skeptics. Over time, Braid, “Discovered that hypnosis was of great value in what were described as ‘nervous disorders’” (Stubbs, 2011, p. 127). Basically, if a disorder could not be treated in a ‘normal’ medical way, Braid looked for ways that hypnosis might be of help. This included rheumatism, skin conditions, headaches, and the list goes on (Wolberg, 1948, p. 252). Through this early research, present day hypnotherapy has continued to develop and, some claim, flourish. Hypnotherapy: The Present Hypnotic techniques have come a long way since the days of Mesmer and Braid. Hypnotherapy is now used for a host of ailments and behavioral disorders, in addition to addictive behaviors. One such practice is the use of hypnosis to break the habit of smoking. The Cochrane Library recently conducted a study looking at the effectiveness of hypnotherapy in smoking cessation. There are actually several different methods employed in this modern day treatment for smokers. Some of these methods focus on weakening people desire to smoke, while others try to get into the inner recesses of the brain to strengthen the patient’s desire to quit. Still other methods help them concentrate more on a program they are using to quit smoking (Barnes, 2010, p. 4). Whatever the technique, hypnotherapy is the remedy of choice today for thousands of smokers who have tried to quite, but failed. The jury, however, is still out as to whether or not hypnotic methods are more effective than other ‘quit smoking programs’. Another way that hypnotherapy is being utilized in the present in the field of Child Psychiatry. Psychiatrists who believe that hypnotherapy is a viable treatment option have long discovered that children are more easily hypnotized than adults. As such, today they are using hypnosis as a tool, “with which to assess and develop protective factors, and enhance positive adjustment” (Huynh, 2008, p. 379). In children, hypnosis is now being used to treat disorders like asthma, chronic and acute pain, and in certain procedures related to cancer trauma. Today, doctors are beginning to use hypnosis to apply to child psychiatric disorders. This is actually groundbreaking and it remains to be seen which direction this will go in the field of Child Psychiatry. There is, however, research already concluded that seems to find hypnosis as being useful in solving and treating a wide range of disorders and problems that are unique to children Huynh, 2008, p. 381). Finally, hypnotherapy today is proving useful for treating such problems in adults as anxiety disorder and some trauma-related issues. Hypnosis is also useful in helping patients go back in time and retrieve memories that have been repressed in an effort to treat personality disorders that have previously gone undiagnosed. By going back through these memories, psychiatrists and other medical professionals have been able to treat these issues and minimize disorders in ways that other medical professionals have not been able to do (Fromm, 1980, pp.76-77). It is important to mention that present day hypnotherapy is subject to just as much criticism as when it was first discussed in medical journals nearly 200 years ago. This criticism is not likely to go away. There are, for example, as many child psychiatrists who would never use hypnosis in their practice, as there are doctors who would. What once seemed like a passing medical fad, however, is apparently here to stay and will only grow in notoriety as the years go on. It is, therefore, important to also discuss what the future of hypnotherapy looks like. Hypnotherapy: The Future Many view hypnosis of the future to be used in a way that enhances the personal well-being of a person. It will be, in essence, a method for enhancing lives and making people more productive. It has already been notes that hypnotherapy may prove useful in treating psychological and physical distress, but “It is also well-suited to facilitate well-being” (Guse, 2012, p. 214). In the future, doctors who practice hypnotherapy hope to better be able to understand the unconscious mind in a way that allows them to focus the patient on realizing the strengths that lie with them. If this can be accomplished, the hope is that lives can be enhanced as weakness are minimized to people begin to have a more positive outlook on life, where before all they saw was negativity (Guse, 2012, pp. 218-220). The reason this research will be so useful moving forward is that there is currently very little literature on how to combine positive psychology principles with the practice of hypnotherapy (Guse, 2012, p. 221). If this is a direction that is deemed valuable by the medical community, then is could alter the way society looks at hypnosis in the future. As Guse writes, “To advance the theory and practice of hypnotherapy in the 21st century, it is imperative to investigate the effectiveness of hypnotherapeutic strategies” (Guse, 2012, p. 221). This process would be combined with the current principles of positive psychology to create a new and effective use of hypnotherapy moving forward. Now that even the most hardened critic acknowledges that hypnotherapy is here to stay, it is important the future of the field focuses on values and ethics. Just as in traditional medicine, many professionals believe that there must be a set code of ethics and morals that must not be crossed in using hypnotic techniques. By its nature, hypnosis can achieve lasting results much more quickly in many cases than could happen if the patient remained awake. At the same time, the patent becomes vulnerable in an unconscious state. It is this vulnerability that is concerning and must be dealt with in the future to minimize any dangers that could result during a session. Medical professionals of the future should treat their patients with care when in a hypnotic state and the field should focus on developing a code of morals that protects the patent and furthers the effectiveness of the field at the same time (Fromm, 1980, p. 425). Conclusion Having explored the past, present, and future of hypnotherapy it bears mentioning that this is still a young field of medicine that is still growing and developing. Any type of medicine is constantly evolving. New treatment techniques are discovered and old ones are discarded to make way for new technological advancements. In a similar fashion, hypnosis went through a long period of history where doctors were discovering the benefits of treating patients in an unconscious state. Now that there appears to be enough empirical evidence supporting these claims, the surface has merely been scratched as to what hypnotherapy will truly look like in the future. While there are many critics of the practice, much of medicine throughout time has been wrought with skepticism. It is by researching and studying various techniques that innovations occur and new treatment methods become a reality. The key is in minimizing danger and protecting patients. If this can be done now and in the future, the field will likely continue to grow and new ways of treating ailments and behavioral disorders will perhaps be discovered that were mere dreams but a few years ago. This is the hope of medicine and is the dream of any responsible citizen living in the modern day. References Barnes J. (2010). Hypnotherapy for smoking cessation (Review). The Cochrane Collaboration: John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Fromm, Erika. (1980). Values in hypnotherapy. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 17(4), 425-430. Guse, T. (2012). Enhancing lives: a positive psychology agenda for hypnotherapy. South African Journal, 42(2), 214-223. Huynh, M. (2008). Hypnotherapy in child psychiatry: The state of the art. Clinical Child Psychology, 13(3), 378-394. Stubbs, S. (2011). What is hypnotherapy? Positive Health, 11(188), 124-128. Wolberg, Lewis R. (1948). Medical hypnosis. Volume 1: The principle of hypnotherapy. New York City, Ny: Grune & Stratton. Read More