Hypnotism for Phobias

"Many studies have shown the effectiveness of hypnosis in the treatment of phobias," according to S.A. McNeal's published paper available on the National Center for Biotechnology Information website. Yet there are still a lot of misgivings about the use of hypnotism for medical conditions, primarily because hypnotism is also practiced for entertainment purposes. Specialists now regard hypnotism as one of several possible treatments for those suffering with phobias.

Significance

• According to the Mayo Clinic website, "a phobia is an overwhelming and unreasonable fear of an object or situation that poses little real danger." These phobias, sometimes relating to the most trivial of things, can be debilitating for the sufferer. In extreme cases, the phobic person may be unable to leave the house, hold down a job or engage in a relationship. As phobias are psychological and irrational, traditional medication is largely ineffective. Beta blockers, antidepressants and sedatives are sometimes prescribed but often these only help to nullify the symptoms. Hypnotism aims to get to the root cause of the phobia.

Function

• Hypnotism works by tapping into the unconscious side of our brains. This is where many of our most deep-rooted and inexplicable anxieties lie. By putting a patient into a trance-like state, a hypnotist allows that patient to "concentrate intensely on a specific thought, memory, feeling or sensation while blocking out distractions," according to Mayo Clinic. The patient is also more open to suggestion than he would be usually, allowing the hypnotist to convince the patient of the irrationality of his phobia.

Types

• There are many types of phobia. As society evolves and changes, new phobias emerge. Some phobias, such as arachnophobia--irrational fear of spiders--are a throwback to our evolutionary past, when these creatures posed a serious risk to our health. Common phobias today relate to the spaces we are inhabit or the materials we encounter, including fear of enclosed spaces (claustrophobia), open spaces (agoraphobia), heights (acrophobia), flying (pterygophobia) and water (hydrophobia).

Considerations

• Hypnotism will not work for everybody. According to Mayo Clinic, it tends to work best on those who are more suggestible in everyday life. For example, those people who find it easy to immerse themselves in a book or piece of music. Hypnotism for phobias is most effective when used in conjunction with other forms of therapy, such as behavioral therapy, in which patients confront phobias in real-life situations.

Warning

• There are some health risks involved with hypnotism. Although rare, patients have been known to suffer from memory loss, create false memories and have difficulty maintaining concentration after undergoing hypnotism. Those with phobias should also be very careful the hypnotist is fully registered. The Internet is full of charlatans looking to make a quick buck and take advantage of vulnerable people.