Research on the Benefits of Hypnotherapy
There have been studies that indicate the effectiveness of hypnotherapy in physical healing as well as relief from addiction, anxiety and depression.
Hypnosis has been used to aid healing and reduce pain. Harvard Medical School published a study on hypnosis to speed mending of broken bones. The study found that those patients that received hypnosis healed faster than those that did not. At 6 weeks recovery, hypnosis patients showedthe equivalent of 81/2 weeks of healing (Ginandesand Rosenthal, 2003).
Hypnosis has also been studied in the use of smoking cessation. 81% of smokers attending individual hypnotherapy to stop smoking stopped smoking (Elkins & Rajab, 2004) and hypnosis was found as effective as standard behavioral counseling in smoking cessation and significantly more effective when used with smokers who have a history of depression (Nicotine and Tabacco Research, 2008).
Hypnosis can be equally effective in treating causes of acute and chronic stress, as the results of a study the National Institute of Mental Health conducted indicates. NIMH measured the hydroxycorticosteroid levels (chemicals the body emits in times of great stress) in parents of children with neoplastic disease who were hospitalized. While the levels of hydroxycorticosteroid were deemed to remain constant during the hospitalization, parents who were familiar with coping techniques such as hypnosis and guided imagery excreted significantly lower levels of these chemicals. (Friedman, Mason, Hamburg, 1963)
Studies indicate that hypnosis is an effective treatment for post traumatic stress disorder. This is largely due to the ability through hypnosis to have controlled access to memories, place memories in a broader perspective, and work through traumatic memories (Spiegel and Cardena, 1990).
Hypnotherapy can be used for these and many more issues!
