# FYI Hypnotherapy



## Guest (Jun 22, 2002)

http://northshorehypnosis.com/FAQ-Hypnosis.htm http://www.ncpamd.com/medical_hypnosis.htm...0for%20Hypnosis Are there circumstances under which a person should not be hypnotized? There are some individuals who may run some risks if hypnotized. This is where the evaluative skills and clinical training of the hypnotist are essential. http://www.wellfx.com/ther_Hypnotherapy.doc_.htm Risks, Side Effects, Adverse Events As with all adjunct treatment methods, patients need to be correctly assessed and diagnosed before undergoing hypnotherapy (Olness 1989). The greatest risk is that without adequate and appropriate assessment, hypnotherapy can actually exacerbate an underlying psychological condition or even trigger latent psychosis. Available evidence for such exacerbation is inconclusive, however (Vickers and Zollman 1999). Hypnotherapy may also induce false memories fabricated by the unconscious, known as confabulation (Saichek 2000) http://www.hepcchallenge.org/manual/mindbo...nal.htm#against REASONS FOR NOT USING MIND:BODY MEDICINE AND SPIRITUAL HEALINGMind:body medicine and spiritual healing approaches may not be useful for people who do not wish to make the lifestyle or philosophical changes that may be needed to incorporate them into a treatment regimen. In most states, some of these therapeutic approaches require certification or licensure of the person offering the treatment such as acupuncturists, chiropractors, massage therapists, and psychotherapists. While licensure or certification does not guarantee skill or ability, it may be very helpful because it generally means the practitioner has been through a certain amount of supervised training. http://www.wellfx.com/ther_MindBody%20_.htm Risks, Side Effects, Adverse Events Mind-body medicine may unintentionally create the notion that patients are responsible for their illnesses because they lack the proper mental attitude; aside from being scientifically inaccurate, such blame can induce feelings of distress and guilt (Castleman 1996). Some experts believe that mind-body medicine may be most effective when combined with other therapies. In addition, there may be risks, side effects, and adverse events associated with each individual modality within the field of mind-body medicine.


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## Susan Purry (Nov 6, 2001)

Interesting post Artspirit. I found the last bit interesting it's not just about hypnotherapy too - in my opinion, there is a fine line between taking responsibility for aspects of one's own health (i.e. doing all one can to understand it, take self-help measures etc, recognise unhelpful attitudes/behaviour about illness) and believing that we are responsibile for our own health. In a way, I do think we are responsibile for own health, but there are lots of ways in which we aren't. The day I stop thinking I can make myself feel better is the day I'll give up. But conversely, the day I realise I do not have the power to make myself well, is the day when I'll be a lot more at peace with myself. Oh, I'm not expressing myself well, it's been a tiring day, but maybe you might understand what I'm wittering on about


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## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

I think we established hypnotherapy is not for you Art Spirit. Biofeedback by the way is a mind body therapy. So is CBT and meditation ect.. Things you have said you use. I am glad your looking into hypnotherapy though to understand it more, funny your looking for the negative and not the positive though, but hopefully you will begin to understand it more and how much it has been research for IBS.You also need to understand hundreds of people here are doing it. And that you put the fear factor in peoples heads when you post like this and mess with there treatments. When in fact HT safe an a recognized medical treatment.Do you think other things like drugs have more adverse side effects?However, an imporrtant aspect of this for IBS is it is clinical hypnotherapy for IBS and does not use regression for one. Mike is an expert also so the skill of the therapist is there for sure and he has been doing it for many many years. with permission from somebody who studies IBS in depth and also Hypnotherapy for IBS in depth.The Effects of Hypnosis On Gastrointestinal Problems Olafur S. Palsson, Psy. D. Research Associate, UNC-CHAPEL Hill  Department of Medicines Hypnosis is a treatment method, which still carries an aura of mystery,that unfortunately continues to be promoted by misrepresentations in movies and stage shows for entertainment. In reality, there is little mysterious about hypnosis anymore. It is a well-researched clinical technique which was formally accepted as a treatment method by the American Medical Association and the American psychological Association over thirty years ago. Clinical hypnosis is currently used by thousands of clinicians in the U.S. to treat both psychological and medical problems. Until recently, the possibilities of using hypnosis to treat gastrointestinal problems had received little attention. In the last 15 years, however, research has shown that hypnosis can influence gastrointestinal functioning in powerful ways, and that in particular, it is effective in helping patients with irritable bowel syndrome and to control nausea and vomiting. How Hypnosis Works: Hypnosis is a special mental state in which a person's focus of attention becomes narrow and intense like the beam of a bright flashlight in a dark room. This state is usually created with the aid of a hypnotist,who guides the person systematically to relax, focus only on one thing, and to allow things to happen by themselves. Whatever the mind focuses on while in this special mental state of hypnosis holds the entire attention. Therefore, people tend to experience things they think of, imagine or remember, more vividly and clearly than under usual circumstances. This is why people can sometimes recall things from their distant past under hypnosis even though unable to do so in the normal waking state (research has shown, however, that such hypnotically enhanced recall can be highly contaminated by the person's imagination). The narrow hyperfocus of this mental state is also why therapists using hypnosis are frequently able to help people make strong positive changes in their emotions and physical functioning. Hypnosis can work like a magnifying glass on the mind's effects on the body and emotion. Clinical hypnosis relies on suggestions, imagery, and relaxation to produce its therapeutic effects. Hypnotic suggestions are things that the hypnotist verbally suggests may happen while the person is under hypnosis. Due to the focused and receptive state of the hypnotized person, these suggestions happen almost automatically and without conscious decision or effort. If you, for example, receive the suggestion under hypnosis that your arm may be getting heavy, you will very likely feel it becoming heavy, without trying to do anything to make it happen. This "automaticity", the feeling of things happening by themselves, is by some considered the hallmark of hypnosis, and is often surprising to people experiencing hypnosis for the first time. Hypnotic imagery consists of picturing mentally events or situation or place in a way that has a desired positive physical or mental effect. For example, patients undergoing surgical or dental procedures are sometimes taught to enter a hypnotic state and go to a pleasant place in their mind. When successfully applied, the person gets completely engrossed in the vivid enjoyable imagery and is therefore happily unaware of the unpleasantness of the procedure. The hypnotic state is naturally accompanied by relaxation, and the physical relaxing effects are often deliberately strengthened further by clinicians through suggestions and relaxing imagery. Some of the benefits that come from hypnosis treatment are likely to result partly or entirely from the fact that hypnosis is a powerful relaxation method. Over decades of research and clinical experience, hypnosis has proven to have many valuable therapeutic uses. In psychotherapy, hypnotic techniques can speed the therapy process in various ways - for example by facilitating patients' self-understanding, extinguishing unfortunate habits, uncovering repressed or forgotten memories, reducing anxiety and phobias, and helping people to adopt a new and more adaptive outlook. In medicine and health psychology, hypnosis is used to reduce pain and discomfort associated with medical procedures such as childbirth, treatment of burns, and surgery where chemical anesthesia cannot be used effectively. It is also used to treat chronic pain and psychosomatic problems and counter unhealthy habits that contribute to illness. In dentistry, hypnotic analgesia is an effective needle-less alternative to topical anesthetic drugs, reduces bleeding and discomfort in oral surgery, and is used to treat teeth grinding and temporomandibular disorder. In recent years, the effects of gastrointestinal functioning and GI symptoms have been studied extensively. The Effects of Hypnosis on Gastrointestinal Functioning: The hypnotic state itself, without any particular suggestions, seems to slow down the gut, and clear-cut and specific changes in GI functioning can be induced in individuals by directing thinking or inducing specific emotional states under hypnosis. For example, one study(1) found that when healthy volunteers were hypnotized and simply instructed to relax, the orocaecal transit time (the time it takes material to pass through the GI tract from the mouth to the first part of the colon) was lengthened from 93 to 133 minutes. Another study(2) found that being in a hypnotic state decreases muscle movements in the stomach. The same study demonstrated that the emotional state of happiness, created under hypnosis, suppresses gastric muscle activity but anger and excitement increase muscle movement in the stomach . A pair of other studies(3) showed that when volunteers were guided to use imagery of eating a delicious meal while they were under hypnosis, gastric acid secretion was increased by 89%, and that acid production of the stomach could also be deliberately decreased during hypnosis using hypnotic instructions. Close to fifty published studies have reported on the therapeutic effects of hypnosis on nausea and vomiting problems related to chemotherapy, after surgery, and during pregnancy. Overall, this substantial body of literature indicates that hypnosis can be a powerful aid in controlling nausea and vomiting. Hypnosis may also be helpful in preventing gastrointestinal problems from recurring after they have been treated with medication: One study(4) of thirty patients with relapsing duodenal ulcers who had been successfully treated with a course of medication, found that only 53% of the patients who received preventive hypnosis treatment had a relapse within one year. In contrast everybody (100%) in a comparison group receiving no hypnosis relapsed in the same period of time. In 1984, researchers in Manchester in England published a study(5 )report in the journal Lancet, showing that hypnosis treatment dramatically improved the symptoms of IBS patients who had failed to benefit from other treatment. The researchers had randomly divided patients with severe IBS problems into two groups. Fifteen patients were treated with seven hypnosis sessions. Fifteen comparison patients were treated with seven sessions of psychotherapy, and those patients also received placebo pills (pills with no medically active ingredients) which they were told were a new research medication for IBS symptoms. Every patient in the hypnosis group improved, and that group showed substantial improvement in all central symptoms of IBS. The control group showed only very modest improvement in symptoms. Partly due to these dramatic results with treatment-refractory patients, a dozen other studies have followed, including three U.S. studies. The general conclusions from most of these studies are that hypnosis seems to improve the symptoms of 80% or more of all treated patients who have well-defined "classic" IBS problems, especially if they do not have complicating factors such as psychiatric disorders. The improvement is in many cases maintained at least for a year after the end of treatment. What is particularly remarkable is that this high rate of positive treatment response is seen even in studies where the participating patients all have failed to improve from regular medical care. The dramatic response of IBS patients to hypnosis treatment raises the question of exactly how this kind of treatment influences the symptoms in such a beneficial way. Four studies to date, two in England and two in the U.S., have tried to discover how hypnosis treatment affects the body of IBS patients. Since it is well known that many people with IBS have unusual pain sensitivity in their intestines, which is thought to be related to the clinical pain they experience, much of the focus of these studies has been on assessing the impact of this kind of treatment on intestinal pain thresholds. The two English studies both measured intestinal pain sensitivity with balloon inflation tests. The second study also measured muscle tone, to see if hypnosis relaxes the smooth muscles of the GI tract. No overall changes in pain sensitivity were detected, and gut muscle tension was also unchanged after treatment (except a subgroup of unusually pain-sensitive patients had lessened pain sensitivity in the second study(7). . In 1995-1996, during my post-doctoral fellowship in the Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition at UNC-Chapel Hill, we conducted the first U.S. study(8) on hypnosis for IBS under the direction of Dr. Whitehead. We evaluated the effects of a highly standardized treatment protocol, delivered verbatim following written scripts, on rectal pain thresholds and muscle tone. Seventeen out of the 18 patients we treated with hypnosis showed significant improvement in their clinical symptoms. However, we found, like the English researchers, that gut pain thresholds and muscle tension were unchanged after treatment. In a second study(9,) which I conducted with co-investigators at the Eastern Virginia Medical School, we used the same treatment protocol but this time measured autonomic nervous system functioning and blood levels of a gut hormone called vasoactive intestinal peptide. These are regulators of GI functioning in the human body, and the aim was to see if they would change due to treatment. Again, we found no changes in our physical measures after treatment (with the exception of reduction in sweat gland reactivity) even though 21 out of 24 treated patients were clinically improved. It should be noted, though, that in both our studies, we found clear improvement in the psychological well-being of our patients after treatment. In summary, it is clear from our work and other research that hypnosis treatment substantially improves all the central symptoms of IBS in the majority of patients who receive such treatment (see the effects of our two studies on clinical symptoms in the Figure). What happens in the body of these patients to cause such improvement, however, remains a mystery. Future prospects: In light of the many studies which have shown hypnosis treatment to be effective for such problems as IBS and nausea and vomiting, the question may be raised why this kind of treatment is not more widely available or generally offered to patients with such GI problems. One limitation is the fact that not everybody is equally hypnotizable. Research has consistently shown that at least 15% of people are practically non-hypnotizable, and even those who are able to enter a hypnotic state vary greatly in how well they respond. Interestingly, the ability to be hypnotized is a stable mental trait. In other word, if you are highly hypnotizable now, you will most likely be so also in thirty years. Fortunately, the majority of people are sufficiently hypnotizable to have a potential for enjoying at least some of the medical and psychological benefits of clinical hypnosis. Furthermore, the idea of being hypnotized does not agree with all people. Even individuals who are sufficiently hypnotizable, may not like the idea of "letting go", may have difficulty trusting a therapist to guide them in hypnosis, or may have other concerns about the hypnosis experience. Fortunately, other forms of psychological treatment for gastrointestinal problems - in the case of IBS especially cognitive-behavioral therapy -- have also been found to be effective and are good alternatives.  Finally, an obstacle which has barred many patients from receiving help for gastrointestinal disorders with hypnosis is the fact that in the U.S. the technique is more commonly used by psychologists and other mental health professionals than by physicians. Many mental health professionals who use hypnosis are not accustomed to treating gastrointestinal disorders, and therefore reluctant to take on treatment of such problems. As the reliably beneficial effects of hypnosis on gastrointestinal functioning become better known both to health professionals and the general public, this benign and comfortable form of treatment will hopefully become a more popular treatment option for GI patients - especially for those who have not received much relief from standard medical management. As far as IBS is concerned, we have been making an effort in the last two years to encourage clinicians across the country who have adequate training in hypnosis to provide such treatment for IBS. We have done this by providing them, free of charge, with the complete standardized treatment protocol which has proven effective in our research. To date, more than eighty licensed health professionals, practicing in almost all states, are started using our protocol, making it a little bit easier for patients in many geographical locations to receive help with hypnosis. References 1. Beaugerie, L., Burger A.J, Cadranel J.F, Lamy, P., Gendre J.P., & Le Quintrec, F. (1991). Modulation of orocaecal transit time by hypnosis. Gut, 32, 393-394. 2. Whorwell PJ; Houghton LA; Taylor EE; Maxton DG. Physiological effects of emotion: assessment via hypnosis. (1992). Lancet, 340, 69-72 3. Klein K.B., & Spiegel, D. (1989). Modulation of gastric acid secretion by hypnosis. Gastroenterology, 96, 1383-1387. 4. Colgan, S. M. , Faragher, E. B. , & Whorwell, P. J. (1988). Controlled Trial of Hypnotherapy in Relapse Prevention of Duodenal Ulceration. The Lancet, 1(8598), 1299-300. 5. Whorwell, P.J., Prior, A., & Faragher, E.B. (1984). Controlled trial of hypnotherapy in the treatment of severe refractory irritable bowel syndrome. Lancet, 2, 1232-1234. 6. Prior A., Colgan, S.M., Whorwell P.J. (1990). Changes in rectal sensitivity after hypnotherapy in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Gut, 31, 896-898. 7. Houghton, L.A., Larder, S., Lee, R., Gonsalkorale, W.M., Whelan, V, Randles, J., Cooper, P., Cruikshanks, P., Miller, V., & Whorwell, P.J. (1999) Gut focused hypnotherapy normalises rectal hypersensitivity in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Gastroenterology,116: A1009. 8. Palsson, O.S., Burnett, C.K., Meyer, K., and Whitehead, W.E. (1997). Hypnosis treatment for irritable bowel syndrome. Effects on symptoms, pain threshold and muscle tone. Gastroenterology, 112, A803. 9.Palsson, O.S., Turner, M.J., & Johnson, D.A. (2000). Hypnotherapy for irritable bowel syndrome: Symptom improvement and autonomic nervous system effects. Gastroenterology, 118,(4) A174.If a person is unsure they should talk to a doctor about it.More real info for IBSWhy Consider Hypnosis Treatment for IBS? by Olafur S. Palsson, Psy.D. Hypnosis is only one of several approaches to treating irritable bowel syndrome and may not be the most suitable option for all patients (click here for discussion of treatment options for IBS). However, hypnosis treatment has some advantages which makes it an attractive option for many IBS sufferers with chronic and severe symptoms: - It is one of the most successful treatment approaches for chronic IBS. The response rate to treatment is 80% and better in most published studies to date. - The treatment often helps individuals who have failed to get improvements with other methods (see for example: Whorwell et al., 1984, 1987; Palsson et al., 1997, 2000). - It is a uniquely comfortable form of treatment; relaxing, easy and generally enjoyable. - It utilizes the healing power of the person's own mind, and is generally completely without negative side effects. - The treatment sometimes results in improvement in other symptoms or problems such as migraine or tension headaches, along with the improvement in IBS symptoms. - The beneficial effects of the treatment last long after the end of the course of treatment. According to research, individuals who improve from hypnosis treatment for IBS can generally look forward to years of reduced bowel symptoms. Hypnotherapy for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders By: Peter J. Whorwell, M.D., University Hospital of South Manchester, England http://www.aboutibs.org/Publications/hypnosis.html Hypnotherapy significantly improves symptoms in IBS patients Hypnotherapy significantly improves quality of life in irritable bowel syndrome patients, both in the short- and long-term, claim British researchers reporting to the BSG conference. Two research teams investigated the impact of hypnotherapy on quality of life in patients suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). They presented their findings at the British Society of Gastroenterology Annual Meeting in Birmingham, England. In the first study, investigators from the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh, Scotland, evaluated the impact of gut-directed hypnotherapy upon health-related quality of life (HRQoL) status in IBS patients. A total of 75 IBS patients (55 females, median age 37 years) were enrolled in the trial. The predominant symptoms among the patients were abdominal pain in 46 (61%), altered bowel habit in 24 (32%), and abdominal bloating in 5 (7%). Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scales, and an IBS disease-specific quality of life tool (IBSQoL) were used to measure outcomes. The researchers took measurements at baseline (pre-treatment) and at 3 months post-treatment. There were found to be statistical improvements in all domains of the IBSQoL (emotional, mental, and physical health, sleep, energy, diet, and social and physical role) after treatment. Improvements were most marked in female patients, particularly those with predominant abdominal pain. Furthermore, significant improvements were seen in both males and females for anxiety and depression. Dr G. D. Smith commented that gut-directed hypnotherapy had a very positive impact upon psychological well being and HRQoL in IBS. This appeared most effective in patients with a predominant symptom of abdominal pain and bloating. The authors recommended that a randomized, controlled study of hypnotherapy in IBS should be conducted. In the second study, a team from the University Hospital of South Manchester, England, conducted a long-term follow-up of IBS patients treated with hypnotherapy. A total of 239 IBS patients, who had undergone hypnotherapy between 1 and 5 years previously, were contacted and asked to complete 3 separate questionnaires. Of these, 178 patients responded. In a Subjective Assessment Questionnaire (assessing effects of hypnotherapy, medication use, and consultation rates) 86% of patients were found to have improved at the end of hypnotherapy (62% of whom rated symptoms as very much better). Of the patients that improved, 83% reported that, since finishing hypnotherapy, symptoms had remained the same as at the end of hypnotherapy, or had continued to improve. However, 17% had some deterioration. In addition, 59% of patients did not require any medication. Of those who did, 40% took it less often than previously. Three quarters of the patients consulted their GP and/or hospital consultant less often about IBS symptoms, and 49% less about other symptoms. All IBS measures in an IBS Questionnaire (rating severity of symptoms and QOL) remained significantly better at follow-up than before hypnotherapy. These included pain severity and frequency, bloating, bowel habit dissatisfaction, and life interference. There was only slight deterioration in some of the measures at follow-up, compared with post-hypnotherapy. Extra-colonic symptoms, QOL, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression scores all remained improved at follow-up. Author W. M. Gonsalkorale said on behalf of the group, "This study confirms the long-term benefit of hypnotherapy." "In addition, the substantial reduction of medication and consultation rates highlights the significant economic advantages of this form of treatment," it was concluded. BSG 19 March 2002


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## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

FYIWhat can be done to improve Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)? By Olafur S. Palsson, Psy.D. Last updated: April 2001 Traditionally, physicians have had a great deal of difficulty coming up with adequate medical treatments for IBS. Medications used to treat the disorder have generally been aimed at treating single symptoms (such as pain or diarrhea) of this complex syndrome, and have often proven limited in effectiveness even on those symptoms. Among medications with most consistent effectiveness on IBS symptoms (Camilleri, 1999) are Loperamide and antidepressants (the latter help not only symptoms of depression in depressed IBS patients, but also improve pain and diarrhea in some individuals). Overall, the response of the syndrome to medication interventions has been inconsistent and disappointing, leaving a substantial proportion of patients with little or no lasting relief. Dr. Grant Thompson, one of the world's authorities on IBS, concluded in his review of pharmacologic management of IBS: ï¿½The sheer number and variety of drugs sold ï¿½ for IBS treatment are testimony to their collective uselessness" (Thompson, 1994). Experts in the field had hoped that this pessimistic picture might be changing as new classes of medications emerged which might better address this disorder. The first among the drugs, Lotronex, was introduced with much fanfare in the Fall of 1999, but was was pulled voluntarily off the market less than a year later by Glaxo-Wellcome due to concerns about several deaths which may have been attributable to the effects of this medication (see link to CNN story below). Some regret the loss of this only medication specifically designed for IBS treatment.However, it was clear that apart from safety concerns, Lotronex could at best have a marginal positive impact on the problem of IBS in general: It was only effective in women and only those women with diarrhea-predominant type of IBS -- and even among this subgroup it only helped approximately half of the patients to any degree. The next medication on the horizon for IBS is Zelmac (Tegaserod), produced by Novartis.This medication will apparently be marketed under the name Zelnorm. It is intended to relieve constipation-type IBS problems, and has been demonstrated to have effectiveness above placebo in tests (see link to story below). It will also be prescribed only for women. FDA approval of this medication is anticipated within the next few months. Apart from medications, common methods used to attempt to control IBS include changes in diet, various alternative medicine methods, and psychological approaches. The most common symptom-inducing foods for IBS patients are spicy foods and food with high fat content. Often patients can get at least temporary relief by reducing the amount of such foods in their diet. However, such adjustments in diet rarely lead to lasting improvement in the condition. Increasing fiber in the diet, with fiber supplements of at least 12 g per day (Camilleri, 1999) helps many patients with constipation- predominent IBS. Many IBS sufferers who have not had good luck with regular medical management of their symptoms try various home remedies and alternative medicine medicine regimens. Unfortunately, they often fall prey to unwarranted claims for symptom relief from anything from herbal and homeopathic medications to colon cleansing, spending a great deal of money and may possibly suffer harm from the effects of such therapies. Among alternatives to medication, only psychological treatments and peppermint oil have the research base to back up their use in IBS. Among psychological treatments tested for the disorder, hypnosis treatment has shown the highest success rate in replicated studies, with studies commonly showing an astounding 80-95% of patients improving and improvement lasting for at least a couple of years. The other effective psychological treatment for IBS is cognitive therapy. Brief psychodynamic psychotherapy has also shown some success, but less research has been done on that form of IBS treatment to date than on hypnosis.


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## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

FYIClinical hypnosis: Something for you? By Olafur S. Palsson, Psy.D. You sit comfortably reclined in an easy chair in a softly lit office. As you listen to your therapist with your eyes closed, you find your body relaxing more and more. Guided by the calm and confident voice, you allow your mind to let go and turn inward. You drowsily notice a mildly curious floating sensation in your body, as if you are not really sitting in the chair anymore, but rather floating - in the air, or in water. The voice talking to you gradually becomes more distant, and you even find yourself forgetting that it is there... but somehow the soothing voice continues to affect you, gently and almost automatically. As you relax even further, your awareness of where you are, why you are there, and who is speaking to you, recedes into the back of your mind. You just content yourself with effortlessly allowing the voice to act on you, and with enjoying this state of profound relaxation and deep calm... You are having a typical hypnotic experience. THE ENIGMA OF HYPNOSIS Hypnosis is one of the most intriguing phenomena in our mental functioning. It is full of seeming paradoxes: It is definitely not sleep, and yet is not really a waking state either; it depends on attention and concentration, and still is most often characterized by letting go and relaxing; it is most easily induced by a skilled person using specific verbal techniques, and yet it is exclusively the product of the hypnotized person's own mental abilities. Hypnosis has been extensively investigated in a scientific manner over a period of sixty years - and yet no generally accepted definition of the phenomenon exists. Fortunately, though, there is agreement among researchers and practitioners about what typically occurs when a person experiences the hypnotic state, and how the hypnotic state can be used to help people with a variety of problems. WHAT REALLY HAPPENS UNDER HYPNOSIS Hypnosis involves, more than anything else, changes in a person's attention and concentration. The focus of attention is narrowed, and the things attended to are experienced more intensely than in the ordinary waking state. Hypnosis has therefore been likened to turning out the lights in a windowless room and looking around with a flashlight. What you focus on holds your entire attention under hypnosis, so you tend to experience whatever you think of, imagine or remember, more vividly and clearly than you ordinarily can. At the same time, things which are outside the narrow focus of enhanced attention at any given time may be forgotten. For this reason, people sometimes temporarily become disoriented under hypnosis: Their awareness of where they are, the reality of their life situation, and even occasionally, exactly who they are, becomes clouded. Another characteristic of the hypnotic state is a subjective sense of "involuntariness". People often state that under hypnosis they feel like passive observers to whatever takes place. For example, if you are asked under hypnosis to raise your hand, you may feel your hand rising like a robot arm, without any conscious doing or even decision on your part. This automaticity is by some considered the hallmark of true hypnotic experience. This is not really helpless involuntariness, however. Experience shows that if you really need to or want to, you can resist any direct suggestion on part of the hypnotist. You can even wake yourself from of the hypnotic state if you really want to. People typically experience both mental tranquility and physical relaxation under hypnosis (relaxation is not a necessary condition for hypnosis, however; one can be both mentally and physically tense, and still be in a state of deep hypnosis). Various changes in perception are also common under hypnosis. Some people feel great heaviness coming over their bodies, others feel very light, numb or even disembodied. Subjective floating, sinking, spinning, and tingling sensations are often reported. Other changes that accompany the hypnotic state, are the ones which make hypnosis a remarkable tool for mental and physical healing and make the various specialized hypnotic techniques possible. For example, hypnotic analgesia, the blocking of pain with the aid of hypnosis, depends on the mindï¿½s ability to alter body perception in response to suggestion under hypnosis. Age regression, where the personï¿½s mind recreates past experiences in vivid detail as if the events are being relived, relies on the greatly facilitated access to remote memory. Automatic writing, where the subjectï¿½s arm is temporarily disengaged from consciousness and allowed to write out responses reflecting unconscious material, depends on the mind's passive automaticity; and projective techniques, such as watching something revealing about your problem on an imagined TV screen, make use of the enhanced creativity and imaginative ability possible under hypnosis. Finally, posthypnotic suggestions, which are instructions given to people under hypnosis that affect them after they wake up, rely on the increased automatic receptivity to suggestions in the hypnotic state. HYPNOSIS AS A HELPING TOOL Hypnosis has countless uses in psychotherapy, psychiatry and various  medical specialties. The use of hypnotic techniques by the helping professions has increased steadily in recent years, because hypnosis is gaining widespread acceptance as a safe, reliable, effective and comfortable alternative or adjunct to other, more traditional methods. In the modern climate of skyrocketing health care costs, hypnosis is also proving invaluable as an aid in speeding recovery from physical and mental problems. Clinical hypnosis is, however, by no means a new healing tool. The first uses of hypnosis by health professionals occurred more than two hundred years ago. In its early days, clinical hypnosis was used to treat hysterical conditions, and was also very useful for the induction of anesthesia in surgery in the days before anesthetic drugs. For example, James Esdaile, a Scottish physician working in India in the early part of 19th century performed over three hundred and forty major operations, including amputations and removal of large tumors, with hypnosis as the only anesthetic. Around the turn of the 20th century, Sigmund Freud used hypnosis extensively in the first years of his psychicatric practice, but abandoned it in favor of psychoanalysis, a slower but more meticulous method of mental healing. In the first half of the 20th century, hypnosis was often viewed as an exotic or fringe method in medicine and psychology, but slowly gained respect as a potent clinical tool. It finally earned formal recognition as a valuable tool in health care in 1958, when the Council on Mental Health of the American Medical Association recommended that instruction in hypnosis be included in medical school curricula. Hypnosis was similarily embraced several years later by the American Psychological Association. Thousands of psychologists, dentists, and physicians in various specialties now have thorough training in hypnotic methods within their specialty areas. Professional organizations in clinical hypnosis provide extensive training and continuing education in hypnosis, and provide their members with specific ethical guidelines for the professional use of hypnosis. WHAT HYPNOSIS CAN DO FOR YOU There are many good reasons to seek the services of medical professionals or psychotherapists skilled in the use of hypnosis. In psychotherapy, hypnotic techniques are effective in speeding the process of therapy. Hypnosis is used effectively to facilitate patients' understanding of themselves or their problems, extinguish unfortunate habits, uncover repressed or forgotten memories, reduce anxiety and fears, and develop a new and more adaptive outlook. In medicine and health psychology, hypnosis is used to effectively treat irritable bowel syndrome, reduce pain and discomfort associated with medical procedures such as childbirth, treatment of burns, and surgery where anesthesia cannot be used effectively. It is also used to treat chronic pain and psychosomatic problems and counter unhealthy habits that contribute to illness. In dentistry, hypnotic analgesia is an effective needleless alternative to topical anaesthetic drugs, reduces bleeding and discomfort in oral surgery, and is used to treat teeth grinding and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) syndrome. WHAT TO EXPECT Many people feel somewhat apprehensive and have numerous questions when they consider the possibility of seeking clinical hypnosis for their problems. The following are answers to some of the most common questions and concerns people voice about hypnosis: How does it feel to be hypnotized? There is really no such thing as a specific hypnotized feeling. As described earlier, a number of different experiences are commonly associated with the hypnotic state. The most unique characteristic, the one that people tend to remember best and find most surprising, is perhaps the subjective sense of "involuntariness" - of things happening without you (seemingly) acting to make them happen. Will I lose consciousness? As mentioned above, hypnosis is not sleep. Ordinarily, you will be conscious of everything that goes on when you are in the hypnotic state. Sometimes, though, you may relax so much under hypnosis that you may drift off and lose track of what is happening, - or even fall asleep ! Will I reveal deep secrets about myself? In some psychotherapeutic applications of hypnosis, it is important to uncover mental material that is related to the problem being treated, - material which you have been ignoring or keeping secret from others and even from yourself. However, no such uncovering is needed in many applications of clinical hypnosis (especially in medical and dental hypnosis - in the treatment of IBS with hypnosis no such uncovering is necessary). If you are very uneasy about the possibility of introspective exploration of this kind, you should discuss it with your hypnotist in the beginning of your work together. Uncovering techniques may not be needed at all to deal with your problem. Hypnosis can be used in many different ways. Will I do something embarrassing or silly? A clinical hypnotist will not make you cluck like a chicken or do other things for amusement at your expense. You do, however, sometimes act differently under hypnosis than you do in the normal waking state. You may become more emotional or feel more childlike. If the process involves uncovering of past experiences, these might also feel embarrassing or uncomfortable. Your therapist is used to such things, however, so there is no need to feel embarrassed. And generally, the benefits of the hypnotic intervention will by far outweigh the slight discomfort on your part from any deviation from prim and proper behavior which might occur. What if I do not want to lose control of myself? Hypnosis does involve a certain amount of letting go of yourself and opening up to a new experience. However, you are not really losing control of yourself when you respond to what the hypnotist suggests. You are making the decision to go along with his or her guidance at every step. You can benefit from hypnosis as long as you are willing to go along with the instructions of hypnotist. It may be helpful to think of the hypnotist as your personal coach - a person helping you to master new ways to use your own mind. What if I do not wake up again? Not to worry. Only in movies and bad novels do people get stuck in the hypnotic state. In the real world, it happens only very rarely that people cannot be immediately brought back into the ordinary waking state at the end of a hypnosis session. When that happens, it may simply take them a little longer to come to, or they slip into ordinary sleep and have a nap, and then wake up. In either case, there is no reason for concern. Can I be made to do things I do not want to do? Contrary to a popular belief, people under hypnosis are not captive and spellbound. They can resist direct instructions that are at odds with their wishes or moral standards. For this reason, it is not as easy as one might think to make people do things against their will with hypnosis. Unfortunately, however, it has been adequately demonstrated, both in experiments and in established rare cases of misconduct, that hypnosis can be deliberately misused by a skilled hypnotist through the use of sophisticated deception. This is the most important reason for seeking a reputable professional whom you feel comfortable as your hypnotist. If you begin to feel uncomfortable with the person you have selected, talk about it. And if you feel you cannot do so, remember that you are the customer and you are always free to leave without making any apologies. What if I cannot be hypnotized? The odds are against it. While the degree to which people are receptive to hypnosis varies from individual to individual, the great majority of people, perhaps three out of every four individuals, can be hypnotized to a sufficient degree to enjoy some of the benefits that hypnosis can offer. Aren't gullible or simple-minded people most easily hypnotizable? Not at all. In fact, researchers have found that more intelligent people are slightly more hypnotizable. It seems that openness to new experiences, rather than gullability, is related to hypnotic ability. Are women more hypnotizable than men? Research has conclusively shown that, on the average, there is no difference between men and women in their susceptibility to hypnosis. Can hypnosis be dangerous to my mental health? The state of hypnosis is generally very safe and free from complications - probably no more disturbing to your mind than ordinary sleep. However, in rare cases, people who suffer from mental problems to such degree that they are struggling with their grip on reality may get worse due to the disorientation which is a part of hypnotic experience. Also, hypnosis involves enhanced contact with unconscious material. Individuals hiding something very uncomfortable or traumatic from themselves may therefore occasionally feel agitated after hypnosis as a result of coming too close to their secrets under hypnosis. This is an important reason for choosing only a well trained and competent clinical hypnotist who would be able to help you deal with such effects. For most people, however, the experience of hypnosis is pleasantly relaxing and refreshing. The only aftereffects you are likely to experience are possible drowsiness and disorientation for the first few minutes afterwards, and possibly stiff neck or (rarely) a minor headache. All these side effects are transient and harmless. Can people hypnotize themselves? Yes, they can. Entering hypnosis is simply a mental skill, and hypnotherapists commonly believe that regular hypnosis is nothing more than assisted self-hypnosis. It is just more easily learned under the guidance of a skilled hypnotist. However, once you have mastered it, you can do it on your own. This is the goal in many applications of clinical hypnosis, such as for pain control, where the benefits of hypnosis need to be available at any time. HOW TO FIND A QUALIFIED HYPNOTIST Hypnosis is kind of like an empty syringe. Anybody can stick a needle into your body, and similarily, anybody can learn, in the space of half an hour, to induce a hypnotic state in another person. Hypnosis in itself, though, does not help people with physical or psychological problems, anymore than sticking them with a hypodermic needle does. The benefits of hypnosis depend almost entirely on what is done after the hypnotic state has been induced (that is, what is put into the "syringe"), and this is what requires professional skill and specialized knowledge and training. Hypnosis has many non-clinical uses. It can be of use in improving your golf game, helping you relax, or enhancing your creativity. If you are seeking psychotherapeutic or medical benefits from hypnosis, however, it is important to choose your hypnotist carefully. Hypnosis is not restricted or regulated by law in many states in the U.S. This is a cause for great concern to many health professionals who use hypnosis. It means that any kind of person, regardless of education, training or experience can, and does, offer you hypnosis services. Hypnosis is sometimes misused, either deliberately or, more often, due to incompetence. It is essential that you take care to find a properly qualified and educated professional to conduct medical or psychological hypnosis. A self-proclaimed "hypnotherapist", often found through the yellow pages, may not have any formal education in mental health or psychotherapy. A "professional hypnotist", by the same token, means nothing more than a person who hypnotizes people for money. Furthermore, most hypnosis certificates and vanity titles such as C. Ht. ("certified hypnotherapist") have little or no bearing on the quality of a hypnotist or give indications of his or her qualifications to treat health problems.. There are two good guidelines for finding a qualified clinical hypnotist: 1. The only people qualified to treat your mental or physical problems with hypnosis, are those who are also qualified to treat the same problems without hypnosis. Therefore you need to look for proper and accepted clinical degrees, specialties in the particular area relevant to your problem. More importantly, find out whether the person is a state-licensed health professional. This is important because each state regulated who is qualified through education and training to practice each area of clinical work. The only exception to this is if you are referred directly by a clinician to a hypnotherapist for a specific purpose. 2. Look for a person who is a member of one of the two reputable national organizations of professionals in clinical hypnosis. These are the American Society for Clinical Hypnosis and the Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis (ASCH). Both organizations restrict their membership to qualified and properly licensed professionals, provide training of high quality, and require their members to adhere to ethics codes that dictate proper uses of clinical hypnosis. You can write to ASCH (enclosing a stamped, self-addressed envelope) and get a list to practicing members of the society in your area. Their address is: The American Society of Clinical Hypnosis 130 East Elm Court, Suite 201 Roselle, IL 60172


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## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

Overview of Published Research To Date on Hypnosis for IBS By Olafur S. Palsson, Psy.D. Whorwell PJ; Prior A; Faragher EB. Controlled trial of hypnotherapy in the treatment of severe refractory irritable-bowel syndrome.The Lancet 1984, 2: 1232-4. This study is the earliest and perhaps the best study in this research area to date, as it was thoroughly placebo-controlled and showed dramatic contrast in response to hypnosis treatment above the placebo group. Thirty patients with severe symptoms unresponsive to other treatment were randomly chosen to receive 7 sessions of hypnotherapy (15 patients) or 7 sessions of psychotherapy plus placebo pills (15 patients). The psychotherapy group showed a small but significant improvement in abdominal pain and distension, and in general well-being but not bowel activity pattern. The hypnotherapy patients showed a dramatic improvement in all central symptom. The hypnotherapy group showed no relapses during the 3-month follow-up period. Graph adapted from the above paper, showing group differences in two of the main IBS symptoms: Whorwell PJ; Prior A; Colgan SM. Hypnotherapy in severe irritable bowel syndrome: further experience. Gut, 1987 Apr, 28:4, 423-5. This report summed up further experience with 35 patients added to the 15 treated with hypnotherapy in the 1984 Lancet study. For the whole 50 patient group, success rate was 95% for classic IBS cases, but substantially less for IBS patients with atypical symptom picture or significant psychological problems. The report also observed that patients over age 50 seemed to have lower success rate from this treatment. Harvey RF; Hinton RA; Gunary RM; Barry RE. Individual and group hypnotherapy in treatment of refractory irritable bowel syndrome. Lancet, 1989 Feb, 1:8635, 424-5. This study employed a shorter hypnosis treatment course than other studies for IBS, and the success rate was lower, most likely demonstrating that a larger number of sessions is necessary for optimal benefit. Twenty out of 33 patients with refractory irritable bowel syndrome treated with four sessions of hypnotherapy in this study improved. Improvement was maintained at a 3-month treatment. These researchers further found that hypnosis treatment for IBS in groups of up to 8 patients seems as effective as individual therap Prior A, Colgan SM, Whorwell PJ. Changes in rectal sensitivity after hypnotherapy in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Gut 1990;31:896. This study found IBS patients to be less sensitive to pain and other sensations induced via balloon inflation in their gut while they were under hypnosis. Sensitivity to some balloon-induced gut sensations (although not pain sensitivity) was reduced following a course of hypnosis treatment. Houghton LA; Heyman DJ; Whorwell PJ. Symptomatology, quality of life and economic features of irritable bowel syndrome--the effect of hypnotherapy. Aliment Pharmacol Ther, 1996 Feb, 10:1, 91-5. This study compared 25 severe IBS patients treated with hypnosis to 25 patients with similar symptom severity treated with other methods, and demonstrated that in addition to significant improvement in all central IBS symptoms, hypnotherapy recipients had fewer visits to doctors, lost less time from work than the control group and rated their quality of life more improved. Those patients who had been unable to work prior to treatment resumed employment in the hypnotherapy group but not in the control group. The study quantifies the substantial economic benefits and improvement in health-related quality of life which result from hypnotherapy for IBS on top of clinical symptom improvement. Koutsomanis D. Hypnoanalgesia in the irritable bowel syndrome. Gastroenterology 1997, 112, A764. This French study showed less analgesic medication use required and less abdominal pain experienced by a group of 12 IBS patients after a course of 6-8 analgesia-oriented hypnosis sessions followed by 4 sessions of autogenic training. Patients were evaluated at 6-month and 12-month follow-up. Houghton LA, Larder S, Lee R, Gonsalcorale WM, Whelan V, Randles J, Cooper P, Cruikshanks P, Miller V, Whorwell PJ. Gut focused hypnotherapy normalises rectal hypersensitivity in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Gastroenterology 1999; 116: A1009. Twenty-three patients each received 12 sessions of hypnotherapy. Significant improvement was seen in the severity and frequency of abdominal pain, bloating and satisfaction with bowel habit. A subset of the treated patients who were found to be unusually pain-sensitive in their intestines prior to treatment (as evidenced by balloon inflation tests) showed normalization of pain sensitivity, and this change correlated with their pain improvement following treatment. Such pain threshold change was not seen for the treated group as a whole. Palsson, OS, Burnett CK, Meyer K, and Whitehead WE. Hypnosis treatment for irritable bowel syndrome. Effects on symptoms, pain threshold and muscle tone. Gastroenterology 1997;112:A803. Seventeen out of 18 patients with severe and treatment-refractory IBS who completed a 7-session standardized course of hypnosis treatment improved substantially. All central symptoms of IBS responded to treatment, including abdominal pain, diarrhea/constipation, and bloating. Psychological well-being also increased after treatment, with overall psychological symptoms, anxiety and somatization markedly decreased. Gut pain thresholds and smooth muscle tone, measured with a barostat and balloon inflation tests, were unchanged following treatment. Vidakovic Vukic M. Hypnotherapy in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: methods and results in Amsterdam. Scand J Gastroenterol Suppl, 1999, 230:49-51.Reports results of treatment of 27patients of gut-directed hypnotherapy tailored to each individual patient. All of the 24 who completed treatment were found to be improve. Galovski TE; Blanchard EB. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback, 1998 Dec, 23:4, 219-32. Eleven patients  completed hypnotherapy, with improvement reported for all central IBS symptoms, as well as improvement in anxiety. Six of the patients were a waiting-control group for comparison, and did not show such improvement while waiting for treatment. Gonsalcorale WM,Cooper P, Cruikshanks P, Miller V, Randles J, Whelan V, Houghton LA, Whorwell PJ. Hypnotherapy for severe irritable bowel syndrome: Gender differences in response? Gastroenterology 1999; 116, A999. This report summarizes data on 205 patients treated with hypnosis by this English research group which pioneered hypnosis treatment for IBS. The analysis of this data further establishes hypnosis treatment as effective in improving the overall symptom picture of the great majority of IBS patients, but indicated that symptom-improvement seems to be smallest in males with diarrhea-predominent IBS. Palsson, OS, Turner, MJ, & Johnson, DA. Hypnotherapy for irritable bowel syndrome: Symptom improvement and autonomic nervous system effects. Gastroenterology 2000, 118,(4): A174. Twenty-one of 24 patients with severe IBS treated with a standardized seven-session hypnosis protocol improved in all central IBS symptoms after treatment. Little changes were seen in autonomic nervous system activity except for significant reduction in skin conductance, indicating less sympathetic nervous system baseline activity after treatment. Improvement was well-maintained at 10-12 month follow up.


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## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

By the way, hypnosis is a part of the human condition and people do it everyday without even realizing it. http://www.hypnosisandu.homestead.com/


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## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

The latest from difgestive disease week 2002"Psychologic StrategiesThe value of psychologic therapies for IBS is generally thought to be positive, although methodologic limitations have often inhibited interpretation of the clinical trials.[37]Hypnotherapeutic options. Hypnotherapy has been shown in randomized studies to improve IBS symptoms.[37] Simren and associates[38] evaluated 26 patients with refractory IBS; 13 were randomized to receive gut-directed hypnotherapy and 13 to receive supportive therapy. Colonic sensory thresholds were evaluated before and after lipid infusion. The study authors found that there were higher colonic baseline tones present in the hypnotherapy group compared with the control group at 3 months. Phasic motor events were similar in both groups, but hypnotherapy appeared to reduce colonic hypersensitivity to lipid infusion. Presumably, hypnotherapy alters colonic function via central mechanisms, but this remains to be ascertained. Gonsalkorale and colleagues[39] followed up with 239 patients who had undergone gut-directed hypnotherapy between 1 and 5 years previously. They found that 83% of patients reported that their symptoms had remained controlled since the end of hypnotherapy, and that only 17% had suffered some deterioration. Quality of life also remained improved, but these observations were uncontrolled. Therefore, gut-directed hypnotherapy should be considered an option for patients who have persistent symptoms despite standard therapy and who do not have significant psychologic comorbidity.Behavioral therapy. In another study, Darnley and colleagues[40] compared the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with mebeverine in primary care patients with IBS. These investigators showed that CBT was superior at both 12 weeks posttreatment and at subsequent 3-month follow-up.Self-management. Heitkemper and associates[41] evaluated women who were randomized to either (1) a self-management program (which comprised 8 standardized sessions with a masters-prepared nurse therapist covering the topics of stress management, relaxation, cognitive restructuring, and diet), (2) a 1-time brief self-management session, and (3) usual care. The full self-management program was superior to usual care, with reductions in pain, bloating, and constipation observed. It is interesting to note that women who received only the brief intervention program also significantly improved compared with usual care, implying that such a simple approach in physician practice may be applied effectively without the need for more costly intervention programs. The addition of standard CBT should be considered for IBS patients who fail to improve after usual treatment, although the cost benefit of this approach remains to be established.ConclusionsSeveral new and promising approaches for treatment of IBS are currently undergoing exploration. Additional work regarding anti-inflammatory strategies is warranted, despite disappointing results achieved with the prednisolone trial. Serotonin receptor agonists and antagonists appear to be efficacious in subgroups of IBS patients, but further work is needed to address how best to optimally target treatment in practice. Results of therapy with SSRIs appear disappointing, but it is too early to dismiss this class of agents.It must be emphasized that a simple but comprehensive nonpharmacologic management program is most likely to succeed in practice in terms of achieving the best outcomes in IBS. Drugs should generally remain second-line in IBS until agents with better efficacy and established safety profiles become available." http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/434526


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## Guest (Jun 23, 2002)

Why thank you, Susan.... I appreciate your response. We're both interested in bettering our lives with whatever treament options work best for us. And I agree with you completely that the day I stop trying to make myself feel better will be the day I give up.... and yes, I will feel a whole lot better when the actual causes are known and there are actually some cures on the horizon. Some days, it's hard to not beat ourselves up when we already feel so bad physically. Each of us has our own way of dealing with our illnesses. I know you've shared some of yours with me. Mine include biofeedback therapy, cognitive therapy, music therapy in the form of modern dance and gospel choir, visualization, relaxation, prayer and be-good-to-myself therapy...... and on those days when it's the most difficult thing in the world to smile because of all the pain..... I cry just to let out all the stress.... and afterwards, I feel human again... Of course, there are those times when nothing else will do but chocolate







I think if I had to pick one of the above as the most important... it would be difficult. All of these things seem to work well together to promote better things. And I think that's the key.... treatment integration.Have a great weekend, Take care, Evie


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## Nikki (Jul 11, 2000)

Well, Evie, i will agree with you on one thing! I just bawled my eyes out for about 2 hours and i feel better thanks tot hat.Susan, thanks for the chat earlier...I also agree that the day i stop trying to make me better is the day i give up....


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## Guest (Jun 23, 2002)

I'm very glad, Nikki...... I hadn't heard from you in a while and was getting concerned. There are actually some very good reasons why crying is good for us.... it's a way for our bodies to release toxins. I know that you find the hypnotherapy helpful, so I hope that you will continue with it. I also hope that you won't hestitate to do whatever else you discover that you need to do to help make your life better.Now dry those tears so we don't have to paddle across the pond with a handkerchief !







(Between you and me, we could flood this thread today)Let's see... I know you are really into music.... that might another good way for you to "let go". I just came back from practicing the Carol Burnette piece that I am presenting with 3 of my co-dancers next month... and just being there and being involved really perked me up.There is so much we can integrate to help ourselves feel better.Hey... is that cute irish guy still around? Hug, Evie


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## Nikki (Jul 11, 2000)

Yes he is.He called me while i was really upset tonight and i told him what was wrong. Turned out his ex, who is used to live with had IBS too. He said he used to spend hours rubbing her stomach for her.He said no wonder i was crying if i was in pain. He was getting quite upset saying, why aren't you on any drugs, there are drugs for it aren't there??? Bless him.


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## Guest (Jun 23, 2002)

Bless him, indeed. Thanx for the chat earlier today. You helped to make me feel better too.


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## Feisty (Aug 14, 2000)

Hi Evie, Susan And Spliff!I'm with you gals---sometimes and good cry is what I need to do---even though I give myself a good migraine, but the end result is that I feel human again and more like "normal", if there is a normal!!!







I have to share my experience with you as far as hypnosis goes. Some years back, I was going through some very tough times---physically, emotionally, as well as marital. I sought counseling for a long time. My counselor, who is a licensed Psycologist helped me though a lot, believe me, and I owe her my sanity. She tried numerous times to hynotize me--hoping she could produce a state of relaxation so I could let go of some of the pain and tenseness in my body that was so unbearably painful. I could not be hynotized. It just didn't work. She stressed to me that she did not feel comfortable with trying any more times, due to this fact. She told me then that some people just can't be hynotized and it's not even "MENTALLY HEALTHY" to try to do this on some. Unfortunately, I was one of them. It doesn't work for everyone. Each one of us is an individual with our own set of "senses" and each one of us has to find what helps us in the best, safest way possible.For some of you that are using the behavior tapes (hypnosis) and they are helping you, good for you. I'm glad you've found something that works for you. Eric---I think it's time to "shut your engine down" and let other people respond to this thread based on their own experiences and/or questions. There's no need to go overboard here with all this info only FOR hynosis. I thought this was a support group and and information forum. Sounds to me like you are extremely biased. I don't very often speak so frankly; but this time around I felt someone needed to say something----like back off a little.Thanks for the info Evie. I appreciate all the different alternatives anyone knows about and I will choose for myself which best fits me----and it's amazing; most of the things you and Susan have said are just what I need.Karen


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## JeanG (Oct 20, 1999)

Karen, you crossed a line with your remark:"Eric---I think it's time to "shut your engine down" and let other people respond to this thread based on their own experiences and/or questions. There's no need to go overboard here with all this info only FOR hynosis. I thought this was a support group and and information forum. Sounds to me like you are extremely biased. I don't very often speak so frankly; but this time around I felt someone needed to say something----like back off a little."Neither eric, nor any of us, have to shut our engines down. We are here to discuss hynpotherapy, and we damn well will discuss it all we want. If you want to talk about other things, fine, but don't come on like an ignorant little child holding your hands over your ears. If you don't want to read about hypno, don't, plain and simple.If you come onto a board insulting people, expect to be insulted back.JeanG


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## Feisty (Aug 14, 2000)

I don't want to or intend to start mudslinging here, Jean. All I'm trying to say is that I, among other people, obviously, would like to hear about some alternatives available and not be browbeaten down by hearing nothing but hypnosis. Why not try to help us out here. Biofeedback, etc. has helped many to manage pain, IBS, migraines, pain from injuries, etc. and I'm sure there has to be other alternatives as well. We just need a little more in the line of resources.Please, I do not want to start some war zone here. Just try to understand my frustration when I have tried hypnosis more than once and it doesn't work for me and yet I need and want something else to help me. That's all I'm asking for here. Some unbiased options.It has been interesting reading about the hypnosis and the techniques and results, etc., Theres' no doubt about it. I just need something else to help me. That's all I'm hoping for.Karen


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## RitaLucy (May 3, 2000)

I am very troubled by the way in which things are handled at times by members. I say this because I was not involved in any posts where there were disagreements of sorts with different types of therapies but I was contacted by members trying to get me involved in a debate of which I was not familiar or involved in.I recently CHOSE to do hypnotherapy and I CHOSE it not blindly but after much research and talking with people I know both on this BB and off whom I have come to respect.I really take resentment in negative propaganda.I think we are all educated and mature people here and to assume that someone is going to be swayed into something unwillingly and unknowinly is really troublesome to me .... and insinuations that the BB is profiting by doing such just really blows me away!Before you start Mike's tapes I think he must say at least 10 times to check with your Dr. etc. or if you have any hesitations at all not to start them. I myself before I decided to go with the hypotherapy posted right here on this BB to find more information about what the difference between CBT and hypotherapy were and then I decided what was best for me.THERE IS NO RIGHT OR WRONG way -- but there is a right way for you personally... again I do have a problem with knocking one way to promote yet another.Having said what I just said...I believe this is and should remain a place where different ideas and knowledge can be shared in a positive fashion.If you want a forum created to discuss a therapy ---- then talk to the moderators of the BB. I don't agree in trying to rally members either for or against other members....


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## JeanG (Oct 20, 1999)

For those of you who do not believe we have had other discussions here, these are some of the threads:CBT http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/u...=11&t=000015&p=[/[/URL] URL]http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=11;t=000017 [URL=http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000042&p=[/][url="http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000042&p="]http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/u...=11&t=000042&p=[/[/URL] URL]http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=11;t=000055 [URL=http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000002&p=[/][url="http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000002&p="]http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/u...=11&t=000002&p=[/[/URL] URL]http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000060&p=[/ URL][URL=http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000098&p=]http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000098&p=[/ URL][URL=http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000155&p=]http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000155&p=[/ URL][URL=http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000199&p=]http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000199&p=[/ URL][URL=http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000270&p=]http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000270&p=[/ URL][URL=http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000277&p=]http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000277&p=[/ URL][URL=http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000340&p=]http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000340&p=[/ URL][URL=http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000364&p=]http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000364&p=[/ URL][URL=http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000409&p=]http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000409&p=[/ URL][URL=http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000416&p=]http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000416&p=[/ URL][URL=http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000417&p=]http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000417&p=[/ URL][URL=http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000445&p=]http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000445&p=[/ URL][URL=http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000462&p=]http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000462&p=[/ URL][URL=http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=11;t=000567]http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=11;t=000567 [URL=http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000614&p=[/][url="http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000614&p="]http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/u...=11&t=000614&p=[/[/URL] URL]http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000791&p=[/ URL][URL=http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000833&p=]http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000833&p=[/ URL][URL=http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000938&p=]http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000938&p=[/ URL][URL=http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000954&p=]http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000954&p=[/ URL]ON YOGA[URL=http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000193&p=]http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000193&p=[/ URL][URL=http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=11;t=001028]http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=11;t=001028 [URL=http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000129&p=[/][url="http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000129&p="]http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/u...=11&t=000129&p=[/[/URL] URL] http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/u...=11&t=000004&p= BIOFEEDBACKhttp://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000591&p=[/ URL][URL=http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000653&p=]http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000653&p=[/ URL][URL=http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000107&p=]http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000107&p=[/ URL][URL=http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=11;t=000025]http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=11;t=000025 [URL=http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000142&p=[/][url="http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000142&p="]http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/u...=11&t=000142&p=[/[/URL] URL]http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000344&p=[/ URL][URL=http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000766&p=]http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000766&p=[/ URL][URL=http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000806&p=]http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000806&p=[/ URL][URL=http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000221&p=]http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000221&p=[/ URL]WRITING AS THERAPY[URL=http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000653&p=]http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000653&p=[/ URL][URL=http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000725&p=]http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000725&p=[/ URL]MUSIC AS THERAPY[URL=http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=11;t=000883]http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=11;t=000883MEDITATION[URL=http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000315&p=]http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000315&p=[/ URL][URL=http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000797&p=]http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000797&p=[/ URL]I'm sure there are more, but I searched quickly on the subject line only.Here are links to threads with Dr. Bolen as the [URL=author:IRRATIONAL]author:IRRATIONAL THOUGHTS THREADS [url="http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000367&p="]http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/u...=11&t=000367&p= http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/u...=11&t=000376&p= http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/u...=11&t=000395&p= http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/u...=11&t=000405&p= http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/u...=11&t=000434&p= http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/u...=11&t=000450&p= http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/u...=11&t=000468&p= http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/u...=11&t=000518&p= http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/u...=11&t=000533&p= http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/u...=11&t=000562&p= http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/u...=11&t=000579&p= http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/u...=11&t=000644&p= http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/u...=11&t=000702&p= http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/u...=11&t=000720&p= MORNING QUESTIONS http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php...c;f=11;t=000960 ANXIETY AND PANIC http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/u...=11&t=000072&p= QUESTIONS DR. BOLEN ANSWERED http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/u...=11&t=000041&p= http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php...c;f=11;t=000042 http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/u...=11&t=000043&p= http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/u...=11&t=000043&p= http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php...c;f=11;t=000059 http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php...c;f=11;t=000060 http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/u...=11&t=000076&p= http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php...c;f=11;t=000097 http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/u...=11&t=000106&p= http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/u...=11&t=000106&p= http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/u...=11&t=000116&p= http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php...c;f=11;t=000119 http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/u...=11&t=000195&p= http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php...c;f=11;t=000234 http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php...c;f=11;t=000263 http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php...c;f=11;t=000277 http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/u...=11&t=000305&p= http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/u...=11&t=000419&p= http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/u...=11&t=000496&p= http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/u...=11&t=000585&p= http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/u...=11&t=000961&p= JeanG


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## Guest (Jun 24, 2002)

Hi everyone. Thanx for your responses, Feisty. You make some very good points that many of us would do well to heed.RitaLucy.... if the hypnotherapy is your choice, I wish you well and hope you attain good results. Good luck.JeanG..... You know the old saying.... if you give someone enough rope, they'll eventually hang themselves. This board does not need a self-acclaimed "Messiah" or "Savior".... what it needs is people working together and offering each other an integrated or multidisciplinary approach to treatment.... as well as consideration of each other's needs.You might be interested in some of the legal information I have come across. Feel free to write to me anytime and I will share.And you really need to do something about all of that anger.


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