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Hypnosis in the Hospital
by: Paul Gustafson RN BSN CH
Did you know that Americans spend as much out-of-pocket
for complimentary healthcare as they do for inpatient hospitalizations? The
Eisenberg studies of 1991 and 1997 revealed that people are searching for
alternatives and don’t mind paying for it.
The authoritarian approach to western medicine assumes that health and wellness
comes from others which minimizes the importance of our own natural ability to
not only enhance the healing process but to avoid illness to begin with. If the
rapid assembly line of mainstream healthcare has clinicians overwhelmed how
about the emotional state of those being cared for? How are the patients coping
with their situation? What expectations do they have for recovery?
Do they see themselves as temporarily side tracked or powerless? Do they feel
there is a role for them to play in their own recovery? This article describes
how hypnosis works and reviews some of the clinical applications of this
empowering technique. The term “hypnosis” is a Greek word for “sleep” coined by
scientist James Braid in 1843. It was an unfortunate choice of words because, as
you will learn, hypnosis is not sleep at all. Nearly all clients hear and
remember everything during a session.
Hypnosis is better described as a form of communicating with the subconscious
mind and offering it information and healthy direction.
The conscious and subconscious minds have two very different job descriptions.
The conscious mind keeps us in the here and now, it is our short-term memory and
gate keeper. It analyzes, critiques, judges, accepts or denies information for
long-term storage in the subconscious mind.
Think of the subconscious as the hard drive where all the programming is stored.
It’s the home of our imagination, values, beliefs, habits and patterns. It’s
also our body’s control center. It tells the heart when to beat, lungs when to
breath and controls every step we take every day of our life. It’s a very
powerful place. A hypnotist uses soothing music and paints peaceful verbal
images enabling clients to shift from conscious to subconscious thought. Once
this is accomplished they are prepared with suggestions, affirmations and
imagery supporting the desired goals. The client then integrates all accepted
information and puts it into action.
Clinical hypnosis is the application of this technique to support medical
concerns. It is not a mystical power nor is it something administered to you
like medication. It is simply the natural process of tapping into our enormous
self-healing resources. Because the subconscious mind is the control center for
all bodily function it can be led in many positive directions. The information
offered with hypnosis mobilizes and maximizes a client’s physical and emotional
response to recovery and maintaining health.
Applications
Intensive Care: Clients can block out distractions and reduce discomfort,
which improves their ability to get quality rest and speed up the time of
recovery. Clinical hypnosis balances blood pressure and reduces stress, heart
rate, which minimize complications. It can also be used to reduce secretions,
bleeding, improve immune response and make procedures more tolerable.
Oncology: Hypnosis lessens stress, anxiety, pain, nausea and vomiting. It
reduces respiratory distress and even helps prevents hair loss. It increases
confidence and self-image. Clinical hypnosis helps ease the acceptance of
physical restrictions or even managing end of life transition.
Pediatrics: What better gift to give a frightened child than control
during a time of crisis. Children have active imaginations and respond very well
to hypnosis. It can melt away fear; increase their relaxation and focus making
it easier for them to understand instructions, procedures and treatments.
Surgical: Pre-surgical hypnosis reduces anxiety, pain, stress and
bleeding. It promotes rapid healing and improved immune response. These clients
can better manage post-op pain and nausea. They use less medication and avoid
the side effects that go with it. Those who are relaxed going into anesthesia
are relaxed coming out of it.
Internal Medicine: It speeds up the healing process, improves immune
response, which minimizes infection; it can decrease inflammation, and relieves
tension and migraine headaches. Hypnosis is also helpful for weight loss,
arthritis, improved self-image and relief of symptoms associated with irritable
bowel syndrome.
Mental Health: Hypnosis relieves symptoms of despair or sadness, fears,
phobias and addictions. It can put the client in control. They get to play an
active role in their own recovery, which adds to an increased sense of
fulfillment ensuring long-term success.
Dentistry: Hypnosis helps minimize anticipatory anxiety, bleeding,
gagging, pain, excess salivation and distorts time perception making procedure
seem to go by quickly. Hypnosis can also help establish a positive association
with dental care promoting routine care.
Summary: Clinical hypnosis offers clients an oasis of relaxation and
control when they need it most. They have a shorter length of stay, use less
medication, have fewer complications and feel like they were a part of the team.
Hypnosis can blend nature and science with dramatically positive results. And
clients who go on to become practitioners of self-hypnosis can make positive
changes in many other areas of their lives as well.
Copyright (C) 2002 - Publishing, Inc. |
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