Hypnotherapy For Smoking Cessation

Hypnosis in the Medical Community

The benefits of hypnosis have been known for decades. As far back as 1958, the American Medical Association certified hypnosis as a legitimate treatment tool. The National Institutes of Health also recognized hypnosis as an effective intervention in 1996. However, despite its effectiveness, scientists could not explain how hypnosis generated its beneficial results. Then again, they could not explain the obvious benefits of sleep, either. Today, all that is rapidly changing. In universities and hospitals across the country, hypnosis is the subject of active research and widely increased application. Hypnosis is fast becoming mainstream in medical and behavioral arenas.

“The study of hypnotic phenomena is now squarely in the domain of normal cognitive science, with papers on hypnosis published in some of the most selective scientific and medical journals.” 1

Part of the new interest in hypnosis is driven by the advent of new imaging and brain-wave measuring tools, which clearly document the impact of hypnosis on the brain is both real and measurable. Researchers like Helen Crawford of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute have found, “The biological impact [of hypnosis] is very real and it can be quantified.” 2

Other researchers at prestigious institutions like Harvard, Stanford, Tulane, Mount Sinai, Case Western, and Beth Israel are more focused on the successful application of hypnosis in mainstream medicine. Researchers like Carol Ginandes, a Harvard psychologist, are trying to prove that “through hypnosis, the mind can have a potent effect not only on mental well-being, but also on the acceleration of bodily healing itself.” 2 The results of these efforts have been extremely impressive. To cite just one study:

In a 2002 review of 20 studies on hypnosis and surgical pain, “Mount Sinai researchers found that adding hypnosis to standard post-surgical care sped recovery almost 90% of the time, in terms of pain, anxiety and need for pain killers.” 3

Today, close to 15,000 doctors combine hypnotherapy with standard medical treatments. It’s estimated 94% of these patients benefit from hypnotherapy, even if it’s only linked to improved relaxation. 4 Hypnosis is also finding increased application outside of the hospital. As reported in the Wall Street Journal, “Hypnosis is increasingly being used to help women give birth without drugs, for muting dental pain, treating phobias and severe anxieties, for helping people lose weight, stop smoking, or even perform better in athletics or academic tests.” 2

As for weight loss, studies clearly indicate the potential benefits of hypnosis. A 1996 meta-analysis study conducted at the University of Connecticut and published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology found people using hypnosis were able to lose, on average, almost 2.5 times as much weight as those not using hypnosis. Further, the study found “the correlation analysis indicated that the benefits of hypnosis increased substantially over time.” 5 The strength of this study and others prompted a task force of the American Psychological Association to validate hypnosis as an adjunct procedure for the treatment of obesity. 1

Positive Changes continues to make advancements in the application of hypnosis to life-long challenges, helping clients push through self-imposed limitations and achieve their loftiest goals, whether their goals include losing weight, shedding stress, ending life-long cigarette addictions, or earning top scores on their SATs.

1. The Scientific American, “The Truth and the Hype of Hypnosis.” Michael Nash, July 17, 2001
2. Wall Street Journal, “Altered States: Hypnosis Goes Mainstream.” October 12, 2003.
3. Los Angeles Times, “Hypnotic Reach.” Benedict Carey, January 5, 2004.
4. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “Clinical Hypnosis: Tapping into the Mind/Body Connection.” Joan Friedrick, Ph.D., M.A., C.D.N., June 25, 2002.
5. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64 (3), 517-519. “Hypnotic Enhancement of Cognitive-Behavior Weight Loss Treatments Another Meta-Reanalysis.” Irving Kirsch, University of Connecticut, 1996.

Some Hypnosis Statistics

• For Weight Loss
• For Smoking Cessation
• For Pain Management

Links To Other Sources for the latest news on Hypnosis and Health

PositiveChanges™ is not responsible for content on these public sites.

• (WebMD Search on Hypnosis)
• (WebMD’s Medline: online database of the US National Library of Medicine, the largest medical library in the world.)
• (CBS News)
• (FoxNews)
• (Google News)
• (iVillage / NBC’s Today Show segment – Health Journal with Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom)

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