There are many alternative medicine methods that have been used for hundreds of years. People may resort to these methods due to their different ailments. Hypnotherapy is an alternative treatment method applied by hypnotizing the patient using one of the different methods. It is extremely important that it is done by an expert that the person trusts. As with all treatment methods, hypnosis can have some possible side effects. This situation may vary according to the person’s constitution. Considering the possibility of any side effects, it is an alternative medicine application that should not be applied without the approval or guidance of a specialist doctor.
What is hypnosis?
The Greek word for hypnosis is sleep. However, those who work in this field state that they focus on providing awareness, not sedation, during the application. It is known that this practice was first used in the seventeenth century. In the treatment of hypnosis, it is important that the person who cannot be found to be inconvenient in hypnosis should trust the person who will do the hypnosis work. If there is doubt and insecurity, the focus of the person being treated cannot be realized.
How is hypnosis done?
The question of what hypnosis means is usually answered as “the state of being put to sleep”. However, experts state that the clients are not put to sleep, on the contrary, it is aimed to provide a concentration that will cause them to experience awareness. Hypnosis is an application that can be performed in five different ways. Punishment and reward methods, persuasion method, hypnosis with technique, a mechanical effect or hypnosis can be performed using drugs.
Persons who are trained in the field of psychotherapy and who specialize in the field can apply hypnosis. However, the body of the person to be applied must be suitable to be hypnotized. Some people are not hypnotized at all. These people are the elderly, people diagnosed with schizophrenia and people with certain diseases that are considered undesirable for hypnosis. Although it varies from person to person, there are some possible side effects of hypnosis. Some of the possible bad situations that may occur during or after the application can be listed as follows:
- blackout
- dizziness
- Chronic headaches
- Trance
- difference in perception
In order to avoid all these effects or more, the first thing to do is to apply by a specialist doctor. Hypnosis is a practice that is not preferred unless absolutely necessary. When it comes to wrong application, it can cause irreversible troubles, alienation from oneself, different addictions.
What are the types of hypnosis?
Depending on different types, hypnosis can be performed by specialists to people who have absolutely no problems with its application. There are six different types of hypnosis known and practiced. The types of hypnosis that may vary depending on the age groups of the people to be hypnotized, how long the hypnosis will be applied or where the application will be made are as follows:
- Hypnosis using medication: Some people may not be hypnotized by the most commonly used method called the suggestion method. This possibility may vary depending on the person or the environment. In these cases, the patient may be given medication to break the existing resistance to hypnosis.
- Group hypnosis: Doctors can use the collective hypnosis method for certain situations and people they deem appropriate. It is not used much because it is a difficult method. The difficulty arises from the fact that individuals’ susceptibility to hypnosis may differ.
- Collective hypnosis: In this method, as in group hypnosis, there is only one practitioner in a crowded community. The specialist doctor can apply to a large group at the same time.
- Autohypnosis: It is also known as road hypnosis. In this type of practice, one does not need a practitioner to be hypnotized. There is self-hypnosis due to different reasons. The reason why it is called road hypnosis is due to the fact that this situation is mostly experienced by long-distance drivers. People who travel long distances due to fatigue, insomnia or silence can enter auto-hypnosis.
- Social hypnosis: The individual who is connected to a community experiences social hypnosis as a result of the pressures of that society or community. At this point, the person who is the leader of that society is accepted as a hypnosis practitioner. When all people are exposed to social hypnosis, they react in the same way to all events or situations.
What does it mean to be hypnotized?
Some people ask, “Is hypnosis real?” seeks an answer to the question. However, there are also those who believe in hypnosis and believe that it is a very valid treatment method. In the examples of hypnosis application that are opened to the public, there are also people who argue that the people who are applied are actors. People who practice hypnosis say that hypnosis is a real alternative treatment method. In line with these explanations, hypnosis can be used for many problems from stuttering to forgetfulness. Some conditions that hypnosis is known to improve include:
- Phobias, fears on different subjects
- insomnia problem
- Eating disorders
- speech disorders
- Inability to control anger
- sexual problems
- Panic attack
- Traumatic psychological problems
- Chronic pain
- urinary incontinence
Today, studies for the development of hypnosis continue. In psychiatry, hypnosis is applied and hypnosis method is used for the above situations and many other problems. Being hypnotized occurs by being affected by the application, in order to reduce the awareness of the environment and to concentrate the attention of the person on a single point. It is aimed to ensure that the following situations are believed to exist in the person to whom the application is made:
- Everyone can do whatever they believe they can do.
- The body and mind have the ability to heal themselves.
- Humans can benefit from these experiences when they need it because they carry all genetic experiences universally within them.
- Just as the perspectives of other individuals are respected, one must maintain self-respect.
- A person can be negative, not unsuccessful. The more positive the outlook, the more it attracts good things.