Hypnotherapy is an effective, relaxing, comfortable, drug-free choice for change. Hypnosis is one of the most researched therapies with over 11,000 research studies to date. It is recognised by the British Medical Association and the British Psychological Society. Scientific research studies have shown it be effective in treating many conditions.
Today Hypnotherapy is used to treat a wide range of conditions – and particularly popular are cognitive hypnotherapy and hypnosis treatments to stop smoking, also using hypnosis and hypnotherapy to treat anxiety and stress.
Hypnosis has evolved over the years from direct suggestion to hypnoanalysis where memories are revisited and reviewed. Modern hypnotherapy is grounded in an evidence based approach and a recognition of both the cognitive and behavioural approaches of modern psychology. Sometimes called Cognitive Hypnotherapy or Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy (one variant is known as Hypno-CBT).
One of the most promising areas is in treating IBS or Irritable Bowel Syndrome which affects 10% to 20% of the population and is most common disease diagnosed by gastroenterologist – yet there is no known cause and there is effective treatment. Yet.
Several research studies have shown that hypnotherapy and hypnosis treatments for IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) give excellent results and the medical community is becoming more and more interested in hypnotherapy as an effective treatment for chronic IBS.
Why Hypnosis?
Deep in the subconscious mind is where the majority of your behaviour is controlled. Once a new behaviour has been consciously learned it is delegated to subconscious control (e.g. riding a bicycle, driving a car). The same is true of the way we “process” information about the world around us - having acquired a set of beliefs and concepts we delegate them to subconscious control and - we automatically engage in thoughts, feelings and behaviours subconsciously - i.e. not under our conscious control.
Hypnosis allows us to learn new beliefs and ideas much more quickly as it seems to access the subconscious mind. While there are several theories on how this works there is no agreement on why hypnosis is effective. However there is agreement that hypnosis does work.
What is fascinating is that in treating there appears to be a “second brain” in the digestive system. The Enteric Nervous System that manages the digestive process has a full set of neurons and neurotransmitters - and is able to function entirely separately from the central nervous system. While the Enteric Nervous System only has 1% of the neurons of the brain itself, this still represents an enormous self sufficient neural network with similar functional complexity to that of the brain.
So hypnosis is working not only with the processes of the brain that are below the level of normal awareness but is also able to influence the much more ancient and deeper enteric nervous system.