Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a condition that can affect anybody depending on their past traumatic experiences. While various treatment methods have been used to treat PTSD, like pharmacotherapy, exposure therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, symptoms of distress still remain. The failure of these treatment approaches to provide relief to the victims of PTSD makes it necessary to explore additional treatment methods. Hypnosis has been employed in the treatment of victims of traumatic experiences and continues to be used as an alternative therapy for victims of PTSD. This technique has been determined to provide a range of benefits when employed to treat those suffering from PTSD.
Abramowitz & Lichtenberg (2010) argues that hypnosis works by producing a dissociative state in the targeted individuals. Studies have shown that persistent dissociation following a traumatic experience may lead to the development of PTSD symptoms. The long-term effects of this dissociative phenomenon are always responsible for disability and suffering experienced by victims of PTSD.
Hypnosis can be adopted as a treatment method aimed at PTSD symptoms. Moreover, hypnosis is a flexible treatment modality that can be used to treat non-dissociative symptoms too, including emotional withdrawal and anxiety. The other advantage of hypnosis is that hypnosis can be used as an adjunct therapy used together with other treatment methods. Further, studies have determined that victims of PTSD may be more highly susceptible to hypnotic suggestions than other patients, hence making them respond effectively to hypnotic treatment.
Abramowitz & Lichtenberg (2010) examined the efficacy of Hypnotherapeutic olfactory conditioning (HOC) in treating victims of combat-related PTSD in an uncontrolled open study. The researchers determined that after the end of the six sessions of treatment administered weekly, 36 soldiers who had been treated using other methods but had not recovered from their conditions, showed significant improvements after the therapy. These soldiers showed significant improvements in their psychopathology as indicated in the depressive, posttraumatic and dissociative symptomatology measures. The soldiers treated using this method had suffered anxiety or dissociative reactions after incidences of olfactory stimuli. This is a condition that often affects soldiers suffering from PTSD due to combat-related effects.
In another study, Arditte et al. (2020) examined changes in sleep patterns in victims of PTSD following treatment with sleep-directed hypnosis. The researchers determined that PTSD victims may suffer from insomnia due to their condition, which necessitates treatment methods that target their sleep. The participants of this study received sleep-directed hypnosis plus cognitive therapy (hypCPT) that targeted their objective sleep quality. The results of this study found that sleep-directed hypnosis may be of help to these individuals, as some participants took less time in falling asleep.
However, this area of study still requires more extensive research to confirm the perceived relationship. These studies show that different techniques of hypnotherapy can be adopted to treat various symptoms of PTSD. The technique used, such as HOC and hypCPT can be further explored through extensive studies to determine their efficacy in helping relieve various symptoms of PTSD.
References
Abramowitz, E. G., & Lichtenberg, P. (2010). A new hypnotic technique for treating combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder: A prospective open study. Intl. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 58(3), 316-328.
Arditte Hall, K. A., Werner, K. B., Griffin, M. G., & Galovski, T. E. (2020). The effects of cognitive processing therapy+ hypnosis on objective sleep quality in women with posttraumatic stress disorder. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy.
Melvin S. Marsh is a certified hypnotherapist serving Augusta GA and Statesboro GA. He performs hypnotherapy appointments both in person and worldwide virtually. He can be reached at www.afterhourshypnotherapy.com .
