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Hypnosis and Children

Some parents may be shocked to learn that hypnosis has been used on many children to combat everything from bedwetting to anxiety and more. There have been many studies done on children (usually age 5 and up) that have had positive results in many situations. Before considering paying for hypnosis, though, it is best for parents to understand what it is and how it can work.

Technically, hypnosis is nothing more than deep relaxation. While most people believe that when a patient is under hypnosis they are asleep, this is untrue. They are actually very much alert while being hypnotized. They are simply so relaxed that they are able to concentrate more fully on meaningful images (the doctor gives these images to the child so that they can focus on them).

Hypnosis also works by banishing all extra thoughts. They relax so much and concentrate on these relaxing images so much, that they forget to think about anything else. This allows them to focus on the goal as opposed to the problem. Some doctors say that if a patient is more focused on the goal as opposed to the problem (being sick, bedwetting, etc.), that they are more likely to achieve it.

While most people may not believe that hypnosis can work on children, experts say that it is actually more effective on them than on adults. This is because they are more open-minded and have stronger imaginations. This leads to trying harder and garnering better images with more focus to concentrate on.
There have been many studies done on children and hypnosis, and overall, in 20 studies that tracked the use of hypnosis to treat asthma in children, 85% resulted in less need for medication, less wheezing and fewer emergency room visits. This, of course, has led researchers to conclude that hypnosis can be an effective treatment option for asthma in children.

Another study tracked 50 bedwetters. Some of these received medication, and some were trained in self-hypnosis. After three months, the results for the medication and the hypnosis showed that they had close to the same effect. Then they discontinued use of the medication and the hypnosis group was instructed to keep practicing the self-hypnosis. After nine months, only a quarter of the children who had taken medication were still successful, while nearly 70% of the hypnosis kids were. The researchers believe that the biggest reason the figures were so different was because the children who did the hypnosis were required to take an active part in their treatment, as opposed to just popping a pill every day.

Even with many studies showing promising results with the use of hypnosis as a treatment option for children, it is still not used by most doctors. Researchers say that this is because how it works can't be adequately explained, which allows for too much skepticism. Since they are skeptical of how it all works, many doctors just won't use it.




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