Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Hypnosis For Children: What It Means

Hypnotherapy is the process of using hypnosis to treat any disease, addiction or disorders. Currently, hypnosis are used for children to overcome any anxiety, fear or other issues that can affect them as they grow. Most of children, respond to hypnotherapy pretty well, which is why this technique is pretty much getting attention and used by experts to resolve juvenile concerns.

Hypnotherapy is attributed on resolving bedwetting, thumb sucking, eating problems and other problems. It is even attributed in releasing stress and pressure children experienced. They say that children can be hypnotized as early as 3, but children above age 5 are found to be more responsive to hypnosis.

Actually all people can benefit from hypnosis. There are pregnant women suing this to reduce early morning sickness and nausea. It can even be used during labor so that the pain would not be that painful.

A hypnotherapy technique mostly used for children would be the “blow away” technique. In this technique or method, the children are induced into a hypnotic state asking to blow away any negative feelings. Other techniques would include relaxation and mental images which is somehow related to a daydream or a child’s fantasy.

The number of sessions needed by a child depends on the development and progress that can be seen. But on the average, 4 to 8 session are needed to make positive changes. The changes brought by hypnotherapy can be permanent. Not until, there are negative forces or influences that the child can feel. This would bring the effects of the session to rubble. If this cases or situations ever occur, then there would be reinforcement or back up sessions to help the child strengthen the positive traits that were built-up in the past.

Children with the following problems can be helped by hypnosis:

- Children in pain, like those who are undergoing treatment for cancer.
- Children who is often anxious and breathes quickly and shows faster heart rate.
- Children who have been wetting their bed at night time.
- Children with asthma.
- Children with different problems or disorders like ADHD or parents who are undergoing separation or divorce.

Not giving attention to the children’s difficulties eventually led the students to fail in their schoolwork, lack if focus and ability to concentrate and social withdrawal. How they relate with the family members and the friends also change. These behavioural problems, like fear and anxieties, tend to show through their mannerisms. It could manifest with twitching, hair pulling, nail biting, asthma attacks, etc.

Most people had the impression that when somebody undergoes hypnosis they do not know what they are doing. When children undergo hypnotherapy sessions, the expert hypnotists make sure that the children know what they are saying to them and what they are going to do is actually for their benefit.

Hypnosis is also effective because it uses three elements that reverberate on the individual. The three most important elements of hypnosis are relaxation, increased concentration and focus on the goal. When all of these elements worked together, the results can be very positive.

Although it is still not that popular among pediatricians, it is starting to gain trust. According to a study written by Michael Castleman, it cited that Johns Hopkins is recognizing hypnosis for children something valuable for addressing problems like migraines or headaches, anxiousness, bed-wetting and pain.