"I’m so tired of spending my life on a diet. The harder I try to control my weight, the more I become obsessed with food!”

Sound familiar? People face a myriad of challenges every day, but one common lament is not being able to make the changes you want to make. You’ve probably heard that hypnotherapy, which translates to “sleep of the nervous system” can treat various conditions, but the truth about hypnotherapy and why more people don’t seek this type of treatment remains a mystery to many.

IT’S SHOWTIME!

When most of us think of hypnosis, we think of the hypnotist on stage in Las Vegas, getting a group of people to do crazy things in a hypnotic state…all while the audience laughs. Hypnosis used for entertainment is common today. However, hypnotherapy is used for everything from alleviating chronic pain and quitting smoking to forensic investigation and academic research. Hypnosis met mainstream medicine in the 1950s when the American Medical Association (AMA) commissioned a report that endorsed an earlier policy of the British Medical Association. The AMA concluded, “The use of hypnosis has a recognized place in the medical armamentarium and is a useful technique in the treatment of certain illnesses when employed by qualified medical and dental personnel.” Induction, which is the process of putting someone into the hypnotic state, is the same whether the outcome is entertainment or therapy.  

FEAR FACTOR

If hypnosis could potentially be the answer to weight loss or easing pain, then one may wonder why it isn’t more popular. David Greenwood, certified hypnotherapist and owner of Greenwood Wellness in Folsom says, “The main reason people don’t come to us for help is because of fear – fear we will uncover some hidden secrets in their subconscious; fear they will be made to do something against their will; or fear that under hypnosis they will reveal things they don’t want to reveal.” Greenwood continues, “The reality is, these fears are unfounded. I can’t make anyone do something their conscious mind doesn’t want to do.”

CHANGE WILL DO YOU GOOD

So, can anyone be hypnotized? And can you be hypnotized even if you don’t want to be? “Not everyone can be hypnotized,” Greenwood explains. “You have to trust the process and be ready to make changes, and not everyone is ready.” Alas, there lie the limitations of hypnotherapy. For the process to be successful depends on how motivated the person is to move forward – to change. Some people find, once they start therapy, they don’t have the energy to make the changes they want to make. The power of old negative habits can be strong. While hypnotherapy is a very effective tool, it takes focus and discipline to overcome the self-sabotage that traps many of us. However, when someone is truly ready to change and move forward, and when they can trust the process, success is almost guaranteed. Greenwood reports that he has excellent results with many clients, including those who want to stop smoking, lose weight, improve their public speaking skills, develop confidence, and make better relationship choices.

If breaking a bad habit is on your wish list, and you’re ready and willing to make a change, hypnotherapy could be the treatment for you.

For more information, visit natboard.com.