*4.1.3 Cessation of smoking*

*Hypnotherapy and Hypnosis*

the problems [26].

serious reactions such as masking of organic disorders and symptom substitution occasionally [26, 27]. Deficiencies in the hypnotist's techniques such as not knowing that suggestions in hypnosis are accepted literally, taking the patient rapidly out of trance, inappropriately using age regression, not prescreening for certain psychopathology, or preconceived expectations of negative consequences of hypnosis not being dispelled before initiating the session were considered to be the root cause of

**4. The use of hypnosis/hypnotherapy as complementary or alternative** 

for a psychological basis exists for many of the mentioned conditions [6].

of which affect the somatic and behavioral aspects of the illness [34].

**4.1 Behavioral and psychological applications of hypnosis**

*4.1.1 The potentials of hypnosis in the treatment of depressive disorders*

Although the traditional hypnotic approach is used for treating anxiety, depression, phobias, and attention deficit disorders, numerously, the modern or conventional approaches are employed in clinical hypnosis as either adjunct, complementary, or alternative therapy in present day orthodox medicine.

Employment of more therapeutic techniques and procedures in the treatment of depression as in the treatment of any other psychological disorder make better chances of successful outcomes [35]. Hypnosis employed in many ways in a goaldirected fashion as a highly efficient and flexible tool makes it suitable to be incorporated into the treatment of depression. It may be used to reduce anxiety, increase responsiveness, interrupt negative ruminations, and establish positive expectancy [35]. In rigid and distorted patterns of thinking or interpreting events, hypnosis may be used more intensely to facilitate flexibility [35]. Alladin and Alibhai's [36] study of 2007 represents the first comparison of a treatment using hypnosis as an adjunct to a well-established psychological therapy for depression (Beck's Cognitive

Hypnosis has been used effectively in a variety of medical settings such as chronic pain management, labor, surgery, dentistry, etc. Several studies reported its

For a variety of problems, hypnosis has been used as an adjunct to cognitive behavior therapy. Cognitive behavior therapy combined with hypnosis has been employed in the treatment of anxiety disorders, pain, depression, smoking cessa-

The American Medical Association in 1958 and the American Psychological Association in 1960 approved the use of hypnosis as an adjunct treatment; in a variety of psychological and physical conditions, its efficacy has been established [33]. Mostly, contemporary applications of clinical hypnosis could be in four major areas viz.: behavioral, pshychological, medical, and self-development. The contemporary medical applications of hypnosis include medicine, surgery, and dentistry, the uses

In the late 1700s when effective pharmaceutical and surgical treatment options were limited, hypnosis became a popular approach for the treatment of medical conditions [6]. As alternative treatments for medical conditions become popular, contemporary medicine is being challenged to take a more integrative approach. Hypnosis is used for conditions such as anxiety, depression, phobias, and attention deficit disorders not believed to be primarily psychological although the potential

**approach to the modern day orthodox medicine**

efficacy in the treatment of anxiety disorders [28–31].

tion, obesity, and hypertension [6, 32].

Behavioral Therapy for Depression) [36].

**30**

Hypnosis has been used as an adjunct cognitive behavior therapy for smoking cessation. Combined hypnotic and cognitive behavior therapy treatment for smoking cessation was found to be superior to a wait-list control condition as [40]. In 1988, these results were replicated in a study comparing larger sample sizes with the same conditions [41].
