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Posted by Kevin Hogan
Understanding The Role of Hypnosis in Tinnitus Reduction
I received an e-mail today from a desperate reader of AST asking,
"Can you stop me from hearing my tinnitus with hypnosis?"
My response: "No."
The answer is "no." Virtually nothing can make you stop hearing severe tinnitus
immediately except possibly being in a shower or near a waterfall ...and that
assumes you are not deaf. (Lidocaine may also offer a rare exception to this
rule but that is for another discussion.)
Tinnitus volume reduction is a very reasonable goal for almost anyone who
suffers. So is the reduction in suffering from the noise.
There are numerous strategies and interventions that work for the vast majority
of people given enough time. Many of them are never talked about in public
forums or promoted in tinnitus journals. There are also numerous scams and
bogus therapies that do absolutely nothing for those who suffer with tinnitus.
So, where and what is the role of hypnosis?
Hypnosis is a word that originally meant "sleep." That was appropriate 200
years ago. Unfortunately the term stuck and the misnomers about a very useful
set of strategies and tools is typically misunderstood and more importantly
mis-utilized.
There are several approaches in hypnotherapy. Here they are as they relate to
tinnitus and what you could expect.
1) Suggestive hypnotherapy is far and away the most common and most impotent in
fighting tinnitus. The idea behind suggestive therapy is that of having the
client achieve a trance state where critical judgment is suspended then
offering suggestions, often from a canned script, that your tinnitus will quiet
or go away. Probable effect: Very little will happen for most individuals who
are suffering from tinnitus. Money is typically wasted and the client tells the
story, "hypnosis doesn't work." Appropriate place for suggestive hypnotherapy:
On audio tape. Repetition of well formed suggestions has been shown to be
effective using self hypnosis over a long term. (Similar benefits as that of
TRT/auditory habituation.)
2) Ericksonian or metaphor hypnotherapy is the second most common form of
hypnotherapy. The idea is that if you tell your client a cloaked story about
someone who had tinnitus and it gets better the client will understand this at
the unconscious level creating a response where the brain chooses to not
listen to the tinnitus. Probable effect: Like suggestive therapy, one or two
time sessions will almost certainly fail. Appropriate place for Ericksonian
hypnotherapy: On audiotape. This tool has proven to be effective over the long
term when listened to repeatedly. Again, this form of therapy is roughly the
equivalent of a psychological model of TRT...and a predecessor!)
3) Regression hypnotherapy is easily the most effective form of hypnotherapy
because it is a medium to long term therapy. In regression hypnosis the client
becomes desensitized to the hypnosis on an emotional level. Probable effect:
With a hypnotherapist that has been trained in regression AND tinnitus
management this is the most effective strategy for tinnitus reduction. Much
like TRT the desensitization effect can dramatically alter the client's life
for the better. Most clients cannot hear their tinnitus when they are in trance
doing regression work. This provides dramatic evidence to the client and a very
real hope for their future improvement. Probable effect: Excellent adjunct
therapy to medical interventions such as alprazolam and SSRI's. Appropriate
place for the therapy: Only to be done by someone experienced in hypnotherapy
and tinnitus management. Regression hypnosis is a powerful tool but shouldn't
be confused as a replacement for medical treatment.
I hope this gives you a thumbnail sketch of hypnotherapy and it's role in
tinnitus management. There are articles you can read about this in greater
detail on my website noted below.
Kevin Hogan
http://www.kevinhogan.com/
President of the Minnesota Institute of Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy,
Licensed by the State of Minnesota
