Hypnotherapy to stop smoking weed?

acamdc88 · 23-07-2012 3:06am #1

Does anyone know of any established hypnotherapists in Ireland? I have a friend who had incredible success with it to stop smoking cannabis; after one session with a guy in England he went completely cold turkey and hasn't looked back. I don't really fancy going abroad, does anyone know of a reputable hypnotherapist anywhere in Ireland? I live in Belfast but can travel anywhere on the island

Odysseus · 23-07-2012 12:36pm

Go an see an addiction specialist, I would not let a hypotherapist near any of my patients, I'm working in the addict area over 15 years. Addiction treatment in the Addiction Services in the South is free [and I think the same is true up North] or you could see someone privately. Best of luck with it.

steoin · 23-07-2012 11:48pm

Slightly off-topic but is there any credible evidence of hypnotic induced psychosis? A lecturer I had this year mentioned it while being rather dismissive of hypnosis and it tickled my curiosity, if so is there a link between psychosis and suggestibility or something to that effect?

JuliusCaesar · 24-07-2012 5:23pm

Steoin, if you google 'Stress Vulnerability Model' you'll find the theory on the occurance of psychosis. As hypnosis is a state of deep relaxation, it seems unlikely to trigger psychosis - unless the person was shocked at their susceptibility to hypnosis (suggestibility) and made some assumptions from that which they found stressful.

trigger26 · 24-07-2012 7:38pm

Odysseus, how can you say you wouldn't let a hypnotherapist near my patients? How can you backup that sweeping statement? Are you medically qualified to call people who come to you patients because as far as I know being a psychotherapist in not yet officially regulated in Ireland.

And hypnosis has nothing to do with deep relaxation, that's just part of a trance mechanism to facilitate the hypnosis, it's not needed but can help. All hypnosis is self hypnosis, the client has to want the suggestions from the hypnotist such as suggestions to stop a certain habit like smoking hash. There are probably underlying issues such as addiction there but a decent hypnotist could get to bottom of these.

And as regards any credible evidence of hypnotic induced psychosis? I'm sick of these my friend says hypnosis this, hypnosis can damage that. Show me any credible evidence of hypnotic induced psychosis? Show me the journal articles outlining cases on hypnotic induced psychosis?

Hypnosis is an incredible useful tool but like any tool it depends on the quality of operator. I'm based as a hypnotist in the south and unfortunately don't know of anyone to recommend in the north, word of mouth is always a good way to go.

steoin · 24-07-2012 8:01pm

trigger26 wrote: »

Odysseus, how can you say you wouldn't let a hypnotherapist near my patients? How can you backup that sweeping statement? Are you medically qualified to call people who come to you patients because as far as I know being a psychotherapist in not yet officially regulated in Ireland.

And hypnosis has nothing to do with deep relaxation, that's just part of a trance mechanism to facilitate the hypnosis, it's not needed but can help. All hypnosis is self hypnosis, the client has to want the suggestions from the hypnotist such as suggestions to stop a certain habit like smoking hash. There are probably underlying issues such as addiction there but a decent hypnotist could get to bottom of these.

And as regards any credible evidence of hypnotic induced psychosis? I'm sick of these my friend says hypnosis this, hypnosis can damage that. Show me any credible evidence of hypnotic induced psychosis? Show me the journal articles outlining cases on hypnotic induced psychosis?

Hypnosis is an incredible useful tool but like any tool it depends on the quality of operator. I'm based as a hypnotist in the south and unfortunately don't know of anyone to recommend in the north, word of mouth is always a good way to go.

That's quite an aggressive response but I suppose it's understandable in some ways.

You question whether a psychotherapy is regulated I'm taking it so that hypnotherapy is?

Well as far as I know a hypnotist is not qualified to deal with the underlying issues and to the best of my knowledge a psychologist is only qualified once they have received additional training.

You are asking for credible evidence of psychosis induced by hypnosis it has not been suggested here that there is any bar my sceptical question looking for some info if any existed, again can you provide credible evidence that hypnosis is an effective tool when dealing with Addiction as the onus is most certainly on you as opposed to Odysseus to disprove it?

Odysseus · 24-07-2012 8:27pm

trigger26 wrote: »

Odysseus, how can you say you wouldn't let a hypnotherapist near my patients? How can you backup that sweeping statement? Are you medically qualified to call people who come to you patients because as far as I know being a psychotherapist in not yet officially regulated in Ireland.

And hypnosis has nothing to do with deep relaxation, that's just part of a trance mechanism to facilitate the hypnosis, it's not needed but can help. All hypnosis is self hypnosis, the client has to want the suggestions from the hypnotist such as suggestions to stop a certain habit like smoking hash. There are probably underlying issues such as addiction there but a decent hypnotist could get to bottom of these.

And as regards any credible evidence of hypnotic induced psychosis? I'm sick of these my friend says hypnosis this, hypnosis can damage that. Show me any credible evidence of hypnotic induced psychosis? Show me the journal articles outlining cases on hypnotic induced psychosis?

Hypnosis is an incredible useful tool but like any tool it depends on the quality of operator. I'm based as a hypnotist in the south and unfortunately don't know of anyone to recommend in the north, word of mouth is always a good way to go.

What are your qualifications? How long did it take to get them? Was this done over weekends? Any ads I see cure are your addiction in x amount of sessions. I have been training as a psychoanalysis since 1997 holding a BA and Research Masters in it, as well as published on the topic. No doctor I work with in the Addiction Service would refer an addict to someone who trained over a series of weekends to get a Dip. Either would I, I have always say on this forum that I will not refer to a therapist who does not hold a maters in psychology or similar. The are no train facities for hypnotherapy above Dip level in Ireland are there?

trigger26 · 24-07-2012 8:48pm

Hypnosis is not regulated in Ireland, the dismissal by a person who is also unregulated seems ironic to me. The level of suggestibility is different in everyone depending on their conditioning and view of the world. Everyone is suggestible to a certain degree, both to negative and positive suggestions, suggestibility is not to be confused with being gullible.

I didn't mean to give the impression that hypnosis is the only method of dealing with addiction. There are many methods that can help working with addiction - psychotherapy, EFT, CBT, counseling.

And as regards the evidence of hypnosis as an effective with addiction, I've pasted the following survey. It was back in 2003 and I wouldn't read too much into it, they are usually biased in some way. I know doing my own research on stop smoking with hypnosis that collecting data months and years after the sessions is difficult. Not everyone replies, so to get an accurate reading is tricky. The reason I like hypnosis is because it worked for me and helped me deal with my own issues, it's not the only answer but having worked through these issues myself and come out the other end I feel quite strongly about the usefulness of this method.

<snip> - Please link to the relevant report(s) rather than posting the contents here.

trigger26 · 24-07-2012 9:18pm

Why would you dismiss such a useful tool like hypnosis when you probably use it every day in your work whether you know it or not? How you can you tar a whole profession based on some advertising that you have seen? Yes I did a hypnosis weekend course while working in my old IT job. I qualified with a degree in computer science from DIT but what I used from that course in my job was minimal, hands on experience can never be underestimated. Nor was the usefulness of hypnosis in stopping the panic attacks I had 6 years ago.
I did the 6 month course, started an internship which was at the weekends and then went full time to do the hypnosis internship for 18 months. I've also studied abroad with hypnotist from the USA such as Roy Hunter, that was my training path I made for myself and I continue to learn everyday. Maybe some day hopefully it will be regulated, it's going to take time and hopefully in my lifetime.

Hypnosis training groups in Ireland are only a group of people who appoint themselves to award diplomas, they don't mean a thing and usually everyone gets one as long as they pay their fees. Is that right, no way, but some go on to do good work with hypnosis. Have I identified with hypnosis too much? Yes probably and if I come across aggressive I apologize. But to dismiss hypnosis like that is not something I going to stay quiet on, it's a useful bow in a string of many useful therapies.

Odysseus · 24-07-2012 9:43pm

As I said I willl not refer a patient to someone who does not hold a masters. Can you get a MA in it in Ireland or anywhere else?

EDIT yes I can call people patients

trigger26 · 24-07-2012 10:17pm

That's doesn't answer why you choose to identify so strongly with your personal criteria of having a masters, it's only restating your limiting belief. You can a get a MA in the USA, that's where I intend to train next. Not for the MA but for the quality and variety of training over there, even if I did get a MA it would not be recognised officially here. Yes qualifications are important, I was and am still qualified as a Microsoft System certified engineer and a Cisco Certified Network engineer but I've worked with many engineers with no exams that were meant for IT and understood it instinctively. Qualifications are a good indication of knowledge but not the be all and all, Richard Branson didn't finish secondary school.

JuliusCaesar · 24-07-2012 10:36pm

I received training in hypnosis many moons ago and used it successfully with clients/patients, but never updated my skills so don't tend to use it anymore. I wouldn't refer a client to a hypnotist who didn't have base training as a mental health professional.

The Handbook of Contemporary Clinical Hypnosis: Theory and Practice is available in google books and is interesting. (It was one of the authors who trained me.) Hartland's Medical and Dental Hypnosis was our textbook.

Can everyone get back on topic, please? JC

Odysseus · 25-07-2012 12:27am

In that case we might lock it JC, as the OP is looking for an individual recommendation; what do you think? I don't want it said I locked it as I didn't want engage. However, we do not give personal recommendation here for those who do not know.

Kooli · 25-07-2012 3:03pm

Odysseus wrote: »

As I said I willl not refer a patient to someone who does not hold a masters. Can you get a MA in it in Ireland or anywhere else?

EDIT yes I can call people patients

I think the MA rule is a bit of a rigid one.
I could have 'upgraded' my undergrad BA from TCD to an MA for a small fee, and you certainly shouldn't have trusted me with clients (or 'patients') at that stage.

I don't know a lot about hynotherapy, but I don't doubt that there are some circumstances it can help in. My concern would be a hypnotherapist going outside the limits of their competence and trying to help with underlying issues or other problems that they are not qualified to tackle.

Odysseus · 25-07-2012 4:24pm

Kooli wrote: »

I think the MA rule is a bit of a rigid one.
I could have 'upgraded' my undergrad BA from TCD to an MA for a small fee, and you certainly shouldn't have trusted me with clients (or 'patients') at that stage.

I don't know a lot about hynotherapy, but I don't doubt that there are some circumstances it can help in. My concern would be a hypnotherapist going outside the limits of their competence and trying to help with underlying issues or other problems that they are not qualified to tackle.

WE are OT but to answer you question I will only refer to those I know who have finished a Master. Buying a Masters is a disgrace:( Fair play to you for being ethical OPs question has been answered time to lock this thread.

Hypnotherapy to stop smoking weed?

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