Insomnia

[Unregistered]

In the past few months, I have had severe insomnia, that is, I cannot fall asleep until about 6 am, to wake at 7 am. My mind won't shut down for me to sleep, although I am exhausted. I have been to so many different doctors already, tried many medications for sleep-none worked-and I am not on any medications now. Could self hypnosis help this, and how could it be done?

-Rachael

[Don]

It's possible that self-hypnosis could help, but unfortunately, there may be many causes. You could find a self-hypnosis solution which might work, or it might work only temporarily or not at all.

However, if you go to a hypnotherapist, he or she should be able to quickly and inexpensively help you--without resorting to drugs.

[Terry]

It's possible that self-hypnosis could help, but unfortunately, there may be many causes. You could find a self-hypnosis solution which might work, or it might work only temporarily or not at all.

However, if you go to a hypnotherapist, he or she should be able to quickly and inexpensively help you--without resorting to drugs.
If I had been sleep deprived for several months, I would be looking for the best, and fastest method I could find, so as to save my sanity......Even in the "best of all worlds" scenario, it still takes time to learn self hypnosis, and I suggest you are hardly in the best of all states to learn anything after having no sleep for months...On the other hand, a therapist is handy we can hope, and will see you right away....Go for the therapist...........

[Unregistered]

I have anxiety issues as well, and I'm going to a psychiatrist. Do many psychiatrists use hypnosis, and if they do, is it at a seperate cost?

-Rachael

[Don]

Hi, Rachel.

As far as I know, psychiatrists use all of their skills and don't charge extra for one skill as opposed to another. It is possible that your insomnia and anxiety are related, so you should discuss this with your psychiatrist.

Here in the U.S., psychiatry is often a paradigm directed toward chemical intervention. That is, rather than the image of spending an hour talking with the psychiatrist while in Freudian analysis, they simply give you a drug that, theoretically, helps you.

Hypnosis is simply a technique to enable communication. In a therapeutic setting, this is usually between you and a hypnotherapist. So the key is not the hypnosis itself, but what a therapist does after you are hypnotized.

One of the most important hypnotherapists of the last 50 years was Dr. Milton Erickson, who was primarily a psychiatrist who frequently used hypnosis in his therapies. So in direct answer to your question, yes, some psychiatrists do use hypnosis.

However, psychiatrists are licensed M.D.s and can legally do almost anything. That means if they have taken just one class or read just one book on hypnosis, they can do therapy while you are under hypnosis.

Of course, laypeople can do the same. So I would urge you to investigate any person's credentials and experience before they do hypnotherapy with you.

Because psychiatry is state licensed and hypnotherapy is not, before going to any hypnotherapist it would be important for you to discuss the matter with your psychiatrist and get a written referral. In fact, a hypnotherapist should do an interview with you before going to any hypnosis, and insist on getting a written referral from your psychiatrist before doing hypnotherapy with you.

I hope this helps.

[Poodle]

The investigation part is very necesary. I just found a psychologist on the net doing hypnosis and he did NOT have CHt after his name! Stats by Alfred A. Barres, PhD reveal it takes 600 sessions with a 38% rate of recovery with psychoanalysis and only 6 sessions with a CHt with a success rate of 93%. You choose!!