For many adults diagnosed with ADHD (or struggling with ADHD-like symptoms), standard medication treatments may not be desirable, or just might not be enough. The emergence of hypnotherapy as a treatment for ADHD has provided patients with another alternative to traditional treatments, one without any risk of chemical side effects, addiction or neurological damage. If you're considering such an alternative treatment, it's a good idea to start by familiarizing yourself with the basic facts and research.
Hypnosis
Contrary to popular culture misconceptions, hypnosis is not a supernatural phenomenon or a form of "mind control." Rather, hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness much like sleep. In this state, a person's thought process, perceptions and awareness of his subconscious is altered.
Concentration and Hyperactivity
Since hypnosis creates a state of mind that is highly focused and relaxed, many , such as those implemented by the National Institute of Clinical Hypnotherapy, center around helping patients learn to experience this calm, focused state of mind and allow it to affect their daily lives. This form of treatment is directed not only at improving concentration but also at minimizing the problems of hyperactivity.
Organization
Hypnosis is widely used as a way to alter behaviors and form new habits. This is done by implanting suggestions during the trance state, a time when the subconscious mind is more open to receiving them. This technique is often implemented to reinforce desired behaviors while eliminating undesired ones. Most products aimed at managing ADHD symptoms with hypnosis are based in using similar types of "scripts" (verbal messages heard by an entranced person) as those used for people using such programs to stop smoking, lose weight or improve study habits.
Effectiveness
At this point, the effectiveness of hypnotism as a treatment for ADHD is still being determined through clinical testing. Some of the most promising studies are concerned with , not on their own, but as an adjunct to neurofeedback treatments; according to Drs. Arreed and Marianne Barabasz (in a paper presented to the APA), the use of hypnosis doubled the effectiveness of the neurofeedback treatments, cutting the patient response time in half.
Availability
Hypnosis-based treatments for ADHD are widely available in a variety of forms, ranging from in-patient therapy to books to CDs. However, since hypnosis is, for the most part, not a regulated practice, and since hypnotherapy for ADHD is a relatively new practice, the quality and efficacy of these products and services can be highly variable.
Tags: hypnotic treatments, neurofeedback treatments, , treatment ADHD