Hypnotherapy for Anxiety Disorders -- Theoretical and Practical Approach

Abstract

From all the psychological ways to relieve anxiety, relaxation exercises and hypnotherapy have been recommended long ago, evidence of their effectiveness if applied alone was difficult to determine, so in practice we recommend an integrative approach.

Beskin and (1980) also noted that these relaxation exercises are ineffective for the treatment of chronic anxiety, unless other methods are applied at the same time.

Barlow et al. (1984) presented one of the first well-controlled research and could determine the effectiveness of a "package" of treatments combining cognitive processes and methods of hypnosis/relaxation. They compared the effects of cognitive-behavioral therapy with the changes observed on patients in the control group.

Package treatment of cognitive-behavioral intervention includes the following components: relaxation training, stress immunization training and cognitive procedures.

The treatment effects were assessed by multiple measurements: clinical evaluation, various self-assessment tools, daily self-evaluation of anxiety, anxiety questionnaire and psycho-physiological measurements. So it was established the procedures’ effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy combined with relaxation.

Keywords: hypnotherapy, anxiety disorders, phobia, psychotherapy, structured intervention