Saturday, December 17, 2005

Hypnosis Can Work Wonders

The Dallas Morning News

Hypnosis has caught on as a weapon in the battle of the bulge - and various vices.
And mental health experts say it's drawing dieters to their doorsteps.

"I get more referrals from physicians than ever for habits like tobacco-use cessation, weight control, nail-biting and others," said Dr. Douglas Bellamy, 64, a psychologist in Texas who has practiced hypnosis since the early 1980s.


"Hypnosis is becoming more recognized as an important technique in the treatment of many medical and psychological conditions."


In turn, health professionals - from doctors to psychologists, dentists, social workers and nurses - are availing themselves of training through the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis, which has about 2,300 members.


"Based on the traffic on our Web-based referral database, the number of people seeking a practitioner who will use clinical hypnosis in their treatment is increasing," said a spokeswoman for the society, based in the Chicago area.


Smoking cessation, labor and delivery, and weight loss generate the most interest. But requests also stream in from people with phobias or chronic pain, cancer patients and those dealing with mental health issues.


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