Hypnosis in family medicine

Abstract

Hypnosis can be a useful adjunct to other treatment modalities. For example, hypnosis may induce a level of relaxation that allows patients to cooperate more easily with conventional treatment. The often dramatic historical background of hypnosis has led to misconceptions about hypnotic technique and its clinical applications in modern medicine. Hypnosis is useful in the treatment of acute and chronic pain, somatoform and habit disorders, anxiety and depression. Persons who are attempting to stop smoking, patients with bulimia and those with psychogenic impotence may respond to hypnosis.