Many people who develop addictions or other mental health problems as adults wonder if the cause is childhood abuse that they have forgotten or repressed. In particular, many people wonder if the person was blocked despite the sexual abuse. Although imperfect, there may be memories that you feel uncomfortable with, especially when recalled from an adult’s perspective.
Not being able to remember clearly can be frustrating, especially when there are hints that something might have happened, leaving people guessing about what may or may not have happened to them. , and asking yourself, “Was that what I was doing?” can be quite distracting. Will you be sexually abused? ”
Hypnosis may seem like a way to release these memories and solve the problem once and for all. Unfortunately, the reality is not so simple.
memory and dissociation
It is true that some people who were abused as children forget or disconnect from the experience. And she doesn’t remember being abused as an adult.
This is considered a protective process. Forgetting a traumatic event blocks it from consciousness, allowing children, and later adults, to deal with current problems without being overwhelmed by unpleasant memories.
For others, troubling memories occur continuously. Dissociation and intrusive memories are both hallmarks of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Natural recall of abuse
It is also true that some people may recall memories of abuse later in life. This recollection can occur in the context of some types of therapy or changes in physical or emotional state, including hypnosis. However, recollections of abuse can occur without specific therapeutic intervention.
People who naturally recover memories of abuse are able to see what happened to them, which can lead to a sense of security and self-understanding. In other cases, memories may be unclear and difficult to interpret. Asking for verification evidence may also be impossible, futile, or lead to further difficulties with other family members.
memory and hypnosis
Hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness in which memories may become more accessible. But it is also a state in which the mind is open to fantasy and imagination. It is virtually impossible to determine whether recollections of childhood abuse are memories of real events or fantasies.
Many people, both clients and therapists, believe that memory works like a video camera, recording everything that happens to us. Others may believe that forgotten or repressed memories can be released through techniques such as hypnosis. In fact, many hypnotherapists go further and believe that a person can recall past lives under hypnosis.
These beliefs are not supported by scientific facts. The nature of memory as a process of reconstruction is now well established.
The mind is not like a video camera. It is similar to a scrapbook, where memories are created by combining fragments of sensory experiences with interpretations and fantasies.
Under hypnosis, people are particularly receptive to suggestions. In fact, this is the basis of how hypnosis works. Hypnotherapists who believe in the video recorder model of memory, especially if they suspect that a client has been abused, can falsely suggest a memory of abuse to someone under hypnosis, making it seem like a real memory to the client. may be visible.
This is not it People who remember childhood abuse as adults say they are imagining it, whether or not it happened under hypnosis. Nor are hypnotherapists intentionally giving their clients false memories of abuse.
What that is saying is that hypnosis is not a reliable way to determine if you were abused in childhood if you don’t remember it now.
Regression therapy and hypnosis
Regression therapy, which focuses on resolving significant events that interfere with mental or emotional health, is often done using hypnosis. Proponents believe that this relaxed state allows patients to tap into forgotten or repressed traumatic events that are influencing their current mental state and behavior.
There are two types of regression therapy.
- age regression therapyWhich Aims to reveal what happened in childhood
- past life regression therapyWhich Aims to resolve problems from past lives
However, regression therapy remains controversial as there is currently not enough evidence to determine whether it is possible to suppress traumatic memories and later recover from them.
How hypnosis can help victims of child abuse
Despite hypnosis’ unsuitability for personal “detective work,” hypnotherapy can be very effective in helping people who have been sexually abused overcome symptoms of PTSD.
Hypnotherapy can be particularly helpful in helping survivors reconstruct actual memories of abuse to give them a greater sense of control, and in dealing with painful emotions such as remorse. Hypnosis is most effective when focused on creating positive changes in thoughts, feelings, and behaviors for the future.
summary
If you or a loved one is considering hypnotherapy or regression therapy, it is essential to seek out a skilled mental health professional. Not only do we want to make sure no one is “planted” with false memories, we also want to ensure that the digging up of painful memories is done safely and carefully.
Although there are several professional organizations for hypnotherapy, such as the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis and the American Association of Professional Hypnotherapists, there is no certification or regulation for hypnotherapists. If possible, it’s best to find a hypnotherapist who is also a medical professional whose specialty regulations apply.
Hypnotherapy is not suitable for everyone. The ability to use hypnosis may vary from person to person, and people with certain mental health conditions, such as dissociative disorders, active substance abuse, and psychotic disorders, may have difficulty with hypnosis.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/ElizabethHartneyPhD_1000-cdd9def4f706402cad18d66303e23ede.jpg)
