hypnosis

[Mike]

Just learned that the children's hospital over here is going to use hypnosis as a structural means to help children deal with fear and pain. Which somewhat surprises me. I wasn't aware that hypnosis was taken out of the floaty atmosphere and an official medical aid. Well, it isn't. But more and more pediatricians are becoming aware of the fact that hypnosis can make huge differences and in some cases even be considered a cure. It's been used before, incidentally, in other hospitals, with excellent results.

But how would it strike you, as a parent? I'm open minded. There's more odd methods in medicine (maggots to help clear out dead tissue in open wounds anyone?!). I also remember when I was a kid and in the hospital for some surgery. Think I played it pretty cool, but the day of the surgery I totally freaked out. Guess it would have helped if someone had helped me channel that fear. It's rather interesting.

Politicians wonder of course. Partly because of the stage hypnosis idiocy we're more familiar with. Partly because it's still uncharted territory. Partly because politicians can't be hypnotized ever simply because they have no brains and assume their lack of susceptibility applies to everyone. In a way that's good. Their questions fire up a discussion. Discussion can lead to social acceptance, simply due to the fact that you hear and see it regularly.

Anyway, I'm curious to how this progresses. Too bad there isn't more information about how they use it. Digging into that.

Also, they should use hypnosis on some parents as well

[Amelia]

I remember watching a news program that shared a story about a dentist who would use hypnosis on children. It made them less scared and they would think the drill as something else and they wouldnt fill the pain. I remember the news anchor underwent it and when the needle was coming in he smiled cause he didnt think the hypnosis worked and it did.

If I was a parent and a Dr or Dentist asked me for permission to use it, I would. Anything to make the experience less tramatic. I had to go to have a couple of surgeries as a kid and while I was OK with it, I was nervous. Oh and my mother bought me really pretty pajamas for me to wear at the hospital and the mean nurses told me I had to wear the hospital gown and they showed me and it was ugly and I cried my eyes out. I dont think hynosis wouldnt work in that case.

[Mike]

Hmm, no it wouldn't simply because your mother "hypnotized" you with the pretty pyamas. At that moment those were your happy thoughts and they were taken when you needed them the most. From what I've read the method is quite similar, except that they use things and thoughts and fantasies you can take with you.

[Dregs]

I had hypnosis to stop smoking. I didn't eat for three days, and I still smoke. I'm a little bit cagey as a result.

[Eyreplenh]

There was a psychologist at the office where I was an assistant up until now who was experimenting with hypnosis. As I understood it he wasn't using the hypnosis to actively treat anyone, rather the hypnose-induced trance supposedly is a state where memories and feelings are easily accesible. Having extracted whatever information he would find the patient would be "woken up" and confronted with these things. It's not that uncommon, I've heard, but it does carry that slight hint of occultism that modern psychology tries to get rid of. Naturally I can't wait to train for this. You will do the laundry and even like it. ....aaand you're back in the room

[Buck]

I'm not a real big fan of hypnosis, it's a form of mind control and I don't think I'd ever agree to something like that. I'll take local anesthetics to dull the pain, but no way in hell I'm having my inner mind messed with.

[dark fuschia]

I think hypnosis is not well enough understood and therefore probably should be avoided, especially on children.

[Buck]

I don't know, I think if you are going to be a sadistic monster you should go for the gold.

[sir archely]

I think hypnosis is not well enough understood and therefore probably should be avoided, especially on children.

Just to play the devil's advocate here, I don't know enough about hypnosis to have a really strong opinion one way or the other but...

There's all sort of stuff we do to children that we don't know shit about and it's still considered the right thing to do. Setting aside the whole host of other issues, one can just look at medicine and see tons of various procedures stuff that are accepted medical science because it's the best thing we can figure out right now. I dunno, what's any different about hypnosis?

[Mike]

That is my thought. Besides, most of the cons and fears are based on the idiocy of stage hypnosis. You expect the doc to knock you semi-unconscious and tell you to behave like a dog? It's nothing more then an advanced version of what Amelia's mom did with her. There's nothing more to it then getting the child so relaxed that it has an open mind so you can tell it things without having your words re-colored by fear and worry. And then add a pair of mental pretty pajamas so the child can focus on other stuff besides pain.