by Reid K. Hester, Ph.D.
Question: Is there any known research or projects on using hypnosis in treating drug and alcohol withdrawal?
There were four controlled clinical trials of hypnosis that were done in the late 1950's to late 1960's. None of them found hypnosis to have an impact on drinking behavior.
However, I have not seen studies that assessed hypnosis for treating withdrawal. Most clinicians do not consider drug or alcohol withdrawal to be significantly aided by hypnosis. While hypnosis has been showns effective for a wide variety of specific problems, drug and alcohol treatment does not seem to be in that group.Perhaps more research will show it to be helpful in the future.
Meanwhile, there are a number of effective treatment protocols for alcohol and drug withdrawal which are provided by treatment centers and professionals with expertise in these matters.
About the Author:
Reid K. Hester, Ph.D., Director, Research Division, Behavior Therapy Associates, 3810 Osuna Rd NE Suite 1, Albuquerque, NM 87109. Phone: 505.345.6100.
Originally published 07/08/98
Revised 9/7/09 by Marlene M. Maheu, Ph.D.
Revised 9/7/09 by Marlene M. Maheu, Ph.D.
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