Hypnotherapy, an Alternative Route to Boost Fertility

Hypnotherapy might prove effective in helping couples overcome fertility problems. The following brief post will examine what hypnotherapy is and how the procedure works, as well as chronicle how the endeavor has helped some people overcome infertility.

What Is Hypnotherapy? 

Medically also referred to as hypnosis, this therapeutic protocol is performed by a mental health professional who induces a trance-like state that enables a patient to use relaxation and concentration as a means of attempting to overcome a variety of medical, emotional or psychological disorders or issues.

How Does the Process Work? 

Hypnosis is typically administered by a therapist or psychologist using an object like an amulet or some form of word command in repetitive visual or spoken form until the subject descends into a hypnotic state. Once the patient enters hypnosis, the individual is believed to be in a completely relaxed state, in which his or her mind is thought to be clearer and open to greater influence and suggestion.

What Is the Intended Outcome of Hypnosis? 

The procedure is often indicated for persons who experience specific emotional, mental or behavioral issues. That said, in recent years, hypnosis has also been prescribed as a potential treatment for numerous health concerns such as pain management, conquering fatigue and overcoming infertility.

Hypnosis and Infertility  

Infertility could be caused by countless physical, emotional or even mental issues. In many instances, the harder a couple tries to overcome fertility issues using various health techniques, the more difficulties the pair might encounter. For partners intent on conceiving a child, the benefits of hypnosis may prove to be a viable alternative to other, more common therapies.

Why Hypnosis Might Be Effective   

Certain mental health professionals feel that infertility could be worsened by the stress and anxiety often associated with not being able to conceive. The tension felt by a couple yearning to become parents is high enough. Supporters of hypnosis also suggest that the external pressures caused by family influences and the exposure to other couples who successfully conceive might create a psychological block that permeates throughout the body and ultimately leads to fertility problems.

Psychological health professionals believe that hypnosis can greatly benefit couples dealing with fertility challenges because the procedure enables them to “step outside themselves” for a time, relax and devote their complete and undivided attention to overcoming the difficulty.

How Effective Has Hypnosis Been?  

A study conducted by researchers representing the Catholic University in Belgium and presented by the European Society of Anesthesiology studied the impact hypnosis had on over 100 women who had experienced fertility problems and were scheduled to undergo in-vitro fertilization (IVF).

The study’s subjects, who ranged in age from 18 to 42, were placed into two test groups. The first group’s form of therapy focused on distraction. The other group was administered full-blown hypnosis. The anxiety levels of the examinees in both groups dropped significantly. That said, researchers also concluded that 23 percent of the women in the hypnosis group were confirmed to be pregnant 12 weeks following the IVF procedure, while only 15 percent of those in the distraction group had the same result.

Researchers further concluded that, while the results of the study do not guarantee that women struggling with infertility will eventually become pregnant if they undergo hypnosis, their findings are promising and suggest that the procedure could be a viable option for potentially helping impacted individuals overcome the malady.