thursday, september 4, 2003
news
the university daily kansan 5A
Hypnosis battles smoking
By Kevin Kampwirth
kkampwirth@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Focus. Relax. Stare at this dot on the wall.
This is all that may be needed to help someone quit smoking forever.
Hypnosis, or "guided imagery," might be the answer for many people with problems ranging from weight management to headaches to kicking that nicotine habit
Stephen Griffith, a practicing hypnotherapist since 1972 and owner of Midwest Hypnosis and Guided Imagery, 3205 Clinton Parkway, has clients with various problems.
"I see people come in who want to quit smoking quite often," Griffith said. "I've had a 90 percent success rate, which is better than the patch or the gum."
better than Griffith's success rate, not everybody believes in the treatment. James Grobe, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Kansas, often works with smoking cessation. He said hypnosis lacked evidence of long-term success.
Hypnosis has been around in one form or another for nearly 2,000 years, and the practice has come a long way since then. Griffeth said. There are anywhere from 100 to 200 induction techniques used to put the client into a hypnotic state, he said. These could be anything from focusing on a dot on the wall to counting backwards.
the war to countenance "Under hypnosis, changes are made at the subconscious level instead of the conscious level that we usually exist in," Griffeth said.
In this subconscious state, the client, very relaxed, is highly susceptible to suggestion.
The hypnotic process begins with a pre-talk, during which the hypnoterapist discusses the ses-
sion's goals with the client. The client is then induced into the hypnotic state using one of the induction techniques.
The technique depends on the client's needs, Griffeth said.
ents needs, orA Once induced, the client is relaxed, and the suggestion begins.
begins. Although they are now in the hypnotic state, the client is completely aware of what is happening.
plestly aware of it "It's important to remember that the client is always in complete control." Griffith said.
pierre control.
Griffith said hypnosis worked on 90 to 95 percent of people who try it. Success depends on how open the client is to the idea.
"Sometimes people have such a strong mind-set that they won't let anything in." Griffith said. "It's a control issue a lot of the time."
Because of this, people respond to hypnosis in different ways. Researchers measure the hypnotizability of people using the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scales, a series of 12 tests.
Scores on the Stanford scale ranges from 0 to 12, based on the number of tests on which the subject is deemed hypnotizable. A score of zero indicates that the subject isn't susceptible to hypnosis. The average score is between five and seven, and 95 percent of the population receives at least a one.
population received The American Medical Association approved the use of hypnotherapy in 1958. Now, physicians often refer patients with various ailments to hypnotherapists if they think hypnosis can offer relief, Griffeth said.
renter, Griffoh comes in "People with cancer often come in to try and deal with some of the pain associated with chemotherapy and radiation treatment." Griffith said. "Hypnosis works well with pain management."
A 1996 study by the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis found that hypnotic suggestions relieved pain in 75 percent of the 933 subjects participating, and in a few of the cases, the degree of relief reported by hypnosis matched or exceeded that of morphine.
exceeded that norm. Although hypnosis seems to have some medical benefits, according to the Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, "hypnosis cannot and should not stand alone as the sole medical or psychological intervention for any disorder."
Raymond Higgins, professor of psychology at the University, said he was skeptical about the long-term benefits of hypnosis.
"Certainly there are areas in which hypnosis can be effective," Higgins said. "But the results would most likely only be temporary."
most likely only be taken by the cost of a session differs, depending the client's problem. To quit smoking, clients pay $180 for two, 90-minute sessions.
For Griffeth, though, it isn't about the money.
"It's more of a calling for me," he said.
Griffeth lost his mother-in-law and father-in-law to lung cancer, both of whom were heavy smokers for years.
ers for years. He said that after they died, he felt he should help others stop smoking.
smoking.
"I asked myself what I could do to leave society in a better state then I found it in," Griffith said.
then found them. Gender He heard about hypnosis and proceeded to go to school to become a licensed hypnotherapist. He opened the Lawrence practice in 2001.
"Hypnosis helps people achieve what they want to achieve," Griffeth said. "In the end, to me, it's all worth it."
- Edited by Doyle Murphy
President looked to for help
The Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — U.S. manufacturing recently has shown signs of economic recovery, but manufacturers say politicians need to do more to help them.
to do more to help the economy President Bush, who is scheduled to speak about the economy in Kansas City today, already has announced plans for a special Commerce Department post to address manufacturing job losses.
address handout
The recession has bludgeoned the nation's factories in the past three years, with a record 36 consecutive months of job losses totaling 2.7 million. Low demand at home and abroad, coupled with a flood of imports, have slowed production.
"We do need some help," said Larry Miller, a spokesman for Kansas City-based Butler Manufacturing, which makes components for nonresidential buildings, "and that starts with policies in Washington and states, reducing the costs of doing business here."
Paul Freedenberg, vice president for government relations with the Association for Manufacturing Technology, said he hopes the Bush administration will announce new technology research and will extend or expand incentives for business to build and keep factories in the United States.
Despite the upturn in the economy, Freedenberg said, "it's still gonna be a bad year, because we need certainly a lot more. People have to gain confidence in the economy," he added.
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