So many people who were being controlled by past events have had positive responses to hypnosis

Hypnosis can be used to help patients face and bear a traumatic experience by embedding it in a new context, acknowledging helplessness during the event, and yet linking that experience with remoralizing memories such as efforts at self-protection, shared affection with friends who were killed, or the ability to control the environment at other times. In this way, hypnosis can be used to provide controlled access to memories that are then placed into a broader perspective. Patients can be taught self-hypnosis techniques that allow them to work through traumatic memories and thereby reduce spontaneous unbidden intrusive recollections.

– New Uses of Hypnosis in the Treatment of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

* Results may vary

Hypnosis has been used extensively with patients suffering from various other forms of posttraumatic disorders, but its application to rape victims is a recent development. Many characteristics of the hypnotic experience fit the special needs of rape victims and are therefore particularly well suited to treatment efforts with this group.

– PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA

*Results may vary

Many combat veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have an olfactory component to their traumatic memories that might be utilized by a technique called hypnotherapeutic olfactory conditioning (HOC). Thirty-six outpatients with chronic PTSD, featuring resistant olfactory-induced flashbacks, were treated with six 1.5-hour sessions using hypnosis. The authors used the revised Impact of Events Scale (IES–R), Beck Depression Inventory, and Dissociative Experiences Scale as outcome measures. Significant reductions in symptomatology were recorded by the end of the 6-week treatment period for the IES–R, as well as for the Beck Depression Inventory and the Dissociative Experiences Scale; 21 (58%) of the subjects responded to treatment by a reduction of 50% or more on the IES–R. Improvement was maintained at 6-month and 1-year follow-ups. Use of medication was curtailed.

– International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis

* Results may vary