Hypnosis and Mood Disorders

• Welcome to the BOL Forum on Shame and Affect Theory by John Grohol, 2/10/96
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    • Affective learning after pharmacotherapy by Don Nathanson, 7/28/96
      
      

I asked Thurman Mott, Jr.,M.D., recent Editor of the American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis (AJCH) from 1984-1995, to search the literature for articles describing hypnotic interventions in treating bipolar illnesses. He found only one: Feinstein and Morgan (1986). "Hypnosis in treating bipolar affective disorders. AJCH,29,29-38. The article is limited to symptomatic treatment, not in uncovering etc. There may be other articles "out there", but I am not aware of them.

We teach that, in general, hypnosis is contraindicated in mood disorders because it intensifies affect. When the patients are medicated, I would see no contraindication in the hands of a therapist comfortable treating the mood disorder without hypnosis. As for "uncovering issues in the lives of Bipolar patients", I seldom use hypnosis in this manner. I suppose it is a matter of taste, but I am concerned that the memories retrieved may be reified as historical truth (for use outside the office) rather than narrative truth (that is used only in the office). (See D Spence for a good discussion on this difference).

Since hypnosis is a wonderful way to train someone in ego-strenghtening, and since, as Don writes, the best treatment includes the psychotherapy after stabilization, I would encourage Kris Evans to explore the use of hynosis in the manner she suggests - but for coping and support, not for uncovering - remembering that bipolar illnes is fundamentally a biological not psychological illness that one has to learn to live with.

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