Full Title: Positron tomographic emission study of olfactory induced emotional recall in veterans with and without combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder.

OBJECTIVE: Memory for odors is often associated with highly emotional experiences, and odors have long been noted by clinicians to be precipitants of trauma symptoms in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Primitive brain systems involved in fear responsivity and survival also mediate smell, including the olfactory cortex and amygdala. The purpose of this study was to measure neural correlates of olfaction in PTSD. METHODS: We exposed male combat veterans with PTSD (N = 8) and without PTSD (N = 8) to a set of smells, including diesel (related to traumatic memories of combat), and three other types of smells: odorless air, vanilla/coconut, and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) (respectively, a neutral, positive, and negative hedonic nontraumatic smell) in conjunction with PET imaging of cerebral blood flow and assessment of psychophysiological and behavioral symptoms. All subjects also underwent a baseline of olfactory acuity. RESULTS: PTSD patients rated diesel as unpleasant and distressing, resulting in increased PTSD symptoms and anxiety in PTSD versus combat controls. Exposure to diesel resulted in an increase in regional blood flow (rCBF) in amygdala, insula, medial prefrontal cortex, and anterior cingulate cortex, and decreased rCBF in lateral prefrontal cortex in PTSD in comparison to combat controls. Combat controls showed less rCBF changes on any smell, and did not show amygdala activation upon diesel exposure. CONCLUSIONS: These data support the hypothesis that in PTSD trauma-related smells can serve as strong emotional reminders. The findings indicate the involvement of a neural circuitry that shares olfactory elements and memory processing regions when exposed to trauma-related stimuli.

Psychopharmacol Bull. 2007;40(1):8-30.Related Articles, Links Vermetten E, Schmahl C, Southwick SM, Bremner JD. University Medical Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands. e.vermetten@umcutrecht.nl

BACKGROUND: Pediatric oncology patients commonly use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), yet approximately only 50% of these patients discuss CAM with their oncologist. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to assess barriers to CAM communication in pediatric oncology. DESIGN/METHODS: A 33-question survey was sent via electronic mail to 358 pediatric oncologists in the United States. RESULTS: Ninety pediatric oncologists completed the survey. Ninety-nine percent of pediatric oncologists think it is important to know what CAM therapies their patients use. However, less than half of pediatric oncologists routinely ask their patients about CAM. This is primarily because of a lack of time and knowledge. Many physicians think some forms of CAM may improve quality of life, such as massage (74%) and yoga (57%). Over half of physicians thought that dietary supplements, herbal medicine, special diets, vitamins, and chiropractic might be harmful to patients. CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric oncologists believe it is important to know which CAM therapies their patients use; however, they are not asking about them owing to lack of time and knowledge. To improve communication about CAM, increased physician education is needed. In addition, physicians should identify patients using potentially harmful CAM therapies. Furthermore, CAM research in pediatric oncology should focus on those modalities physicians believe may improve patient quality of life.

J Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 2009 Mar;31(3):177-82. Roth M, Lin J, Kim M, Moody K. Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital at Montefiore, Bronx, NY 10467, USA. mroth@montefiore.org

by Andrew Hagley and Robert Kelly

Clients who had completed a course of pure hypnoanalysis (PHA) were invited to participate in an online survey indicating the degree to which their original presenting 'complaint' had been affected following the course of therapy. The initial feedback indicated that all participating clients (n=63) had reported a reduction in, or resolution of their original symptoms. Respondents also produced detailed additional comments regarding their experiences of therapy. A follow up is planned at twelve months.

[More]

Primary headaches, including migraine and medication overuse headache (MOH), can be conceptualized as biobehavioral disorders based on the interaction of biological, psychological, and environmental factors. This article reviews empirically supported and efficacious behavioral approaches to the treatment and management of headaches in general, with an emphasis on migraine and MOH from a biopsychosocial perspective. Evidence-based behavioral medicine treatments for migraine and MOH are reviewed, including patient education, cognitive behavioral therapy, and biobehavioral training (biofeedback, relaxation training, and stress management). Information regarding psychological comorbidities and risk factors for progression of migraine and the development of MOH is also reviewed. Strategies are provided for enhancing adherence and motivation, as well as facilitating medical communication.

Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2009 Jun;13(3):241-8. Andrasik F, Buse DC, Grazzi L. Department of Psychology, University of West Florida, 11000 University Parkway, Pensacola, FL 32514, USA. fandrasik@uwf.edu

Jeff Belyea is an artist and writer with a PhD in communications, and certification as a business and personal coach, certified hypnotherapist and master meditation teacher who works with individual, group and corporate clients around the country.

He will be hosting "The Enlightened Healer Symposium Florida 2009" in St. Petersburg, Florida in October.

For more information visit www.LivingatWow.com.

OBJECTIVE: To describe levels of anxiety and self-efficacy for childbirth in nulliparous women during the late third trimester and to identify relationships among those variables, prehospitalization labor pain, management strategies, and hospital admission status. DESIGN: A longitudinal, descriptive study. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-five English-speaking nulliparous women, 18 to 40 years of age, more than or equal to 38 week's gestation, with uncomplicated pregnancies. All participants had a significant other (husband or partner) and attended childbirth education programs. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Spielberger Trait Anxiety Inventory, Prenatal Self-Evaluation Questionnaire, Childbirth Self-Efficacy Inventory, McGill Pain Questionnaire-Short Form, postpartum interviews, and medical records review. RESULTS: Prenatal anxiety was significantly related to self-efficacy for childbirth in late pregnancy, labor pain, number of hours at home in labor, and admitting cervical dilation. The number of management strategies used was related to pain scores during labor before hospital admission. Women who spent longer periods of time at home in labor arrived at the hospital with a greater cervical dilation. CONCLUSIONS: Antenatal characteristics influence intrapartal outcomes in nulliparas. Labor environment, at home and in the hospital, is recognized as an important component of the first childbirth experience.

J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs. 2007 Sep-Oct;36(5):410-8. Beebe KR, Lee KA, Carrieri-Kohlman V, Humphreys J. Dominican University of California, San Rafael, CA 94901, USA. kbeebe@dominican.edu

by Pauline Rzepecki, BSN, MSN, CHT

The answer to that question is ABSOLUTELY! Clients who are using hypnosis are achieving their goal of conception, carrying a pregnancy to term and giving birth to their beautiful bundle of joy. Countless women are enhancing their fertility while enjoying the beneficial side effects of relaxation and stress reduction. We all know that stress, tension and anxiety are harmful to our heart, joints, and stomach so it makes sense that it is also harmful to our fertility. Stress can cause the fallopian tubes and uterus to spasm, creating a harsh fertilization environment. Stress can throw off the delicate hormonal balance needed for conception and pregnancy to take place. Stress can even decrease sperm count dramatically. When the client learns how to effectively reduce and release the stress in their lives, they automatically enhance their fertility.

[More]

Problem-Solving Therapy (PST) is a cognitive-behavioral intervention that focuses on training in adaptive problem-solving attitudes and skills. The purpose of this paper was to conduct a meta-analysis of controlled outcome studies on efficacy of PST for reducing depressive symptomatology. Based on results involving 21 independent samples, PST was found to be equally effective as other psychosocial therapies and medication treatments and significantly more effective than no treatment and support/attention control groups. Moreover, component analyses indicated that PST is more effective when the treatment program includes (a) training in a positive problem orientation (vs. problem-solving skills only), (b) training in all four major problem-solving skills (i.e., problem definition and formulation, generation of alternatives, decision making, and solution implementation and verification), and (c) training in the complete PST package (problem orientation plus the four problem-solving skills).

Clin Psychol Rev. 2009 Jun;29(4):348-53. Bell AC, D'Zurilla TJ. Stony Brook University, USA. alissa.bell@stonybrook.edu

by Diáne Mandle

Sound healing is fast becoming internationally respected as an effective modality in the healing process for many physical, emotional and spiritual conditions and maladies. This article seeks to offer some background on the Himalayan (often referred to as Tibetan) bowls and their role in the healing process for cancer patients.

[More]

Richard F. Liotta, Ph.D. is a Clinical Psychologist, Certified Trainer of Neuro-Linguistic Programming, and a Certified Ericksonian Hypnosis Instructor. He has more than 20 years of diverse professional experience, in areas including clinical work, psychological assessment, research, and teaching. While earning his Ph.D. from DePaul University he authored, or coauthored, peer reviewed journal articles in areas including behavioral analysis, community psychology, and social psychology. Currently he maintains a clinical practice in the Adirondack region of upstate New York. Additionally he presents on a variety of mental health topics, offers training in NLP and Ericksonian hypnosis, provides life effectiveness facilitation, and is a consultant community agencies. He is also actively involved in the NLP Research and Recognition Project, serving as Director of Organization Communications and Research Team participant. Dr. Liotta's experience has been that many NLP processes are clinically effective therapeutic tools both by themselves and in conjunction with other modalities such as CBT and hypnosis. His commitment to the NLP Research and Recognition Project is founded on the view that more people will be helped to live effective and enjoyable lives, unencumbered by psychological distress, when NLP intervention strategies have more professional acceptance and support. "This will only come when research validates what the experience of NLP practitioners has demonstrated, the utility of NLP strategies to facilitate change and symptom relief."

For more information regarding the NLP Research & Recognition Project visit www.nlprandr.org.

In palliative care between 13.9 and 25 percent of all patients suffering from cancer show signs of anxiety disorders. Up to 75 percent of these patients suffer from non-pathologic anxiety, which has a negative impact on the patients' quality of life. Therefore it is important to provide interventions that are able to reduce anxiety of cancer patients. Massage and music therapy are effective interventions for minimizing anxiety of cancer patients in palliative care. An empathic attitude of the nurse increases the effect of the mentioned interventions. While there is evidence of the interventions mentioned it is yet necessary to further explore these in additional clinical trials to consolidate the already existing results.

Pflege Z. 2009 Mar;62(3):164-9. Mantovan F, Rauter E, Müller I. Landesfachhochschule für Gesundheitsberufe "Claudiana", Uni Verona, Bruneck. franco.mantovan@claudiana.bz.it

James Braid's last essay on hypnotism, the culmination of his work, summarized in a French translation for the Academy of Sciences, is published in English with comments. According to Braid, hypnotism is a psychological ("subjective") approach, fundamentally opposed to the paranormal claims and magnetic ("objective") theories of mesmerism. Hypnotism operates primarily by means of dominant ideas that the attention of the subject is fixated upon. The reversibility of hypnotic amnesia is taken as evidence of "double consciousness." However, over 90% of Braid's subjects did not exhibit this state of dissociation or any sleep-like responses but merely a sense of "reverie." Good subjects are as suggestible in the "waking" state as others are in hypnotism.

Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2009 Apr;57(2):133-61. Robertson D. HypnoSynthesisUK@aol.com

Content on integrative healthcare and complementary and alternative medicine is being taught in hundreds of educational programs across the country. Nursing, medical, osteopathic, chiropractic, acupuncture, naturopathic, and other programs are finding creative and innovative ways to include these approaches in new models of education and practice. This column spotlights such innovations in integrative healthcare and CAM education and presents readers with specific educational interventions they can adapt into new or ongoing educational efforts at their institution or programs. We invite readers to submit brief descriptions of efforts in their institutions that reflect the creativity, diversity, and interdisciplinary nature of the field. Please submit to Dr Sierpina at vssierpi@utmb.edu or Dr Kreitzer at kreit003@umn.edu. Submissions should be no more than 500 to 1,500 words. Please include any Web site or other resource that is relevant, as well as contact information.

Explore (NY). 2009 Mar-Apr;5(2):121-3. Bakal D, Steiert M, Coll P, Schaefer J, Kreitzer MJ, Sierpina V. Clinic of Mind Body Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

by Mark Gorkin, LICSW

During a recent professional networking dinner, two familiar questions surfaced. A colleague who had attended my conference workshop wanted to know, "How did you develop an ability to use humor in your presentations?" And, "Were you always a comic or class clown?" An occasional public presenter herself, the implicit message was clear: "How can I use humor more effectively; can I learn to be funnier?"

[More]

by Joyce-Anne Locking

Create Beauty
By creating beauty in our lives all areas are made better. Choose an area of your life you wish to improve. Let us, for example, choose finance. How do we improve our finances? Create beauty in this area first by positive thought. Anything positive is clothed in beauty. Whenever you think of your finances allow a positive image to pop up in your mind. It may be red roses or an orchid, any image that is impressive to you. If you always wanted a sports car, use this image, or if you'd love to have a grand piano, use this image. Whatever the image, it instantly changes the sense of lack to the feeling of affluence in your own mind. Once thought is transformed on the inside, the outer life reflects this belief in prosperity. It may take some time to materialize so don't be in a rush to see results. You may have had negative beliefs in this area for such a long time the cobwebs will have to be removed before layers of negative thought begin to transform.

[More]

Full Title: I think therefore I am: cognitive distortions and coping style as mediators for the effects of mindfulness meditation on anxiety, positive and negative affect, and hope.

This study examined cognitive distortions and coping styles as potential mediators for the effects of mindfulness meditation on anxiety, negative affect, positive affect, and hope in college students. Our pre- and postintervention design had four conditions: control, brief meditation focused on attention, brief meditation focused on loving kindness, and longer meditation combining both attentional and loving kindness aspects of mindfulness. Each group met weekly over the course of a semester. Longer combined meditation significantly reduced anxiety and negative affect and increased hope. Changes in cognitive distortions mediated intervention effects for anxiety, negative affect, and hope. Further research is needed to determine differential effects of types of meditation. Copyright 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

J Clin Psychol. 2009 Jun;65(6):561-73. Sears S, Kraus S. Fort Lewis College, CO. USA. Sears_s@fortlewis.edu

A Review by Tim Brunson, PhD

To see the nine affects (or emotions) displayed on the faces of infants alone may make purchasing Affect & Hypnosis: On paying friendly attention to disturbing thoughts worthwhile. This DVD is a recording of the keynote that Donald L. Nathanson, MD, gave at the 2008 annual meeting of the Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis. This world-renowned expert on affect (i.e. emotions and feelings) gave a brilliant presentation concerning the two positive, one neutral, and six negative affects displayed in clients and patients.

[More]

by Adele Wang

Anxiety is a condition that plagues millions of Americans. Yet it is something standard allopathic medicine has not always successfully addressed . It is often seen as an emotional problem, and is often treated with medication. As an energy medicine practitioner working within an integrative medical practice, I am often referred patients who have not responded satisfactorily to standard treatments for anxiety. In some cases, patients are reluctant to take meds, disliking the numbing side effects. In other cases, patients are looking for additional options to merely relying on meds for managing their stress.

[More]

Full Title: Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy may reduce thought suppression in previously suicidal participants: findings from a preliminary study.

OBJECTIVES: Thought suppression is a strategy aimed at mental control that may paradoxically increase the frequency of unwanted thoughts. This preliminary study examined effects of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) on thought suppression and depression in individuals with past depression and suicidality. METHODS: In a randomized controlled trial design, 68 participants were allocated to an MBCT group or a treatment-as-usual waitlist control. Measures of thought suppression and depression were taken pre- and post-treatment. RESULTS: MBCT did not reduce thought suppression as measured by the White Bear Suppression Inventory, but significantly reduced self-reported attempts to suppress in the previous week. CONCLUSIONS: Preliminary evidence suggests that MBCT for suicidality may reduce thought suppression, but differential effects on thought suppression measures warrant further studies.

Br J Clin Psychol. 2009 Jun;48(Pt 2):209-15. Hepburn SR, Crane C, Barnhofer T, Duggan DS, Fennell MJ, Williams JM. University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. silvia.hepburn@iop.kcl.ac.uk

Patients suffering from dementia are nevertheless still able to render exceptional musical performances. For example, they can recognize music from childhood and reproduce lyrics and melodies of songs with four verses. Furthermore, behavioural symptoms such as psycho- motor agitation and crying, but also aggressive behaviour can be positively influenced by music and motivation and positive emotions can be increased. A variety of physiological and psychological changes occur when patients are listening to music. Previous research could show that music activated different parts of the brain especially in the temporal cortex, but also motoric areas in the frontal cortex, thalamus and cerebellum were essential for rhythm, melody and harmony perception and processing. Music therapy is an interpersonal process in which music is used within a therapeutic relationship to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of individuals with various psychiatric or medical conditions. However, until now only little research has been directed towards non-pharmacological treatments like music therapy in dementia patients. Further research is warranted to investigate the long term influence of music therapy on patients suffering from dementia.

Neuropsychiatr. 2009;23(1):4-14. Kerer M, Marksteiner J, Hinterhuber H, Mazzola G, Steinberg R, Weiss EM. Abteilung für Allgemeine Psychiatrie, Medizinische Universität Innsbruck. manuela@kerer.bz

by Bruce Arnold LCSW

Hypnotherapy, as exemplified so well by Milton Erickson, M.D., is a far more subtle and varied tool than merely putting people into hypnotic trance. I do not intent to explore that whole, rich vein at present. We are going to look at the hypnotic trance itself, which remains central to the practice of hypnotherapy.

[More]

BACKGROUND: An admission to hospital provides an opportunity to help people stop smoking. Individuals may be more open to help at a time of perceived vulnerability, and may find it easier to quit in an environment where smoking is restricted or prohibited. Initiating smoking cessation services during hospitalisation may help more people to make and sustain a quit attempt. OBJECTIVES: To determine the effectiveness of interventions for smoking cessation that are initiated for hospitalised patients. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group register which includes papers identified from CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE and PSYCINFO in January 2007, and CINAHL in August 2006 for studies of interventions for smoking cessation in hospitalised patients, using terms including (hospital and patient*) or hospitali* or inpatient* or admission* or admitted. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomized and quasi-randomized trials of behavioural, pharmacological or multicomponent interventions to help patients stop smoking, conducted with hospitalised patients who were current smokers or recent quitters (defined as having quit more than one month before hospital admission). The intervention had to start in the hospital but could continue after hospital discharge. We excluded studies of patients admitted for psychiatric disorders or substance abuse, studies that did not report abstinence rates and studies with follow up of less than six months. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two authors extracted data independently for each paper, with disagreements resolved by consensus. MAIN RESULTS: Thirty-three trials met the inclusion criteria. Intensive counselling interventions that began during the hospital stay and continued with supportive contacts for at least one month after discharge increased smoking cessation rates after discharge (Odds Ratio (OR) 1.65, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.44 to 1.90; 17 trials). No statistically significant benefit was found for less intensive counselling interventions. The one study that tested a single brief (<=15 minutes) in-hospital intervention did not find it to be effective (OR 1.16, 95% CI 0.80 to 1.67). Counselling of longer duration during the hospital stay was not associated with a higher quit rate (OR 1.08, 95% CI 0.89 to 1.29, eight trials). Even counselling that began in the hospital but had less than one month of supportive contact after discharge did not show significant benefit (OR 1.09, 95% CI 0.91 to 1.31, six trials). Adding nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) did not produce a statistically significant increase in cessation over what was achieved by intensive counselling alone (OR 1.47, 95% CI 0.92 to 2.35, five studies). The one study that tested the effect of adding bupropion to intensive counselling had a similar nonsignificant effect (OR 1.56, 95% CI 0.79 to 3.06). A similar pattern of results was observed in smokers admitted to hospital because of cardiovascular disease (CVD). In this subgroup, intensive intervention with follow-up support increased the odds of smoking cessation (OR 1.81, 95% CI 1.54 to 2.15, 11 trials), but less intensive interventions did not. One trial of intensive intervention including counselling and pharmacotherapy for smokers admitted with CVD assessed clinical and health care utilization endpoints, and found significant reductions in all-cause mortality and hospital readmission rates over a two-year follow-up period. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: High intensity behavioural interventions that begin during a hospital stay and include at least one month of supportive contact after discharge promote smoking cessation among hospitalised patients. These interventions are effective regardless of the patient's admitting diagnosis. lnterventions of lower intensity or shorter duration have not been shown to be effective in this setting. There is insufficient direct evidence to conclude that adding NRT or bupropion to intensive counselling increases cessation rates over what is achieved by counselling alone, but the evidence of benefit for NRT has strengthened in this update and the point estimates are compatible with research in other settings showing that NRT and bupropion are effective.

Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007 Jul 18;(3):CD001837. Rigotti NA, Munafo MR, Stead LF. Massachusetts General Hospital, General Internal Medicine Unit, S50-9, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA. nrigotti@partners.org

ABSTRACT Postpartum spontaneous cervicocephalic artery dissection is an uncommon, poorly understood condition following pregnancy. We report a case of a 32-year-old woman with no history of trauma, chiropractic manipulation, connective tissue disorder, or previous headache who developed a mild, unilateral headache 7 days after the uneventful delivery of her third child (no general or neuraxial anesthesia was delivered). Seven days latter she presented to our emergency department complaining of recurrent episodes of right-sided headache coupled with a transient episode of sensory deficits in her left lower limb. Brain magnetic resonance imaging disclosed small infarctions in the internal watershed distribution of right internal carotid artery (ICA). Carotid artery dissection was diagnosed using DSA and T1 FAT-SAT sequences for the depiction of intramural hematoma. The patient was placed under oral anticoagulation and remained asymptomatic during a follow-up period of 6 months. The present case report highlights that cervicocephalic artery dissection is a condition that should be looked for in women with persisting or remitting unilateral headache following childbirth. J Neuroimaging 2009;XX:1-3.

J Neuroimaging. 2009 Apr 23. Stamboulis E, Raptis G, Andrikopoulou A, Arvaniti C, Brountzos E, Oikonomopoulos N, Stefanis L, Voumvourakis K. >From the Second Department of Neurology, University of Athens School of Medicine, Attikon Hospital, Athens, Greece (ES, GR, AA, CA, LS, KV); and Second Department of Radiology, University of Athens School of Medicine, Attikon Hospital, Athens, Greece (EB, NO).

by William Berry, MS, CAP

"What we call normal in psychology is really a psychopathology of the average, so undramatic and so widely spread that we don't even notice it ordinarily." This is a quote by Abraham Maslow, the theorist who gave us the idea of the hierarchy of needs (once your basic needs are met you begin to seek higher needs) and the idea of self-actualization.

[More]

by David Siever, Edmonton, ALberta, Canada

Since the discovery of photic driving by Adrian and Matthews in 1934, much has been discovered about the benefits of brain-wave entrainment (BWE) or audio-visual entrainment (AVE) as it is commonly known today. Studies are now available on the effectiveness of AVE in promoting relaxation, hypnotic induction and restoring somatic homeostasis, plus improving cognition, and for treating ADD, PMS, SAD, migraine headache, chronic pain, anxiety, depression and hypertension.

Full Text.

For more information visit www.MindAlive.com

Full Title: Clients' in-session acceptance and cognitive defusion behaviors in acceptance-based treatment of tinnitus distress.

Cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) is considered to be an effective treatment of distress associated with tinnitus (perception of internal noises without any outer auditory stimulation), but the processes by which the therapy works remain unclear. Mindfulness and acceptance is receiving increased attention in the treatment literature for chronic medical conditions. However, few studies have examined these and related processes with behavioral or observer measures. In the present study 57 videotapes (a total of 1710min) from 19 clients who participated in a controlled trial of an acceptance-based treatment for tinnitus distress, were coded for frequency and peak level of verbal behaviors expressing either acceptance or cognitive defusion. Frequency of cognitive defusion behaviors and peak level of cognitive defusion as well as peak level of acceptance rated in Session 2, predicted symptom reduction 6 month following treatment. These relationships were not accounted for by the improvement that had occurred prior to the measurement point of the process variables. Moreover, prior symptom changes could not predict process variables rated later in therapy (after most of the improvement in therapy had occurred). Thus, clients' in-session acceptance and cognitive defusion behaviors appear to play an important role in the reduction of negative impact of tinnitus.

Behav Res Ther. 2009 Jun;47(6):523-8. Hesser H, Westin V, Hayes SC, Andersson G. Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Swedish Institute for Disability Research, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden. Hugo.Hesser@liu.se

by Robert DeMaria DC, DABCO, FASBE, NHD

Imagine that you are a ten-year-old child. You have a child's nervous, excited energy...even more so than other children your age. You are just as bright as your classmates, but your grades don't reflect it. You just can't seem to focus on your classes. While your teacher is talking, your eyes dart around the room. Perhaps your foot taps anxiously or you doodle incessantly when you should be taking notes. You are frequently called down in your class for being disruptive. Your teachers and parents become frustrated with you--you become frustrated with yourself. You begin to feel that you're just stupid. Try as you might, you just can't seem to pay attention.

[More]

Dr. Joe Rubino is an internationally acclaimed expert on the topic of self-esteem, a life-changing personal development trainer and success coach and best selling author of 9 books and 2 Audio sets on topics ranging from how to restore self-esteem, achieve business success, maximize joy and fulfillment in life and productivity in business. An acclaimed speaker and course leader, he is known for his groundbreaking work in personal and leadership development, building effective teams, enhancing listening and communication skills, life and business coaching and optimal life planning.

For more information visit www.CenterForPersonalReinvention.com

by Michele Ritterman, PhD

We usually think of hypnosis as something induced in a client by a therapist. But hypnosis is a naturally occurring phenomenon as well. It occurs in all human interactions, especially those that are intimate. Once we are aware of this fact, we see symptoms differently. They can be suggested by others and received by our clients unconsciously. To learn how to begin to observe these naturally occurring phenomena, we need a few new terms and concepts. This first paper is part of a series about the concept of tracking trance inductions wherever they occur and then countering them.

[More]

There are a number of clinical reports and a body of research on the effectiveness of hypnotherapy in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Likewise, there exists research demonstrating the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in the treatment of IBS. However, there is little written about the integration of CBT and hypnotherapy in the treatment of IBS and a lack of clinical information about IBS-induced agoraphobia. This paper describes the etiology and treatment of IBS-induced agoraphobia. Cognitive, behavioral, and hypnotherapeutic techniques are integrated to provide an effective cognitive-behavioral hypnotherapy (CBH) treatment for IBS-induced agoraphobia. This CBH approach for treating IBS-induced agoraphobia is described and clinical data are reported.

Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2007 Apr;55(2):131-46. Golden WL. williamgolden@optonline.net

by Mark Gorkin, LICSW

In crisis-driven, 24/7, relentlessly upgrading and unpredictably downsizing (or reorganizing) world, it's no surprise that individuals, teams, divisions, and even entire companies can become "stress carriers" or high stress environments. A critical challenge for the organization is helping personnel, and especially the foundational task and support system -- the work team -- maintain both productivity and morale in these "do more with less" times. How can the HR professional along with all levels of management as well as formal and informal leaders help: (a) fight the "burnout blues," (b) prevent a "lean-and-MEAN" attitude from becoming the department or company mantra, and (c) disarm an "us against them" environment that invariably breeds hostile competition or in-house territoriality?

[More]

Full Title: Cognitive-behavioral therapy for panic disorder in patients being treated for alcohol dependence: Moderating effects of alcohol outcome expectancies.

Anxiety disorders commonly co-occur with alcohol use disorders and reliably mark a poor response to substance abuse treatment. However, treating a co-occurring anxiety disorder does not reliably improve substance abuse treatment outcomes. Failure to account for individual differences in the functional dynamic between anxiety symptoms and drinking behavior might impede the progress and clarity of this research program. For example, while both theory and research point to the moderating role of tension-reduction alcohol outcome expectancies (TR-AOEs) in the association between anxiety symptoms and alcohol use, relevant treatment studies have not typically modeled TR-AOE effects. We examined the impact of a hybrid cognitive-behavioral therapy (H-CBT) treatment for panic disorder (independent variable) on response to a community-based alcohol dependence treatment program (dependent variable) in patients with higher vs. lower TR-AOEs (moderator). The H-CBT treatment was generally effective in relieving participants' panic symptoms relative to controls. However, TR-AOEs interacted with study cohort (H-CBT vs. control) in predicting response to substance abuse treatment. As expected, the H-CBT was most effective in improving alcohol use outcomes among those with the highest TR-AOEs. The study's primary methodological limitations are related to the quasi-experimental design employed.

Addict Behav. 2009 Jun-Jul;34(6-7):554-60. Kushner MG, Sletten S, Donahue C, Thuras P, Maurer E, Schneider A, Frye B, Van Demark J. University of Minnesota, Department of Psychiatry, Fairview-Riverside Hospital, F-282-2A West, 2450 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States. kushn001@umn.edu

Dr. Robert Puff has been successfully helping individuals and families for over 20 years. He is a clinical psychologist in private practice, working with adults, adolescents, and children as young as two years old. His approach to therapy is holistic, encompassing the thoughts, emotions, physical health, nutrition, and relationships of the individual. He teaches clients to tap into their emotions, manage their stress, and heal from traumatic experiences.

[More]

by Robert Puff, PhD Part of "going with the flow" is keeping your expectations appropriate to what is. Just be, and at the same time learn to love what is. Here's an example of something that taught me the meaning of "going with the flow." Because of poor decisions made by a lending institution, I unexpectedly had a major financial line of credit closed. It's easy to go into panic mode when a crisis like this hits, especially when it comes to monetary issues. Although I felt the disturbing event and acknowledged my initial panic, I set about doing what needed to be done to remedy the situation. First I called the financial institution and tried to fix things there, but to no avail. So I simply opened up an account at a more stable institution, and a month later everything was back to normal. I spent less than six hours fixing the situation over a several-week period. Of course, I could have easily spent countless hours worrying and fretting about it. But I chose not to; instead I chose to accept it and move on.

[More]

Suggestion, a powerful factor in everyday social interaction, is most effective during hypnosis. Subjective evaluations and brain-imaging findings converge to propose that hypnotic suggestion strongly modulates sensory processing. To reveal the brain regions that mediate such a modulation, we analyzed data from a functional-magnetic-resonance-imaging study on hypnotic-suggestion-induced pain on 14 suggestible subjects. Activation strengths in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) during initiation of suggestion for pain correlated positively with the subjective intensity of the subsequent suggestion-induced pain, as well as with the strengths of the maximum pain-related activation in the in the secondary somatosensory (SII) cortex. Furthermore, activation of the insula and the anterior cingulate cortex predicted the pain-related SII activation. The right DLPFC, as an area important for executive functions, likely contributes to functional modulation in the modality-specific target areas of given suggestions. Hum Brain Mapp 2009. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Hum Brain Mapp. 2009 Jan 30. Raij TT, Numminen J, Närvänen S, Hiltunen J, Hari R. Brain Research Unit, Low Temperature Laboratory and Advanced Magnetic Imaging Centre, Helsinki University of Technology, FIN-02015 TKK, Finland.

Assessing complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use remains difficult due to many problems, not the least of which is defining therapies and modalities that should be considered as CAM. Members of the International Society for Complementary Medicine Research (ISCMR) participated in a Delphi process to identify a core listing of common CAM therapies presently in use in Western countries. Lists of practitioner-based and self-administered CAM were constructed based on previous population-based surveys and ranked by ISCMR researchers by perceived level of importance. A total of 64 (49%) ISCMR members responded to the first round of the Delphi process, and 39 of these (61%) responded during the second round. There was agreement across all geographic regions (United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Western Europe) for the inclusion of herbal medicine, acupuncture, homeopathy, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), chiropractic, naturopathy, osteopathy, Ayurvedic medicine, and massage therapy in the core practitioner-based CAM list, and for homeopathy products, herbal supplements, TCM products, naturopathic products, and nutritional products in the self-administered list. This Delphi process, along with the existing literature, has demonstrated that (1) separate lists are required to measure practitioner-based and self-administered CAM; (2) timeframes should include both ever use and recent use; (3) researchers should measure and report prevalence estimates for each individual therapy so that direct comparisons can be made across studies, time, and populations; (4) the list of CAM therapies should include a core list and additionally those therapies appropriate to the geographic region, population, and the specific research questions addressed, and (5) intended populations and samples studied should be defined by the researcher so that the generalizability of findings can be assessed. Ultimately, it is important to find out what CAM modality people are using and if they are being helped by these interventions.

J Altern Complement Med. 2009 May;15(5):489-94. Lachance LL, Hawthorne V, Brien S, Hyland ME, Lewith GT, Verhoef MJ, Warber S, Zick S. Center for Managing Chronic Disease, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2029, USA. lauriel@umich.edu

by Robert W. Fletcher

Introduction
Having worked with NLP and Hypnosis for the past 15 years, I find that there are ways of working with each level of the mind which brings about change quickly. In discussing this with others in the health community, I find that they are amazed at some of the results I have been getting over the past few years. Several years ago, I wrote an article for Anchor Point in which I set forth an engineering metaphor that could be used with a combination of hypnosis and NLP skills. The results, obtained through the use of this mental metaphor, have been extremely successful and gratifying. I would like to review that metaphor, expand upon it, and give some examples of how I use it with people who are in coma and with those who have had brain injury.

[More]

Full Title: Universal school-based substance abuse prevention programs: Modeling targeted mediators and outcomes for adolescent cigarette, alcohol and marijuana use.

OBJECTIVE: We examined the relationships among targeted constructs of social influences and competence enhancement prevention curricula and cigarette, alcohol and marijuana use outcomes in a diverse sample of high school students. We tested the causal relationships of normative beliefs, perceptions of harm, attitudes toward use of these substances and refusal, communication, and decision-making skills predicting the self-reported use of each substance. In addition, we modeled the meditation of these constructs through the intentions to use each substance and tested the moderating effects of the skills variables on the relationships between intentions to use and self-reported use of each of these substances. METHODS: Logistic regression path models were constructed for each of the drug use outcomes. Models were run using the Mplus 5.0 statistical application using the complex sample function to control for the sampling design of students nested within schools; full information maximum likelihood estimates (FIML) were utilized to address missing data. RESULTS: Relationships among targeted constructs and outcomes differed for each of the drugs with communication skills having a potentially iatrogenic effect on alcohol use. Program targets were mediated through the intentions to use these substances. Finally, we found evidence of a moderating effect of decision-making skills on perceptions of harm and attitudes toward use, depending upon the outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Prevention curricula may need to target specific drugs. In addition to normative beliefs, perceptions of harm, and refusal and decision-making skills, programs should directly target constructs proximal to behavioral outcomes such as attitudes and intentions. Finally, more research on the effects of communication skills on adolescent substance use should be examined.

Drug Alcohol Depend. 2009 Jun 1;102(1-3):19-29. Stephens PC, Sloboda Z, Stephens RC, Teasdale B, Grey SF, Hawthorne RD, Williams J. Department of Public Administration and Urban Affairs, The University of Akron, 225 S. Main Street, Suite 265, Akron, OH 44325-7904, United States. tonkin@uakron.edu

by V. Kim Kutsch, DMD., Carri Cady, RDH

Introduction
Medication-induced xerostomia (MIX disease, an acronym first introduced by Edwin Zinman) is becoming a more common problem for Americans. There are many potential causes of xerostomia, or dry mouth, and these causes include loss of saliva production as part of the natural aging process,¹ Sjogren's Syndrome,² radiation to the head and neck,³ and medication-induced xerostomia.⁴ There are now about 3000 prescription medications that list xerostomia as a possible side effect,⁵ but drug companies by-and-large have not included specific labeling to alert the consumer about xerostomia and its increased risk for dental caries.⁶ MIX disease affects people of all ages. The average person has no idea what xerostomia is, so the current drug labeling has little or no significance for them.

[More]

INTRODUCTION: Most of German health insurance funds provide and reimburse cognitive-behavioural group-based courses for smoking cessation according to section sign 20 Abs. 1 SGB V or section sign 20 a SGB V. The main goal of this study is to conduct a review of the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of these smoking cessation courses and their methodical approaches. METHODS: A literature search for available systematic reviews, meta-analyses, health technology assessments (HTA), and guidelines was conducted in relevant databases. RESULTS: Overall, six publications were included. Two sources confirm the long-term efficacy of group-based smoking cessation approach [OR (odds ratio)=1.3 and OR=2.17] with meta-analyses. The majority of available reviews or national guidelines are based on the results of these two researches. Two further reviews estimate the behaviour-based group therapy as effective. The efficacy estimation of single behavioural intervention components (skill training, problem solv-ing, relapse prevention) varies from OR=0.91 to OR=1.5. The evidence is insufficient for the internationally widespread course "Allen Carr's Easyway". No relevant publications on economic issues could be included for the courses currently made available by the statutory health insurance. CONCLUSION: The methodical approaches of smoking cessation courses offered by health insurance funds are effective and recommendable according to the available secondary literature. The efficacy of these interventions is not very high and solely covers general methodical approaches or programme components. Evaluations of current smoking cessation courses are rare and do not meet internationally accepted standards. Further research should be aimed to evaluate the established programmes with high-quality health economic studies.

Gesundheitswesen. 2009 Jun 2. Rasch A, Greiner W. 1Fakultät für Gesundheitswissenschaften, Gesundheitsökonomie und Gesundheitsmanagement (AG5), Universität Bielefeld.