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Conversion disorder with earthquake hallucinations treated by hypnotherapy a case report
RuiFeng Liu1, FeiFei Li2, Yi Hou3
1City University of Macau, Macao, China.
The American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis
|February 13, 2025
Summary
Hypnotherapy effectively treated Conversion Disorder (CD) in an adolescent by uncovering subconscious trauma through hypnoanalysis. This approach offers a potential new treatment avenue for CD in young patients.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Neurology
- Psychology
Background:
- Conversion Disorder (CD) presents significant diagnostic and treatment challenges, particularly in adolescents.
- Conventional Western and Chinese medicine treatments were ineffective for a 16-year-old female experiencing unexplained "earthquake" sensations and sleep disturbances.
- The patient's symptoms persisted for six months despite extensive medical evaluations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the efficacy of hypnotherapy and hypnoanalysis in diagnosing and treating Conversion Disorder in adolescents.
- To outline a structured workflow for hypnotherapy in managing CD.
- To investigate the role of hypnoanalysis in uncovering repressed memories and trauma contributing to CD.
Main Methods:
- A 16-year-old female adolescent diagnosed with Conversion Disorder underwent hypnoanalysis.
- Hypnotherapy sessions were utilized to trace the etiological source of her symptoms.
- A structured hypnotherapy workflow was applied, focusing on identifying and addressing subconscious repression and trauma.
Main Results:
- Hypnoanalysis successfully identified the root cause of the patient's Conversion Disorder symptoms.
- Following six sessions of hypnotherapy, the patient's "earthquake" sensations resolved, and sleep normalized.
- The patient demonstrated improved self-suggestion capabilities, leading to a return to normal daily life and social functioning.
- An 18-month follow-up confirmed no recurrence of symptoms.
Conclusions:
- Hypnoanalysis is a valuable tool for uncovering subconscious repression, trauma, and memory suppression in Conversion Disorder.
- Hypnotherapy demonstrates significant potential clinical value in the treatment of Conversion Disorder among adolescents.
- This case highlights the importance of exploring psychological interventions for somatoform disorders when conventional treatments fail.
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