Chamber and committees

Petitioner submission of 10 June 2021

PE1873/A - Provide hypnotherapy for the treatment of mental health, psychosomatic disorders and chronic pain

The term Hypnosis was applied to these historical “sleep” techniques circa 1848 by a Scottish Surgeon James Braid, who at the time was working in Manchester and had become interested in the work of Anton Mesmer. A few years later another Scots Surgeon working in India, John Esdaile developed hypnosis for anaesthesia and performed over eighteen hundred surgical procedures including amputations and in one case removing a ten pound cyst, without losing a single patient and found healing and recovery times were much improved.

Here in the UK hypnosis was examined circa 1899 by a board of eleven doctors set up by the British Medical Association. Their conclusions were that hypnotherapy was both scientifically and medically proven as a sound healing modality. Subsequently many doctors practised those techniques.

Clearly today the situation regarding mental health has been taken over by the NHS and they are not coping well. The use of psychotic drugs, psychology and counselling using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and other talk therapies have very long waiting times and are not working effectively. CBT, for example, has a recorded recidivism rate of circa 60% within two years. Recent reports show that it is only effective in around 30 per cent of patients seen.

There are many issues affecting the NHS but the main reason for this petition is how to improve the provision of suitable and effective treatment for many mental health and other health issues.

Until the real root causes of patient’s issues are dealt with no long term resolution can exist. Psychology and counselling take a long time to work as all they seem to be doing is trying to stack goods on a shelf that is already full.

In the early 1950’s America introduced the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Known as the DSM it is utilised by countries around the world including the UK. In the first version some 153 disorders were listed. Today we are on version five (updated) in which are listed nearly 400 disorders. Every psychologist on the DSM board has fiscal links with various pharmaceutical companies. Investigation has shown that many of the so called disorders listed in the DSM-V are fictitious and have been invented to allow a market for a variety of drugs. The most infamous invention is that of ADHD. The inventor of ADHD was Leon Eisenberg who, in his final press interview before his death in 2013, openly declared that ADHD was a classic example of a fictitious disorder. The resultant diagnosis of ADHD has resulted in millions of children around the world being subjected to being chemically coshed with the drug Ritalin. All of this is confirmed in many reports and publications the most recent is the book “cracked” by James Davies PHD a senior British psychology lecturer. (ISBN 978-184831634-6)

Hypnotherapy is used by health services in many countries around the world and has been shown to be far more effective, quicker and longer lasting than psychological therapy or talk therapies. As far back as the early 1970’s the following results were published in the USA by Dr Barrios a highly respected psychologist.

In conclusion hypnotherapy is a much more effective and speedier method of dealing with mental health issues. It is also true to say that Scots from the time of Braid and Esdaile to this day (including the petitioner) have been involved in developing new hypnotherapeutic protocols and the training of hypnotherapists around the world. It is both sad and frustrating to find we are being ignored, even vilified, by Health Boards in our own country. All members of the Scottish Hypnotherapy Foundation are members of organisations recognised by the Professional Standards Authority which membership is a prerequisite for recognition by the NHS. As the NHS is a devolved power of the Scottish Parliament it is suggested that there is no need to comply with the House of Lords 1949 decision particularly as there has been a complete change in the provision of Mental Health services since that decision was made.