The research: In the study, 200 breast cancer patients on a six-week radiotherapy course at Mount Sinai Hospital were randomly scheduled to receive either cognitive behavioral therapy and hypnosis (CBTH) or meeting with a psychologist twice a week for 15 minutes. On their last day of radiation, the women participated in one last 30-minute session of CBTH. When the researchers checked in four weeks later, the group undergoing CBTH felt 79% less fatigue than the control group—and that feeling lasted for six months. What it means: Fatigue is what is known as a non-volitional outcome—or, “you don’t try to feel tired, but you just do,” explains study author Guy H. Montgomery, PhD, director of the Integrative Behavioral Medicine Program Cancer Prevention and Control at Mount Sinai Hospital. And according to him, cognitive behaviorial therapy (CBT) and hypnosis are the perfect one-two punch: “CBT changes how to think, feel, and react to fatigue, while hypnosis helps reduce fatigue levels directly. Together they help reduce levels of fatigue, as well as help patients manage any residual fatigue, so that they are less bothered by it and cope more successfully with it.” Which, he says, also explains why the feeling lasted for at least six months. But you won’t find any swinging pocket watches in this type of hypnosis—sessions are led by licensed professionals and begin with suggestions for relaxation, followed by imagery and suggestions for reducing fatigue and increasing energy in daily life. Bottom line: While Dr. Montgomery’s group applied hypnosis to cancer-related fatigue, he believes the findings can be applied to healthy individuals. Ready to give it a try? There are several hypnosis and affirmation apps available for smartphones and tablets, or ask your doctor if healing hypnosis could work for you. Learn more at the American Society Of Clinical Hypnosis. More from Prevention: The Healing Power Of Hypnosis
