Comparison of the Effect on Anxiety of Combining Hypnosis and Aromatherapy Through Olfactory Anchoring Versus Standard Care in Patients Undergoing Alcohol Withdrawal

According to a meta-analysis published in 2019, hypnosis has demonstrated positive effects in the treatment of certain mental illnesses, particularly anxiety. This technique aims to put the subject into a particular state of consciousness conducive to therapeutic action. The safe place in hypnosis is the basis for anxiety relief work, the first step towards the use of hypnotic metaphors. Smell is an excellent way to stimulate the imagination in creating this safe place.

Anchoring allows the effects of a hypnosis session to be reactivated, enabling the subject to re-experience its benefits through tactile stimulation, a key word, or an image. The investigators use olfactory stimulation as a hypnotic anchor while also utilizing the anxiolytic properties of essential oils.

While there are already studies on the use of hypnosis or aromatherapy in the treatment of patients who use psychotropic drugs, no study to date has focused on their combined use. The innovative aspect of this treatment lies in the prolongation and reinforcement of the effect of the hypnosis session through olfactory stimulation.

The literature shows that memories triggered by a smell have the ability to materialize physiologically in the areas of the brain that process spatial and temporal information. This is also a goal that hypnosis aspires to achieve.

The investigators hypothesize that the use of these two tools in formalized, time-limited nursing interviews can provide patients in the complex withdrawal unit with the means to reduce their anxiety in the short and medium term.