Interactional Treatment of Intractable Hiccups

Abstract

This article provides a comprehensive review of the literature regarding nonmedical approaches to the understanding and treatment of intractable hiccups. The author provides a rationale for an interactional view and presents a case in which post-surgical hiccups were successfully treated, using principles developed by the Mental Research Institute. Of particular interest is the manner in which the therapist managed a system that included the victim's wife, a physician, and other medical personnel who were all trying to eliminate the hiccups. Interventions were designed primarily to alter meanings attributed to the hiccups and, thus, to intervene in the system that was maintaining the problem. This article is presented as a response to Weakland's call for research and practice in family somatics.

Psychogenic hiccup in children and adolescents: A case series

“…These include a wide variety, ranging from hypnosis to yogic therapies to attempts at changing family situations and the family dynamics, among others. [9] In the present cases, educating the family members to cut down the secondary gains helped substantially to reduce the symptoms. The use of double bind and suggestion were also effectively used to treat the cases.…”

Family therapists as front line mental health providers in war‐affected regions: using reflecting teams, scaling questions, and family members in a hospital in Central Africa

“…Equally, we encouraged the husband to formulate his own view within the context of differing views in the family: to ‘stand up’, with appropriate respect, to his mother‐in‐law. By engaging with all the family members (husband, wife, brothers), and even the physicians involved in the case, we were able to influence the system in a way that promoted a resolution to the problem Bobele (1989) provides an excellent example of this, also in a hospital setting). Finally, as is so true in family therapy, when we finally met the person viewed as the ‘villain’ (in this case, it was the mother‐in‐law), and learned vividly of her own fear of losing her daughter, we could not not be affected by her worry and despair about possibly losing yet another child prematurely.…”

Using systemic approaches, methods and techniques in rehabilitation medicine

“…49,50 There have been few studies involving adults with chronic disability. 12,51 Case reports have suggested the approach in functional disorders such as chronic fatigue syndrome, 52 intractable hiccough 53 and irritable bowel syndrome 54 and also in somatization. 55 Trials have shown benefits in chronic pain 56,57 and irritable bowel syndrome.…”