Does Hypnosis work for anxiety and is it worth using if you have feelings of panic, fear or worries?
Plenty of our new clients turn to clinical hypnosis when they have exhausted every other avenue for help. They may have heard about hypnosis but are unsure if it can help with anxiety disorders. This is what I tell my clients about how it can help treat anxiety and what they can expect in their sessions with a hypnotherapist.
Can Hypnosis Cure My Anxiety?
Clients often come to hypnotherapists because they are looking for an anxiety treatment that will give them a cure for their problem. There is sometimes an expectation that hypnotists can wave a magic wand at the problem but that is not how hypnosis works.
Hypnosis is a tool to manage anxiety but it needs to be combined with other techniques and lifestyle changes for real success. As an example, if my client is putting themselves under huge amounts of stress daily by working 18 hours a day they might feel anxiety or panic. No hypnotherapist will be able to fully resolve their problem unless they also cut down on the hours that they are working.
If my clients are happy to work on any stress and lifestyle issues that may be exacerbating their problems then hypnosis can work well.
I use the power of suggestion and guided relaxation to help them lower their stress levels and reframe unhelpful thought patterns so they feel more in control of their daily life. I also help my clients learn self-hypnosis so they can practice this relaxation at home to increase its effectiveness.
On a deeper level, I also help my clients understand any subconscious patterns that may be running in the background which may be triggering their issues. This is crucial as sometimes there can be underlying triggers for anxiety disorders that aren’t always immediately obvious.
The more my clients practice reaching this relaxed state through self-hypnosis and mindfulness, the more they can reduce daily anxiety levels in the long term. Hypnosis also empowers my clients to take charge of their feelings instead of making them feel that their unhelpful thought patterns are taking over.
Practice Self-Hypnosis At Home
Using self-hypnosis for anxiety is a great tool that anyone can use in the comfort of their own home. To practice self-hypnosis all you need is a quiet space and a device to be able to listen to an audio.
My self-hypnosis downloads help take your mind into a state of relaxed focused attention where you can listen to positive suggestions for positive change and calm. This hypnotic state is easily reachable when you are in a calm space and with regular practice it can help lower any background levels of anxiety you may have.
If you want to try this at home you can head on over to my online store to buy a download that is relevant to your problem. Alternatively, you can buy my Anxiety Download which has five tracks covering:
- Relaxation Hypnosis
- Anxiety Reduction Hypnotherapy
- Help to Stop Negative Thinking
- Panic Attack Self-Hypnosis
- Help For Sleep
Can Hypnosis Stop Overthinking?
Overthinking is just another facet of anxiety. It is the way in which the subconscious mind looks out for danger. By overthinking your brain is considering the different ways you could experience a problem and trying to get you prepared for the worst-case scenarios.
This negative thinking pattern usually starts in childhood and tends to come out at times when you are stressed or near your anxiety triggers.
Hypnosis can be an effective tool to help reduce chronic overthinking. Hypnotic suggestions and visualizations help as they enable my clients to enter a state of deep relaxation where they feel calmer. In this calmer state, it is easier to be more rational and quieten down this unhelpful mental chatter.
In addition, hypnotherapy for anxiety and overthinking can help you to identify and reframe negative thoughts that are fueling your overanalyzing. By helping you to understand your problems and create new ways of thinking it is possible to reduce anxiety and improve your mental health.
I also teach my clients self-soothing techniques that they can use when their thoughts start to spiral. This enables my clients to have more control over their runaway thoughts allowing them to stop the overthinking before it escalates out of control.
To analyse your anxiety triggers you can use my anxiety tracker worksheets to help.
What Types of Anxiety Can a Hypnotherapist Work With?
Does hypnosis work for anxiety symptoms associated with panic attacks and other forms of mental health conditions?
The good news is that treating anxiety with hypnosis can be helpful for a huge range of anxiety-related conditions. I personally use it at my clinics to help with:
- Fears and Phobias
- Panic Attacks
- Generalised Anxiety Disorder
- Social Anxiety Disorder
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Medical Procedures and Anxiety in Cancer Patients
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
- Stress-Related Disorders
- Dental Procedures
- Confidence and Self-Esteem Issues
Hypnosis Sessions are generally a relaxing and positive process that can help alleviate anxiety symptoms and help with negative thoughts. It is also a great alternative to cognitive behavioural therapy which some people find problematic.
What Is The Success Rate For Hypnosis For Anxiety?
Does hypnosis work for anxiety and what is the success rate?
Initially, when clients ring they think that a hypnotherapist can give them accurate statistics on how successful hypnosis therapy is for anxiety but this is impossible. There are too many factors at play for statistics to be meaningful. How successful hypnosis for anxiety is comes down to factors such as:
Severity of Anxiety – Mild to moderate anxiety is easier to resolve obviously than extreme anxiety which may need an approach that uses multiple forms of help (medication, CBT, hypnosis etc…)
Causes of Anxiety – Some causes of anxiety are triggered by issues beyond the control of the therapist as an example abusive relationships or money worries. Whilst a therapist can help to alleviate anxiety they can’t fully resolve it until the underlying problem also changes.
Client Receptiveness – The more willing someone is to engage with the process and work with a therapist the more successful it will be.
Hypnotherapists Experience – As ever hypnotherapists with little experience or poor qualifications are going to be less likely to create positive change. As a therapist with years of experience working with thousands of clients my success rate should be much higher than someone who has worked with people for a year or so.
Number of Sessions – People expecting quick fixes and one-session wonders are going to be more likely to be disappointed. Therapy can take a little time to help improve mental health.
Actively Doing Things To Reduce Anxiety – I take a holistic approach to resolving anxiety. That means I may recommend other helpful activities to treat anxiety and speed up the process. Proper sleep, mindfulness, exercise, self-hypnosis and reducing stress will help to improve anxiety in addition to my hypnotic techniques.
In general, hypnosis can be a very effective complementary therapy for anxiety-related disorders but it does require active willingness by a client to create change both inside and outside the hypnosis sessions.
Is There Scientific Evidence for Hypnosis?
It is of course all very well for a clinical hypnotherapist to claim that hypnosis for anxiety works but is there any scientific evidence to back this up?
In fact, there is plenty of evidence that shows hypnosis not only exists but is helpful as well.
Brain imaging studies have shown the changes that happen with brain activity when people enter a trance.
Meta-analyses and reviews have shown hypnosis can help with anxiety, panic management, smoking cessation and some medical issues.
Clinical trials have shown it can help with pain, anxiety, and fear. Furthermore, hypnosis can help to change heart rate, blood pressure and even body temperature. This clinical trial for example shows how anxiety helped post-menopausal women.
So yes there is lots of research out there to provide substantial scientific evidence of hypnosis being useful not only for therapy but for medical use as well.
Can Hypnosis Cure Mental Illness?
Does hypnosis work for anxiety and other mental illness as well?
Mental health and well-being is a huge area and it can be difficult to state whether it can be helpful with every condition.
Whilst I personally believe it is helpful for mild to moderate anxiety and depression I would refer clients with more severe problems to their GP to get more specialised help. I would also not consider using hypnosis with conditions such as Bipolar Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, or in people with psychosis.
This doesn’t mean that hypnotherapy would not work instead this is a cautious approach because I believe that this is outside the realm of most hypnotherapist’s training. Safety should be the biggest consideration a therapist should have when working with a client.
