Does hypnosis work for anxiety?

"Does hypnosis work for anxiety?" This is a question I'm often asked by clients who want to take control of their life and enjoy it more.

We're all familiar with anxiety.  Those unwelcome feelings of discomfort, or even fear, often strike just when you need to remain calm, confident and in control, don’t they? When you're outside your comfort zone and you really want things to go well.  Many sufferers, seeking the way to overcome their feelings of discomfort, worry or fear, ask themselves: does hypnosis work for anxiety?  The answer is 'yes'!

First of all, let me ask you how much do you suffer when you think about:

  • giving a presentation,
  • taking an exam,
  • walking into a room full of strangers,
  • visiting your doctor or dentist,
  • going for an interview,
  • going on a date?

If your heart’s pounding, your mouth is dry but your hands are sweaty, it’s hard to believe that something as gentle as hypnosis can help calm your nerves.  If you experience unnecessary nervousness, you'll be delighted to know that seeing the hypnotherapist can really calm you.

In its simplest definition, ‘anxiety’ is the word we use to describe nervous feelings of worry, fear or simply unease.

Problems can arise when our anxious response is out of proportion to the situation or threat we are facing.  When our emotions don’t calm down when the threat has passed you're right to wonder does hypnosis help with anxiety.

Remember, anxiety is perfectly natural...

Feeling anxious helps keep us safe, and it’s a key factor in our survival as a species.  This stress prepares us for the ‘fight or flight’ response.  'Fight or flight' primes your body to step up and fight, or take to your heels and run.  So those uncomfortable feelings are a good thing!  They serve us well even when we’re not facing life or death situations . So, a few nerves prior to an exam or interview can help us give our best performance.  The trick is being able to keep those feelings under control.

Think back to the last time you were anxious. Do you recognize that you didn’t decide to feel that way? The feelings of fear or worry just happened.  This is because the private, usually inaccessible part of your mind is at work.  Called your unconscious mind, it's constantly scanning the data banks of your long term memory.  It's checking to see which strategies you used in the past when you experienced a similar stressful situation. Your unconscious mind is very well-meaning.  It's always working in the background doing its best to protect you. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always solve your problems in the most beneficial way for you.

Does hypnosis help with anxiety about Performing?

Take the student who puts themselves under extreme pressure to do well in their exams.  Their mind interprets the forthcoming exams as ‘very important’.  Because of this great importance the student is in a state of heightened nervousness both before and during their exams.  Constant worrying makes it difficult to cope with everyday life, and prevents them from sleeping.  So, their ability to prepare effectively for their exams is reduced because they are not in the best mindset to revise.  In this example the student’s fears are out of proportion to the situation; instead of protecting them from imminent danger this stress is making their situation worse.

So, how does hypnosis help with anxiety?

You’ll already know that telling yourself to ‘get a grip’ or ‘stop being anxious’ is completely pointless. That’s because these feelings of anxiety are stimulated by your unconscious.  You may think your conscious mind is in control when, in reality, it's your unconscious mind that controls your responses.  Your unconscious is:

  • the domain of your emotions,
  • stores your long term memories,
  • triggers your automatic habits and behaviours,
  • it's the seat of your creativity and beliefs, and
  • is by far the most powerful part of your mind

Here’s the thing.  Making changes to your unconscious presents a real challenge because you cannot ordinarily talk to it directly, you need to be in the right state. That’s where hypnotherapy treatment for anxiety can really help.  By using hypnosis the hypnotherapist is able to bypass your critical conscious mind and make positive changes in your powerful unconscious mind.

How does hypnosis work for anxiety ?

A good hypnotherapist will get a full understanding of your case history and the situations you find particularly challenging.  Your therapist will then guide you into the natural and powerful state of trance which is hypnosis.  Rest assured, you are always in control. You'll simply feel deeply relaxed and most likely aware of everything that is said during the session.  While you are in this deeply relaxed state a skilled hypnotherapist is able to talk with your unconscious mind to change your negative beliefs, installing suggestions that you'll feel calm, comfortable and capable.  The hypnotherapist will reframe your previous negative experiences so that you are able to remember them without pain or discomfort.   You'll feel much more calm, confident and relaxed.

Hypnotherapy for Anxiety is the Perfect Way Forward

The great news is that you can make changes to your unconscious mind using Hypnosis, Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) and Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP).  Working successfully with The Hypnotherapist you can bypass your critical mind and change long held negative beliefs.  In their place we install positive suggestions for you to respond calmly and rationally.  So next time you give a presentation, walk into a room of strangers or prepare to sit an exam you'll approach it in a resourceful state, with enthusiasm, confidence and optimism.

Of course, it is not always possible to remove long held anxieties in just one hour, it can take several sessions.  You should, however, enjoy the experience and notice improvements in your outlook and your responses even after your first session.

So, in answer to the question:  "Does hypnosis work for anxiety?",  both hypnotherapy and the delivery of hypnosis by an experienced hypnotherapist are effective and swift ways to resolve unnecessary anxiousness.  It is important to remember though that success is dependent upon a number of factors:

  • the hypnotherapist's skill and experience
  • your comfort and confidence in your practitioner, and
  • how much you really want to make this positive change in your life.

Hypnotherapy works when you're committed to the process.  When you're ready to take the next step be sure to find the hypnotherapist you feel comfortable with and overcome your anxiousness for good.

If anxiety is stopping you from getting the most out of life take one simple step:  contact me or give me a call on 07834 754608 and find out how I can help you overcome your unnecessary anxiety for good.

After all it’s worth a phone call, isn’t it?