Peoples thoughts on Hypnotherapy

[Littlemadam]

Morning everyone,

Sending you all a big hug if you need one, and one even if you don't :D

I was wondering who of you on here has tried hypnotherapy, in either a real life hypnotherapist, or some kind of DIY download thing. I have downloaded some anxiety ones onto my iPad and sometimes they do really seem ok and to work to some extent.

Having read into how hypnotherapy works it seems viable (I want to one day train to be one), it's even available on the NHS so can't be that bad.

Hopefully we can have a good discussion on it to hear peoples experiences xxx

[JohnBliss]

Hi there
I have had two courses of Hypnotherapy over the years and can't say I felt any benefit from either course of treatment. However I am conscious of the fact that others have claimed huge benefits both on this site and elsewhere-maybe I picked the wrong Therapists. It probably is important to go on personal recommendation as like in any field there are good and bad practicioners. What works best for me in managing anxiety is just accepting it-even challenging it to do its worst
Best of luck
John

[NoPoet]

Hi, thanks for the hug :)

Hypnotherapy is most useful as a relaxation tool. Relaxation is a major weapon against anxiety and the ability to relax body and mind, once learned (which can take weeks or months), is proven to help overcome anxiety disorders.

Hypnotherapy will not suddenly cure you in two weeks or make you totally immune to fear - you are not being turned into a Grey Knight. Therefore, getting hold of some good self-help mp3s (or making your own, like I do) and listening to them every day for several weeks is a requirement; you can't have one hour of hypnotherapy a week without doing anything else.

It takes about 12 hours to replace a negative belief with a positive one. So "I am a worthless piece of crap who can't cope with the world" becomes "I am a good and worthy person. I have value because I exist. I am happy to be a part of this wonderful world, and the world is happy to have me. I am worthy because I exist. I exist and I love it." Imagine listening to that over and over for 12 hours (not all at once, maybe 15 minutes a time). That's how you replace a negative belief with a series of positive ones. Bang, your own free therapy session. And this works, gradually, but it definitely works. It's quite remarkable.

You can incorporate counselling or CBT into hypnotherapy, which in theory would increase the effectiveness of your therapy and reduce the possibility of a relapse.

Counselling is good for getting your head sorted out, CBT is what you need if permanent change is required (eg in depression).

View hypnotherapy as a useful aid to recovery from anxiety provided there is a CBT element as well.

I am now of the opinion that therapy is worthless in the long run unless there is a CBT element. CBT should additionally incorporate Mindfulness and/or some kind of person-to-person skills if it is to be effective at preventing relapse.

A bit of a muddled answer, so here's the TL;DR version:

* Hypnotherapy is good for relaxation.
* CBT is good for recovery.
* Self-help mp3s which are specifically targeted at your problems are helpful but require 12 hours of listening over a period of time. Make your own, you'll get the hang of it.

[ElizabethJane]

I do not combine my hypnosis sessions with any other therapy. I have had years of psychotherapy and CBT and still suffered from recurrent depression. These days I have a different approach. Hypnosis is usually most successful dealing with a specific problem. I have found a dramatic improvement after only a few sessions so it is good to practice with the CD that you might be given? I am going back to have another few sessions to deal with my sleep problems and low mood. My low mood has improved considerably recently without me actually doing anything about it. Some stresses have been removed and others have taken their place. In some areas including mine (Chelmsford in Essex) the first few sessions have been on the NHS. This time I will have to pay £90.00 an hour although there is some doubt about this. My therapist is a GP who practices within the NHS. Best wishes. Hypnosis is an amazing tool as you can access parts of your subconscious that would not normally be accessible. You are always in control of the sessions and work on 'stuff' at your own pace. EJ

[Lindy]

Hi there, I guess it depends on what you want it to do?!

I had a couple of sessions with an experienced practitioner who used to suffer anxiety in their twenties. I found it very useful - I wasn't sleeping at all well at the time and this guaranteed me a couple of fantastic nights sleep.

However, it didn't really 'fix' my problems and it's quite expensive. :)

[joy]

didnt do anything for me

Joy

[angel wings]

It didnt really help me either i found it to hard to go into a relaxed state of mind , but we are all different and anythings worth a try !!! thats why i gave go...im thinking of trying acupunture see if that does anything

i went to a therapist