Can Hypnosis Really Help Manage Anxiety Disorders?

Anxiety is shockingly common — research from the early 2000s showed that nearly 20 percent of US adults will suffer from an anxiety disorder in any given year. Twenty years on, in a particularly trying time for humanity, those figures are bound to be much higher. 

Not everyone who suffers from anxiety will want to seek out a medical doctor or a psychologist. As many look for ways to manage anxiety in different ways, alternative therapies are a popular option. Complementary and alternative medicine comprise a broad range of alternative products and practices — products not generally accepted as best practice. These "alternative" methods have expanded into the mainstream in recent times, and may be part of treatment strategies for physical and mental health conditions.

The techniques involved in complementary medicine are meant to complement "regular" treatment options, which, in the case of anxiety disorders, would be psychotherapy alongside medication. Complementary and alternative medicine comes in different forms such as aromatherapy and acupuncture, progressive muscle relaxation, yoga, and mindfulness.

A look into hypnosis

Hypnotherapy is also known as hypnosis. Hypnotherapy is a technique used to help someone achieve an altered state of mind, also referred to as a trance. When you’re in a hypnotic state, you’re deeply relaxed and more focused on the subject. You’re also open to suggestions, even if they are contradicting. Hypnotherapy is often used to assist people in managing various health issues — as different as skin conditions, addiction, sleep disorders, stress, and smoking cessation.

Hypnosis doesn't make you lose control over your body, and rather just "opens up" your mind if you are willing. 

How hypnosis can help treat anxiety

In all honesty, most individuals have experienced anxiety at some point in life, and this kind of routine anxiety isn't necessarily a mental health problem that requires treatment. People who have anxiety disorders often have intense, persistent worries as well as fear about normal and safe situations. The anxiety then begins to have a marked impact on the person's ability to function, as well as on their overall wellbeing. 

Anxiety disorders involve repeated episodes of a feeling of deep anxiety or terror. These feelings may reach a peak within minutes. They may also interfere with your daily activities. Anxiety disorders are not just difficult to control but are out of proportion to the situation too. Anxious states can be dangerous if they last a long time.

Hypnosis is an adjunct type of therapy. It is used alongside other forms of medical treatment. Hypnosis may be used to improve different symptoms of anxiety and help relieve stress. It can also be used to help patients cope with panic disorder. While in treatment, a patient with panic disorder can be guided to focus on coping with specific symptoms as well as overcoming behaviors.

Treating Anxiety Disorders Through Hypnosis

In addition, hypnosis can be used in treating agoraphobia, which is a condition in people living with panic disorder. This condition entails the fear of developing panic attacks in restrictive circumstances such as crowds. It may also include a fear of driving. The treatment method can allow you to master how to remain calm while facing such worries.

A hypnotist may help you to focus on overcoming these phobias. A hypnotherapist may also suggest various ways to remain relaxed even when in a precarious environment. If you have a panic disorder, hypnosis can assist you in improving self esteem, managing troublesome symptoms, as well as helping you overcome negative thinking. The treatment method of hypnosis can also be used on people with co-occurring anxiety symptoms such as migraines, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Who administers hypnotherapy?

Hypnosis can be conducted by a certified mental health professional that has vast experience and is trained to offer this method of treatment. A qualified hypnotist may be found through online resources such as the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis as well as the American Association of Professional Hypnotherapists. In the age of COVID-19, hypnotherapy may be administered as a form of teletherapy and it is also possible to learn self-hypnosis, which a hypnotherapist can assist you with.

The general experience of hypnosis may vary from one person to the other. Many individuals have reservations about hypnotherapy where they fear that they might lose control of their lives and thoughts. These are major — and frankly, understandable — concerns given how hypnosis is described in popular media.

Self-hypnosis is a state where a person offers suggestions to themselves following induction to get into a relaxed and open state of thinking. In this session, one gives themselves a particular healing suggestion which may be tailored to induce their bodies to function positively. Self-hypnosis is commonly used to administer treatment in people with mental and emotional dysfunction. Even though it has various side effects, there are dangers that one needs to be aware of. In self hypnosis, you are required to use certain trigger words to be able to go in and out of the session. The words are common. They are also used daily. Your choice of words may send you to a significant hypnotic state that can be dangerous. The general state of hypnosis varies from one person to the other.