Battling anxiety, phobias, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and other mental health issues can feel lonely and isolating. However, more than 1 in every 5 Americans live with a mental illness according to the National Institute of Mental Health. And ever since the pandemic, more and more Americans are reporting feelings of anxiety and dread.
Despite its prevalence-–seeking support for one’s mental health can often be plagued by stigma, financial constraints, and insurance roadblocks. Additionally, there is no “one size fits all” solution, and there are many treatment options available. Hypnotherapy is an excellent alternative treatment that can offer relief for a wide variety of mental health concerns.
What is Hypnotherapy?
Hearing the word “hypnotherapy” may conjure up images of a magician dangling a pocket watch in front of a person trying to lull them to sleep, but in practice it is a useful tool for a trained therapist to address persistent mental health issues with an integrative approach.
Hypnotherapy is a therapeutic modality that utilizes the tool of hypnosis to allow individuals to enter a trance-like state and receive guidance and suggestion from a trained professional. Hypnosis allows individuals to enter a more calm and relaxed state that, in turn, allows a trained therapist to gently guide them in altering or encouraging certain behaviors. Hypnotherapy can be a useful tool in managing addiction, anxiety, phobias, compulsive behaviors, PTSD, and more.
How Can Hypnotherapy Help?
Hypnotherapy is often used in conjecture with other treatments. It can assist in treating a wide variety of symptoms and can help patients avoid turning to pharmaceutical intervention.
While in a state of hypnosis an individual may be more susceptible to therapeutic guidance that they would be resistant to otherwise. Hypnotherapy offers a different avenue into healing.
Hypnotherapy for Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders cover a spectrum, but they can be generally categorized by a state of worry, panic, or fear that interferes with everyday life. Hypnotherapy for anxiety allows an individual to confront those fears under the guidance of a trained professional in a safe and secure environment.
Managing Phobias
Phobias are an anxiety disorder and are life-interfering, extreme, and intense reactions to specific triggers. Examples include acrophobia (intense fear of heights), cynophobia (intense fear of dogs), and arachnophobia(intense fear of spiders). Living with a phobia can be a debilitating and disheartening experience.
Hypnotherapy can help treat phobias by guiding a patient while under hypnosis to confront their phobias and assign new beliefs to whatever it is holding them back. According to a piece by Claire Jack PhD in Psychology Today, “Imaginal exposure allows them to expose themselves to their fear in a controlled way and may be more accessible to some people than in-vivo exposure. As they repeatedly place themselves in the previously fearful situation, their physical response may begin to change.”
Treating Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), although not categorized as an anxiety disorder under the DSM-5, shares symptoms with anxiety disorders and individuals with OCD could also benefit from hypnotherapy in their treatment plan.
OCD is commonly treated with cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), but in a case cited by the National Library of Medicine “no adequate response to CBT was reported in 30%-60% of cases.” When CBT isn’t enough, exploring an alternate therapy like hypnotherapy could be a valuable option for an individual.
Hypnotherapy could be used to treat individuals with OCD by allowing them to confront their compulsive behaviors while under hypnosis.
When is Hypnotherapy the Right Choice?
Treating mental health disorders like anxiety, phobias, and OCD can often take a lot of trial and error. Finding the right therapist and treatment plan is a unique journey that varies from person to person. So, when would hypnotherapy be an option worth exploring?
When You’re Hitting Road-Blocks in Talk Therapy
If you’re engaging in talk therapy, but having trouble getting over certain hurdles hypnotherapy may be a beneficial option for you. The state of hypnosis allows for an individual to be in a comfortable and highly suggestible state. Ideas or suggestions they were resistant to in talk therapy may seem more reasonable and easy to comprehend.
If You Want Support Beyond Your Psychiatric Care
Although pharmaceutical treatment guided by a psychiatrist can be extremely beneficial for some, there are many reasons others may not want to utilize it. Some individuals may be sensitive to medication, suggested medications may interact poorly with medications an individual is already on, and others may want to try hypnotherapy as a way to complement their psychiatric care plan. Please remember to always consult with your primary care provider and psychiatrist before making changes to any medication regimen, however.
When You Want To Try Alternative Therapy
It takes time to figure out a treatment plan that works for managing mental health issues. Relying on multiple forms of therapy can be an effective way to treat the problem from many different angles and help you identify what works best for you and your goals.
Hypnotherapy may not be for everyone, but it could be the missing piece for some to have the breakthrough they’ve been waiting for.
Taking Charge of Your Healing Journey
You are the only person who can decide to go on a journey for your mental health. Sometimes it’s helpful to think of taking care of your mental health using a “toolbox” method. Different therapies, coping skills, and routines can help you on your journey in different ways. Hypnotherapy could be the tool missing from that toolbox. Reach out to your healthcare provider for a referral today.
