Has anyone tried hypnotherapy for anxiety related issues?

[HypnotherapyAnyone]

As the title says, would love to hear of people’s experiences with using hypnotherapy for anxiety related issues. Did it work? Was it pointless?

I developed driving anxiety about 2 years ago and have an appointment next week with a cognitive behavioural hypnotherapist. Her reviews seem great and we had a really positive consultation.

Just want to temper my expectations of how successful it might be by hearing others’ experiences!

Thanks ☺️

I'd like to know about this too.

I’ll update on how I get on after my appointment next week @PinkLemonadee!

I really hope it helps you!

Thank you! I hope so too, I’ve tried loads of other things, and it’s lessened it to a large extent, I’m hoping the CBhypnotherapy might be able to rid me of the rest 🤞 I’m a total sceptic so was hoping I’d get some real life positive (or negative) experiences on this thread… but maybe not many people had tried it!

Yes, I have. It was really great. I used it for a number of things (fear of flying, fear of being in an MRI machine and a few other things). I have no anxiety at all about any of those things now.

I’ve personally never heard of a cognitive behavioural hypnotherapist. I’d be concerned that she’d lean too far towards CBT, which I don’t think is particularly helpful with anxiety. But assuming she’s definitely a hypnotherapist, not a cognitive behavioural therapist, then I think it’s worth a shot. I really recommend solution focused hypnotherapy. It’s on the more science based side of hypnotherapy and really good at focusing on positive incremental changes.

Hi, yes, I tried Hypnotherapy and it worked marvellously for me for about 5 years. Then my Dad died very suddenly at home, and it broke me.
I had also done traditional CBT which was ok, not brilliant for me but I know others who swore by it.
A big issue for me was lack of sleep, which I turned exacerbated my anxiety. So, after much research, I found a guy on Spotify, Scottish, Andrew Johnson who makes guided meditation apps and, they were a game changer for me. I slept the first night for six hours, when I hadn’t managed more than an hour at a time up to this.

https://x.com/andrewjohnson?s=21&t=lmr9wCc28gHyZPU95qbcxQ

i wish you luck on your quest.

I used recording which I bought online for general
Anxiety and it really helped me through a very bad patch over the summer. I listened every day for a few weeks, then phased it out gradually. I also have driving anxiety and tried a recording for that, but I couldn’t visualise not feeling anxious while driving so when asked to imagine driving and feeling really confident I just couldn’t do it. I’d be very interested to hear if it works for you @HypnotherapyAnyone

Ahh, this is a positive response! Thanks so much @mindutopiaand I’m so glad you’ve had success with it.

And I agree, I’ve been through CBT courses, not for this but particular issue, but I’ve found it difficult to engage with them.

This hypnotherapist is a registered CBT practitioner and hypnotherapist. Initial appointment next week is 1.5 hours, 30min will be CBT led, 45 min hypnotherapy and then wrap up. Then 1 hour sessions with 15min CBT let, 30min hypnotherapy and wrap up. She said we would have a good idea after 3 or 4 sessions whether this is something that will help. She said she won’t go over 6 sessions.

To be fair, she seemed very open and transparent and I’m willing to give it a shot!

I’ll report back! 🤞

Yes and it was wonderful! However only temporary, like acupuncture. I floated out and felt calmer but the next day back at work it was reset. Xx

And I’m so sorry about your Dad @FelixRyarkx

I’ve seen those recordings available online @thenewaveragebear1983and have wondered if they were any way effective. I’ve actually come across a YouTube video which I think has helped me a little bit, I’ll find it and share it. I think seeing how this simple, publicly available video helped even a little, gives me hope that a targeted course of hypnotherapy could finally rid me of the last of the anxiety and get me back to loving driving 😊

Amazing, that’s so good to hear! And I’m absolutely okay with this being a part of an (affordable!) long term strategy to deal with this. I’ve engaged with therapy throughout my life and it’s been transformative so I’m really hoping (but don’t want to get too excited) that this will be too! I’m happy to make a commitment if it makes a difference, I’m kinda desperate for solutions!

My daughter had hypnotherapy for driving anxiety and it has been a game changer.
I can ask her more about it over the weekend.

Please do! Any insight I’d be grateful for 😊

Was she always afraid to start driving? For me it came completely out of nowhere after nearly 20years of loving driving 😕

As a short term fix for general aniexty and to understand why I'm a anxious person it worked well.

Long term not so much, but I was supposed to practice mindfulness and listen to my personalised recordings, which I will hold my hands up and say I haven't done. I lost the voice recordings when changing phones.

I'm considering paying again for targeted therapy, to help with my phobia of sick. Have booked a all inclusive holiday for the first time and I'm already flapping about food poisoning.

@HypnotherapyAnyone you may already know this but driving anxiety is really common in perimenopause. That’s when mine started although I was always a little bit nervous and have never been good on fast roads. But it definitely got worse when peri started for me

It crept up on her after having her 2 nd baby. Couldn’t drive on certain A roads and had panic attacks . Particularly if children in the car.This is very common.She has been driving for about 10years . The hypnosis has really worked well and has taught her strategies to help with the anxiety if it starts to develop.I have also gone out on long drives with her to reinforce her confidence whilst eldest at school and baby nap time . This has also really helped.
She hasn’t needed her propanol since the hypnosis. She has had a follow up appointment which was part of the deal and the guy just reinforced the strategies again. Definitely £800 well spent because she is now back at work which involves driving all over the county to see her clients/office etc .
Edited to say that daughter was very sceptical beforehand but she was proven wrong!😊

I’ve never heard of this for driving anxiety! I’m watching keenly because I also need to be able to drive when I come off maternity and return to work soon, but I haven’t been able to drive outside of my small town which is all 20mph since having the baby. I actually didn’t realise other people struggled like this and I just thought there was something so wrong with me. It’s affecting my life so much and making it so much more difficult than it needs to be.

Could anyone advise me of how to go about finding a therapist and what the cost is? Xx

I’ve had hypnotherapy several times for anxiety or stress-related issues, and found it massively helpful.

The process itself is very relaxing, and I think even just that helps.

I still use some of the strategies I learned nearly 20y ago to neutralise certain intrusive thoughts. I don’t actually remember learning them in trance, I just know I did. I trust them, and they work for me.

I wasn't able to be hypnotised and im Really gutted as I believe it would help me.

acupuncture couod be a good alternative for stress and anxiety. i always leave feeling very chilled out and slightly sort of drunk (i can think how else to describe it, a bit floaty, chilled, slow) in a good way, maybe like ive just been meditating and coming back into the world again.