Can I ask you about hypnotherapy?

[BrightLightsAndSound]

Has anyone ever tried it? Did it work for you? I'm considering making an appointment for a phobia.
Just out of interest I started googling how people train to become practitioners and you don't actually need a degree in psychology or anything.
Doesnt that mean that it could get a bit dangerous?
Any mental health professionals got any thoughts on it?

I tried it for a phobia of vomiting, waste of time for me although CBT therapy helped

It should be! They were probably a qualified PWP. But that doesn’t sound like it was enough for your needsN

I don't think CBT is the cure all either though, in my experience it's helped a lot with specific thinking patterns about relationships or less deep seated anxieties but hasn't been able to help with very deep seated unconscious things like phobias and binge eating disorder.

CBT is about working with your own thought patterns so IMO if the behaviour you're wanting to change is so deeply buried that it's automatic and doesn't involve any 'thinking' pattern per se it's not the tool that will help.

Hypnotherapy can be very successful - I would just make sure you do plenty of research into their background and google them generally to check they don't have anyone posting bad reviews, etc.

As people have said you stay fully conscious throughout, sort of in a very relaxed state but you can still hear everything they're saying. I think the recording of sessions sounds great so maybe agree with them that they will do that?

I actually had some limited success with just listening to recorded sessions on an app while I went to sleep (then I stopped doing them so must start again!)...will find the app name as you could start with that while you're doing your research - worst case it just means you fall asleep nicely!

There are lots of different apps so maybe take a browse through...this is the one I used. Some are free, some more specific ones are a few £'s to buy.

I was very sceptical when I was prescribed this by my GP (long time ago, probably not available now). The hypnotherapist was a qualified nurse/HV. I had depression and anxiety and couldn't sleep. Couldn't take drugs as I was breastfeeding.

It worked so well that I've hardly had any issues sleeping since. It's like I'm programmed to fall asleep. I have different techniques I use when I feel depression might be looming, or if I get nervous about anything. And sometimes I just use it to relax.

I found it very powerful - and as a PP says, I didn't take it seriously to start with. Not only did I conquer the anxiety and depression (I wouldn't wash or go out), I'm now very confident and do feel mentally very strong.

I don't think CBT is the cure all either though

You’re right, it absolutely isn’t. It has more evidence behind its efficacy in treating phobias than hypnotherapy does though.

Hypnotherapy worked for me to quit a 20 a day smoking habit. I’d tried literally everything to stop. Gave up immediately after the third session and I’ve never remotely fancied a cig since. That was almost twenty years ago.

It did nothing at all for me, tried twice with two different people. I went for overeating and sadly no good.

It really helped me, but it wasn't instant and was a slow burn, but I went from not being able to leave the house to now being able to live an almost normal life, I also went back to her to help with my fear of dentists and again it really helped, not a complete cure all as I won't let the dentist do anything unless I'm knocked out but I can go and sit in the chair and be sedated.

Where are you OP as I would highly recommend my lady.

I hope it doesn’t out me as my response will be very identifying

Stay WELL AWAY.
I honestly believe it should be illegal.
It is dangerous and irresponsible.

My mum had it to help her through bereavement after losing my dad.
She was struggling with feelings of guilt and blame, a common reaction to grief, she felt she didn’t get him medical care soon enough.

She had a history of childhood abuse and the ‘therapist’ basically forced her to re live her abuse through the sessions.

Told her all sorts of quackery, gems including ‘the reason why you don’t feel better is because you don’t want to get better’ and ‘I know what you are doing, you are trying to get free therapy’ when she phoned in desperation for help because she couldn’t cope with the constant re living of her abuse..

In the end, she ended up in a mental health hospital, desperately unwell.

She is in recovery now at home, me and my brother want to sue but we have no concrete evidence to PROVE that her (extreme) decline was due to the therapy. Even though it is very clear it was.

Also, this therapist was registered.
There are many governing bodies for this ‘therapy’, some with very different rules and regulations than others.

Also to add the hypnotherapist I went to for smoking was attached to an NHS hospital (I paid) and the NHS used him to help old guys who had smoked for decades and who needed to give up because of impending surgery. If you choose carefully and go by reputation you should be ok. I do think that I really really wanted to quit so that helped. He also helped my friend to overcome IBS.

I can't argue with efficacy studies....my thoughts are though that even if it's just triggering a placebo effect...as long as it works I don't care if it's a placebo.

I agree the regulations should be much, much tighter though. Scenarios like the one with the PP's DM should not be allowed to happen, IMO regulation needs to be much tighter across all forms of talking therapy to protect people in a vulnerable position.