To have hypnotherapy for anxiety

[DianneWhatcock]

Has anyone tried it? How was it and did it help any?

I've had mild anxiety on and off for about the last 15 years. But in July I moved house and it seems to have triggered the worst anxiety I've ever known and it's affecting my whole life. I've considered going to the dr but tbh I've tried before and they don't take me seriously. And I don't want medication unless it's the absolute last resort and tbh when I've tried that before it doesn't help much and just makes me numb

I'm sick of waking up every day in a panic and just feeling scared all the time. I'm sick of constantly feeling like something bad is going to happen. I just want to be happy again and enjoy life 😓

It was really good for me to relax in the evenings and feel calm, but long term it didn't do anything to change my thinking.

Some things that have helped me (which might be just placebo of course) have been cutting down alcohol, eating typically 'anti inflammatory' foods (which is mostly just a healthy diet with little meat and lots of turmeric, avocado, salmon and pineapple) and using a breathing technique where you cover one nostril to breathe in, then cover the other to breathe out.

I also suffer with anxiety and it’s an absolutely horrible feeling, so you have my sympathy.

I have recently started on medication, which is helping me, but also shortly to start on a 6 week course of CBT for stress management. It’s organised through IAPT, Increasing Access to Psychological Therapies. My GP gave me the details, but in my area at least, you can self-refer. Might be worth a look?

If you ring up they arrange a time for an initial assessment over the phone, and then offer you several options depending on your responses.

@Pukkatea

Thank you. I've tried that, I barely drink and eat healthily. I also run which takes the edge off for a while. I take magnesium tablets and CBD oil, I'm trying to deal with it that way but it's not really doing much 😢

@PuzzledObserver what medication is it if you don't mind me asking ? I usually just get dumped on sertraline which as I say doesn't help much

Whoops posted too soon. I've also had cbt in the past and hasn't helped me. I'd honestly rather pay than go through the NHS anyway as that in itself I find stressful trying to access the service

I haven’t trie this but my cousin is a hypnotherapist and I know has successfully helped many people in your situation. I think it’s worth a try. Good luck.

I think it's worth a try. The thing about this kind of issue is that there are lots of ways to deal with it but it can take a long time to find the combination of things that work for you.

I think you've got nothing to lose. Good luck, anxiety is a bastard.

I had hypnotherapy to treat anxiety related to a specific issue and I found it very helpful. My therapist recommended a meditation app and taught me some techniques to self-help long term too. I'd say it's definitely worth a try

Thank you

I've emailed a therapist that is local to me, so thats the first step.

I went to hypno for a phobia and although it hasn’t helped long term (I went maybe 10 years ago) it did help for the period I needed it to and even though I have the phobia back it’s nowhere near as bad as it was before (it controlled my life). Most people have a similar fear but I couldn’t sleep because of it when it was at its worse.
If I needed to go again i would go in a heartbeat. My hypnotherapist gave me a CD recording of the session which also helped massively (I have lost the cd now otherwise I would just use it)

Have a look at Cognitive Hypnotherapy - it's more individualised and addresses underlying issues as well. Quest Institute is a good starting point for information.
Or have you considered psychodynamic counselling?

I’m a long term anxiety suffer 30 yrs plus.
I have back ground anxiety to full blown anxiety Sensations where I just want to run

I’ve tried numerous things over the years even hypnotherapy (2) different people, for me it did nothing @ £80 a throw not even placebo.
I’ve had over years lots of different therapy nothing as got rid. Cbt,CAT, anxiety courses numerous times, hypnotherapy, psychologist, psychiatrist(depression, just throw meds at you) Last 8 years been on venlafaxine which are helping
But if I’m really honest wish I’d never gone down the ad’s route, as really I hate the thought of taking them

With me it’s brought on mostly by life events
Ive now given up on trying to find solution, as that’s stressful alone going through your story time & time again. They all want to go back to childhood and it just drains me.
Not that I’ve had bad upbringing etc

Sorry if not what you wanted to hear, if you’ve got the extra money then give it a try as everyone is different

There’s a fairly new thing called rtms
Look it up, in some parts they’ve got trials still running. Or you can go private now but it’s not cheap

Have you tried Kalms which you can buy over the counter? I do find they take the edge off anxiety.

I did a 3 week course of hypnotherapy for anxiety in my lead up to my 3rd round of IVF. I found it really helpful. You definitely need to go with an open mind. It won't cure anything but definitely helped.

I was given a personal audio recording after each session to use at home in-between each session which was brilliant.

Fortunately my IVF was successful so I have not used it since but I will definitely go again if I need to in the future. It was expensive but worth it.

@DianneWhatcock it is sertraline I’m on and it’s the first time I’ve been on an AD. My GP told me that everyone reacts differently and if this didn’t suit me we could try a different one. So maybe have a conversation with your GP and say sertraline didn’t help you and could you try a different one?

It’s very personal, of course. I first went to the GP with depression 5 years ago, and at that point was resistant to taking AD’s, so I do understand why people don’t want to take them. Or if you’ve tried one and it didn’t help or made things worse, why you don’t want to do it again. But now that I’m on sertraline and it’s helping, I do wish I had tried it earlier.

There does appear to be a trend now to make decisions together. I’ve just had a review conversation with my GP and asked about increasing the dose - he said it was basically up to me. So I asked about potential downsides and decided to go for it. If the downsides out way the upsides, I can go back to the lower dose.

@Sally99 no I actually haven't tried those I might get some. Thank you

@PuzzledObserver

Thank you. In some ways sertraline was good. I was happier on it, but sometimes felt almost manic. I also struggled to sleep. The worst though was what it did to my sex life...I didn't feel like it at all and literally had to make myself do it and then I could never orgasm! (Sorry for tmi) so it affected my relationship negatively which wasn't ideal

Another one I tried was mirtazipine and wow that was horrendous turned me into an exhausted spaced out zombie and all I wanted to do was eat

@Quail15 I'm glad you found it helpful ... that is reassuring

And also congrats on the ivf working that is great news x

And thanks for the other replies too sorry haven't replied directly to everyone. X

Anxiety is awful OP. You actually can self refer for CBT or have it online (through the NHS). You don't need to see a GP to do this. Bach rescue remedy seems to help some people, breathing/meditation apps perhaps?

www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/free-therapy-or-counselling/

Otherwise if course private therapy or CBT if that's an option financially. Are you otherwise well? I wouldn't take a supplement if you are on any other medications without seeing a GP personally, they may be over the counter but that doesn't make them safe in all circumstances.

Do you have any idea what might be triggering these feelings in the new house? Perhaps if some external factors could be identified then steps can be taken to mitigate those things which may help.

I’d also try a good quality grade probiotic And b50 vitamins as these are always a good combination with magnesium

@dontgobaconmyheart

I should be happy, we've moved to a bigger nicer house in a better area. But it was a very stressful move, it took months for the Sale and purchase to go through and it almost fell through at the last moment.

I just constantly feel like something is going to go wrong and I've got this feeling of impending doom

I am also turning 40 in a few weeks and I am really not coping with that fact. As pathetic as that is to be so hung up on age.

I am existing, not living. I used to be so generally happy, carefree and positive

Hi Dianne

Hypnotherapy can be very useful for anxiety and other mental health issues as well

I'm a mental health nurse and hypnotherapist myself and I would be more than happy to chat with you about it x

@Robeena28

Thank you. I really hope it does help me. I have found somewhere and I have a consultation next week

I do have a question I wanted to ask as well... during the therapy do patients actually get "put under" ? And what's that actually like?

@DianneWhatcock

Thanks for your message and I hope all goes well with your consultation 😊

To answer your question, you're not 'put under' so to speak, you get into a very deeply relaxed state similar to the half half state you are in before you go to sleep

Hope this answers your question and best of luck x