Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Please tell me your hypnotherapy stories

39 replies

Mrsbrooks1 · 09/05/2022 10:50

I’m toying with the idea of using hypnotherapy for a specific phobia that’s the Bain of my life 🙄 has anyone had any success or advice? Serious & Hilarious stories welcome 😊

OP posts:
SallySH · 25/05/2022 10:46

Hi there, okay I'm biased because I am a hypnotherapist but I thought I'd add the reason I trained to be so is because hypnotherapy had such a positive impact on my life in many different ways. It helped me gain confidence and overcome crippling anxiety. I was also told by my doctor that I couldn't have children. When I discovered hypnotherapy I fell pregnant (it wasn't planned) but almost a side effect of changing subconscious beliefs I had.

I'd really recommend looking around at different therapists, have a chat with them and find one you feel you connect with and offers what you're looking for. Depending on whether it's a primary or secondary phobia (whether there was no particular incident that brought the phobia about to your memory, or a particular incident did happen to cause it) will depend on the approach. Most therapists will offer the rewind technique to help you with your phobia which works best with phobias brought about by a particular incident.

Hope this helps and all the best! :)

Original poster
Mrsbrooks1 · 26/05/2022 21:52

SallySH · 25/05/2022 10:46

Hi there, okay I'm biased because I am a hypnotherapist but I thought I'd add the reason I trained to be so is because hypnotherapy had such a positive impact on my life in many different ways. It helped me gain confidence and overcome crippling anxiety. I was also told by my doctor that I couldn't have children. When I discovered hypnotherapy I fell pregnant (it wasn't planned) but almost a side effect of changing subconscious beliefs I had.

I'd really recommend looking around at different therapists, have a chat with them and find one you feel you connect with and offers what you're looking for. Depending on whether it's a primary or secondary phobia (whether there was no particular incident that brought the phobia about to your memory, or a particular incident did happen to cause it) will depend on the approach. Most therapists will offer the rewind technique to help you with your phobia which works best with phobias brought about by a particular incident.

Hope this helps and all the best! :)

Thanks for the reply!! This may be a really stupid question but can it be dangerous? X

OP posts:
romdowa · 26/05/2022 22:04

I developed a needle phobia and a bad experience in my teens where medical staff couldn't find a vein for surgery and I was prodded and poked for over an hour. I was so bad that I would become hysterical at the thought of an injection, I had to be held down to get blood and I bit My mother when she tried to restrain me.
I decided in my early twenties to get hypnotherapy for this , my father had gotten it years ago for another phobia, so I felt it was worth a try.
I had one session and was given a tape and was told to listen to it every night for a week. I felt a few funny for a few days after , anxiety was definitely higher and I had weird dreams. 3 weeks later I went to the Dr and gave blood, a week after that I got my first piercing 🤣🤣 I'd definitely reccomend it but be aware that some people can't be hypnotised, my mother has tried it and she can't be put under at all.

womaninatightspot · 26/05/2022 22:08

I quit smoking from one session twenty years ago. I was getting through nearly a pack a day. Best £40 quid I’ve ever spent.

Original poster
Mrsbrooks1 · 26/05/2022 22:22

romdowa · 26/05/2022 22:04

I developed a needle phobia and a bad experience in my teens where medical staff couldn't find a vein for surgery and I was prodded and poked for over an hour. I was so bad that I would become hysterical at the thought of an injection, I had to be held down to get blood and I bit My mother when she tried to restrain me.
I decided in my early twenties to get hypnotherapy for this , my father had gotten it years ago for another phobia, so I felt it was worth a try.
I had one session and was given a tape and was told to listen to it every night for a week. I felt a few funny for a few days after , anxiety was definitely higher and I had weird dreams. 3 weeks later I went to the Dr and gave blood, a week after that I got my first piercing 🤣🤣 I'd definitely reccomend it but be aware that some people can't be hypnotised, my mother has tried it and she can't be put under at all.

How amazing! The funny feeling and the heightened anxiety afterwards , was that just in general or about your phobia specifically?

I think this is what I'm scared of, having my brain changed and not being able to get back to normal. Like a bad trip or something 🤣.

OP posts:
coodawoodashooda · 26/05/2022 22:25

romdowa · 26/05/2022 22:04

I developed a needle phobia and a bad experience in my teens where medical staff couldn't find a vein for surgery and I was prodded and poked for over an hour. I was so bad that I would become hysterical at the thought of an injection, I had to be held down to get blood and I bit My mother when she tried to restrain me.
I decided in my early twenties to get hypnotherapy for this , my father had gotten it years ago for another phobia, so I felt it was worth a try.
I had one session and was given a tape and was told to listen to it every night for a week. I felt a few funny for a few days after , anxiety was definitely higher and I had weird dreams. 3 weeks later I went to the Dr and gave blood, a week after that I got my first piercing 🤣🤣 I'd definitely reccomend it but be aware that some people can't be hypnotised, my mother has tried it and she can't be put under at all.

That's amazing!

SallySH · 26/05/2022 23:01

Not a silly question at all. It's not dangerous but it's important to find a qualified and registered hypnotherapist who knows what they're doing and operating ethically. Unfortunately hypnotherapy isn't a regulated profession so anyone can practice as a hypnotherapist. Hypnosis used correctly is a wonderful therapeutic tool that can help you with many different things. The rewind technique is a process of changing how you view that situation and removing the emotional response you have to it.

I know people often think of stage hypnotism when they think of hypnosis and some kind of mind control. Hypnotherapy is actually utilising hypnosis as a therapeutic means to change unwanted behaviour patterns. The suggestions used in trance are there for your benefit and only acted upon if you feel they're right for you. Happy to help if you have any questions. All the best :)

ChickensandCows · 26/05/2022 23:06

Following with interest as I would like this for weight loss and binge eating. How do you go about finding a reputable therapist? Thanks

damnthisvirusandmarriage · 26/05/2022 23:20

Tried it years ago to stop smoking. Absolute waste of time.
myht as well have gone to yoga abs waited for the meditation bit and the end.

Walked out of the session and smoked.

I did stop smoking months after using the NHS stop smoking service. Which I highly recommend.

Confusedmeanderings · 27/05/2022 00:35

Years ago I had a needle phobia and was due to have major surgery. A family friend was a hypnotherapist and offered some sessions. I was very sceptical and went along thinking that this was a load of rubbish. I even remember thinking it when in a trance. However after the first session, I felt incredibly relaxed. I had been worrying about the surgery and had been struggling to sleep. Now I felt less worried and I had no problem sleeping, so I decided to continue the sessions. The relaxed feeling continued and it was only as I walked out of the pre-operative assessment that I realised that I had given a blood sample without even thinking about it. That was nearly 30 years ago and although I don't particularly like them, I am still absolutely fine with needles.

earsup · 27/05/2022 01:06

tried 2 people for smoking....both hopeless....did nothing..!!..friend however paid a lot of money....several hundred to see someone and it worked...!!

ChampagneLassie · 27/05/2022 01:59

A friend had it & 3 sessions cured his fear of flying which had prevented him going on a plane for 20 years. Encouraged by this I went to same therapist for anxiety I got playing sport... I had 3 sessions. I found the sessions relaxing and not unenjoyable but they didn't have desired effect.

boronia · 27/05/2022 03:22

womaninatightspot · 26/05/2022 22:08

I quit smoking from one session twenty years ago. I was getting through nearly a pack a day. Best £40 quid I’ve ever spent.

Same result for my friend, same length of time smoking.
She couldn't believe it was so easy ( for her).

Dita73 · 27/05/2022 03:39

I’ve seen 4 hypnotherapists to try and cure a vomiting phobia. None of them made the slightest difference. Don’t waste your money

Mamai90 · 27/05/2022 03:45

I went to one to try and quit smoking, didn't really work. Maybe for a day or 2.

Having said that when I started meditating I had a low libido due to the medication I was on. It unlocked something in my brain which made my libido go through the roof (this wasn't why I started it, it was just to relax) so there is a lot to be said about the power of the mind, maybe my hypnotist was just shite. My DH saw the same guy to help with his depression and it didn't work either, he had come recommended to us.

ShandaLear · 27/05/2022 04:18

I went to one to overcome my fear of driving. Waste of time. Have you thought of CBT or similar?

autienotnaughty · 27/05/2022 04:37

I had hypnotherapy twice to stop smoking the first time wasn't very good. I was laid on the woman's settee in her house and I just didn't relax enough. The second one was fantastic it really worked. I also had some sessions for anxiety a few years later it helped massively. Mine gave a free intro session which involved a chat with a short session to see if I could relax with her. That helped as I knew before I paid that it would work.

CarbsAreNotMyFriend · 27/05/2022 04:48

I used it for blushing years ago and it was brilliant, very effective. There are also hypnosis videos on YouTube which I've been listening to again recently as I'm seeing signs of it coming back. No idea if they'll work, but I'm impressed so far - they are very similar to the recording I got from the hypnotherapist years ago.

Eviebeans · 27/05/2022 05:11

I have used it twice for different things but with same practitioner:
smoking (I no longer smoke)
and anxiety around driving/getting in a car which developed after being involved in a minor accident as a passenger. I now drive. So for me it was a success and I am a fan.

Philisophigal · 27/05/2022 05:45

This reply has been deleted

This has been withdrawn at the user's request.

pollyglot · 27/05/2022 06:34

Suffered from anxiety and depression for years. The cause was a very abusive, neglectful and terrifying mother, whose behaviour badly affected my self-esteem and that of my siblings, and who caused many serious issues. I was recommended to see a lady who is very experienced and well-qualified. I remember driving there, but nothing for 4 hours, until I arrived back home. DH drove me home, obviously, because I was in a terrible state, and amnesic. She came to see me at home the next day because she was so worried about how the therapy had affected me. By then, I was fine. She told me that she would not tell me what i had said under hypnotism, because it was so awful, but when pressed, admitted that it was all about abuse at my mother's hands. I had 4 more sessions, none as deep or as distressing as the first. It was like having a boil lanced, and getting rid of 70 years of poison. I still have no recollection of what happened in that 4 hours, not even what her house, garden or office were like, and in fact, I couldn't remember her face at all until I saw her again. It definitely helped a lot, though there's lots more poison to be drained, I believe.

DoubleHelix79 · 27/05/2022 06:45

I did a session at ZSL for my spider phobia, it's called the Friendly Spider Programme. It involves a lecture from an expert, then a hypnotherapy session, then gradual exposure to spiders. It definitely helped - I'm still not entirely comfortable with then being in my vicinity but the blind panic has gone. A friend also used hypnotherapy to help her quit smoking, with good success.

I studied Biology and don't subscribe to any evidence-free woo, but hypnotherapy appears to be quite effective for a range of issues.

Original poster
Mrsbrooks1 · 27/05/2022 07:38

Thanks to everyone who replied! To be honest I'm still not convinced. Not because I don't think it works, just because I'm scared it will trigger something that I can't control. I think maybe CBT and good old fashioned sedation is my best bet 🤣

OP posts:
SallySH · 28/05/2022 21:03

Check they have insurance, are qualified and registered with a professional body. This means they agree to work to the ethics and expectations stated by the organisation. I'd be happy to chat to you about hypnotherapy if you'd like to explore it.

Maytodecember · 28/05/2022 21:13

Fear of flying —- cured in one session.
Neighbour years ago went to a hypnotherapist as she wanted to lose weight. She said after the first week she noticed when she had a tea or coffee she broke a biscuit in half, and just ate the half, not the 3 or 4 she usually ate. Definitely not wanting to eat so much. But she’d also been treated for high blood pressure since a teen because of a kidney problem or defect. At next checkup doctor was surprised how her bp had dropped. It was monitored and dr reduced her bp medication for the first time ever. Only thing she’d changed was not eating so much which she put down to the hypnotherapy.