Please tell me your hypnotherapy stories

[Mrsbrooks1]

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 😊

I have a serious eye phobia but a few years ago was diagnosed with an eye disease that can only be corrected with rigid contact lenses. I tried at hospital but it was just not possible. I has 9 hypnotherapy appointments about the phobia and after that the optician was able to fit a lense on my eye.

Hypnotherapy definitely worked for me.

However, I will say, firstly I was lucky that the first hypnotherapist I chose was the right one for me. And secondly, I already practiced meditation and believed that hypnotherapy would help me, which I think was instrumental.

I would say it's worth a try.

I had a phobia, when I was pregnant I was saying that it didn't want my unborn child to pick it up from me.
A chap at the same party said he could cure my with hypnosis. I went to see him, and about 2 hours later was completely cured, and it has never been a problem since.

@SallySH can you help with over eating? I've often wondered about trying hypnosis...

I was suffering from horrendous panic attacks 15 years ago. Was off sick from work as literally felt like I was going to faint all the time (then was more worried about the embarrassment of fainting in the office than the actual panic attacks!). Even had a CT scan as dizzy and nauseous all the time. Prescribed beta blockers, Prozac and on waiting list for therapy. Never believed in panic attacks until I started having them, thought people who them were pathetic. attention seeking, drama llamas!

Had one while I was driving DC on a day out, picnic packed, looking forward to it. It terrified the life out of me as thought I was going to drop dead at the wheel. Had to turn round and drive slowly back home. Decided enough was enough and I’d get them hypnotised out of me.

The hypnotist used ‘regression’ therapy and basically said anxiety normally extends from childhood. Could just be one incident. He told me to remember myself at x age, what was I wearing, what could I smell etc. I was completely blank for 6 very expensive sessions and then had a memory that I’d always had but it was like I was experiencing it in real time and it had expanded so could see more. It was so vivid. I was sobbing in utter fear and speaking like a child. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t experienced it myself.

The memories involved my absent father who I hadn’t seen for over 30 years so I thought the panic attacks might clear up if I met him, took the skeletons out of the cupboard and put them in the trash so to speak. This culminated in me confronting my mother for her singling me out for physical and psychological abuse as a child and refusing to let me see my father after their divorce. Opened a massive can of worms and my whole family disowned me as I upset her by confronting her. Validated my therapist telling me I was the family scapegoat as I hadn’t believed it til then. Taken me years to grieve for them and come to terms with it and I’ve often wished I never had hypnotherapy as it set me on that road.

Panic attacks stopped though 😀

You have to do what feels right for you. I would add there are different types of hypnotherapy and it's worth researching to see what best suits you. I practice solution focused hypnotherapy which is about focusing on your preferred future and helping you to work out how to achieve your best hopes. It doesn't involve digging around in the past or bringing up trauma. I studied regression hypnotherapy many years ago and the problem with that is false memories arising.

When you focus on the problems and dig around in wounds you are reliving them by thinking about them. The brain can't tell the difference between real and imagined so it can create the same physiological effects. That's why the beauty of solution focused is empowering because it's utilising your imagination for the change you want to achieve. If you can imagine it, you're focusing in the direction you want to go and your brain can work out the how.

Again, therapy is very personal so I definitely recommend anyone to research the different types to see what feels right for them. The success of any type of therapy is definitely influenced by the connection you have with the therapist, the belief you have and willingness too. It's a collaboration between you and the therapist to work together. I love working with people to help them overcome their challenges. My clients inspire me too because seeing their growth reminds me all the time what us humans are capable of achieving.

Good luck with whichever route you choose. I wish you all the best.

Yes I'd love to help. If you'd like to email me at [email protected] we can chat further. I offer a free phone consultation with no obligation (it's important you find the right therapist for you). There's absolutely no pressure either so if you prefer just to browse my website that's absolutely fine too :)

I would love to try it for anxiety and smoking so really loving the replies!
Someone in our village does it although I haven’t checked out his credentials.

@SallySH what do you think about face to face v online? Is there a big difference in the effectiveness? Also can it be done in conjunction with other therapies?

@SallySH would you mind if I contacted you also? I also have an interest in exploring hypnotherapy for weight loss. I have found your website. Interested to hear whether you think it might be possible to help online or better in person (actually I am not that far from you).

Hey there, hypnotherapy is just as effective online as it is face to face. I'd actually say a lot of people prefer it because they're in the comfort of their own home. It takes place over a video call and works in exactly the same way. It's a personal preference thing so you can decide what suits you best. Hope that helps and more than happy to chat if you'd like to.

I forgot to add it depends what other therapies you were exploring. Some there would be no issue but others may conflict.

Hey there, yes absolutely I'd love to help. Online or face to face are equally effective and the process exactly the same. It's a personal preference choice. More than happy to chat if you'd like to explore further.

It's just deep relaxation, you won't do anything you don't want to. It's not like the nonsense you see on the films.

I had a bad phobia of butterflies, completely cured by watching The Speakmans on This Morning dealing with a woman who was afraid of spiders. Seriously.

Interesting thread as I'm considering hypnotherapy at the moment

It worked really well for me in curing driving test nerves. I failed three tests but passed on my first attempt after the hypnotherapy.

However, I had hypnobirthing sessions with the same therapist a few years later and I found that much less helpful, I think because my experience of birth was very different than I or anyone else was expecting so it was difficult to map the relaxation and visualisation techniques that I'd practised onto my experience.

So I think hypnotherapy can help with some things and not others necessarily. I can imagine it working well for a specific phobia.