Has anyone tried hypnotherapy for curing a phobia?

[slackrunner]

I'm off to see a hypnotherapist tomorrow, to try and help me deal with my massive blood test phobia. I feel he is going to have his work cut out, as I get hugely panicky at even the thought of having to have a blood test/ IV administered.

I would love to hear from anyone whose tried this.

no-one ?

I had hypnotherapy as part of a wider treatment for arachnophobia at London Zoo - they also used various other approaches known to be helpful in curing phobias so it is difficult to say which bit did the job but the job was done

all the best with your appointment tomorrow, hope it works!

thanks mitchy - I really am desperate to be cured You're brave to have gone for arachnophobia treatment at London Zoo - that's like me going for treatment at a Blood Donor van

my mum did ... she had an incredibly severe phobia of snakes which wasn't helped by a 6ft snake sliding across her feet on her way to the kitchen in our house in new york (many many years ago). She refused to go back in the house for 2 weeks and was in therapy (how American!) but although she is by no means cured she is now more rational and can at least watch them on the tv etc.

Wow - a six foot snake across your feet ! I think that would be a very good reason to be phobic of snakes. I'm glad to hear that it had some positive effect for your mum.

I don't think I'll ever be cured of this phobia, but if I'm able to go through a blood test without fainting/ losing my vision/ sweating etc. then that would be a massive achievement for me.

try to go in to it with a positive attitude as I am sure if you are more open to it being successful you have more of a chance! What have you got to lose after all? A colleague of mine was a fairly heavy smoker and went to a hypnotherapist in an attempt to give up and it helped her a great deal - she hasn't smoked since!

I am phobic about spiders and if I were forced to face them in a similar way that you have to with blood tests then I would definitely consider it!

Dp's dad is needle/injection phobic (though strange as he has a very old tattoo) and they give him valium before he goes in for tests etc (worth considering if all else fails). That aside, good luck tomorrow - I am sure it will go well!

Thanks bodiddly. I will report back tomorrow (although I think I will need more than one session )

how did it go?