Friday, March 22, 2024

Can Hypnosis Help Depression And Anxiety

How Does Clinical Hypnotherapy Treat Depression

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1. It helps you enter the subconscious:

First, we drop down from the conscious mind, which is only 10% of the mind into the subconscious mind. Now we are addressing the whole person, 100% of the mind rather than just treating the symptoms.

2. It helps you identify the “unfinished business”.

People often have what Dr. Fritz Perls called unfinished business with whatever has been lost, be it a loved one, a job, or a home. These unresolved feelings, such as resentments, regrets, blame, anger, guilt, jealousy, and fear are stored in the body and must be released as soon after the triggering event as possible. Otherwise they become deeply buried beneath the numbness created by the anti-depressant drugs, the addictive behavior, and the concurrent repression that occurs when trauma and grief go untreated. Clinical hypnotherapy works for depression because it removes the underlying basis of depression and completes the unfinished business that otherwise continues to recycle as self-sabotaging thoughts and behaviors.

3. It helps you “finish” the “unfinished business” and release the stored emotions/experiences.

With hypnotherapy, we can go down to the deepest level of these traumatic experiences, memories and stored emotions to release them from the mind and body. When this hypnotherapy process is completed, the client reports that their depression has lifted, that they have stopped the compulsive thoughts or behavior, and that they are ready to resume living their lives again.

What Is A First Session Like

During the first session, the therapist will induce the hypnotic trance, guiding the person into a state of deep relaxation and focused awareness. In addition to the strategies mentioned above, a therapist can then employ various techniques to relieve the symptoms of depression as well as address the underlying causes.

Some of these hypnosis techniques for depression may include:

  • Post hypnotic suggestions that encourage and reinforce positive beliefs and behaviors.
  • Anchoring positive resource states such as confidence and optimism that can be accessed after formal sessions.
  • Memory regression to address any correlation between the depression and past experiences.
  • Teaching pattern interruption techniques that help a person break out of depressive thought cycles.

Side Effects Of Hypnosis

Hypnosis isnât for everyone. Some people canât reach that full dream-like state. This makes the treatment less helpful. In rare cases, it can cause side effects, which can include:

Experts aren’t sure if people with schizophrenia can reach total hypnosis. Some suggest hypnosis may cause other mental health problems for people who have it.

Doctors may use hypnosis to bring back memories or stressful events linked to your mental condition. There is some controversy around this practice. If the person giving the treatment isn’t a trained professional, it could cause the creation of fake memories, which could further confuse a person’s mental health issues and bring more problems.

If you’re considering hypnosis for help with chronic pain, make sure a doctor has first checked you for other conditions that medication or surgery can help.

Hypnosis is safest for people with less serious mental or physical conditions.

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How Does Hypnotherapy Work For Depression

Research has shown that hypnotherapy can help you to reduce or better control feelings of stress, anxiety, and sadness. It can also be used to help reduce or remove negative behaviours that could worsen your depression.

Want to learn more about hypnotherapy for depression, or ready to start working with a hypnotherapist? Use our advanced search to find a qualified, experienced hypnotherapist in-person or online.

What Does The Process Of Hypnosis Involve

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My patients are invited to sit in a comfortable chair or couch and relax. Sometimes I integrate essential oils, in particular lavender, which calms the limbic system .

During the first meetingin what I call the breakthrough sessionwe spend some time talking before we move into hypnotherapy, which can be 20-30 minutes of light to deep hypnosis. I use suggestibility tests to determine the clients ability to access a deep state of calm and take instruction from me which can be a bridge to accessing profound self-discovery.

Heres how suggestibility works: imagine a balloon tied to the index finger of your right hand and a heavy hard-covered book on your left does the hand with the balloon go up while the one holding the book goes down?

The reaction to an exercise like this provides a window into a persons suggestibility and helps me figure out which form of induction to use to induce a hypnotic trance state. Once in a trance state, were able to tap into the unconscious mind and start the process of changing behaviors.

If a person is analytical, the suggestibility test will show me that Ill need to work to put that part of their mind to rest. Generally speaking, creative/imaginative people have an easier time accessing their unconscious mind, which is the seat of all behavioral change.

Another way to think of hypnosis is an active state of imagination and as Einstein said Imagination is your unconscious mind.

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Randomized Controlled Trials And Empirically Supported Treatments

Meta-analyses have become a commonplace means of drawing broad conclusions from research data. Implicit in the use of meta-analysis is the assumption that the methodologies used in the studies selected are appropriate approaches to the questions being addressed, and an acceptance of the widely held view that psychotherapy either does, or does not, have empirical support. Indeed, several authors have suggested that randomized controlled trial methodology, on which the validity of meta-analyses often rests, may not be the most appropriate type of study design for providing empirical support for the use of hypnosis in treating various psychiatric problems, given that hypnosis is an adjunct to psychotherapy , rather than a form of psychotherapy itself .

Many of the concerns regarding the dominance of the RCT-EST movement have bearing on all forms of psychotherapy, regardless of whether hypnosis is used. One particularly important concern is whether results from RCTs can be generalized to actual clinical practice.

Pros & Cons Of Hypnotherapy For Depression

Hypnotherapy is an all-natural and non-intrusive alternative to traditional mood disorder treatments. However, as with any course of treatment, all the pros and cons should be considered.

Some of the pros of utilizing hypnosis to help with depression can include:

  • Drug free: Pharmacological solutions are common when treating depression. These carry the risk of unpleasant side effects including sleep problems, sexual side effects, and in some cases may make the mood disorder even worse.
  • Safe: Hypnosis is a non-invasive form of treatment. In addition, the person in trance is always aware of their experience and is in no danger of doing anything against their will. A 2016 review of 5 major meta-analyses concluded that hypnotherapy is safe and effective for treating a variety of issues.9
  • Self empowering: Most hypnotherapy treatments will include learning some form of self hypnosis. This is an effective way of treating many issues and allows the person to take their mental health and well-being into their own hands.

The cons of using hypnosis for depression can include:

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What Happens During Hypnotherapy

Before beginning hypnotherapy, your therapist should take your medical history, discuss your presenting problem, and provide a brief explanation of how hypnotherapy works.

The goal of hypnotherapy is to enter an altered state of consciousness, also known as a trance or hypnotic state.

During a trance, most people experience relaxation, lowered blood pressure and heart rate, and changes in their brain waves.

While in this altered state, you will be highly responsive to suggestions made by the hypnotherapist. Each hypnotherapy session will generally last between a half an hour and one hour. At the end of each session, you will be brought back to alertness and reflect on the experience. Often, you will be instructed on how to practice self-hypnosis outside of hypnotherapy.

Hypnosis Helps You Relax

How hypnotherapy can help anxiety and depression

People with depression and anxiety are often extremely tense. Depression and anxiety typically increase stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, as the mind is preoccupied with negative and threatening possibilities.

Many people with depression or anxiety dont even remember what it feels like to relax deeply. Hypnosis can help reacquaint them with the feeling of deep relaxation so they can relax more completely on their own.

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How Do You Reach A Hypnotic State

If youve never done it before, its best to work with a trained therapist.

Once you learn how to achieve hypnosis, you can do it on your own. But its important to learn how first. Most hypnotherapy sessions are about an hour.

The therapist guides you through relaxation techniques designed to put you into hypnosis. Once under hypnosis, discussing difficult emotions and feelings is less stressful.

This is when the trained therapist makes suggestions to your subconscious mind. The therapist might say something like, Youre now able to control your pain and anxiety. You no longer have negative thoughts that throw you into a depressive episode.

Hypnotherapy for depression works by getting to the underlying causes. Sometimes theres more than one root cause for your depression.

Can Hypnosis Treat Depression

The 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that more than 19 million adults in the U.S. dealt with at least one major depressive episode during the previous year, making depression fairly common.

There are a variety of treatments for depression including lifestyle tweaks, medication and therapy. Some believe that hypnotherapy for depression can also help. So, can it?

Truthfully, there isnt enough proof to say. However, there is some preliminary research to suggest it could be a useful tool.

In one study, 84 people with depression were treated with either cognitive hypnosis or cognitive behavioral therapy for 16 weeks. Afterward, the group that did the hypnosis had between five percent and eight percent greater deduction in depression than those who did CBT. To reiterate, this was a very small study.

Another study looked at the autonomic nervous system by way of heart rate variability. This system regulates involuntary physiologic processes such as your heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, digestion, and sexual arousal. The studys researcher found that hypnosis may bring some improvement to the autonomic nervous system.

Some experts also believe that hypnosis can help make people who are depressed more receptive to other forms of treatment. Its also thought that it can help with the development of coping skills that may be helpful to depressives.

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Treating Anxiety And Depression With Hypnotherapy

Anxiety and depression are very prevalent in todays society. It is common for individuals experiencing symptoms to feel like theyre stuck in a cycle they cant pull themselves out of. Hypnotherapy is the treatment that has the power to break this cycle and help you start feeling like yourself again.

This blog post is here to teach you about what hypnotherapy is and why it is one of the most effective forms of therapy for dealing with anxiety and depression.

How Is Hypnosis Used For Anxiety And Depression And What Does It Have That Most Modern

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There is one key difference between hypnosis and most modern-day therapies that dont stack up.

Any idea what this is? Well reveal what it is in a minute.

But first, its important to explain how hypnosis gives you direct access to the playground of your mind the unconscious.

This is where your true identity lies. Everything and anything that makes up who you are resides in your unconscious.

So the way hypnosis helps you access your mental playground is the way it engages your conscious mind.

Or otherwise put, imagine that there was a gatekeeper that kept you from peeking into your unconscious minds files and databases making sure you didnt meddle too much.

Well hypnosis engages and schmoozes this gatekeeper. And once the gatekeeper is occupied, a hypnotist is able to really examine the underpinnings of your unconscious.

So hypnosis and trance simply open up the doorway. They allow you to fully imagine how much better life can be. What it would be like to take on completely new behaviors, beliefs and identities.

Given this, the one thing hypnosis has that most modern day therapies lack is the ability to quiet your negative internal conversations.

Have you ever wondered about some positive change youd like to make, only to have that rational mind of yours pop up and tell you why you cant have it?

Thats the negative internal dialogue that most therapies cant seem to sneak around. Hypnosis does an incredible job of sidestepping this.

But why is this?

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How Can Hypnosis Help Anxiety

Due to the misconceptions around hypnosis in society, many people often go into the practice believing its going to be something it isnt.

Susan clears up what the aim of hypnosis for anxiety is. She says thats its to be in control of anxieties and emotions, to have no anxiety at all, to get rid of it completely and, while to some this may sound too good to be true, Susan reiterates that were not born with anxiety. Its a learned behaviour.

I always say to everyone, youre born with self-confidence, self-esteem, self-worth, self-belief. As youre growing up through childhood and teenage years, youre developing all the time through teachers, parents and siblings. But they get chipped away through situations and relationships, trauma, dramas and so on.

My role is to find those emotions and bring them to the surface, but to remove the misconceptions about things that have happened and why their anxiety has arisen.

Susan explains that she takes these misconceptions and anxieties out because its a negative file and in that way, you can live without anxiety. This idea of upgrading thinking patterns is common across the practice of hypnosis. Sheila says that while hypnosis isnt suitable for those with serious mental health disorders, like clinical depression, it can be hugely beneficial for those with both general and acute anxiety. In turn, it can help those who struggle with insomnia to sleep better and improve their overall health.

Does Hypnosis Work For Mental Health Issues

Hypnosis has long been fodder for television shows and stand-up acts, and most people are familiar with hypnotists who claim to be able to make anyone do anything while under hypnosis. But hypnosis is no longer just a sideshow performance, and an increasing number of people are turning to hypnosis to quit smoking, get over depression and anxiety, lose weight, and forget about phobias.

Hypnosis is still controversial within mental health, partially because its often part of a comedy act and not real treatment and partially because some hypnotherapists have induced false memories under regression-based hypnotherapy.

What Is It?Hypnosis isnt a magic trick. Its an altered state of consciousness that hypnotists induce via the power of suggestion. Hypnotists may use relaxation techniques, key words, guided imagery, or some combination of these to help clients slowly relax. Then, while under hypnosis, hypnotists make suggestions about changes in behavior.

But hypnosis is not a panacea, and is most effective when its used in conjunction with therapy and lifestyle changes. Particularly for long-term, chronic problems, it may take several hypnosis sessions to see results. Some people dont see any results at all because hypnosis thrives on suggestibility, if youre not particularly suggestible it probably wont work.

References:

  • About the society. . American Society of Clinical Hypnosis. Retrieved from http://www.asch.net/
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    Other Ways To Treat Depression

    If you are struggling with depression in your daily life, that is no way to live. Its important to speak with a mental health professional to determine what treatment for depression should look like for you.

    Two commonly suggested ways to eradicate or at least lesson depression are therapy or medication or both. Each one has been found to be very helpful in treating depression.

    Research supports the idea that cognitive behavioral therapy , a type of therapy, can be a good way to treat depressed patients.

    If you go the route of CBT you will work with a trained professional to identify negative patterns and behaviors in your life and come up with ways to address those things.

    Antidepressants are another option. Experts believe that depression is the result of low levels of certain types of neurotransmitters in your brain. Neurotransmitters transmit information between neurons). Serotonin and dopamine are two such neurotransmitters.

    Antidepressants can raise the levels of these neurotransmitters to ease depression. There are a few different types of antidepressants available. They includeselective serotonin reuptake inhibitors , serotoninnorepinephrine reuptake inhibitors , tricyclic antidepressants and more.

    Bupropion is another commonly used antidepressant.

    What Hypnotherapy Can Help With

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    There are many different reasons why a person might want to try hypnotherapy. Research suggests that some possible applications include:

    Hypnotherapy may also be used by licensed physicians and psychologists in the treatment of conditions like anxiety disorders, depression, eating disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder .

    Hypnotherapy may also be helpful for changing or reducing problematic behaviors. Because of this, it is sometimes used to help people quit smoking, lose weight, and sleep better.

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    Hypnosis Is An Adjunct To Various Forms Of Psychotherapy Not A Stand

    Another challenge in examining hypnosis with RCT methodology stems from its generally accepted position as an adjunct to existing forms of therapy, rather than a therapy in and of itself. The use of hypnosis in psychotherapy has been described within a psychodynamic framework , as part of the eclectic, multimodal approach crafted by Lazarus , and of course, as an adjunct to behavioral and cognitive-behavioral approaches as noted throughout this paper.

    Due to these considerations, hypnosis will generally be added to a treatment already deemed to be better than no treatment, as, for example, in an RCT comparing cognitive behavioral-therapy with cognitive hypnotherapy in the treatment of depression . The effect size associated with adding one additional, useful psychotherapeutic component to an existing efficacious treatment is likely to be small, thereby requiring a very large sample size in order to achieve statistical significance. In the aforementioned study, 42 subjects were in each condition, resulting in a statistically significant Group × Time interaction on the Beck Depression Inventory II during 16 weeks of treatment and at 6- and 12-month follow-up. In terms of clinical significance, however, the differences between the two groups were small. Data on whether patient’s depressive episodes had remitted by the end of treatment, and had remained so at follow-up, would have added to our understanding of the clinical significance of the treatment effects.

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