In the hectic life of unending demands and distractions, anxiety has become a common companion for many people. Either through work pressures, relationship problems, sickness, or a poor past, chronic anxiety can disrupt the balance of all aspects of life—sleep and concentration to overall well-being. Thankfully, there has been a renewed interest in using natural, drug-free methods of respite—among the most promising of these being hypnotherapy.
You might imagine hypnotherapy as some sort of stage act, but clinical hypnotherapy is a well-established form of therapy where the mind can be calmed, anxious thinking overcome, and permanent emotional recovery achieved. For those who have attempted meditation, medication, and everything else, hypnotherapy for anxiety is a distinct and empowering solution.
What Is Hypnotherapy?
Hypnotherapy is a method of guided relaxation and concentrated attention whereby a person can enter a very relaxed, trance state—the state a person enters before falling asleep. It is at that point that the subconscious mind is more open to suggestions that are positive to change thought, behavior, and emotional reaction.
Contrary to what you may observe happening on screen, hypnotherapy is not losing control or being in a “sleeping” state. You are alert and awake and can respond, but your mind is relaxed and highly focused so that it can be more apt to enter and change the thoughts or fears that create anxiety.
How Hypnotherapy Works to Address Anxiety
Hypnotherapy for anxiety attacks to address the source of worrisome thoughts instead of symptoms. How:
Relaxation Response Activation
Anxiety puts the body in a “fight or flight” state, stress hormones perpetually at maximum speed. Hypnotherapy transports you to a state of relaxation where stress reaction from the body is negligible. As your heart rate slows and muscles relax, heart rate and cortisol levels fall—giving the feeling of calm.
Access to the Subconscious Mind
Anxiety reactions are largely automatic and a product of underlying fear or assumption. They may include such things as negative self-talk, fear of failure, or a history of trauma. Hypnotherapy provides you with access to the subconscious mind in which the patterns are stamped so that you can reprogram or eliminate them.
Positive Suggestion and Reprogramming
Being relaxed, a professional hypnotherapist can provide thoughtful, positive suggestions about your anxiety causes. When socially anxious, the session will involve suggestions about confidence, being comfortable around people, and talking fluently without apprehension. The mind picks up new routines and habits with time, correcting previous patterns of worry and fear.
Benefits of Hypnotherapy for Anxiety
There are certain reasons why individuals opt to use hypnotherapy to eliminate anxiety, among which include
Drug-free relief: Hypnotherapy is done without medication, which is well-suited to individuals who like to steer clear of side effects or addiction.
Longer-lasting outcomes: As hypnotherapy works with the subconscious mind, it has a higher chance of producing deeper and longer-lasting changes compared to shallow practices.
Improved sleep: A majority of people have better sleep patterns following sessions since hypnotherapy has the tendency to quell racing minds and restlessness.
Increased self-awareness: You know why you get anxious through guided sessions, so you take charge.
Stress management: Hypnotherapy may utilize techniques such as deep breathing, visualization, and the skills that you can apply in your life.
What to Expect in a Session
A standard hypnotherapy session begins with a discussion about your worry—why you are worried, how you experience it, and how you want to change it. Next, the hypnotherapist takes you through relaxation exercises to become drowsy or otherwise enter a state of trance. Once you are comfortable enough, the hypnotherapist will add soothing imagery, affirmations, and therapeutic interventions that function to eliminate worry and re-pattern thought patterns.
A standard hypnotherapy session is 45 minutes to an hour, and most people notice improvement after being treated once or twice. The biggest improvements, though, result from a series of sessions and home practice in relaxation techniques.
Is Hypnotherapy Right for You?
Hypnotherapy works for the majority of individuals, ranging from individuals with chronic panic attacks and anxiety to individuals with phobias and social anxiety disorder.
They can also be individuals with stress-induced insomnia.
Yearning for a mind-body solution for emotional healing.
Ready to experiment with a mind-body method that induces change from within.
Just as with any type of therapy, it is always best to be treated by a trained, licensed hypnotherapist who can tailor sessions to meet your individual needs.
Final thoughts
Anxiety can make you feel trapped and powerless – but you don’t have to be a slave to it. Hypnotherapy for anxiety is a gentle yet powerful means to quiet your mind, break free from negative thought patterns, and regain peace and control. Whether your experience has been with regular everyday tension or something more complicated and severe, hypnotherapy in Los Angeles can start you on a new page—connected, calm, and in control.