Any expierance with hynotherapy?

[bertie]

Anyone had any expierance with hypnotherapy, in particular with referance to anxiety?

Friend of mine is suffering with general anxiety but in particular health anxiety, she is convinced she is going to have some major health issues.

She has no symptoms and to anyone looking in a perfect life, happy marriage, 2 healthy happy kids, financialy secure, etc.... the whole lot.

I have suggested to her hubby that she tries hypnotherapy as I am a great believer in the power of the human mind, she is not convinced but willing to give it a try.

I am certian it works much better if you go into it with the right frame of mind so any anecdotal evidence I can use to help convince her?

[Conian]

friend of mine does it, he's had good results, even with a pretty complex OCD case
my suggestion is that your friend should try it for 1 maybe 2 sessions n see how that goes

many therapists like you to sign up for a full course but is deffo worth talking to them at least.

[Sticks.]

AFAIK it works well for some people, and for some issues. Lack of confidence is one it's useful for I believe.

I'm sure an decent hypnotist would do a her cd so she could repeat the therapy in her own time.

[MikeO996]

Trick is to find someone properly qualified - most will have done a correspondence course, and it does attract those types who like the thought of having someone in a trance in front of them - I've been told some real horror stories. On the other hand I have met GPs who are qualified as hypnotherapists so some are proper professional clinicians. Best I guess to look for some recommendations from personal experience.

Alternatively she could always go to her GP and get referred for a treatment that has an evidence base

[MikeO996]

bertie said:

, she is not convinced but willing to give it a try.

I am certian it works much better if you go into it with the right frame of mind so any anecdotal evidence I can use to help convince her?

Like any placebo it'll only work if she thinks it will so she would probably be wasting her time and money

[daveparry]

I had been a nail biter for 40 years, to the point where my nail beds would bleed and were seriously painfull! I had a 1 hour session and stopped istantly!! Then earlier this year, 2 years after stopping, I had a stressfull 6 month period of unemployment and the nail biting started again in earnest......
I phoned the same lady who helped me last time and she had a cancellation that same afternoon so i went along, this session was very similar to the previous one except it was a last minute thing and i was not feeling great either so it failed....

I will give it another go though!

[bertie]

Interesting cross section of opinions, thanks.

Surely the problem with anything like anxiety is that you can't treat it like some physical condition, it is lieraly all in the mind, so surely all treatments can only be judged anecdotaly rather than by evidence?