Hypnotherapy

[ItsNotAPorkChop]

I was watching Embarrassing Bodies not so long ago and there was a woman on there with IBS, which I have. She was complaining of it stopping her from doing things and was suggested to go to hypotherapy sessions where she learned to control her stomach rather than letting her stomach control her. Now I thought this could be a good idea with me as a big part of my SA is that it really effects my stomach, rather nastily. I think its also worse with me as I have IBS. So I thought having hypnotherapy would be a good idea, I could learn to control my stomach rather than letting it take over my life, and with this I could then learn to control my SA.

I just wanted to know if anyone here has had hypnotherapy and if it has been any good? Please share your experiences.

I also don't really know how to go about getting it, anyone know? Thanks

[Mortigantoj]

I've got a pocket-watch, if that helps :rolleyes:

(sorry I'm useless, I know!)

[Heidi Wheeler]

I think thats a fab idea and even better, if you manage to find a hypnotherapist who is also qualified in nutrition you're on to a good start.
You can find a list of therapists in pages like
http://www.the-cma.org.uk/newFindPractitioner.aspx
http://www.freeindex.co.uk/

Let us know how you get on?

[G-1]

Haven't had it myself but know two people who have and it didn't work for either of them.... one was trying to quit smoking and the other I don't recall why they had it. Both seemed very angry that they'd wasted money on it and felt duped. The smoker went to a fairly popular guy in London, so I don't think it's just that the practitioner was no good.

[Heidi Wheeler]

Friend of mine also saw a hypnotherapist for giving up smoking. She managed to keep smoke free for a year but is now smoking occasionally... So it doesnt work 100% ..
Still I think worth a shot as long as you find someone who you find easy to talk to and who specialises in SA and IBS. Maybe contact few of them and find more info before booking your first session.

[G-1]

I certainly wouldn't have hypnotherapy for SA, I didn't realise that that's why you were seeking it. I think that's a very dangerous route to go down for many reasons, not least of which that it would not be NHS funded, but it would be possible to feel reliant on pursuing the course of treatment that the hypnotherapist would suggest, and paying for it privately it could run into costing thousands of pounds. There is no scientific proof whatsoever that it works for treating SA as far as I know. Much better to stick with proven therapies in my opinion..... CBT/exposure therapy, etc.

[hardy]

I wouldnt waste my money . Many people on this site have tried it. and in over 5 years i've never seen anyone claim that it gave them anything better than temporary boost . Nothing long lasting.

[ItsNotAPorkChop]

Thanks for the replies guys. Yeah I agree I don't think it would be good to rely on for getting rid of SA. I was more thinking of it for helping my IBS as there is no cure for it. The girl on the programme said it worked for her and she felt so much better after it, more in control. I wouldn't want to pay for it though as I've heard it expensive. I'd go to my doctor about it but I'd feel a bit rude asking for it, I should surely be offered the treatment. :/

[Hopper]

I had 5 sessions just over 2 years cost me something like £150 for the lot.

Still not sure if i was actually hypnotised or not and didnt really do anything for me.

[Toxic]

i had something like this once when i was 17-18 it was meant to help with my stress because i got loads of stress headaches (like the top of my head was on fire) and ..well..yeah it was useless

she was trying to tell me to relax and put me in this weird trance thing while telling me to imagine things..i remember like...everything and how she thought i was apparently "under" when i was just answering her questions clearly

it did toss all, i thought she was a nut job actually...i did not go back!

[KarateGirl]

Originally Posted by VinceMasuka

For something that isn't likely to be more effective than something that is free on the NHS and may not even work at all, I don't think I would try.

This. It's funny, my dad swears by hypnotherapy for his depression though he's also taking medication which IMO is more likely the reason he's getting better. And my mum tried it for her permanent cough but it did nothing, at the start the hypnotherapist promised it would definitely help or she would get the money back...and she got her money back.

So both my parents want me to try it but neither of them are scientifically-minded and tbh even if it does work for some people I imagine it's a combination of placebo and the effect of opening up and talking to someone and relaxing which is what counselling, meditation etc does anyway. I'm not gonna waste my time.

[KarateGirl]

Originally Posted by Toxic

she was trying to tell me to relax and put me in this weird trance thing while telling me to imagine things..i remember like...everything and how she thought i was apparently "under" when i was just answering her questions clearly

oh and I wanted to mention, I've found this to be the case too with hypnotherapists or some other alternative medicine therapists. I'm sure they convince themselves more than the patients!!

a bit-related example, when I tried to go for counselling recently she asked me if I love my parents. Well I do but i don't express my feelings well and anyway have a lot of issues surrounding my family, so I just mumbled something. And instantly that set her off on a whole lecture at me "you're numbed, you can't feel anything and your emotions are being suppressed it's not good for you" for a while. Like, no, I just don't wanna tell you, get over it!

My Dad was a smoker for over 40 years and couldn't last a couple of hours without a cigarette. He had a few sessions of hypnotherapy and hasn't smoked for years now. So there are some success stories.

Originally Posted by silver-lining

They had an offer for hypnotherapy for anxiety on groupon today. The small print said something like "efficacy depends on effort of client". The weight loss one said "to be used in conjunction with diet and exercise". Nice get out clauses.

Any therapy, drug or technique used for dealing with anxiety is dependent on the effort of the client, I don't think this is any reflection on hypnotherapy.

I have never had hypnotherapy myself but I am quite interested in it.

[Ajax Amsterdam]

I'm no expert on hypnotherapy, but I have had it in the past. A few people have mentioned being scared of ''being out of control'' but I never found it like that. I never felt 'under' or out of control in any way at all. Well not in any trance-like 'weird' state anyway. It's just a deep sense of relaxation.

I had it years ago in Liverpool's version of Harley Street. I've still got the taped session somewhere in my room. I had it for anxiety, and I came out feeling nice and relaxed, but it had no real effect on my SA, a problem I've had since my earliest memories.

To me, most things are worth trying. We never really know what may help us until we try, also an holistic approach is a good one I feel. Working through SA usually means approaching it from different angles, thinking differently and making changes in lifestyle. So anything that helps is valuable. Is it a 'cure' for SA, well, no, it certainly is not that.

I've also used a lot of self-hypnosis tapes and cd's, and yes, as far as helping to relax me and clear my mind, they 'work', but as any kind of cure, no. I've got a couple of Paul McKenna cd's, one working on confidence. A useful and in some way helpful thing to do? Yes. A cure? no.

From what I have read and heard, hypnotherapy can be great for 'simple' phobias such as fear of spiders, flying and things like that, but SA is a far more complex phobia, and from what I gather, hypnotherapy is less effective when dealing with complex phobias.

Also, with things like hypnotherapy I think there may be a tendency to expect it to do all the hard work for us. Like it's some kind of mystic magic and after a session or two we should be a totally different person. So I think many have massively unrealistic expectations of what hypnotherapy can do for them.

If we look at it as something that may be part of our recovery plan, not the entire thing, I think it could be beneficial to one extent or another. It's worth a try in order to see if it helps even a fraction. One thing I would go out on a limb on and say is that, to me at least, hypnotherapy is definitely not the magic bullet when it comes to SA. If I believed it was, I'd take out a bank loan this afternoon and use it to retrain in hypnotherapy and then offer it to as many SA sufferers as possible.

It was funny when I had hypnotherapy. You know how many of us think that being hypnotised is like becoming some kind of zombie that can be controlled. Well I was very relaxed but I did keep getting thoughts that I wasn't 'under'. But as the therapist was easing me into the session he said how the index finger on one hand would rise up and stay there. Both my hands were palms down, flat on the arms of the chair. Anyway, at no point did I feel my finger rise, and I was convinced it hadn't done ... but come the end of the session, there was my finger standing to attention. So 'being under' felt like no more than simply feeling nice and relaxed.

Anyway, my thoughts are that if you really want to go in hard on your SA, primarily go for things such as CBT, ACT and counselling. But hitting it from other angles such as hypnotherapy may also assist, so it's worth a try if you have the inclination and the money to do so.

[sillybilly]

Hi guys, I have just had my first session of hypnotherapy and am impressed. The whole session lasted about 90 minutes and the guy I go to thinks I need 2 or 3 in total. Fine with me! I was genuinely surprised how relaxed he got me as I normally am under pressure all the time and my mind keeps wandering off. I was in control of my body and mind all the time, but I do not remember much of what he said while I was in this deep state of relaxation. I do remember some things, but he was talking for about 30 mins and you can say a lot in that time.

A day after the session I began to feel very tired - my body is tired - because all the tension, worry and anxiety has come off me. I am certianly not cured but I feel so much better and time will tell if this is permanent. I have another session ahead of me and the first session to listen to on tape. Already now I cannot recommed the guy I go to highly enough. I have noted changes in my thinking, so I guess he managed to feed my subconscious mind with more positive data. I will see how the 2nd and 3rd session goes - I will def. attend even though it is a bit expensive.