Hypnosis for Stress: Is It Really Beneficial?

hypnosis for stress

Stress shows up everywhere these days.

It pops up when our boss expects us to do the work of three people. We experience stress when we have conflicts our romantic and family relationships.

We feel stress when we’re undergoing life changes such as moving to a new environment or having to go under the knife for surgery.

And stress keeps increasing in people around the world.

While there are many practices like deep breathing, yoga, and meditation that help relieve stress, sometimes that’s not enough. While it helps the body relax, it’s not always long-lasting.

But lately, therapists and researchers are finding a new technique. It helps reduce stress on a deeper, more subconscious level. This technique? Hypnosis for stress.

Here’s how it works.

Hypnosis for Stress

Hypnotherapists use hypnosis for stress on patients to help them quit smoking and uncover hidden memories from traumatic experiences. But these therapists also find it helps their patients relieve stress and anxiety.

Scientific Evidence on the Impact of Hypnosis for Stress

The American Psychological Association said that hypnosis enables patients to concentrate deeply on particular problems and relieve anxiety.

When patients are in this state the hypnotherapist can guide them to maintain control of their bodies’ responses.

What Happens During Hypnosis?

Unlike its reputation in Hollywood movies, hypnosis doesn’t put the patient in a trance under the control of a hypnotherapist.

The patient doesn’t remain in a dream state controlled by a hypnotist like we saw in the film Alias Grace. And many others like it.

Hypnosis is highly misunderstood. In reality, during hypnosis, a patient’s mind is aroused, focused and aware. Hypnosis serves as a valuable tool to help people manage stress in their lives. It helps them set and achieve goals, and conquer fears.

No one can hypnotize someone without their consent. Real and effective hypnosis is carried out by trained therapists who a client trusts.

How Trained Professionals Can Help

A trained professional can also teach a patient how to hypnotize themselves after several sessions. This is known as self-hypnosis.

Therapists show patients how to use the sound of their own voice and direct their own thoughts to change a negative thought into a positive one.

Two Ways Hypnosis Is Used for Stress Management

Hypnotherapists use hypnosis for managing stress in a couple of ways. At first, the trained professional guides the patient into a deep, relaxed state of mind.

In this state, the patient can release tension, pent-up stress. This relaxed state can prevent and cure health disorders associated with stress.

The second way hypnosis fights stress is by enabling the patient to change the unhealthy behaviors, habits, and problems that lead to stress.

This occurs by transforming unhealthy actions into healthy behaviors. By doing this, the patient reduces the stressful one action at a time.

Learning to Set Boundaries Through Hypnosis

For example, imagine this scenario. Mary acts as a caregiver for an aging mother. Her mother is needy.

Mary has a difficult time setting boundaries with her mother. But with hypnosis, she can set boundaries with her mother or find some help to relieve her to reduce her anxiety level.

Other ways to help is by using hypnosis to help a patient stick to an exercise regimen, work on losing weight, maintain a clean house, improve self-esteem to build confidence.

Or to cut out actions that trigger stress such as dating a toxic individual or maintaining friendships with a toxic friend.

You can also use hypnosis to help individuals cut out behaviors done to cope with stress like excessive drinking, cigarette smoking, overeating or self-medicating.

Depending on the behavior, other methods with hypnosis may be needed. For example, a person struggling with severe alcoholism or drug addiction will benefit from regular 12 step meetings. Or possibly detoxing in a rehabilitation center.

Conditions Therapists Use Hypnosis for Stress:

Here are some reasons why hypnosis for stress is used

  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Setting boundaries
  • Compulsive eating
  • Family pressures
  • Financial pressures
  • Work pressure
  • Self-esteem building
  • Smoking
  • Drug use
  • Excessive drinking binges
  • Conflict resolution
  • Bullying

How Hypnosis Helps the Mind

Our minds tell our body how to feel and respond regardless of the triggers.
There’s always a thought first. For instance, we think of a fear and that message creates a feeling in our bodies.

If we think we’re in danger of being laid off from a job, the thought sends a response to the body and causes worry that creates anxiety. It’s our mind that interprets life situations that lead to stress.

If our mind tells us the situation, that might not have even happened yet is stressful, we feel stressed out. Then our body follows suit.

A hypnotherapist can help patients see the reality of our situations. They can use hypnosis to turn the negative thought into a real thought by focusing on the true evidence.

This helps patients alter the way their minds perceive the situation. As a result, this reality check enables us to feel calm and relaxed and ward off the feeling of stress.

It changes what the mind anticipates and our beliefs of what will occur next can change. Perceiving these truths can help patients relieve anxiety and view circumstances differently leading patients to feel better and lead healthier lives.

Is Hypnosis Different Than Other Relaxation Practices?

Hypnosis is similar to meditation practices in that it requires more concentration and practice to work. Hypnosis does not provide an instant fix.

For hypnosis to be most beneficial it requires a trained professional to administer the treatment. Professionals can interpret the damaging behaviors that need to change in order for a patient to experience a better emotional outcome.

While some patients become aware of certain situations, others must be uncovered through therapy and a professional experience.

A deep-seated behavior or pattern cannot be realized with the practice of yoga, although doing yoga regularly helps people relax. The same is true of certain meditations.

They work as forms of relaxation and can help relieve some stress, but do not work in the same way that can help determine behaviors and then set clear goals in stress management.

Final Words On Hypnosis for Stress

Now you know several ways hypnosis for stress helps patients and individuals. Hypnosis enables people to concentrate on realizing and changing certain behaviors for a happier, healthier way of life.

That’s why hypnosis is the perfect stress buster!

Have a question about hypnosis? Ask Richard, the trained hypnotherapist.

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