Thanks to hypnosis, a person can enter a heightened state of relaxation and focus. This state is similar to daydreaming, meditation, or being absorbed in deep thought. During hypnosis, people are usually more open to suggestions than they are when they’re not hypnotized. A trained hypnotherapist can use techniques such as positive reinforcement and suggestions to help people change their behaviour or overcome challenges.
Because of its nature, Hypnosis has been used to improve mental health by addressing issues such as phobias, anxiety, and depression. It can also help people quit smoking, lose weight and treat pain, among other things.
Read on to find out more about the eight health benefits of hypnosis and how it can help improve your health and wellness, whether it’s a condition you suffer from or a lifestyle factor you’d like to change.
1. Helps With Depression
Feelings of depression can be serious, leaving one with a lack of motivation to get out of bed, perform daily life tasks, and retreat into social isolation. Hypnosis can help with treating not only symptoms of depression, but can also help identify the root cause and work on resolving it.
While in a hypnotic state, people can explore thoughts and feelings they might have hidden from their conscious minds, allowing them to work through whatever is causing their depression.
Moreover, a study shows that people who received cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in conjunction with hypnotherapy, had greater improvement than at least 70% of patients who received non hypnotic treatment only.
2. Reduces Stress and Anxiety
Anxiety can be a debilitating mental health issue, preventing people from leading a normal life. Many people suffer from anxiety across the country. In fact, it’s one of the most common health issues in America.
People can experience anxiety for diverse reasons: an upcoming test, job interview or even dental procedures. Anxiety can manifest in different ways, such as panic attacks, chronic worry, and fearing social situations. Hypnosis can be an effective treatment for anxiety disorders.
While in hypnosis, you will enter a trance-like state of deep relaxation. During this heightened state of awareness, patients are usually instructed to relax and focus on positive images or thoughts while the therapist makes suggestions designed to help them manage their anxiety in a positive way. This helps reduce stress levels, not only at that time, but it can carry on through the day. Negative thoughts and feelings diminish greatly as you breathe more slowly, reducing your blood pressure and leaving you feeling more relaxed.
3. Helps With Quitting Smoking
Smoking is one of the most difficult habits to break. Cigarettes contain nicotine, which is a highly addictive substance. Once someone starts smoking, it can be very difficult to stop. Hypnosis therapy can help people quit by subconsciously changing the way they think about cigarettes.
Instead of seeing them as a source of pleasure or relaxation, hypnotized patients may start to see cigarettes as something that is harmful to their health. This change in perspective can be enough to help people finally kick the habit for good.
Firstly, the individual must want to give up smoking. If they’re not ready, hypnosis won’t work. Once they are ready and willing to make the change, hypnosis can help them overcome any mental barriers that may be holding them back from quitting, such as the fear of withdrawal symptoms or weight gain.
Even after smoking for just a short amount of time, your body can easily develop an addiction to nicotine. Hypnosis can help retrain your brain to not crave cigarettes as much by breaking the mental link between smoking and pleasure. In addition, hypnosis can also help address any underlying emotional issues that may be fueling your smoking habit. With the help of a trained therapist, you can also learn self-hypnosis techniques to keep the cravings at bay.
4. Improves Sleep Quality
Sleep is much needed for correct focus, attention, and learning, yet up to 35 to 45% of adults in the United States suffer from sleep disturbances. Additionally, poor sleep can also lead to many health issues, such as heart disease, chronic fatigue, or obesity.
During hypnosis, a therapist will guide you into a state of deep relaxation where your mind becomes more receptive to positive suggestions. You will then receive hypnotic suggestions for improving your sleep habits, such as avoiding coffee before bed or establishing a regular bedtime routine. These suggestions can help you fall asleep faster and sleep better by inducing deep sleep and relaxation. They can also help you break any unhealthy behaviors that might be causing or worsening your insomnia.
Hypnotherapy can be used to improve sleep quality by teaching you relaxation techniques for your mind and body. Once asleep, hypnosis can also help reduce any racing thoughts that may be keeping you awake. Moreover, hypnosis can also help address any underlying issues that may be causing your sleep problems, such as anxiety or stress.
In a recent study, participants who underwent hypnosis slept better than those who didn’t, and they also reported feeling more rested during the day. Hypnotherapy can be used to help people with insomnia, sleepwalking, sleep apnea, and other sleep disorders.
5. Reduces IBS Symptoms
Stress makes irritable bowel syndrome, known as IBS, worse. Because of the link between reduced stress and hypnosis, those who suffer from IBS can see improvements in their symptoms. Research shows that more than 70% of people with IBS had fewer symptoms when receiving hypnotherapy.
Gut-directed hypnotherapy, or hypnosis delivered specifically to the gut, is a type of hypnotherapy that has shown promise in treating IBS.
In a study, participants who underwent gut-directed hypnotherapy sessions for IBS experienced a reduction in abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and nausea. They also reported an improvement in their quality of life.
Hypnotherapy can also help you address any underlying emotional issues that may be fueling your stress-related IBS symptoms.
6. Helps with Pain Control
Whether it’s chronic pain from an injury or acute pain from surgery, or just the occasional headache, pain can prevent you from enjoying life and new experiences. The use of hypnosis can be particularly helpful in managing pain as it can help you relax and take your mind off of it. It may also work by releasing endorphins, which are natural painkillers produced by the body.
Hypnotherapy, according to research, may be an appropriate and safe alternative to pharmaceutical treatment since it provides clinically meaningful pain relief for most study participants. While more research is needed to confirm these findings, there’s no doubt that hypnosis can be used as an effective tool for pain management. Furthermore, it has the added benefit of being drug-free and having no side effects.
Hypnotherapy can be a real source of relief for people suffering from pain due to conditions such as arthritis, spinal issues, and fibromyalgia.
7. Aids in Weight Management
Obesity is a growing health issue, and hypnosis has been shown to be an effective way to help people manage their weight. In one study, participants who underwent hypnosis lost more weight than those who didn’t, and they were also more likely to keep the weight off in the long-term.
Through positive suggestions, hypnotherapy can help you adopt better eating habits while reducing your appetite for unhealthy foods, snacks, and treats. You may even become inspired to exercise more, avoid overeating and become more in tune with the quality of your food.
8. Lowers Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is a serious condition that can lead to heart attacks, strokes, and other health problems. Hypnosis has been shown to be effective at reducing blood pressure in the short term but also in the middle and long term.
But, how can hypnosis help lower high blood pressure? By inducing relaxation and reducing stress, hypnosis can help to lower blood pressure by decreasing the activity of the sympathetic nervous system. This is the part of the nervous system that controls your fight-or-flight response, and when it’s constantly activated, it can lead to high blood pressure. As a result, blood pressure can be lowered and the risk of developing health problems can be reduced.
Experience the Benefits of Hypnotherapy Through Our Sessions
As we’ve seen, hypnosis benefits range from improving sleep to relieving symptoms of IBS, even weight loss, and lowering blood pressure. The hypnotherapy benefits are numerous, and it can be a practice that’ll help improve day-to-day life. Hypnosis is a natural alternative to medication that can cause dangerous and unwanted side effects.
Healthcare professionals may suggest hypnosis sessions as a form of therapy in conjunction with medical treatment, to help patients experience changes in sensation, perception, thoughts, or behaviors. It is important to look for a hypnotherapist who is properly trained and credentialed. I am a certified hypnotherapist and holistic health practitioner. If you want to change something in your life, I am committed to guiding you toward that end.
If you’re ready to transform your life and reach your wellness goals, then let’s get in touch!