How Can Hypnotherapy Help With Panic and Anxiety Symptoms?

Research has shown that hypnotherapy can help relieve stress, fear, and anxiety. It can also be used to help in coping with the symptoms of panic disorder.  While under hypnosis, a person with panic disorder may be guided to bring attention to coping with specific symptoms and overcoming limiting behaviors.

For example, once Stacy has helped the client become relaxed, she may ask the person to focus on their panic attacks. The person will bring awareness to the physical sensations, emotions, and cognitions associated with their attacks, such as chest pain, shaking, and fear. Then Stacy will use calming words of encouragement, like “You feel safe despite your discomfort” or “You are in control of your anxiety.” Stacy may also suggest ways to cope with these feelings, such as “Taking deep breaths during your panic attacks makes you feel calmer.” She also creates anchors and blocks to negative triggers while in hypnosis, another very effective technique Stacy utilizes.

Hypnotherapy can also be an effective tool for agoraphobia, a common condition for people with panic disorder. Agoraphobia involves a fear of having panic attacks under restrictive circumstances, including crowds or while driving. Hypnotherapy can allow a person to learn how to remain relaxed while facing these fears. The hypnotist can help the person focus on getting past their phobias and suggest ways to remain relaxed when in feared environments.

Hypnotherapy can help a person with panic disorder improve negative thinking, and manage troublesome symptoms. Additionally, hypnotherapy can be effective with many common co-occurring symptoms, including headaches and migraines, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Getting Treated With Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy can be performed by a certified hypnotist or qualified mental health professional who has trained in this approach. Stacy completed her extensive studies through Hypnosis Motivation Institute - HMI garners the distinction of being the nation’s first accredited College of Hypnotherapy by an accredited agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (ACCET and DEAC). The program includes a residency of practical experience under the supervision of staff instructors at the top of their fields.

The overall hypnotherapy experience can vary from person to person. Many people have reservations about hypnotherapy, fearing that they will lose control of their thoughts and actions. These concerns are understandable considering how often hypnotherapy has been shown in the media as a way to make people behave in wild and silly ways. Despite these humorous connotations, hypnotherapy cannot make you act against your will. Rather, hypnotherapy helps build self-awareness and overcome unwanted behaviors.

In fact, often sessions will involve helping the client learn self-hypnosis, which allows the client to use these techniques on their own in an ongoing way. Stacy empowers her client’s with the tools they can use for life-long balance and wellness.

Hypnotherapy may not be suitable for everyone. People's ability to use hypnosis may vary. Individuals with certain mental health conditions such as some instances of dissociative disorders, active substance abuse, and psychotic disorders are out of scope and may not do well with hypnosis. Your medical doctor can also advise you about including hypnotherapy in your treatment plan for panic or similar disorders. Stacy can provide you with a medical referral form.