Easily, one of the most controversial subjects around is that of hypnosis. Some will consider hypnotists nothing but swindlers and quacks, while deriding those who are willing to pay for hypnosis to try and reduce their problems. Regardless of your opinions as they stand right now, it is probably worth taking a look at some techniques to make use of hypnosis for anxiety. The mind is a very powerful thing, and getting a way to control your mind a bit is useful, even if some think it’s a placebo effect. Is it safe and worth it for everyone? Maybe, or maybe not. But… for people who have made good use of hypnosis, or even self-hypnosis, many would likely say that it’s been worth quite a bit. Imagine being able to improve focus, reduce anxiety issues (I’ve heard quite a few people have done well dealing with social anxiety after a couple sessions of hypnosis) and improve your overall “mental outlook” on things with just a little bit of “quackery”.
(note- photo credit: winnond)
The downside to hypnosis for a lot of people, aside from the idea that it doesn’t work, is that many people aren’t interested in being at the mercy of others and their suggestions. Even for someone who comes highly recommended, you’re still trusting a hypnotherapist not to make suggestions that wouldn’t be in your best interest. You could look at the idea of having someone else in the room with you, but that may not always work out well either for a number of reasons. Because of this, the idea of self-hypnosis is more appealing to a lot of people.
Check this out from The Desert Star Weekly:
How and why does self-hypnotism work? You have a conscious mind that psychologists have determined seems to have only the ability to consider from seven to nine subjects at a time. (Actually, the conscious mind focuses only on one subject at a time; the seeming multiplicity of seven to nine items is apparent only because of the conscious brain’s ability to shift from one subject to another in fractions of a second).
Every human also has a subconscious mind consisting of brain and nerve circuitry made up of billions of cells constantly recording and giving instructions to and from tens of thousands of inputs and body needs. This brain and nervous system circuitry also contains the long-term memory filled with the individual beliefs and behavioral habits accumulated during your lifetime.
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Self-Hypnotism is related to hypnotism but does not involve accepting suggestions from others. Self-Hypnotism does not open yourself to that kind of intimate contact with others. Self-hypnotism is a very special relaxed internal state in which you can actually change your memories and knowledge of yourself into desired beliefs.
The idea of being able to alter some perceptions and memories seems a little out there for some, but it may be worth taking a look at as part of an overall approach to handling anxiety symptoms. This definitely needs to be made clear that getting counseling and making sure your counselor think this is a good idea should come first before getting started with this.
For anyone who is interested, a book that looks to get good reviews and comes pretty cheap on Amazon is Instant Self Hypnosis: How to Hypnotize Yourself With Your Eyes Open. Beware though, that I’ve not picked it up thought it’s on the wishlist to check out. Proceed with caution, and be sure you’re making a valuable purchase.
If anyone else has a perspective on hypnosis for anxiety, take a moment to drop a comment or hit the like or +1 buttons if you don’t mind. Hope everyone is doing well and that the post is helpful to people. Also, please be sure to pay a visit to Desert Star Weekly and read the whole article for more info.
