Addressing Some Misconceptions About Hypnotherapy

After speaking about hypnotherapy recently with a few people I know, I realized that many of them didn’t know that hypnosis can be used to manage stress and anxiety.

One person remarked, “What do I need to say to get you to quack like a duck?”

Well, it’s not like that.

Performers have used hypnosis over the years in stage performances, TV, and film to demonstrate the power of hypnosis. Sometimes they have mocked the deep-rooted power of hypnotic persuasion by getting people to cluck like chickens or do something out of the ordinary to make the audience laugh.

But in reality, hypnotherapy can be a handy tool to manage stress and anxiety, which could come into play when managing MS symptoms.

What is hypnotherapy?

According to the U.K.’s National Health Service, “Hypnotherapy uses hypnosis to try to treat conditions or change habits.”

A hypnotherapy session starts by having the patient discuss what’s on their mind. Then they are put into a hypnotic trance to help the mind work through the particular habit or behavior they hope to change.

This may sound scary, but it’s not! The person can wake up from the hypnosis at any time, and after coming out of the hypnotic state, most people wake up feeling refreshed.

How can hypnotherapy help?

My hypnotherapist provides help for people who have anxiety or stress, want to lose weight, have a fear of flying, or want to stop smoking, among others.

As I mentioned before, there are many misconceptions about hypnotherapy. Some believe that therapists may take advantage of the patient during a session, such as by filling their minds with various thoughts and ideas. But when a patient is in a hypnotic trance, they can hear everything being said.

Another misconception is that a person needs to be weak-minded for hypnosis to work.

This isn’t true, as hypnosis can work for most anyone. Those who might struggle with hypnosis often tend to fight against the hypnotherapist in their heads and don’t follow what the hypnotherapist is saying.

Hypnotherapy has helped get me out of a stuck mindset in which nothing felt positive after my recent MS flare.

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