Fighting phobias with hypnotherapy

christmas-shoppingIt’s that time of the year when we brace ourselves for the Christmas shopping rush; the crowds; the last-minute bargains and the panic that we may have forgotten some important gift.

And, after the eventual day of festivities, it starts again with the Boxing Day sales …

Some of us can deal with this, albeit with a certain amount of fear and trepidation. Others suffer from Agoraphobia (a fear of open spaces or crowded public places) and do not cope as well.

Agoraphobia is one of the top 10 phobias suffered by millions in the UK and this time of the year gives rise to lesser known phobias like Cyssanophobia (fear of kissing under the mistletoe) and Selaphobia (fear of flashing Christmas lights).

A phobia is an overwhelming and debilitating fear of an object, place, situation, feeling or animal. Phobias are more pronounced than fears. They develop when a person has an exaggerated or unrealistic sense of danger about a situation or object.

Just recently, Japanese scientists raised hopes for a radical new therapy for phobias and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with a procedure that can dampen down fears linked to painful memories.

While this advance holds particular promise for patients, reports The Guardian, it is an invasive treatment and not yet tested.

But there are tried and tested ways to treat and cure phobias – one being hypnotherapy and the National Council for Hypnotherapy has more than 1,800 trained and qualified therapists across the UK who can do this.

The Guardian reported that the new therapy researchers used a computer algorithm to analyse a patient’s brain activity in real time and pinpoint moments when their fears can be overwritten by giving them a reward.

Volunteers watched another sequence of images flash up but, this time, two colours of circles, for example, red and green, were followed by unpleasant, but tolerable electric shocks. Brain activity and sensors on the skin showed the participants came to fear those images being shown.

The team then found they could reduce anxieties triggered by specific memories without asking people to think about them consciously. The scientists are now investigating how long the fear is dampened down for.

In dealing with phobias, the National Council for Hypnotherapy says: “Generally, the solution is to see that phobia in a different context starting from an objective perspective and then gradually building up exposure from a minimal to comfortable level.

“Using hypnosis this can be done rapidly as the unconscious is able to process information more effectively without the interference of the critical mind. This is a known as desensitisation.”

Often phobias can be treated in just one session of clinical hypnotherapy. There is, however, no guarantee as change depends on the individual’s willingness to embrace it. Most therapists will therefore give the client a realistic expectation of how long treatment may last.

Says the NCH: “Each hypnotherapist may use a slightly different approach to treating phobias depending on whether you know when the phobia first started, how you view it and how receptive you are to change.

“Your hypnotherapist will probably evaluate the level of your phobia and then use a combination of techniques to help you resolve it, gradually building up your confidence and your ability to stay calm when you are confronted with your phobia.”

Phobias are far more common than many people realise and it is estimated that more than 11% of the UK population have some kind of irrational fear.

Generally people manage their phobia on a day-to-day basis but seeking help from a hypnotherapist will stop that phobia from preventing them doing something they want to do, or when they know a situation will force them to face it.

You can access an NCH therapist near you by clicking here. Who knows, that shopping experience might not be so bad after all…