Have anxiety? Hypnosis can help!

Research suggests that hypnosis can help reduce anxiety. A 2019 meta-analysis^[1] found that the average participant receiving hypnosis improved more than about 79% of control participants at the end of treatment. This is a comparison with control participants, not a percentage reduction in symptoms or a treatment success rate. Since nearly 1 in 3 people^[2] will have an anxiety disorder at some point in their life, hypnosis is an important tool for public health.

Anxiety disorder statistics

According to the National Institute of Mental Health^[2], in any given year about 19% of adults in the U.S. will have an anxiety disorder and about 30% will experience an anxiety disorder at some point in their life. So if you have an anxiety disorder, you are in good company, many people you know also have one. Of the adults who have an anxiety disorder, 22.8% of them report that the disorder is seriously harming their ability to function in life. 33.7% say that their impairment is moderate and 43.5% say that they are mildly hampered by their anxiety disorder.

What is an anxiety disorder?

The DSM-5^[3], the manual that therapists use to diagnose mental illnesses, lists 12 different anxiety disorders. The 5 most common of these are Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Panic Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and Social Phobia (Social Anxiety Disorder). While these disorders differ in symptoms, they all have some form of anxiety as their primary complaint.

How do I know if I have some type of anxiety?

People come to know that they have some type of anxiety in many ways. For some people, they have read a book or seen a character in a movie that has one. For others, they are told by their doctor or therapist that they have some form of anxiety. Others take an online quiz, such as this one from Psychology Today^[4], and find out that they may have an issue with anxiety.

Please note that taking an online quiz that says you have anxiety, and having a diagnosis of an anxiety disorder are two different things. Only a licensed mental health professional or doctor can give this diagnosis. This is because much of the ‘diagnosis’ for any mental health issue is in how much it is affecting your day-to-day life.

Can hypnosis help with anxiety?

A 2019 meta-analysis of 17 trials^[1] found that hypnosis reduced anxiety compared with control conditions. The average participant receiving hypnosis improved more than about 79% of control participants at the end of active treatment. The study also found that hypnosis was more effective when combined with other psychological interventions than when used alone. These findings do not establish that hypnosis is more effective than medication or cognitive-behavioral therapy.

At the longest follow-up, seven trials showed that the average participant treated with hypnosis improved more than about 84% of control participants. This is a comparison of outcomes between participants, not an 84% reduction in anxiety symptoms.

With results like this, don’t you owe it to yourself to try hypnosis for your anxiety? Book your session now, or contact us for more information.

References

1. Valentine, K. E., Milling, L. S., Clark, L. J., & Moriarty, C. L. (2019). The efficacy of hypnosis as a treatment for anxiety: A meta-analysis. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 67(3), 336–363.
2. National Institute of Mental Health. Any Anxiety Disorder. Prevalence and impairment estimates based on the National Comorbidity Survey Replication.
3. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).
4. Psychology Today. Anxiety Test. Screening resource; not a diagnostic evaluation.