Phobias
Hypnotherapy for phobias in Bristol
There are hundreds of different phobias that people suffer from, from the more well-known ones, such as the fear of spiders, heights, needles and confined spaces, to the more obscure ones, such as the fear of feathers, cotton wool and numbers.
You may have come across this page due to your fear of flying, or perhaps you are frightened of visiting the dentist. It could be that you have claustrophobia or a fear of public speaking. No matter your phobia, hypnotherapy can assist you in altering your perception and thoughts about the feared object or situation, enabling you to react to it more controlled. As a result, you can have a more relaxed experience when faced with the trigger.
You understand how much it can impact your life if you have a phobia. It can prevent you from experiencing happiness and fulfilment and often keep you from pursuing your true desires.
The severity of the reaction to a phobia varies, ranging from mild anxiety and discomfort to a complete loss of control resulting in a panic attack. Coping mechanisms, such as avoidance behaviours, may have been developed, but these can reinforce the fear.
Phobias and the brain
As humans, our brains can learn when something is dangerous. This has been especially useful as we have evolved and encountered new potential hazards like cars. Our brains have learned to be cautious and look both ways before crossing the road to ensure our safety. However, our brains can sometimes incorrectly associate things as dangerous when they are not. The good news is that we also can unlearn these associations, which is where hypnotherapy can be helpful.
The parts of the brain involved in our fear response are the Amygdala and the Hippocampus. The Amygdala triggers the fight or flight response when we perceive a potential threat. The Hippocampus stores our learned reactions to these situations. Our brains rely on these previous patterns of behaviour when faced with similar situations. For example, if you were anxious around spiders the last time you encountered one, your brain will repeat the same reaction. With repetition, hypnotherapy can help you create new patterns of behaviour that promote a sense of calm and control in these situations.
Bristol hypnosis for phobias
During your sessions, we will focus on all aspects of the phobia. We will use evidence-based imaginal exposure and desensitising techniques to reduce the physical symptoms of anxiety, which commonly occur when faced with the object of your fear. We will then look at how you think about the phobia leading up to being in the situation or seeing the object as our thoughts contribute massively to reinforcing the fear. Gaining control over your thoughts will shift your perception of the phobic situation or object and reduce your anxiety. Then, we will work on changing how you respond when you encounter your fear.
You can get relief in only a few therapy sessions if you suffer from specific phobias like spiders, birds, snakes, needles, etc.. However, if you have non-specific phobias such as agoraphobia or high levels of anxiety in general, then you may need to attend more therapy sessions. We can discuss your needs during your first consultation and determine the best action.
Gain Control Over Your Phobias with Hypnotherapy in Bristol
Read Sarah's story on how she overcome her phobia of needles with Hypnotherapy.