Rebecca Bates was working in a kitchen two years ago when she felt like she couldn’t do it anymore. The 50-year-old teacher from Lancashire was already suffering from anxiety and depression for which traditional counseling and therapy had failed, eventually leading to a mental breakdown.
“One day my brain just stopped working. I didn’t want to get out of bed and I had suicidal thoughts,” Bates said. “I would have to wait at least six weeks for someone to come back to me and I was in desperate need of help.”
The waiting list for planned treatments in England rose to 7.75 million people in August, a record high, according to data released by the NHS earlier this month.Instead of Bates joined that list, searching online for alternative treatments and turning to hypnotherapy.
“I had maybe three sessions initially and it made a huge difference,” she said. “There were no gimmicks or props like you see on TV. [The therapist] He used his voice to reassure me and ask me to use my mind and imagination. ”
Bates is one of a growing number of people who say they are turning to hypnotherapy to deal with issues ranging from stress, anxiety and depression to pain management and addiction.
Patients are usually put into a trance state by a hypnotherapist, who makes suggestions to help them change their views and habits. Sessions cost between £100 and £500, although some clinics offer self-hypnosis audio recordings for cheap or free.
However, the evidence that hypnotherapy is effective is inconclusive and hypnotherapy is an unregulated profession, so in theory anyone can call themselves a hypnotherapist.
Official NHS guidance warns against using hypnosis if the patient has psychosis or certain types of personality disorders, as it may worsen the condition. We recommend using only hypnotherapists with experience in the medical field who are registered with an organization accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
Ana Maria Toth (left) plans to study whether hypnotherapy can help reduce pain.
Somerset NHS Foundation Trust
Gail Mara, who runs a hypnotherapy clinic in London’s Harley Street and is a member of the Royal Society of Medicine, says in her experience that the number of people inquiring about hypnotherapy treatments is lower than before the coronavirus pandemic. He said the number has more than doubled compared to the previous year.
Mara, 62, said patients were frustrated by long NHS waiting lists. “I have a client who has a severe eating disorder and is told it will take over 18 months to see a specialist,” she said. “I have clients who missed months or even a whole year of school or had to drop out of college due to lack of support.”
Carl Smith, a hypnotherapist who founded the British Academy of Hypnosis to train new practitioners, said he had noticed a 50 per cent increase in inquiries, but warned: There are certainly plenty of weekend warriors who take online courses and call themselves hypnotherapists. You just need to see where they trained. ”
In 2021, a Sunday Times investigation revealed that celebrity therapist Marisa Peer made millions of pounds with a “dangerous” treatment called Rapid Transformation Therapy, which combines hypnosis, psychotherapy and neuro-linguistic programming. It turned out that there was.
Max Kirsten used hypnotherapy to help Ewan McGregor quit smoking
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Max Kirsten is a hypnotherapist I once helped. Star Wars Actor Ewan McGregor also said he saw an increase in patients seeking help after he quit smoking. “We are definitely busier than ever right now,” he said. “Anxiety-related problems and addictions are on the rise.”
Kirsten, 63, said she usually sees patients for one to three sessions at her clinic in Knightsbridge, central London. He believes the disruption caused by the pandemic has exacerbated an existing mental health crisis. “Businesses are struggling. Teens are struggling with life. This is going to add more stress to the stress and anxiety that is already there,” he said.
Some hypnotherapists offer weight loss treatments such as the “virtual gastric band,” which is said to help you feel full with smaller meals.
Jane Boisière, President of the British Society of Clinical and Academic Hypnosis, was a general practitioner until her retirement in 2012. She said: I would like to see people trained in these skills in every department in every hospital.
“If all medical professionals could use hypnosis as a tool in their toolbox, we would no longer need a specific ‘hypnotherapist.”
Some medical professionals have already begun using hypnotherapy. In April, the Royal College of Anesthetists created a series of self-hypnosis audio recordings aimed at helping patients relax before surgery and have a positive mindset about their surgery and recovery.
Rebecca Bates turned to hypnotherapy to deal with anxiety and depression
Karen Clark/5 Little Boys Photography
Meanwhile, clinicians at NHS hospitals in London, Somerset and Manchester are also investigating hypnotherapy as a tool to help patients with irritable bowel syndrome and those struggling to cope emotionally during cancer treatment. ing.
Anna Maria Toth, a clinical nurse researcher with a bachelor’s degree in medical hypnosis, set out to find out whether hypnotherapy could benefit patients undergoing colon surgery at Musgrove Park, Somerset. Hypnopal exams are being conducted at hospitals.
Toth says, “Pain management after surgery can be different for each patient, and we are always looking for ways to control pain. Hypnopal is investigating whether hypnosis can help with pain recovery. This is a feasibility study that will help inform future research.”
Hypnopal’s clinical trial will study 40 patients later this year, and participants will receive the same level of care as before, but with the possibility of adding hypnosis. “At least patients will be able to relax, and we hope this trial will show many other benefits as well,” she said.
Bates, who suffered from severe depression, found hypnotherapy so helpful that she studied it herself. “It’s not magic,” she said. “But I feel much happier, much calmer and more confident.”
