More and more celebrities are opening up conversations about mental health and revealing their own personal struggles. And Keira Knightley is the latest star to share her struggle with anxiety.of colette star confessed hollywood reporter that She suffered a debilitating mental breakdown in 2007, resulting in her being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Ms Knightley blamed her poor health on the pressure and attention that comes with fame, adding that the paparazzi were furious at the situation. “It was a lot of money to take pictures of women being dismembered,” Knightley said. hollywood reporter between them award chat A podcast that talks about Britney Spears’ breakdown.
Eventually, her overwhelming anxiety built up and seriously affected her. “When she was 22 she had a mental breakdown and she took a year off and because of that she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder,” she said.
Knightley has found hypnotherapy to be effective in treating her PTSD and panic attacks on the red carpet. “I actually went through hypnotherapy to avoid having a panic attack on the BAFTA red carpet,” she confessed. “The hypnosis worked because I was standing there and I didn’t have a panic attack.”
But what exactly is this treatment and how does it work? Here’s what you need to know.
What is hypnotherapy?
Hypnotherapy differs from traditional talk therapy in that it puts you into a trance state to help you better control your anxiety. According to the Mayo Clinic, hypnotherapy typically involves a therapist repeating certain words or mental images to the patient.
“Hypnotherapy works by building walls around the patient’s central system and developing lenses through which they can see the world in a less threatening light,” explains psychotherapist Dr. Paul Hochmeyer. prevention.
There are several methods of hypnotherapy, but Dr. Hokemeyer believes the method likely to be used nightly is one that involves a combination of deep relaxation and cognitive restructuring.
“By inducing deep states of relaxation through breathing exercises, guided meditation, and yoga exercises, clinicians can access patients’ subconscious minds,” Dr. Hochmeyer explains. For example, meditating allows you to focus on your breathing and helps you relax. You can also see fear and anxiety not as a threat, but as an opportunity to grow and become stronger. “This work will also allow them to reevaluate their own perceptions, correct distortions, and strengthen their agency and resilience,” Dr. Hochmeyer says.
So, does hypnotherapy work?
The effects of hypnotherapy are not immediate. Half the battle is trusting your therapist and being patient with the process. To be truly effective, you need to find the right hypnotherapist to meet your needs.
According to Dr. Hochmeyer, hypnotherapy typically requires at least four sessions or a month of preparatory work with a therapist. Preparation includes finding a therapist you trust, undergoing hypnotherapy, and implementing the changes in your daily life.
Dr. Hochmeyer says hypnotherapy is highly effective in treating emotional stress. That said, this may not be the case for everyone, but fortunately there are many other effective ways to treat anxiety and depression.
Leah Gross is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia. Her work has appeared in numerous international publications, including Glamor, Prevention, Health, VeryWell, Business Insider, and Reader’s Digest. In the rare moments when she’s not assembling words at a keyboard, you can find her chasing her two children and hunting dogs, working in her 100-year-old colonial mansion, or using state-of-the-art equipment and equipment. You can find me trying them all. The products she writes about. She also loves working out and drinking lots of coffee.
