Can hypnotherapy help PTSD? Discover how hypnotherapy may help with anxiety, emotional responses, flashbacks and trauma, and when to seek professional support.
Experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event can have a lasting impact on the way you think, feel and respond to everyday situations. For some people, the effects of trauma can continue long after the event itself has passed, sometimes developing into Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
PTSD can affect many areas of life, with symptoms including intrusive memories, flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety, heightened alertness and distressing thoughts about what happened.
If you’ve experienced trauma and are struggling with its effects, you may be wondering whether hypnotherapy could help.
Hypnotherapy isn’t a magic cure for PTSD, and it isn’t suitable for everyone. However, it can sometimes be used as part of an individual’s therapeutic approach to help with relaxation, anxiety and the emotional responses associated with traumatic experiences.
What Is PTSD?
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder can develop after experiencing or witnessing an event that was traumatic or overwhelming. People can respond to trauma in very different ways. Some recover naturally over time, while others continue to experience distressing symptoms long after the event has happened.
These can include:
- Flashbacks or intrusive memories.
- Distressing dreams or nightmares.
- Anxiety or panic.
- Feeling constantly on edge or alert.
- Avoiding reminders of what happened.
- Difficulty relaxing.
- Changes in mood or emotional responses.
- Unwanted thoughts about the traumatic experience.
For some people, these symptoms can have a significant impact on relationships, work, sleep and everyday life.
Why Can Trauma Continue to Affect Us?
When something frightening or overwhelming happens, the mind and body respond by trying to protect us. Sometimes, however, the emotional response associated with an experience can remain long after the original danger has passed. This can mean that something in the present—such as a sound, smell, place, situation or thought—triggers a response connected to what happened in the past. The reaction can feel automatic.
You may understand logically that you’re safe, while another part of you continues to respond as though the danger is still present. This is one of the reasons trauma can feel so difficult to simply “think your way out of”.
What Is Hypnotherapy?
Hypnotherapy uses guided relaxation and focused attention to help you enter a state of hypnosis.
Hypnosis is a natural state of focused awareness that most people experience from time to time. You may recognise it as becoming deeply absorbed in a book or film, daydreaming or travelling a familiar route without consciously remembering every part of the journey.
During hypnotherapy, this state of focused attention is used deliberately as part of a therapeutic process. Rather than being asleep or unconscious, you remain aware and can hear your therapist throughout the session. The approach used will depend on your individual circumstances, your therapist’s training and experience and what you want to achieve from therapy.
How Can Hypnotherapy Help With PTSD?
Hypnotherapy may be used in a number of ways when working with trauma-related difficulties.
Helping You Feel More Relaxed
Trauma can leave the nervous system feeling as though it needs to remain constantly alert. Learning how to relax can therefore be an important part of recovery.
Hypnotherapy can provide an opportunity to slow down, focus your attention and experience a greater sense of calm. Relaxation techniques can also give you useful skills that you can continue to use outside therapy.
Changing Emotional Responses
Sometimes a traumatic experience can become associated with particular thoughts, situations or reminders. Hypnotherapy can be used to help explore and change some of the emotional responses associated with these triggers.
The aim isn’t to erase what happened or pretend that the experience wasn’t important. Instead, therapy can help you develop a different response to memories and reminders of the past.
Reducing Anxiety
Anxiety is a common feature of PTSD. Hypnotherapy can incorporate relaxation, visualisation and therapeutic techniques designed to help you feel calmer and more in control. For some people, developing a greater sense of safety in the present can be an important part of moving forwards.
Working With Flashbacks and Nightmares
Flashbacks and nightmares can be particularly distressing symptoms of PTSD. Depending on the individual and the approach being used, therapeutic techniques may help reduce the emotional intensity associated with traumatic memories or develop a different response to distressing thoughts and dreams. This work should always be approached carefully and at a pace that feels appropriate for the individual.
Developing a Greater Sense of Safety
After trauma, it can sometimes feel as though the world is no longer a safe place. Hypnotherapy can incorporate positive visualisation and suggestions designed to reinforce a sense of safety, confidence and control in the present.
The focus can gradually move away from constantly anticipating danger and towards recognising that the traumatic event is in the past and that life is continuing in the present.
Does Hypnotherapy Involve Talking About the Trauma?
Not necessarily. There are different approaches to hypnotherapy and trauma work. Some therapeutic approaches involve exploring the experience and understanding how it continues to affect you.
Other approaches can be more focused on the present and future, working with the emotional response rather than requiring you to repeatedly describe the traumatic event in detail. For some people, this can be helpful because repeatedly talking about a traumatic experience isn’t necessarily what they need in order to move forwards.
The most appropriate approach will depend on the individual, their circumstances and the therapist’s training and experience.
The Rewind Technique and Trauma
The Rewind Technique is another therapeutic approach that can be used when working with trauma, PTSD and phobias. It is designed to reduce the emotional response associated with a distressing memory without requiring the person to repeatedly describe every detail of the experience.
The technique involves guided relaxation and visualisation and can sometimes be incorporated into an integrated therapeutic approach.
If you’d like to understand more about this approach, my article The Rewind Technique: How It Can Help With Trauma, PTSD and Phobias explains the process in more detail.
Is Hypnotherapy a Treatment for PTSD?
It’s important to be clear that hypnotherapy should not be presented as a guaranteed cure for PTSD. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a complex condition and people can respond very differently to treatment. Evidence for hypnotherapy specifically as a treatment for PTSD is still developing and established trauma-focused treatments may be more appropriate for some people.
If you think you may have PTSD, particularly if your symptoms are severe, persistent or significantly affecting your everyday life, it is important to speak to your GP or an appropriately qualified healthcare professional. They can help you understand your symptoms and discuss the most appropriate treatment options.
Can Hypnotherapy Be Used Alongside Other Therapy?
In some circumstances, hypnotherapy may form part of an integrated therapeutic approach alongside other forms of psychological support. Therapy doesn’t have to follow a one-size-fits-all approach.
Depending on your circumstances, an integrated approach may incorporate techniques from hypnotherapy, talking therapies, CBT, NLP, mindfulness or other therapeutic approaches.
The important thing is that the approach is appropriate for you and that any treatment is carried out safely and professionally.
Moving Forward After Trauma
Experiencing trauma can change the way you feel about yourself, other people and the world around you. However, the fact that you continue to experience a strong response doesn’t mean that you have to feel this way forever. With appropriate support, it is possible to develop a greater understanding of your responses, reduce anxiety and begin to feel safer and more in control in the present.
Hypnotherapy may be one option worth exploring, depending on your individual circumstances.
If you’re experiencing symptoms that you believe may be related to PTSD, it’s important to seek appropriate professional advice before beginning therapy. If hypnotherapy is considered suitable for you, it can then be explored as part of a safe, individualised approach to helping you move forwards.
