Feeling Worse After Hypnotherapy? Here's Why You May Be Feeling Emotional - Rewire The Mind - Online Therapy Courses, Coaching & Hypnosis

Feeling Worse After Hypnotherapy? Here’s Why You May Be Feeling Emotional

If you are feeling worse after hypnotherapy and can’t understand why then hopefully we can explain what might be going on and why. Whilst many hypnotherapy treatments are safe many people might experience an emotional response during their sessions. For the most part, this is unlikely to be the fault of the hypnotherapist but has everything to do with the subject matter of the hypnotherapy session and the feelings you may have about the whole process.

In this blog post, we want to explain to you the common reasons why you may be feeling worse after hypnotherapy as understanding what is going on can help to alter uncomfortable feelings.

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People Who See Hypnotherapists Have Problems

Firstly let’s look at the very first obvious issue as to why there is sometimes a problem with emotions because of hypnosis. The reality is that people come to see therapists and hypnotherapists because they have problems that need to be fixed. For the vast majority of the time, therapists are not seeing happy, relaxed and calm people but are seeing people with mental health problems such as anxiety or depression as well as sleep disorders, confidence issues, addictions and stress.

That means that when many clients arrive for their hypnotherapy sessions their negative thoughts and feelings are already near to the surface and ready to bubble over. Hypnosis whilst generally a relaxed state can help you to let down your guard and before you know it all those feelings can come tumbling out and there is nothing your hypnotherapist can do about it.

This can leave the client feeling overwhelmed, embarrassed or feeling as if the therapist was responsible for the emotional release when usually at this stage they have actually done very little. Feeling worse after hypnotherapy, in this case, isn’t because of the hypnosis itself but because sometimes the emotions have to be let go of before the healing can begin.

Can Hypnosis Cause Anxiety? – The Fear Factor

Now let’s address the issue as to whether hypnosis can cause anxiety. Well, our belief is no it can’t actually cause anxiety but that doesn’t mean you won’t feel anxious so let me explain.

Most underlying anxieties are created in childhood and are the result of problems, embarrassments or traumas that we experience as we are growing up. The subconscious learns to remember that moment in your brain and triggers anxiety any time you get close to that problem occurring again. The underlying anxiety could be anything from having a fear of being out of control to a fear of embarrassing yourself in public.

Now imagine this person years later books clinical hypnosis sessions to deal with these feelings. They might not be aware of what the underlying issues are but they know that in certain situations they feel anxious or afraid.

The hypnotherapist launches into their hypnosis without putting their client at ease and the next thing that happens is that the person in the hypnosis chair feels all the uncomfortable feelings getting stronger. They might feel that they are going to lose control during the session or that they will say something embarrassing and they start to have a panic attack as their underlying emotions take over.

In most cases, the fear or anxiety is caused by one simple problem and that is the hypnotherapist hasn’t taken the time to fully make their client comfortable with their hypnosis treatment. When a client is fully informed of their about their sessions and feels supported and understood much of the fear factor disappears and the client tends to be in a much more relaxed state of mind. Their underlying anxiety is still there but it is less easily triggered when they are not placed in a situation that makes them worried.

For more information about hypnosis sessions and how the process should work, you can read The Beginners Guide to Hypnosis by Rory Z Fulcher.

Hypnosis and a Feeling of No Control

For people who may not be aware of the limitations of hypnosis and how it works the notion of a hypnotherapist being a mythical mind controller is still very strong. Films, TV and the media portray hypnotists as people who control your brain and mess with your emotions.

Clients who attend sessions with this core belief system are naturally going to feel more nervous and worried about hypnosis especially if it is their first session. Therapists who don’t address this problem right from the beginning are likely to find that their clients are going to start feeling nervous even before they go into trance.

By the time a client is being told to close their eyes their imagination may be running riot which leaves them feeling as if something bad could happen at any moment during the session. No wonder some clients are left feeling worse after hypnotherapy.

A simple pre-talk by your hypnotherapist can go a long way to making you feel more comfortable and in control during your therapy sessions.

How You May Feel Whilst In Hypnosis

So far I’ve discussed how you may feel before a session begins now lets talk about why people start to feel emotional or overwhelmed whilst they are in hypnosis.

A trance state can feel scary for many people especially when there can be side effects or symptoms that you might get from the hypnosis itself. It isn’t unusual for many of our clients to feel slightly dizzy or disorientated during a trance especially when uncomfortable feelings are being discussed. You may also feel as if you can’t move because of the deep relaxation which can create worries. Plus your eyes can start to more rapidly or you may get a sensation of swaying. Without the reassurance of a good therapist that can make you feel as if something is going wrong with your treatment when it isn’t.

None of these issues can actively hurt you but feeling sensations in your body that you are not used to can trigger fear or anxiety if you aren’t expecting them.

Crying During Hypnosis – Memories Of Problem Can Be Upsetting

Whilst some hypnotherapists only use simple suggestion hypnosis others may go further to attempt to address your problem. This work tends to look at the underlying issues for problems such as anxiety, depression or sleeping issues.

Whilst a well-qualified therapist certainly won’t want their clients to relive major traumas that isn’t to say that minor traumas or problems won’t cause you stress or upset. When negative memories are triggered it isn’t unusual for a client to cry during their hypnosis session. Being overcome with feelings even for small incidents is perfectly normal.

Remember that hypnosis is not some magic bullet that will instantly make you feel better. Rather it is a process that takes time and helps you to understand and overcome your problems.

Discovering Underlying Causes of Problems Can Be Emotional

Discovering the root causes of a behaviour of an issue is used in the treatment of a problem to help you rationalise and get a deeper understanding of your symptoms. That isn’t to say that what you may find when undergoing therapy may not be problematic.

When we have helped people to gain awareness of their underlying problems they are starting a journey to understand themselves. Sometimes the answer that they find isn’t always what they want to hear which can leave them feeling worse after hypnotherapy.

We have helped people understand that their weight problems started as a way of comforting themselves when their parents divorced. Or that they are feeling anxious because their mind still has a fear from when they were bullied at school.

These examples may not be pleasant to know initially but in practice taking time to understand a problem can help people take back control over their feelings in the present. The truth can set you free but don’t expect everything to happen immediately.

Feeling Worse After Hypnotherapy? – It Takes Time to Process Emotions

If you are feeling worse or emotional after hypnotherapy it’s also important to remember that it takes time to process emotions and stuff from your past as well as the present. The idea that a hypnotist can magic everything away is not the case and things can be very different in practice.

A hypnotherapist can offer you support whilst you are processing uncomfortable feelings and find ways to help you heal so that eventually you feel better and turn a corner. In most cases, hypnosis is still a relatively rapid form of therapy but it isn’t instantaneous for everyone especially in complex cases.

Try not to dismiss hypnosis just because you have experienced strong feelings. Remember that hypnosis can still help you to achieve your goals but sometimes you have to have some patience.

Anxiety After Hypnosis and Choosing the Wrong Therapist

Finally, of course, anxiety after hypnosis can just be caused by choosing the wrong therapist. The reality is that in some countries hypnosis is not regulated and that some therapists have little in the way of qualifications which is of course not helpful especially when they have to deal with complex mental health issues.

Choosing a good hypnotherapist with considerable experience and suitable qualifications can go a long way to preventing any services you receive from making you feel worse rather than better.

Being a member of a professional organisation is a start but before booking a therapist take the time to ask questions to find out more about what qualifies them to help you with your problem. Are they are a specialist in your area? How long have they studied for? Did they just study online or was the course they passed one involving comprehensive study with real people? Are they a new student fresh out of college or have they been practising for years?

Asking the right questions from the very start of the process can help you to prevent you from experiencing problems in the longer term.

Feeling worse after hypnotherapy isn’t inevitable of course but it is possible. Choosing a well-qualified hypnotherapist from the start who helps to educate you and lessen your fears can go a long way to lessening any uncomfortable feelings. Remember that much as we would love to remove all discomfort from therapy we can’t but we can try and limit it where possible.