Hypnosis for Agoraphobia: How Can Hypnosis Help?
Have you heard of the term “agoraphobia”? If you are like most people, probably you don’t know what that means. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, almost 1 out of 100 Americans suffer from agoraphobia. Even if you don’t know what agoraphobia is, probably you’ve heard from a friend or a family member that they are not comfortable being in public places or traveling with public transportation. These two are just a few symptoms of agoraphobia and cases are increasing with the spread of COVID-19.
While agoraphobia can be a debilitating condition, there are various forms of treatment available. One positively helpful technique is hypnosis, a natural and non-invasive technique that has been shown to be effective in helping individuals overcome their fears and live more fulfilling lives.
What is Agoraphobia?
Agoraphobia is the fear of being in public places due to emotions such as feeling trapped, scared, or embarrassed leading to panic. It’s a type of anxiety disorder and can cause a panic attack or can appear as a result of a panic attack as well. The National Institute of Mental Health also suggests that agoraphobia leads to avoidance behaviors such as traveling by car, being alone in a crowded area, or even leaving home.
Sounds intimidating, right? On top of these, if someone around you had agoraphobia, most likely it would be hardly noticeable to you since they are also usually not comfortable sharing their difficulties with others. With all the symptoms and avoidance behaviors combined with anxiety, it is extremely hard to live with agoraphobia.
According to Healthline.com, although the direct cause of agoraphobia is not known, some triggers can be listed as a history of abuse, depression, or other anxiety disorders. Since agoraphobia is a type of anxiety disorder, we can confidently say that anxiety is a significant contributor to its severity of it. Agoraphobia usually starts during early adulthood with a negative association created in the subconscious mind due to anxiety. For example, feeling panic in a concert or feeling uncomfortable on a flight can trigger anxiety and with the repetition of similar symptoms, agoraphobia is created.
Since agoraphobia is a type of anxiety disorder, we can confidently say that anxiety is a significant contributor to the severity of it.
How can hypnosis help with Agoraphobia?
The most widely known and accepted treatments for agoraphobia are CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), exposure therapy, and psychotherapy. However, according to many resources, hypnotherapy offers great support and relief for agoraphobia as well.
Hypnosis is a natural state of consciousness in which a person is relaxed, focused, and receptive to suggestion. During a hypnosis session, your certified hypnotherapist will guide you into a hypnotic state using relaxation techniques, guided imagery, and positive suggestions. In this state, the client's subconscious mind is more open to suggestions, making it easier for them to accept positive changes and overcome negative patterns of thought and behavior.
Hypnosis helps eliminate the resistance
A research article by David Kraft in the Journal of Contemporary Hypnosis and Integrative Therapy suggests that agoraphobia patients are usually very resistant to clinical help. Often, they may be extremely attached to the helper, they may not show up for the therapy or they may be resistant to seeking help altogether. Hypnosis can help to eliminate the resistance towards acknowledging the problem and getting better.
During hypnosis, there are a variety of ways to reach and communicate with the subconscious mind. The most known ones are imagery journeys, suggestions, and indirect metaphors. These techniques provide hypnotherapists the option to be direct or indirect with the individual according to the person’s needs. For example, if an agoraphobia sufferer is resistant to change and letting go, a hypnotherapist can use indirect approaches to help with the symptoms of agoraphobia.
Identify and Address Underlying Causes of Agoraphobia
Agoraphobia is often the result of past traumas, negative experiences, or learned behavior patterns. Through hypnosis, you can identify and address the root causes of agoraphobia. By understanding the underlying factors that contribute to anxiety, you can begin to develop strategies for overcoming fears.
Hypnosis helps eliminate the symptoms
Symptoms are just the surface-level signs of a problem. They may seem small and insignificant at first, however, with the reappearance of the same events, they can disturb everyday life significantly and take a toll on the person’s level of confidence. Individuals who suffer from agoraphobia usually have symptoms such as shaking, fear of losing control, panic, hyperventilation, or even abdominal pain.
Hypnosis usually helps with eliminating these symptoms so the person can feel more in control of the situation. Hypnosis is known to be a naturally calm and relaxed state. During a hypnotherapy session, with the help of hypnosis, hypnotic anchors, or breathing techniques, individuals learn how to be calm during the onset of a triggering event. This self-created calmness helps them build confidence and eventually be comfortable in crowded environments as well.
Reframe negative thought patterns with hypnosis
Agoraphobia is often associated with negative thought patterns such as fear, anxiety, and panic. Hypnosis can help reframe these negative thoughts and replace them with positive, empowering beliefs. By changing the way you think about fears, you can begin to see them in a different light and develop a more positive outlook on life.
Hypnosis helps control panic
Panic and anxiety are two accompanying feelings when an agoraphobic sufferer feels confined, trapped, or can’t escape. Of course, these two feelings make everything seem worse than it actually is. By controlling the panic feeling, it is possible to control agoraphobia as well.
A possible way to control arising anxiety can be a few hypnotic interventions such as hypnotic desensitization and hypnotic anchor techniques. According to a study published in the National Library of Medicine, hypnosis can help eliminate the symptoms of panic and agoraphobia. During the hypnotic desensitization process, individuals go over the triggering situations in their minds until they are comfortable with them. This allows them to build up confidence and have lower levels of anxiety. Additionally, with a hypnotic anchor, the person can remember that they can choose to be calm rather than anxious. They can also use the hypnotic anchor to bring themselves back to calmness.
Hypnosis helps increase confidence
As the article Counteracting resistance in agoraphobia using hypnosis confirms, agoraphobia patients usually have low self-esteem and low confidence. Perhaps, this is caused by continued panic and uncomfortable experiences acquired from being out in the public or in social environments. However, in the end, low confidence contributes to the worsening of agoraphobia as well.
Confidence and self-esteem are highly associated with how we perceive ourselves subconsciously. Hypnosis helps individuals to recognize their own value and strength on a deeper level, subconsciously, so that their confidence can reflect their actions and emotions as well.
Final words…
Agoraphobia is one of the worst phobias to live with since it intervenes with daily life significantly. Severe agoraphobia cases may prohibit individuals from driving altogether or may lead to constant panic attacks. Hypnotherapy can provide an alternative solution that gives inner power to the individual. By recognizing their own abilities and strengths, agoraphobia sufferers can become independent again in the outside world and rely on their own coping skills.