How Effective is Hypnotherapy for Agoraphobia?

Although there are certainly case studies of individuals with agoraphobia who have been helped by hypnosis and self-hypnosis, research supporting its effectiveness is sparse. Hypnosis is still considered by most to be an alternative form of treatment for agoraphobia.

Hypnosis and self-hypnosis are sometimes chosen for agoraphobia because they seem to offer an easy cure. The shortcoming of hypnosis is that it deals only with the behavior, and not the cause of the behavior.

An agoraphobia patient may tell the hypnotist, “I get nervous while driving in traffic.” As part of the therapy, the hypnotist will teach the agoraphobia patient how to induce a hypnotic trance to be responsive to suggestions about feeling relaxed while driving in traffic. Hypnosis does not address low self-esteem, feelings of vulnerability, excessive need for control, or other anxiety-related issues.

When the goals of therapy for agoraphobia are very specific (like trying to stop a specific behavior), hypnosis and self-hypnosis can be very effective for people who are receptive to it. However, recovering from agoraphobia is more complex than just changing behavior.

You might learn how to relax while driving in traffic, but if the underlying cause of anxiety is not addressed, it will express itself in another way and you will find yourself back in the therapist’s office trying to hypnotize yourself to overcome a different fear.

Article Source: http://www.agoraphobia.net

Stephen Price is a recovered agoraphobic with a master's degree in psychology. His information Web site on agoraphobia, featuring a free newsletter, can be found at: www.agoraphobia.ws

Please Rate this Article

5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5 

Not yet Rated