Yesterday I had my first (proper) hypnotherapy session. I’ve previously done one or two basic hypnosis sessions with my psychologist just to see how I’d respond. I successfully reached that trance like state, and decided to take it further. My psychiatrist also referred me to a bunch of hypnosis apps for my phone. They help with various issues day to day but aren’t particularly useful in the long run. I’m okay with that though. The point is that I am one of those lucky people that responds well to hypnosis. There are some people that just can’t reach that state and there are others that can reach it in an instant. In my other hypnosis post, I discussed how to give yourself the best shot in being ‘hypnotised’.

So my psychiatrist gave me a whole list of names and we short listed a few and did some research. The lady we settled on his fairly close by, and has successfully cured emetophobes. I rocked up to my first appointment with high hopes, though not too high otherwise that could affect how easily I was hypnotised. The first hour we discussed my story, how it started, any setbacks and successes, how I’m feeling and all that jazz. She then talked to me about how the brain works when we’re anxious and how that affects digestion and why we feel nauseous. She even taught me a new word: Amygdala (I think that’s how it’s spelt), which is pretty much in charge of that instant fear reaction you get before you process what the danger actually is. Like when there’s a jump scare in a movie. That first jump is your amygdala reacting, and then once you’ve processed that it’s just a movie, you can begin to calm down again.

We did hypnosis for about half an hour and she recorded it so I could use it again. It started off with just slowing the breath and beginning to feel the relaxation. At the start of the exercise I rated my anxiety a 9 out of 10. My heart was pumping, I felt nauseous, dizzy, and shaky. I’ve been practising meditation 3 times a day so I can slow my breath in an instant and feel the effects very quickly. It does take practise though! A lot of people believe that when you are in the required trance like state, you are unconscious and they can tell you to walk like a chicken and you’ll do that. Sorry to say that is not the case at all. It’s a wonderful feeling though. You are conscious of everything, more than normal I’d say. You notice absolutely everything around you and use it to relax you. You notice things you’d never normally notice. You are very focused and you’re breathing is deep and consistent.

We then did some visualisation while I was in the trance. She told me some things that other emetophobes found helpful. The one I found most helpful was imagining the insides of your stomach being like a rough sea in a storm. It’s all chaotic and scary, but then you imagine it just stopping, brightening up and being a calm lake that’s completely still. Another thing I visualised was the ‘sloppy face and heavy hand’. It’s exactly what it sounds like. You imagine your face is sloppy and droopy and that one of your hands is very heavy. It was crazy how quickly it worked. Just her saying it instantly made me feel it, I didn’t even have to picture it, it was already there! I’m not even sure how it was supposed to help but it did!

By the end of the exercise, my anxiety was way down at a 3 and I was all set to take on the rest of the day!