Andrew Burney
14 May 2024
It has been widely reported in the media that during Covid there was a significant increase in cases of anxiety being experienced by adults and young people, particularly in the age group 16 – 24.
It has been widely reported in the media that during Covid there was a significant increase in cases of anxiety being experienced by adults and young people, particularly in the age group 16 – 24. Many people still continue to experience anxiety caused by worries about cost of living, education and bullying.
There are many ways to treat anxiety, but one treatment that does not get a lot of visibility is hypnotherapy. Hypnotherapy uses hypnosis to put the client into a deep state of relaxation to make them more susceptible to changing behaviours and altering the way a person thinks.
There are many misconceptions about hypnotherapy, with people being very familiar with the entertainment version seen in the media, however the therapeutic version is far removed from the entertainment version. Clients are fully in control at all times and do not have to take the suggestions of the therapist if they don’t want to. Hypnotherapy is for anyone who wants it, but it does not work unless the client is completely invested in the process.
According to the Mental Health Foundation website, figures published in 2021 by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) reported young people aged 16-19 years of age were more likely to have some form of anxiety, decreasing steadily through the age groups. In 2022/23 more women reported experiencing high levels of anxiety than men.
Anxiety cases increased significantly during the Covid crisis and the effects are still being felt as reflected in an article dated 30th April 2024 on the MIND website that called for the Covid-19 inquiry to look at the mental health impact of the pandemic on adults, not just children, a request which was rejected. In that same article, Dr Sarah Hughes, CEO of MIND said “The scale of mental health problems during and after Covid-19 is profound. The numbers of people seeking but not getting the help they need sadly confirms what we all feared, a crisis that hasn’t eased in 2024. The reality of what happened must not be ignored and lessons must be learned.”
Hypnotherapy has been shown to produce results that are long lasting with regular practice and reinforcement, promoting overall wellbeing and a much improved quality of life. There are other benefits too – it is drug free, reduces physical tension and calms a nervous system plus helps identify what triggers the anxiety so the client can use the tools from hypnotherapy to manage it. This makes it the unsung hero for anxiety relief.
If you have any feelings of anxiety, please seek help from your doctor initially, and if appropriate, they may refer you to your local hypnotherapy service to see how they can help.