How Effective Is Hypnosis For Panic Attacks?

How Effective Is Hypnosis For Panic Attacks? Panic attacks are primarily a condition of the mind. Different people can go through the same situation and yet experience that situation in totally different ways. For example, a person who is claustrophobic may experience a rapid increase in heart rate as they prepare to be placed in an MRI chamber for medical tests, while others experience no apprehension at all. Someone with a fear of public speaking may experience sweating and nervousness when asked to address a large crowd while others may be exhilarated by being the center of attention. In today's world, such phobias and fears are usually addressed by prescribing some sort of medication for the patient. And they are often very effective. But, since phobias and fears are mainly a product of the mind, it makes sense that many might also wonder about the effectiveness of mind control techniques such as hypnosis in controlling those fears. Many studies have shown that hypnosis can have dramatic and measurable effects on the body. A skilled hypnotist can influence the heart rate of a subject by causing it to slow down. He can also guide the subject into a transcendental state of mind where the body is relaxed, the tensions vanish, and the fear disappears. But, although, it's been proven that a skilled hypnotist can be very effective in helping a person to cope with anxiety, unfortunately, such a person is not always around when you need one. So the real question is, can an average person be taught to use self hypnosis to control his fears and panic attacks himself? The answer is, it depends. Hypnotism is a skill. And, like any skill, not everyone has the same aptitude for learning that skill. Once they properly learn hypnotic techniques, some will be able to very easily learn to lower their anxiety levels when confronted with a tense situation. Others may require weeks or months of practice to get to the same level of proficiency. And, unfortunately, others will never be able to master the techniques well enough to completely conquer their anxieties. But, with practice, even this last group of people, will usually find themselves able to lessen the amount of tension that they carry around with them. It is also worth remembering that, even though anxiety attacks are a creation of the mind, some people have real hormonal imbalances that make their minds more susceptible to such attacks. In these individuals, even though hypnosis may help, prescribed medications may be necessary to fully treat their anxiety issues.