Tackling Social Anxiety with Hypnotherapy

25 October 2023

Social anxiety is a crippling and pervasive condition that affects people of all ages. It is important to note that social anxiety disorder is not a shyness or introversion. Rather, it is a persistent and constant fear of being judged or embarrassed in social situations. The hypersensitivity to social judgment can lead to debilitating anxiety episodes that may cause panic attacks, difficulty concentrating, depression, and avoidance of critical social opportunities. Social anxiety has perplexed psychologists for years because of the intriguing mismatch between its symptomatology and the relative novelty of its discovery as an affliction by Western medicine.

Hypnotherapy is a unique way of attacking social anxiety as it allows to address the root cause. A critical factor in social anxiety is that a person's fear comes from an internal locus of control. In addition, Hypnotherapy is used to access the unconscious mind and de-code the hidden messages that can cause maladaptive behaviours.

How Does Hypnosis Work?

There are many different theories about how hypnosis works. Some experts believe that the brain is so highly suggestible that it learns to follow suggestions, which can manifest in a variety of ways, from an altered perception of reality to muscle contractions. Other experts think that hypnosis works similarly to meditation, where the practitioner’s focus blurs and their conscious mind “knows” what their subconscious mind does not know yet.

Locating the Causes

A victim of social anxiety will often have a history of past experiences that taught him or her lessons about behaving in certain situations. The lessons are usually painful experiences that the person will have learned to avoid. Even after these experiences are long gone, the person will still display anxiety symptoms when put into similar situations.

Social anxiety is like a fear of failure, and in many cases, this fear can be traced to self-esteem issues and a general feeling of being defective as a person. Hypnotherapy allows the client to confront these issues in order to deal with them effectively.

Hypnotherapy and Social Anxiety

The central premise of Hypnotherapy is that the mind is the root of all of the body's ailments. The mind is often referred to as the "inner child" because it preserves many of our childhood memories, and even a person's beliefs about life are often based on his or her upbringing. A person's subconscious mind may have been created from a series of events that occurred during childhood, and these memories can be responsible for much of a person's behaviour throughout adult life.

Therefore, a person who has a social anxiety disorder can learn to change the way he or she thinks to treat this condition. Hypnotherapy uses a form of psychotherapy that works by creating a feeling of relaxation and focus in the patient's mind. This allows him or her to relax and simply observe the inner workings of their subconscious mind without feeling overwhelmed by fear. A person will be able to observe the thoughts that may be causing their behaviour, allowing them to take control of those thoughts and change them into beneficial thoughts. The focus of the patient's attention can be directed to allow him or her to access the emotional and thought processes that have previously been locked away.

Hypnosis can also be used along with other treatment methods such as talk therapy to help a person overcome their social anxiety. Hypnosis may be useful in treating a phobia, and it can also be used as a form of therapy after other courses of treatment have been exhausted.

Benefits of Hypnotherapy when handling social anxiety:

1. The symptoms of social anxiety are unique to the individual. Hypnotherapy allows a person to target the cause of their anxiety so they can receive customized treatment. As a result, it can be perceived as a very vital or effective channel that can be used in handling persons with anxiety and other unknown disturbances.

2. Unlike anxiety medication, hypnosis allows the person to concentrate on the cause of their social anxiety and then help them solve this source. This implies that the mechanism through which hypnosis works is much more complex. Studies have also shown that treating the cause of the social anxiety leads to healthier and sustainable outcomes.

3. Cognitive behavioural therapy (or CBT) is a very long process, not just because it requires many sessions but also because it relies on the individual to actively participate in their treatment. Hypnotherapy achieves the same result as CBT but at a much faster pace.

4. In fact, hypnosis is a way for a person to control their thoughts and feelings about social situations. Hypnotherapy allows a person with social anxiety to get rid of unhealthy or negative thoughts about engaging in social interactions by making those thoughts positive instead.

5. Therapy helps a person to recognize their thoughts and behaviours in social situations, which means that if any other thoughts or ideas interfere with the natural instinct of the person experiencing hypnosis, they will be quickly brought back to normal. It is vital that individuals receive such professional help.

Hypnosis works by creating deep relaxation in a patient and changing the way their brain works. The brain is prompted to release chemicals called endorphins, which encourage feelings of well-being, minimise pain, and relieve anxiety.

Treatment Methods:

Social anxiety is traditionally thought of as a relatively simple condition to treat. The symptoms of social anxiety can be modified by changes in beliefs, or it may only require psychotherapy for the individual.

However, the nature of social anxiety makes it difficult for sufferers to find treatment in a clinical setting due to the fear of being judged. The use of Hypnotherapy allows a patient to experience the benefits of psychotherapy without the added stress of coming into contact with social situations. Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy is a form of psychotherapy that psychologists traditionally use in order to treat conditions such as depression and anxiety. However, they are also increasingly being used by individuals in a more casual setting in order to help them overcome phobias such as social anxiety disorder.

Wrap Up

Social anxiety is defined as a condition that causes people to feel continually anxious or self-conscious and to have a sensation of distress when they are in the presence of other people. Social anxiety is often triggered when someone is put in a situation where he or she feels exposed, judged, or ridiculed by others. The aggressive nature of social anxiety can cause some people to isolate themselves from others.

Related Articles

• Can Hypnotherapy Help With Anxiety?
• Hypnotherapy Techniques For Stress And Anxiety
• Does Hypnotherapy Work For Confidence?
• What Is Hypnotherapy Used For?
• The Benefits Of Hypnotherapy