Daily, I am confronted with people with anxiety in person and in passing.  Most of these people who come to me are over-prescribed with medications, so much so that the side effects are ruining their health and other aspects of their lives.  Hypnosis truly is a powerful tool that can help with anxiousness.

This is a section taken from Dr. Michael Craig Miller’s article in a Harvard Health Letter publication.

Q. Is hypnotherapy effective for generalized anxiety and panic disorders?

A. Hypnosis is not just a parlor trick. When taken seriously, it is an effective relaxation technique. And some people say it helps manage their anxiety.

Here’s how it works: You’re invited to relax. You focus your attention inward. You use your imagination to alter your perceptions.

The hypnotherapist may make suggestions. But he or she cannot control you. You remain alert and in control of your own thoughts and actions.

The goal of hypnosis is to divert your attention. By turning your thoughts away from what’s bothering you, you may find some relief.

Some people are more easily hypnotized than others. This trait is called “hypnotizability.” About 10 percent of people are highly hypnotizable. About 10 percent can’t be hypnotized at all. The vast majority of adults can enter at least a light hypnotic state.

Psychotherapy and anti-anxiety medications are still the most effective anxiety treatments. But hypnosis is worth trying, especially if you’re motivated and reasonably able to be hypnotized.

Hypnosis rarely gets rid of all anxiety symptoms. Sometimes hypnosis can reduce the physical discomfort of anxiety disorders (muscle tension, trembling, unsettled stomach, or rapid breathing).

By controlling physical symptoms, you prevent them from making you more anxious.

Dr. Michael Craig Miller is an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.