A case study showing how hypnotherapy can effectively help with tinnitus
For reasons of confidentiality, the name of this client has been changed.
Living with tinnitus can cause anxiety and stress which in turn can make the tinnitus seem more noticeable and intrusive. When Matt sought help through hypnotherapy he had been struggling with tinnitus for a number of months and was experiencing high levels of anxiety and stress surrounding his symptoms. He was finding the sound in his head so intrusive that it was affecting all areas of his life. He was having to take time off work, he’d withdrawn from all his usual social activities and he was refraining from exercise. In short, Matt was no longer doing any of the things he enjoyed and all in all felt very downhearted and depressed. He was also having much difficulty sleeping which caused more anxiety and stress.
Matt’s best hopes from hypnotherapy were to get back to his smiley, happy self again, feeling passionate about life and looking to the future, looking forward to work and doing all the things he used to do. Prior to having tinnitus Matt had been a very active individual, participating in sport and social events on a regular basis and exercising every day.
Matt had around 10 sessions of hypnotherapy in total over a period of three months. Through a combination of solution-focused talking therapy and relaxing hypnosis sessions we worked to reduce Matt’s levels of anxiety and stress. Hypnotherapy and the use of hypnosis work by changing thought processes for the better. By refocusing his thoughts in a more helpful, supportive and solution-focused way Matt was able to change his response to the tinnitus for the better, reducing the negative emotional reaction to the sound in his head.
Before starting hypnotherapy Matt had felt intensely panic stricken and agitated by the tinnitus. A few weeks into therapy he’d noticed that his perception of the sound had begun to change; he was no longer perceiving it as a threat. He had also started exercising again and was able to focus his mind off the tinnitus when doing this. Over the following weeks Matt gradually began to resume more and more of his social activities, he went back to work, he started planning ahead and he began to enjoy life again. Not only was he not noticing the tinnitus as much, he was no longer bothered by it so much.
During the final sessions Matt remarked that he was positively different to a few months before. The tinnitus was no longer stressing him out. He was sleeping better, he felt calmer, more energised and had more motivation. He was also dealing with things better and feeling optimistic about the future. Above all, he was pleased to say that he was laughing again.
To find out more about hypnotherapy and how it can help with tinnitus please call 07514 931 096 or email me using the contact form.
Results may vary from person to person as do the number of hypnotherapy sessions required and length of treatment.