Hypnotherapy for the menopause and perimenopause is all about dialling down the flushes, night sweats, brain fog and helping you regain your confidence and belief.
The menopause affects 80% of women in some way or another.
Now, let’s be clear at the outset. I’m not a medical professional. I can’t say whether you need HRT, or not.
But what I am is a hypnotherapist, a Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapist to be precise.
And using hypnotherapy you can learn, for example, how to reduce the number and impact of hot flushes, find ways to sleep better, gain motivation for improving your exercise or reducing weight, stress, and anxiety.
Here’s a more comprehensive list of what hypnosis and hypnotherapy can help you with:
- Hot flushes
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Low self-esteem
- Loss of libido
- Itchy skin
- Incontinence
- Insomnia
- Stress
- Anger for no reason
- “Brain fog” when you can’t think straight
- Loss of confidence
- Night sweats
- Perimenopause
Hypnotherapy for the menopause and the events that happen around the same time
The menopause can also come at a time when it seems like everything is up in the air.
For example, your children leaving home, parents dying, you picking up your career again - or it ending, thoughts about having a place in the world now you can’t have more children.
All these can cause stress and anxiety. And all are things that can be dealt with using hypnosis and hypnotherapy. Basically not letting anything bother you so much. These thoughts might keep popping up, but they don’t have to have anything like as much meaning as you simply get on with life.
What is hypnosis?
Hypnosis comes from the Greek word for sleep. And it’s not helpful. During hypnosis, you’re not asleep. You’re just in a deeply relaxed state. That’s all. It simply means you’re more receptive to my words. It’s called suggestibility. A better way of describing what’s happening to you is to say that you’re focussing your attention over and above what you normally would. That way it makes it easier for you to act on my words and change your behaviour for the better.
Why hypnotherapy for the menopause?
With regard to the menopause, research has focused on taking away the severity of hot flushes.
Research measured skin temperature and found that clinical hypnosis lowered symptoms by 74% after 5 weeks. To expand on this point hypnosis also lowered the frequency and severity of hot flushes. As well as helping take away the anxiety. This taking control of the body’s thermostat also meant patients report less/no embarrassment in public of having a hot flush: especially in the workplace.
Hypnotherapy for the menopause. Specific examples.
For the night sweats. Hypnotherapy can reduce hot flushes and night sweats,
I'm not saying that hypnotherapy can “replace” oestrogen. Instead, there's a good chance that under hypnosis you can influence how your brain and nervous system respond to the temperature changes that trigger a hot flush.
A dialling down as it were.
Particularly when you're stressed. This can otherwise make hot flushes more noticeable or intense and hypnotherapy is all about relaxation.
When you're perimenopause. Similar to dealing with the night sweats in the menopause, hypnotherapy can also help with:
- poor sleep
- anxiety
- irritability, feeling on edge
- feeling overwhelmed.
- difficulty getting back to sleep after a night sweat.
Understand that hypnotherapy doesn't correct the hormonal changes of perimenopause. Instead, it aims to change how your nervous system and brain respond to some of the symptoms.
Hormone Replacement Therapy. Hypnotherapy ISN'T a replacement for HRT. Just like I've written above, they can work very well alongside each other. They address different parts of the problem.
HRT addresses the hormonal cause. Oestrogen can stabilise the changes responsible for hot flushes and night sweats. Whilst hypnotherapy addresses your nervous-system/brain response. It can use relaxation, cooling imagery and suggestions around temperature regulation, sleep and anxiety.
What is Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy?
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is a talking therapy, and basically, it’s looking at how you’re thinking, feeling and acting. Then focusing on where you’re ‘out of sorts’ and getting you back on track to being a better version of yourself. Calmer and more resilient.
And the best way to land this message deep inside you is using hypnosis, hence the name Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy
Who am I?
I’m James Thomas, a Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapist. I’ve used hypnosis thousands of times to deal with clients’ stresses, anxieties, drug addiction, alcohol abuse, PTSD, overeating, low self-esteem, eczema, and anger to name but a few.
I have therapy rooms in York, Leeds and Harrogate. You can contact me at jamesthomas@thegentlemind.co.uk or call for a chat on 07787563099.
