DOES IT WORK IRL?
Growing evidence suggests hypnotherapy really can nix anxiety, cure phobias and help you quit smoking. One WH staffer tries it out for another bad habit
We test whether hypnosis can help you banish your bad habits
My hands are revolting. While I exited my twenties with most bad habits nixed, nail-biting is one that’s stuck. Aside from the fact that having your fingers lodged in your mouth ain’t a good look, it’s doing my nails no favours. Years of chewing has left them so weak they peel apart like layers of filo pastry. And when your dentist can tell you’re a biter from a glance at your incisors, you know it’s bad. It’s not like I haven’t tried. I’ve bought the horrid-tasting nail polish; I’ve painted them an eye-catching vermillion; I’ve even wrapped them in plasters to stop me from getting at them. But beyond leaving a bitter taste in my mouth, nothing works for long enough to let my ragged stumps transform into talons. So when I read that hypnotherapy could help, I’m all ears. In recent years, it’s parted ways with its hippy-dippy rep, helped along by a growing body of research. The British Medical Association describes it as ‘the treatment of choice’ for anxiety and stressrelated disorders, and studies suggest it can help with insomnia, chronic pain – even IBS. Anecdotally, the evidence is even stronger. I half expect a swaying pocket watch and a voice telling me I’m getting very, very sleepy; but hypnotherapy is actually a form of talking therapy, and I do a lot of it in my first session with hypnotherapist Malminder Gill*. As well as unpicking my triggers (everything from a stressful day to sitting in front of Netflix with my hands free), we get into my emotional and mental health. I’m a textbook perfectionist, with a history of anxiety and panic attacks, and Gill suggests the habit could be a physical manifestation of my anxiety; a coping mechanism possibly triggered by a moment of fear in my childhood. It’s an association I’ve not made before, but it makes sense. Then it’s time for the hypnosis. A natural sceptic, I think, deep down, I don’t really expect it to work, but I’m determined to keep an open mind. I lie down on the bed and Gill begins to talk in a calm, soothing voice. She gets me to visualise my nail-biting patterns, followed by a new pattern to override the old one. As she fills my mind with positive suggestions, describing my nails growing long and smooth, I surrender to her words, willing them to be true. Afterwards, I’m set homework in the form of daily meditation, visualisation and breathing exercises. The theory goes that by improving my self-awareness and easing my anxiety symptoms, I can reduce my triggers. Some 45 minutes later, I realise my left pinky is dangling from my mouth while I wait for a train. The false start lowers my expectations, but I persist with my morning meditation routine. No one is more surprised than I am when, three weeks later, my nails have sprouted tiny white tips. I don’t feel any different, and I haven’t noticed a shift in my general levels of anxiety. But Gill’s audio meditation is a daily reminder of my goal. I feel more aware of my nails, so when I do find them clamped between my teeth, I force myself to stop and grab a nail file instead. Whether my increased awareness is down to the hypnosis or because the act of seeking help has made me more motivated to stop (it’s likely both, says Gill) doesn’t matter to me, I only care that it’s worked. Three months on, my nails are so long and healthy they need regular trimming – and at a recent wedding, a stranger commented on how elegant (elegant!) my hands were. Turns out I’m nailing it.