Sometimes, the past prevents us from enjoying the present and looking forward to the future. Previous experiences affect how we act and interact today, and sometimes we simply feel stuck in the past. How do we move forwards?
We take a look at how hypnotherapy helps us unlock ourselves, coming out of trauma or an unhelpful rumination cycle.
The effect of difficult times and trauma on the brain
Past events have a lasting impact on our lives. Trauma, the brain’s response to a deeply distressing experience, can lead to mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression or even PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). The result is that we’re constantly reliving the bad experience in the present, while projecting trauma-based fears onto the future.
Our experiences shape how we see ourselves. Even if the past trauma was out of our control – and they often are – we blame ourselves for not acting or behaving in the “correct” way to prevent the occurrence or experience. We develop low self-esteem and a negative rumination (“what if?”) habit.
When trauma departs, it usually leaves triggers behind. Certain sounds, smells, songs, words all have the power to take us straight back into a moment that we really need to move on from. Inescapable triggers make us feel that we’re stuck in the past.
If you are concerned that you have PTSD, please see a medical professional like your GP.
Becoming “stuck” after a trauma
Some people describe themselves as feeling “defined” by a past trauma. It feels as if they’re stuck in that place, with all their subsequent experiences seen through the lens of trauma – it can even affect memories of life before the incident or period. The “tunnel vision” created by the imprinted trauma makes it very difficult to move forwards.
However, there is a light at the end of this tunnel. While you can’t simply remove memories of the trauma, you can reframe how you experience them. There are therapy techniques that help you shift your focus: yes, the past is part of your life, but that’s all it is – part of your life. You don’t have to be defined by the thing that hurt you.
Seeing beyond the trauma: how hypnotherapy can help
It’s hard to imagine life without focusing on the trauma at first (but you’re reading this, so that’s a good start). The first step to becoming unstuck is realising that you want and need to move on. The second step is seeking support to overcome the stuck feeling.
Solution focused hypnotherapy helps people move forwards because it’s designed to support future goals rather than focus on the past. During the hypnotherapy trance state, both the thinking and the emotional sides of the brain come together, which makes us receptive to replacing negative thoughts with positive ones – about a calmer and more confident future.
One of the techniques I use is the rewind therapy, which was developed specifically to help people with PTSD.
The Rewind Technique
The Rewind Technique helps people move forwards using disassociation. It’s a safe and controlled way to explore traumatic memories without reliving them, helping people “unstick” themselves from the past.
We begin by creating the hypnotherapy trance state, and when they’re in a state of deep relaxation and in their emotional “happy place”, I ask them to visualise a television. They then watch themselves watching the screen, which creates a mental dissociation from the traumatic event or events. I then ask them to “rewind” and “fast forward” the image on the TV, which deepens the dissociation.
Rewinding the experience repeatedly creates a detached feeling. This detachment enables the brain to store the past trauma in a safe place and it’s no longer front-and-centre of the memory.
Hypnotherapy to move forwards with Great Minds Clinic
If you feel stuck in the past and want to move forwards into a happier future, I can help you. Solution focused hypnotherapy techniques are a safe and effective way to manage past trauma.
