05/02/2010
Anxiety hypnotherapy recommended to tackle germ-phobia
by William Hobson
The Daily Telegraph's health advice feature has included a recommendation for anxiety hypnotherapy as a means of dealing with germ-phobia.
The health advice feature gathers together "Britain's leading health and wellbeing specialists" to answer reader questions. Last week, a reader wrote looking for help in treating their son's fear of germs. In their question, they explained that they had noticed that the teenager's hands were "red raw". When asked about it he "burst into tears" and confessed that he obsessively washed his hands over and over again due to an overwhelming fear of germs.
The boy also confessed that he suffered from a compulsion to constantly check things and ask questions repeatedly.
This led the panel of experts to unanimously diagnose that the reader's son suffered from a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder, where persistent unwanted thoughts become obsessions. People feel compelled to repeat certain patterns of behaviour, from moving objects to, in this case, washing their hands. The compulsion to ensure that everything is exactly right can lead many sufferers of OCD to develop a phobia of germs, as they are unable to resist anxiety over what they cannot see.
Among the panel of experts was hypnotherapist Bonita Rayner-Jones, who said that anxiety hypnotherapy "can help overcome the disorder, as it connects with the subconscious to rework patterns of thoughts and behaviours.'' She added that it can also help develop coping mechanisms, such as "rationalising any 'catastrophising' thoughts" which might "lead to anxiety and a feeling that everything is beyond your control."
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