Can hypnotherapy help with menopause?
Hypnotherapy has been found to help with the management of a range of perimenopause and menopause symptoms, such as reducing hot flushes and managing night sweats, brain fog, and feelings of stress.
A randomised, controlled study in 2014, Clinical hypnosis in the treatment of post-menopausal hot flashes, revealed that 74% of those experiencing hot flashes saw a reduction in hot flushes and night sweats after clinical hypnosis intervention.
Clinical hypnotherapist Beverley explains that hypnotherapy may help women experiencing menopausal symptoms to:
- recognise when symptoms such as hot flushes or brain fog are happening;
- feel more prepared and in control when symptoms arise;
- better understand sleep and develop ways to manage insomnia;
- cope with changes in libido and energy levels;
- manage feelings of overwhelm, whether at work or at home.
Some of these areas can have a significant impact on day-to-day life.
How does hypnotherapy for menopause work?
Working on the idea that our minds and bodies are connected, hypnotherapy can help us alter thought patterns and beliefs. With the help of an experienced hypnotherapist, you can enter a state of deep relaxation. New suggestions and positive affirmations can be introduced to help reduce unhelpful reactions and promote new, more helpful ones.
For example, if you are worried or feeling stressed by the impact perimenopause is having on you, a hypnotherapist could put you in a deep state of relaxation and encourage changes in attitude or behaviour. This could help relieve stress-related symptoms and promote relaxation.
Integrative hypnotherapist, Lyndsay Wilson, explains more about hypnotherapy for menopause and how it can help you.
What menopause symptoms could hypnotherapy help with?
Menopause and perimenopause can affect people in different ways. Hypnotherapy may be used to help manage the impact of certain symptoms, including hot flushes, sleep difficulties, anxiety, stress and changes in confidence.
Hot flushes, night sweats and sleep
Having trouble sleeping at night due to perimenopause, menopause or postmenopause symptoms can be common. Studies have shown nearly half (46%) of people have difficulties sleeping in the run-up to menopause, with many experiencing hot flushes (also called hot flashes) and night sweats. One 2020 study reported between 28-63% of women experience sleep problems during menopause and postmenopausal transitions.
Waking up during a hot flush or experiencing night sweats before you try to go to sleep can make it harder to get a restful night. Insomnia can also be a common occurrence for people experiencing menopause, as can anxiety around sleeping.
Hot flushes can feel similar to how your body reacts when you feel stressed or anxious. You feel hot, your heart rate increases, and you start sweating. Hypnotherapy can help to calm your body’s stress responses by putting you in a relaxed, focused state where your mind is open to new suggestions. A hypnotherapist might use relaxation techniques or introduce you to visualisation techniques to help you feel cooler, calmer, and in control.
Mood swings, stress and anxiety
Hypnotherapy techniques can be used to help reframe negative or unhelpful thought patterns and manage anxiety. A hypnotherapist might use visualisation or cognitive restructuring to help you develop more helpful coping mechanisms and reduce mood swings.
A 2019 review of 17 studies found that hypnosis was effective in reducing anxiety, with people who received hypnosis as part of their treatment experiencing greater improvements than 84% of those who did not.
Confidence and managing menopause symptoms
Menopause symptoms can also affect how you feel about yourself and your ability to cope with everyday life, including at work.
According to one 2021 report, a quarter of women have considered giving up work due to menopause symptoms. A survey undertaken by not-for-profit company Newston Health Research and Education found that of the 3,800 women surveyed, 99% said perimenopausal or menopausal symptoms had led to a negative impact on their careers, with more than a third calling the impact "significant".
Many people experiencing menopause and perimenopause symptoms report feeling like they have trouble concentrating, feel less efficient at work, or like their work quality is reduced. This can lead many to feel like their work and career may be impacted.
Working with a qualified, experienced hypnotherapist can help you to rebuild your confidence and self-esteem, and to learn new relaxation techniques to help ease stress, anxiety and tension.
It is felt that the combination of deep relaxation and suggestions in relaxation enable women to begin to create new ways of responding to menopausal symptoms which are more adaptive and less reactive.
- Clinical hypnotherapist Beverley Longhurst, MNCH (Accred), explains more in article, I can help you chill out about the menopause
Working with a hypnotherapist for menopause
Offering a holistic approach focused on wellbeing, hypnotherapy uses the mind-body connection to help you embrace change and create a new, positive mindset.
If you’re experiencing perimenopause or menopause symptoms, working with a hypnotherapist can be helpful. A hypnotherapist can tailor sessions to help with your individual challenges and needs, focusing on the specific areas and symptoms that may be affecting you.
Working together with a hypnotherapist, you can learn new, sustainable relaxation and breathing techniques you can continue to use to support your overall well-being through menopause and beyond. You can also work towards regaining lost confidence and self-esteem, helping you to navigate towards a happier mindset.
Understanding menopause and perimenopause
What is menopause?
Menopause refers to when your periods stop due to lower hormone levels. Usually starting around ages 45 to 55, it can also happen earlier. Menopause affects anyone who has periods. It can happen naturally as you age or can occur due to certain kinds of surgeries, cancer treatments, or genetic reasons.
Before reaching menopause, you experience perimenopause. Perimenopause refers to when you have symptoms of menopause, but you still have periods. It lasts around four to eight years for many women and people with uteruses.
How long does the menopause last?
Perimenopause symptoms can last for years before periods stop. They may continue on after your periods have stopped. Once you have not had a period for 12 months, you have reached menopause.
How menopause and perimenopause can affect you
Symptoms of menopause and perimenopause can have a big impact on your daily life. They can affect your relationships, work, family and social life. Experiencing menopause and perimenopause can come with a wide variety of symptoms. Some people might experience just a few of these, while others might experience more or none at all.
Symptoms can include:
- changes to your period (becoming irregular or less frequent and eventually stopping);
- changes to your mood (feeling low, anxious, or having mood swings);
- experiencing low self-esteem;
- trouble focusing or remembering things (brain fog);
- hot flushes (feeling suddenly cold or hot around your face, neck or chest which may make you dizzy);
- physical changes (body shape, weight gain, dry or itchy skin);
- trouble sleeping (including night sweats);
- more painful headaches or migraines;
- reduced sex drive;
- vaginal dryness.
Symptoms might last for a few months or years. For some people, they change over time. If you think you might be experiencing perimenopause or menopause symptoms, it’s important to speak with your GP.
Menopause treatments: easing the symptoms of menopause
If you are experiencing perimenopause or menopause, there are a number of different things you can try to help lessen or cope with symptoms. Talking with other people going through menopause can help you to feel more connected and less alone.
Lifestyle changes can be a big help. These can include:
- eating well;
- exercising;
- having a good sleep routine;
- looking after your mental health and wellbeing.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is the main treatment used for menopause and perimenopause. HRT replaces hormones that are at low levels, and comes in different doses and types.
Other non-hormone medicines and treatments may be offered to help with hot flushes, night sweats, and mood-related symptoms, such as talking therapies and counselling.
Hypnotherapy can be used as a complementary approach to help manage the impact of certain symptoms, but it is not a replacement for medical treatment. If you are experiencing menopause or perimenopause symptoms, speak with your GP about the treatment and support options available to you.
Resources
- Menopause Support
- The Menopause Charity
- Women’s Health Concern - the patient arm of the British Menopause Society
