How can hypnosis help me if I am afraid to go to the dentist?

How can hypnosis help me if I am afraid to go to the dentist?

John McGrail, C.Ht. (Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist) gives expert video advice on: How can hypnosis help me if I am afraid to go to the dentist? and more...

A person who learns to fear the dentist probably at some point usually in childhood, had some perceived trauma around the dental visit. So, the very thought of going to the dentist can produce a full blown anxiety attack. Hypnosis, because again it's a tool that helps the mind control itself, can be used to desensitise a person from that fear so that the emotional attachment to the thought of going to the dentist can't be reached. We sort of disconnect those nerves. If you think about a response in the brain, it is formed like this: neuro networks are formed; we have these nerve cells. So, eventually the input 'dentist', creates an output 'fear'. What happens physically in the brain when we desensitise a person is that these nerves stop firing. When they stop firing the nervous network disintegrates, if you will, and we form a new one. So, the input 'dentist', now creates "Hey, I'm going to take care of my mouth. I'm keeping myself healthy, and it is absolutely a calm and normal more procedure." It is simply unlearning an old, undesirable response; an inappropriate response, and re-teaching the brain, if you will, the subconscious part of the mind a new response. That new response is: "This is good for me. I'm going to be calm, I'm in control, and it's going to be painless." Then of course we have to make sure the person has to go to a painless dentist.