Hypnosis for Picking

Hypnotherapy is very effective for skin picking (and other BFRBs), as it can help you regain control, increase your awareness and ability to choose more beneficial responses. The hypnotic trance is also good for deep relaxation, so your stress and anxiety levels are reduced, which in turn makes it less likely that you'll want to pick your skin.

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In the deeply relaxed state of hypnosis, your subconscious is more receptive to revising thoughts and actions, so you can:

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• increase your awareness of how skin picking operates, especially increasing awareness of your hands

• regain control of your focus, so you can tolerate thoughts and urges more readily and consistently

• create and rehearse a new, personalised response that is incompatible with skin picking

• identify trigger situations and people, and rehearse using your new response in these situations

• increase your calm, confidence and relaxation, so the need for skin picking is reduced

• develop a "stop at one" response in case you do start to pick

• build a robust, personalised plan for dealing with any relapses quickly and constructively

• learn how to use self-hypnosis as a direct substitute for the habit/behaviour, as appropriate

• safely and easily identify and work with any past experience/s that may be contributing to your picking

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Hypnotherapy can also help you develop the determination, confidence and patience to go through the process of your skin healing and the challenges that are part of the process, such as not picking at scabs or cuticles, keeping going even if you do pick again, and beginning to feel more comfortable with letting light and air onto your skin.