Hypnosis for Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a long-term inflammatory skin condition that causes the skin to produce new cells too rapidly. This leads to raised, red, scaly, itchy or sore patches, often with silvery-white scales. Psoriasis commonly affects the elbows, knees, scalp, hands, feet or trunk; although it can appear elsewhere on the body.

Psoriasis is not contagious. You cannot catch it from someone else and you cannot pass it on by touch. However, it can still have a significant effect on confidence, sleep, mood, stress levels and day-to-day living.

Can hypnotherapy help with psoriasis?

Bill Frost: Changing States provides psoriasis online hypnotherapy via Zoom and in-person hypnotherapy in High Wycombe. Sessions seek to reduce stress-related flare-up patterns, interrupt scratching habits, improve sleep and change the emotional responses that may be linked with psoriasis. Do speak to your GP first if symptoms could have a physical cause or if your skin condition has not been medically assessed.

Psoriasis is not simply caused by stress. It is linked with the immune system and can be influenced by genetic, physical and environmental factors. However, stress is a recognised trigger for some people and may contribute to flare-ups or make itching harder to manage.

For some people, psoriasis becomes part of a difficult cycle. The skin flares-up, the itching increases, sleep is disturbed, confidence reduces and stress rises. That increased stress can then make the skin feel more reactive and increases the focus on the skin. Hypnotherapy can assist by calming the nervous system, reducing habitual scratching, improving emotional control, diverting attention and addressing underlying stress patterns where appropriate.

More about psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic (long-term) inflammatory condition. Inflammatory means that the immune system is involved in producing redness, irritation, swelling or soreness. In psoriasis, the immune system becomes overactive and skin cells are replaced much faster than usual.

What can trigger psoriasis?

Different people have different triggers. Common triggers can include:

• stress or anxiety
• skin injury, such as a cut, scrape, bite or sunburn
• throat infections or other infections
• smoking
• alcohol
• being overweight
• hormonal changes
• some medicines
• cold weather or dry skin

Identifying your own pattern can be useful. You may notice that flare-ups follow particular emotional pressures, periods of poor sleep, physical illness or changes in routine. This does not mean the problem is "all in your mind". It means the mind and body can interact in ways that affect the skin.

What are the symptoms?

Psoriasis symptoms vary from person to person. Common symptoms can include:

• raised red, pink, grey or darker patches of skin
• dry, flaky or scaly areas
• itching, soreness or burning
• cracked skin that may bleed
• scalp scaling
• changes to the nails, such as pitting or thickening
• joint pain, stiffness or swelling in some people

If you have joint pain, swelling or stiffness, speak to your GP. Psoriasis can sometimes be linked with psoriatic arthritis, which needs medical evaluation.

Can hypnosis work alongside medical treatment?

Hypnotherapy does not replace dermatology, prescribed creams, medication or other medical care. It can be used alongside medical treatment to address stress, anxiety, scratching, sleep disturbance, self-consciousness and the emotional strain of living with a visible or uncomfortable skin condition.

Sessions are tailored to your individual needs. Where appropriate, Bill may combine Clinical Hypnotherapy with NLP, Timeline Therapy, EMDR, coaching or other therapeutic approaches. The focus is on helping you regain more choice and control over the patterns that may be worsening the problem.

Testimonials

• "The session was very good and I was very happy with the service offered. There was a good effort made in finding the underlying causes of the condition and a variety of self-hypnosis methods where taught. I was impressed by the technology used to measure stress etc. Also Bill took his time in explaining the emotional and psychological issues related to stress and eczema." {Eczema}*

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• "Just wanted to say thank you for your amazing work and patience with me. Things have been shifting for me lately but the recent session (and maybe the one before it) really has made so much difference. It seems like the confident person I used to be is coming back, and it's been a bit easier to face difficult things without being tilted." {Eczema}*

*Disclaimer required by Google: We provide testimonials to help you gain confidence about how we work and results we achieve. However, please be aware that we whilst we bring 100% of our effort and skill to the process, as with all hypnotherapy / psychotherapy practices, results may vary between individuals.

Hypnotherapy related psoriasis research and reading