Hypnotherapy for a problem

Hypnosis for Social Anxiety and the Fear of Being Judged

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You rehearse a sentence three times before saying it, then replay the conversation for hours afterward. The NHS guidance on social anxiety describes this pattern: social anxiety is more than shyness, and someone with it feels overly worried before, during and after social situations. Hypnosis can be a way to rehearse those situations more calmly, but cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the treatment the NHS considers best, and hypnosis fits as an addition.

How do you know it is social anxiety?

The NHS lists signs including:

  • worrying about everyday activities such as meeting strangers, starting conversations, speaking on the phone, working or shopping;
  • avoiding or worrying a lot about group conversations, eating with company or parties;
  • always worrying about doing something embarrassing, such as blushing, sweating or appearing incompetent;
  • finding it hard to do things when others are watching, and feeling watched and judged all the time;
  • fearing criticism, avoiding eye contact or having low self-esteem;
  • physical symptoms such as nausea, sweating, trembling or a pounding heartbeat, and sometimes panic attacks.

It is a fear that does not go away and affects everyday activities, confidence, relationships, and work or school. The NHS adds that many people with social anxiety also have depression, generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder.

What treatment does the NHS recommend?

The main options it lists are CBT with a therapist, alone or in a group; guided self-help using a CBT-based workbook or online course with regular support; and antidepressant medicines, usually an SSRI. It states that CBT is generally considered the best treatment, and that some people need a combination. In England, you can refer yourself to an NHS talking therapies service.

What can hypnosis add to social anxiety treatment?

As a way to practice. Several of the self-help steps the NHS suggests translate naturally into hypnotic rehearsal:

  • Relaxation techniques, such as breathing exercises. Hypnosis sessions can build these into a routine you can call on before and during a social situation.
  • Breaking challenging situations into smaller parts and working on feeling more relaxed with each part. In hypnosis you can rehearse each step in imagination, from walking in to saying the first sentence, before doing it for real.
  • Focusing on what people are saying rather than assuming the worst. A rehearsal can practice shifting attention outward, to the conversation, instead of inward, to how you seem.

On evidence, a 2024 review in Frontiers in Psychology reports that hypnosis reduced anxiety across several types, including performance anxiety, and worked better combined with CBT. Social anxiety appears in the review’s description of the types of anxiety, but not among the hypnosis findings it reports, which is another reason to treat hypnosis as support for CBT rather than a replacement.

What should you watch for?

Rehearsal is not the same as doing. Imagined practice is a bridge to real situations, not a substitute for them. Plan the real step that follows each rehearsal.

Other conditions can come along. If low mood, constant worry or panic attacks are part of the picture, they need assessment too.

Rehearsal can backfire. If imagining social situations leaves you more distressed rather than less, tell the practitioner and slow down.

A plan for getting started

  1. Keep a short diary for two weeks: situation, what went through your mind, what you did. The NHS suggests keeping a diary of this kind.
  2. See a GP or self-refer to talking therapies for assessment and CBT.
  3. Add hypnosis to rehearse the specific situations from your diary, smallest first.
  4. Do the real version within a few days of each rehearsal.
  5. Rate your anxiety before each real situation, and review the trend with your therapist.

If you ever feel unable to keep yourself safe, call or text 988 in the United States to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Outside the United States, contact your local emergency number or crisis line.

This article is general information, not medical or psychological advice; talk with a licensed clinician about your own situation.

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