Hypnotherapy is a way of overcoming certain problems, such as addictions. However, after a hypnotherapy session, our bodies may feel weaker than usual. In some cases, the problem that required hypnotherapy seems to get worse. For example, insomnia gets worse, or you feel more stressed than before the session. This violent change in your emotions and strengths, which can last up to ten days, is called the rebound effect.

Although the rebound effect isn’t felt by everyone, it’s qualified as a natural reaction. The rebound effect proves that hypnosis has worked on you. You need to be patient to see the rebound effect fade. Then you’ll see the concrete results of your hypnotherapy session.

What is hypnosis?

Hypnosis, or in our case hypnotherapy, is a session between you and a hypnotherapist or any specialist in therapeutic hypnosis. The aim of such a session is to resolve a specific problem: anxiety, depression, insomnia, smoking, rehabilitation problems, etc. The hynotherapist guides you into a hypnotic state, during which he or she offers a series of suggestions to resolve your problem.

Well before the session begins, you and the hypnotherapist agree on the problem you wish to tackle and the goals you wish to achieve. Before each session, the hypnotherapist prepares a series of suggestions based on your profile, so that you have a plan to work on during the session.

Unlike in the movies, the hypnotherapist doesn’t manipulate you. And what he tells you are suggestions, not orders. The rebound effect after hypnosis is still neither his fault nor yours. It’s just the consequence of a session with his challenges.

Positive side effects of hypnosis

On the whole, hypnosis has positive effects. Besides the fact that a session is designed to solve a particular problem, such as insomnia, hypnosis can bring other benefits. The best-known of these is inner calm. After a hypnosis session, you feel soothed and relieved of an enormous burden.

Hypnosis induces relaxation. You feel lighter, more relaxed and fitter. Hypnosis has the power to dramatically increase your energy. After a successful session, you become more positive and optimistic.

Within seconds of a session, the results are generally positive for body and mind.

Rebound effect after hypnosis: the negative side of a session

It is possible to feel unwell after a hypnosis session. Hypnotherapists call this the rebound effect. It usually occurs after the first session.

You are making suggestions to your body and mind for which they are not prepared. They need time to adapt to these new changes.

After the session, emotions may be unstable and in search of balance. Your body may be exhausted after releasing old muscular tensions. The rebound effect after hypnosis is like a period of convalescence.

The rebound effect process

It occurs after a hypnosis session that can be described as neither a success nor a failure. It usually occurs after the first hypnosis session. Patients with very high expectations may be disappointed and surprised by the results.

The rebound effect is a fairly common phenomenon that can be considered normal. Indeed, dealing with it means that hynosis has had an effect on you. It has managed to hit you where it hurts, or rather where it needs to.

Some people don’t feel the rebound effect, whether hypnosis is their first experience or not. This doesn’t mean that what’s happening to you is abnormal. Their expectations are simply easier to achieve because of their past and the psychological state they’re in.

The rebound effect after hypnosis can occur when your recovery encounters considerable obstacles. For example, during a session, the hypnotherapist may suggest that you recall the origins of a phobia.

These buried memories, which you suddenly awaken, can create emotional turmoil. Making you more vulnerable. This is why, after hypnosis, a patient may experience sadness, anger, grief or mood swings.

If you feel that the problem you’re trying to solve is getting worse, it’s often because your body and mind have been put to the test. They need time to adapt, to understand what’s going on and to respond positively to your suggestions. It’s like when you decide to exercise for an hour every morning.

Your body and mind need time to adapt to this new routine. They usually react to this change with pain. Your whole body is aching, your muscles aren’t responding, you’re not mentally ready to do every exercise.

The origins of the rebound effect after hypnosis

UNCONSCIOUS RESISTANCE
This is when you unconsciously fight against hypnosis. I compare it to the way viruses behave in our bodies when we undergo medical treatment. Except in your case, the viruses are your emotional blocks and limiting thoughts. And when you can’t destroy a virus, it eats away at you with even greater force.

That’s why you may feel even worse after hypnosis, as if you’ve awakened an old demon.

To be effective in such cases, hypnosis must be practiced again and again, until the resistance is broken. The rebound effect can be seen as a warning signal that you are facing resistance. It does not mean that the hypnotherapy session was a failure.

REBOUND EFFECT AFTER HYPNOSIS: REPRESSED EMOTIONS
Hypnosis can sometimes lead to an emotional release. These are emotions buried deep within you that have found an opportunity to come out thanks to hypnosis. Of course, when they are released, they cause great suffering for the patient. This can disrupt the healing process.

What hypnotherapists advise in such cases is to let the patient rest, to give him or her time to recover from these emotions.

It’s because of these repressed emotions that the patient feels even worse after a hypnosis session. They may feel that hypnosis has only aggravated their suffering. But hypnosis has struck a chord with the patient. This is a major advance in the field of hypnotherapy.

Rebound effect after hypnosis: a positive reaction

In addition to the feeling of suffering more after hypnosis, the rebound effect is also a positive reaction. Suffering more than before the hypnosis session means that hypnosis has touched the nerve of the problem. For this reason, the rebound effect should be welcomed as a positive start to a successful treatment.

Of course, not everyone experiences this. The simplest reason is that they have fewer difficulties than you. They don’t have the same background as you.

Looking at the rebound effect in this way is not just a way of reassuring yourself. Because it usually lasts only a few days, after which you’ll finally see the fruits of hypnosis.

Rebound effect after hypnosis: how to manage it intelligently?

SHOW UNDERSTANDING
Hypnotherapy needs no further proof. In the medical world, many people use hypnosis in combination with medical treatment. It has been proven that hypnotherapy can be an effective solution to smoking and other addictions.

However, hypnosis also has negative post-hypnosis effects, known as the rebound effect. It’s important to be aware of this, so you’re not too surprised when you encounter it. The rebound effect doesn’t mean that the session didn’t work; if you experience it, take it as a stage in your recovery.

ASK YOUR HYPNOTHERAPIST FOR ADVICE
Your hypnotherapist is probably the best person to help you through this painful stage. He or she knows what the rebound effect is after hypnosis and has probably seen cases similar to yours.

Depending on how you feel, he or she can give you useful information to help ease your pain. Some hypnotherapists will recommend further personalized sessions to help you get through the painful stage more quickly.

TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF AFTER HPYNOSIS
Hypnosis has the power to heal you at the end of the session. However, some people need more time to heal (often after several sessions). Rather than blaming everything on a hypnosis session, you can do your best to get better. This means taking care of yourself after hypnosis.

When you’re suffering from the post-hypnosis rebound effect, you can seek recovery. For example, if the weight of the rebound effect is stress, try to relieve that stress yourself. You can meditate, do a creative activity to relieve the pressure. The aim is to try to reduce the impact of the rebound effect during the few days it is present.

The final word

The hypnotherapist’s expertise can greatly influence the effectiveness of your hypnosis session. That’s why we recommend choosing a hypnotherapist with a proven track record. However, even if the session is of impeccable quality, the post-hypnosis rebound effect can still occur.

On the downside, some hypnotherapists may claim that they can prevent the rebound effect. But the rebound effect depends not only on them, but also on you and the depth of your problem.

What’s more, the rebound effect isn’t always the result of a failed hypnotherapy session. Sometimes, the treatment of your problem goes through a period of turbulence.

Another way of dealing with the rebound effect is simply to put up with it and understand that it will eventually pass. After all, it only lasts a few days. In general, after these few days, your condition becomes more pleasant and your recovery quicker.

Finally, don’t be afraid if you experience the rebound effect after hypnosis. You can always contact your hypnotherapist, who will be able to guide you towards recovery. Feeling unwell during treatment is nothing new. The rebound effect is like putting leeches on a wound to make it heal.