When performing self-hypnosis, sit or lie in a quiet, comfortable place, such as your favorite chair. Then try to relax completely, letting all your muscles go limp and allowing all tension to flow away. Once you have achieved a hypnotic state, tell yourself how you want to feel, or listen to a tape on which you have recorded the message. Tell yourself you will awaken feeling wonderful. Self-hypnosis sessions typically take 20 to 30 minutes.
Most people see the therapist once a week.
Proponents of self-hypnosis suggest you hypnotize yourself every day. We have all daydreamed or become lost in a novel. Sometimes we concentrate so deeply on a problem that we drive right past our exit on a highway. We have blocked out all distractions so that we can think exclusively on a particular subject, memory, problem, or sensation. The concept of using trances to alleviate ills, both physical and mental, has recurred throughout the history of medicine.