18/02/2026
I usually keep my personal life private, but a recent experience I had is relevant to my work as a hypnotherapist. I went to a hospital appointment for a medical condition I have, where I needed to receive injections into both of my eyes.
For weeks, I had been using self-hypnosis to get ready for this procedure, and on the day I left home, I felt really optimistic about what was coming next. My wife and I arrived at the hospital, headed to the eye unit, checked in smoothly, and found seats in the waiting area. I still felt confident and calm about the upcoming procedure.
After a short time, we were called through, and I had another eye test and answered some questions. We were then shown to the treatment room and sat outside waiting to be called in. I then felt the urge to use the toilet, which I did, and returned to my seat.
That's when I started to notice that my breath was becoming more shallow, my heart was racing a bit faster, and a wave of fear about the unknown procedure washed over me. My mind was crowded with unhelpful voices, warning me about what might go wrong and reminding me of the risks involved.
This went on for maybe 3-4 minutes, then I decided I did not need this, so I told the voices to p**s off, focused on my breathing and went inside myself and took back control of these less than helpful feelings.
My breathing gradually steadied, my pulse slowed, and a sense of relief washed over me. I was then called into the treatment room and took a seat. As the treatment started, I couldn’t help but feel a little anxious again, with a touch of fear lingering.
I returned to focusing on my breathing, gently relaxing my body. After the first eye was injected, I felt a sense of relief and looked forward to the second injection and the procedure's ending. I took it as a learning moment, realising that Fear and Anxiety can catch us off guard, even when we believe we have our emotions under control.