Some people have found hypnosis to be helpful for anxiety, depression, and managing painful conditions. Studies on hypnosis have found conflicting evidence about if it's helpful for quitting smoking. And there is some evidence that it helps with weight loss, anxiety in cancer patients, and symptoms during breast cancer treatment.^{footnote 1}

Hypnosis is not intended to cure disease but rather to relieve symptoms of illness. It's widely used to help with substance use disorder. And hypnosis may be able to reduce stress by increasing relaxation, offering positive suggestions, and eliminating negative thoughts.

In some cases, hypnosis is combined with cognitive therapy or other relaxation and behavioral techniques.

No formal licensing exists in the United States to govern hypnotherapists. It is important to find a health professional with extensive training and experience in hypnotherapy. Many psychologists, counselors, doctors, and dentists are experienced in hypnotherapy.

Self-hypnosis is also considered safe, even when done by inexperienced people. There are no reported cases of harm resulting from self-hypnosis. But do not perform self-hypnosis while you are driving a vehicle or are in any situation where you need to be fully alert or able to respond quickly (for example, while operating machinery or while supervising children).

Talk with your doctor about any complementary health practice that you would like to try or are already using. Your doctor can help you manage your health better if they know about all of your health practices.