Low Points and Letting Go: John's Hypnosis Story

Names have been changed to protect privacy.

John was extremely low when he found Levitate Wellness Hypnosis.

"That was the hardest point in my life," said John, recalling a period of time that filled his mind with intense anxiety and depression. Until then, he described his life as "idyllic," noting that he had a great wife and kids, a successful business, and physical health and strength.

Then, on December, 13, 2024, John was driving when he felt a completely unknown feeling that he described as being "chemically hijacked." He was hit by vivid memories of past traumatic experiences.

"I thought I'd processed something from decades ago," John said, noting that he "rarely thought about it with emotional reaction" until the memories suddenly flooded back "in full color, with sounds, smells, everything, but worse than the first time."

What followed was nearly a year of anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts, all caused by these memories.

"They were with me every hour," said John. "There wasn't an hour I was not thinking about it. It scares me to think how close I was to taking my own life."

In spring of 2025, John seriously considered suicide. Still, he bravely persevered in his search for relief. He tried journaling, CBT therapy, EMDR therapy, meditation, scripture study, and prayer.

"It all helped," John said. "It wasn't one thing; all the things helped in their own ways."

Still, John knew he needed additional support. Then, he noticed a flyer for Levitate Wellness Hypnosis and thought he should give it a try.

"My goal in reaching out to Angie was to find any measure of relief that I could from anxiety and depression," said John. "I was trying to get my self-confidence restored. Before I went through what I went through, the period of my life with this struggle, I thought hypnosis was kind of hokey or hippie, but I would try anything if it would help. I thought, 'What have I got to lose?'"

During his first session, John said Angie immediately set his mind at ease. According to him, Angie said, "When you are hypnotized, you will be fully aware. I can't make you do anything you don't want to do."

Those words rang true for John as he recalled the sensation of the trance state being relaxing and gentle while maintaining complete control of oneself. He said, "I almost wondered, 'Am I actually hypnotized?'"

Based on his experiences, John says that hypnosis "allows you to be vulnerable and open in a safe, comfortable setting."

He continued, saying, "Hypnosis allowed me to be honest with myself to accept what happened to me and process the memories and reframe them in a positive way. I didn't have to hide anything. I needed to confront the memories, process them, and let them go and fade away. For me, I was dealing with something from the past, and I had to learn how to let it go so I wasn't reliving it."

In particular, John appreciated the personalized recordings Angie gave him to practice hypnosis techniques at home.

"Those recordings were treasures to me," said John. "You can go on Spotify for self-hypnosis and positive affirmations tracks, and those are great, but these are personalized for you. I wore those things out. They were awesome for me. I still listen to them every once in a while."

During his months of healing, Josh was diagnosed with PTSD by a medical professional. He also learned about the mental and emotional side effects of testosterone replacement therapy, which a doctor had previously prescribed for him to treat low energy. John now believes it was TRT that acted as the catalyst for his mind feeling "out of whack."

Luckily, hypnosis played a large part in getting John's life back on track. He was greatly surprised by his brain and body's reaction to hypnosis.

He said, "I kept asking myself, 'What is wrong with me? Why am I broken? I'm going to force my way through this.' And that doesn't work with depression and PTSD. Hypnosis let me see a different way that wasn't brute force; it was acceptance and letting things go. I was surprised how open hypnosis could make me feel - like, I would just cry. I would feel tears running down my cheeks, and I didn't care. I didn't feel sad, but it was this release of these feelings I'd been holding onto. That surprised me many times."

He continued, adding, "Every time I left, I had relieved some of my burden. Hypnosis didn't cure me, but it helped me tremendously."

Working with Angie was also a special experience for John, who noted that she is not only skilled professionally, but is also a kind human being. In fact, he recommends her services "one, because hypnosis will work, and two, because she's awesome."

"First and foremost, Angie cares about you," John explained. "You can tell. You can see it in her eyes. She wants to help you. She felt the pain I felt. She felt compassion for me. I would say that she helped me learn how to let things go."

For those who are unsure about hypnosis, John offers the same rhetorical question that brought him to Levitate Wellness Hypnosis many months ago:

"I would say, 'Try it. What have you got to lose?'"