Many may envisage the life of a modern touring musician to be that of a glorified jetsetter but the reality is far from idyllic, according to a recent study.
Depression, anxiety and other psychological problems beset almost 60% of musicians surveyed by the charity Help Musicians UK, while touring was an issue for 71% of respondents.
“Ninety-nine per cent of touring is the airports, the hotels, sitting in a metal tube for up to 16 hours at a time,” Grammy-nominated producer Mat Zo told The Guardian. “It’s easy to let your mind and body slip into decay, even for a person with a healthy emotional state. For those with anxiety, hotel rooms are like prison cells.” 
When Zayn Malik broke the hearts of millions by pulling out of One Direction’s tour of Asia – leaving the boy band shortly after – a source close to the band told the tabloid press: “Zayn went because he’d had enough. Have you ever been on the road for four years?
“The classic image of a touring musician would seem counterintuitive to all we know about well-being,” says Isabella Goldie of the Mental Health Foundation, adding that drinking in moderation, avoiding drugs, getting sufficient amounts of sleep, and having a support base of close friends and family nearby were the bonds that help keep people grounded.
“It’s no surprise that some musicians struggle,” she added.
For many, the contrast between the highs of a successful show and the anti-climactic low that often follows can be hard to adjust to, a phenomenon that has been termed ‘post-performance depression’, or PPD.
And this is where hypnotherapy can help. Helping people cope with depression, anxiety, stress, insomnia and addictions is all part and parcel of what National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH) therapists do.
With more than 1800 highly-qualified therapists as members, the NCH holds one of the largest registers of independent hypnotherapists in the United Kingdom and strives to maintain the highest standards among its members.
Hypnotherapy has a proven track record in helping people with stress, anxiety and depression. A hypnotherapist can help assess the problem, identifying the root of stress or anxiety and then set a goal to help the client strive for when free of any anxiety.
They will then work with the client to reach this goal using a range of different techniques.
Hypnotherapy has a high success rate in helping people quit addictions like recreational drugs, smoking or drinking. Depending on what the client’s addiction or problem behaviour is, the therapist will assess their habit and write a treatment plan based on a range of different techniques. Each hypnotherapist will work differently.
The hypnotherapist will then assess the commitment to the treatment, as the desire to stop the behaviour or change the behaviour must come from the client. If the person wants want to give up smoking for someone else, for instance, it is unlikely to work.
Hypnotherapy can help people like performing artists cope with the ‘down’ after a performance.
Mental health professional John Buckner said: “After an exciting performance the body starts to balance out the level of neurotransmitters, and therefore it is not releasing the same level that caused the exciting feelings, resulting in the lingering sadness.
“In normal day-to-day life, biochemicals are released and rest/recovery follows, causing the typical ups and downs of life. In the case of PPD, the process is more extreme with higher highs and lower lows.”