A Different Kind of Therapy
“The first step is always the hardest, the step of decision. You want change but do not want it to be a long drawn out process where it’s never ending? Well let me help you”
My approach
My approach at Change Your life is to coach you into getting the results you need where we will work together in order to achieve that, safely and proficiently with long lasting changes so you get the life you want.
Perhaps you have been wanting to make changes for some time but somehow felt too busy, got side tracked or weren’t ready?
As a qualified Hypnotherapist and certified practitioner in Havening and a Master Practitioner in NLP, I use a blend of therapies that work with the psychological and neurological aspects of the brain, to enable you to make changes for long lasting results.
Understanding Trauma
My approach is to get you the changes you need and want, fast, effectively and safely, with a laid back style where we are both working together. Whether you are looking to quit smoking, lose weight, reduce stress, manage anger or simply change your habits, my mission is simple… to expertly help, guide and support you to make those changes.
Using a unique integrated blend of advanced NLP, Hypnotherapy and Havening techniques, you’ll make simple, rapid and powerful changes, meaning you can get on with living your life to its fullest.
Where I can help you?
Alcohol addiction
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Overcoming Addiction: Alcohol Addiction
We often reach for a drink because we want to change the way we feel. Maybe we want to relax, to celebrate or simply forget our day at work. More concerning is that many people drink to try and mask anxiety or depression, or other mental health problems.
While alcohol can have a very temporary positive impact on our mood, in the long term it can cause big problems for our mental health. It’s linked to a range of issues from depression and memory loss to suicide.
Alcohol alters your brain chemistry
Our brains rely on a delicate balance of chemicals and processes. Alcohol is a depressant, which means it can disrupt that balance, affecting our thoughts, feelings and actions – and sometimes our long-term mental health. This is partly down to ‘neurotransmitters’, chemicals that help to transmit signals from one nerve (or neuron) in the brain to another.
The relaxed feeling you can get when you have that first drink is due to the chemical change’s alcohol has caused in your brain. For many of us, a drink can help us feel more confident and less anxious. That’s because it’s starting to depress the part of the brain we associate with inhibition.
But, as you drink more, more of the brain starts to be affected. It doesn’t matter what mood you’re in to start with, when high levels of alcohol are involved, instead of pleasurable effects increasing, it’s possible that a negative emotional response will take over. You could become angry, aggressive, anxious or depressed.
Alcohol can actually increase anxiety and stress rather than reduce it
Unfortunately reaching for a drink won’t always have the effect you’re after. While a glass of wine after a hard day might help you relax, in the long run it can contribute to feelings of depression and anxiety and make stress harder to deal with. This is because regular, heavy drinking interferes with neurotransmitters in our brains that are needed for good mental health.
When we drink, we narrow our perception of a situation and don’t always respond to all the cues around us. If we’re prone to anxiety and notice something that could be interpreted as threatening in the environment, we’ll hone in on that and miss the other less threatening or neutral information. For example, we might focus on our partner talking to someone we’re jealous of, rather than notice all the other people they’ve been chatting to that evening.
Alcohol depression = a vicious cycle
If you drink heavily and regularly, you’re likely to develop some symptoms of depression. It’s that good old brain chemistry at work again. Regular drinking lowers the levels of serotonin in your brain – a chemical that helps to regulate your mood.
In Britain, people who experience anxiety or depression are twice as likely to be heavy or problem drinkers. For some people, the anxiety or depression came first and they’ve reached for alcohol to try to relieve it. For others, drinking came first, so it may be a root cause of their anxieties.
Drinking heavily can also affect your relationships with your partner, family and friends. It can impact on your performance at work. These issues can also contribute to depression. If you use drink to try and improve your mood or mask your depression, you may be starting a vicious cycle. Warning signs that alcohol is affecting your mood include:
disturbed sleep
feeling lethargic all the time
low mood
experiencing anxiety in situations where you would normally feel comfortable
Four ways to help prevent alcohol affecting your mood
1. Use exercise and relaxation to tackle stress instead of alcohol.
2. Learn breathing techniques to try when you feel anxious.
3. Talk to a psychotherapist or friends about your worries. Don’t try and mask them with alcohol.
4. Always be aware of why you’re drinking. Don’t assume it will make a bad feeling go away, it’s more likely to exaggerate it.
Staying in control
Try alternative ways to deal with stress. Instead of reaching for a beer or glass of wine after a hard day, go for a run, swim or to a yoga class, see a councillor or talk to a friend about what’s worrying you.
Keep track of what you’re drinking.
Give alcohol-free days ago. If you drink regularly, your body starts to build up a tolerance to alcohol. This is why many medical experts recommend taking days off from drinking to ensure you don’t become addicted to alcohol. Test out having a break for yourself and see what positive results you notice.
Hypnotherapy can help get to the root of any anxieties or worries, enabling you to become calmer and more in control. It can help you with being in control of your alcohol consumption, thus leading a healthier, happier life. Call or email for advice on how you can control your drinking.
Overcoming Addiction: Gambling Addiction
Understanding problem gambling and gambling addiction
Gambling addiction, also known as compulsive gambling, is a type of impulse-control disorder. Compulsive gamblers can’t control the impulse to gamble, even when they know their gambling is hurting themselves or their loved ones.
Whether you bet on sports, scratch cards, roulette, poker, or slots—in a casino or online—problem gambling can strain relationships, interfere with work, and lead to financial catastrophe. You may even do things you never thought you would, like stealing money to gamble or pay your debts. You may think you can’t stop but, with the right help, you can overcome a gambling problem or addiction and regain control of your life. The first step is recognizing and acknowledging the problem.
Gambling is all they can think about and all they want to do, no matter the consequences. Compulsive gamblers keep gambling whether they’re up or down, broke or flush, happy or depressed. Even when they know the odds are against them, even when they can’t afford to lose, people with a gambling addiction can’t “stay off the bet”.
Gamblers can have a problem, however, without being totally out of control. Problem gambling is any gambling behaviour that disrupts your life. If you’re preoccupied with gambling, spending more and more time and money on it, chasing losses, or gambling despite serious consequences, you have a gambling problem.
Myths & Facts about Gambling Addiction and Problem Gambling
MYTH: You have to gamble every day to be a problem gambler.
FACT: A problem gambler may gamble frequently or infrequently. Gambling is a problem if it causes problems.
MYTH: Problem gambling is not really a problem if the gambler can afford it.
FACT: Problems caused by excessive gambling are not just financial. Too much time spent on gambling can lead to relationship breakdown and loss of important friendships.
MYTH: Partners of problem gamblers often drive problem gamblers to gamble.
FACT: Problem gamblers often rationalize their behaviour. Blaming others is one way to avoid taking responsibility for their actions, including what is needed to overcome the problem.
MYTH: If a problem gambler builds up a debt, you should help them take care of it.
FACT: Quick fix solutions may appear to be the right thing to do. However, bailing the gambler out of debt may actually make matters worse by enabling gambling problems to continue.
Signs and symptoms of problem gambling and gambling addiction
Gambling addiction is sometimes referred to as the “hidden illness” because there are no obvious physical signs or symptoms like there are in drug or alcohol addiction. However, gambling addiction is similar in that it affects our reward centre that produces Dopamine in much the same way that cocaine or alcohol does. When we get a rush of Dopamine, we feel a ‘high’ – this is what increases our chances of becoming addicted to the ‘high’ that we feel. Even though we know we shouldn’t do it the feel-good feeling takes over and we are encouraged to do it again. Much in the same way that cocaine and alcohol affect us.
Problem gamblers typically deny or minimize the problem. They also go to great lengths to hide their gambling. For example, problem gamblers often withdraw from their loved ones, sneak around, and lie about where they’ve been and what they’ve been up to.
Do You Have a Gambling Problem?
You may have a gambling problem if you:
Feel the need to be secretive about your gambling. You might gamble in secret or lie about how much you gamble, feeling others won’t understand or that you will surprise them with a big win.
Have trouble controlling your gambling. Once you start gambling, can you walk away? Or are you compelled to gamble until you’ve spent your last pound, upping your bets in a bid to win lost money back?
Gamble even when you don’t have the money. A red flag is when you are getting more and more desperate to recoup your losses. You may gamble until you’ve spent your last penny, and then move on to money you don’t have- money to pay bills, credit cards, or things for your children. You may feel pushed to borrow, sell, or even steal things for gambling money. It’s a vicious cycle. You may sincerely believe that gambling more money is the only way to win lost money back. But it only puts you further and further in the hole.
Family and friends are worried about you. Denial keeps problem gambling going. If friends and family are worried, listen to them carefully. Take a hard look at how gambling is affecting your life. It’s not a sign of weakness to ask for help. Many older gamblers are reluctant to reach out to their adult children if they’ve gambled away their inheritance. But it’s never too late to make changes for the better.
Relieving unpleasant and overwhelming feelings without gambling by using hypnosis
Unpleasant feelings such as stress, depression, loneliness, fear, and anxiety can trigger compulsive gambling or make it worse. After a stressful day at work, after an argument with your spouse or co-worker, or to avoid more time spent on your own, an evening at the track or the casino can seem like a good way to relieve stress. But there are healthier and far less expensive ways to keep unpleasant feelings in check. These may include exercising, meditating, spending time with friends, taking up new hobbies, or exploring relaxation techniques.
For many people, an important aspect of quitting gambling is to find alternate ways to handle these difficult feelings without gambling. Even when gambling is no longer a part of your life, the painful and unpleasant feelings that may have prompted you to gamble in the past will still remain. So, it’s worth spending some time thinking about the different ways you intend to deal with stressful situations and the daily irritations that would normally trigger you to start gambling.
Using cognitive behavioural therapy to explain why we become addicted to gambling combined with the hypnosis technique to appeal to your subconscious mind, hypnotherapy can effectively help you overcome the urges to gamble, thus having better quality of life going forward.
Overcoming Addiction: Cocaine Addiction
Psychological Effects and Addiction
Cocaine has a very powerful stimulating effect on the nervous system, it raises levels of dopamine, a neurotransmitter linked to pleasure and movement in the brain’s reward circuit; the effects generally last from 15 to 30 minutes, or only 5 minutes depending on how it is taken.
Neurons release dopamine in response to a pleasurable stimulus, such as the smell of good food or the thought of having sex. It is then recycled back into that same neuron, thus shutting off the signal between neurons. Cocaine stops the dopamine from getting back into the neuron – it stops the dopamine from being recycled – resulting in an accumulation of dopamine. This amplifies the message to and response of the receptive neurons, and ultimately disrupts normal communication.
The excess dopamine gives the user a feeling of enhanced well-being, euphoria, alertness, motor activity and energy. Some describe increased sensations of sexuality and competence. Long term usage can lead to gradual changes in the brain’s reward system, as well as other systems in the brain, which seriously raise the risk of addiction. Stimulating this brain area with cocaine feels good. And it can create a powerful craving to use more cocaine. Repeated cocaine use leads to tolerance (that is, increasingly higher doses are needed to attain the same effect), dependence, and addiction. There is no “safe” frequency of use for cocaine. It’s impossible to predict whether a person will become physically or psychologically dependent on cocaine.
After using cocaine regularly for an extended period, dependence (addiction) develops. When dependence is present, stopping cocaine suddenly leads to withdrawal. Symptoms of withdrawal from cocaine are more psychological than physiological. Typically, cocaine withdrawal symptoms include:
depression and anxiety
fatigue
difficulty concentrating
inability to feel pleasure
increased craving for cocaine
physical symptoms including aches, pains, tremors, and chills
Cocaine withdrawal is rarely medically serious. In certain people, withdrawal from cocaine may cause suicidal thoughts. Typically, withdrawal symptoms from cocaine addiction resolve within one to two weeks. However, intense craving for cocaine may return, even years after the last episode
How does hypnotherapy help you to stop taking cocaine?
The most important thing is that you want to stop taking cocaine and make the positive changes to your life. The sessions include cognitive behaviour therapy explaining how the brain works and why cocaine is so addictive. Hypnotherapy helps get to the root of any problem overcoming anxiety and depression, creating more confidence and helping you to re-programme your thought process. Hypnotherapy appeals to the subconscious brain getting you to weaken neurons that have sustained old habits that are bad for you and help you create new pathways for a healthier, happier future.
Overcoming Cannabis Addiction
Overcoming Addiction: Cannabis Addiction
Cannabis is the most common abused drug in the world. Many cannabis users tend to hang on to old beliefs about cannabis as justifications for their drug use. The idea that an herbal drug, organic in production cannot be harmful is by far the biggest misconception.
What is cannabis? It’s the most widely-used illegal drug in Britain, although the numbers of people using it are falling.
Cannabis is naturally occurring – it is made from the cannabis plant.
The main active chemical in it is tetrahydrocannabinol (or THC for short).
THC is the ingredient in cannabis that can make you feel very chilled out, happy and relaxed.
THC can also make you hallucinate, meaning that it can alter your senses, so that you might see, hear or feel things in a different way to normal.
There are many myths about cannabis – that it’s safe because it’s natural, that using cannabis will completely ruin your life, your health and your future or that using cannabis will lead you into using other, more dangerous drugs. What is true is that cannabis can have some very real, harmful effects on your mind and body, as well as creating longer-term problems. Cannabis also raises your heart rate by 20-100 percent shortly after smoking; this effect can last up to 3 hours. In one study, it was estimated that cannabis users have a 4.8-fold increase in the risk of heart attack in the first hour after smoking the drug. This risk may be greater in older individuals or in those with cardiac vulnerabilities.
A number of studies have linked chronic cannabis use and mental illness. High doses of cannabis can produce a temporary psychotic reaction (involving hallucinations and paranoia) in some users, and using cannabis can worsen the course of illness in patients with schizophrenia. A series of large studies following users across time also showed a link between cannabis use and later development of psychosis. Associations have also been found between cannabis use and other mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts among adolescents, and personality disturbances, including a lack of motivation to engage in typically rewarding activities.
Cannabis effects how your brain works. It can make you feel very anxious and even paranoid, it can make it difficult for you to concentrate and learn, make your memory worse and make you feel less motivated. Tobacco and cannabis share some of the same chemical ‘nasties’ and just like smoking tobacco, smoking cannabis has been linked to lung diseases like tuberculosis and lung cancer.
It is often reported by cannabis users that they become anxious and paranoid while under the influence of the drug. Anyone who has been smoking cannabis for a while knows that they must smoke more and more to feel the same effect that once took just a few hits used to produce. It’s not just about the quality of the cannabis; it’s the quantity and duration. The brain readjusts to keep balance with the frequent supply of new chemicals being delivered by the pot and needs that supply to function at greater levels.
The misconception that cannabis is not an addictive substance keeps many addicts from seeking treatment for cannabis addiction. As with any drug, cannabis can create a psychological and physical dependency. The dependency upon cannabis often creates withdrawal symptoms upon cessation. Withdrawal symptoms include insomnia, loss of appetite, anxiety, and impaired memory. These symptoms coupled with intense cravings make it hard for cannabis addicts to stop using without help.
There are no medical interventions that are currently available for helping stopping cannabis abuse, however it has been widely documented that hypnotherapy can be a powerful tool that can help overcome your addiction. The sessions include the workings of the brain and how we can become addicted to certain substances. By using Cognitive behaviour techniques together with hypnosis, you can help preprogramme your mind to overcome the desire for taking cannabis for a more positive you.
Cannabis side effects include:
Bloodshot eyes
Rapid Heartbeat
Angry outbursts
Depression
Hunger
Dry mouth
Anxiety, paranoia and fear
Poor memory
Poor coordination
Slow reaction time
Loss of control
Depression
The Truth About Depression and How to Lift It
It may have started gradually but you slowly become aware you are feeling miserable a lot of the time. The world seems less colourful and you can’t keep your mind on what you are doing. Worries go around and round in your head and you can’t get to sleep because of them or you wake up too early thinking about them. Whenever you do wake you feel exhausted and can’t motivate yourself very much, sometimes just wanting to stay in bed and make the world go away. You may feel restless, pacing up and down in a state of agitation and despair.
Perhaps you can’t eat and the simplest of things will seem too overwhelming to do. Nothing seems funny anymore and the pressure can feel so physical, weighing down on your shoulders and eyelids.
You have lost all confidence in your ability and feel useless. You may be scared to be alone or have suffered a panic attack.
Your biggest fear is that it will never ever end and the thought of suicide may well have crossed your mind, or you may even have attempted it. If you are suffering from depression some of these experiences may strike a chord with you and you may have others of your own to add. When you get that low you may feel in the grip of an illness so great you are powerless to stop it from consuming you, however this hideous soul-destroying experience can be banished and totally annihilated. For some people depression is driven by guilt (if only…), anxiety – founded or unfounded (“What if I get made redundant, fall ill etc”) or for others it can be anger (“If the Hospital treated my mother better, she wouldn’t have died”). Some can be a combination of all 3.
Symptoms of Depression
There are 9 considered symptoms of depression:
1. Depressed Mood
2. Loss of pleasure or interest in usual activities
3. Disturbance of appetite
4. Sleep disturbance
5. Feeling agitated or lethargic
6. Loss of energy
7. Feeling of worthlessness or guilt
8. Difficulties in thinking
9. Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide
The good news is that one of the most effective ways of beating depression is through ‘hypnosis’. Hypnotherapy may help identify the causes and origins of the depression. Once this occurs people often describe it as “a weight being lifted” or a “light going on”. Hypnotherapy can also help you recognise any patterns of negative thinking you may be caught up in and help change them. Hypnotherapy can help you replace old thinking patterns with more useful ones and to understand the impact of your past, to focus on the present in order to work towards the future you desire. The amount of sessions needed can be from 6-12 depending on the severity. There is a free telephone consultation offered up to 20 mins to established how we go forward in helping you.
The fact that depression has increased so strikingly in modern times affecting people of all ages tell us something crucial about depression. It’s not the events in one’s life that affect us but how we perceive them, however there are occasions where trauma is the underlying cause. Sometimes depression has an unexpectedly straight forward explanation and it isn’t the one you might expect. This is because the emotional arousal caused by so much miserable worrying keeps us in our ‘primitive’ brain and prevents you from seeing what is obvious to other people. The good news is that one of the most effective ways of beating depression is through ‘hypnosis’. Hypnotherapy may help identify the causes and origins of the depression. Once this occurs people often describe is as “a weight being lifted” or a “light going on”. Hypnotherapy can also help you recognise any patterns of negative thinking you may be caught up in and help change them. Hypnotherapy can help you replace old thinking patterns with more useful ones and to understand the impact of your past, to focus on the present in order to work towards the future you desire. The amount of sessions needed can be from 6-12 depending on the severity.
People believe that change is very difficult to achieve, but change can be brought about very easily and quickly all it takes is the desire to do it. How-ever it’s maintaining the lasting changes that takes more time and practice.
Changing habits
Do you find yourself asking the question of ‘Why does it always happen to me?’ ‘I regret doing that’(over and over), ‘What if I lose my job/relationship?’, ‘What if I fail?’…..Sound familiar?
Changing mindset
Are you fed up of thinking the same negative thoughts but feel powerless to change them? Do you feel your behaviour is out of control and you would like to change it? I can help you deal with these issues.
IBS
Stress or feeling anxious is a common trigger of IBS symptoms. It’s not always possible to avoid stress but learning how to manage it better can really help. Being stressed or feeling anxious can have a direct impact on your bowels as well as your wellbeing, so managing your stress levels is really important especially if you have IBS. Stress can arise from a perceived or actual event that disturbs the balance between mind, brain, and body and can occur with or without conscious feelings of anxiety, distress, or anger. Stress has been shown to increase motility and sensation of the colon to a greater degree in IBS patients compared to healthy individuals without IBS.
Around half of IBS sufferers say that their symptoms started at around the time of a major life event – like moving house, changing job, or a bereavement. IBS can be debilitating, preventing you from achieving simple tasks such as going shopping or enjoying long walks. It may also be causing you serious discomfort on a regular basis.
Symptoms
Abdominal pain or cramps
Bloating
Change in bowel movements – diarrhoea, constipation or both
Other less common symptoms include
Excess wind and gas
Feeling like you haven’t fully emptied your bowels
Occasional other symptoms like nausea, tiredness, muscle, back or joint pain
But imagine what it would be like to be completely free of IBS. Hypnotherapy can help you break the cycle of pain and anxiety related to IBS, and has done so for thousands of people. Research pioneered by Professor Whorwell, a Gastroenterologist at Wymthenshawe Hospital, shows that hypnotherapy can make significant contribution to the treatment of IBS. Whorwell began investigating the application of hypnotherapy for management of IBS in the 1980s and his research shows that over 60% of IBS sufferers who undertake hypnotherapy see long term improvement, or complete disappearance of symptoms, often with no recurrence.
Hypnotherapy is now acknowledged within the wider medical profession as an evidenced-based therapy that can help reduce the symptoms of IBS, and sometimes alleviate those symptoms entirely. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) also lists hypnotherapy as one of the treatments to help with IBS. We know that IBS can be exacerbated by anxiety or stress, and that the subsequent worry about the IBS can perpetuate the effects. Hypnotherapy can get to the root of the problem, giving you the tools to manage any stress that may be making the IBS worse, and by using positive suggestion increase your confidence in your well-being to reduce sensitivity in your gut.
e telephone consultation offered up to 20 mins to established how we go forward in helping you.
Change Your Life
Increase Confidence and Self Esteem
Increasing Self-Esteem and Confidence
The terms self-esteem and self-confidence are often used interchangeably when referring to how one feels about themselves. Although they are very similar, they are two different concepts. It is important to understand their roles when looking to improve your overall sense of self.
What is Self-Esteem?
Refers to how you feel about yourself overall; how much esteem, positive regard or self-love you have. Self-esteem develops from experiences and situations that have shaped how you view yourself today.
Self-confidence is how you feel about your abilities and can vary from situation to situation. Possessing little self-regard can lead people to become depressed, to fall short of their potential, or to tolerate abusive situations and relationships. Too much self-love, on the other hand, results in an off-putting sense of entitlement and an inability to learn from failures. (It can also be a sign of clinical narcissism.)
Self-esteem is affected by physical ill-health, negative life events such as losing your job or getting divorced, deficient or frustrating relationships, and a general sense of lack of control.
People with long-term low self-esteem generally see the world as a hostile place and themselves as its victim. As a result, they feel reluctant to express and assert themselves, miss out on experiences and opportunities, and feel helpless about changing things. All this merely lowers their self-esteem even further, and they end up getting caught in a downward spiral.
Our self-esteem is instilled in us during our formative years through childhood. Being constantly criticized by family, friends, and society tends to slowly strip us of our feelings of self-worth. Our low self-esteem strips us of the self-confidence to make even the smallest of decisions. Basically, self-esteem is the value you see yourself having in the world. “Am I worthwhile human being?” Answer that question with a yes and the chances are you have pretty high self-esteem. It’s not a quality that changes very much since it is related to a broad sense of personal value or self-worth. If you have high self-esteem at work, you probably have it in other areas of your life too, because this is a reflection of how you see yourself. People with high self-esteem tend to see the universe as a pretty friendly place.
Eradicate Phobias
A phobia is an extreme form of fear or anxiety triggered by a particular situation (such as going outside) or object (such as spiders), even when there is no danger. For example, you may know that it is safe to be out on a balcony in a high-rise block, but feel terrified to go out on it or even enjoy the view from behind the windows inside the building. Likewise, you may know that a spider isn’t poisonous or that it won’t bite you, but this still doesn’t reduce your anxiety.
Many of us have fears about particular objects or situations, and this is perfectly normal. A fear becomes a phobia if it lasts for more than six months, and has a significant impact on how you live your day-to-day life – it stops you living my life, things that other people do without thought become huge ordeals for me.
What are the symptoms of a phobia?
The symptoms of a phobia involve experiencing intense fear and anxiety when faced with the situation or object that you are afraid of. If your phobia is severe, thinking about the object of your phobia can also trigger these symptoms.
Symptoms of a phobia include:
Physical symptoms
feeling unsteady, dizzy, lightheaded or faint
feeling like you are choking
a pounding heart, palpitations or accelerated heart rate
chest pain or tightness in the chest
sweating
hot or cold flushes
shortness of breath or a smothering sensation
nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea
numbness or tingling sensations
trembling or shaking
Other symptoms
feeling out of touch with reality or detached from your body
a fear of fainting
a fear of losing control
a fear of dying
If these symptoms are very intense, they could trigger a panic attack.
What causes phobias?
There doesn’t seem to be one particular cause of phobias, but there are several factors that might play a role:
1. Part of the primitive brain cannot tell the difference between something that is imagined and something that is physically done.
2. Particular incidents or traumas. For example, someone who experiences a lot of turbulence on a plane at a young age might later develop a phobia about flying.
3. Learned responses, picked up in early life. You might develop the same specific phobia as a parent or older sibling. Factors in the family environment, such as parents who are very worried or anxious, can have an effect on the way you cope with anxiety in later life.
4. Responses to panic or fear. If you have a strong reaction, or panic attack, in response to a particular situation or object, and you find this embarrassing or people around you react strongly, this can cause you to develop a more intense anxiety about being in that situation again.
Long-term stress can cause feelings of anxiety and depression, and reduce your ability to cope in particular situations. This can make you feel more fearful or anxious about being in those situations again, and over a long period, could lead to you developing a phobia. Hypnotherapy, NL, Havening can typically eradicate many types of phobias as they are a result of learned behaviour. At least 6 sessions needed for a phobia.
Anxiety
We all experience feelings of anxiety, worry and fear from time to time. These are normal responses to certain situations. For example, you might be worried about an upcoming interview for a job, or that you are unable to pay a bill on time.
What is Anxiety?
We all experience feelings of anxiety, worry and fear from time to time. These are normal responses to certain situations. For example, you might be worried about an upcoming interview for a job, or that you are able to pay a bill on time. If you are in a difficult or dangerous situation, these feelings can help us be aware of the risks and what we should do.
If you have an anxiety disorder, these feelings are more noticeable and difficult to live with. They can make you feel as though things are worse than they might actually be. This can lead to you worrying all or most of the time and can affect your day to day life.
Symptoms of anxiety include:
Feelings of dread, panic or ‘impending doom’
Feeling on edge and being alert to what is going on around you
Difficulties sleeping
Difficulties concentrating
Wanting to escape from the situation you are in
You might also experience physical symptoms, which can include:
Sweating
Heavy and fast breathing
Hot flushes or blushing
Dry mouth
Shaking
Fast heartbeat
Dizziness and fainting
Stomach aches and sickness
Anger
Emotional outbursts
You may feel you are going ‘mad’ or have some sort of biological illness, however nothing can be further from the truth as ‘hypnotherapy can help you to overcome your fears and anxieties, enabling you to walk forward positively and to be your best self. Part of your subconscious mind cannot tell the difference between something you imagine and something you physically do. The ‘what if’ scenario translates to the brain that something bad is going to happen so putting you in a fight/flight mode. This is the brain anticipating something bad happening but it is not actually happening… the projection of fear is into a future that hasn’t happened so its not based on ‘real’ events, however the brain cannot intellectualise this so will just propel you into a physiological change just in case. This is the survival part of the brain keeping you safe and why it can feel fearful and bad.
Hypnosis can help change the way you think and feel with practice.
Gain confidence
Do you often want to do things but don’t feel you have enough confidence to do it? We can learn to deal with the inner critical voicethat tells us that we are not good enough or that we can’t do something
Sports performance
Are fears holding you back such as dropping the ball, fear of missing a goal or shot, or just not feeling good enough to be picked for the team? Maybe you want to relax more, feel more focused or in control?
Self esteem
Being constantly criticised by family, friends, and society tends to slowly strip us of our feelings of self -worth. Our low self- esteem strips us of the self- confidence to make even the smallest of decisions.
Managing Anger
Do you often suffer with angry outbursts you can’t control?
Is your anger irrational?
Is anger affecting you and your relationships at home or at work?
Anger is a primitive biochemical response in our brains and is part of our primitive or ‘chimp’ brain and we have evolved because of it. Anger has a function; without it our species wouldn’t have survived. Our ancestors were living outdoors until a few hundred years ago and weren’t too far away from danger from wild animals and tribesmen. Anger is merely a primitive way of increasing our strength against danger which has helped protect us through evolution today.
Anger is part of our brain closely associated with will and will is directly linked to our spirit. When we talk about someone being ‘high-spirited’ or having lots of spirit we mean that they are alive, energised and motivated. They use healthy aggression to get things done.
Anger drives us to make changes and accomplish things personally and globally. It motivates us to speak up and communicate our feelings, to define our boundaries and protect ourselves from being taken advantage of. Healthy anger gives us a voice.
However, the shadow side of anger is abusive of power, can be cruel, destructive and painful. It can cause a tremendous amount of pain for ourselves and for others who are on the receiving end. Angry people are sometimes not aware of the impact of their aggression on others. Anger can be equally dangerous when it is passive -so much energy goes into keeping the lid on their anger then it is only a matter of time before they explode or become calculating and hostile. Anger is fear based – often as a result of past hurts, self-loathing and feelings of failing or deep insecurities that have not been dealt with.
Hypnotherapy is an effective way to treat anger to enable individuals to express their anger more healthily. Being able to deal with the past so you can go forward more positively and calmly. Sessions include explaining how the brain works and why we get angry. Where anger comes from and how we can be more aware and in control of our angry part of our brain. Hypnotherapy helps you to feel calmer, more in control, letting go of angry outbursts.
Quit smoking
Have you wanted to give up smoking but felt you couldn’t break the habit? Have you tried giving up and felt frustrated when you relapsed back in to the habit? Do you feel that you will have this habit forever? You are not alone, look no further – “Hypnosis patients twice as likely to remain smoke-free after two years”. A study of 71 smokers showed that after a two-year follow up, patients that quit with hypnosis were twice as likely to remain smoke-free than those who quit on their own (Guided health imagery for smoking cessation and long-term abstinence. Wynd, CA. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 2005; 37:3, pages 245-250).
Smoking actually increases stress and anxiety, so when you light up a cigarette to help ‘de-stress’, you are doing the exact opposite. Smoking increases heart rate and interferes with the production of serotonin – the essential neurotransmitter needed for our mental health and wellbeing. It is indeed no wonder that people who smoke throughout their lives are more susceptible to develop anxiety and clinical depression.
Smoking Facts & Figures
Here are some facts about what it can do to you:
1. About 100,000 people die every year in the UK from smoking-related illnesses.
2. Roughly half of all smokers die prematurely due to smoking-related diseases. The life expectancy of a smoker is about 10 years less than that of a non-smoker.
3. Most smoking-related deaths are long and painful, with many unpleasant symptoms.
4. Around 17,000 children under the age of five are admitted to hospital every year because of passive smoking-related illnesses. Smoking related conditions increases your risk of developing a wide range of health ailments and diseases including the following:
Lung cancer – more than 8 in 10 cases of lung cancer are directly related to smoking.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) – again, 8 out of 10 cases of this distressing lung disease are caused by smoking.
Heart disease – considered the UK’s biggest killer, around 1 in 6 cases is caused by smoking.
Other cancers – including mouth, throat, nose, blood, cervix and pancreatic cancer.
Infertility – smoking affects the fertility of men and women, making it harder to conceive.
Gum disease – on top of staining your teeth, smoking can cause premature tooth loss due to gum disease.
The Benefits of Quitting
While all of the above information may make for a scary read, it is important to know that it is never too late to quit. The sooner you stop smoking, the faster your body will recover and your risk of developing life-threatening conditions will decrease.
1. Longer life expectancy:
If you quit smoking by the age of 30, you could increase your life expectancy by 10 years – just think what you could do with that extra decade. Even if you are in your 60s when you decide to quit, you can still add three years onto your life. Not only will you have a longer life if you stop smoking, you should also have fewer health problems, making for a happier, more independent later life.
2. More energy:
Carbon monoxide robs your body of oxygen, and without oxygen your body can’t work properly. When you quit smoking, you will be lowering the carbon monoxide levels in your body allowing your lungs and muscles to work the way they should. More oxygen to the brain will also help you to feel more alert, energised and awake. You should also find you can sleep better without that nicotine in your system.
3. Boosted immune system:
When you smoke, your immune system is lowered making you more susceptible to colds and flu. When you quit smoking your immune system gets a boost, which means you will pick up less illnesses and generally feel healthier all round.
4. More money:
If you have smoked 20 cigarettes a day for 10 years, you will have spent approximately £20,000 on smoking. Every time a craving hit – think about what you could do with that extra money!
5. Better breathing:
Within nine months of quitting smoking, your lung capacity should increase by as much as 10% helping you to do simple things like climb stairs without gasping for breath. You will also get rid of that smoker’s cough, and any breathing difficulties or conditions you have (such as asthma) should be dramatically reduced.
6. Reduced stress levels:
Many smokers reach for a cigarette when they are feeling stressed and while that immediate hit of nicotine after withdrawal may make you feel relaxed at first, in the long term, smoking only increases stress levels. Studies have shown that ex-smokers are less stressed than they were when they were smoking.
7. Younger looking skin:
Smoking prematurely ages the skin, making it dull, dry and prone to wrinkles. When you stop smoking, this effect is reversed as your skin receives the nutrients it needs. This means that in time, you should find your complexion brightens up and any lines you have may appear reduced.
8. Better sense of smell and taste:
The chemicals in cigarettes dull taste buds and affect the way you smell, making food and drink a bit of a bore. Quitting will bring these senses to life again, helping you taste and smell things at a greater intensity.
9. Protected loved ones:
Passive smoking can be as fatal as smoking a cigarette directly, by not smoking around your friends and family you will be reducing their risk of developing smoking related illnesses.
Reduce Stress
Your body’s reaction to arousal can be negative or positive, as you may feel about going on a date or jumping out of a plane or it can be feelings of worry or frustration when multiple competing demands are on you.
Obsession disorders
(OCD) affects people differently. Compulsions arise as a way of trying to reduce or prevent the harm of the obsessive thought. However, this behaviour is either excessive or not realistically connected at all.
Overcoming trauma
Havening can change the way a traumatic memory is held biologically, allowing that memory to become insignificant enough to strange the structure and the way it is held so when you think about it.
Finding meaning
Success in life is no success unless it has meaning …. The search for life’s meaning has provided much philosophical, scientific, theological debate but what it means is the meaning YOU give it.
