some examples of what we treat

Quick links to the sections on this page:
Addiction
Anger Management
Anti Smoking
Anxiety
Assertiveness
Bereavement
Blushing
Bruxism
Confidence
Depression
Eating Disorders
Enuresis
Exam/Test Nerves
Goal Achievement
Habits
Insomnia
IBS
Medical Conditions
Motivation
Nail Biting
Childbirth
Nightmares
Obssessions
Pain Control
Panic Disorder
Phobias
PTSD
Public Speaking
Relationships
Self Esteem
Sports Performance
Stress
Trichotillomania
Weight Management

Disclaimer All content within Achates Therapy website is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor. Achates Therapists are not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by a user based on the content of this website. Always consult your own GP if you're in any way concerned about your medical health.

Addiction is not having control over doing, taking or using something, often to the point where it poses a threat to physical and/or mental health. Addictions are mostly associated with alcohol or drugs, but it's possible to become addicted to anything; gambling, shopping, coffee, fast food, chocolate, sex, computer games and internet/emailing. The list goes on, but whatever the addiction may be, the person cannot control how they use it, or become dependant on it to get through daily life. Some people use substances or indulge in certain behaviours on a regular basis without any problems. Other people however can experience damaging psychological and physical effects, as a habit turns into an addiction. Being unable to control how you use a substance or an activity can also put a lot of strain on relationships with others, and cause problems at work, school or home. Addictions to substances such as alcohol, drugs and nicotine affect our natural brain chemicals and so change the way we feel both mentally and physically which some people enjoy and feel a strong desire to repeat. Being addicted to a substance usually means you're dependent on it to some degree. Not having the substance you enjoy (withdrawal) becomes less pleasant than having it. The more you use it, the more tolerant the body becomes, until you need to use larger and more frequent amounts of the substance to get the same effect. Activities, such as gambling, cause a 'high' on winning, followed by a desire to repeat the success. The expectation of success becomes the driving force and the urge to repeat is established, creating the addictive behaviour that then becomes a regular part of life. There is no single cause of addiction and it can be found across a broad spectrum of society from the unemployed to the rich and famous. Although studies may indicate that children who grow up in homes where there is alcohol or drug abuse may be more likely to develop addictions, this is simply learned behaviour - an inherited 'addition' gene has yet to be discovered. Similarly unemployment, poverty and lack of education can trigger addictions to develop, as can stress and professional or emotional pressure. Often indulging in the addiction can be a short-term way of dealing with and forgetting about difficult issues. How can hypnotherapy help? Hypnotherapy, combined with psychotherapy and cognitive behavioural techniques (CBT) can help on many levels with additions of all types. Through hypnosis, the mind can relax - when in a relaxed state of mind and body, the intensity of the urge to indulge in the addiction is greatly reduced. This then allows for more beneficial and positive behaviours and perspectives to be developed which can be rehearsed through mental imagery and reframing techniques. CBT encourages the development and practice of these new thoughts and alternative behaviours between sessions - stimulating the production and balance of natural brain chemicals (serotonin, noradrenalin and dopamine) thereby alleviating the need for the 'high' provided by the addiction.

^return to top

Anger Management Anger is a natural human emotion that everyone experiences at one time or another. Very mild types of anger can be expressed as distaste, displeasure, or irritation. Anger isn't always a bad thing and it can be a helpful emotion when we need it for survival or to protect other people. It is a normal, healthy reaction to feeling frustrated, criticised or threatened, when people will either become scared or angry in response to these types of situation. This is known as the 'fight or flight' response. It can also be a secondary emotion that comes straight after feeling scared, sad or lonely. However anger can range from feeling normal annoyance to full-blown rage if it isn't handled properly. In these cases it can be very destructive and lead to aggression and physical, mental and emotional abuse. This can be directed at yourself through self-injury, such as cutting yourself or banging your head against a wall. Or it can be directed at other people. Often clouding your thinking and judgement and leading to actions that are unreasonable and/or irrational. Examples of common factors that can make people angry are: losing someone you love (grief) sexual frustration being tired, hungry or in pain physical withdrawal from certain medicines or drugs conditions, like Pre-menstrual Syndrome (PMS). This is shown in many different ways including: sarcastic comments swearing name calling bullying, or physical violence When you are angry, your body releases stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. Your heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature and breathing increase. When your body has to cope with a large amount of stress hormones due to angry outbursts, it may respond by making you ill. Some health conditions that are linked to uncontrolled or unresolved anger are: headaches back ache high blood pressure insomnia skin conditions e.g. eczema digestive disorders e.g. irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) heart attack, or stroke. Unresolved anger can weaken your immune system so that you are more likely to pick up colds, flu's and infections. You will be less able to recover from operations, accidents or major illnesses, if your immune system is weak. Anger also lowers your pain threshold so that you are more sensitive to pain. Alternatively, angry and frustrated feelings may be suppressed (hidden or buried) and this can lead to: anxiety low self esteem depression eating disorders self injury (harming yourself), or misuse of drugs and/or alcohol. How can hypnotherapy can help? Hypnotherapy is one of the most effective ways of putting you back in control. Through relaxation, it prevents the flight/fight response from being triggered (it is impossible to be relaxed and generate adrenalin (anxiety) at the same time). This means that you can face situations and remain in intellectual control rather than being emotionally hi-jacked by an adrenalin driven, emotional mind. A combination of psychotherapy, solution focused brief therapy (SFBT) and cognitive behavioural techniques allows more adaptive and beneficial responses and solutions to be found which are reinforced through the use of hypnosis and mental imagery.

^return to top

Anti Smoking Years ago people smoked because they thought they looked sophisticated or that smoking helped to bring down stress levels. They did not know that they were making themselves seriously ill, probably shortening their lives by around 20 years and that smoking actually increases anxiety levels. Even the actor, who played the cowboy in the well-known Marlboro cigarette adverts, died of lung cancer. This is what they did NOT know then, but what we DO know now: cigarettes contain around 3000 different chemicals including formaldehyde, arsenic, cyanide and carbon monoxide at least 30 of these chemicals give you cancer by the time you reach 60 years, you will have some form of degenerative illness every year, around 114,000 smokers in the UK die as a result of their habit. Since the 1950's, 6 million smokers have died in the UK. On a day to day level, you know its not good to feel breathless, out of condition and coughing more than is normal, or to feel less attractive, smelly, be out of pocket by as much as £2,000 a year and not be in control of your life. On a more serious level, you may suffer from: heart disease, cancers, strokes, diabetes, high blood pressure, emphysema, impaired fertility and impotence, depression and many other illnesses Bear in mind that smoking has at least 50 ways of making you ill and 20 ways of killing you. In the time it takes you to have an anti-smoking double session with a hypnotherapist, 2 more people in the UK will have died as a result of smoking. Most people find it easy to give up smoking and wonder why they ever smoked in the first place. It may have been due to peer pressure when young or not enough informed information but people now know it is not a healthy way of life and can take steps to stop. Remember too that light smokers are just as much at risk - research shows that just one cigarette a day triples your risk of cancer and lung disease. Every single cigarette causes you damage. You need to genuinely want to give up smoking because you will have to work at finding ways to replace that habit with healthier habits, to find healthier ways of relaxing. As soon as you take that first step - deciding to give up smoking - you will be one of the 12 million people in Britain who are now successful ex-smokers. On the positive side, when you stop smoking the body starts to recover quickly and your health starts to improve: within 20 minutes of your last cigarette, blood pressure drops to normal after 8 hours carbon monoxide levels are normal, oxygen levels normal after 24 hours chances of a heart attack decreases, nerve endings start to re-grow, smell and taste improve, skin starts to improve after 72 hours lung capacity increases, energy levels increase after 3 months circulation improves, walking becomes easier, lung function increases by 30% your cough may get worse at first as it clears tar from the lungs. How can hypnotherapy help? Hypnotherapy gives you all the facts and helps to re-programme your subconscious mind so that it knows, as well as your conscious mind, how dangerous smoking is for your health. Once your subconscious knows this, it is easy, as this is the part of your mind responsible for your survival. The New Scientist in America reports that "hypnosis is the most effective way of giving up smoking". All that is needed for you to give up smoking is: Your determination to give up, attendance at ONE two hour hypnotherapy session, and a one off payment of £110. Can you afford not to invest in your health? Its such a short term investment for such a long term benefit.

^return to top

Anxiety It is perfectly normal for people to have temporary feelings of anxiety or worry from time to time. However, some people persistently worry or feel anxious for sustained periods of time which then has a direct effect on their quality of life. Feelings of anxiousness or worry that occur most of the time, have lasted for six months or more and result in feelings of illness and tiredness would indicate a General Anxiety Disorder (GAD). This is excessive anxiety and affects about 1 in 50 people at some time in their life. It often develops in the 20s age range and is more common in women than men. It also occurs frequently alongside other illnesses such as depression or panic disorder. The main symptom of anxiety disorder is persistent worrying, which can stop you from getting on with your life and normal daily activities. You may worry about a lot of different things at once and feel anxious even when there's no particular reason to worry. You can't stop or control these feelings. Common symptoms are: restlessness and difficulty relaxing feeling tired most of the time finding it difficult to concentrate on any one task and a tendency for your mind to go blank feeling irritable most of the time muscle tension, sometimes leading to muscle pains. The tension can also make you feel shaky, and poor sleep (insomnia) - you may have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. Anxiety disorder can also cause physical symptoms. These include: headaches pains in your joints feeling breathless palpitations (when you can feel your heart beating too fast) tightness or pain in your chest sweating flushing nausea stomach pains, and diarrhoea. Physical symptoms alone, however are not indicative of an anxiety disorder and should be checked by your GP for an accurate diagnosis. How can hypnotherapy help? Hypnotherapy can be extremely effective at alleviating excessive anxiety because it promotes physical and mental relaxation and improves sleep patterns. This provides relief from many of the physical symptoms of anxiety which then allows the mind to move into more problem solving, solution-focused mode. Hypnotherapy generally promotes a more positive outlook and this increases the supply of brain chemicals such as serotonin and noradrenaline that regulates our mood and thinking. Levels of these chemicals are often altered by excessive anxiety

^return to top

Assertiveness Please refer to Confidence section.

^return to top

Bereavement is a distressing process, which all of us experience at one time or another. Losing a loved one has a major impact on our lives. In previous eras, death was a more common experience at all ages and was treated much more openly than it is today. We are less likely to encounter death when we are younger, which can make it even more of a shock when it happens, whilst at the same time lessening our opportunities to learn about grief - how we might feel, what we might do, how we might come to terms with our loss. It is normal and natural to mourn the loss of someone important to us. Psychologists say that we go through a cycle of grief or loss, each part of the cycle having it's own particular feelings: denial, anger, depression, acceptance. A person does not necessarily go through all these feelings in a neat cyclical fashion but may dip in and out of them in whatever order is right for them - a succession of feelings which cannot be hurried. The shock of a loved one dying may leave you feeling empty and numb. You many suffer from symptoms like: trembling, nausea, difficulty breathing, muscle weakness, dry mouth, problems sleeping and eating. Feelings of deep sadness and sorrow are natural and sometimes people find themselves thinking or behaving differently from how they usually behave. You may find yourself constantly thinking about the events leading up to the death, experiencing all sorts of mood swings. Depression may set in. The loss may result in a temporary or permanent change in spiritual belief, especially if the loved one is young or the death is unexpected. People can also feel intense anger at the unfairness or untimeliness of the death, or at the feeling that doctors did not do enough, or that events could have been avoided, or that the dead person has left you, or that your plans for your future together won't now come to fruition, or that a child has been robbed of their future. There may be regret about what was said or not said, done or not done. When a person has nursed a loved one for a long period of time, as in Alzheimer's say, it may be that most of the grieving has already been done by the time the loved one dies. Also people often don't realise that grief is just as traumatic for someone having a miscarriage or a still born child. Someone who is grieving may have strange dreams or hallucinations, may lose the desire to socialise for a period, may withdraw from everyone and not participate in their usual activities, not be their usual selves. Eventually for most people there is an acceptance of what has happened but the time taken to reach this point varies considerably with people depending on many things: age, maturity, personality, physical and mental health, ability to cope, culture, spirtual and religious background, family background and life experiences, as well as how prepared they are for the loss. There is no "standard" way of grieving. We are all individuals and have our own particular needs and ways of grieving. In time most people learn to let go of their loved one and start to rebuild their lives without them. Some people, however, may start to grieve and then get stuck. The early sense of shock and disbelief just goes on and on. Years may pass and still the sufferer finds it hard to accept that the person they loved is dead. Others may carry on being unable to think of anything else, sometimes making the room of the dead person into a kind of shrine to their memory. When grief begins to subside, it is often replaced with a sadness that comes when remembering the person. This is a form of recognition that a significant loss has occured which has affected them deeply - that the person is still missed and not forgotten. In a sense you may never finish grieving but in time you will be able to draw comfort from your memories rather than pain. What if you aren't coping? Sometimes the grieving process is especially difficult. Some find it impossible to acknowledge the bereavement at all, which can mean that their feelings aren't worked through properly. This sometimes happens after a miscarriage or abortion. It may also happen if you don't have time to grieve properly, perhaps because of work pressures or if you are looking after your family or perhaps because you feel guilt or regret about something. Some may be unable to move on from their grief, remianing in the numb stages of grief, finding it hard to believe the person is dead, for years. Such difficult grieving can lead to recurring bouts of depression, loss of appetite and even suicidal thoughts. According to MIND (the National Association for Mental Health), you are more likely to have a difficult grieving process if: you are on your own and have inadequate support from family and friends you have unresolved issues with the person who died the death was caused by a particularly difficult event such as a national disaster the person went missing or it isn't clear exactly what happened you are unable to attend the funeral or there isn't one the death is sudden or unexpected the death is a suicide you are responsible to some degree for the death a post-mortem or an inquest is required there is more than one death at once e.g. an accident you are a child or adolescent when your parent or sibling dies you have a miscarriage or your baby is still born you are estranged from a parent or sibling when they die your relationship with the person who died is not legally or socially recognised. How can hypnotherapy help? Firstly, hypnotherapists are very aware that a client may still be experiencing the natural process of grieving, which lasts for different periods for different people, when they seek help. This process must not be interfered with but there are still many ways in which we can help. In the main, we want to help you to get back to normal or what will be your "new normal". We can help you learn how to rebuild your life without your loved one, to adjust to living with your loss so that you can eventually look back and appreciate the positive memories. We can help you accept that you are human and, whilst you may have not done or said all that you wanted to, you did your best. We want to help you to see that you can be happy in the future because of the past, that you can go on and enjoy the gift of life that you still have, whilst appreciating the precious time you had with your loved one. We can help you to express your feelings, which may be easier to do with someone who is not emotionally involved, to help you to come to terms with your loss so that you can go forward in life in control of your grief rather than your grief controlling you.

^return to top

Blushing is a brief reddening of the face, ears and neck, often spreading to the upper part of the chest, and often accompanied by a feeling of heat. The skin contains a network of small blood vessels with tiny muscles in their walls. Normally, these muscles are partly squeezed (contracted). Extreme contraction causes the vessels to close down so that less blood passes through them. This means less blood flows to the skin and it becomes pale or white. Full relaxation of these tiny muscles causes widening (dilatation), and a larger quantity of blood than normal passes through the skin, causing flushing, or blushing. These small muscles in the blood vessels are controlled by the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system is the network of nerves in the body that produce reflex or automatic reactions, that are not consciously controlled. Blushing is usually a natural and involuntary bodily response affected by various factors such as heat and illness. Causes can include: Menopause. Widening of the blood vessels in the face causes the hot flushes of the menopause. In this case, the autonomic system is stimulated because there is not enough production of oestrogen Certain drugs such as tamoxifen can cause blushing Spicy foods, high fever, or exercise. When the body becomes too hot, the brain detects this and tries to bring body temperature back to normal. One of the ways it does this is by opening blood vessels wider, bringing blood to the surface of the skin to be cooled down Sometimes reddening of the skin is caused by a skin condition. For example, the condition acne rosacea is caused by permanent widening of the blood vessels of the skin of the cheeks and nose. It can also affect the eyes Blushing can also be caused by emotions, commonly feelings of embarrassment, guilt, shame or nervousness. When blushing becomes severe, it is known as idiopathic cranio-facial erythema and is common in people who are extremely anxious or self-conscious in social situations. This condition may be diagnosed as social phobia. How can hypnotherapy help? Hypnotherapy can help with blushing when caused by anxiety and/or social phobia. On a physical level, hypnotherapy reduces anxiety levels through promoting a relaxation response. When the body is relaxed the autonomic nervous system remains in homeostasis and therefore not prompted to widen the blood vessels (the cause of blushing) to enable cooling. Hypnotherapy together with psychotherapy increases confidence and self-esteem by altering self-limiting beliefs - incorrect core beliefs about oneself are often the basis of social phobia.

^return to top

Teeth Grinding Please refer to Habits section.

^return to top

Confidence according to the Oxford English Dictionary means being self-assured and feeling or showing self-reliance. Almost everyone needs more confidence and self belief from time to time - either overall, or in certain areas of their life, connected say to work, family or social life. Lack of confidence can impact on an individual's enjoyment of life and can limit their ability to achieve their aims. High expectations from other people - such as family, colleagues and friends - can result in us feeling under pressure which in turn leads to anxiety and lack of confidence. The media, in particular, sets up unrealistic high standards of attractiveness, appearance or attainment which the average person finds impossible to reach yet feels that they should. The good news is that self confidence can be learned and built on. Are we born self-assured and self-reliant? Generally speaking, we are born with a certain type of personality which will be more or less likely to display confident characteristics. Even more influential though, are the range of life experiences and people that we meet that help to boost or dent our confidence. Every experience we have and every person we meet, especially in childhood, can add to, or diminish, our sense of confidence. Why are some of us more confident than others? If we are confident, we have probably had lots of praise and positive feedback throughout our lives which will have encouraged us to try new things, to succeed at them and to improve ourselves, gathering and building new resources all the time. If we are lacking in confidence, perhaps our family, school and childhood experiences have not encouraged us to feel good about ourselves and to try our hand at things, learning as we go, building ourselves an armoury of skills and strengths - perhaps we have been put down a lot, teased, been expected to fail at things, never praised. What sort of life experiences can make us more or less confident? If people or situations ask more of you than you feel you can cope with, then you are likely to feel anxious, stressed and not in control. Being rejected, at work or in one's personal life, or failing at something like an exam, interview or driving test, or losing your job can also make you feel that you are not in control of your life, that someone else is. All these things can knock your confidence. However, if you focus on your strengths, your skills, your successes, the positive aspects of your personality and your general ability to cope with situations (even if you can't change them), you are more likely to be able to 'pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all over again' (in the words of the song) when something goes wrong. Everyone has some control even if it is only over how you respond to situations or people. Is it possible to be confident in some areas of your life but not in others? Yes, some people are confident generally in life whereas others are confident in some areas but not in others such as: in personal relationships - romantic or otherwise at work - with your boss or colleagues or adapting to a new job with your family or when you meet new people or new situations. For example: a successful business person may find it difficult to relate confidently to a partner in a close relationship an actor who can happily perform on stage in front of an audience may be tongue-tied when faced with a stranger at a party an adult who feels perfectly confident with their friends may find it difficult to stop their parents treating them like a child. What can we do to enhance our confidence? If you are aiming to build up your confidence, be clear first of all why you want to build your confidence, what it is you want to achieve. Think of instances when more confidence would be useful to you, think of instances when you could have done with more confidence in the past or when you have done well in the past and why. Then review your strengths, skills and characteristics - in short your resources and learn to focus on them, build then, nurture them and use them more. Remember your successes, no one can take those away from you. Our resources: are there for our use and make us worthwhile and interesting can help us to do well in whatever we choose to do can help us to cope with adversity. People who are confident tend to: minimise their weaknesses and maximise their strengths have a go at things, learning what they can improve practise until they become good at things. We can help ourselves in other ways too, such as pretending to be confident even if we don't feel it: adopting a confident posture, standing up straight, head up, smiling, making eye contact, speaking clearly, listening with interest to other people. In time, this will come naturally and you will feel more confident. Thoughts, feelings and behaviour can dramatically affect our confidence: Consider the thinking and behavioural patterns you have formed as a result of your past. Think about how they have affected your life. Have they helped you or held you back? Do you need to change? Although we cannot change our past, we can learn from it. We can change the way we respond to our past and we can change the way we do things in the future. Remember that your thoughts affect your feelings which in turn affect your behaviour. If your thoughts are negative then you will feel negative and behave in a negative way, setting up a negative cycle. If your thoughts are positive, then your feelings and behaviour will become more positive. For example: When facing a challenge - perhaps being up against a tight deadline - you will feel much more confident if your thoughts are useful and focused on your strengths. You can think: "I'll never make the deadline, I haven't done this sort of project work before, my work is not good enough, there isn't enough time." Or you can think: "I'll keep calm, I have most of the skills needed to do this, I'll do the best I can in the time available to me." Clearly the second approach is more likely to make you feel in control, confident and able to reach your goal. There are many different ways of thinking negatively which will affect your levels of confidence such as: over dramatising, over generalising, seeing things in black and white, having negative post mortems, negative forecasting, getting things out of proportion, focusing on the negative aspects of any situation. Rising to a challenge or being successful at something develops your confidence and creates the feel-good chemicals in your brain which in turn motivate you further. But it is worth remembering that everyone experiences failure or rejection from time to time. Even if you are confident, it does not mean that you will succeed at everything. In a sense, it is better to try something and fail and learn from it, than never to have tried something new. As your confidence grows you are likely to become more assertive - confident enough to state your views, opinions and needs to others without becoming overly emotional or upset. How can hypnotherapy help? It can help you unlock that vital resource - confidence - and get you back on track: achieving your goals, reviewing your strengths and weaknesses, learning from your failures, extending your reach. We can help you to set realistic but challenging goals, starting small and building up, encouraging you to celebrate your successses. We will also help you to become more positive generally and specifically, improving your thinking patterns so that you use your intellectual brain more by accessing your subconscious emotional brain and unlocking the negative habits of a lifetime. We will show you how to relax and become less stressed, teaching you techniques such as relaxation breathing and self hypnosis.

^return to top

Depression is a serious illness. Health professionals use the terms 'depression', 'depressive illness' or 'clinical depression' to refer to something very different from the common experience of feeling miserable, or fed up, for a short period of time. Some facts: If you are depressed, you may have feelings of extreme sadness that can last for a long time. These feelings are severe enough to interfere with your daily life, and usually last for weeks, or months, rather than days. Depression is quite a common condition, and about 15% of people will have a bout of severe depression at some point in their lives. The exact number of people with depression is hard to estimate because many people do not get help, or are not formally diagnosed with the condition. However, David Nutt, Professor of Psychophamacology at the University of Bristol has said: "Every year depression affects 600 million people worldwide, more than any other condition except heart disease. Of these, only approximately half make a full recovery given current drugs". Most of the 5,000 suicides committed each year in the UK are linked to depression. On average, 15% of people with recurrent depression (repeated attacks) have an increased risk of suicide. Women are twice as likely to suffer from depression as men, although men are far more likely to commit suicide. This may be because men are more reluctant to seek help for depression. Depression can affect people of any age, including children. Studies have shown that 2% of teenagers in the UK, are affected by depression. People with a family history of depression are more likely to experience depression themselves. Depression affects people in many different ways and can cause a wide variety of physical, psychological (mental) and social symptoms. What is depression? Doctors describe depression in the following three ways: by how serious it is - if it is mild, it is likely to have some impact on your daily life, if it is moderate, it is likely to have significant impact on your daily life and, if it is severe, daily activities may be almost impossible. by physical symptoms - if you have depression, you will probably have one or two (or maybe more) physical (somatic) symptoms, such as tiredness or a loss of appetite. by psychotic symptoms - if you have depression, you may also have psychotic symptoms, such as hallucinations, or delusions. However, these symptoms do not affect everyone with depression. A few people still think that depression is 'not a real illness', and that it is some sort of 'weakness', or admission of failure. This is simply not true. Depression is a real illness with real effects, and it is certainly not a sign of failure. In fact, famous leaders, such as Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln and Mahatma Gandhi, all experienced bouts of depression. How can hypnotherapy help? Although a serious illness, those suffering from depression will invariably be fuelling the cycle of depression with continued negative thinking, negative projections and dysfunctional thought patterns. Those suffering from depression are unable to rationalise correctly or to see things as they actually are. Instead they tend to catastrophise which leads to a continued sense of hopelessness and despair. Hypnotherapy allows the mind to relax, thereby providing a release from this negative mindset and at the same time, allowing more positive and beneficial thoughts and behaviours to be considered and mentally rehearsed. In combination with psychotherapy and cognitive behaviour techniques, more adaptive responses and beneficial behaviours are encouraged, which, over a period of time, provide the motivation and belief that generates change to the negative belief system.

^return to top

Eating Disorders are a common problem, yet they often go unnoticed, undiagnosed or untreated. Many myths surround eating disorders, the most popular being that they only affect young women and can be easily dealt with. They are characterised by an abnormal attitude towards food, difficulty controlling how much is eaten, and making unhealthy choices about food that damage the body. While its true that eating disorders are most common in teenage girls, 10% of cases affect men, and it's not uncommon for the problem to develop in middle age. Eating disorders are often blamed on social pressure to be thin, as young people in particular feel they should look a certain way. However, the causes are usually more complex, and often indicative of underlying anxiety and negative self-belief systems. Subsequently food can be used to cope with feelings of boredom, anxiety, anger, loneliness or guilt. Controlling what is eaten can become a way of controlling difficult emotions or coping with painful situations. Often those with eating disorders will have low self-esteem, with many feeling that they are not 'good enough' or not 'normal' which they blame on being too fat. However the eating disorder maintains this low self-esteem and inability to cope by creating feelings of guilt, shame and abnormality and so the cycle is self-fuelling. There are three main types of eating disorder: Anorexia Nervosa means 'loss of appetite for nervous reasons'. However, this is misleading because people with anorexia nervosa may have a normal appetite, but drastically control their eating so as not to satisfy their appetite. People with anorexia do not wish to starve themselves to death, but they may deny the seriousness of a very low body weight. Due to an intense fear of gaining weight, restrictive dieting, use of laxatives and diuretics and intense exercise programmes are adopted as a means of weight/body shape control. Anorexia nervosa often starts between the ages of 15 and 25, but it can develop in children as young as 10 and in older people. Although 90% of those who develop anorexia are women, the condition also affects men. Anorexia nervosa is found in all social groups and almost all cultural groups. It is difficult to estimate how widespread anorexia nervosa is, but surveys suggest that 1% of young girls (age 15-25) have the condition. Bulimia Nervosa - is an eating disorder marked by cycles of binge eating of excessive quantities of food, followed by purging using self-induced vomiting, laxatives or diuretics. In some cases a person with bulimia may use fasting or excessive exercise to counteract their binge eating. If you have bulimia nervosa you are likely to be preoccupied with food. You may have episodes when you crave food and eat large amounts of food in secret. The most common foods to binge on are sweet, high-calorie foods, such as ice cream, cakes, chocolate and biscuits. It is thought that bulimia nervosa is a physical way of responding to depression, stress, or self-esteem issues. You may feel it protects you from experiencing feelings and emotions that have become distressing and hard to bear. Bulimia may give you a short-lived feeling of control and calm, but the strategy soon becomes destructive as you begin to feel guilty, disgusted and out of control. The cycle of bingeing on food and then purging maintains the severity of the condition, which can come to dominate all your emotional experience. Sometimes, other problems may be present in association with bulimia, including drug abuse, alcohol abuse, self-harm, shoplifting and promiscuity. In some cases, bulimia may be preceded by a brief period of anorexia nervosa and the person's weight may remain low. It is difficult to find accurate statistics about bulimia nervosa as it often goes undiagnosed and untreated. The incidence is usually put at 0.5-1% of young women, but the true incidence may be higher. Over 85% of reported cases of bulimia occur in girls in their late teens and early twenties. However, approximately 10% of people with the condition are men. Binge Eating is characterised by a sense of having lost control over eating. People with the disorder may find themselves eating large quantities of food even when not hungry, usually in a short period of time. This is accompanied by feelings of guilt or disgust at the perception of having consumed so much. The self-loathing binge eaters feel when they overeat, highlights underlying psychological issues, which are often both a cause and an effect of the disorder. Binge eaters often eat until they are uncomfortably full, and in this sense is similar to bulimia nervosa, but binge eaters do not purge themselves afterwards although they feel ashamed of their behaviour whether overweight or not. Binge eating is a psychological disorder, but it is also triggered by the effect that overeating has on the body. Binge eating causes a surge of blood glucose, which stimulates the pancreas into producing insulin - a hormone naturally produced by the body to regulate the amount of glucose in the blood. This means that after the initial high, blood sugar levels actually fall rapidly, which sends a false message to the brain that we need more food in order to top up glucose levels. Cravings for sugary foods that will provide a quick glucose fix continue, and binge eaters may therefore consume large quantities of food even when not hungry. How can hypnotherapy help? Hypnotherapy can help with all types of eating disorder by changing the underlying psychological drivers that fuel them. This allows the disruptive cycles to be broken and encourages a healthier attitude to food. It allows people to operate from their intellectual (rational) mind rather than their emotional mind. Our hypnotherapy sessions are solution-focussed so they enable the client to develop real and effective 'control' in their lives rather than the pseudo sense of control perceived from inappropriate food regulation. Hypnotherapy increases self-worth, self-esteem and confidence - leaving the guilt, shame and low self-esteem associated with eating disorders firmly in the past.

^return to top

Bed Wetting Please refer to Habits section.

^return to top

Exam/Test/Driving Nerves : Exams and tests are just a means to measure one's ability against set standards whether for GCSE's, A levels, University degrees, vocational training, practical assessments or driving tests. We often first experience some sort of external assessment as children, encouraged into an array of different activities be it swimming, gymnastics, ballet, music, football, cycling, cubs, scouts, brownies, guides etc obtaining our various badges and certificates as we progress. No doubt a very useful tool in preparing us for things to come, though not unsurprisingly as the importance of the test increases, so can anxiety levels. Pressure can build from an early age from school children needing to do well so they can attend their first choice of secondary school, doing well at GCSE and A level so they can attend University, getting a good degree to be attractive to potential employers and sometimes the need to pass internal company assessments/exams in order to gain promotion. Often a process that continues well into adulthood so most people can easily identify with exam nerves; sweaty palms, racing heart, butterflies, shaking hands, lack of sleep, nausea, dry mouth, general anxiousness. This is a perfectly natural process, our body experiencing the release of adrenaline as our flight/fight response is triggered, signifying that we are about to undertake something important and that our attention is needed. For those who are generally confident and motivated and have belief in their own ability, this adrenaline release is interpreted as excitement (adrenaline is what we experience on a rollercoaster ride for example) and the exam viewed as a challenge, an opportunity to do well and succeed. With a different belief set however, adrenaline will fuel anxiety which then overcomes our ability to think, it clouds our judgement, our head can feel fuzzy and we struggle to remember answers, facts and figures. If undergoing some sort of physical test, e.g. an oral test, playing a musical instrument, a driving test or sporting activity, then stress and tension in the body can affect our breathing, it can make us feel uncoordinated, our movements become uncontrolled, inflexible and lack fluidity. When this happens, we are never able to perform to our best ability and of course, the worst case scenario is that we fail the exam or test. We can then experience many negative emotions, dissappointment, upset, anger, self-criticism. This negativity fuels anxiety so the subconscious mind will see the exam situation as something fearful and to be avoided at all costs so even just the thought of taking tests/exams will automatically trigger the flight/fight response resulting in intense anxiety and panic. In a society that places a lot of importance on exam results, if extreme anxiety makes you avoid taking them or unable to perform to your best ability, then this can severely affect your future options and choice of career. Probably not because you have failed to gain the necessary grade or particular exam because there are many paths to success but because it fuels an underlying belief that tells you that you are a failure or that you won't succeed anyway. How can hypnotherapy help? Hypnotherapy can help on many levels. Firstly it reduces anxiety and when our anxiety is kept in check the flight/fight response is not triggered so, although we may feel slightly nervous, our subconscious mind interprets this as excitement and anticipation rather than a fearful situation. This allows you to enter the exam environment feeling relaxed and calm rather than with anxiety and dread. Secondly hypnotherapy increases confidence and motivation leading up to the exam/s. This combined with a reduction in anxiety, means that study and revision time is far more effective and beneficial because the mind remains clear, retaining the ability to focus and concentrate. With a positive attitude, a relaxed and calm approach and a clear and focussed mind, you can readily access your knowledge and utilise your skills enabling you to perform to your highest ability.

^return to top

Goal Achievement It is natural part of the human condition to seek to achieve - we derive reward and pleasure from it and this provides our motivation to repeat our success. Adults often sow the seeds of expectation in young children when they ask them 'what do you want to be when you grow up?' And, however fanciful the reply, they respond with suitable encouragement allowing the belief to develop that one day, they will achieve something. How 'lucky' do you need to be? Why does it seem relatively easy for some people to achieve success and yet for many others it just doesn't seem to happen? How big a part does good fortune play - being in the right place at the right time, meeting the right people, getting that 'lucky' break? Luck is just a matter of random chance of course and not a determining factor in success. Although many successful people often attribute part of their success to luck, a closer look often shows how they have been instrumental in creating those opportunities. "Success is a matter of luck. If you want proof, ask any failure". Earl Wilson (1907-1987) What is 'success'? Success is a matter of design, not a matter of luck. We all create our own blueprint for success when we set goals and plan ways to achieve them. Success is often synonymous with other things such as monetary wealth, fame, freedom or perhaps being loved. You can have any of these things however and still feel unsuccessful if they are not accompanied by happiness and fulfilment. Success is best defined as the realisation of your goals, both personal and professional. Wealth, fame and many other trappings are simply by-products created by the achievement of those goals. Goal setting A successful person will know what they want out of life and what they want to achieve. They will have a clear definition of what success will look like to them not a vague concept or sums of money they might like to have in the bank. Rather a clearly defined goal that they've reached, or are still heading for, a very specific objective, the realisation of which will create the desired satisfaction. The ability to clearly define a goal is part of what makes winners succeed. Winners have the same opportunities and disappointments as the less successful. They don't however, let setbacks dent their confidence or their motivation; they see them as opportunities in disguise, as chances to bolster their resolve to succeed. What distinguishes long-term winners is the way they think, and their attitude. And those are the only two things in life that everyone has absolute control over. Whatever your blueprint for success, it is within the realms of the achievable, provided it is within the realms of the possible. To succeed in achieving your goals you need to create a realistic vision, make a real commitment, have unfaltering self-belief, feel a passion for what you are aiming for and an expectation that you will accomplish. Fundamentally, those who achieve have belief, those who don't rely on luck and hope. Expectation and belief are always prerequisites to success. How can Hypnotherapy help? Hypnotherapy combined with psychotherapy can overcome limiting self belief that prevents success because it fuels negativity, self-doubt and procrastination. Hypnosis is an excellent way to locate the emotional states and attitudes that block commitment and self belief and replace them with a positive mindset that underpins the confidence, motivation, and expectation required to achieve goals. It allows you to take back control and realign towards your goal and what you wish to achieve. Some of the benefits are: A positive mindset A clear, open and focused mind Motivation and expectation to succeed Persistence and perseverance An ability to problem solve and find solutions Increased self-belief Expectation of success

^return to top

Habits can generally be described as pleasurable indulgence in recurrent behaviours and rituals. Developing habits are part of human nature as it is normal for us to display tendencies towards certain actions and practices. Often we consider them part of our individual personality, being 'just the way we are' or 'the way we prefer to do things'. However, when the pleasure and satisfaction received from the habitual behaviour is out-weighed by negative effects, the habit becomes self-destructive or self-mutilating. Although most people will be aware when their habit is harmful, the pleasure seeking part of the mind will still actively encourage it. When this pleasure seeking centre is dominant, the tendency is to play-down or ignore the damaging effects, creating a state of denial. It is fairly common to be in denial with a 'bad' habit because the negative effects are rarely life-threatening. Habits are not addictions or obsessions and even though many addictions and obsessions start from habits, denial keeps the belief system from recognising or acknowledging this. The result can be that people find it difficult to give up their habit, or if they do, they keep going back to it. There are many different habits from the commonplace to the more unusual. Some borne from not 'unlearning' a behaviour from infancy (e.g. thumb sucking), or from childhood (e.g. nail biting) to those developed as adults (e.g. caffeine, alcohol and nicotine). They all, however, provide continued pleasure or comfort, whether engaged in consciously or subconsciously. People will often seek help to overcome their habit when: it is occurring too often and imposing on daily life it occurs at inappropriate times the habit or the result of the habit causes embarrassment they feel they have lost self-control it becomes upsetting or annoying to family and friends it is detrimental to physical health and wellbeing it undermines self confidence and self esteem they feel they lack the required willpower to overcome it. Many habits are merely an over indulgence in common activities or practise, occurring more regularly than normal or sensible but not yet to addictive or obsessive levels; They can include such as things as: alcohol bruxism (teeth grinding) caffeine chewing gum cracking knuckles chocolate computer games/internet use enuresis (bed wetting) fidgeting gambling junk foods lip biting nail biting overspending procrastination throat clearing/coughing thumb sucking (in older children) trichotillomania (hair pulling) working too hard How can hypnotherapy help? Hypnotherapy is very effective at breaking unwanted habits and behaviours. During hypnosis we use a de-sensitising technique that dissociates the sensation of pleasure or comfort from the activity by moving the template (memory) from the amygdale to the neocortex regions of the brain. Once removed from the emotional/pleasure seeking mind the urges and cravings are no longer produced and self control over the habit is regained. Cognitive behaviour techniques and psychotherapy is also used in conjunction with hypnotherapy to uncover the psychological drivers that help maintain the habit so more adaptive and beneficial ways of satisfying these needs can be found.

^return to top

Insomnia is the disturbance of a normal sleep pattern. For example, when you cannot get to sleep or wake up after only a few hours sleep. Sleep is a state of consciousnesses, which gives your body time to rest and recouperate. While you are asleep, your body goes through different stages at approximately 90 minute cycles. These include light sleep, deep sleep and dreaming, also known as rapid eye movement (REM). Difficulties with sleep can appear in a variety of ways: difficulty getting to sleep (sleep onset insomnia). This is most common in young people. waking in the night (frequent nocturnal awakening) - most common in older people. waking early in the morning - the least common type of sleep disturbance. not feeling refreshed after sleep. You may have trouble functioning normally during the day, feel irritable, tired, and find it difficult to concentrate. waking when you have been disturbed from sleep by pain or noise. Insomnia can last for days, months or even years and can be split into three categories: transient insomnia lasts for 2-3 days. short-term insomnia lasts for more than a few days but less than 3 weeks. chronic insomnia can be defined as insomnia most nights for 3 weeks or longer. Chronic insomnia can lead to mental health problems such as depression, or misuse of alcohol or other medicines in order to gain sleep. Every individual is different so, it is hard to define what normal sleep is for you. other factors include your age, lifestyle, diet and environment. Adults usually need, on average, 7 to 9 hours sleep a night. As we get older, it's normal to need less sleep. Most people over 70 need less than 6 hours sleep per night; and they tend to be light sleepers. It is important to know that nearly everyone has problems sleeping at some time or other and it is thought that a third of people in the UK have bouts of insomnia. The common underlying causes of insomnia can be split into a number of categories. Physical conditions include: restless leg syndrome coughing arthritis, headaches and back pain hot flushes (due to the menopause) head injury gastrointestinal disorders, e.g. GORD and ulcers pruritus (excessive itching), and Parkinson's disease. Disruptions within the sleeping environment can include: noise light snoring partner moving about jet lag activities before bedtime, like reading or exercise. If you are a night or shift worker, your job can disturb your ability to sleep properly as your natural body clock will be affected. This is because your body is designed to release awake chemicals when there is daylight and sleepy chemicals when it gets dark. Psychological reasons such as: bereavement relationship problems exam stress work worries, and anxieties about being unable to sleep. Other illnesses, such as: depression dementia, or anxiety. Medicines or other substances such as: alcohol antidepressants appetite suppressants decongestants thyroid hormones beta-blockers and corticosteroids. Sleep disorders can also affect you getting a good night's sleep including: narcolepsy - this condition causes extreme tiredness and you can fall asleep at any time of the day without being able to control it. sleepwalking - getting out of bed and moving around in your sleep, for example, walking, opening doors and climbing up and down stairs. sleep apnoea - a disorder in which you have irregular breathing at night and are extremely sleepy during the day. sleep starts/muscle jerks or a sensation of falling when you are just going off to sleep. Nightmares are also a cause and an effect of disturbed sleep patterns. They are anxiety dreams occurring during the REM sleep state typically including elements such as inescapable terror, horror, fear of falling or drowning, pain and/or death either to oneself or to others. These dreams are not real of course, whether they depict certain events or circumstances or are completely random. The subconscious mind however believes they are and that very real danger is imminent. It subsequently triggers the fight/flight response and the limbic system responds by producing adrenalin resulting in night sweats, palpitations and increased anxiety. The sufferer then wakes suddenly in a state of distress. Most people will have experienced these sort of dreams from time to time but when they become recurrent they can be very stressful leading to a fear of going to sleep, restless sleep and tiredness during the day. How can hypnotherapy help? Hypnotherapy is very effective for sleep disorders. The state of hypnosis replicates the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) cycle of our sleep pattern. The REM state is our natural coping mechanism for anxiety. It is during the REM state that we dream, either metaphorically or directly, and the way our subconscious mind processes and deals with events that still have an emotional content. If they are not dealt with (because of poor quality sleep) then the result is a build up of anxiety that further exacerbates the lack of quality sleep. By reducing anxiety, hypnotherapy breaks this negative cycle and reinstates the correct balance of deep wave and REM sleep cycles.

^return to top

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a chronic disorder, featuring repeated abdominal pain and occasional diarrhoea, often alternating with constipation, rapid transit of food with frequent bowel motions, a sense of fullness (bloating), abdominal tenderness and swelling, an awareness of the bowel action and often headache and anxiety. This disorder most commonly affects people between the ages of 20 and 30 and is twice as common in women as in men. IBS is very common the incidence (frequency) of the condition in the general population is estimated to lie somewhere between 10 and 20 per cent. The true incidence may be higher than this, because it is thought that many people with IBS symptoms do not seek medical advice. The precise cause of irritable bowel syndrome is unknown. The condition often begins during a period of emotional stress and symptoms worsen in stressful situations. Up to 60 per cent of people with the syndrome have psychological symptoms such as anxiety and depression, though the disorder sometimes develops after a gastrointestinal infection. An increased sensitivity or intolerance to certain foods may also contribute. The pain is usually felt in one of the four corners of the abdomen, especially the lower left corner. It is sometimes brought on by eating, and is often relieved by going to the toilet. The stools are often ribbon-like or pellet-like and may contain mucus. Often, soon after a meal, there is extreme and embarrassing urgency to empty the bowels. Other symptoms include: burping bad breath excessive gas production headache tiredness nausea, and a sense of incomplete emptying after going to the toilet. It is essential that you seek advice from your GP if you suffer from IBS. How can hypnotherapy help? Hypnotherapy is a complementary technique that works by lowering anxiety and stress levels and increasing the body's ability to relax. By learning self-hypnosis techniques, you are able to effectively manage your stress levels on a day-to-day basis that can then lessen the symptoms of IBS.

^return to top

Medical Conditions It is well known that medical conditions can be exacerbated and/or prolonged by stress and anxiety. Of course it is natural to worry and be concerned when faced with long-term illness or recurrent conditions. However this anxiousness has a negative and detrimental effect, increasing mental stress and putting further strain on the immune system. Hypnotherapy cannot cure medical conditions directly but can aid recovery and help prevent relapse by alleviating underlying anxiety. When free from this extra stress, the physical processes necessary for the body to recuperate and regenerate are positively activated. The body then has the best chance to achieve its optimum state of health and well-being to whatever degree and level physically possible. Potentially any medical condition can be worsened by stress and anxiety, some more commonly recognised to be so include: Allergies Alopecia (hair loss) Aspergers Syndrome Asthma Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Eczema Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Fibromyalgia Migraine Myalgic Encephalopathy (ME) Post-natal Depression Stammering/Stuttering Stomach Ulcer Tinnitus Post Viral Fatigue Syndrome (PVFS) All medical conditions must be diagnosed by a GP who should be consulted before undertaking a course of hypnotherapy.

^return to top

Motivation is WHY you desire something. It is not what you desire or how you desire something but the reasons behind why you want to do what you want to do. For example, if you were motivated to run your own business as a hypnotherapist, this might be because: you want more flexibility in your life to work the hours that suit you more autonomy in making your own decisions and more interest so that you gain fulfillment from your work So although sometimes for some people, wanting to run their own business might be because they think they will make a lot of money, for many other people this is not enough, there needs to be a deeper psychological desire to keep them going when the going gets tough - a drive or incentive (motivation) which helps them overcome adversity. How can hypnotherapy help? Hypnotherapy can help you to examine and increase your motivation and achieve what you want to achieve by working on improving your self belief and confidence in yourself. It will also help you to de-clutter your mind and see things more clearly as you learn to think more calmly about your plans or desires for the future.

^return to top

Nail Biting Please refer to Habits section.

^return to top

Childbirth and the pregnancy leading up to it, can be a relaxing and fulfilling experience. It is the beginning of a new life for the child and for the parents and siblings. The phrase "natural childbirth" can mean many things to many people. To some it means no pain relief, to others it means having a baby at home but to us it simply means that we help you to be relaxed and calm during the pregnancy and childbirth so that you can get the most out of the experience. You are still in control and you still make all the decisions. In many parts of the world natural childbirth is unheard of. This is because people see childbirth as natural and, therefore, there is no reason to see it any other way - its normal, its straightforward, its an every day event. It is common for the woman to be "up and about" very quickly after the birth because this is what she expects to do. Often what we expect is what happens. Whilst western civilisation has made tremendous medical and technological advances, we have, nevertheless, built into our expectations the idea that childbirth may be lengthy and extremely painful. Reinforcing this idea of course are the thousands of images of traumatic births depicted on our screens regularly, complete with copious amounts of hot water and towels! As I said, what we expect tends to happen, so it is hardly surprising that our expectations bring fear and anxiety which lead to a vicious circle of: Fear ... tension ... pain ... Fear ... tension ... pain ... Fear ... tension ... pain ... and so on This negative cycle can leave the mother feeling anxious before the birth and this, in turn, affects her feelings and experiences during the birth and even after the birth. She may suffer from pre-natal depression and may find herself feeling exhausted and "shell shocked afterwards. It doesn't have to be like that! Research has been conducted by pioneers such as Dick-Read, Lamaze and Platonov that show that pregnancy and childbirth can be a far more comfortable experience when the mother is relaxed and calm and feels she is in control as far as she can be. She is then able to deal with contractions more calmly which in itself will set up a more positive cycle of feelings. How can hypnotherapy help? We can help by: teaching you how to relax giving you a relaxation cd to guide you during relaxation sessions teaching you self hypnosis encouraging you to have positive expectations helping you to remain calm and in control even if events take an unexpected turn, as occasionally they do helping you to deal with any other anxieties and to sleep better increasing the liklihood of using less drugs during childbirth probably shortening the first stage of labour because you are more relaxed increasing the liklihood of a better milk supply if you intend to breastfeed A calm mum usually means a calm baby and that is what we set out to achieve. If you are more relaxed, you are likely to have more energy and be more in control. At Achates Therapy we are trained to use hypnosis for pregnancy and childbirth. We can offer you a 4 session course which will help you to relax, eliminate many of your fears and anxieties and neutralise any past birth traumas. All of this will help to make the birth of your baby a far more pleasant and comfortable experience. A course can be run with the "mum to be" or with both "parents to be" or we can run a course for up to 4 sets of expectant parents. This can be a fun way of learning and costs a little less per couple, as well as being a good way of making friends of other mums to be.

^return to top

Nightmares Please refer to Insomnia section.

^return to top

Obsessions are persistent and intrusive thoughts, impulses or images which we find difficult to stop. They often revolve around ourselves or our loved ones and tend to be fuelled by anxiety or fear. Added to this, as a result of these thoughts/images, we are often driven to behave in a particular way in order to reduce the inner anxiety - these behaviours or rituals are known as compulsions. Obsessions can cause marked anxiety or distress and drain one's energy. The obsessive thoughts or images commonly revolve around areas such as: contamination/cleanliness (e.g. dirt, germs, chemicals etc.) orderliness/symmetry checking aggression (e.g. harming a loved one) hoarding sexual religious moral Compulsions, repetitive behaviours or mental acts that the person feels driven to perform in response to an obsession, are aimed at preventing or reducing distress or preventing some dreaded event or situation. For example, people may: repeatedly wash their hands, wipe kitchen surfaces for hours arrange cutlery, furniture or fridge contents etc. in a certain way repeatedly check whether appliances are unplugged repeat journeys over and over to check whether they have knocked someone down collect piles of useless objects like newspapers which take over the room count for hours on end in a certain way repeat certain words in a certain order silently complete tasks over and over again, starting again if interrupted Occasionally people can be obsessive without the compulsions or may change their rituals at some point so that an adolescent hand washer may become an adult checker. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is an anxiety disorder which contains both these elements and which can cause a range of difficulties which dominate people's lives. It affects behaviours, thoughts and emotions. Apart from their particular fears, sufferers are, nevertheless, in touch with reaility in all other areas of their lives. People often say that they feel trapped in a loop between obsessions and compulsions. A frightening thought enters their mind "I am contaminated". As a result, they feel compelled to clean, check or perform some ritual to reduce such thoughts and feelings. However, this is not satisfying however much they do it, so they become trapped in ever increasing cycles of obsessions and compulsions. It is worth mentioning that compulsive eating, gambling and sexual behaviours are not considered kinds of OCD however, because the individual gets some sort of pleasure from these behaviours or addictions. People with OCD ALWAYS hate the actions and thoughts which control them. For a person who has OCD it is not easy to "rationally" stop doing these things. The sufferer knows his ritual of counting up in sevens for seven minutes before he goes to bed, for example, doesn't make sense but when trapped in the loop, it can feel like his/her life, or someone else's, depends on performing these rituals. In short an OCD sufferer's life is a life ruled by anxiety. Anxiety itself can be characterised by physical symptoms such as: fast heartbeat, fast breathing, feeling jittery, edgy, sick, trembling etc. and symptoms of thinking which include excessive worrying, planning and apprehension. Anxiety is an essential part of being human, a survival mechanism for when we think we are in danger, yet it can become too intense, occur too easily and occur when it does not need to, when it is not relevant. Anxiety disorders and many types of depression are generally the result of life experiences that have made us feel afraid and unable to cope. Often it is not the result of one single frightening episode (with the exception of some forms of PTSD), it is more likely to develop from general living situations which involve such things as: constantly being put down, being ridiculed, being made to feel ashamed or stupid, made to feel guilty and made to feel worthless. Of course, people who don't suffer from OCD, check things regularly, whether they have turned the gas off or locked the car. People's lives are very busy, their minds may be elsewhere and they can't remember if they have completed the task. The average person might check every night that all the doors and windows are locked to deter burglars. An OCD sufferer might check everything is locked securely 100 times every night. It is when these kind of checks get out of hand, severely disrupting normal life and interfering with daily functioning, that they are classed as OCD. It is normal to have the odd intrusive unwelcome thought but most of us can forget it. Anyone can suffer from OCD. Medical studies indicate that as many as 2% of the population have the disorder, often secretly, as they do not want others to think that they are mad. In fact, because of the secrecy, the numbers may be higher. So you are not alone if you have this problem, there are many others and it exists in most cultures. It is not certain what causes OCD but it is thought that there is a genetic element, that it might be linked to other illnesses such as depression or agoraphobia and that certain brain chemicals, such as serotonin, might be involved. It can start at any age, children suffer from it, and early life experiences or periods of stress may be involved such as: pregnancy, birth of a child, leaving home, increased responsibilities, health problems, bereavement, money worries. The Obsessive Personality Research has found that people with OCD often have certain personality traits such as: neuroticism - anxious and keen to avoid dangerous situations impulsivity - a tendency to engage in activities that bring instant gratification responsibility - an exaggerated sense of responsibility for their actions indecisiveness - a tendency to take time in making decisions perfectionism - a need to get everything right Some people see OCD sufferers as the ultimate perfectionists - they sometimes expect their families to be perfect too! How can hypnotherapy help? Hypnotherapists can help by teaching the client to relax and use self hypnosis. They will also help them to reduce their levels of anxiety so that they gain more control over themselves and their lives. It is also thought that cognitive behaviour therapy is a very useful tool in re-educating the client's thought processes. Thought processes dictate our feelings which dictate our behaviours - so it all begins with our thought processes. Combining both therapies proves to be a powerful and successful approach. But remember this problem may have taken years to develop. It won't be dealt with in a couple of weeks, it may take a few months. Medics often prescribe medications such as anti-depressants to calm the brain but this alone does not deal with the cause of the symptoms.

^return to top

Pain of any type or duration should be assessed and treated by your doctor before visiting a hypnotherapist for help. Pain is the body's mechanism for letting us know that something is wrong. It is part of our survival techniques, urging us to find out why we are in pain and, if possible, to put it right. Pain warns us immediately to move our hand away from a flame or a sharp object. Some children are born with illnesses which don't allow them to feel pain when they have damaged themselves, thus making their survival precarious. There are many different types of pain, different levels of pain and different reasons for pain. Hypnotherapy can be effective in helping to relieve and control pain from post-operative pain to headaches to joint pain. Clients often say that they feel no pain whilst completely relaxed during hypnotherapy showing that relaxation is an important aspect of managing pain. It is natural to hold a painful part of the body rigid and still, or to hold our whole selves tense when in pain. Most pain has some muscle tension component, so relaxing is an important aspect of pain management. Stress and pain can become a vicious cycle. Pain causes stress and stress causes pain which causes more stress which causes more pain. Also when a person is in pain, worrying thoughts can lead to stress chemicals circulating around the brain which in turn leads to more tension and stress which again exacerbates the pain. Whether the pain is short term, long term or intermittent, we help clients manage in a variety of ways. Whilst one cannot necessarily cure the pain, we can help clients learn how to cope and manage it. Sources of pain might be: chronic pain pain due to surgery pain due to injury, illness or disease Factors that affect the degree of pain might be: your emotions your previous experiences or associations with pain your personality characteristics your interpretation, what pain signifies to you. Suffering chronic or severe pain will affect a person's whole life, causing loss of appetite, depression and sleep problems amongst other things. The result of this might be that the person loses their job, their relationships, their financial stability - all areas which create further stress and exacerbate the pain. Chronic pain can cause feelings of helplessness, frustration and fear. Research People forget that prior to the discovery of anaesthetics, hypnotherapy was widely used in the medical world for operations, childbirth and dentistry. It is completely natural and has only beneficial side effects. More recently, researchers at Stanford University Medical School showed how hypnotherapy helped children cope with painful health examinations. In a study of 45 children facing uncomfortable tests to check if urine was backing up into the kidneys, Professor David Speigel, a psychiatrist at Stanford, saw less crying and less distress in the children who had hypnotherapy. He also said the technicians said the procedure was easier to perform on those children and the duration of the operation was cut from 50 minutes to 35 minutes. There is also growing evidence that hypnobirthing - helping women to relax in childbirth - works. At the University of Florida, Professor Paul Schaubel and his colleagues showed how women who learnt self-hypnosis before giving birth needed less medication, had fewer complications and were more likely to deliver healthier babies. They also suffered less stress and anxiety in the weeks before the birth. A paper in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute concludes that hypnosis can help with operations. Dr Guy Montgomery recruited 200 women to receive either 15 minutes of hypnotherapy or a conversation with a psychologist before their surgery. The women undergoing hypnotherapy were given suggestions for relaxation, pleasant mental images and instructions on how to use hypnosis themselves. Patients who had received hypnotherapy needed less anaesthetic than the others, reported less pain, nausea, fatigue and emotional distress after the operation. Hypnotherapy is gaining credence within the medical profession as a safe, natural and helpful practice in a wide range of situations. How can hypnotherapy help? We can help by teaching clients breathing, relaxation and self hypnosis techniques which can be used as and when they wish to relieve and control the pain and tension. Each client receives their own relaxation cd. The client at least feels that they have some control over their situation. Imagery is used during hypnotherapy sessions to relax the client and take them into another more peaceful world of experience. The relief from pain gained from the experience, especially if it is regular, can help to build up reserves of energy which will help the client deal with their situation better. We also employ techniques to help to desensitise the pain, to dissociate from the pain and to distract from the pain. When a person is deeply absorbed in something else, the pain recedes or diminishes. Sports people and actors often perform admirably when ill or injured, focusing on the task in hand and putting aside their pain until later when they can deal with it. In some instances, if the pain is severe and/or chronic, we help the client come to terms with the reality of their situation exploring what can be done to help alleviate the pain and the stress. There are many people suffering degrees of pain daily and it can help to know that one is not alone in that suffering. We help clients focus on how they want their lives to be, what they feel they could achieve with effort and how they can improve their lives. If appropriate, we might encourage the client to engage in some physical activity (with their doctor's approval) in order to gradually increase their strength and endurance. We may use cognitive behavioural therapy to change the way clients see their pain and their lives, to change their negative cycles of thinking to more positive ones. All these aspects may mean that the client needs less medication to cope and subsequently experiences a reduction in associated side effects - which also helps overall.

^return to top

Panic Attacks A panic attack is a sudden rush of overwhelming fear that comes often without warning and without any obvious reason. Intense anxiety may develop between attacks because of their unpredictable nature. This persistent fear is a symptom of panic disorder. A panic attack is a common symptom of many anxiety disorders. A panic attack can be very frightening but is not dangerous. The symptoms often include a sense of unreality, feelings of impending doom or fear of dying. Panic attacks arise most commonly between the ages of 15 and 25, but it can develop at any age. Twice as many women as men are affected by panic disorder. At least 1 in 10 people have occasional panic attacks. Incidence of chronic panic disorder is approximately 2%. Without treatment panic disorder and panic attacks may lead to phobias, depression or substance abuse. When recurrent panic attacks become associated with the places in which they occur they are known as triggered panic attacks. Agoraphobia may develop as these situations are actively avoided. When panic attacks happen anywhere and at anytime they are known as spontaneous. General symptoms include several of the following: dizziness or feeling faint palpitations, increased heart rate sweating, trembling or shaking difficulty breathing feeling of choking or nausea chest pain/chest tightness numbness or tingling sensations chills or hot flushes feelings of unreality and detachment fear of losing control fear of dying, and a sense of great danger and an urge to escape. The symptoms of a panic attack can last anywhere from several seconds to about ten minutes. Occasionally the symptoms come in 'waves' for up to 2 hours. It is not known what triggers an inappropriate flight/fight response in some people. They may be a connection with major life changes, for example going to college, getting married etc. Some studies also suggest that panic disorder tends to run in families, though this could be due to environmental influence as much as genetics, resulting in an inappropriate learned response to the physiological symptoms of anxiety where normal feelings of anxiety are interpreted as critical or disastrous. Other suggestions are that there is a biochemical cause, in which there are abnormalities in neurotransmitters (chemical messengers in the brain) that trigger an inappropriate response to danger. How can hypnotherapy help? Hypnotherapy can help both triggered and spontaneous panic attacks. Hypnosis induces physical and mental relaxation and when the body is relaxed the flight/fight response is not triggered. When the panic situation is viewed from this calm state of mind, the subconscious is able to assess and to re-evaluate its previous automatic response pattern and to adopt a more positive reaction. In effect, the subconscious no longer views the situation as 'dangerous' so emotional hi-jacking doesn't take place, the flight/fight response is not triggered and you can remain in rational (intellectual) control.

^return to top

Phobias A phobia can be defined as a constant, extreme or irrational fear that is excessive and disproportionate to the situation. Some phobias are more commonplace than others relating to certain objects, animals/ insects or situations, however it is possible to develop a phobia about virtually anything. A phobia can be distinguished from an intense dislike when you have an overwhelming need to avoid any contact with the specific cause of the anxiety or fear. Coming into contact, or even the thought of coming into contact with the cause of the phobia, makes you anxious or panic. The phobia becomes problematic when it makes it very hard to lead a normal life. Phobias often develop in late childhood, adolescence, or early adult life in response to a frightening event or situation though a simple phobia such as spiders, is often learnt from a parent or close relative or friend. Phobias are divided into two types: Simple phobias This type is about a single object, situation, or activity. Common examples are a fear of insects, heights, snakes, enclosed spaces, dentists or flying. If you have a simple phobia you might react with mild anxiety or even with panic when confronted with the prospect of facing the source of your fear. Complex Phobias Agoraphobia is an example of a complex phobia. It involves several anxieties, including fear of entering shops, crowds, and public places, or of travelling in trains, buses, or planes. It also includes anxiety of being unable to immediately escape to a place of safety; usually home. Social phobia is another complex phobia. Social phobia is a fear of social e.g. a wedding, or performance situations e.g. public speaking. Those with a social phobia have a fear of embarrassing themselves or of being humiliated in public. If you have a social phobia, the thought of being in public or appearing at social events will make you extremely anxious and frightened. It's because these types of situations make you feel vulnerable. Avoiding meeting people in social situations, including parties or eating in restaurants are typical signs of social phobia. In extreme cases, some people are too afraid to leave their home. 1 to 2 % of men and women have a social phobia and it is usually linked to low self-esteem and fear of criticism. Paruresis (also known as 'bashful bladder' syndrome) is another type of social phobia. This anxiety disorder means being unable to use public toilets or urinate when others are nearby. It can make it hard to do normal activities, for example, going to work, social events or taking holidays. Paruresis can start at any age and seems to affect men more than women. Although a phobia is not described as an illness, the thought of coming into contact, or the actual contact with your feared object, place or situation can lead to anxiety and panic attacks. The physical symptoms that can result include: shaking feeling confused or disorientated rapid heart beats dry mouth intense sweating difficulty breathing feeling sick (nausea) dizziness, and chest pain. In extreme cases, especially if you have a complex phobia, you may experience the above symptoms as well as: a fear of losing control a fear of fainting, or a fear of dying. The symptoms of social phobias are very similar but also include blushing, trembling or an urgent need to visit the toilet. The most common factor of a phobia is the need to avoid the animal, object, place or situation at all costs. How can hypnotherapy help? Hypnotherapy is very successful at treating phobias of all kinds. When confronted with the thought of or the sight of the phobia, the sufferer becomes 'emotionally hijacked' in that they are unable to use logical thought to rationalise the fear created by the subconscious mind. Hypnotherapy works at the subconscious level to disassociate the fear response from the source (the phobia) which prevents the flight/fight response being triggered. You are then able to apply logical reasoning and to remain in physical control.

^return to top

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a psychological and physical condition that can be caused by extremely frightening or distressing events. PTSD can occur after experiencing or witnessing traumatic events such as military combat, natural disasters, serious accidents, terrorist attacks, violent deaths, personal assaults including rape, and other situations in which the person felt extreme fear, horror or helplessness. Many people develop PTSD because someone close to them died suddenly (around 40%). Around 30% of people exposed to such a stressful event will develop PTSD although PTSD can affect anyone. It is reasonably common, affecting around 5% of men and 10% of women some time in their life. It can happen at any age, including in childhood. An individual with PTSD often relives the experience through nightmares and flashbacks, has problems with concentrating and sleeping, with feelings of isolation and detachment from life. These symptoms can be lasting and severe enough to significantly impair the person's daily life. PTSD has been called shell shock or battle fatigue syndrome, because it first came to prominence in the First World War with soldiers' memories of the trenches. It has only recently been recognised that traumatic events outside the war situation can have similar effects. The term post-traumatic stress disorder was first used after the Vietnam War and formalised in 1980 with its inclusion in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders developed by the American Psychiatric Association. Most people who are exposed to a traumatic event, experience some of the symptoms of PTSD. However in most cases the symptoms disappear in the days and the weeks following exposure. Symptoms of PTSD can include: flashbacks, nightmares, or frightening thoughts, especially when exposed to anything reminiscent of the traumatic event, sweating and shaking, avoidance of reminders of the event and a refusal to discuss the experience, numbness and feelings of estrangement or detachment from others, inability to remember aspects of the traumatic event, decreased interest in life, increased consciousness of ones own mortality, flight/fight syndrome, problems with concentration, problems with sleeping, irritability or outbursts of anger, hyper-vigilance and alertness to possible danger, increased startle reaction re-experiencing the traumatic event, feelings of guilt, long term behavioural effects, alcohol abuse, drug dependency, failed relationships/divorce, severe depression, anxiety disorders or phobias, chronic illness headaches, stomach upsets, dizziness, chest pain and general aches and pains, together with a weakened immune system, and employment problems. PTSD often involves periods of symptom remission followed by an increase of symptoms. However some people will experience severe and unremitting symptoms. It is not yet completely understood why certain people develop PTSD after a traumatic experience, and others do not. However, there are some risk factors which seem to make PTSD more likely to happen to some people. For example, if you have already had depression or anxiety, or you have not had a lot of support from family or friends, you are more susceptible to the condition. How can hypnotherapy help? Hypnotherapy can be an effective treatment for PTSD through it's ability to reduce stress levels. Studies have shown that people with PTSD have abnormal levels of hormones involved in their response to stress. People in danger normally produce natural opiates. These chemicals trigger a reaction in the body when put under extreme stress or into a fight or flight situation. They deaden the senses and dull the pain. It has been found that people with PTSD continue to produce high levels when there is no danger. This may cause them to have feelings of detachment and blunted emotions. We use de-sensitisation methods which helps prevent the memory of the traumatic event from producing excessive amounts of the body's stress hormones.

^return to top

Public Speaking tends to be one of our most common fears. So why is this? It doesn't make sense, no one is going to hurt or harm us. What are we frightened of, what do we think is going to happen? People say things like: "I know I'm going to fail" "I won't be able to answer questions" "Everyone will think I'm stupid if I make a mistake" Well if you do think along these lines, then you have already failed! Its much better to get control of yourself, prepare well and minimise the possibilities for things going wrong. Imagine how good you would feel and what you could achieve if: you had confidence in yourself you were motivated to do well you were determined to have a go you wanted to keep improving each time you gave a speech Before we talk about how hypnotherapy can help you achieve your aims, here are some practical, commonsense things that you can do to help improve your speech and thus your confidence: gather together all the information you need to give your talk decide how much, what format and what information you are going to include tailor your talk to suit your audience's current level of knowledge think about the environment (will you stand up, sit down, move around, have a lectern) decide if you are going to talk from memory or use aids such as cards with bullet points work on timing Working on all these points will help you to feel more in control of yourself and the situation. The following ideas will add further to your sense of confidence and ease: you will often know more about the subject than your audience, or they would be up there instead of you in the main your audience is willing you to do well, they are not waiting for you to make a mistake, make a fool of yourself or fail miserably, so make eye contact with as many people as possible and get them onside play to your strengths - for example include humour if you are good at it but not otherwise practise, become familiar with your speech and with the sound of your voice as in buying a house its "location, location, location" in public speaking its "preparation, preparation, preparation" accept that this skill, like every other skill in life, improves with practice - the more you do it, the better you become, you can't expect to be brilliant the first time be aware that you may not be able to answer all the questions, its fine to throw the question back to the audience or commit to find out the answer and let them know later How can hypnotherapy help? As well as all the above which you can practise and build on, there are several other important ways in which hypnotherapy can help you: we might check out if there are any incidents in your past which have affected your confidence in this area and then help you to deal with this memory we might teach you some breathing and self talk techniques to help to calm you so that your mind remains clear throughout and you don't panic at any point we might teach you how to visualise the event, imagine it more positively we will help you to focus on the task in hand we will help you to become more aware of your inner resources, we all have strengths and successes in our past that we often choose to ignore, preferring to focus on our failures But remember everyone is individual, so we cannot say exactly what we will do. All we can say is that we will help you to improve your confidence and motivation, lower your anxieties and get the feel-good chemicals like seratonin circulating around your brain. This means that you will be in intellectual control of yourself so that you can do well in your speech, unimpaired by demotivating negative emotions, and in fact this will have a knock-on effect and improve your performance in many other areas of your life.

^return to top

Relationship Problems are complex. Our relationships with parents, siblings, partners, children, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, colleagues are all full of possibilities for harmony and pleasure or discord and upset. Clients often visit hypnotherapists because of relationship problems. Sometimes their problem relates to a current issue or sometimes it goes back earlier in life to a relationship which is still affecting them. People become trapped in negative emotions relating to relationships, constantly repeating cycles of thinking and behaviour such as: guilt, anger, fear, hate, loss, rejection, unworthiness, loneliness, abandonment, resentment, jealousy, pain, sadness, failure, depression, possessiveness, betrayal, insecurity and many more. They simply can't find a way out of it. And that is where we come in, we can help you find your way. It is true to say that if you think and behave in the way you always have, nothing in your life will change - and someone or something needs to change. Now may be the right time for you to explore new possibilities, new ways of thinking and behaving in your relationships, so that you think and do things differently, more positively. It might be that we work through feelings that a client has about a family member who has died before conflict was resolved because the feelings are still causing problems; or it might be that an incident in childhood, such as abuse, is affecting current relationships; or it might be that a beloved child is suddenly causing issues in the family that weren't there before; or that a partner does not treat us how we want to be treated or behaves inexplicably but we are unable to communicate this to them. There are a myriad of reasons why people have relationship problems and poor communication is often behind them. We all have the resources to sort out our relationship problems. In fact, we all know deep down what needs to be done to resolve them. It might be that a hypnotherapist will help you to discover what you really want, how you want to be and how you want your relationships to change and develop. Sometimes making one small change can change the dynamics of a relationship so that your partner responds to you differently so that you then respond to him/her differently and so on and so forth. Clients need to be aware when they seek help that sometimes undergoing therapy results in them deciding to end an unsatisfying relationship which may be something they have avoided to date. Or it may mean that they recognise that they have done all they can to resolve a conflict. If you change but your partner does not, because they have issues of their own, you may end up sorting yourself out but not the relationship. One of the things which theorists say (such as Maslow - Hierarchy of needs) is that people need fulfilling and intimate relationships to feel happy and content. So it is no wonder that difficult relationships can cause problems and unhappiness. How can hypnotherapy help? We help clients to see their problems more clearly, gaining new perspectives, exploring all the possibilities for solving their issues, analysing the things they can and can't do to resolve their concerns, working out how they want their lives to go forward, visualising how their lives will be. We may need to work on building self esteem or confidence so that the client increases their feelings of self worth and are more able to make the necessary changes. People spend lots of time and energy trying to change other people but we can't change other people. What we can do is change ourselves and/or change how we react to events and people, concentrating our time and energy on what we can influence rather than what we can't. We encourage clients to think positively, to take control of themselves and to proactively direct their lives rather than allowing their lives to direct them. We might use cognitive behavioural therapy to change negative thinking patterns. We teach clients to relax regularly so that their minds rest and recharge and they feel more calm. When you are calm, you are in control. Hypnotherapy allows the release of any negative feelings that are being held inside. The therapy sessions provide a safe, secure environment where clients can talk freely about their feelings with someone who is not emotionally involved. So many clients comment that they don't feel listened to in their relationships which they find very frustrating. An added bonus, which stems from sorting out relationship problems, is that when a client gains control over their thinking, they gain more control in the rest of their lives too. You are likely to end up with more control over say: your weight, your smoking or your anxieties!

^return to top

Self Esteem means what exactly? A lot of people think it means confidence but although confidence is a part of the picture, self esteem is rather more than just confidence. Many people appear to be confident, able to project a good image of themselves, yet are quite insecure within themselves. In brief, it means appreciating your own sense of worth and importance. The level of self esteem that you have tends to determine how well you cope with the challenges of life. The root of the word is Latin and means to estimate - so it is how you estimate yourself. Do I think I am a good person, do I deserve to be liked or loved, will I be able to achieve what I want to achieve? If you have good self esteem, then you appreciate yourself and recognise your own personal worth. This means that you are more positive, value yourself, are aware of your inner resources and see yourself as competent, well able to deal with a wide range of situations or people. You are more likely to be in control of yourself and your life and you feel you are the equal of others rather than inferior to them. Clearly, if you have low self esteem, you have much less of all these qualities and are not getting the most out of your life. Our level of self esteem is drawn from the whole of our lives to date. It develops and evolves as we build an image of ourselves drawn from: our childhood, schooling, career, experiences in life, our achievements, our relationships with others (family, friends, colleagues, authority figures, anyone we meet). It blossoms or withers depending on how much we nurture it - rather like nurturing or ignoring plants in our garden. For example, if during childhood you were listened to regularly, praised, given affection and people's time, experienced success, had good reliable friends, then you probably wouldn't be reading this write-up about low self esteem. If, however, as a child you were criticised a lot, yelled at regularly, put down, ignored, teased, ridiculed, expected to be nothing less than perfect all the time, told YOU were a failure, then your self esteem will have been badly dented - and we can all see why. Low self esteem can: create anxiety, stress, loneliness, depression cause problems in relationships impair academic and job performance lead to underachievement and dependence on drink or drugs. We refer to people as having good self esteem generally or in one particular area. People who have a good level of self esteem tend to be confident in their abilities, gain satisfaction from acting on their plans and decisions, are good at resolving problems and conflicts and communicate well. If, for example, a woman chose to become an airline pilot - going against the generally accepted norms for women - or a man choose to become a nurse, this requires a high level of belief in themselves and their capabilities which will help them deal with any prejudice they encounter, make the right decisions for themselves and maintain their positions despite negativity from others. Research has also identified that not only are people with good self esteem more likely to achieve but that they are also more likely to be able to deal with any difficult times they encounter. How can you improve your level of self esteem? first realise that you are not alone, there are millions more like you out there secondly accept that you are UNIQUE and therefore deserve to feel better about yourself and do well. There has never been another human being exactly like you in the past, nor in the present and nor will there be in the future (unless you are an identical twin), so you see you are special, you are 1 in 6 billion every human being must accept that they will make mistakes from time to time, learn from them and move on to do better next time each of us has the right to our own views and feelings and to voice them as necessary remember if you think you are rubbish, others might too, they take their lead from you take time out regularly, to relax and just BE, to be tranquil, to daydream, to focus on you keep a list of all the good things in your life and add to it respect your needs, take physical exercise, sleep well, eat and drink healthily have satisfying hobbies, nurture good relationships, plan for the future, treat yourself try to be more positive, research shows that positive people live longer than negative ones: For example - instead of thinking: "My presentation was all right but I should have been faster, slicker, funnier. I should not have made those mistakes, I bet they think I'm stupid" Think: "My presentation went pretty well. I managed to get all the information across in a calm and reassuring way and they asked lots of interesting questions. Perhaps next time, I'll spend a bit more time making the graphics more creative" How can hypnotherapy help? Hypnotherapy can help you change that inner critical voice to a more positive, encouraging one. It can also help you to relax, be more aware of your resources and capabilities and build your confidence. At the same time your mind will become clearer and your perspective on life will change and you see, perhaps for the first time, that you are a worthwhile person with a lot to offer, perfectly capable of doing what you want to do, being who you want to be. We will help you to take control of yourself calmly instead of allowing negative emotions to dominate your life.

^return to top

Sports Performance A great many top sports people have turned to sports psychologists and hypnosis realizing that the difference between an average and a great performance is all in the mind. Today top golfers such as Tiger Woods and Ernie Else openly extol the benefits and there are many others, cricketers, Olympic athletes and entire football teams, that, collectively or individually, use it to help them unleash their true potential. Professional sports people are of course, constantly striving to reach and maintain their optimum performance level - always seeking 'the edge' that puts them ahead of their competitors making the difference between 'winner' and 'runner up'. Many sports professionals therefore see sports psychology as a vital investment in achieving the level of excellence required. The majority of us who enjoy sport as a hobby will, of course, not be under the same kind of pressure to perform as the professional though we can still be passionate about our sport and invest a lot of time and effort into it. The reward for this time and effort is immense satisfaction, enjoyment and sense of achievement which we naturally seek to repeat by continued participation and development. However, it can become very frustrating for all sports performers, both amateur and professional when you find that: you start to perform poorly you struggle to repeat your best performance it's no longer enjoyable, satisfying or rewarding you feel deflated rather than elated you constantly perform under your ability you might let down or loose your place in the team The professional wanting to retain or progress their career will obviously need to sort out their game fairly rapidly to prevent them becoming a 'has been', a second rate player or an 'also ran'. The amateur on the other hand could choose to give up their sport or simply try something else. However sport is often so much more than just physical activity, we make our friends though it, it becomes part of our social life and the way we interact with our local community. In addition physical activity produces serotonin, a neurotransmitter or natural chemical in our brain responsible for our motivation and for providing us with that feel good factor. We are not going to want to give that up so easily. How can hypnotherapy help Whether seeking excellence or just wanting to get out of the doldrums, or both, hypnotherapy can be an extremely effective tool. It works at many levels and enables the correct balance to be found between the subconscious and conscious minds. This balance is vital for any sport because it allows the fluidity, flexibility and mobility of the muscles and body (controlled subconsciously) combined with focus, concentration, motivation and intelligence (controlled consciously). Hypnotherapy restores the self-belief that is easily damaged by continued poor performance increasing confidence and motivation. When genuine enthusiasm and a positive attitude return this easily and naturally provides the commitment and discipline needed for training and playing. We also use visualisation, a key element in creating muscle memory when the subconscious mind can practice the perfect movement, stoke, shot, kick, etc that can then be reproduced effortlessly. Other benefits include: a clear mind that can be both relaxed and focused the ability to shut out distractions, negative thoughts, nagging doubts and concerns a state of mind where you are in complete control the ability to perform under pressure (often the single largest factor in winning) an open mind that can learn and absorb new skills improved mental attitude and approach that allows development of a winning strategy speed, endurance, flexibility, fluidity, motivation and focus being able to make the right decision even in the midst of confusion the opportunity to perform to your highest level and to fulfil your true potential.

^return to top

Stress can be defined as the way you feel when you're under too much pressure. Research suggests that a moderate amount of pressure can be positive, making us more alert, helping to keep us motivated and making us perform better. However, too much pressure, or prolonged pressure, can lead to stress. Stress can cause illness and lead to physical and emotional problems. Research has shown that around 12 million adults see their GP with mental health problems each year. Most of these have anxiety and depression, much of it stress-related. All sorts of situations can cause stress. The most common involve work, money matters and relationships with partners, children or other family members. Stress may be caused either by major upheavals and life events such as divorce, unemployment, moving house and bereavement, or by a series of minor irritations such as feeling undervalued at work or dealing with difficult children. Sometimes there are no obvious causes. Stress causes physical changes in your body as the 'fight or flight' chemicals which prepare your body for an emergency, are released. Adrenaline and noradrenaline raise your blood pressure, increase the rate at which your heart beats and increase the rate at which you perspire. They can also reduce blood flow to your skin and reduce your stomach activity. Cortisol releases fat and sugar into your system (but also reduces the efficiency of your immune system). Unfortunately, when there is no emergency or you cannot 'fight' or 'run away' e.g. if you are stuck in a busy office, dealing with difficult people or on an overcrowded train, you cannot use the chemicals appropriately that your own body has produced to protect you. Over time these chemicals and the changes they produce can damage your physical and mental health resulting in various pains and symptoms such as: chest pains, palpitations constant tiredness constipation or diarrhoea cramps or muscle spasms craving for food dizziness, fainting spells lack of appetite nail biting nausea indigestion frequent crying nervous twitches or muscle spasms pins and needles restlessness sleeping problems and increased perspiration. When you are stressed you may also behave differently. For example, you may become withdrawn, indecisive or inflexible. You may not be able to sleep properly. You may be irritable or tearful all the time. There may be a change in your sexual habits, and even if you were previously mild-mannered you may suddenly become verbally or physically aggressive. You may seek relief through inappropriate use of substances such as alcohol or drugs. Long term exposure to stress can lead to high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes and impotence. How can hypnotherapy help? Prolonged stress can lead to many different feelings, including anxiety, fear, anger, frustration and depression. These feelings can themselves produce physical symptoms, making you feel so unwell that you then worry that you have some serious physical condition making you even more stressed. Hypnotherapy is extremely effective for stress because it helps to break this cycle by increasing the body's natural relaxation response. It is physically impossible to be anxious and relaxed at the same time, in that, when you are relaxed you are not producing the stress hormone, cortisol or the flight/flight chemicals, adrenalin and noradrenalin which promote the feelings of stress. A combination of CBT (cognitive behaviour therapy) and solution-focussed therapy are used in conjunction with hypnotherapy to help create a less-stressful life-style, either through more positive thought processes and/or altered behaviour patterns.

^return to top

Trichotillomania Please refer to Habits section.

^return to top

Weight Management is a common reason for visiting a hypnotherapist nowadays. The media constantly discusses the idea that Britain is on the verge of an obesity epidemic and there is evidence for that in the shape of the number of overweight people walking around our towns today. Scientists are not certain if an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise are the only reasons for this or whether there are other factors involved. However, since we do know that an unhealthy diet and a lack of, or not enough, exercise do contribute to a person being overweight, we can work on these areas and make a big difference. People who are overweight are simply: eating too much food not eating the right foods not having the right portions not eating at the right times not eating a varied enough diet drinking too much alcohol or sweet drinks not taking enough regular exercise In other words - TAKING IN MORE CALORIES THAN ARE BEING USED UP - it is as simple as that. A combination of reviewing and changing all these things will help you to lose weight, steadily and surely. It is preferable that you change these habits for life rather than just seeking to look good for a wedding or a holiday. Most of the clients we see for weight loss have attended slimming clubs in some shape or form in the past, often several, and have endured a constant cycle of putting on and losing weight - 'yo yo' dieting. Estimates show that at any time one in three of us is on a diet. Clearly, these quick fix diets work in the short term, but we want to encourage you to aim long term, aim life. It is important at the outset that you accept that you are responsible for your weight gain and that it is YOU who has to be determined, who has to have self discipline, who has to cut their calories and increase their exercise. We cannot be your fairy godmother. We cannot wave a magic wand and make you lose weight, just like that. YOU HAVE TO DO IT, WE HELP. Its also a good idea to discuss your weight loss plans with your GP before embarking on heavy weight loss. Let's consider some of the benefits of losing weight: you will be slimmer you will be more energetic you will be able to do more things you will be healthier you will live longer you will feel more attractive you will feel better about yourself other people won't discriminate against you Healthy habits which you can employ are: eat a varied diet eat modest portions eat when you are hungry stop when you are full eat slowly enjoy the colour, texture, visual aspects of food find out which food groups are good for you and which are not pay attention when eating, make it an occasion, not just something you do whilst watching TV eat more at the beginning of the day, tailing off towards the evening drink a lot of water cut down on alcohol take regular exercise Losing weight can often be about doing lots of small things constantly - not eating that biscuit for example - rather than starving yourself all the time. It can be hard to change the habits of a lifetime and this is why hypnotherapy is successful because we can access that stubborn subconscious of yours and help you to change your unhealthy habits permanently. This must be combined with a calorie controlled diet. Experts say that the average person puts on 1lb in weight over Christmas. This doesn't sound much but we don't lose it apparently and over 20 years say, this adds up to an extra 20 lbs in weight. Many people don't realise that they actually eat to appease emotional hunger, to gain comfort and that they are not hungry for food at that particular time but are hungry for something else, such as the company of friends or more relaxation time. Changing the role food and drink play in your life is essential. Helping you to become aware of when this is happening to you, when you are using food as a comfort blanket and what you can do about it, is all part of the way in which a hypnotherapist can help you. If you grab a chocolate eclair when you feel stressed, its a bit like having a small panic attack, its a bit like your mind saying I don't feel good, I need food, when in fact you need something else entirely! Losing weight, helping you to regain your confidence and sense of attractiveness will enable you to feel better about yourself generally and achieve more of your goals. Like a ripple in a pond, one small subtle change can reach out and affect the way you do other things. Focus on a combination of sensible eating and exercise for sustainable and gradual weight loss as part of a healthy lifestyle. Food: Eat the best quality food you can afford, as fresh as possible and avoid processed food. Watch your portions and eat regularly. Don't use food as an emotional crutch. Recognise the times that you tend to eat when you are not hungry - when you are bored, angry, upset, anxious, stressed or lonely. Identify these triggers and when you feel them coming on, do something else, something more appropriate - phone a friend if you are on your own, have a relaxing bath if you are feeling stressed, exercise if you are frustrated or upset. Food is not the answer. Exercise: You can achieve results by engaging in several small regular exercise sessions, say 30 minutes 3-5 times per week - find something you enjoy and don't see as a duty. You are more likely to stick with it. Try to factor it in as part of your normal day. Increasing your exercise levels will have other benefits too. You will; become fitter be healthier have more energy feel better about yourself be focused on something other than food be more fulfilled when having success Set yourself clear achievable, realistic goals with timescales - 2lbs each week say. Allow yourself a treat, not food or drink, when you reach a short term goal, for example a massage. How can hypnotherapy help? Hypnotherapy can help you identify the unconscious patterns and attitudes to food and drink which you are stuck in and change them to healthier habits and beliefs. This means that you will find it easier to stick to your new way of eating and drinking and have a more positive view of your body and how you want it to be. We can help you to take better control of yourself by using your intellectual brain more and not allowing your emotional subconscious mind to dominate your thoughts. This in turn will increase your mental strength, discipline and determination. At the same time we will teach you relaxation techniques and self hypnosis so that you can maintain a relaxed and calm approach to life because when you are calm, you are in control. It may take anything from 6 - 12 sessions depending on how much weight you need to lose and what other problems you might need to address. Often lack of self confidence is a factor in weight gain. You will be given a relaxation cd which will help you to relax in your own time and keep your levels of stress down so that you are more in control.

^return to top