Case studies

Successful Hypnotherapy since 1991 - Call Now 07946 732057

	About Me
	Case Studies
	Articles
	Stop Smoking
	Healthy Weight
	Fear of Flying
	Public Speaking
	Nailbiting
	Anxiety
	Other Treatments
	Fees
	Sitemap

Vincent – Stop Smoking

We all have our habits, some are good and some are bad. The problem with the bad habits in life is that they are so difficult to break. We form pleasurable associations around our habits which in turn provokes the pleasure centres in our brain. When it comes to smoking, you can add to this the dependence created by nicotine which also activates the pleasure sensors in the brain. Changing our behaviour helps to break associations but changing behaviour is as hard as overcoming chemical dependence.

This was the problem facing Vincent who, by his early forties had been smoking for almost three decades. By no means a weak willed person, Vincent had used his strength of character, his will-power and determination in to succeed in life, running a car dealership in London. A hard headed businessman, Vincent was highly sceptical about hypnotism.

He had tried just about every known method to stop smoking; from cold-turkey to replacement therapies but each time the associations, which Vincent had built up over the years, were simply to strong for him. In his pressured working life, breaks took the form of a quick cigarette outside, while drinking and smoking were short cuts to relaxation after a stress-filled day. Vincent had tried to give up when on holiday, at his most relaxed, but even then found the urge to smoke after a good meal was too strong to resist. Despite his scepticism Vincent, like many successful people, had a “don’t knock it until you’ve tried it” approach to hypnotism.

The sessions went well, though Vincent was certain that he had not gone into a trance while in the office, he was stunned at the effect. His desire to smoke had evaporated. Six months later I received a call from Vincent asking if I would take some of his salesmen as clients. He admitted that he was still didn’t believe that he had actually gone into a trance during the session; however, he was absolutely certain that ‘something’ had changed in himself. His experience of hypnotism had not only helped him to quit, but had transformed his sceptical view of the technique and was more than happy to refer his friends and colleagues.

Angela – Binge Eating

Admitting there is a problem and getting help is the first step to resolving problems faced by those with addictions. While chemical addictions such as smoking and drinking can be helped by treatment with drugs to minimise the effects of cravings or withdrawal, breaking the cycles of habit can be much harder. Eating disorders which often result from poor body image are often more difficult to ‘treat’ than addictive behaviours, as they may have roots deep in an individual’s personality and in their past.

Angela, a successful artist and business-woman in her early 30s took a long time to accept that she had a ‘problem’. She admits that for most of her life she had suffered poor body image and yet was unable to pinpoint the causes in her past. She had come from a good background and has good relationships with her parents and her wider family. Angela is not only a successful and sought after artist but has a wide circle of friends. Her feelings of ‘ugliness’, however, had begun to have a profound effect on her life in her late 20s. By the time Angela came for a series of hypnotherapy sessions, she had reached that all important stage of understanding that her poor self-image had developed into binge eating – and was making her increasingly unhappy.

Binge - eating sufferers experience strong feelings of guilt, which becomes part of a difficult cycle to break. Bingeing produces guilt while purging produces satisfaction. Both aspects of the illness can be damaging to health and for Angela her eating was further damaging her image of her own body. The options for eating disorder treatment can include the use of anti-depressants, something that Angela had tried. However, she found herself feeling ‘fogged’ which did nothing to help her creative work. Lengthy sessions of psychotherapy were something that Angela found off-putting and was un-willing to try.

She had heard from a number of friends the successes of hypnotherapy in dealing with different eating disorders and the fact that it did not involve detailed self-analysis appealed to her. Uncertain at first that hypnotherapy could work Angela started her sessions with a dose of healthy scepticism. Over the course of six sessions this scepticism soon turned to enjoyment. Angela freely admitted that she looked forward to each session and early on in the process was surprised that her behaviour was changing. Her relationship with food was the first change that Angela noticed and the urge to enjoy healthier food gradually grew stronger. By the end of the series of hypnotherapy sessions Angela found that controlling her impulses had become radically easier. Accepting her body was a big step for Angela and in part allowed her to become more physically active – no longer afraid to join a gym. For Angela, hypnotherapy allowed her to tackle it in a simple and effective way, changing her attitudes and her behaviour. For her, ridding herself of the cycle of guilt and establishing a healthier lifestyle allowed her the freedom to live a ‘normal’ life.

Lee - Fear of Flying

Making a speech at a wedding is nerve racking for most people – including the people it’s aimed at – but for Lee, preparing his best man’s speech had one significant complication. Lee had no fear of making speeches – working as a successful consultant meant that business presentations were second nature to him. He is a confident speaker and more than capable of ‘working’ a crowd – especially a crowd of friends and relatives. The problem was that the wedding in question was in Greece – and Lee had developed a very strong fear of flying.

The fear of flying is not uncommon – most people experience a healthy dose of nerves when boarding a flight. Lee, however, had not suffered from the problem until he was on a flight home from Europe, when turbulence hit. The turbulence occurred during a severe storm and despite his naturally confident personality, now in his late 20s Lee was finding the prospect of even a short flight too much for him.

Lee’s problem was not a deeply ingrained fear – but its effects were significant. Even the thought of boarding a flight created a deep sense of fear and tension in him. Trying to discuss the subject Lee would find he was gripping the sides of his chair and also admitted to feeling physically sick. During the two sessions that Lee underwent, we explored the nature of flight and turbulence itself. Using visualisation techniques Lee was encouraged to see himself at the airport and boarding the plane in a calm, comfortable happy frame of mind. These techniques combined with building on his previously positive experiences of flying helped Lee to face the flight happily.

The treatment for Lee was highly successful over only two sessions. He made both of his flights –uneventful ones by all accounts – without any of the nerves he had expected. As to the speech – that apparently went down a storm!

Keith Chopping is an accredited member of the National Council for Hypnotherapy (registration number 80359)

Vincent – Stop Smoking

Angela – Binge Eating

Lee - Fear of Flying