post-traumatic stress
Post-Traumatic Stress is the development of disabling psychological symptoms that follow a traumatic event and can start immediately after the occurrence or take months or even years to surface. Repetitive thought about the incident/s, flashbacks, nightmares, a lack of interest in the sufferer's daily life and well-being and becoming increasingly out of touch with his or her own feelings are common-place. It is a serious condition which left untreated can become permanent. Again, CBT can be effectively utilised to focus on the negative trigger so that the traumatic event can be isolated and framed in such a way as to dissipate the impact it has so devastatingly created.
phobias
Phobias are uncontrollable and irrational fears of objects or situations. Common Phobias include Agoraphobia (a fear of open spaces) Acrophobia (a fear of heights) animal, airplane, doctor, dentist, thunder and lightening phobias and Arachnophobia (a fear of spiders) In addition, people suffer from what are termed "social" phobias and these can include a fear of being watched at work or whist they are eating, a fear of crowds or examinations or even blushing in public. Though simple phobias can sometimes last for years they are relatively easy to treat, mainly by the sufferer gradually facing the threat (the technical term being the rather awkward sounding "sensitive desensitization") Sufferers of simple phobias usually function at a normal level in most aspects of their daily lives. With social phobias, however, there may well be more serious underlying causes that a combination of Psychotherapy and Hypnotherapy will in most cases effectively address.
obsessive/compulsive disorders(OCD)
Recurring ideas (obsessions) can lead to repetitive behaviours. When combined, the affliction is called Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, or OCD. The three most common compulsions are continuous washing, counting and checking/confirming. Some people are amused when they observe a sufferer checking ten times an hour that the door is locked, or washing his or her hands twenty times a day but it is by no means funny to the sufferer who can be imprisoned. in what one client recently described to us, as a "waking nightmare" Further research needs to be conducted in relation to OCD. Medication such as Clomipramine and Fluoxetine have been proven to be successful in overcoming OCD, though exposure and response prevention, as explained in the Psychotherapeutic session, can be equally (or if not more in my opinion) effective.
anxiety
panic attacks
eating disorders
Eating disorders are characterized by severe disturbances in eating behaviour. The practice of an eating disorder can be viewed as a survival mechanism. Just as an alcoholic uses
alcohol to cope, people with eating disorders can use eating, purging or restricting to deal with their problems. Some of the underlying issues that are associated with an eating disorder include low self-esteem, depression, feelings of loss of control, feelings of worthlessness, identity concerns, family communication problems and an inability to cope with emotions.
smoking
It is really not for us to point out the damage that smoking can do to a person's health as smokers know only too well the harm it can do. WeI differ from many practitioners when treating smokers in that we firmly believe that cutting back tobacco intake and working towards giving up completely is more effective than simply quitting on the spot and facing the complications of immediate withdrawal. Usually, a maximum of six sessions are sufficient for the "gradual" methodology to work and we have always been pleased with the success rate that we have had with (now former) smokers.
cannabis addiction
Cannabis is at least as damaging to one's health as smoking - perhaps even more so as the smoke from a typical joint is inhaled into the lungs more deeply than it would be if drawn from a straight cigarette. In addition, it has different psychological disturbances that usually occur over an extended period of time. Understanding the drug and addressing not only it's usage but the dependency of it's supply is of paramount importance when helping people overcome this increasingly common addiction.
stage fright
Even the most effective of speakers, or the most accomplished of musicians can suffer from Stage Fright. A sudden tidal wave of fear can strike the sufferer weeks, days, hours or even minutes before a performance. Stage Fright can be cured relatively easily if there are no major problems underlying the condition. Our technique, which has as it's central premise that you are only ever addressing one person - no matter how many people there are in the audience, has helped many clients overcome this problem
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For an informative article on stage fright from the British Association For Performing Arts Medicine, please click on the below link:
STAGE FRIGHT - I CAN'T GO ON! |
