Anxiety & Depression

An interesting thought is why do we attach certain reactions to a stimulus? If you are feeling positive compared to feeling negative will your reaction be different to the exact same stimulus?

Consider changing or reframing your point of view every time something negative occurs, because it's very easy to be drawn into a spiralling world of negative self loathing. Maybe you don't feel you deserve happiness, maybe you want to punish yourself for some reason or maybe you just don't like yourself.

Will that continue to build layer upon layer of hurt, lack of self worth an ultimately a send of self sabotage? Why does this happen?

Well, we are built for survival and when we are confronted with a threat be it physical, verbal or even created by ourselves, our unconscious mind will find some way to protect us. Now this way is not necessarily going to be of any use to you (although it may have had some use when it was first created). However this automatic way of protecting us can be something that happens after a shock event & can even develop overtime and become totally debilitating.

Most of us have experienced PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) of some kind and it can come in many forms from witnessing a traumatic event, to watching something shocking on TV, to any type of abuse (there are many more examples). We tend to not attach ourselves to the idea that we have PTSD and just carry on regardless, however there will be traits, beliefs and patterns of behaviour that would have been created because of that event. Now for some people it is manageable, however for some it can stop them from being able to function or even have any type or normality in their lives.

By understanding how our minds work we can reframe almost every situation that happens to us. Because the unconscious mind is very clever as it has already figured out how to protect you, well it can also find a way to protect you without actually hurting you (this isn't always the default setting). In fact everyone I see already has the answer they need to heal themselves, all I do is guide them towards that answer because more importantly than anything being self sufficient and not reliant on someone else to become strong again has to be the goal.

Remember that there is always a way through any situation, however tough it is. We don't have to throw in the towel, we can find our path that can lead us to where we want to be with just a little guidance.

I saw a client recently who was dealing with some challenges. After a single session there was already a massive paradigm shift and the second session just reinforced that incredible feeling and change in the way they see everything. Below is their story.


"I contacted Phil last month in desperate need of help. Earlier that day I had seen the surgeon who was going to operate on my bowel and take my cancerous tumour out in 2 weeks time. They had unexpectedly discovered the tumour a week and a half prior to that as a result of investigating my sudden anemia. 

Within just under a month of being told I had a tumour I was in for major surgery to remove it. Thankfully the CT scan showed it hadn’t spread but it was still such a lot to take in and deal with.

We have 2 young children and my brain went into overdrive after talking through all of the possibilities of surgery with the surgeon. They were hopeful of laparoscopic surgery to remove it but there were risks of open surgery, a leaking bowel, a colostomy bag, clots, intensive care unit, death. There was no guarantee as to what I would wake up to.

I was fit and healthy. I exercised daily and other than feeling tired with anemia for a week or two in February I was well. I pretty much bounced back on Iron tablets and I didn’t feel like the specialists should be talking to me. How did I have this? 

I was extremely fortunate to have a very conscientious GP that went above and beyond in her investigations, as sending me for the procedures she did was rare due to my age. Most would send a young menstruating woman off with iron tablets. The doctor who found it was very shocked and told me I was extremely lucky that I had such a good GP as I was not a candidate for this and shouldn’t be there for that test.

Even though I felt lucky it had been found and that it hadn’t spread, my fear had reached a new level after speaking to the surgeon and it became very real. Would I wake up, would my children have to grow up without me, how would they cope with me in hospital for 5-7 days, should I be sorting through and leaving things for people? 

Phil replied instantly on messenger and called me the next day. He calmly reminded me how strong I am, how to turn my fear for the children into a determination to fight for them. That initial phone call alone did me the world of good. He told me all the things I knew but without me having to fight to find them in my own head. The chimp in my head which had grown into a huge monster telling me I was going to die, was instantly smaller and quieter. I saw Phil later that week and it became clear that not only was I struggling to deal with this but the grief of losing my father unexpectedly and suddenly a year earlier was still a huge struggle for me. 

Phil’s explanation of life - the past, the present and the future will stay with me for life. 

After Phil’s first visit I immediately felt calmer. My stress/upset levels were initially a 10 and these dropped to a 5 after the first session and continued dropping over the following days. Instead of panic, fear and upset filling me when thinking or speaking about my dad, Phil had calmed my grief and Dad was now in my heart and I was able to think of him and remember happier days together. 

Phil recommended a healing hypnosis along with meditation and visualisation and I religiously did these daily. The following session was much calmer on my side and we worked on me being strong mentally for the surgery and to not break down in fear in the lead up or on the day. Even when I tried to think of the bad things that could happen, I couldn’t. It was as if my brain had blocked them out.

The day of my surgery was Dad’s first anniversary since he’d left us. This was a positive - he was going to be with me and I later found out he was. I was strong. I said goodbye to my mum and my children with a smile. I concentrated on my meditation at the first sign of anxiety creeping in whilst in the waiting room once gowned up. I calmly hugged my husband and said goodbye as I walked down to the room for the general anaesthetic. As my cannula was put in I joked about them sorting out my wrinkles and “was I going now” as I went under. All of these things would have been impossible for me to do calmly and in control without Phil’s help and huge support.

A few hours later and I was in recovery. My first words were they’d woken me from such a lovely dream and that I was in my happy hypnosis place. I was laughing and joking with the nurse and so positive which is unusual as anaesthetics don’t always agree with me and leave me groggy and upset.

I immediately used the tools Phil had taught me when I felt my body starting to shake on the way to the ward. When I arrived they were concerned with my breathing being so slow until they spoke to me and I told them I was doing my meditation/hypnosis breathing. I used a lot of healing visualisation that day and listened to my hypnosis. I was determined to bounce back. Luckily laparoscopic surgery was a success. I was up the next day, walking the following day and home 4 days after surgery. 

The difference with Phil compared to counselling or therapy is he gives you the tools to be in control of your life. He literally turned my life around when things were going from bad to worse. He helped me regain control. I had comments within days of seeing Phil of how my sparkle had come back. I felt that too and liked it. 

Events in life can have such a damaging effect even without us being aware. I explained it to a friend recently - if we hurt a limb we’d give ourselves painkillers, go to the doctor, have physio and give it rest. Why don’t we do the same with our minds? I wish I’d known about this 20 years ago. 

Anyone I speak to I recommend Phil to. I can’t recommend him highly enough. Even the nurses in the hospital when they were surprised at my recovery, positivity and being discharged early - I sent them Phil’s details. There’s no need to be worried, sad, upset, concerned, struggle with life, sleeping, eating etc. There is a happy way out and that’s to deal with it in a gentle but hugely effective way. If you’re sitting on the fence about seeing Phil I’d get off quick if I were you, call him and change your life.

I can’t and never will be able to thank Phil enough."
(Anonymous)

Here's a chance to completely relax to a body scan induction.

I have been asked by a few people to create this so they can use it in their own time.

This is possibly one of the most relaxing things you can do for yourself, it actually only lasts 15 minutes (unlike the 20 minutes I said at the beginning), but you can enjoy every moment of it in a peaceful place away from distraction. I recommend lying down somewhere although you can do it in a seated position too if you wish and use headphones so you can become immersed in the exercise. 

You'll need to copy and paste the link below into your browser. Enjoy it and let me know how you get on with it.

JP Lear

One of the most common issues that people go to hypnotherapy for is to give up smoking. Like with any issue that you go and see a Hypnotherapist about if you are not 100% on board to quit a habit then it doesn’t matter what happens in the session, it won’t work long term. 

 

I regularly turn smoking clients away based on a simple question which is asking them to scale 1-10 where they are on their desire to quit. 1 loving smoking cigarettes with no intention of ever giving up and 10 never wanting to even see one again. If you are not a 10 (or even an 11) then I will honestly tell you not to waste your money or my time with the sessions. 

 

What I will do is change your relationship with cigarettes, because that’s what it is. There will be a trigger for you to light up and I will change that as well, I can even help you to feel completely disgusted at the thought of cigarettes. However if your desire for change isn’t there then you can easily fall back into your old habits because actually your reason for change isn’t strong enough.

 

Here are a few facts for you to think about:

 

1.    There are 1.3 Billion people who smoke in the world today

2.    In this century more than a Billion people will die from smoking related diseases (World Health Organisation)

3.    In England alone cigarette companies have to recruit 352 new smokers  every day  to make up for the 352 that died that day who were smoking. These are all 10, 11, 12 & 13 year old children. 

 

There is nothing else on this planet that you could legally sell to a child in the full knowledge that it will destroy their health, cost them a fortune and kill it prematurely than cigarettes.

 

If you smoke and you have children, and you know full well what it is doing to your health, that is to say it will shorten your life to the point that you won’t get to spend as much time with your family as you would have wished, that your internal organs may eventually fail due to the poison you are putting into your body, then just imagine for a second watching your child lighting up a cigarette from behind a screen where you can’t say anything and imagine that feeling, knowing they are starting on that same path of self-destruction.

 

Now you may say to me I won’t let my child start smoking because I know it’s bad for them and I tell them all the time, I also never smoke around my child, and that may very well be true, but consider this, what age did  you  start smoking? Does your child ever see you smoking? Can they smell it on you? Do you ever say things like “this cigarette calms me down”.

 

From the age of 9yrs old I used to go to the south of France for my summer holidays and I would see my mum (she and my father divorced and she moved back to France when I was 4yrs old). In the evenings with our family around me, outside, after a meal my mum would want a cigarette and asked me if I wanted to light it for her. This seemed an incredible opportunity to do something that only adults did. I did it and hated it, but I felt big, like a grown up. I did this for at least 2 or 3 summers, but fortunately I never continued to smoke and in fact told my mum I didn’t want to do it any longer. It was never for me, but I can see now how easy it is to start at such an early age, especially through peer pressure. 

 

In many cases a habit, be it smoking or other habits can be the result of either a traumatic experience or something you believe gave you status or pleasure of some kind. Maybe you first thought it looked cool because the grown-ups were doing it, maybe you did it because all your friends were and you didn’t want to be the odd one out (i.e. the healthy one?). 

 

When I see clients I will ask questions to help us find the trigger or the pattern that has been created. This can also be because of a lack of basic needs and so they use their habit to make up for that deficit.

 

When talking about quitting cigarettes, I will help you to dispel 3 main myths

 

1.    I can’t quit

2.    I am addicted to nicotine

3.    It’s doing something for me

 

I will talk to you about that part of you that wants to smoke and the relationship that your unconscious mind has with that part.

 

Once you have completely reframed cigarettes and what they are doing for you, that’s where the change happens, maybe one or two of you when reading this today will find it’s  enough for you to completely stop simply because you’ve had a shift.

 

After the session you will have a completely different view of cigarettes and your desire to smoke will be gone completely from your body.

 

Read below a testimonial from a satisfied client:

 

"I have been a smoker for most of my life. Having tried every “tool” to stop with little or no success I decided to try hypnotherapy. As I have known Phil for many years I trusted him & felt comfortable asking him to help. His gentle, non-judgemental manner put me at ease immediately and I believe contributed to the success of the session. I am now 7 weeks nicotine free and determined to keep going!"

KS.

 

Sources: World Health Organisation, Freddie Jacquin

My journey into mindset really began when I suffered from anxiety and depression in 2012 after I had single-handedly organised at that time the biggest Taekwon-Do competition in history at the Brighton Centre. I had some helpers, however I tried to micro manage everything and my health took an enormous plunge after the event when I was handed more invoices than had been budgeted for and I risked losing my house as there wasn’t enough money left after everyone had been paid.

 At one stage even my wife said that part of me died at that competition and she above anyone else could see what had happened to me and the journey I had been on. I literally could not see a way out, the days leading up to the championships and the week within which it took place were without doubt some of the most stressful times of my life. The months afterwards were a complete blur.

 We had over 1500 competitors from over 50 countries take part where I had organised their hotels, airport transfers, transport to the venue and lunches for over 3000 people across 5 days. I lost a lot of money from countries who booked for competitors to take part and I had to pay for the hotel up front as they said they would pay me when they arrived. On arrival I  was told either the people hadn’t travelled or they had found other accommodation.

 I had organised a demonstration at the Amex stadium during half time of a Brighton football match the day before the start of the competition where I was interviewed pitch side. At the Brighton Centre I organised for TV cameras to record everything, a giant screen with the scoreboard and instant slow motion playback for the audience to see. I had written, recorded and edited clips on the rules for spectators to watch on the big screen, wrote the opening ceremony and organised for an opera singer and town crier to be there, booked celebrities and local dignitaries to come for the finals night, organised a seminar with the famous Rhee brothers (from the film “Best of the Best”), an after party for the competitors and banquet for the Grandmasters/Masters.

 You get the idea… these are still just a few of the things.

 The competition was an enormous success for the competitors, umpires, coaches and dignitaries, however for me afterwards I was drained. I had missed 7 days of seeing my new born daughter and all for nothing as I returned home with more invoices, no money left over and the threat of losing what I had built up over many years.

 I began to become an introvert, I struggled to communicate with people and when I did I snapped at them (which is unlike me). I stayed awake most nights as I continued to ruminate about everything, this in turn stopped me from having any deep recuperative sleep and resulted in me having waking exhaustion each morning, then the cycle would continue each day. I didn’t want to get up in the morning, I didn’t want to teach the martial art that I loved so much. I literally had to force myself to go. I also distanced myself from my family.

I had considered going to the doctor for anti-depressants, however I chose not to as I’ve never taken prescription drugs and I had it in my head that I didn’t want to become reliant on them. Maybe I should have taken them though because I know that I made poor decisions and upset quite a few people during that time because of my mental state.

I struggled to go to Brighton for family days and couldn’t go anywhere near the Brighton Centre (even after my accountant helped me to resolve the financial issues a few months later so I was clear of any debt), the attachment I had created with that place was completely debilitating and I found even driving towards Brighton would give me heart palpitations.

As a hypnotherapist I now know this as a faulty pattern match, a connection to a time that was traumatic for me that led me down a spiral of anger, disappointment, feelings of failure, frustration and fear.

Learning to understand how the brain works has completely changed my life. 3 years of suffering later, in 2015 I learnt about mindset and was introduced to meditation, I started to look logically at how I had arrived at that point in my life and the automatic attachments my brain had created for survival whilst in the “fight or flight mode”. Because when you feel threatened your brain will find a way to protect you even if it means creating a reaction that can be detrimental to your well-being.

Now 7 years on I am able to help people through this debilitating issue and help them to find a preferred way of feeling and thinking. A new way to react to the triggers that are there for many who have either been suffering for years or maybe an old memory that was buried away years ago that has now created a deep negative state that affects them every day. I realise now that without having gone through that amazing experience and it was amazing in many ways (both negative and positive) that it has brought me to this point, because only through suffering can we really appreciate everything that we actually have. When you have someone who points you in the right direction then everything suddenly falls into place.

Please consider this:

1.    This is far more common than we all think

2.    You are not abnormal in anyway

3.    There is a way through this

Read some testimonials below of people I have helped then when you’re ready to change your life to a preferred way of feeling and being then get in touch by email  info@jplearhypnosis.co.uk. We’ll have a chat to discuss what I can do to help you then we’ll get you booked in.

 

“I arranged to see Phil for a hypnotherapy session at a time when I was experiencing extremely high levels of anxiety on a daily basis, which was impeding my ability to function normally. I was very often panicked and edgy, tearful, extremely short tempered, needy, paranoid and defensive. I didn’t know what to expect from the session and went with a completely open mind, I just knew that I wanted to feel better. Phil helped me to feel completely at ease, explaining the process at each step and sensitively getting to the heart of what was causing the anxiety. I found the whole session to be extremely cathartic, in relaxing and comfortable surroundings and the results have been nothing short of incredible! At the end of just one session, I felt lighter and more at ease. In fact I couldn’t stop smiling! I started sleeping better, and noticed myself reacting differently to things that would have previously triggered anxiety. Day after day I felt stronger and more confident and now, almost a month later, I’ve not had a single anxiety attack, I feel in control of my emotional responses and I’m more relaxed and positive in general because I find myself living more ‘presently’ and noticing the little things in my day that make me happy. All of this with no actual effort on my part, it was just as though a shift occurred during the session which re-wired the negative thought patterns I was trapped in. Working with Phil has made such a huge positive difference to my day to day life and I would highly recommend him to anyone.”

IK.

 

"I was going through a very difficult time in my life, I was depressed, incredibly low, had no self-esteem , confidence, I felt very lost….. I was introduced to Phil Lear through a work colleague, Phil felt very confident that he could help me get through these times through hypnosis and learning several techniques to combat my anxiety. Even after the first session with Phil , I felt a difference, more perspective, clarity and self-worth. After further sections, Phil’s confidence in helping me became very apparent, a massive improvement, back to being me again. A massive thanks to Phil, I cannot recommend his treatment enough…"

GPC

 

Before seeing Phil a few weeks ago I was struggling with anxiety. Phil took time to talk to me about my issues and explain a bit about anxiety to me, without delving too deeply into old wounds. Since seeing Phil, I have noticed a big improvement , I was able to attend a recent work do without the usual need to find a reason why I couldn't attend (after paying for tickets!) and more importantly, he unexpectedly helped me with being able to get back on my horse again. After completely loosing my confidence. The next day (after my treatment) I was back up and riding again. He also remained in contact to see how I was getting on. I can't thank Phil enough and would definitely recommend him to anyone considering hypnotherapy.

AF.

The reason I studied hypnotherapy was because of my 4 year old daughter. She struggles to eat new foods and always sticks with safe things she has always eaten. She won't taste new foods and although she won't eat chicken or turkey, her favourite meal is turkey dinosaurs (she hasn't made the connection yet). We have been really patient with her and will continue to do so always asking her if she would like to taste something new, we usually get a "yes" then when it comes to it it's a "no".

When she was very little she choked daily on food she ate as she didn't chew it enough and she would put too much in her mouth in one go. We would regularly be seen patting her back to remove what was in her throat or bending her forwards to get what was stuck out. She would always get upset afterwards then refuse to eat anything else.

I realise that the reason she won't taste anything new now is based on what happened when she was younger and it's her fight/flight response that kicks in as her mind connects the reaction of protecting herself from what new foods could make her do. As a 4 year old she is too young for me to treat her, however I continually use hypnotic language with her that creates possibility and change. Once she turns about 7 or 8 years old she will be ready as she would have created enough in her memory bank to work with or maybe by then she may have just figured it out for herself and she'll be eating fine (which can also happen).

In fact this issue is very common as well as other eating issues, in particular a fear of food textures that completely put people off eating out and can even affect their quality of life. I've helped a few people now with overcoming a fear of food textures, each time there has been an initial incident that has created the pattern. A few times the issue was down to being forcibly fed food that created a traumatic experience for the client that in turn has made the last 20-30 years very painful.

By gently reframing and changing the way they see that incident it creates an incredible ripple effect that completely changes their relationship with food. Watching people literally transform in front of my eyes is one of the most rewarding parts of this work. Just because someone has suffered for so many years, it does not mean they have to continue suffering forever, change can happen and it will. Just get in touch.

Read below just one of the testimonials about food from people that have experienced a life changing shift after a single session with me.

"I had my first ever hypnotherapy session with Phil over Christmas 2018. I’ve had an issue with eating certain foods after an incident at primary school and I’ve hidden this for as long as I can almost remember. At it’s very worst this was involuntary gagging from particular food textures and even strong food smells. Over the years this has had a huge negative impact on my life as well as to my family and friends and even at work. I’ve always been embarrassed and slightly ashamed of the problem and so finally I decided to talk to Phil about it and he assured me he could help. I’ll admit I was a little sceptical whether hypnosis would work for me but I was determined to go in with an open mind.

During the session, Phil was professional, patient & understanding. We discussed the history of my issue and what I hoped to get from my hypnotherapy session. The whole time I felt relaxed and comfortable as Phil led me through the visualisations. The two-hour session flew by and I left feeling energised and full of hope.

From just that single session the involuntary gagging has gone, disappeared entirely. I can now try foods that I know were an issue for me, foods that previously I couldn’t physically bear to even put in my mouth for fear of what would happen.

I’ve also found that I’m now calmer around foods in general, I’m more relaxed about eating out and with others and have been trying out foods that previously I’ve never experienced before or been too afraid to try. I find myself eating something new and marvelling at the positive change in me all from just two-hours of hypnotherapy.

From my experience, I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending hypnotherapy to anyone with issues that impact negatively on their lives. Most importantly for me, I couldn’t have chosen someone better or more understanding than Phil to help me and cannot express how thankful I am for his help and support."

T