Tim Maude Hypnotherapy

Author: Tim

  • Exercise – good for the body – good for the mind

    Exercise – good for the body – good for the mind

    Exercise and Mental Health

    We are all being encouraged to do more exercise as part of a regime to combat those physical issues such as obesity, diabetes and arthritis. Exercise is good for the body, keeping it operating better for longer. What is less well known is that exercise is a top-rated technique to combat anxiety.

    A review of studies on the impact of exercise on various common mental complaints concluded that :

    “Physical activity is highly beneficial for improving symptoms of depression, anxiety and distress across a wide range of adult populations, including the general population, people with diagnosed mental health disorders and people with chronic disease. Physical activity should be a mainstay approach in the management of depression, anxiety and psychological distress.”

    British Journal of Sports Medicine

    Neuroscience of Exercise

    Our brains are changing all the time – this is down to something called neuroplasticity – that is, the ability the brain has to rewire itself when as it experiences something new. Neuroplasticity is important for those suffering from anxiety. If someone is constantly anxious, they need to change something in the brain in order to become calmer – the brain needs to change, it needs neuroplasticity.

    And it turns out that exercise increases neuroplasticity.

    An increased heart rate increases the availability of various neurotransmitters which will combat anxiety, including serotonin, gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and endocannabinoids. Neurotransmitters are chemicals in the brain that allow the neurons to communicate with each other and greatly impact our mood.

    So, guess what … it turns out that exercise is a natural way of changing the brain’s chemistry without the use of medication.

    What Type of Exercise Should I Do?

    Any sort of exercise is going to help. There are various studies looking at everything from high-intensity exercise to going for a few minutes walk. Everyone will have their own view on this. You have to find what works for you. A few important things to note are:

    • Exercise should be part of your mental health hygiene regime. You clean your teeth each day for your dental health hygiene, and you should exercise every day as part of your mental health hygiene.
    • You need to do something that you enjoy. If you start trying to do something that you find tedious, you’ll never keep it up.
    • You need to find something that fits into your normal daily routine. If you lead a busy life, maybe you can only find 10 minutes to walk round the block, or park the car a couple of blocks away from where you work.
    • Yes, I know there are some people with physical difficulties who would love to do more exercise, but cannot. Just do what you can, however small.
    • Don’t expect an instant change to your mood. These things can take time. So once you start, keep it up.
    • Start with something … anything that gets your body moving a little more than it does now. If you find that you have started something you don’t enjoy, you can always change it later. The important thing is to start.

    And Finally …

    Physical exercise is one of the most effective ways of tackling anxiety. If you still need help getting your anxiety under control, you can always contact me at my clinic in Fleet, Hampshire, or online. I use hypnotherapy to help people get their lives back under control and to reduce or eliminate the symptoms of anxiety.

    References

    Neuroplasticity
    https://thebestbrainpossible.com/6-basic-principles-of-neuroplasticity/

    Impact of Exercise on Anxiety
    Effectiveness of physical activity interventions for improving depression, anxiety and distress
    British Journal of Sports Medicine
    https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/57/18/1203

    Exercise and Neuroplasticity
    Beneficial effects of physical exercise on neuroplasticity and cognition
    Neuroscience and Behavioural Reviews
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23623982/

    Exercise as a Treatment for Anxiety
    Can exercise help treat anxiety?
    Harvard Medical School
    https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/can-exercise-help-treat-anxiety-2019102418096

    Photo by Jeffrey Grospe on Unsplash

  • Physical Impact of Anxiety

    Physical Impact of Anxiety

    When we think of anxiety, we mostly think about the mental impact it has. However, many anxiety-sufferers also have physical symptoms. Sometimes, they are so used to the mental impact that they consider it to be normal, and are surprised that their physical symptoms are related to anxiety.

    Physical Problems

    Before I go any further, I need to emphasise that if you do have any of these physical symptoms, you should go and see your doctor. Although they are often caused by high levels of stress and anxiety, there may be an underlying physical problem – so make sure you get the physical side checked out by a doctor.

    Some of the physical problems that anxiety can create or exacerbate are:

    • Migraine and headaches
    • Muscle tension, leading to aching muscles and fatigue
    • Digestive problems, such as IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), acid reflux or nausea
    • Sexual problems, such as loss of libido, erectile dysfunction or vaginismus
    • Skin problems, such as eczema
    • Tics or twitching of muscles
    • Increased heart rate or palpitations
    • Increased blood pressure
    • Sweating or hot flushes
    • Grinding teeth (particularly at night)
    • Mouth ulcers
    • Poor sleep patterns

    Why do we get Physical Problems from Anxiety

    These physical problems come about because anxiety is created in the primitive part of the brain known as the limbic system. This is the part that takes over in case of emergency. It contains the fight-or-flight centre of the brain – the amygdala.

    When you are under a lot of stress, the amygdala starts to behave as if there is something dangerous nearby. It is not an intelligent part of the brain. It is fairly stupid and associates high levels of stress with danger, so it starts to prepare your body to either defend yourself against attack or to run.

    The amygdala moves the body’s resources into preparing for fight or flight. This is fine if it only occurs over short periods of time on odd occasions. However, when you are under chronic stress, the amygdala keeps the body ready to run or fight, and it ignores the needs of the other parts of your body. So over a longer period of time, the rest of your body will suffer from complaints such as those listed above.

    And Finally …

    If you have any of the physical problems listed above, first make sure you see a doctor. The doctor should be able to advise you if there is a physical cause for the issue. If it has no physical cause, they may advise you to do something about your stress levels. They may offer you a course of CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) or medications to help you control your stress levels.

    If you want further help to control your stress and anxiety, I hold my clinic in Fleet, Hampshire, and would be very pleased to talk to you about it, and tell you what I can offer.

    Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

  • A Day (or two) in the Life of a Hypnotherapist

    A Day (or two) in the Life of a Hypnotherapist

    Sunday Afternoon

    I notice an email has just arrived from the contact form on my website. It is from … let’s call her Jenny … who says she wants to know if I can help her. She says she has a panic attack if she travels to anywhere new. I am not busy, so I go to the across the garden to my clinic and call her back. She tells me her story of how stressful it is for her to travel anywhere.

    I tell her that I can help and ask if she has any questions. She asks what will happen in the clinic and how long it will take, and after I have answered she asks to book in for a session – just to see how it is.

    Thursday Afternoon

    I am reading through the notes I took during the phone call on Sunday, while waiting in my clinic for Jenny to arrive. She arrives on time at three, and I invite her to sit in the comfortable chair.

    Over the next twenty minutes, I ask her questions to understand what her life is like, but more importantly, I ask her what her best hopes are from working with me. This is important because it is far more useful for me to understand what she wants to achieve, rather than to understand what her problems are or where they came from. She tells me that she would like to be able to go on holiday to the Lake District with her husband – and to remain calm so that she can actually enjoy it.

    And then it’s my turn to talk. I explain to her what is actually going on in her brain that causes her to panic when she goes somewhere new. It is important for her to understand that it is simply a matter of a primitive part of the brain that has got things wrong.

    I then invite her to lie back (the chair is a recliner) and experience a short hypnotic experience – just a short process for relaxation. Fifteen minutes later, she opens her eyes and blinks a few times before sitting up. She is quite amazed at how she feels after a simple hypnotic relaxation.

    I explain that I cannot tell her how many sessions she will need, but I am sure that I can help. I usually see clients between five and ten weekly sessions. Jenny books in for the following week.

    Eight Weeks On

    For me, this is most satisfying thing about my job, when, at the end of a session, Jenny and I have a conversation. I have had this same conversation many times before … Has she achieved what she wants to achieve? Does she feel able now to go on that holiday to the Lake District, with that calm and relaxed state of mind? Jenny says that she thinks it will be fine, as she is so much more at ease with travelling now.

    Jenny asks if it would be all right if she could come back for a few sessions before the holiday if she thinks she needs it. Smiling, I agree, knowing that she will never call me – because she won’t need to.

    And finally …

    If you need help getting over a problem like Jenny’s or anything similar, do contact me. I will call you as soon as I can for a chat, and I can tell you if I am able to help. My clinic is in Fleet in Hampshire, and I also work online.

  • Are you sceptical about whether hypnotherapy can help your anxiety?

    Are you sceptical about whether hypnotherapy can help your anxiety?

    If you are struggling with anxiety, you may have heard of hypnotherapy as a potential treatment option. However, you may also be sceptical about whether it can really work. After all, hypnosis is a controversial topic, and there is a lot of misinformation out there.

    I have been using hypnotherapy to help people with anxiety for some years now, but I still meet plenty of people who are sceptical. In this blog post, I will discuss the evidence for the effectiveness of hypnotherapy for anxiety, and I will address some of the common concerns that people have about it.

    What is hypnotherapy?

    Hypnotherapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses hypnosis to help people make changes in their thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. Hypnosis is a state of focused attention and relaxation in which people are more open to suggestion.

    When in a hypnotic trance, the brain has a chance to sort out many of the past stresses that have given rise to anxiety without the client being aware that it is doing so. It is not surprising that many people feel sceptical, when they are unaware that changes are taking place.

    During hypnotherapy, the therapist will use a variety of techniques to help the client relax and enter a state of hypnosis. These techniques may include guided imagery, relaxation exercises, and positive suggestions.

    What is the evidence?

    There is a small amount of experimental evidence to suggest that hypnotherapy can be effective for anxiety. A 2019 meta-analysis of 18 studies found “the average participant treated with hypnosis improved more than about 84% of control participants.”

    Most of the published research into hypnotherapy and anxiety focuses on case studies, rather than controlled experiments, so it it not surprising that hypnotherapy is not more widely recognised as a treatment for anxiety.

    My own personal experience reflects that of the meta-analysis cited above – the majority of people I see in my clinic reduce or eliminate their anxiety within a few weeks, but there is a very small percentage that I have been unable to help.

    Concerns about hypnotherapy

    Some common concerns about hypnotherapy are:

    • Loss of control. Some people are concerned that they will lose control of themselves during hypnosis. Wrong! In hypnosis, the client is still in control of their thoughts and actions.
    • Being forced to do things against your will. Another common concern is that the client will be forced to do things against their will during hypnosis. Sorry to burst your illusions, but this too is wrong. The hypnotherapist can suggest things – but the client is in control of what they do all the time.
    • Recalling past trauma. Some people are concerned that they will be forced to recall past traumas during hypnosis. I never ask people to recall past traumas. I am concerned with getting my clients into a good state than digging up the past.

    Are you still sceptical about hypnotherapy?

    If you are still sceptical about whether hypnotherapy can help your anxiety, I encourage you to do some more research. The evidence to suggest that hypnotherapy can be an effective treatment for anxiety is growing, albeit slowly.

    You might look at some of the independent reviews of my own treatment to see client’s views on the effectiveness of hypnotherapy on anxiety. (Search for “Google My Business Tim Maude Hypnotherapy” and follow the link to Reviews)

    In the end, the only way you can tell how well hypnotherapy works to remove anxiety is to try it for yourself.

    References

    The efficacy of hypnosis as a treatment for anxiety
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31251710/

    Tim Maude Hypnotherapy Reviews
    https://www.google.com/search?q=Google+My+Business+Tim+Maude+Hypnotherapy

    Photo by MoniQue Rangell-Onwuegbuzia on Unsplash

  • What are your Best Hopes?

    What are your Best Hopes?

    Take a minute to think about it. What are your best hopes? – For the next week, for the next month or two, for the next year, or even beyond that. What would you like to happen?

    And for those of you who answered, “I’d win the lottery” – think again. Yes, it would be nice to win the lottery, but let’s keep it real. Go back and answer the question, “What are your best hopes?” with something that, with a fair wind, you might actually achieve.

    You see, when your mind is focused on what you want, it’s not focused on your anxiety, your stresses or your other problems. The more often you spend time focusing on how you want to be, the more your brain will re-align itself. And importantly, the brain will be better able to deal with the stuff that you have built up in that collection of stress we call the stress bucket.

    Many of the anxiety-ridden people I meet in my clinic have very simple “best hopes”. They want to be normal again, leading normal everyday lives. They want peace in their lives – free from the anxiety that they suffer from every day. This is their best hope. This is what they want to achieve. I see the smile on their face as I get them to describe the future that they would like.

    Of course, I use hypnotherapy to help reinforce the brain re-alignment, but you can do it on your own. Ask yourself, “What are my best hopes?” Now imagine what it will be like when you achieve your best hopes. Remember, this is not a goal you are setting yourself that you “have to” achieve. It is simply using the power of your imagination to create a better future in your own mind, allowing the brain to sort out your stresses and anxiety on its own. The following time that you do it, you might think of a different future – and that doesn’t matter. What matters is that you can use your imagination to dream of a future that is more positive.

    For some people, this is too difficult to do on their own – and if this is you, look for a therapist to help. If you want to give hypnotherapy a go, I run my clinic in Fleet (Hampshire UK) on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

    Photo by Aziz Acharki on Unsplash

  • How Much Does Hypnotherapy-for-Anxiety Cost?

    How Much Does Hypnotherapy-for-Anxiety Cost?

    Two of the most frequently asked questions about hypnotherapy on Google are:

    • How much does a hypnotherapy session cost?
    • How many sessions will I need for anxiety?

    These are important questions, but probably not as important as, “How much will my life be changed once I get back in control of myself, and how much is that worth to me?” First, let me answer the questions directly.

    How much does a hypnotherapy session cost?

    I currently charge £75 for an hour’s session. This is typical in the South East of England. There are hypnotherapists that charge £150, and some that charge as low as £50. Some give a free or reduced rate initial session.

    Aside: Many hypnotherapists (including myself) charge a higher rate for a quit-smoking session (I charge £250 for a 2-hour session). Why? For quit-smoking hypnotherapy to work, you have to be really committed to the process to start with. When you have to pay a lot, you are committing yourself. And of course, when you quit smoking, you make all the money back again very quickly.

    How many sessions will I need for anxiety?

    It all depends! I know that this is not the answer you are looking for, but it is nevertheless true. Typically, I see clients with anxiety for between 5 and 10 sessions, and this is quite typical of other hypnotherapists.

    However, there are no guarantees. I have had some clients who I have seen for 15 or 20 sessions, and others for whom all anxiety issues have gone after 2 sessions. I have given up trying to guess how many sessions a client will take, because I often get it wrong. My advice would be to be wary of any hypnotherapist who gives a guarantee of the number of sessions you will need.

    To add to the problem in answering this question, hypnotherapists vary in their abilities – even with the same level of training and experience. Some will typically take longer than others.

    A more important question to ask

    Of course, it is important to have an estimate of how much your are going to have to pay for your hypnotherapy treatment for your anxiety. There is another really important question to ask yourself. That is:

    • How much will my life be changed once I get back in control of myself, and how much is that worth to me?

    This is a question that only you can answer. How much is getting rid of anxiety actually worth to you? Indeed, is it even possible to put a monetary value on it?

    What other questions should you ask?

    Other questions you should ask before engaging a hypnotherapist are:

    Are they qualified? Are they insured? Do they follow best practice?

    The easiest way to answer this is to check that they are registered with the official registers of hypnotherapists. In the UK, you should check the National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH) or the Association for Solution Focused Hypnotherapists (AfSFH).

    What do other people think?

    Check out testimonials and references on independent sites such as Google My Business.

    Do I get on with my hypnotherapist?

    This is important – the more you like your hypnotherapist, the quicker things are likely to work. Trusting your hypnotherapist is important. And the only way you can find this out is by going to see them. Most hypnotherapists will be pleased to give your a free 10 minute chat on the phone, but the real test is the first session with them. You have to put your hand in your pocket and book in for an initial consultation – but don’t be afraid to walk away and find someone else if you don’t feel happy with the first session.

    References

    National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH)
    https://www.hypnotherapists.org.uk/therapist-finder/

    Association for Solution Focused Hypnotherapists (AfSFH)
    https://www.afsfh.com/hypnotherapists-postcodes/

    Google My Business
    Go to Google and enter “Google My Business” followed by the name of the hypnotherapy clinic. For example, “Google my business Tim Maude Hypnotherapy”

    Photo by Colin Watts on Unsplash