Tim Maude Hypnotherapy

Category: Uncategorized

  • Thinking Bad or Thinking Good

    Thinking Bad or Thinking Good

    Negative thinking increases stress and too much stress can lead to anxiety, depression, anger and other negative emotions. Negative emotions can then lead to negative thinking patterns again. And so the vicious circle repeats itself yet again.

    When you drink your cup of coffee in the morning, do you spend your time appreciating the taste or are you worrying about the amount of work you have to do that day. Every week I see clients suffering from anxiety. The first question I ask them is, “What’s been good this week?” I want them to break the vicious circle.

    There is growing evidence that negative thinking can have a negative impact on our brains, and may even increase our risk of developing dementia.

    The Science Behind Repetitive Negative Thinking and a Decline in Brain Function

    Okay – this is going to get complicated, so bear with me …

    Some people engage in what is known as repetitive negative thinking (RNT) – that is a pattern of thinking that involves dwelling on negative thoughts about the past, present or future. It can include rumination, worry and catastrophising. It’s that focus some people put on the bad things that are happening in life and all around them, while minimising the good.

    It has long been suspected that RNT is associated with an increased chance of general decline in the brain function and also developing Alzheimer’s in later life. In 2020, a scientific study reported concrete evidence that repetitive negative thinking is associated with cognitive decline.

    So before you start worrying about that, let’s get two things straight:

    1. If your thinking patterns include RNT – this does not mean that you will definitely get Alzheimer’s. It only means that you are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s … and the vast majority of people do not develop Alzheimer’s anyway, whether or not they have RNT.
    2. The science does not say that RNT causes Alzheimer’s – it just says it’s associated with Alzheimer’s. For example, they don’t know if there is another factor that causes both RNT and Alzheimer’s.

    So don’t go and start worrying that all the negative thinking you are doing will definitely damage your brain. However, do be aware that the general consensus is that too much negative thinking will have a negative impact on your brain.

    The Brain Likes to Learn Patterns

    The brain learns patterns of behaviour and tends to stick with them – because it’s easier to stick with what you know than learn something new.

    Most people who drive to work every day will be able to do so without remembering the journey at all – their brain has repeated a pattern that it has learnt. If you always have your breakfast at exactly 8 o’clock – you will very quickly find yourself longing for breakfast if you are even a few minutes late – because your brain has learnt a pattern. If you are always checking to see what your friends are doing on social media, your brain will encourage you to check them out even more.

    … And if you constantly think about the negative things in your life, your brain will seek those negative things out for you to think about.

    Think Positive

    So practice thinking positively. Bad things happen in our lives, and we cannot ignore them – we have to deal with them, but once we have dealt with them, we can leave them behind. Positive and negative thinking is all a question of balance.

    Even the small positive things are worth spending time thinking about. I love my coffee in the morning and so focus all my attention on it while I am drinking. I spend a few minutes each day thinking about the positive impact I am having with my clients – even those who are hard work. I consciously spend time thinking about the things I am grateful for every day.

    Thinking positively takes work. You need to practice so that your brain learns the positive thinking pattern.

    So think positive where you can. Acknowledge the good things in your life. Maybe keep a journal of the positive things that have happened to you each day. And above all – enjoy your life … as much as you can.

    References

    Repetitive negative thinking is associated with amyloid, tau, and cognitive decline
    This is the original scientific paper – if you find it difficult to read (I did) try the next article
    https://alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/alz.12116

    Repetitive negative thinking linked to dementia risk
    This is a summary article – easier to read than the first.
    https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2020/jun/repetitive-negative-thinking-linked-dementia-risk

    Negative Thinking Speeds Up Brain Decline and Raises Dementia Risk
    This is probably the easiest description to read.
    https://thebestbrainpossible.com/thinking-depression-anxiety-brain-dementia/

    Photo by Nathan Lemon on Unsplash

  • Long-Term Antidepressant Use

    Long-Term Antidepressant Use

    The BBC recently reported that 2 million people in the England have been taking antidepressants for five or more years. Antidepressants are not only taken for depression, but also for a range of other disorders including various anxiety-related issues.

    Modern antidepressants affect the brain’s chemical balance. It was originally thought that they worked by adjusting the uptake of serotonin (the neurotransmitter that is related to your sense of well-being). However, there are scientists who think that it simply affects the way you think and feel.

    Taking pills to help relieve stress and anxiety may sound like the quick and easy method of sorting out a problem – but you should be aware that you can become dependent on them. Evidence suggests that they can help people in the short-term – but there are no real long-term studies. So it is worrying that so many people have been taking them for over five years.

    And then there is the issue of stopping once you have started. If you come off many antidepressants too fast, you can develop withdrawal symptoms – including an increase in anxiety. So if you want to come off, make sure you do it in consultation with your doctor.

    The NHS website emphasises various talking therapies as alternatives to antidepressants. Apart from mentioning exercise, it does not have a lot of guidance on lifestyle changes. Changing diet, changing routine, taking more exercise and other lifestyle changes are also an important means for tackling anxiety and depression.

    If you have been taking antidepressants for a long time, if you haven’t talked to your doctor about it for a while, it might be worth doing so.

    References

    BBC Report on Long-Term Antidepressant Use
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65825012

    Types of Antidepressants
    https://www.nhsinform.scot/tests-and-treatments/medicines-and-medical-aids/types-of-medicine/antidepressants

    Alternatives to Antidepressants
    https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/talking-therapies-medicine-treatments/medicines-and-psychiatry/antidepressants/alternatives/

    Photo by Nastya Dulhiier on Unsplash

  • A Quick Guide to Social Anxiety & Hypnotherapy

    A Quick Guide to Social Anxiety & Hypnotherapy

    Having anxiety about social situations is far more wide-spread than you might think. Around one in ten people in the UK will have social anxiety at some point in their lives. It is so common that it has its own medical classification – it is known to doctors as Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), or sometimes, Social Phobia.

    Social anxiety is a problem when someone has anxiety or fear in social situations – meeting people, being in a workplace, going to a supermarket when it is busy … any situation where there are a lot of people around can trigger social anxiety. It is diagnosed more often in women than in men, and often starts in the teenage years.

    How do I know if I have social anxiety?

    When in a social situation, someone with social anxiety may suffer some of these symptoms:

    • A feeling of anxiety or fear – for no apparent reason
    • Thinking that other people may be judging them
    • Sweating, blushing or trembling
    • Feeling embarrassed
    • Being self-conscious
    • Difficulty speaking clearly – both hesitant and unable to find the right words to say
    • Having a feeling of not being good enough compared to everyone around them
    • Finding it difficult to maintain eye contact
    • Physical changes such as increased heart rate, dry mouth, or fast breathing

    People with social anxiety disorder may change their lifestyle in order to avoid social situations, being happier on their own or with small groups of close friends.

    What causes social anxiety?

    The exact cause of social anxiety will vary from individual to individual. It tends to run in families, so there may be genetic factors involved. Some people may have had a bad experience in a social situation in the past which their brain has not processed fully; they may think of themselves as lacking importance, or not as good as everyone else in the group; or they may simply have a super-shy personality.

    The cause of an individual’s social anxiety is not really very important in dealing with the issue. The cause may be interesting, but it does not help in sorting it all out.

    How can hypnotherapy help with social anxiety?

    As with all anxiety-related problems, it’s only a problem if it’s a problem. If a person is content with their life as it is, there is no need to do anything about it. However, if social anxiety prevents them from living how they want to live, then hypnotherapy can help.

    Hypnotherapy allows an individual to change those automatic feelings of fear, anxiety and generally being uncomfortable in social situations. It can also help by improving self-esteem, a factor which is sometimes associated with social anxiety. Hypnotherapy can help individuals be fully comfortable and in control of their feelings in a social situation.

    References

    NHS advice on social anxiety
    https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/social-anxiety/

    Royal College of Psychiatrists description of social phobia
    https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mental-health/problems-disorders/shyness-and-social-phobia

    Hypnotherapy for social anxiety
    https://www.mindsethealth.com/matter/hypnosis-social-anxiety

    Photo by Kimson Doan on Unsplash

  • What is Hypnotherapy?

    What is Hypnotherapy?

    Hypnotherapy is a therapy designed to enable us to change our thoughts, feelings and behaviours. Why would we want to do that? Because sometimes we don’t seem to be able to control our thoughts, feelings and behaviours.

    Sometimes we think about things that we don’t want to think about – worrying about what might happen, or remembering an embarrassing situation – thoughts that seem to come into our heads without being able to control them. Sometimes we feel bad – feeling down, anxious or angry – feelings that we don’t like, but seem to happen on their own. And sometimes we do things that we don’t think are good, but do not seem to be able to stop ourselves doing – eating too much, spending too long scrolling through our phones, or checking that we have locked the door five times before settling down for the night.

    So why do we think, feel and behave in ways that we don’t like? Why can we not be in full control of ourselves? It’s all down to the primitive part of our brain, the part that is more concerned with our survival than how we feel. The primitive part of our brain is very simple – it just follows patterns. So when it finds a pattern of how to get us to think, feel or behave, it sticks to it – even if we don’t like it, and even if doesn’t actually protect us.

    Hypnotherapy is all about getting into the parts of our brains that we are not consciously aware of. A hypnotherapist will lead it into a better place and help us convince that primitive part of our brain that there is a better way to think, feel or behave that is quite safe.

    Hypnotherapy is not like surgery – the hypnotherapist does not get into your brain and mend things. It is more akin to physiotherapy. Just as a physiotherapist helps us move our bodies so that the muscles and joints work better, so the hypnotherapist helps us use our brain in such a way that helps it works better over time.

    In a typical hypnotherapy session, some of the time will be spent talking, which, in itself, is a way of getting our brain to operate better. Then the hypnotherapist will take us into a relaxing trance – a state that is similar to that time when we are half asleep and half awake. During the trance, our brains have time to restructure themselves.

    If you have trouble controlling your thoughts, feelings or behaviours and would like some help, you might like to give hypnotherapy a go. I work in my clinic in Fleet, Hampshire – focusing mostly on anxiety-related issues. Give me a call or contact me on my website.

    Photo by Mark Williams on Unsplash

  • The Clinic in the Garden

    The Clinic in the Garden

    I sit at my desk, here in my hypnotherapy clinic, having taken all of 10 seconds to walk over from my house. The sun is shining and I can look out at the garden and see the leaves need clearing from the lawn. They can wait until the weekend because, right now, now I am waiting for my next client.

    My client has not been here before, so I go out to the road to greet him. We shake hands and walk back to the clinic in the garden. The clinic is a purpose-built room, where we can talk confidentially. He gets the nice comfortable chair, while I sit in my office chair. He looks at the pictures on the wall, and the garden through the window, but mostly he looks at me, wondering what will happen next.

    I ask him how I can help and he tells me all his problems. I listen to what he has to say, but what I really want to know comes in the next question … “You have told me about your problems … now what do you want instead?” You see, I am not really interested in where the problem came from; what I am interested in is how he wants to be when it’s all sorted out.

    The Hypnotherapy Clinic in the garden

    I get some more background information, and then start to explain what is actually going on in his head. I get out a diagram of a human brain and show him the different parts and how they interact. I explain what stress does to the brain, and how the brain naturally deals with it. I show him the part of the brain that is probably giving rise to the problems he has. Understanding the mechanics of the brain, even in the simplest terms, is the first step to moving on.

    And then I ask him if he would like to try a bit of hypnotherapy – just for relaxation, you understand; just so you get a feel for what it is. I show him how the seat goes back and he can put his feet up. He lies back and just listens as I start talking. I notice his breathing slows as he relaxes and drifts in and out of a light trance, until at last I come to the end. He sits up with a smile on his face.

    And so ends the initial consultation. He understands a bit more about it all and has an experience of what hypnotherapy is all about. He can now decide if this is right for him, and whether to book in for a series of session. And I have enough information about him to prepare for when he comes next week.

    I shake hands again as he leaves. I sit and type up my hand written notes. As I put the paper notes through the shredder, I go through, in my own head, what to do when he comes back next week.

    The real delight for me at the end of the day, as I make my 10 second commute back to the house, is all the people who thank me for what I have done for them. And maybe I shouldn’t take delight in that – because really, they have done it all themselves – I just went along for the journey.

  • The Unconscious Mind

    The Unconscious Mind

    Right now, you are aware of the words that you are reading … you are conscious of them … you are paying (at least some) attention to them. This is the conscious part of your brain in operation – the bit that is aware of what is going on and makes all the main decisions in your life. It is the part of you mind that chose to read this article in the first place.

    We also have a part of the brain that we are not aware of … that part of the brain that just gets on with things. You are probably not aware of the pressure of your back on the back of chair you are sitting on – or, if you are standing, of the pressure of your feet on the floor. That is, you weren’t aware of it until I mentioned it.

    The unconscious part of your brain is busily monitoring the pressure of your back on the back of the chair, and – because there is nothing going wrong – it doesn’t bother to alert the conscious part of the brain, so you don’t think about it.

    The unconscious part of your brain does so much for you without you thinking about. It just gets on and does it. Many years ago, you learned to walk. Now that you are an expert at walking, you don’t need to think, “now move your left leg … next your right.” You just do it. The unconscious part of your mind handles all the details without making you aware of them.

    Now, this is all very well, until we programme some behaviour into the unconscious part of our brain that we don’t actually like. We can accidentally programme our brain into all sorts of unwanted behaviours – like being afraid of spiders, being anxious about social occasions, binge eating, having a craving to smoke, and so on. When the unconscious part of our mind has learned a pattern, it is very difficult to change it. We cannot say to ourselves, “I’m going to stop being anxious now.” And just stop … it doesn’t work like that.

    Hypnotherapy is the art of helping someone get into the right state to allow the unconscious part of their brain to be able to sort itself out on its own. The brain needs the space to sort itself out, and when the right ideas are planted there, and they have space to grow, the brain will, over a period of time, heal itself and get rid of those unwanted thoughts, feelings and behaviours.

    A very important part of hypnotherapy is to reduce the amount of stress you are experiencing. Whenever you are stressed, the unconscious part of your brain is looking out for problems, and so doesn’t have the space to sort itself out – it is too busy getting ready to deal with the problems that may be coming your way.

    So one of the things that a good hypnotherapist will do is to lead you into a nice relaxed state, because when your body and mind are both relaxed, you are able to make the changes you need to make.

    Photo by Milad Fakurian on Unsplash