Anxiety Control Center

I once again would like to share some information on research that is being done with children who are suffering with abdominal pain.  I was so excited to see this research showing positive results using guided imagery for children.

Guided imagery is one form of self-hypnosis that I have found is extremely powerful for children.  I am including the following study for anyone interested in the results.  In the study the children use their imagination to help reduce pain.

For many years the therapists at the Anxiety Control Center  have been using a hypnotic system developed specifically for children.  Visualization is just one of the hypnotic techniques we have found can help with social fears, speaking in public, fear of the dark and other fears, as well as pain.     We have found that children respond  quickly to this hypnotic method, even faster than adults.  Because children are naturally great at using their imaginations this method is very powerful for them.

The following is information about the study. . .

The study states that  “Children can greatly reduce abdominal pain by using their imagination” by Miranda van Tilburg, Ph.D., Denesh K. Chitkara, M.D., William E. Whitehead, Ph.D., Nanette Blois-Martin, and Martin Ulshen, M.D.

Children with functional abdominal pain who used audio recordings of guided imagery at home in addition to standard medical treatment were almost three times as likely to improve their pain problem, compared to children who received standard treatment alone.

And those benefits were maintained six months after treatment ended, a new study by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University Medical Center researchers has found.

“What is especially exciting about this study is that children can
clearly reduce their abdominal pain a lot on their own with guidance
from audio recordings, and they get much better results that way than
from medical care alone,” said van Tilburg. “Such self-administered
treatment is, of course, very inexpensive and can be used in addition to
other treatments, which potentially opens the door for easily enhancing
treatment outcomes for a lot of children suffering from frequent stomach
aches.”

The study focused on functional abdominal pain, defined as persistent
pain with no identifiable underlying disease that interferes with
activities. It is very common, affecting up to 20 percent of children.
Prior studies have found that behavioral therapy and guided imagery (a
treatment method similar to self-hypnosis) are effective, when combined
with regular medical care, to reduce pain and improve quality of life.
But for many children behavioral therapy is not available because it is
costly, takes a lot of time and requires a highly trained therapist.

For this study, 34 children ages 6 to 15 years old who had been
diagnosed with functional abdominal pain by a physician were recruited
to participate by pediatric gastroenterologists at UNC Hospitals and
Duke University Medical Center. All received standard medical care and
19 were randomized to receive eight weeks of guided imagery treatment.

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Testimonials:

“Irritable Bowel Syndrome controlled my life for over 20 years. Panic attacks brought me to therapy. I learned skills that enabled me to do things I had never dared before. The panic is gone. The IBS is under control.” K.C.

“When I started therapy, I was completely drained of energy. I was truly amazed at how energized I felt after using a Positive Future Image.” M.H.

“When I first started learning these techniques, I was very doubtful they would work for me. I was delightfully amazed when I was able to use these skills to get rid of migraine headaches.” M.G.

“Your great insight is truly helping me understand how to communicate in a new and more effective way”. C.G

“I’m letting go of feeling like I was suppose to know everything about parenting and being more like myself.  I feel such a weight lifting off my shoulders”.  A.B.

“My anxiety now comes and goes, sometimes  a little bit more and at times so much less. That in itself feels like a miracle, it’s been 20 years and finally I feel like there is hope.  It is a journey and I remember your words when the anxiety shows it’s face”.  D.I.

“It helps to to know that I have feelings and needs as a parent . . .  I never recognized or understood that it was OK for me to have needs too.  I thought I was just supposed to keep giving and giving and meet my children’s needs all the time, even when it made me feel unappreciated.”  R.R

“I’m still adjusting to the knew skills, as I learn how to be an “active” listener and how to talk so others really hear what I feel.   I’m now communicating more of how I feel.  I definitely want to support others in who they are and how they feel and I too, just as I want to be supported in who I am and how I feel.”  M.K.

“Thanks for the recommendation of the book and for explaining it in a way that made it possible for me to follow.  You seem to understand what I’ve been experiencing with my panic and fear.  And as I practice the exercises they hit the places I need to release my fears.”  B.F.

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Getting relief from depression

Review:
A.Whenever you feel sad, grief stricken, overwhelmed, fearful or anxious.
Start by taking some type of action.

You want to change the “state of mind.”  This can be done in many different ways.

It is difficult to think of something to do to change your state of mind in the middle of a panic attack, or when you are in the grip of depression.  One of my clients asked for techniques she could refer to anytime she was feeling out of control with emotion.

The following is what we came up with.  It is a list of possible things she can choose from.  Having a list helps, so that in the moment of emotion she doesn’t have to think, she can just choose to take action on any one thing from her list.

You might find something on her list helpful,  start to add some of you own unique solutions.  This client already know many of the exercises from the Anxiety Control Center’s, Transformation System, so they are not described in detail here.   They are easy to learn and use.

The following is her list of action steps when emotions are raging:
1.  Walk outside, even if it is cold out.
2.  Read a book or magazine
3. Sing or play guitar
4. Use one of the NLP techniques to “shrink the image down to size”
5. Imagine being in a warm tub.
6. Hug her dog.
7. Use the “rubber-band snap” technique.
8. Use tapping exercise.
9. Go to the video guide  to help to change the “state of mind,
10. Using the “color” breathing exercise
11.  Use the “fact & stories” exercise.
12. Create 2 positives for every negative. (2 for 1 exercise)
13. Listen to the “Healing Walk” exercise I gave her.
14. Pay attention and focus inward, using the curiosity technique.
This last technique will help you to collect information that you might not be aware of on a conscious level.  Being curious is a vital step to using your mind in a different way.

Changing from self blame to self acceptance:
In getting relief from depression and other emotions that get in the way of living a full life, it is important to learn how to be kinder to yourself, as you are, even before the emotions totally lift.  Recovering from depression is a process, keep taking one small step and it will motivate you to the next step, until one day you will surprise yourself at what you have accomplished.

If you have you been suffering from depression, panic, anxiety or feeling hopeless, change is possible !  I have watched so many people use my Transformation System to get out from under the dark spell of depression.

Take action today listen to the 90 minute Mp3 and then sign up for the 4 session online coaching workshop.

Or contact Audrey for a private session in NY or  NJ.

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Today we will continue to look at hypnosis and why we use it with most of our clients who have panic, sadness, fear, worry or anxiety.

Hypnosis is a very powerful tool.  One that you can learn to use on  your own for relaxation and creating calm.  When you are guided by a hypnotherapist trained to used the Transformation System,  you can find that you can get to the root of the issues you are struggling with, in very little time.  Many people who have been in therapy for years find that make major life changes in relatively few sessions of hypnosis.

Hypnosis can help with many problems, we will continue our discussion on how to use hypnotic techniques to change reactions of fear, anxiety, sadness, worry and procrastination in our workshop at the end of November.

To get the Mp3 of the 90 minute workshop, go to actionendsprocrastination.com.  Cost is just $10 and will only be up until the new workshop starts.

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Today we will continue looking at the next steps in getting relief from depression.

Review:
A.Whenever you feel overwhelmed, fearful or anxious.
1. Take action by going to  the video guide .
It will guide you in the breathing for calm exercise.
2. Using the breathing exercise will help to change your “state of mind,
to one where you can pay attention and focus inward.
3. The next step to take to find out what is underneath the emotion is to be curious.
4. Say to yourself, “I’m curious about what the anxiety, stress or fear is about”.
This will help you to collect information that you might not be aware of on a conscious level.
5.  Being curious is a vital step to using your mind in a different way.

B. Changing from self blame to self acceptance.

1. In getting relief from depression and other emotions that get in the way of living a full
life, it is important to learn how to be kinder to yourself, as you are, even before the
emotions totally lift.
2. Recovering from depression is a process, keep taking one small step and it will
motivate you to the next step, until one day you will surprise yourself at what you
have accomplished.

3. I believe that it is possible to change even the most difficult emotional reactions
when you find out what is going on underneath.   The first exercise had a
number of purposes.  If you’ve been practicing using it you have already noticed
some changes in your state of mind.  If you haven’t done that exercise yet, please
go back after reading this and follow along with the video.

4. If you have you been suffering from depression and feeling hopeless
there is hope for change.  I have watched so many people use my
Transformation System to get out from under the dark spell of depression.

5. The next step (step 2) in this step-by-step plan is to be curious and begin
to observe what is going on underneath your feelings.   This is different from
judging the feelings.  Many people get angry with themselves for even having
anxiety, worry, and depression or for procrastination.

6. So instead, we will practice this next exercise.  When you get an emotion that
doesn’t feel good, stop for just a moment and ask yourself:
1. “what is going on underneath?”
2. “What is this feeling about”
3.  “what needs of mine aren’t being satisfied”
4. “what am I afraid of”.
5.  Remember instead of blaming yourself for the uncomfortable feelings of
anxiety, depression, worry or for procrastinating, you instead become
curious about the feelings.
6. As  you begin to get the answers, we then can start on the next step of
breaking the problem down into its smallest parts.

We’ll talk more about this in the next post.

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Today we’re looking at another technique to relieve fear and panic.   I’m including a happy  email from a student who  is now dealing with panic and fear, in a new and different way.  As you will read she was creative and combined 2 techniques she learned in our coaching workshop.  Her creative use of what she is learning is giving her new ways to feel safe.  Ones that work so much better than fear, panic and anxiety that used to be  a problem.

Note from Student:
Hi Audrey, I love the “parts” technique you taught in our online class.  I  combined the “parts” technique with the “floating above” technique from the first week of class and the results were really  magical.  I kind of “traveled back” to my younger self and showed her how use the parts technique.  We “talked to the “parts” that seemed to be causing a problem of panic.  Then we found a better way of keeping “her” safe.  Such a relief to have choice again.   By the way  I now see how, not being “in it” by “staying above” my time line, helps to change the perspective, and gives me time to think.  It makes me feel more understanding of others and lighter with myself.

What this student is talking about are hypnotic techniques she is now using on her own, to re-program an old negative reactions.  In this short note she is talking about  2 techniques from the Anxiety Control Center’s Transformation System. These techniques are giving her to way to change panic in a specific areas of her life.

So for example when you are having a problem with fear, you might imagine the part that is creating the fear.  Just imagine that there is a part that creates fear. Put your hand out in front of you and imagine that it is sitting in your hand.  When you learn to do this it really is amazing how you can bring out the “parts” of yourself.    I know it seems a bit strange but when you use this technique it makes it possible to find the positive intention behind the fear. It’s like having a conversation with a young child  (part) who doesn’t understand how his or her reactions are effecting the adult (self).

What my clients have found is that when they have a “conversation with the part”  they find that the  “part” is trying to do something positive.  Many times the reason for fear or panic starts out as a positive one, perhaps to keep a person from doing something that would hurt them. Or to keep a person safe. If you’re too fearful to go out the part reasons that you’ll be safe.

Unfortunately panic begins to have a “life of it’s own” and it runs out of control.   Even if the intention is a good one, having fear can create more problems.  And it might not be the best way to keep a person safe. But once we know what the part is trying to accomplish by creating fear, we can begin to find better ways of achieving the goal (keeping the person safe).

The best way to learn how to use the “parts” technique is to experience it.  It is actually very easy to learn  when you do it with someone trained in Ericksonian Hypnosis and NLP.  Once you’ve done it the first time it all becomes very clear.

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