Anxiety and Panic Attacks Now Conquered Over Skype With Hypnotherapist Graham McDowell of The Focus Clinic
Exeter, Devon (PRWEB UK) 31 July 2014 -- Many of us will have experienced a bit of Anxiety around travel, but for some, this develops into crippling Anxiety and Panic Attacks that can ruin holidays and lives. Graham McDowell, Solution Focused Hypnotherapist and Psychotherapist of The Focus Clinic has launched a new specialist online service to help. He is now working with people Nationwide via Skype video chat and two clients have shared their inspiring stories.
Andy, a 45 year old consultant explains; “I returned from France struggling very badly with Agoraphobia, OCD and General Anxiety. I was on sleeping pills and frankly was a total mess. The NHS said join the queue, so I was really down in the dumps, depressed, stressed, anxious with terrible intrusive thoughts.”
“I found Graham McDowell by accident online and was deeply cynical. I thought it was going to be the worst investment I'd ever made. However, it turned out to be anything but a waste of money. As cynical as I was Graham worked with me to face my fears, understand what was going on and realise I was neither a failure nor somebody weird, I just had some issues and a brain not working quite as it should. Just two months ago, I could only get on trains if the next stop was less than 10 minutes, I didn't like driving anywhere and I had a pathological fear of ferries, in fact my wife had to drug me to take me through the Channel Tunnel, mad!”
“Working with Graham, taking on board his advice, encouragement and kick up the backside sometimes, I have faced my fears and learnt to take back control. There is no miracle cure, it is a lot of common sense. I am now driving around happily, travelling on trains and even sent Graham a picture of me enjoying myself on a Ferry, all unheard of just a few weeks ago.”
Fifty year old business woman Georgina continues, with her story, “I hated flying. The thought filled me with dread. Talking about it made my stomach clench. I did everything to avoid it, holidays were a nightmare. Then I had to make a trip where flying was unavoidable. I resorted, somewhat sceptically, to hypnotherapy because I couldn't face the weeks of miserable anticipation.”
“In the first session Graham asked questions to ascertain whether I had a phobia of flying, or whether it was a more general anxiety. ‘How do you feel about boat travel?’ Err, I have to sit next to the emergency exit. ‘What about trains?’ Umm, won't sit in the front carriage. ‘Cars?’ OK as long as I'm driving, won't let anyone else drive me. ‘Buses?’ Fine in town, I avoid coach travel though. ‘Tube trains?’ Only Circle & district lines as they're nearer the surface. ‘Ever had IBS?’ Oh yes. ‘Sleep OK?’ Not really. You get the picture”
“Graham said to listen to his sleep recording at bedtime using earphones and I'd probably drift off to sleep. Hang on, I said, what if I strangle myself with the earphone cord? We had a LOT of work to do. Graham drew diagrams to explain what was going on inside my head and assured me that if I followed his advice then I would be able to take a flight without this ridiculous fear, and I decided to believe him. After the first session I felt better about the prospective flight and I'm smiling now just thinking about it.”
“I listened to the relaxation track, didn't strangle myself and slept through the night for the first time in years. Over a few weeks Graham helped me take control of my thoughts and gradually I started having small successes. It wasn't all about travel - you don’t dwell on what's gone wrong in the past or what might go wrong in the future, it's about what you could be doing now to make you feel happy. I started to be better organised and less stressed generally. But the travel improved a lot. I took a trip on the Bakerloo line without hesitation. I let my 17 year old daughter drive me 40 miles along a dual carriageway and I almost fell asleep. That would have been unthinkable before. Sleep was so much better. I even started to look forward to the trip I had to make.”
“When the day of the flight came, it was a complete Doddle. I didn't feel nervous at all. The best bit was that I could enjoy the trip without spending the whole time abroad dreading the flight home. I am so much more relaxed about travelling. Tomorrow, I am actually going on a cruise and I'm really excited, even though my father's driving me to Southampton!”
So, how is this remarkable level of change possible? Graham explains; “In simple terms, it’s not the events in our life that create the perception of crisis, it’s how we choose to think about those events. If we change how we think, we change how we feel. And, by changing how we feel, we change what we can and can’t do, what is and isn’t possible.”
Full details of Skype video chat sessions for Anxiety, Panic Attacks, OCD, Anger and Depression along with free hypnosis audio downloads, videos and online self assessment are available at http://www.TheFocusClinic.info or call Graham McDowell on 01392 580885.
Graham McDowell, The Focus Clinic, http://www.TheFocusClinic.info, +44 1392 580885, [email protected]
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