A client was referred to me recently for what the doctor thought was to be pain control. When she came to see me, her complaint was not pain-related but about panic and anxiety.
She had been in her job for over 12 years when a new supervisor (who had
only been with her company for 7 years) started to nitpick my client’s work and everything that she did. The new supervisor, who had been a close friend of my client,
ended up terminating her employment.
To this day my client does not understand what happened. She spent much of her first session railing against her ex-employer and their attempts to cheat her out of her just entitlements.
In addition to these stressors, she had to enroll in state disability. Because of her back condition, sitting for long periods or doing manual labor are out of the question. Her injuries forced her to file a Worker’s Compensation claim.
An ex-Worker’s Comp adjuster who treated people as fairly as the system would allow, she was amazed that her Worker’s Comp company was unjust, not treating her with the respect she would offer claimant. This added stress to her already difficult situation.
Signs of a Strong Character
A strong person, some years ago she sold everything and moved to California, knowing no one and looking for work. Until now, she had been successful. Her new state of unemployment was taking a toll. She was accustomed to working every day. Further, her income had plunged by more than 50 percent.
No wonder she was anxious all the time.
She couldn’t stop thinking negative thoughts, and she was not sleeping at night.
We tackled the pain issue by teaching her pain reduction techniques.
She took to them remarkably quickly. They were immediately effective.
Then we turned to panic and anxiety. As I had suspected, she was not eating enough of the right kinds of foods.
To a large extent, she was only eating carbohydrates. They gave her the energy she needed but only short bursts. When her energy level dropped, she became argumentative, nervous and sweaty. Her heart rate accelerated. She became angry at everything and everyone.
I gave her a diet rich in protein, explaining carbohydrates raised her sugar level too quickly. There was nothing to sustain her energy level, which fell fast, leaving her at a lower sugar level. Eating more and more carbohydrates, she became depressed, anxious and nervous.
When the brain is deprived of the nourishment it needs to function effectively,
it sends out signals to the body looking for sugar. When a person is only eating carbohydrates, the sugar levels rise and fall quickly, the brain becomes hyperactive.
This condition leads to constant nervousness and an inability to sleep.
When the brain is being fed as it should, there is no hyper vigilance.
The Turnaround Arrives
I recommended a diet where it was important to eat a small amount of protein every two hours, maintaining the sugar level at an even keel because protein breaks down to sugar
far more slowly than carbohydrates. Consequently, it provides stability.
The brain begins to calm. So does the overall feeling of the underlying panic and anxiety.
Within 48 hours of starting the diet, my client’s anxiety diminished dramatically. On the
third night, she slept right through for 8 hours for the first time in 14 months.
Her attitude changed, too. She is handling her life more calmly. Rediscovering
herself and her talents is more exciting than she had thought.
No longer wasting energy on her ex-employer, she is concentrating on the paperwork issues for her claims.
She also is busy deciding what she wants to do to continue to build on her success and happiness.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me by telephone, 310.204.3321, or by email at nickpollak@hypnotherapy4you.net. See my website at www.hypnotherapy4you.net
