A gentleman contacted me with a chronic anxiety issue, fear of flying.
So far, he had luckily avoided traveling by air. But when he was booked for an out-of-state seminar, he was stuck.
He needed hypnosis to help him over his irrational anxiety. Interestingly, he is a hypnotist. But he could not convince himself.
Panic and anxiety has been my area of specialty for many years although I do hypnosis for any issue that can be resolved with hypnosis.
My new client was on time for his first session.
As with many anxiety cases, it began between the ages of 6 and 8 years old. When my client was 6, he flew from Los Angeles to New York. Unfortunately, they experienced extremely heavy weather. Turbulence suddenly sent the plane plunging, only to recover, climb, and then dive again.
In the Beginning
It is pretty clear in this case where the anxiety comes from. An impressionable young man, excited about flying for the first time, he hardly slept the night before. He was eating the typical American carbohydrate-laden breakfast.
Lack of sleep and the breakfast caused his sugar levels to spike to the high side, leaving him excited. Unfortunately he did not eat for several hours, dropping his sugar levels. When this occurs the brain seeks what it needs to survive. Everything we put into our bodies breaks down to sugar, the energy the brain needs. Carbohydrates break down quickly, and they are used up just as rapidly.
Protein breaks down more slowly. Consequently the brain gets what it needs over a longer, slower period. As long as the protein energy is replaced every two to three hours with small amounts of protein, the brain will calm.
When the brain does not get the resources it needs, ingeniously it figures out how to get what it needs to survive. Otherwise, it becomes hyper vigilant, causing insomnia, panic and anxiety.
Panic and anxiety are important because this is how the brain creates the sugar it needs, igniting a panic that causes the body to believe it is under threat. The body produces adrenaline that breaks down to sugar. The anxiety passes but the sugar levels are even more depleted.
To ensure adequate protein levels, one eats small amounts of protein every two to three hours, which maintains steady sugar levels. The brain begins to relax as it realizes that it is gaining protein it needs, halting anxiety because the brain no longer has to worry about an energy source.
Change in Four Days
After following a protein-rich diet for 96 hours, the client’s anxiety was receding. He was surprised at his heightened levels of energy and expanded mental energy.
Hypnosis desensitized him to what had happened many years ago. Strengthened, he calmly faced his old fear. Some of his negative behavior was simply the hysteria he felt all those years ago but stubbornly lingered.
Hypnosis helped him realize that he had locked a low sugar feeling to a physical action. He has locked this behavior to flying and has trained his subconscious to react to flying in this negative way.
Repeatedly, we went through the routine of arriving at the airport on time, checking in, boarding, flying. A client who had suffered for so long flies now wherever and whenever he wants.
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
