[img]560|left|Nicholas D. Pollak||no_popup[/img]The other day I was running an errand at a Post Office where I generally do not go. As I pulled into a parking spot a woman approached and asked if I was the hypnotist. She had noticed the magnetic signs on my car.
She had been involved in an accident 5 months earlier when a woman pulled around a corner at 30 mph and knocked her down, breaking her jaw, cheek, ribs, hip and leg. Since then, she had been in a severe state of panic and anxiety. Two psychiatrists and two hypnotists had tried to help her.
She had a strong belief in hypnotherapy. Could I could be more effective than the last two hypnotists?
Panic and anxiety is a specialty of mine. Absolutely I could help her.
She called a week later for an appointment.
Learning About Her
She turned out to be highly analytical with a compulsion to be in control. In addition, she was clearly a somnambulist, a deep level hypnotic who walks around in a constant state of hypnosis without realizing it, often reacting to stimuli without knowing why.
There are two types of somnambulists — the person who goes into hypnosis extremely quickly (I have hypnotized a somnambulist in two seconds) and the person it is difficult to take deeper.
My new client is the latter. That became apparent during the first session with her desire to be in control. I suggested a task to her while she was in a light trance. She followed through on it when she arrived home. She told me she acted on the suggestion without realizing it. In my mind, that clarified my belief she was a somnambulist whom I would be able to help.
She called for a second appointment. While talking, I asked if she had experienced panic and anxiety prior to the accident. She started by remembering an attack at age 29. When pressed, she recalled a difficult childhood. Her father had been an abusive, violent drinker. She remembered many times being under her bed in a fetal position, frightened of what her father might do to her after he had finished fighting with her mother.
How It Happens
Obviously her ambulatory accident was not the cause of her panic and anxiety; rather, a result of her fear toward her father.
Panic and anxiety can be created merely through a severe drop in blood sugar levels. As a result of the body feelings associated with a severe blood sugar level drop, the mind attaches a situation to it in order to “rationalize” the body feelings that are occurring. Rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, general and strong nervousness, sweating and fear.
All of this led to a lifetime of panic and anxiety.
The lady who is from another country admitted she no longer trusts her husband, compounding her insecurity and low self-esteem.
Even though she had also visited some psychiatrists, they wanted to put her onto medication. She did not think they were thorough in attempting to identify the cause of her problem.
No one had come close to the discovery that we had made regarding her childhood.
By the end of our conversation she was thrilled because for the first time someone had a handle on her problem. She was optimistic about improving her life and ridding herself of the panic and anxiety.
Should you know of anyone experiencing panic, anxiety or post-traumatic stress syndrome, don’t hesitate to contact me.
A clinical hypnotherapist, handwriting analyst and expert master hypnotist, Nicholas Pollak may be contacted at nickpollak@hypnotherapy4you.net
