[img]560|left|Nicholas D. Pollak|remove link|no_popup[/img]I received a call from a young man who was experiencing a fall in his self-confidence and overall panic and anxiety. He could not shut down his mind. All he could hear was, “What if…” He was in a state of inner confusion and worry.

Three months after arriving in the United States from Liverpool, England, home of the Beatles, he found he was a lot quieter than he would have been at home.

It emerged that he had a poor diet. He never ate breakfast. Instead, he drank at least three or four cups of coffee. At lunch he would have a small salad or a cup of ramen soup. Dinner was meat or poultry and a salad.

A guitar player, he generated a small income by teaching guitar while studying in college. Here legally on a student visa, he could not let go of concerns about education, career and finances.

Overcoming Bashfulness

Another issue was his shyness at gatherings. He was happy to talk one-on-one, but it was upsetting to be the center of attention. From Europe, the United States and its population is considered to be a country inhabited by loud, outward people not subject to introspection. I do not want to debate the rights or wrongs of this statement. This was the young man’s mindset.

He felt the could not be as loud as the so-called typical American, and he retreated into his shell. This was exacerbated by his new inability to talk with girls. In the past he had never had trouble. With his English accent, lots of girls were willing but he was too shy to talk.

This case was a simple one, being resolved in one session. First was his poor diet and lack of protein; his stress level was quite high and he was trying to be someone he wasn’t.

I told him he would want to change his diet so that he was consuming small amounts every two hours. The food he should be low in carbohydrates – which break down to sugar fast and drop the blood sugar level just as quickly– and high in protein, which breaks down to sugar more slowly, consequently dropping the sugar level at a slower rate. Once accomplished, his nervousness would ease and disappear.

Understanding a Diet

Why? If the brain is as nourished as it needs to be, it will spend its time thinking from a higher functioning logical level and less t worrying about where its next fix of sugar is coming from. When this happens the brain ceases to function from its higher functioning critical levels. Instead, it but operates from a basic fight/flight position, leaving the individual on edge, hyper, nervous, prone to panic and anxiety as well as insomnia. This further aggravates the panic and anxiety, leading to mood swings and irritability.

I assured him that once he had altered his diet, life would get better. As long as he accepted that for now at least, the feelings that arose were just feelings and that he did not need to be guided by what he felt but more by what he thought. Thought always is stronger than feeling.

He accepted the diet and was careful not to attach the panic and anxiety feeling to anything he was doing. Just as I had said, he experienced it as a feeling that he pushed aside within a few days of following his new diet.

As for behaviors, some people are very touchy, huggy types. Often they are uncomfortable alone. They are outgoing, friendly, talkative, helpful. Their priorities are family, team sports and work in that order. They experience life through their bodies. Often they will dress in a revealing way.

For those who are quieter, more conservative. priorities are work, individual-type sports and family. These people experience life mentally, are more conservatively dressed and/or made up dress conservatively to cover up and protect their bodies. They do not like to be touched as much. They tend to show their affection by buying their partners expensive gifts. The more expensive the gift, the greater their love.

Each of us is made up of both types. It is just a matter of knowing which was the dominant behavior. Once identified, you become more comfortable with your own behaviors. My client completed a questionnaire that helped us to identify what were his dominant and sub dominant behaviors. Once he has done this he could plainly see that he was one of the quieter types, which gave him more confidence. He also understood that opposites attract and the pitfalls of that kind of attraction.

Lastly we tackled his what-ifs. Our subconscious is so powerful that it has learned to give us what we ask for. If he were to spend time thinking about all the what ifs, his mind would ultimately give him what he asked for. It was important for him to put aside the what-ifs and concentrate on taking any actions necessary to make him successful.

The what-ifs would always be there. He needed to stop thinking about the what-ifs, and focus on what he wanted.

In a short time, his panic and anxiety disappeared, the what-ifs went away. He is dating a great girl and succeeding in his studies.

If you want a copy of this protein-rich diet, email me at nickpollak@hypnotherapy4you.net

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