The Devon Clinic

Category: Home

  • Ten Reasons Why You Should Try Hypnotherapy

    Looking to break a habit or regain control?

     

    Hypnotherapy could be a viable option. From celebrities to your neighbours down the road, more and more people are turning to hypnosis to help them out.



    Below are ten reasons to give it a go:

    1. Hypnosis is a natural state of relaxation. It is fact that we all fall into a trance-like state several times throughout the day, so the feeling of being hypnotised will feel natural and leave you energised.

     

    1. Approximately six in ten Britons suffer from sleep problems. Night after night, lying awake unable to shut off as thoughts race around your mind. Hypnosis can help manage these thoughts and train your mind to drift gently into sleep. Disruptive sleep affects performance as we need to be firing on all cylinders to achieve optimum output.

     

    1. Losing and keeping off the weight. The top reason most diets do not work is that they do not address the underlying issue(s). Hypnosis focus’ on the root cause rather than calories in vs calories out. It is possible to achieve the body you want with hypnotherapy.

     

    1. Did you know that more people fear speaking publicly than dying? Hypnotherapy can help you release this fear and enable you to speak confidently in front of others.

     

    1. Three-quarters of adults admit to experiencing moderate to high levels of stress every month in the UK. Granted we all face times of stress but regardless of the trigger, your body will react to those triggers in a fight or flight manner. Hypnotherapy can help change your thought pattern and interpretations allowing you to feel relaxed and calm in those situations.

    1. Quitting smoking-the bane of many a person who has tried and failed. Smoking is just like any habit, a cycle that requires breaking. Hypnosis can alleviate the urge and release you of those pesky cravings, leaving you with the choice of freedom to never smoke again.

     

    1. Anger, the emotion that can cause an awful lot of damage. What if you could process anger positively and release it in a controlled way? With hypnotherapy, the result can help you achieve this and become a more relaxed and healthier person.

     

    1. Have you held back from embracing life due to a deep-rooted fear? Does flying, spiders, heights or snakes make you step back from the world? Hypnosis can enable you to overcome these fears allowing you to regain control and feel liberated.

     

    1. Procrastination is the roadblock to success in life. We have all been there, we have all put off that important thing telling ourselves that we will do it later. Hypnotherapy can change that mindset into a “take action” one which will enable you to achieve more and stop you from putting off the important things.

     

    1. A lack of self-confidence makes life harder than it needs to be. Do you miss opportunities or avoid certain situations because you just don’t believe in yourself? Hypnotherapy can remove these obstacles, allowing you to focus and develop. You were born confident, but life can sometimes drag us down. Hypnotherapy can re-establish confidence and positivity.

    If you are interested in learning more about Hypnotherapy please call The Devon Clinic to arrange a free taster session with Mr Chris Fleet.

     

  • Reiki healing to overcome drug addiction and stress

    Youngsters opt for Reiki to overcome drug addictions and stress

    Reiki is a Japanese healing therapy that is fast gaining popularity among millennials

     

    Healing hands for drug addiction

    Instead of the de-addiction and rehabilitation centres, quite a few youngsters are choosing Reiki to break free of drug and alcohol addictions. Reiki teacher, Vijay Shende, who specialises in the de-addiction of youngsters between 18 and 25 who come in for Reiki treatments are dealing with some form of addiction. Sceptical at first, many had bid adieu to their addiction after using Reiki for twenty-one days. Whilst the rate of tobacco addiction is higher, many are also addicted to marijuana and morphine, some even consume sanitisers to battle depression.

    How Reiki works

    “Reiki healing works with our life force energies using laying of hands. It heals and cleanses a person’s emotional, mental and physical state simultaneously.” Elaborating on this technique, she adds, “After experiencing physical pain, people realise they need medical and spiritual intervention. But the physical pain in the Reiki chart stands at the third level and it believes that the process of pain and suffering begins on the emotional level. Reiki starts healing from step one, and by the end, it roots out all kinds of addiction.”
    Reiki teacher Nirmall Desai

    Those who have successfully overcome drug addiction, low self-esteem, relationship troubles, peer pressure and depression have shared their experience with us:

    “I plunged into a deep depression at the age of 18, even though my parents gave me everything I ever wanted. But the only thing I needed was their attention, and they were not available when I needed them the most. This was the reason why I started to smoke marijuana to make myself feel comfortable and it dragged me down to darkness. But after using Reiki for a week, the urge to smoke marijuana has reduced and I have been clean since then.”

    “I dropped out of college last year as I was dealing with self-doubts and low self-esteem, but after taking Reiki, I have become more confident and focused. In fact, I have enrolled myself in college again; using this technique has helped me personally and academically.

    Reiki at The Devon Clinic

  • Hypnotherapy: Perfectionism and Imposter Syndrome

    Being a perfectionist can seem like a positive thing, something we should aspire to? After all, it is the opposite of being unconcerned about the details, isn’t it? But look a little deeper; a perfectionist is often driven to succeed by low self-esteem and constant need for approval.

    If you pursue perfection, you are likely to try very hard at all that you do. You will hold yourself to the highest standards and strive for the best possible outcome in everything you do. You probably work extremely hard to ensure you get good results and those results reflect your efforts. If you are pleased with your achievements, then this is great. However, if you are self-critical or feel praise received is unjustified, then the reason for this needs to be explored. You may be suffering from imposter syndrome.

    Imposter syndrome is generally experienced by high achievers who also express perfectionistic traits. They generally feel that success isn’t deserved by them because they are less talented than others. They will fear being exposed as a fake.

    If any of this sounds familiar to you, you will be all too aware of how stressful it can be. The need to be the very best cannot be ignored, but the rewards cannot be enjoyed either. The outcome of this operation of self-imposed pressure is likely to only negatively impact your enjoyment of life.

    Sadly, the most common response to anxious feelings is to try even harder to achieve better results, but this simply causes the cycle to become more dangerous. If you would like help to let go of these unhelpful patterns, a hypnotherapist can help. They can help you break through the barrier that lets you think you need to achieve constantly yet not enjoy your achievements.

  • Eight ways insomnia affects the body

    The British Sleep Council revealed that our sleeping habits are worse than ever. The Great British Sleep Report concluded that the average Brit manages between five and seven hours per night. A third of participants claim to have suffered insomnia for over five years, with stress cited as the top cause.
    As general levels of anxiety and stress are on the incline, add to that our over-reliance on technology, it gets harder and harder to switch off and reach those glorious eight hours of sleep.
    For some, chronic insomnia is a nightly battle as they lay awake, possibly alongside a sleeping partner, whilst trying not to toss and turn.

    But how does it affect us on a day to day level?

     

    1. Levels of anxiety increase

    Those who miss out on sleep find their cortisol (stress hormone) levels increase, along too with their heart rate. This leads to increased levels of anxiety, nervousness and high blood pressure. Sleep neuroscientist Professor Horne notes that those predisposed to anxiety are most likely to be affected by insomnia, as it is pre-existing stress.

    2. The afternoon lulls get worse

    A lack of sleep makes it all the harder to resist a three pm nap. Due to the body’s circadian rhythm, it is normal to experience an energy slump in the pm, leaving you fuzzy and on the hunt for caffeine or sugar fixes. Horne says that those with poor sleep tend to have longer periods of fuzziness in the afternoons and will have trouble staying awake.

    3. Feeling overly alert?

    A lack of sleep often leaves people jittery and hyperactive. Anxiety and insomnia are well established as linked to one another. Professor Throne points out that when you lack in sleep you feel unnaturally wired instead of tired. Getting caught up in the demands of modern life, the heart and adrenaline levels soar, and the body does not wind down sufficiently to aid sleep.

    4. Anger levels increase without reasoning

    Small things suddenly become very irritating after a lack of sleep. Professor Thorne states that the brain is the organ most affected by the lack of sleep. Research has indicated that those missing out on sleep are likely to feel more frustrated or angry, and are prone to negative moods. Some put this down to increased amygdala activity following sleep deprivation. The connection between the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex was disrupted leading to negative stimuli becoming more appealing.

    5. Your eyes tell a story

    A lack of sleep is quickly visible in the eyes. It is easy to spot when a person has not slept enough by the tell-tale bags under the eyes. Poor lymphatic drainage and fluid accumulation lead to puffy eyes. Dermatologist Dr Dennis Gross explains that dark circles under the eyes come about because your body goes into fight or flight when you are sleep deprived. This draws oxygen away from the skin and gives it to vital organs. The result is deoxygenated blood which becomes visible under the skin of your eyes.

    6. Your skin suffers

    It is called beauty sleep for a reason: sleep deprivation can negatively impact your skin. As you sleep growth hormones stimulate cell and tissue repair. Forgoing sleep can leave you looking haggard as your body is denied the repair opportunity. Dr Al-Niaimi highlights that poor sleep results in poor collagen formation which increases the appurtenance of ageing.

    7. Those carb cravings

    A lack of sleep makes us feel hungrier. Have you noticed the more overtired you get the more peckish you find yourself? In 2012 a study showed that sleep deprivation increased the levels of Ghrelin, the hunger hormone which left participants hungrier than usual. On top of that, those cravings are for sweet and salty foods. Even more rewarding were fast food items. Dr Ramlakhan adds that not getting enough sleep forces our bodies into a crisis. We start to run on adrenaline which conserves energy and stores fat namely around the middle this is called ‚trunkal thickening.

    8. Mental process‚ slow down

    Lack of sleep decreased the ability to focus on work. Sleep deprivations are known to have a detrimental effect on cognitive function, as you are overly sleepy and lack concentration. Whilst long-term sleep deprivation affects long-term memory and reasoning, even short-term deprivation has an impact on accuracy and vigilance. This can increase the risk of accidents in the workplace, travel and at home.

  • Hypnosis and anger management

    There is a buzz around mindfulness, and how it can help eradicate difficult feelings and even stop dark thoughts from becoming destructive actions. But what if the red mist (of anger) descents before you have time to step back and work through those steps?

    Perhaps hypnosis is the answer.

    Studies have shown that hypnosis is effective in treating anger problems.

    Anger and feelings are part of life but when that anger becomes out of control it can lead to both mental and physical troubles. It can also have detrimental effects on all aspects of your life from relationships to work.

    Like any problem, acknowledging that you have a problem is the first step. The second is discovering the cause, and the final step is to discover a way to stop that switch that turns on the anger.

    Hypnosis can help with this.

    Discovering the cause

    The jumping of straight to red is a learned reaction that generally stems from past experiences that have shaped your behaviour. The present apparent cause or focus may be a person, event or situation, the cause will inevitability be something in the past that you have internalised. The reality is that your anger will be projected on the present stimuli. Once the root cause has been identified, with the help of hypnosis, you can begin working on how to change your reactions to triggers.

    Identify your triggers

    Hypnosis works on both the conscious and unconscious mind to change negative thought patterns and destructive behaviours. Hypnosis begins by bringing you into a relaxed state where you will feel safe and able to open to suggestions of trigger identity.

    Discovering reserves of calm

    The goal is to stop the red mist descending so that projected feelings of anger inside do not overspill outside-reverse calm. In this focused but relaxed state, you will be able to take a step back and observe the situation before acting.

    Your hypnotherapist will guide you in reflecting on your triggers and one by one you will be asked to identify the physical sensations associated with that trigger. You will be asked to examine those feelings allowing them to dissolve one at a time. This way, you will understand that these feelings do not need to overtake when something arises.

    Once you are comfortable at dealing with each sensation you may be invited to rehearse some scenarios that have previously triggered your anger. This way you will be able to try some techniques whilst remaining in a safe place.

    It is important to remember that anger management is an ongoing process.

    Hypnosis is a proven tool to deal with anger management.

    Chris Fleet can help you regain control of your anger.

  • Which charity will The Devon Clinic be supporting in 2017?




  • Hypnotherapy healed me of my skin-picking habit

    My issue of skin-picking is getting pretty old now. I’ve meekly apologised for it for far too long now and I’ve done just about everything to quit from therapy and journaling to snapping a rubber band and even removing all tweezers and safety pins from home, but nothing works for a significant amount of time.

    I have just come to accept that I’ll have a good few weeks, my skin will heal but I’m never going to be rid of this habit for good. I will always be one mark or a stray hair away from scrupulous hours picking over every freckle on my body. It is ugly and consumes so much time, and I don’t know what to do besides I hope I grow out of it as I did with nail-biting.

    But one thing I hadn’t even considered until the opportunity fell on my lap was hypnosis. I knew the swinging watch thing was a myth, but besides that, I had no idea what to expect.

    We started by going back to when it first started around thirteen years of age. We talked about when my skin-picking was at its worst (school) and what was happening around me at that time. In the past, I’ve always said things like ‘oh, hormones, puberty, friends-the typical teenage things’ and move on, but this time I wasn’t allowed to just brush it aside. I was pushed gently to look deeper and before long some buried events and behaviour patterns emerged.

    One of the most insightful things that came out of hypnotherapy was that I used the word ‘perfect’ a lot without even realising it. Perfect skin, perfect body, perfect life. I was asked what perfection meant to me, how did I define perfectionism, what happened if I wasn’t perfect?

    I hadn’t thought of myself as a perfectionist.           

    In my mind, a perfectionist is someone who freaks if they don’t get an A, have one of those detailed organisers, have spotless homes and everything is lined up neatly. I got a spontaneous tattoo, I drink, I sleep in late, my organiser is something to be questioned and I leave dishes all over the kitchen.

    Yet, my appearance is something I am obsessed with controlling. Until that moment, I had never connected my nose job, anti-ageing routine and dermo facials with picking, but it was obvious. I wanted perfect skin-porcelain, smooth and hair-free, free of lumps and bumps. In my logical mind, I know this isn’t possible without the likes of photoshop, but it doesn’t stop me from trying my hardest. You might be able to see a stray hair, pluck it and move on, but I can’t. I zone in on the smallest of black dots, those ones where the hair will take a few more weeks to grow before you can see it, and I’ll spend hours cutting it out.

    In my attempts to control myself externally, I’ve spent over a decade losing what’s on the inside, I had to be ready to let go of both control over my appearance and mind which is why I found myself with a hypnotherapist. How is that for a breakthrough?

    We hadn’t even gotten to the hypnotherapy first, this was just the initial consultation. The lights were lowered, the white noise was turned on, I was asked to sit back, relax and close my eyes. I’d had a long day, I was tired so this wasn’t hard, I was in from the start. I was spoken to calmly, urged to be in the moment, to be aware, notice the weight of my arms and legs, and to focus on what I wanted.

    Acknowledge what we are doing here today, the goal. Have freedom from old behaviour, your old mechanism. In the past, it worked for you but it doesn’t anymore. Know that you will gain strength over the next few days. Their soothing voice took me to a place where I wasn’t asleep, but I wasn’t fully awake. It’s hard to remember a time when I’d felt that relaxed and at ease.

    The only time her cadence changed was when she used the words ‘don’t and ‘no’. What will happen when you don’t revert to the habit when you say no? She said these words sharply, like a snap. I was told after that session that my leg had kicked out involuntarily as a sign of protest.

    When I was brought back to full consciousness, I felt optimistic for the first time about my skin-picking. I went in thinking I was stuck with this habit but now I can see a point where it won’t be.

    Since my last session, I’ve almost stopped skin-picking completely. I had a small slip-up on my forehead. Recently I went out without any concealer on for the first time in years. Since that moment, I have been diligent about practices that keep me from doing it like laser hair removal.

    So, did I arrive at this point solely from hypnosis? No. But it kick-started something and that optimism hasn’t diminished, in fact, I feel more hopeful than ever.

    For now, I don’t feel I need more sessions but I intend to have a few per year. I will also lie back and listen to the recording she gave me.

     

  • Fear of driving and hypnotherapy

    Being afraid to get behind the wheel is an incapacitating phobia that often leaves suffers isolate or spending a small fortune and a lot of time on public transport.

    Unlike other fears such as a fear of bridges (gephyrophobia) or fear of washing (ablutophobia), a fear of driving has no medical term. Having a fear of driving doesn’t just mean you are too scared to drive, it can manifest in ways such as avoiding a certain roundabout, planning journeys to avoid motorways or even journeys that have no left turns or one-way streets.

    Joanne Mallon, a recovered phobic and author, the number of people who are scared to take to the roads is unknown. “It is absolutely everywhere, but it’s a hidden thing,” she explains. “When I talk, so many people say, ‘I thought it was just me’.”

    There has been little-documented research, although a survey taken of Spanish licence-holders in 2011 revealed that some feared driving in certain circumstances.

    The root causes of many feared drivers can be related to a previous experience or trauma such as the breaks failing or being involved in an accident either as a child or adult. But for those with no traumatic experience, it can be more troublesome to root the cause.

    I had a client who was told by the examiner on the day she passed “you passed but only just”. It was her third attempt. She didn’t own a car, so when she took a job that required her to drive further than commute distance, her bad back suddenly got worse.

    Stress can be a major factor in fears. Some people find that playing music helps boost their mood and cutting down on coffee and having slower releasing foods like porridge can regulate the spikes in blood sugar levels.

    “The mental pressure of living with a fear that you have not dealt with will affect every area of your life. It’s more than just about getting behind the wheel and going from one place to the next”.

    If you have a diagnosis of severe anxiety affecting your concentration or behaviour you may need to notify the DVLA but there is professional help available. You could contact your local driving instructor or see your local friendly hypnotherapist

    “A phobia is to do with the fight or flight response. When you are ready to get into the car you think about the bad experiences you’ve had or the bad experiences you might have.” With hypnotherapy, we can change those negative thoughts and replace them with something calmer.

    “Fear of driving in the modern world can stop people living. it can make you feel inferior and stupid for having to rely on either public transport or friends and relatives”.

  • My anxiety is awful for me but worse for my boyfriend

    “I appreciate that he tries to understand my struggle with anxiety, but I wish he didn’t have to.”

    For myself with anxiety, my boyfriend is an enigma. He drives long distances, eats expired foods, phones to order take away and goes to crowded places, all without fear. When we went to see Star Wars, the movie, the character in front of the theatre didn’t make my boyfriend think of a mass shooter. Not me. I have anxiety and it’s sometimes crippling. The very thought of one terrible thing happening on my way to work will have me frantically googling such things as ‘does invisible mould exist?’

    According to the internet, it is my boyfriend that has to learn to deal with me, like I am some exotic houseplant and you are unsure how/when to water it. Plastered over millions of websites are articles admonishing the partners to be more understanding, accepting and tolerant. Statements such as “Learn everything you can about your partner’s condition,” The more you can make yourself able to have thick skin, the better it is.”

    My boyfriend and I have learned to internalize these messages. He has listened, learned and adapted. Once when I freaked as to whether the meat we had cooked was safe to eat, he simply bought me a thermometer so I could check for myself. His gentle encouragement in getting me to Google less outrageous notions and his growing to understand my weird thinking patterns is much appreciated. It doesn’t make me feel better at the fact he has to learn to understand me at all.

    When I do have a panic attack, it’s just about the worst thing I have ever felt regardless of that thing being no big deal at all. I do feel a sadness that my panic attacks have affected him. After one particular episode, he broke down in tears through the frustration that my brain just could allow me to enjoy myself.

    It is also embarrassing. During the attack, I don’t care how I look or how ‘crazy’ I am being but after I seethe with shame. I am constantly terrified of being dramatic. One time I was on a plane, I became so scared that I started breathing into a paper bag-I don’t know why I just know I saw it once in a movie. My anxiety isn’t my fault. It is hard to see it that way when you have to leave the cinema part way through a space movie because the notion of space being that big scares you. It is also hard when I tell myself just to love my boyfriend that little bit more than I could snap out of this and make everything better for him.

    Rationally thinking, I know my anxiety is part of who I am. It does affect how I treat people and how I react, and sometimes it just feels really awful. But sometimes it makes me more empathetic, like when my boyfriend/best friend is nervous or sad because I know better than most how that feels and what it takes to relieve that stressor. I don’t get mad or lose my temper when someone can’t bring themselves to do something or even talk to me about it.

    My anxiety is just a part of me. I believe in therapy, meditation, medication, or whatever makes you feel more grounded. It doesn’t matter how hard I try, I will always just be an anxious person and just like any other personality trait, someone has, anxiety is just that: a train. It is something to be aware of, listen to and talk about but it is something you can live with.

    People with anxiety are not a monolith. The best advice for dating an anxious person comes from that.

  • Mental health is not Halloween entertainment

    Despite it being 2016 we still need to say that mental health disorders are not Halloween inspirations.

    Year after year we see some form of mocking mental disability whether it be last year’s inappropriate costumes in supermarkets to this year’s park attractions depicting mental health as nothing more than a sick joke.

    Over in America, there have been two largely publicized offensive displays using mental health for public mockery. Knott’s Berry Farm, a theme park in California, recently removed their new attraction ‘Fear VR’ after criticism from mental health advocates. The virtual reality horror show featured a young psychiatric patient with so-called ‘demonic powers’ Originally the attraction was going to be called FearVR 51050, the Californian code for involuntary Psychiatric sectioning. Parent company Cedar Fair closed the attraction and release the following statement;

    “Over the past week, we have heard from a number of people expressing concern that one of our temporary Halloween attractions  ‘Fear VR’ is hurtful to those who suffer from mental illnesses. Contrary to some traditional and social media accounts, the attraction’s story and presentation were never intended to portray mental illness.”

    Halloween is synonymous with scary displays and the cultural viewpoint that mental illness can be portrayed as entertainment. Films and costumes perpetuate the myth that mental illness is something to fear and be disgusted by. This type of inaccuracy and negativity does more than just stigmatize those with mental health issues, it could have a ripple effect on future generations.
    Another recent exhibit called ‘psycho-path Haunted Asylum’ by Six Flags New England branch was shut down. The park’s display showed a doctor showcasing his most ‘insane and twisted patients. Change.org petitioned for the attraction to be shut down noting-
    “It explicitly supports dehumanizing portrayal and treatment of people given psychiatric diagnoses and those who seek support from psychiatric services.”
    Six Flags have since removed the original attraction, revamping it, and renaming it The Forgotten Laboratory.

    “Fright Fest has been delighting our guests with smiles and screams for over twenty years. Our intent is never to offend our guests. To mitigate any sensitive concerns, we opted to reintroduce our new haunt attraction under a different theme.”


    Whilst it is worth noting these parks have listened and amended their attractions, it is also important to look into how they opened in the first place. Some experts say that it is a sign that those with mental health issues are continuously stigmatized in society.
    What can society do to move forward?
    Beyond being politically correct or avoiding hurt feelings there is strong evidence that false stereotypes can be severely damaging. Research surrounding misconceptions shows that it can, and does, prevent people from seeking help and support when they need it most. Medical support abates symptoms of psychological disorders, such as headaches, negative thoughts, hallucinations and sleep loss. Left untreated mental health conditions are a major factor in suicides.
    Instead of berating these companies, these incidents should serve as lessons.

    “Given that Cedar Fair has closed its exhibit as a result of our advocacy … I wouldn’t call it a debacle. For me, the takeaway is that advocacy works. We stood up for what was right and we were heard.”

    However, we must not blame the entertainment sector for its misconceptions. Society still has a lot to learn. The best way has always remained the same increase awareness and education. Individually we can learn from reading about others’ experiences and becoming familiar with the simple fact that psychological disorders are common: nearly one in five will experience it in their lives. Most with mental health issues lead full lives.

    “Fear comes from ignorance. We need a more enlightened general public.” -Rogers.