Compulsive Behavior: Nam

Nam Szeto (Coughing)
Web Design
Austin, TX

I've had problems with stress induced coughing for the last couple of years, but the bigger emotional problems that are responsible for the cough have been there all of my life. My persistent cough was a psychosomatic symptom of being lost in my emotions and unable to cope with the stress and anxiety that I was facing. There were long stretches where I was coughing nonstop literally all day. The coughing was preventing me from having a normal social life and a healthy, effective family life. It disrupted my life and limited me in terms of what I could or could not do.

I tried three years of psychotherapy to overcome my problem. The therapist was great about listening, but when it came to helping me figure out what to do about the problem, that wasn't a part of it. It's important to understand where you come from, how you're built, and figure out what kind of life you want to lead. Therapy gave me the basic steps, but I needed more than that. I studied Buddhism and meditation, which helped me to develop self awareness and led me to understand what needed to happen to solve this problem.

I heard about A New Day Hypnosis on Citysearch. I had some qualms about using hypnosis because it's not widely accepted in our society. There is a social stigma towards hypnosis and I was concerned that this wasn't going to be useful, but I decided to find out more. After the second session, my cough diminished. I had a stronger self awareness and I wasn't just recognizing feelings, but also thinking about what I was going to do with them.

At this point, I'm no longer coughing. I'm sleeping better at night and I'm not floored or taken aback in situations because I have very specific techniques for getting myself out of irrational emotions. To me, the process is more about actionable wisdom. It's simply taking things that people realize that they should do in conducting their lives and teaching them how to do it.

I really like the process because it actually maps out the steps that are necessary to getting to my goals and I find that imminently useful. I think that the techniques for replacing negative thoughts with positive ones have been really excellent and I no longer think that any problem in life is insurmountable.

Now, it's just a matter of developing awareness, practicing, and continuing to keep working at it. I know that I've mastered the techniques for dealing with the things that might come up and I can combat them effectively. I've already recommend A New Day Hypnosis to others and I'm confident that I have the exercises down; it's liberating to be in touch with a problem and really understand the steps to take in order to solve it.