Phobia: Mike

Mike (Social Anxiety)
IT
Austin, TX

I've had a problem with social anxiety and a lack of confidence for the last forty years. I wasn't able to have organized thoughts that I could convey verbally and it was affecting my career and my personal relationships. The constant anxieties were driving my life. During every discussion and interaction I was focused on what I should or should not be saying. I didn't feel in control and I wasn't able to set clear goals and direction. My work was suffering; I think there was another level or two that I could have gone to in my career if it weren't for the anxiety and inability to convey my thoughts. Everything in my life was just kind of cascading downhill.

In my marriage, I wasn't handling things well and I was getting run over. I allowed my wife to control me and to dominate my life. I was sending the wrong message to my kids and setting a bad role model. I wasn't confident with myself and I wasn't teaching them how to feel confident in themselves. I've tried to talk myself out of it and there were various degrees of result, I had found some mixed short-term results, but after a little while I would revert right back to the old behaviors. I heard about A New Day Hypnosis on dogpile.com. I was a little bit leery and I wasn't sure if it would be applicable to me; I was worried that it was just a gimmick. Luckily, I was proven wrong on both points.

I noticed results immediately after my first session. It felt like a burden had been lifted and I was less anxious and started to identify the root causes of my problem. The results have continued to grow and I feel more confident, I have a better outlook on life and I have a better ability to think and speak clearly in various situations. My stress levels have gone down. I have more energy because I don't have a weight bearing down on me all the time and I can just go out and do things. My friends and my kids have noticed that I'm happier and more outgoing.

This process definitely has quantifiable results and there hasn't been an effort for me. This has come very naturally, I identify the behaviors to correct and the hypnosis guides me through it. I feel more in control now. I'm not worried about other people's views, or afraid to speak my own mind, and I just feel like I own it now. I can speak to other people, I'm making better decisions and I feel more confident just walking down the street. I have a whole different attitude about my own potential. Before, I would have settled for something less and now I feel like my potential is limitless within the scope of understanding my own natural limitations. My attitude is not going to hold me back anymore.

The most important benefit for me has been the self-confidence that comes from controlling my own anxieties. I would recommend A New Day Hypnosis to anyone who wants to overcome social anxiety because I have never achieved success in forty years and it's a very small investment for the return that I've gotten in my sanity and my outlook on life. Even if I had gotten a fraction of the improvements that I've made, it would have been a good investment. I know the anxiety is still back there, but now I'm aware of it and I control it, so I'm okay. Now that I've gotten a taste of normal life, there is no way I would let myself go back to those behaviors and I feel confident that I have the tools that I need to be free of this problem permanently.

Phobia: Ron

Ron T. (Panic Attacks)
Chief Operating Officer
Round Rock, TX

I've had problems with anxiety and panic attacks for the last eight years. When I experienced it, I didn't know what was going on and I thought it was a health issue. I felt like I was running 90,000 miles and hour and it was hard to make it through the day. I was quick tempered and I wasn't handling high pressure situations very well. I knew that if I didn't get control over it, it could really start to physically affect me.

The panic affected my sports. I had a panic attack while I was swimming and when I was out in the country riding my bike. I noticed that when I was totally away from everything I would feel like I couldn't get any support or help if I ran out of water or food and that made me feel vulnerable and brought on the panic. I felt claustrophobic on planes and was afraid that I would make a scene and not be able to escape. I pushed myself to continue flying, but had to take Xanax to get through it.

I tried breathing methods and looked up some information to try to understand panic attacks and anxiety. I researched it and saw that hypnosis was something that had helped some people to deal with panic and. I was upset and miserable about the experience so when I heard about A New Day Hypnosis on Citysearch, I decided to call because I needed to get this fixed.

I'm always leery when I do something and I'm not sure if it is a legitimate service. Initially, I didn't think anything was working, but I started to recognize that I understood the problem and found myself using the tools that I had learned to eliminate the issue. I noticed that I was more in control and more aware of what was going on and I felt calmer and more relaxed in general.

I feel much more in control now because I have tools to help me understand what I am experiencing and how to deal with it. I know now that it's not a physical issue and I'm learning to train myself to stop it. I feel more confident. I just flew to LA and back on two small express planes. During the second flight I was in the last seat against the window and I was pinned in a corner, but I still felt okay. I tuned it out and enjoyed the plane ride, which made me feel successful.

In my last triathlon I didn't have any panic attacks and I swam 1000 meters. I've been training a lot with the bike and I haven't panicked out on the road. I know about the problem and how it evolves and now I have the tools to diffuse it. I have the knowledge and the ability and that's the biggest part of the success for me.

When you're dealing with an issue on your own, you don't have the benefit of someone else's outlook or insight. Because I was in the fire, I couldn't see anything else but the fire, but I feel that Laura cared and was really interested in fixing the problem and sharing her perspective with me. Her ideas made sense and I felt that talking and really working through the issues was very beneficial. The feedback and the understanding were really important for my progress.

I would absolutely recommend A New Day Hypnosis because I had a great experience. I feel confident in my ability because I can feel it coming on and I'm able to shut it down and use the tools that I've learned to deal with it. I have to keep on that path and I'm confident that I can, but I know that it rests on me. I have to concentrate on balance and remember that working all day long is not acceptable. I'm very happy with my progress, it's definitely worth it and it was a great experience that really empowered me to deal with my issues.

Phobia: Rachel

Rachel H. (Flying)
Social Worker
Round Rock, TX

I never liked to fly, but in November 2008 during a flight to England I became absolutely terrified of being on a plane. I couldn't sleep or do anything besides panic. I don't know what caused this irrational fear, but after the trip, it started taking a toll on my health. My anxiety increased and I was so tired, I was like a wound up spring all the time and felt really run down. My family lives in England and without being able to overcome this, chances were that I would never get back on the plane to go see my family. I felt like I had zero control over the situation, which really freaked me out and made things worse. I had this overwhelming fear that something bad was going to happen and it was horrible. I felt like I had no control and could not make myself relax.

Initially, I went to a psychiatrist about the anxiety and he put me on a bunch of medications. It was a bad experience because the medications made me feel much worse. I didn't want to go down the medication path again and I was feeling a little desperate about what I was going to do to get over this problem.

We had an upcoming vacation and I felt sick with worry about it. I couldn't stop thinking about it and I couldn't look forward to the vacation because all I could think about was the flying. My sister was having hypnotherapy in England and had very positive things to say about it and my fiancée had had hypnotherapy to help deal with his claustrophobia and he suggested that I try it for my fear of flying. I wanted to be able to go through the flight without being medicated and it was a relief that hypnotherapy might be an alternative approach for me.

Anytime that I go into something new that I have no experience with, I'm somewhat skeptical. I had the belief that hypnosis was kind of weird and I really didn't understand much about it, but I did some research and read about A New Day Hypnosis on Citysearch, so I decided to call.

I noticed immediately after my first session that the stress and anxiety about flying and about life in general had decreased a great deal. After I listened to my session, I felt so much calmer about things. I saw results and I felt motivated and positive about this experience, so it was easy for me to be committed to it.

With the vacation, I got through the flight without panicking. I was in control of my feelings and the fears didn't take over because I was able to suppress irrational thoughts. I listened to music, I read my book and it was really nice to be able to switch off from thinking about the flight. This flight that I was so worried about went so well and my mindset was just different.

I have found this whole experience to be very rewarding and really helped me make a change for the better. I definitely feel more in control of the overall situation. I can choose to think about something else and not focus on fears. I feel like I have achieved the goal to combat my fear of flying.

I would definitely recommend A New Day Hypnosis to anyone who wants to overcome this problem because it has worked so well for me. I am confident that I am free of my fear of flying. I know that if I were to have a little setback along the way, I have the tools and resources to help me get back to where I needed to be. I'm not focusing on the negative stuff the way that I did before and I know that things will continue in a positive light. I'm really glad that I've been able to fix the problem without having to resort to medication because I believe that taking medication doesn't fix a problem permanently; I needed a permanent fix and I do believe that I've found it with the help of hypnosis.

Phobia: Kim

Kim V. (Public Speaking)
Risk Manager
Austin, TX

I've had problems with a fear of speaking in certain situations for the last seven and a half years and it was negatively affecting my professional life. There were a lot of tasks and projects that I was veering away from doing that I should be doing. I got away with it for a while, but I couldn't get away with it anymore and it was becoming noticeable at work. I had to travel alone without my boss and I had to step up and start talking in professional settings.

I would start to feel nervous a couple of hours prior to speaking. I tried to prepare ahead of time, but nothing overpowered the anxiety. My blood pressure went up because I was so anxious and I would continue to feel that way 24/7 before meeting with a really big client, so it was extremely draining. I wasn't sleeping well and I felt like my blood pressure was about to pop. I tried Xanax, but it didn't really help because I felt drowsy, but had the fear and anxiousness. In my field, there are a lot of risk management jobs that pay well, but also involve a lot of talking and directing others. I started realizing that I probably couldn't keep a job in this field if things continued this way.

I felt out of control because I couldn't manage the anxiety. I feel it in my neck and my chest and it would get to the point where it was happening almost every day and that made me exhausted. I wasn't sure what to do. At one point, a client wanted me to give an update on a conference call and I just put the phone on mute and had to calm myself down; I couldn't speak. At times, I would hesitate to even make a phone call at work. The final straw for me came when I was meeting with a client and they asked me to give a presentation to the owner. I started panicking and it was two months away! I made myself sick over it and it was all for nothing because the presentation was cancelled.

I heard about A New Day Hypnosis on Citysearch. I started noticing results within a week of my first session. When I started speaking I didn't panic the way that I normally would and I stopped having that peak of anxiety that was so overwhelming. It's been a lot easier than I thought it was going to be. I've taken every opportunity to update staff with our hotlines and I've done all of them without a problem. I feel more in control now. I don't have those patches of anxiety anymore and recently when I've had to talk, I've been able to do it without a problem. I haven't had any panic attacks and, as a result, I've been taking advantage of every opportunity to talk.

I feel more confident at work taking on the things that I should have been doing a long time ago and that makes me feel more competent. The most important benefit for me has been the ability to do these things that really freaked me out before. I just pick up the phone and do it now. I would recommend A New Day Hypnosis because of the difference that I've seen in myself. I feel confident that I'm stepping out there to do the things that I used to avoid. I'm able to function without the anxiety and that has been a real relief for me.

Phobia: Brian

Brian (Flying)
Advertising
Austin, TX

I have had a fear of flying for the last five years, but it got pretty intense over the last year and a half. I just wouldn't get on a plane. I was unable to get on an airplane to travel even though I had previously done it hundreds of times. I had to drive everywhere I wanted to go, which limited where I could go. It was a source of anxiety for me almost every day even when I wasn't flying. It got so bad that I missed a work conference because I couldn't get on a plane. I felt angry with myself and although my wife was trying to be understanding, I could tell that she was frustrated with me. I felt out of control. I thought that I could do it, but when it got right down to it, I couldn't.

I went to a psychiatrist a few times and he prescribed medication, but we didn't really talk about my specific fear. I think he was more used to seeing people who have general anxiety, so it didn't solve my problem. Taking Xanax before flights didn't work for me either.

I heard about A New Day hypnosis from Dr. Beverly Alexander. I didn't know what to expect, but I was at the point where I was willing to try anything. I've known people who stopped smoking with hypnosis and I felt like if it had worked for them, I should give it a try. I noticed results after my second session. I felt more relaxed when I thought about flying. Overall, it's been fairly easy for me. I just haven't been worried about it. I feel more in control now and when I have negative thoughts, I realize that they are irrational and put them out of my head. I feel more confident. When people talk about planning a trip, I think 'Oh, that's a good idea.' instead of 'Oh, that's a good idea except that we have to fly there.' I have more freedom and I can do all the things that I want to do without worrying about flying or letting that hold me back.

I went on a flight recently and it went well. I'm already planning flights in the near future and I would recommend A New Day Hypnosis because so far, so good. It's definitely much better than other methods that I have tried. I'm confident that I have overcome my fear of flying because I've already done it and I felt really good about it.

Phobia: Ann

Ann (Hypochondria)
Student
Austin, TX

I've suffered from hypochondria for as long as I can remember and it made me constantly worried about being ill. I tried not to think about it and it would work for a little while, but it would always creep back in. I was wasting a lot of time looking up conditions online and checking myself for symptoms. I was constantly going and getting checked for illnesses that were not real. Going to the doctor wasn't a very good coping mechanism for me because I started to become worried that I was getting sick from an infected needle or other tainted equipment at my physician's office. It is expensive to go see the doctor, so it had become a financial burden as well.

All the worry was putting a strain on my relationship with my boyfriend because he was tired of me asking him if he thought that I could get sick from different things. My thoughts were affecting my general outlook on life. I couldn't look forward to the future because I felt like something bad was going to happen to me. I was constantly afraid that I had put myself in a risky situation where I wasn't careful enough and had gotten myself sick. There were even points where I had breakdowns because I couldn't control my irrational thoughts; I would convince myself that something that I had done had made me sick and I would get emotionally upset over it.

I heard about A New Day Hypnosis on Citysearch. I was skeptical at first, but I was so tired of feeling the way that I always felt. I was in a transitional time in my life and I wanted to put it behind me and not have to worry about things going forward. I started to notice results after the first session. I had a more positive outlook because I knew that I was working towards my goal and had the confidence to know that I could achieve it.

It really helps to talk about my problem with someone and address it rather than keeping it inside. I'm not stressed out the way that I used to be and I don't have to worry about going to the restroom in a public place anymore. I don't have to change my schedule or my plans to avoid certain situations and that gives me a lot more freedom. I have a process that I can go through now when I start to feel like I'm in a situation where I could get sick and I'm able to be rational with myself and prevent myself from getting worked up about it. This has definitely given me more confidence about my future and my ability to stay healthy and not worry about being sick.

I think the most important benefit for me has been that I'm able to overcome my problem and I can live a better life because of it. I have better relationships with people because I'm not burdening them with my problems and worries anymore. I have the freedom to live my life without worrying about being sick and that is such a relief to me.

There have been times recently where I had breakouts on my skin, before I would have freaked out and now I know that it's not a big deal and I'm able to put it out of my mind and not dwell on it anymore. I think that the problem was related to my reactions and I'm much better able to control the way that I handle situations that might involve the possibility of being infected by an illness. I am confident that I'm free of the hypochondria permanently and I would recommend A New Day Hypnosis to anyone who suffers from hypochondria because it's a good way to develop a skill set that you can use to overcome problems and also address concerns that might come up in the future.

Phobia: Steve

Steve Mendez (Flying)
Revenue Officer
Austin, TX

I've had a fear of flying and heights since I was seven years old. I remember riding in a trolley car up the side of a mountain. At the time, the trolleys went vertically up the mountain and I wasn't prepared for that. I panicked and got yelled at and told to calm down. Ever since, I would do anything I could to avoid the fear. Even looking at aerial photos made me uncomfortable; anxiety would come up and my hands would get sweaty. I didn't even have to be near an airport, just the thought of flying just made me feel panicked and apprehensive. When I did try to fly, the wheels started rolling in my head because I couldn't see where I was going on a take off and the anxiety set in. It felt like the plane was going straight up forever and I felt completely out of control and couldn't board my connecting flight and just drove back home. My thoughts were totally consumed with fear and it was difficult. I refused to travel and I avoided it; I was living in a shell. Whenever training came up at work, I would do whatever I could to avoid it because I didn't want to get on a plane. If it was somewhere nearby, like Dallas or Houston, I would rather drive and inconvenience myself.

I wasn't seeing my family as often as I should. I'd gotten offers to go to Florida, Vegas, and the Bahamas. I wouldn't make myself available for those opportunities and I'm sure that I missed out on a lot of good times. It would have been cool to pet a manta ray or swim with the dolphins. Eventually, my family stopped pushing the issue and just let it go. Recently, my girlfriend bought a plane ticket for me to go to Vegas and I tried to make excuses to get out of it, but she wouldn't take no for an answer, so I decided to do something about this. I heard about A New Day Hypnosis at yellowpages.com. I wasn't sure if it was going to be for me. I knew it wasn't going to be a swinging watch in front of me, but I was a little apprehensive about it anyway. After my first session, I started to notice changes. I have a very different attitude about the whole thing and feel more positive overall about things. I got a better visual picture of the overall experience and the whole process has really helped to calm and soothe me. I'm in a better mood and I'm not as uptight. I don't feel that overwhelming apprehension that I had before and I'm not ready to push the panic button. After meeting with Laura, I read an article in a travel magazine and the author also had a fear of flying. He said that the one thing that improved his outlook was hypnosis, so I figured that I was on a good road.

It's been relatively easy. I'm more confident about the whole thing. I've noticed changes in other parts of my life as well, I take initiative on things now and I volunteer and take charge, so it's been a positive experience all around. I have a better understanding of the whole situation; I know what to expect and I know that I won't get all freaked out like the last time. This is going to go a lot different. I would highly recommend A New Day Hypnosis. It's like night and day from where I was and I'm willing to face the fears. I'm confident that on the way to the airport, I won't be apprehensive and I know that I won't be nervous because I know what to expect and there is really nothing to be freaked out about; I'm ready to go now and I feel confident that I can do it.

Phobia: NJ

NJ Osuna (Success)
Personal Trainer
San Antonio, TX

I've suffered from a fear of abundance and success for the last eight years. I was procrastinating and starting things, but not finishing anything. I felt like, knowing everything that I know and reading everything that I could read, I was getting a lot of information from books, but I wasn't able to enact anything. I knew my purpose in life, but I didn't know how to do it. I wasn't living the life that I was chosen to live and I felt like I had gone as far as I could go on my own.

I've tried counseling to help with my problem and it works to some extent. When you've had a habit this long it's more like default and it's really about changing the default. I've done bio-neuro-feedback at St. Mary's University. You have electrodes hooked up to your brain and if you are thinking positive things that strengthen you positive emotion, it helps keep the direction of the ship and deters negative thinking. It helped, but it wasn't a very common practice and they were only offering it for a short period of time, so it didn't help me long-term.

I ran out of resources and the resources that I had were useless to me because I didn't have the capacity to use them. There was this door that I couldn't get behind and I knew there was something great on the other side. I've worked a lot of jobs in my life and I was past the time where working little odd jobs was fulfilling for me. School didn't feel stimulating and everything was just at a stalemate. It was like trying to play a chess game with myself and I felt very discouraged.

I heard about A New Day Hypnosis on yahoo local. I think that there is no one way to always achieve something and it's really a collaboration of avenues and efforts. This was something I hadn't utilized yet and I've known other people who used it and had success. I felt like this was the right time for me to do it.

I noticed results almost immediately because I felt such a low level of stress. I was motivated and enthusiastic. It's been pretty easy because I started taking charge of things and taking action in my life. I've gotten more done in the past month than I have in several years. It's made a huge difference for me because I feel more confident.

The law of attraction is a concept that I've always known about, but now I can act on it more. Even if you have the tools you go back to that default if a change isn't made. Hypnosis helped to push me over the threshold and now it's kind of like getting a big birthday present. You can see your name on it, but you don't know what's in there. When you open it, it's so awesome. Now that I've opened the door and I can see what's there for me and it is so amazing.

I have a lot more confidence and a lot more to give to people in my daily life. School used to stress me out and now I don't worry about it. I just go and do it and it's a lot easier. I've been able to launch my boot camp and hire a GM, which would have taken a couple of years before hypnosis.

I think this has been a bit of redemption for me. The adventure has begun and everything that I was focused on is now coming to life. Now there is always something to do and I'm happy to do it. Everything that I need to do just opens another door for me in a way that I haven't experienced before. I would definitely recommend A New Day Hypnosis because I think that people owe it to themselves to see what's there. There are some really simple opportunities in life that can give such a big payoff and this is one of them. I am confident that I'm going to achieve everything that I want to achieve. The defaults have changed and now I'm just establishing the new habits.

Phobia: Roland

Roland Martinez (Public Speaking)
Engineer
Austin, TX

I've had problems with public speaking for the last ten years. As time progressed, it got worse and I started to worry about speaking at meetings and in smaller groups. Throughout the day, I felt apprehensive and didn't look forward to any meetings or events where I'd have to speak in front of a group of people. It negatively affected my career because I would only give short answers at meetings and wouldn't elaborate or speak up if I had something to share. I wasn't helping with projects and wasn't getting higher profile promotions. It felt out of control. If a meeting came up, there was no way to avoid it, so I just tried to get through the day. I didn't have control of where I was going with my career and I was consumed with thinking about what I was going to say in meetings. I've read books about public speaking to try and overcome it. The books focused on different techniques, but it didn't really work. I even took a public speaking class, but it was still a struggle and it didn't eliminate any of the feelings of anxiety.

I did an online search for phobia cures and I found A New Day Hypnosis. After the first session, I was able to calm myself and slow down instead of just letting it overtake me. I'm getting better sleep and I'm able to fall asleep much quicker. I feel more relaxed and I'm not as cranky. It's been easier than anything I've tried because of the coaching, the different tips that I've learned and different techniques. I feel more in control now. I speak up more in meetings and feel comfortable just throwing things out there and getting responses back. I can slow myself down and go through things in my head, so I'm better able to organize my thoughts. I'm also open to impromptu meetings at work. I'm conveying my thoughts easier and I feel more confident.

The biggest benefit for me has been a more positive outlook about going to work every day. Some people from our Dallas office will be visiting soon and I know that I will be presenting for them. I know at the meeting I'll be prepared and I won't worry about it. I would recommend A New Day Hypnosis to anyone who wants to work on public speaking. The coaching is really important and reinforces what I'm learning. I'm confident that I have the resources I need to be successful.

Phobia: Dina

Dina Gutierrez (Bathroom)
Associate Project Manager
Austin, TX

I've suffered from a nagging anxiety revolving around an urgency to go to the bathroom for the last ten years. In the beginning, I thought that I might have a medical problem. I investigated all the medical aspects of the issue that I thought might be the cause and couldn't find an answer. It turned out that my mind was controlling me. As a result of the anxiety, I wasn't very active or social. About half the time, when I was invited out I went, but I needed to be in complete control of the situation. I had to be somewhere that I felt safe and I had to drive myself so that I knew that I could leave at any time in case I started to feel uncomfortable.

I started to do a lot of things by myself and put up boundaries with other people. I was trying to control everything which made me feel more out of control. I isolated myself because if I couldn't control it, I wouldn't do it. It was very dark, negative and lonely for me. I didn't meet new people and I wasn't able to be a good friend in the relationships that I had. I wasn't there for anybody but myself. Traveling was difficult; I felt even more anxious and over thought a lot of things. Isolating myself didn't give me any kind of self image or self confidence and made me feel depressed. I've done regular therapy and it helped me deal with other general stresses, but it didn't do much with this specific issue. I decided there was still something that I needed to do to take care of it.

I heard about A New Day Hypnosis from my stepmother's friend and decided to make an appointment. I was noticing results after the first session. My thought process changed and I was thinking more positively. I was playing the CD over in my head without having to listen to it and I found myself spontaneously thinking of positive messages from my session.

I feel like I don't need to be in control now and it's allowing me to open up and go with the flow of things. I don't get overanxious and I know that I can't control every situation, but I'm still putting myself out there. I'm open to new experiences and I feel more confident. Being able to talk to other people and put myself out there gives me more confidence because I know that I feel comfortable.

The most important benefit that I've received from hypnosis is developing a better self image. I'm going out to dinner with friends, exercising with other people, going out for drinks, and taking part in social activities because I'm not thinking anxious thoughts anymore.

I would recommend A New Hypnosis because I have something to fall back on and a reminder of all the positive things. I have a greater sense of control of my mind and I can change my outlook on things. My problem might seem minute to other people, but to me it was my whole life. To most people, the urgency to go to the bathroom isn't something to dwell upon, but it played a major part in my life. I'm confident that I have the tools to continue this new thought process and to strengthen it. I know that there are options out there and it is possible to overcome my limitations.