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.

Compulsive Behavior: Jose

Jose Manuel Cortes (OCD)
Student
Austin, TX

I've had problems with obsessive and negative thoughts since I was six years old. In the past, I've had emotional breakdowns and sometimes thought that I might be going crazy. It was affecting school because I was so stressed and worried about it. My negative thinking also affected my friendships.

I was very angry and had trouble with getting into fights. In the moment, I sometimes thought that I wasn't able to control things like counting, tapping and washing my hands. I was also having trouble sleeping because I was thinking a lot at night. I've tried many things to help me: prescription pills, psychotherapy, and many other types of therapy. It kind of worked a little bit, but then it stopped working. I realized that instead of working against it, I wanted my mind is working with me instead. I thought that hypnosis might work, so I did an internet search.

I found the Citysearch website and there was a listing for A New Day Hypnosis. There were a lot of entries from different people on the site. I had some concerns that using hypnosis might be dangerous, but everyone said that it was great, so decided that I would try it.

I noticed results around two days after my appointment, I was a lot more calm and at peace. I believe that one should be committed, so if you want to improve you have to do as much as you can, so I think that has helped to make this easier for me. I am now able to stay calm in classes and during exams or at work. I'm also going right to sleep. I know when I have had a stressful day; I can just listen to my sessions and feel immediately calm with a good outlook.

I am able to be more focused on my goals. Now I have many tools to overcome the things that weren't working for me and I see myself as a lot stronger. Because I am calm and focused I make much better decisions now. I would recommend A New Day Hypnosis because if a person wants to change something but has a strong part of them that is telling them not to stop, this can help. When you have more tools you have a much better chance of fulfilling your goals. I am confident that as I continue to work on this, my issues will not pose a problem for me in the future.

Compulsive Behavior: Eddie

Eddie Hogan (IBS)
Retired Teacher
Austin, TX

I've had problems with chronic diarrhea for the last twenty years. This issue has affected my life because I don't go out much and travel was difficult. I know that there is an emotional component to the problem and I didn't feel like I was managing things well. I was always uptight and that was a by-product of the condition. I would tell myself that I couldn't do things or visit people and it became a crutch or an excuse for me to stay home.

My daughter had spoken to someone who was seeing a hypnotherapist in Dallas and she thought that it might help me in my situation. I did a Google search for hypnotherapy in Austin and I found out about A New Day Hypnosis. I had known a guy in the army that did stage hypnosis and it was quite entertaining. I didn't think that there was any harm in it, so I decided to make an appointment.

I started to notice things really taking hold after my third meeting. I felt much more confident about the situation and I felt sure that I could learn how to deal with it. I also noticed that I was more considerate of my wife and her feelings. We're approaching fifty years of marriage and I know that we were taking each other for granted.

I realized that she had to put up with my condition and after I started visiting with Laura we had a really candid talk about our situation and circumstances. I began to understand where she was coming from and my attitude towards her improved. I gave her more hugs and I went out of my way to be more considerate.

I've noticed that my behavior and my attitude have changed a lot. I've come to terms with the illness and now I'm working on managing it. I know that I have the ability to control how I feel about the situation and how I handle it. It turns out that it wasn't that difficult to change my behaviors. Through this process, I stopped worrying about all the stupid stuff that I did when I was young and started focusing on the positives instead of my regrets.

I feel more in control now because I'm maintaining my condition better. I'm not so worried about it anymore and I don't make a big deal about it. I'm still aware and I have to be prudent, but I'm not as cautious about things like I used to be. I'm running errands and getting out more. I'm not feeling sorry for myself as much anymore and I've started reminding myself that it's not so bad, which boosts my confidence.

The most important benefit that I've received has been learning to relax. I'm not using my condition as a crutch anymore. I would recommend A New Day Hypnosis because I'm a lot better off than I was before. This process has helped me to brush away some of the cobwebs and have a much more positive perspective on my life.

Compulsive Behavior: Jennifer S.

Jennifer S. (Emotional Overwhelm)
Austin, TX

I've had problems with excessive crying and being inappropriately emotional my whole life. In any situation where I felt judged or put on the spot, I would cry and couldn't stop. It happened in relationships, with friends, and in professional settings. Whenever I did it, I would feel embarrassed and make other people feel uncomfortable. I focused on trying to make it stop, but it just made things worse. I would go in my head and couldn't listen to anybody else because the emotions were the only thing I could think about. In work situations, I would get caught off guard with a confrontation that I couldn't prepare for and I always felt like I lost some respect from my coworkers after my emotional outbursts.

It was awful, I would tell myself that I had to stop and would really beat myself up about it. I tried to figure it out on my own and read a bunch of books about controlling emotions. I would usually lose interest about halfway through it and not complete it. I felt defeated and didn't think I would ever be able to make any improvements. I knew that my reactions had a lot to do with me training myself into a behavior and I thought that hypnosis would be the most effective way to overcome it.

I heard about A New Day Hypnosis on Citysearch. I was skeptical about it and wasn't sure if it would be effective for me, but I ended up noticing results very quickly. I had a general feeling of lessened anxiety and I also felt a lot less stress.

I've got a lot more tools to help me with those situations now and it makes me feel more confident. I can communicate better than I could before and I feel more in control because I'm approaching it from a different angle. I have other things to think about externally so that I'm not freaking out about my emotional reactions anymore.

I've had several challenging situations come up recently that would have caused me to become overly emotional and I've handled them well. I recently put in my two weeks notice at my job. If I hadn't had these tools, I know that I would have freaked out.

The most important benefit that I've received from hypnosis has been learning how to divert myself from having the reaction and the ability to keep things in perspective and think outside of myself. I would recommend A New Day Hypnosis to anyone who wants to overcome this because I really look forward to coming to my appointments and being in a very relaxed mood when I leave. I'm confident that it's not going to be a big problem for me anymore and that gives me a real sense of relief.

Compulsive Behavior: Charlotte

Charlotte Summerlin (Tooth Grinding/ Bruxism)
Landscape Architect
Austin, TX

I've suffered from grinding my teeth for at least ten years. I've had two mouth guards. I had the soft one, but I bit through it, so I had to get a new one. I talked to the doctor and they didn't know what to do to help me. They were so fast to want to fix it. They didn't seem to consider that there might be a natural solution and not just a pill to prescribe.

I wanted help to stop my tooth grinding, not realizing that it was a result of a much bigger problem. I'd never really connected the grinding with the stress and anxiety that I'd been facing. I thought that grinding my teeth was just a habit that I had no control over. Stress and anxiety were ruining my life. I thought the problem was all because of my job, but I realized that it was really about the way that I'd been handling work.

I was working way too much and I didn't have a life during the week. I wasn't taking the time to do things that I needed to do on my own. I wouldn't fix my flat tire or go to the dentist because I couldn't leave work. I felt a little out of control. Work was so intense and it just never stopped. I felt like a hamster running on the wheel and I wasn't even able to see what I was running towards. I was so focused on getting everything done and I just kept getting more and more.

I'd told my office mate that my doctor wasn't helping me with teeth grinding and I wanted to look into hypnosis as an option, so she saw a flyer at the Daily Juice and got me the number. I noticed a complete difference after the first appointment when it came to stress at work. Once I knew what I needed to do it was easy. I began to make changes in my lifestyle and my attitude. I don't have pressure and pain in my chest or headaches anymore and there's been a dramatic improvement in my quality of life. The pain is gone and I feel better. I don't feel stressed, excitable, and wound up anymore. Now I'm taking care of myself and my priorities have shifted. I realize that I didn't have to live a life that's out of balance and totally focused on my job.

I feel much more in control now. I've gotten my life back and my focus is different. It's crazy feeling suddenly like I can do what I want. Now I can get home and have four or five hours and I don't have to do anything because my work isn't my life anymore.

The most important benefit that I've received was the realization that the life I was leading wasn't good for me at all. I would recommend A New Day Hypnosis to anyone who wants to overcome stress relief and teeth grinding. The hypnosis really helped me to learn how to relax. I'm confident that I have a handle on it and know what I can do to make it better because I'm aware of everything now.

Compulsive Behavior: Jerry

Jerry Soto (Nail Biting)
Student
Austin, TX

I've been biting my nails for the last three years. I felt out of control and it wasn't very good. Sometimes I would be biting my nails and I didn't even notice that I was doing it. I felt like I couldn't stop and that made me feel bad.

My mom tried to help by buying gloves for me to wear so that I wouldn't bite my nails, but they didn't work because I took them off after a day and started biting again. For a while, we tried putting band aids on my fingers. It worked for a month, but they got itchy so I took them off. My mom would yell at me to make me stop, but that would only work for a few minutes and I would just go back to it.

I was making my mom frustrated and my nails weren't growing. I was embarrassed about my hands and ashamed of my nails. I thought about it all the time. I was damaging my nails and my mom was disappointed with me. I was afraid if I didn't stop it would get worse.

My mom found out about A New Day Hypnosis in the Coffee News and decided to make an appointment for me. I stopped biting my nails after I met with Laura for the first time. It's been really easy and I notice that I'm not anxious anymore. I have more confidence now and I feel more in control. I feel like I can do more things. After I stopped biting my nails, we worked on eating healthier food and exercising. Hypnosis made those things a lot easier for me too.

Laura has helped me by teaching me to get more control. I listen to my CDs and I don't know why it worked, it just did. I don't think about biting my nails anymore. I know that I'm not going to bite my nails again because now it's permanent.

Compulsive Behavior: Jennifer

Jennifer Powell (Nail Biting/Nail Picking)
Attorney
Austin, TX

I started having problems with picking my nails after I graduated from law school, which was more than ten years ago. After that challenging time, I had periods where my nails would be fine, but during stressful phases in my life, I would start to pick again. A couple of years ago my stress levels had escalated so much that I started picking at my scalp.

I tried willpower to stop picking and would tell myself that I wasn't going to do it anymore, but it would only last for a couple of days. Because of my inability to get it under control, I felt embarrassed and shameful. I felt like a failure. I heard about Laura through my doctor who was able to stop biting his nails with her help, so I decided to set up an appointment.

I noticed changes right away because I had considerably less of an urge to pick at either my scalp or my nails. I was able to learn more ways to overcome any impulses that were still there. Overall, it was easy because Laura helped me to develop tools that I could use when I needed them. I feel in control now and my nails and scalp are healthier. It makes me feel more confident and less self-conscious. It's really different for me because even during the most stressful times I seldom have an urge to pick, but when it happens I'm able to overcome it on my own.

My scalp is healthy, so I can go to the hair salon now and I don't have to hide my nails when I'm in public. I feel more confident in the way that I look and in my ability to overcome negative behaviors. The best benefit for me has been the emotional well being that came from my ability to overcome the picking. I'm confident that I'm free of my problem permanently and I would recommend A New Day Hypnosis to anyone who wants to overcome nail picking because I haven't had any recurrence of the behavior. It's amazing how effective hypnosis can be and how it works so well when just sheer will power doesn't.