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.

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.