Paul mckenna

[elmarcos]

Hi guys I'm just curious, has anyone had any experiences with the McKenna cd's making things worse? Obviously the basis of a lot of his stuff, especially the confidence is amplfying the inner voice. It is my inner anxious voice that has given me issues in the past. I've managed to relax it down to a point where anxiety is more of a feeling. Now I know that is different to my true inner voice but I'm just curious if this could amplify that as well? Anyone any thoughts or experiences?

[trooper]

I have studied NLP, I am suppose to be a 'master practitioner', I am very familiar with McKenna and his competitors and I have to say I don't rate NLP or hypnotherapy for depression and / or anxiety.

Yes they can have some positive impacts and possibly hypnosis can be calming and even have some short term gains, but I personally do not buy the quick fix angle on it.

Depression and anxiety are generally symptoms of something else. That something else is likley complex and developed over time.

And I believe that curing whatever mental and emotional wounds we may have will also take time. Each persons experience, each person particular issues need to be understood and allowed to come out and then be healed, I don't think any off the shelf one size fits all product will help.

I am not saying it won't have some positive impact, but it won't cure anything IMPO.

I have spent large amounts of money on seeing an NLP coach and it made me worse because she bought up things during hypnosis she didn't really understand. Nor did she really grasp the complexity of what caused my anxiety.

It wasn't just a few limiting believes it was a fairly serious condition which needed to be firstly identified and then treated properly.

I have been seeing a psychotherapist for a year now and we're only just starting to make progress. But we are now getting somewhere.

Others may disagree but I would avoid NLP and hypnotherapy for depression and anxiety.

NLP is good for goal setting and helping you overcome phobias and such, but depression and anxiety need people with proper training.

[juliej]

Hi there,

I agree with trooper. I've spent a lot of money on hypnotherapy and can honestly say yes its very calming but it didnt touch my anxiety or cure my panic . I've been practising yoga for the last 4 months and thats a lot better, and a dvd is a lot cheaper :)

When I spoke to my GP about hypnotherapy he said it was a waste of money for anxiety. He referred me for CBT which I start next week .

Julie x

[trooper]

CBT is very good, you can teach yourself CBT too as well, its a process which helps deal with the triggers via something called a thought log.

[~glowly worm~]

Agreement with Trooper also.

Spent so much money on private therapists including NLP. The NLP was really incredible for helping reduce my ocd, however it did not address the deep down issues and the problems changed in form then returned with similar intensity. From personal experience i believe it to be a help, but only when accompanied with long term therapy eg; applied by a trained clinical psychologist who is helping you in other ways too. However that is just my experience ;)

[Hazel B]

The medical body NICE recommends CBT as being effective. I think that anything that is for mild problems can help, but anxiety and depression need specialist help.

[jude uk]

no hypnotherapist should treat anyone fo depression......There are no easy routes here, yes they can be effective but only with professional care.

[bsmith5]

I live with Extreme Clinical Depression and have done so for most of my life, I have also studied NLP and am now considered a master practitioner as well, I would warn one to be extremely careful when considering using it as treatment for Clinical Depression, in fact I personally would be very reluctant in going down the NLP road.

At the very least ensure you are in the hands of an experienced practitioner who specialises in depression.

Even CBT has to be used carefully as there are many reasons why a persons has succumb to depression, which in some cases it will have the opposite affect than what is intended

Bob

[pauluk43]

hi. i seen a therapist who was an nlp/phobia guy and well to be honest it was a waste of money for a year of it as im still stuck with my anxiety and panic and phobia to an extent. i am on the list for CBT and have begun counselling. the therapsit didnt seem bothered in exploring anything that i wanted to talk about and most of the time i spent there he would talk about himself and what he thought about me and the end 5 or so minutes he would do hynotherapy/nlp work with a 3 minute cd for me to take home. im in a lucky position i guess as i know mostly what is causing my anxiety and it has never been dealt with. it has been let out in the past but no one help me deal. since i started seeing the doctors counsellor it has started to leak again and im hoping it dont get buried again. in my experience you have to get to the cause not just swamp someone with stuff thats just going to hide the problem and then later come out again. as its the past experiences that cause people problems its not the future as it hasnt arrived yet.

[Martin Burridge]

Hypnotherapy is often misunderstood when it comes to conditions like panic disorder. (including by the therapists themselves).Will being 'hypnotised' cure panic disorder? Maybe, but probably only if its mild or only recently started.

For more severe or long term panic disorder it is unlikely to work on its own.
However it can be effective when combined with other therapies like CBT.

Whatever therapy is used there are 2 things that must be addressed for panic disorder.

1) removing/ reducing safety behaviours (this is what maintains panic disorder)
2) teaching the client how to deal with the panic attack so they do not fear it

The problem is that the above 2 are not easy for clients and everyone naturally wants a quick and easy solution but there isn't one.

Yes there are cases where other complimentary therapies (like EFT) have been successful but controlled trials suggest that this is more about placebo and distraction than meridians and chi.

I have seen PD clients who have initially found EFT works but then relapse later follows and no amount of tapping helps.

When it comes to depression psychodynamic therapy or CBT are the recommended approaches. Hypnotherapy again may help in mild cases of reactive depression but is best when used in conjunction with other therapies.

So to summarise hypnosis recordings can help but only as part of an integrated therapy.

[removed]

Hi guys I'm just curious, has anyone had any experiences with the McKenna cd's making things worse? Obviously the basis of a lot of his stuff, especially the confidence is amplfying the inner voice. It is my inner anxious voice that has given me issues in the past. I've managed to relax it down to a point where anxiety is more of a feeling. Now I know that is different to my true inner voice but I'm just curious if this could amplify that as well? Anyone any thoughts or experiences?

Yes I have. A long time ago -about 16 years ago my anxiety got really bad-I was really desperate! I bought a Paul McKenna video actually (not a CD). It was to be watched at least once daily and it was specifically aimed at anxiety sufferers. I would sit there and watch it and listen to his voice and see the drifting clouds and hear the soothing music but it just seemed to make me feel worse.
I thought if I watched it more often it might help so I would watch it in the morning and then again in the evening.
After about two weeks I suddenly detached. I didn't know who I was or what it was like to be me. I had a complete nervous breakdown after that experience.I knew the video had caused it and my doctor sent me to see a colleague of hers who was a qualified hypnotherapist.
He told me that he had seen depersonalisation triggered before after being hypnotised in people who were already very anxious, and he was certain that it was watching the Video that had caused it.
He said he wouldn't want to hypnotise me again because I would be better off letting the effect wear off on its own.
It took me about five years of hard work on myself to get over it-I felt so far away and had so many frightening thoughts.

I would advise anyone suffering from severe anxiety to stay away from any form of hypnosis.It is all well and good the hypnotherapist suggesting you not be anxious any more but if you are a naturally anxious person then maybe the only way of your brain dealing with that suggestion is to switch off your sense of self. Depersonalisation was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life!

janet c

[Dizz]

About 10 years ago I went to have hypnotherapy by a fully trained and NHS approved therapist.

First session was fine and really relaxing... second session scared the living daylights out of me. I was told if at any moment I felt I wanted him to stop to simply raise my hand.

He described walking down a lovely tree lined pathway in a forrest and for some strange reason the sound of his voice and image he was describing really started to scare me. have no idea why but I really wanted him and it to stop BUT I couldn't move and lay there fully aware but not able raise my arm.

I have no idea why... but I couldn't even listen to the recordings of it as it scared me so much.... probably just me although I wanst really suffering from anything at the time I just wanted to learn to relax and stop smoking.

So 10 years on........Last month I ordered the 'Paul McKenna' cd and book 'how to change your life in 7 days'. Had the CD and headphones on relaxing and listening... and then his gentle and hypnotic voice rapidly flicked from left headphone to right headphone and back and two.

The sudden effect made me jump a mile, my pulse was racing, I was shaking and yet again I found myself frightened by 'it'.

Staying completely away from any form of hypnotherapy or deep and inner mind changing 'voices' from now on without a doubt.

These tapes are certainly not for anyone with a nervous disposition regardless of what they say :(