Phobias and Fears

Injections, Needles and Giving Blood – Anxiety Hypnotherapy in Ely & Newmarket

by Dan Regan | May 24, 2023 | Phobias and Fears

Injections, Needles and Giving Blood – Anxiety Hypnotherapy in Ely & Newmarket

The other day I went to give blood here in Ely for perhaps the fifth or sixth time, and certainly the first time since the pandemic. My Dad was a regular donor of blood and it means a lot to me to follow in his footsteps (although I’m not sure I remember him acting as weak and pathetic as I do after a donation!). It’s also nice to know that for someone somewhere that I will never meet, my blood could make all the difference to them.

Whenever I mention to people that I’ve been to give blood there will undoubtedly be several people who tell me how they couldn’t do that because of their fear around needles and injections, or because of a phobia about blood.

It really does seem to be one of the most prevalent fears and phobias around. And, for the most part, if you are healthy then you may not have much need to go near a needle or injection, or to need something like a blood test. And so, when people come to see me for hypnotherapy to overcome their fear then it is likely that their avoidance strategy has failed because they need something dental or medical done, or because their health now requires regular blood tests or injections.

And, of course, you know logically that there is no need to fear that little needle, or to fear the sight of blood (after all you carry enough of it around inside you), yet the fear and anxiety can take over to the point where you delay things, suffer overwhelming panic, want to run from the room (and just keep running) or you worry you may faint. And if you’ve been anxious, fearful and had unpleasant experiences around blood, needles and injections, then those memories are a lingering reminder of what an ordeal you are facing.

Fears around needles, injections and blood are not uncommon and that pattern of anxiety can certainly be changed. You can learn how to feel calm, comfortable and in control to get done anything you need to get done, and to relax if a need for something like a blood test crops up.

(Note: There is a picture of me at my blood donation with a needle in my arm further down this article. Please scroll carefully if you want to avoid it).

Fear of Flying Help – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

by Dan Regan | May 23, 2023 | Phobias and Fears

Fear of Flying Help – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

Holiday season is approaching and the number of people seeking help for their fear of flying is rising.

For many people with a fear of flying the pandemic has an unintended consequence. Rather than having to hope flying somewhere wasn’t mentioned or feeling anxious about the possibility of flying, the restrictions probably meant a period of relief where you didn’t have to worry about it. Yet now, it is much more likely that either friends of family, or work, will be talking about booking flights and going away somewhere.

If you have a fear of flying, then no matter how much you love going away or seeing other places, your primary strategy is likely to always be avoidance. You’ll try to suggest other options, find reasons not to fly, look for other methods of travel or you’ll do just about anything else to get out of that thing that is filled with nervousness, dread, fear and anxiety.

Through avoidance you can find temporary relief from your fear of flying, yet the next time there is a possibility you may need to fly, the same old anxiety and fear resurfaces. And if your friends and family or work keep pushing you to commit to going somewhere that involves flying then, sooner or later, the prevarication, excuses and avoidance strategies will probably run out.

Pretty much every person with a fear of flying knows logically that flying is the safest mode of transport and that their fear is irrational. Yet that logic and reasoning can’t prevent all of the anxious feelings and emotions arising and all of the associated thoughts about the plane you will fly on being the one that is certain to fall out of the sky.

Sick of your Emetophobia? Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

by Dan Regan | May 18, 2023 | Phobias and Fears

Sick of your Emetophobia? Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

Emetophobia (fear of vomiting) can be a particularly debilitating form of anxiety and fear. After all, in theory there is the possibility that you or someone around you could become unwell and be sick at any moment. That possibility that anyone can vomit, and the uncertainty around what if it happens, drives the anxious thoughts and feelings that can easily start to control your life.

Emetophobia is a fear of vomiting or feeling sick, seeing or being near vomit, or watching someone else be physically sick. With many people I’ve helped with this, even the mention of the words ‘sick’ or ‘vomit’ can be enough to trigger a sense of rising anxiety.

As with all forms of anxiety and fear, avoidance or seeking to try and take control over things, tends to dominate. You may avoid alcohol or being around lots of people drinking as there is an increased possibility of someone being sick. You may struggle with travel, especially with boats, trains and planes where you are trapped and, again, where there is an increased possibility of someone being unwell. And most likely, things like fairground rides or anything that can cause that sick feeling in your stomach will be well off your fun things to do list.

Yet the fear and anxiety goes beyond just the problematic nature of avoiding these situations. Recently I worked with someone who would avoid any foods that they had eaten before a time they were sick before (even if the food wasn’t responsible for the vomiting), and who would also feel anxious if someone around them was eating that food. You may scan people as you go through your day for signs of them potentially being unwell, and you may be anxious if someone coughs of hiccups too much. I’ve also worked with people who struggle to go into certain rooms at home that they associate with them, or someone else, being sick on a previous occasion.

If you know someone has been unwell recently, even if they are now better, you might try and keep your distance from them. If there is a sickness bug going around, you can be on edge and fearful. And if you feel sick or someone close to you says that they feel sick, or in the worst case, you or they actually vomit, it can lead to uncontrollable panic.

Emetophobia limits your life and can lead to a roller coaster or anxious thoughts and emotions that impact upon your well-being, sleep, appetite, social life, relationships and ability to get on and do the things you need or want to do.

Anxiety and Fear in The Swimming Pool – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

by Dan Regan | Apr 17, 2023 | Phobias and Fears

Anxiety and Fear in The Swimming Pool – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

Helping people overcome their anxiety and fear is one of the main things that I do within my hypnotherapy sessions. Whether it is a general anxiety, panic attacks or a fear of a certain thing or situation (such as a fear of flying, driving anxiety, fear of the dentist or public speaking anxiety), it is very possible to change all of those uncomfortable thoughts and feelings that you have been experiencing.

The number one strategy for dealing with anxiety and fear is always avoidance. You feel better when you can swerve that situation or thing that is currently linked with anxiety and dread and that sends your mind into a racing panic. Yet whilst avoidance usually makes you feel a bit better in the short term, it does nothing to help you to get past that fear or to ease your future anxiety. Your mind perceives there is a threat of some kind and you get all of the negative thoughts, feelings and sensations each and every time you are faced with something similar.

However, in the same way that you at some point developed that pattern of anxiety and those associations of fear, it is possible to change your thoughts, feelings and behaviours to something more comfortable that allows you to do whatever it is you need to, or want to do. In fact, you’ll probably only decide to do something to change how you feel when you either no longer want to feel that way because of how it interferes with things, or because you can no longer avoid it and have to find a way to be able to handle, deal and cope in that situation. That is where hypnotherapy can help you, regardless of whether you actually know what initially caused your fear and anxiety.

Fear of Flying – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

by Dan Regan | Sep 29, 2022 | Phobias and Fears

Fear of Flying – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

Throughout the summer, I’ve been busy helping people to deal with their fear of flying so that they can head off to their destination while feeling more comfortable and in control.

I’ve also been over to the flight simulator centre in Mildenhall too, to deliver our fear of flying course. It’s always a huge positive to see someone walk through the door anxious and worried at everything flying related, and to leave feeling more calm and confident about flying.

As with all objects of anxiety and fear, your first strategy will always be avoidance. You try to get out of that business trip or to suggest some holiday alternatives and destinations that don’t require setting foot on a plane (or a metal box in which you are trapped and out of control, as you may perceive it). Some people get anxious about any mention of flying or a plane, even if it is about someone else. You might avoid programmes and films which involve a flight because of your anxious associations or because you imagine how bad you would feel if you were on that plane (and about to drop out of the sky to your death!!).

Others will start to feel more anxious once the flight is booked and the date is set in stone in your diary. You may try to pretend to yourself that it isn’t happening and try to ignore it. Yet, as the date approaches and you know you will soon be sitting on that plane for a while, your anxiety starts to escalate and take over (and you may still be wondering if there is some way of getting out of it).

And then there’s the ordeal of the airport, with all the hustle and bustle and planes and people, and the knowing that this it it, you are going on a plane and flying. The panic and discomfort can feel overwhelming. And that’s where learning about flying and how to control your thoughts and feelings becomes really handy indeed.

Help with Fears and Phobias – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

by Dan Regan | Aug 23, 2022 | Phobias and Fears

Help with Fears and Phobias – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

I’m just back from a week in Wales with the girls. Whilst we hit the end of the recent heatwave while we were there, we also got to enjoy lovely rain! I never thought I could love the cooling Welsh drizzle so much!

On the way to Wales we seemed to hit every traffic jam, busy road and stoppage that you could possibly encounter. Remind me never to travel across the UK on a Friday again! Although we nearly didn’t travel on the Friday because we had it in our heads that we were leaving on the Saturday! Luckily we discovered the correct dates a couple of days beforehand (I’m blaming my wife for the mistake!! Only please don’t tell her that it turns out I had the correct dates written in my diary the whole time had I bothered to check!!).

While we whiled away the time stuck in traffic, my youngest mentioned that she’d recently watched a video that ran through the top one hundred fears and phobias. And what started as a game of how many could I correctly guess, soon turned into a game of how many have I helped people to overcome with hypnotherapy. The answer (unsurprisingly) is a lot! Aside from the most obscure ones (or easily avoidable), I must have helped people to deal with at least seventy five per cent of the fears and phobias listed.

Luckily for us, based on where we were staying, hills, woodland and rivers didn’t appear on the list (or at least not on the list of any one of us!).

Fear of Flying – Another Success Course with the Flight Simulator and Anxiety Hypnotherapy

by Dan Regan | Nov 1, 2021 | Phobias and Fears

Fear of Flying – Another Success Course with the Flight Simulator and Anxiety Hypnotherapy

As with most forms of anxiety and fear, the number one strategy for dealing with it, is to try and avoid it. Avoidance makes you feel better in the short term because of the relief it brings to you from the anxiety and stress reducing. However, it doesn’t solve the problem or make it go away; it just postpones it until the next similar situation.

It’s estimated that up to about 25% of people struggle with flying anxiety to some degree. There can be forms of general flying anxiety from even seeing a plane or talking about flying with others. Most flying phobics have elements of anticipatory flight anxiety where you feel anxious as you think ahead to your flight and you overthink and catastrophise even before you set foot on a plane. And then there’s the flight anxiety itself where you may worry about something bad happening, feel tense and on edge and become very panicky around every sound and movement of the plane (especially that dreaded turbulence!).

But if avoidance has been your main anxiety-coping strategy, what happens when you need to fly? How can you cope with the anxiety, fear and worry that you may start to experience even weeks before your flight? That’s where the fear of flying course comes to your rescue. Based upon sound research, and incorporating elements of psychology, virtual exposure and knowledge and information about anxiety and flying, you can start to feel more calm and relaxed around flying. Rather than feeling out of control on the plane (and perhaps almost wanting to take back control by flying it yourself!), you can learn how to take back control over your own thoughts, feelings, actions and reactions.

Overcoming Fear of Vomiting and Sickness – Hypnotherapy in Ely

by Dan Regan | Sep 28, 2021 | Phobias and Fears

Overcoming Fear of Vomiting and Sickness – Hypnotherapy in Ely

Autumn is well and truly upon us (which means winter is approaching), schools are back in full swing and people are mixing more and around others more as the (hopefully) last throws of the pandemic rumble on.

And all of these things can contribute to and spark anxious thoughts and feelings if you struggle with a fear of vomiting and sickness.

The approach of winter can often lead to more illness and sickness bugs being passed about, especially from kids as they mix in school and bring things home with them. People mixing more, especially indoors in cooler weather, often leads to bugs being passed on and spread, and this may be amplified now after we all had a pandemic-related break from most of these activities. The conditions are ripe for sickness bugs (like the winter vomiting bug) to spread.

That’s probably why recently I’ve seen a big uptake in the number of people with a fear of vomiting and sickness contacting me for help. Many are concerned about winter sickness bugs, or anxious now that their kids are back in school (without the previous pandemic limits of mixing). Some have been unable to avoid the situations where they may well encounter unwell people, such as at work. And for others, the anxiety, fear and avoidance has become too much and they want to calm down their anxiety and nervousness around vomiting to a much more manageable level that doesn’t interfere with their lives.

The good news is that hypnotherapy can help you to overcome your phobia and fear about vomiting and sickness so that, should someone around you be ill or sick, you can calm and capably handle it and deal with it, without that overwhelming panic and fear.

Overcoming Your Fear of Flying – Hypnotherapy and Fear of Flying Course

by Dan Regan | Sep 20, 2021 | Phobias and Fears

Overcoming Your Fear of Flying – Hypnotherapy in Ely

It’s been another busy weekend running my fear of flying course over in Mildenhall. With the pandemic rules changing and more and more flying becoming possible, we’re getting an increasing number of enquiries from people seeking support to overcome their fear of flying.

Along with Serena at Sim2Do, we’ve been running our fear of flying course for a while now, with some very positive results for attendees. Whilst during the pandemic it was quite easy for someone with flying fear to avoid anything to do with air travel, that avoidance strategy is becoming less sustainable as things open up more. Luckily, there are ways to reduce that fear and to feel calmer and more positive about flying.

Avoidance is generally the first line of response for any type of anxiety and fear, yet whether it’s because you want to go on holiday (or your friends and family want you to go on holiday with them!) or due to work, avoidance becomes more and more tricky. Such is the strength of some people’s fear of flying, I’ve known clients to almost wish their upcoming holiday would be cancelled or at least postponed. Avoidance can make you feel a bit better for a while, because the unpleasant anxious thoughts and feelings subside for a while, yet it inadvertently strengthens the fear and means the next time you are faced with a potential flight, you again try to avoid it. If you can’t avoid it, the anxiety and fear associated with it can easily take over.

Many people come to our fear of flying course with a sort of equation in their mind that flying equals fear. Yet we know there must be more to it than this because not everyone has a fear of flying (some people even love flying). That extra step is all the things that go on inside your head around flying. There are your thoughts, feelings, your imagination, your self talk, your habitual responses, experiences, expectations, beliefs and so on. It would be more accurate to talk in terms of how flying, multiplied by all your thoughts and feelings, equals fear.

And this is good news because if flying led to fear for everyone there would be little you could do about it. As we know it’s linked to your psychological processes, there are many things that we can do to alleviate your fear of flying and make everything a lot more calmer for you before your flight and when you are up there on the plane. This is where hypnotherapy and our fear of flying course can really help you to make a change and to overcome your flying fear.

Fear of Flying Help and Support

by Dan Regan | Jul 10, 2021 | Phobias and Fears

Fear of Flying Help and Support

It’s great to be back up and running with helping you to overcome your fear of flying!

During the pandemic pretty much nobody was flying anywhere. Now that things are opening up and holidays and trips abroad have become more feasible again, those of you with a flying fear may be in need of some help and support.

As well as my one-to-one hypnotherapy sessions (in Ely, Newmarket and online), our successful fear of flying course is back up and running in Mildenhall. This fantastic course involves information, understanding and coping tools, as well as a hypnotherapy session and an experience in the flight simulator.

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