We all have habits, some of which are useful and some are not, but all habits arise from subconscious learning (programming). Habits usually develop from childhood but some can begin in adulthood. Our habits are normally formed with regular repetition of a behaviour which over time becomes automatic and is carried out without thought or effort by the subconscious mind.
Over time it can become an automatic response and we can become unaware of its presence.
Examples include:
a. Obsessions & compulsions
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a relatively common anxiety related problem affecting approximately 3% of the population. Obsessions may continue despite our wish to resist them and can be successfully treated with hypnotherapy. OCD can often develop over a period of time as a way of coping with stressful events.
Common anxieties and the associated actions include:
• Fear of contamination (germs, chemicals, bodily waste, germs, etc) resulting in constant cleaning or washing
• Repeatedly checking things such as the tap is turned off or that the door is locked
• The need for everything to be perfect (tidiness, numbers & alignment, etc) leading to repeatedly touching things or arranging them into a neat order or repeating numbers and phrases
Hypnotherapy can reduce OCD symptoms by lowering the underlying anxiety, enabling usto take back control. Hypnotherapy is used to retrain the mind to lower the importance attached to unwanted thoughts, leading to more balanced thought processes by taking back control of the imagination and learning to separate reality from the imagined.
b. Nail biting & thumb sucking
These are common behaviours which are usually a legacy of childhood which would have provided comfort at an early age. Given the feelings of reassurance that were previously gained, the unconscious behaviours of nail biting or thumb sucking can be conditioned responses to stress.
Clinical hypnotherapy can be successfully used to bring these unconscious actions into conscious awareness, thereby allowing the sufferer to gain control, in addition to introducing positive thinking and the alleviation of stress ‘triggers’.
c. Teeth Grinding (Bruxism)
Bruxism is when we grind our teeth and clenching of our jaw which can cause pain and discomfort in our jaws and it can wear down our teeth. It can also cause headaches and earache. Most cases of teeth grinding (nearly 80%) occur subconsciously during sleep. It is usually associated stress or anxiety. Bruxism also affects people when they are awake, although this is more likely to be
clenching the teeth and jaw, rather than grinding. Most people do it subconsciously while they are
concentrating.
Hypnotherapy can help:
• to reduce habitual clenching and grinding
• eliminate the underlying problems that cause the bruxism
• deal better with stress which might be triggering the problem
• give back confidence and ability to be more positive
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