In this case study we find Sharni, a 30-something professional working in the design industry and who, not so long ago, had enjoyed an engaging, full and fulfilling social life. Anxiety had recently become too overwhelming to bear, and it had started to affect her life in many ways, reducing her want to go to social events, and finding herself worrying increasingly about her future. She came to sessions having been referred by a family member who I had seen previously that year.
Having realised she’d been suffering from crippling anxiety for a number of years, she explained to me that she had seen the impact of the therapy with her brother and had decided it was time for her to see what could be done.
Presenting Concern
Sharni’s symptoms were many: raised heart rate, constriction in her chest, a constant feeling of being on high alert, and difficulty focusing especially at work.
As a technical consultant, she had felt increasingly that her concerns were beginning to affect her ability to concentrate, and she was worried that she would get less work because of it.
The Approach
We immediately began to settle Sharni’s nervous system which was stuck in fight-or-flight mode when she arrived – this, she explained, was how she was all the time, and had learned to ‘just live with it’.
Even though her brother had shown significant progress, there seemed to still be some doubt in her mind about whether hypnotherapy could help so initially, we walked through the process discussing in detail what she could expect from sessions going forward and how the process of solution-focussed therapy worked, and thus reducing any anxiety in regards to future sessions.
Sharni committed fully to each session and took weekly face-to-face sessions at my practice. During this time, we monitored her solid and steady progress, checking in regularly to ensure she was on course within the directions she wanted to move in.
Sharni continued to re-establish confidence in her abilities to deliver her expertise at work, felt she was enjoying a closer personal relationship with her partner, and had started to take part in more after-work clubs and sports due, she felt, to an increase in energy levels.
Sharni’s Words
“I came into my session with Nick very apprehensive at first, as I had gone through various treatments before and hadn’t had much luck in terms of progress.
I’ve had anxiety for the last 4 years, enduring the unbearable physical symptoms for most of that time including tight chest/stomach, shortness of breath, the constant feeling of adrenaline, electric shocks through the body and brain fog. During this period, I’ve been on and off medication and given alternative therapies a try, all of which I saw no improvement after months, or the effects were temporary.
Once I began the sessions with Nick, I instantly knew that my path in conquering my anxiety would be different this time.
In the first couple of sessions, he talked me through the science of how the brain functions with the body. I had never had this level of insight with another hypnotherapy before. He presented great analogies that helped me conceptualise that if the fight or flight response remains switched on when there is no danger, it can become stuck in this anxiety trigger loop.
I finally felt, for once, that I had control of my mind and body with this newfound knowledge. Nick was honest from the start. He mentioned that there is no quick fix, but that this is something you can overcome with time, a little dedication and an understanding of the brain – it’s not a race.
For the first time in 4 years, my breathing became lighter and I wasn’t getting stressed about little things that would’ve previously triggered my anxiety. The most important thing for me was that I was actually looking forward to starting the day again, life was flowing and I felt myself again.”
