Addictions, good and bad

Apart from swimming, I have to admit that I am not a great lover of exercise, and for a long time I have been trying to find some physical activity that I can almost become addicted to, that I actually want to do instead of feeling that I have to do it.

Well, I think I have found it.

Mr Chalk very kindly bought me a lovely new hybrid bike last week, with a light alloy frame and the difference between this and my old 'sit up and beg bicycle' is quite amazing. On the new bike I am finding it so much easier to navigate the roads (and yes, there are hills in Suffolk) that I am gradually increasing the distances I go. Today we went out on a most enjoyable 14 mile bike ride round Suffolk, and what I most appreciated, apart from the endorphin-high I got which has lasted the rest of the day, was being able to notice so much more in terms of wildlife, beautiful properties around here, and in addition the sounds and smells of the countryside. We really are blessed living in such a beautiful part of the country, but I don't think I have fully been aware of this until now.

I am certainly not going to be the next Victoria Pendleton but I think that cycling may well have me hooked, which as a healthy addiction, I am quite happy about.

Sometimes people talk about having an addictive personality and I think we all have the capacity to become addicted to something. When you find something which gives you a high, you inevitably want more of it. Where the brain can play tricks on you however, in the case of a negative addiction such as drugs, alcohol, overeating or gambling is making you deny how bad you inevitably feel after the initial fix has worn off. You continue to 'forget' about how destructive this habit is, as you only remember the high it gives you.

When I treat people with destructive addictions, we look at how they can access the good feeling, the buzz, but in a natural long-lasting way. Hypnosis itself can make people feel really good, calm, incredibly relaxed, as well as more positive. In addition it can open up the mind to finding new healthy activities which will provide the feel-good factor, but without the disturbing consequences of a destructive habit.

It is not always easy, but once you can experience the freedom from a negative addiction, you can start to fill your life with good, healthy options that still give you that exhilarating 'high'.

Like cycling ....

Wendy x

Have your cake and eat it

Hello. My name is Wendy, and I'm a food addict. There. I've said it.

When I tried hypnotherapy for weight loss many years ago I was lucky enough to encounter a lovely lady called Marguerite who practised quite near to where I lived. That first experience was really positive, and, armed with a recorded cassette (those were the days) I managed to lose a quite substantial amount of weight, which has stayed off. This was around 20 years ago.

I had no idea what to expect from the hypnotherapy, but was surprised and delighted with how good it made me feel, and how I lost weight so easily. Not only that I established a really healthy relationship with food which has continued to this day. No more bingeing, no more fad diets, in fact enjoying food more than I ever had in the past.

As I get older, it does seem that the metabolism grinds to a halt, and I need a little bit less than I did 20 years ago, but I am happy that I can still fit into size 12 clothes. I will never be a skinny minny, but I think I have accepted and embraced the body shape that I was born with.

When I see clients for weight loss now, it is really important that we look at the long-term view, making smart changes to our lifestyle which will make a positive difference for good. My own view - as a self-confessed foodie - is that food can still be enjoyed, it is one of those pleasant things that we do that can make us feel good - but by making small changes, keeping an eye on portions, having a food diary, upping our activity levels, we can also make sure that we achieve and keep to a healthy weight.

The hypnotherapy treatment seems to take us back to our 'sensible self' who actually knows exactly what to do in order to get to our ideal shape and weight, as well as making us feel incredibly relaxed and positive, and no longer needing to eat for emotional reasons.

If you are fed up with the endless diets, not losing weight and beating yourself up when you can't fit into summer clothes, let me help you find the 'sensible self' within. We can work together to help you to be the person that you want to be. You will never look back.

My very best wishes for a wonderful Easter,
Wendy x

Peaches Geldof

My heart goes out for Bob Geldof and his family following the recent death of his daughter, Peaches. We cannot know the full circumstances but it does seem that Peaches was suffering hugely from the loss of her mum to whom she was very close.

Paula Yates was found dead when Peaches was just 11 years old, having never really got over the death of her boyfriend Michael Hutchence four years earlier. Throughout her teens and early twenties Peaches then did go a bit wild, but just recently it seemed that she had found happiness with a new husband and two little ones who she doted on. Perhaps having children herself reminded her of her mum and that sense of not being able to share this brought back an overwhelming sense of grief. Paula was a larger than life character, although somewhat controversial at times, she also had a vulnerability which seems to have been passed on to Peaches.

We cannot know the depth of pain experienced by the family at this time, but Bob's words 'we are beyond pain ... ' seemed so poignant. Having to experience the loss of a dear one is unbearable in itself, but when that person is your own child it is difficult to fathom how anyone can get through it.

My thoughts and prayers go out to them,
Wendy x

Hypnosis, by any other name

Witnessing the powerful effects of hypnotherapy first hand, I do sometimes become frustrated about the widely held scepticism towards this therapy, particularly within the mainstream medical profession. I am therefore heartened when a medical doctor working within the NHS endorses the benefits of clinical hypnotherapy.

Hypnosis has been around for centuries to treat a whole range of illnesses and to act as a poerful anaesthetic, but in the last century has been associated very strongly with stage hypnotists and machiavellian film characters intent on committing evil. So its quite refreshing when an NHS Consultant uses hypnotherapy as a first line of treatment. 

At the University Hospital of South Manchester, Professor Peter Whorwell, a gastroenterologist who heads the only NHS-funded hypnotherapy centre in Britain, has pioneered the therapy as a treatment of irritable bowel syndrome. He is convinced that people are put off by the name, and feels that if we could perhaps re-invent the treatment with a different name, perhaps 'neuro-modulation' then it would be better received. He feels, as do I, that sometime in the future people will suddenly realise that hypnotism is an amazingly powerful treatment tool, and that we have been put off using it simply because of its associations mentioned above. He even goes so far as to say that he believes hypnotism to be much more useful than cognitive behaviour therapy or psychotherapy in the treatment of certain conditions.

So, therefore, I do see my role as one of educating people and helping them to understand what hypnosis is, quite simply a deeply relaxed but focussed state in which the subject is able to absorb and use suggestions, which enable positive change (this could be helping a physical healing process, or perhaps allowing emotional or psychological adjustments to occur).

If you share the scepticism of those who believe hypnosis to be a form of dark mind control, then I urge you to re-consider and try it for yourself. If, on the other hand, you are like many of my clients who have witnessed how transformative it can be, then please spread the word!

Best wishes,

Wendy x

Hypno Fab

Apparently, the wonderful and very talented Jennifer Saunders is having hypnotherapy to help her to write the screenplay for a new Ab Fab film. It appears that she suffers from procrastination and negativity, so this has prompted her to seek professional help.

This is a really interesting focus for hypnotherapy treatment. It may well be that Jennifer is suffering from a lack of confidence in her abilities, perhaps rooted in the failure of the Spice Girls musical she had worked on. She has also been through a difficult period health wise, having had breast cancer. Its really encouraging, however, for someone in the public eye so well-loved and respected, to come out and admit their apparent vulnerability. And obviously I am really heartened that she opted for hypnotherapy as her treatment of choice.

Very often many people seem to think that hypnotherapy is limited in its uses, just helping people with addictions and phobias. However it really is quite limitless into how it can instigate change, whatever the issue is. In fact anything with an emotional or psychological root cause may be able to be treated with hypnotherapy.

So, you may not be writing the screenplay to a blockbuster movie, but perhaps you are working on a dissertation or essay and you are feeling blocked. Even just one session of hypnotherapy could make all the difference and allow the creativity to flow.

If you are interested in finding out more, do give me a call on 01449780352, or email me at wendy@wendychalk.co.uk.

Happy writing darlings,
Wendy x