Sunday 19 August 2012

Treatment of Fears and Anxiety – Another Case Study


Not too long ago, a young man came into my practice and he did not look too well.

He said he was having panic attacks, suffering from depression, hadn’t eaten properly for weeks and he couldn’t even bear the thought of having a haircut or going out with his mates.

He was having a course of acupuncture, but after four sessions he had agreed with the acupuncturist he did not feel any different, so acupuncture did not appear to be the most appropriate therapy.

We had a long chat about what situations made him feel most anxious.

The fear of “fitting and fainting” was most prevalent.

He had a past of taking class ‘A’ drugs and too much booze, which, in combination with being dehydrated and not eating, had made him faint on one or two occasions. This fear has stayed with him ever since, although he has been teetotal and hasn’t taken any drugs for several months.

Of course, the first thing of utmost priority for him to do was to stay clear of drugs and also the slightest temptation. He swore that he would, as the last time he took drugs he felt very, very ill and he had stayed clear of them ever since.

The second step, of course, was to persuade him to eat something substantial (unfortunately, pork knuckle – the Bavarian remedy for everything, is not much available here in this corner of the world J).

He told me that Chinese takeaway was a favourite but he was afraid of it making him faint again.

So many fears ...

Anyway, I suggested using some Psychological Kinesiology for a start. Checking the status of his organs’ energy, we found a weakness in the “Emotional Heart” area, which is connected with an unpleasant event, often experienced as shock and also abandonment.

Further testing revealed a connection to his mother. She left him and his dad when he was about 10 years old, and he remembered a situation where somebody was being sick.

With his hand on the corresponding area, I tapped the “disconnecting” acupressure points on his head. After 3 applications he started to feel very relaxed and “cottony”, which is a sign to stop.

At the end of this first session, he told me that he was feeling hungry now and wanted to book a second session four days later, just to be sure.

When he came through my door that day, he looked different – he had his hair cut nicely and had had several good meals. He smiled a lot and confessed that he had not believed that my approach would make any difference.

He told me that after the first session, he felt rather “lousy” that day and doubted that seeing me again would help him. But the following day he noticed a change for the better.

He asked a mate of his to come with him to have his hair cut as he did not yet feel confident enough to go on his own – but, still he managed to go out.

After this first outing, he went to visit friends and family for the first time in ages and even managed to go back to work, which he hadn’t been able to face for the past 2 or 3 months!

During our second session together, we “removed” that little bit of fear that was still left, as well as giving him some “Detox” ear acupuncture, for his past drug taking.

Before he left, he thanked me and told me that he was a little bit worried now as he can’t feel the panic and anxiety anymore!

Sometimes you just can’t win...