Credit Crunch Stress
CREDIT CRUNCH STRESS
by
Dr Keith Hearne (BSc MSc PhD)
European College of Hypnotherapy
© Copyright, 2008.
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(Make sure all telephones are switched off, have a large box of tissues for IMRs, a range of cushions ready (small, medium, large) for any reintegration procedure), and a large pair of scissors for the sound of de-cording in any past-life work)
Advertise this particular service (only) at a special low rate – after all, these Clients will be, by definition, financially depleted. At the time of booking, ask for a cash payment to be made at the session. Cap the figure at 2 hours, so that if you go beyond that time, the fee is still fixed.
A big financial crisis is well-known to constitute one of the major causes of stress and depression in people. It can rank with the death of a loved one, so the matter must be taken seriously and the Client accorded respect. Their plans and dreams may have collapsed entirely, leaving them dazed and feeling devastated.
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BEFORE HYPNOSIS
Firstly, go through the Client’s Confidential Questionnaire , as usual, and then look for any other relevant issues in the Client’s conscious mind. Get a clear picture of their situation. Ask:
How has the situation arisen?
Have you not told the creditors (banks, building societies, credit-card companies, etc) about your difficulties?
Have you avoided telling close ones about it? If so, who?
Has the situation caused relationship problems?
Has the Client been in the situation before?
Were the Client’s parents ever in the same situation?
Has the Client felt a strong sense of loss (of any kind, eg a lost love) before?
Does the Client have insomnia because of the worry?
Does the Client have physical symptoms because of the worry?
What is being done to remedy the financial problem?
Has the Client cut back on expenses?
Next, determine whether the Client is more anxious than most people, using Hearne’s ‘ Questionnaire to determine possible neuroticism‘ (See last page of these notes). If anxiety is excessive, self-tranquilisation using hypnosis and self-hypnosis needs to be an essential part of the therapy. Explain the inverted U-shaped curve (Yerkes-Dodson diagram ) between Performance and Arousal (anxiety in this case).
Describe how right-brain anxiety can be blocked by left-brain activity (eg auditory stimulation such as Internal singing, or listening to songs on an ipod). People sing in bomb-shelters to allay fear. But, if excessive it can also block necessary focusing on the financial problems.
For good visualizers, you can point out that negative imagery (eg of the Client living in the future in poorer circumstances) can be reduced in size – so as not to be so intimidating.
People can symbolically lower the level of anxiety by visualizing turning down a tap or valve of some sort.
Explain, too, that anxiety is a drive that can in fact be harnessed positively for the individual.
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HYPNOSIS
Ask what the Client knows about hypnosis. Say that they will be aware of what is happening around them, and that they only need to become reasonably relaxed (so that they do not ‘try’ to enter a deep trance). Ensure that they feel comfortable – ask them if they need to go to the loo,
Explain Ideo-Motor Responses (IMRs) and place the box of tissues on their lap. It’s good to have a narrow beam of light from a lamp directed onto their fingers, so that very small IMR movements are not missed. If they cry, place a tissue in their hand.
STAGE 1 : UNCOVERING WORK, DEALING WITH EARLIER EVENTS THAT MAY BE CAUSING OR EXACERABATING THE CLIENT’S PRESENT FRAME OF MIND OVER THE FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES
Having obtained full background information, determine whether any unconscious reasons are exacerbating the Client’s current situation:
Induce hypnosis using the full procedure of: systematic bodily relaxation, countdown, the enabling script (getting the attention of the unconscious mind) and visualization.
That state of relaxation will in itself be a welcome haven for the Client.
(On the other hand, if the person is emotional , get them to focus on their emotion. Tell them to increase it, and then use the Affect Bridge method: “Recall the FIRST time you felt that way”. If the Client reports a sudden physical sensation, use the Somatic bridge: “If that sensation could speak, what is the first thing it would say?”)
Use IMRs (finger movements) to locate any previous traumatic events in this lifetime (20 years of age to present age; 20 years of age back year-by-year to birth) that are affecting the Client’s state of mind over the financial crisis (eg sense of abandonment, loss, poverty, gambling, avoidance of responsibility, etc) and reintegrate any corresponding sub-personalities . Forgive any perpetrators.
It might be revealing to ask ‘Has this person deliberately sabotaged their finances?’ (It could, say, be an unconscious manoeuvre to end a relationship).
Also, use the IMRs to seek any relevant past-life events that are somehow linked to the present frame of mind, and process them ( corridor method ). Uncover the trauma, go to the last day, de-cord the negative residues (mental, emotional, physical). Forgive any perpetrators. The Client must see the spirit of the past-life character go fully unto the Light (otherwise the past-life work may have been on an attached entity).
Any attached entities (detected by IMRs) should be removed.
Make sure all are located.
All that work may actually be enough for a single session – in which case, de-hypnotize the Client (after re-orientation in time) and continue in the next session. If you finish the session here, provide the Client with the following
National debtline: 0808 808 4000
Consumer Credit Counselling Service 0800 138 1111
The local Citizens’ Advice Bureau (CAB) telephone number:________________
A list of local Accountants.
Websites, eg: Martin Lewis (www.moneysavingexpert.com)
However, if there is no evidence in the first session using the IMRs for any relevant sub-personalities, past life factors, or attachments, go to the next stage:
STAGE 2: SUGGESTIONS ONLY ARE GIVEN TO THE CLIENT HERE
You will have administered Hearne’s ‘ Questionnaire to determine possible neuroticism’ . If the score is high, it is likely that the Client is naturally more anxious than most in any situation. In that case, the main work needs to be focused on reducing their inherent anxiety.
Excessive anxiety cripples thinking, and the logical coping with a problem.
Induce hypnosis here, unless the Client is already in a trance from Stage 1. Use the full procedure, and go to either Route A or Route B next, reading the script material slowly, with meaning:
ROUTE A ( For highly anxious people ):
‘From our little test, it seems that you might possess more anxiety than most people. That is worth knowing, because when others are a little bit anxious, your anxiety level is high. Anxiety can interfere with logical thinking and sensible behaviour. Now you know how to deal with acute anxiety – to sing in your head, or listen to music. That is useful for immediate anxiety, and to reduce anxiety for a longer period you can imagine turning down a tap or a valve to stem the flow. From now on, whenever you think the word RELAX, this will help you to feel a sense of tranquillity – immediately. Try it now for a few times – think the word RELAX and feel that serenity.’ (PAUSE).Skip the next paragraph, and continue at FURTHER ASPECTS.
ROUTE B ( For ordinarily anxious people ):
. ‘Anxiety can interfere with logical thinking and sensible behaviour. Now you know how to deal with acute anxiety – to sing in your head, or listen to music. That is useful for immediate anxiety, and to reduce anxiety for a longer period you can imagine turning down a tap or a valve to stem the flow. From now on, whenever you think the word RELAX, this will help you to feel a sense of tranquillity – immediately. Try it now for a few times – think the word RELAX and feel that serenity.’ (This is important, so get them to practise this several times.)
(PAUSE).
FURTHER ASPECTS:
PERSPECTIVE
‘It is understandable at this time, that there is often a tendency for people to think that they are the only ones who are going through great financial problems. But it is true to say that many millions of other people and families, here in the UK , are also facing real hardship. Imagine what that amounts to all over the world .
It’s good first of all to obtain an overall perspective. Most of the people on this planet are poor, and die young. They are out of sight for us and therefore they don’t enter our thoughts. Every year, 15 million children die of starvation in the world. We are so fortunate in this country to have enjoyed a high standard of living compared to other places, with many opportunities to attain virtually anything we want.
We are protected at the very basic level so that we do not starve, and do have a place to live. We can visit a place like South Africa and stay comfortably at a high-class hotel, and then drive by miles of shacks in which vast numbers of people live – and do not survive that long.
And we tend not to think of people who are severely disabled, or very ill and in chronic pain, and spend their lives simply trying to survive – day by day.
Think of someone who has been in hospital for decades, and totally paralysed from the neck down, due to a broken neck sustained after some simple accident when, say, a teenager. There are countless scenarios of people existing in a real living hell.
Your situation is, truthfully, insignificant in comparison, because you can extricate yourself, whereas they cannot possibly do so. Therefore, the first realisations need to be that: things could be overwhelmingly worse for you; you do have the luxury of various escape routes, and; you will survive.’
DEALING WITH AVOIDANCE
‘You will from now on be relaxed enough and motivated enough to start to cope with the current problems.
The first step is to face up to and accept the crisis. Sit down and actually work out the precise financial situation. All letters that you have received from your creditors need to be read carefully and all your financial statements must be gathered together. Every piece of the relevant information (including logs of all telephone calls made, etc) must be kept in one place, say, in a box file, for easy access.
Once the full extent of your debt is known, the total incomings and outgoings can be calculated. And you can then decide how to make savings. Organisations and reputable websites provide sensible, practical advice.
From now on welcome all official letters and respond quickly – that demonstrates co-operation on your part. Pay at least a small amount on regular payments, to show willing.
It can be very worth-while to get an accountant to assist. In addition to making your finances clear on paper, they know exactly how to help in all sorts of ways. For example, they can spot overpayment errors made by you, perhaps over years, to the tax office – to your advantage. Dealing with finance is their specialist field, and it can relieve a lot of pressure on you by knowing that someone else , who is an expert , is guiding you through the technicalities of the present difficulties.’
If you have not talked to your partner or close ones about the crisis, begin that dialogue. Share your problem and reduce the stress.’
DEALING WITH REVIVIFICATION OF PREVIOUS EMOTIONS
‘Sometimes, the feelings evoked by a crisis, are to a small or large extent reviving strong feelings from a previous time. What happens is that the original unpleasant event causes its memories to stay stuck at that time – so that if later in life in some similar situation occurs, the earlier part becomes involved again. The feelings are magnified, and may be immature and inappropriate for the later crisis.’
(Therapist: If you have reintegrated sub-personalities in this Client, point out what happened in their case.)
PROJECTION ONTO OTHERS, DISPLACEMENT
‘In times of stress it is well known that we can displace negative feelings and project them onto others – usually, unfortunately, our nearest and dearest. That only makes our woes worse, and can antagonise those others. It also distracts us from the problem in hand. This is a period when you should be careful what you say , and think more of all the positive aspects of your relationships. As a team , you can work much better at getting out of the difficulties.’
DEALING WITH ANY PHYSIOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES
‘Because the body and mind are linked so strongly, stress can sometimes have adverse effects on the body. The strange thing is that language can be involved – so that, perhaps, a person who feels ‘there is something on my chest’ (i.e. they want to express something verbally but feel too inhibited), may actually develop a lung condition,
or if they ‘don’t want to see’ something, may have an eye infection.
Be aware of these links. They may actually be purely physical, and they always need checking out medically, of course – but it might be insightful to consider whether there is a message from your unconscious in any medical condition related to stress. Having that knowledge, you can then ask your unconscious to heal the condition, because the message is understood.’
SLEEP PROBLEMS
(Therapist: Only use this part if insomnia has been reported by the Client.)
‘Sometimes, worries affect the brain increasing arousal and causing sleeplessness. When you have settled down in bed for sleep … and are lying comfortably … awaiting the onset of sleep … I want you to begin to recall … the deep state of relaxation … in which you find yourself now.
You will once again … systematically relax … every part of your body … starting with your feet and working upwards to your scalp.
Then … when you have leisurely re-experienced that gradual feeling of relaxation … I want you to … slowly … very slowly … count down from ten to one … as we have just done here. Each descending number making you feel … deeper and deeper relaxed … and pushing any thoughts or worries further and further away from you … so that soon after you reach one … you will automatically drift off into a wonderful …. deep … deep … sleep … which will be so good for your bodily health and feeling of well-being.
That exquisite sleep state … will last for the whole of the night … and in the morning … you will awaken feeling refreshed … and on top of the world. You will sleep right through …
… and AS SOON AS you detect that … ( Client’s name ) is beginning to wake up before it is appropriate for him/her to awaken … YOU WILL INSTANTLY OVERRIDE THE AWAKENING AND RE-INTRODUCE DEEP RESTFUL SLEEP. You will cause ( Client’s name ) to fall gently back into beautiful … deep … deep … sleep. This you will do automatically … unless you detect there is a stare of internal or external emergency … when waking will be initiated.’
unless there is an emergency around you … when awaking will be initiated. ‘
SELF ESTEEM
‘As you continue to … enjoy that state of relaxation … your unconscious mind can listen to the words I am about to say … and increase your sense of well-being and self-worth … each day that goes by … you will find that you are going to feel better in many ways … your state of mind will become more relaxed … and you will be able to deal with life so much more comfortably … you will develop a sense of control and mastery in your life … you will become more successful in all that you do … your thinking will become sharper … you will develop a wonderful feeling of confidence … a real sense of purpose in life … a feeling of increasing well-being … life will become so much more satisfying … a sense of true happiness will come over you … your vocal utterances will be clear and concise … your body will become fitter and healthier … it will show in your face .. in the way you dress … in the way you interact with others … in the way you enjoy life … people will think … here is a confident, relaxed, effective and happy person.’
AWAKEN
Remind the Client on how to reduce anxiety (left brain internal singing, and imagining turning down a tap or valve).
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If you have already done so, provide the Client with printed information about practical help they can obtain:
National debtline: 0808 808 4000
The local Citizens’ Advice Bureau (CAB) telephone number.
A list of local Accountants.
Websites, eg: Martin Lewes (www.moneysavingexpert.com)
AN AFFIRMATION (Modify according to the Client)
‘I am facing the current situation, working as a wonderful team with my partner, being guided by professional financial advice, and moving forwards positively. We shall emerge triumphantly.’
THIS NEXT STAGE WILL BE EMPLOYED AT THE NEXT SESSION.
STAGE 3: TEACHING SELF-HYPNOSIS
• EXPLANATION
‘I will teach you self-hypnosis, so you can enter the state whenever you want.
It’s quite safe, because you can waken yourself at any point.
You are in control.
During self-hypnosis you will be able to relax completely, think clearly, and give your OWN therapeutic suggestions to yourself .
It’s best to use self-hypnosis regularly, say morning and evening,
to prepare for the day, and to relax at night.’
• HYPNOSIS BY HYPNOTIST
(4 elements: Eye-fixation with systematic bodily relaxation, countdown, a few positive suggestions, awakening)
‘Firstly, I am going to induce a trance in you.
Sit comfortably and fixate your eyes on a spot on the ceiling. Keep your eyes firmly fixed to that point. ‘
‘Relax your mind by thinking of something pleasant … perhaps a tranquil scene that makes you feel good … and as you enjoy that experience … I want you to systematically begin to relax your whole body … starting with your feet and ankles … feel the muscles there relax … imagine a flow of beautiful warm relaxation gradually spreading upwards now to your calf muscles … allow that wonderful relaxation to flow up further to your thigh muscles … now allow it to flow to your lower abdomen and stomach regions … become aware of those muscles … and relax them … let that glow of relaxation now spread to your chest muscles … make a few slow and deep breaths … let each breath relax you even more … (pause) … now let that beautiful feeling of peace and relaxation flow to the muscles of your shoulders … feel the tension in those muscles dissolve away … notice the muscles of your arms … and feel the relaxation spread down to your hands and fingers … sense the muscles in your neck … and allow that flowing peacefulness relax those muscles … feel it spread to the muscles of your face … and forehead … up to the top of your scalp … now the whole of your body is relaxed … and imagine that each breath that you make is spreading that warm feeling of relaxation … throughout the whole of your body … (pause) … in a strange way, too … the sound of my voice … is part of that feeling of relaxation … imagine that you are floating pleasantly in a mist of drowsiness … feeling tranquil … safe … serene … and wonderfully peaceful’
(If the eyes have not closed 🙂
‘Your eyes are becoming very, very heavy … they want to close … wanting to close …they are so very heavy … they want to close now … closing tighter and tighter. Go to sleep.’
(Countdown deepener 🙂
(Match your breathing to the Client’s and say each descending number on an exhalation)
‘In a moment you will hear me start to count down … from ten to one … and with each descending number … you will sense yourself becoming even more relaxed … sinking deeper and deeper into a pleasant trance-like state of complete mental and physical relaxation … ten … nine … deeper and deeper … eight … deeper … seven … drifting, drifting … six deeper and deeper … five … even deeper … four … so relaxed now … three …going deeper … two drifting … one … now totally relaxed … totally relaxed …’
(Ego-strengthening suggestions 🙂
‘As you continue to … enjoy that state of relaxation … your unconscious mind can listen to the words I am about to say … and increase your sense of well-being and self-worth … each day that goes by … you will find that you are going to feel better in many ways … your state of mind will become more relaxed … and you will be able to deal with life so much more comfortably … you will develop a sense of control and mastery in your life … you will become more successful in all that you do … your thinking will become sharper … you will develop a wonderful feeling of confidence … a real sense of purpose in life … a feeling of increasing well-being … life will become so much more satisfying … a sense of true happiness will come over you … your vocal utterances will be clear and concise … your body will become fitter and healthier … it will show in your face .. in the way you dress … in the way you interact with others … in the way you enjoy life … people will think … here is a confident, relaxed, effective and happy person’
(Awaken 🙂
‘In a short time I am going to wake you … you will awaken feeling good, refreshed and alert … every part of you will be back here in the present … I will count from one to ten … at the count of eight you will open your eyes … and at the count of ten you will be fully wide awake … one, two … lighter and lighter … three, four … lighter and brighter … five, six … coming out of it … seven, eight … EYES OPEN … nine-ten … BACK HERE NOW! WIDE AWAKE !’
C . TRANSFER STAGE
‘How do you feel ?
Tell me – where are you most likely to be when you use self-hypnosis?’
(eg at home)
‘What I want you to do now is to imagine that you are in that place, and focusing on a point, but also to imagine that you can hear my voice going through everything I did before – but this time change the words in your mind so that instead of me saying ‘you will’ change everything to ‘I will’ – so that you are telling yourself everything. At the end of the procedure, awaken yourself by counting up from 1 to 10. Is that clear ?
Start with the bodily relaxation, the countdown from 10 to one, and then say to yourself some of the positive suggestions about becoming fitter, healthier, happier, and so on. Add some of your own.
Lift a finger at the end of each stage, so that I can monitor where you are.
Are you ready ? Good. Just to recap : Fixate your eyes on a point and imagine it’s in ( eg your home ) and its me speaking, yet at the same time its you speaking to yourself. So, bodily relaxation, countdown, and self-suggestions. Then awaken yourself by counting up from 1 to 10. Start now.’
D. REPEAT
Get the Client to repeat the whole procedure. Ask if there are any questions.
Remind the Client to practise self-hypnosis twice a day and incorporate relevant self-suggestions, discussed with the hypnotist.
***
(It is probably not good to teach auto-hypnosis to someone who is already ‘out of this world’, with autistic, introspective thinking, according to Kroger)
STAGE 4: FOLLOW-UP
In this Stage, obtain full feed-back on what has been happening since you last saw the Client. Look at each area – stress, avoidance, self-relaxation, sleep, physiological problems, accountant, plans to pay debts, relationships, etc. Check that the self-hypnosis has been practised regularly.
Reinforce the relaxation suggestions and give more ego-strengthening – especially addressed to those areas that may still be problematic.
If the main problem is an overwhelming sense of social failure in the eyes of others, you might even suggest that the Client does some charity work for people who are really, and permanently, less fortunate.
Remind the Client that they need a clear head and to be in possession of all the facts, and must accept that life may have to change – for a while at least.
Focus on the future, and being in control of finances, and life, again. You may wish to use an Ericksonian metaphorical story about someone who experienced great upset through the loss of some valuables, but by acting intelligently was able, after a time, to recover the lost items – and was happy again.
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QUESTIONNAIRE TO DETERMINE
POSSIBLE NEUROTICISM
(Forced choice: Yes or No)
READ THE QUESTIONS OUT TO THE CLIENT.
1.Would others say you are more anxious than most people? Yes / No
F1 Have you ever gossiped about someone? Yes / No
2.Do you have any strong phobias? Yes / No
3.Are you more emotional than most people? Yes / No
F2 Have you, as an adult, ever lied to anyone? Yes / No
4.Are you always checking things? Yes / No
5.Do you often have a sense of frustration? Yes / No
F3 Have you, as an adult, ever used swear words in a conversation?
6.Do you sometimes feel happiness or sadness, without a cause? Yes / No
7.Do you find it difficult to sleep sometimes because so much is on your mind? Yes / No
8.Do you often worry about things that you said, that might have been put badly? Yes / No
9.Do you quite often feel nervous? Yes / No
F4 Have you ever got angry with a parent? Yes / No
10.Would you describe yourself as neurotic? Yes / No
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Add up possible neuroticism ‘ Yes ‘ answers. Score:_________ / 10
(0 – 3= Stable; 4 – 6= mid-range; 7-10= Neurotic)
Re- F (fib) scores (questions in italics):
Add up ‘ No ‘ answers: (F possible Fib score): _________/ 4
(3-4= possibly distorting the answers)