Graham Old - Use Hypnosis to Overcome Blushing

This is the first book in the ' Use Hypnosis ' series of books.

The idea for the series arose due to the number of times we at briefhypnosis.com have been asked how to treat particular conditions. There is a tendency amongst newly qualified hypnotherapists to think that there is one answer to questions such as, How do you treat blushing? They then seek a script which will function as a one-size fits all solutions. It may be helpful to explain how these books take a different approach, particularly as they each end with a script.

We begin by looking at the issue in question, be that smoking, blushing or stress. We do not presume that the experience is the same for every person who faces such issues. Therefore, we spend some time looking at the nature of the issue and dealing with any necessary theoretical foundations.

We then look at the general approach that might be recommended in the majority of cases. This is not a 'do this, then do that' exercise. Instead, we will share the range of ideas and techniques that we would consider, all things being equal. At all times, it is the responsibility of the reader to determine what does and does not apply in their situation.

Finally, we finish with the script. This is most certainly not something that is just meant to be read to the person with the issue. Each script is a record of an actual transcript of the ideas and approach in action. The only changes that have been made are to make it more universally explicit, where it would have previously been focused on one person's situation. The idea is for you to read through the script and note any areas where you can make it more specific or applicable in your case.

The feature that may make this series of books unique, compared to other hypnotherapy books, is that it is aimed both at hypnotists and their clients. If you are using these books for yourself rather than to inform your hypnosis with others you may want to record the script and use it as a self-hypnosis resource. Again, it would be recommended to read through it first, to note any areas where you can make it more specific to your unique experience. You can then record the script, making it more applicable to your circumstances.

The terminology in this book regularly shifts between 'you' and 'your client' to accommodate both sets of readers.

Please note that these books are intentionally kept short. The idea is not to write about e.g. blushing. Instead, we intend to provide a quick guide that a practitioner or sufferer can pick up and start working with, to resolve their problem as soon as possible. You might choose to think of these books as hypnosis scripts with long introductions!

CONTENTS

This book is divided into a number of sections, through which it will become progressively practical. We know the discomfort that blushing can cause and the lack of understanding often felt by those who suffer from chronic blushing. Therefore, we wanted to begin by discussing the nature of blushing, to reassure the reader that we have a fairly good idea what they are going through.

If you are reading this book to help other people, these preliminary thoughts will be useful to give you a clearer picture of what is happening when someone blushes. This is more than a theoretical discussion. It is an exercise in empathy. It also lays the foundation for why we treat blushing the way that we do.

We will then move on to the general approach that we recommend in dealing with blushing, along with ideas and techniques to employ. Finally, we will provide a script for you to adapt and use with clients, or to record as a self-hypnosis resource for yourself.

We are not suggesting that this is the only way to use hypnosis to overcome blushing. However, it is the Brief Hypnosis approach and we have found it to be consistently effective and reliable.

We are offering the techniques, ideas and suggestions in this book as an approach to use when dealing with blushing. Not every idea will work for everyone. The only way to find that out is to put it into practice.

If you think of blushing as a unique ability that you or your client has, it stands to reason that a certain level of re-training may be necessary. We can think of this as either a skill that needs to be unlearned, or a new skill (that is, not blushing problematically) that needs to be learnt.

It is not our suggestion that blushing be treated in one session, though this is certainly possible. We have seen people conquer their problem blushing just through use of the collapsing anchors technique. However, as you proceed with this book, you will see that there are a number of elements to blushing and there is no reason not to address them all. This is not to say that treatment needs to be long or laborious. However, there are exercises that we recommend employing between sessions, so that would suggest at least 2 or 3 sessions is optimal.

The most beneficial way to make use of this book is to read it in order, finishing with the script. However, it is possible to work effectively using solely the General Tips, Collapsing Anchors and the Hypnosis Script.

We do not recommend that you read the script verbatim to your client. It is meant to provoke ideas and demonstrate how we put some of our approach into action. A useful way to employ it is to read through, note which elements are useful and how it is structured. Then proceed with your own more tailor-made version. This is true also if you are planning to record the script to use for your own self-hypnosis.

It would be a mistake to think that someone using this book would eliminate blushing from their life completely. Blushing is a completely natural and at times productive human reaction. Everybody blushes in all kinds of scenarios. The person who no longer considers themselves a blusher will still blush every now and again. The difference is that it will not be a distressing or troubling experience for them. It is therefore recommended that ex-blushers continue to make use of some of the exercises in this book, even after treatment has finished. Of particular use would be Autogenic Training and Self-Instructional Training.

Chapter 1

We appear to blush when we feel embarrassed or exposed in some way. That may not always be the case for chronic blushers, discussed more in the next chapter, as the fear of such exposure or even the fear that others will think they are embarrassed can itself be enough to bring on a blush. Blushing is therefore predominantly a social condition and tends to be related to what we perceive or fear other people to be thinking about us.

When we are embarrassed our bodies release adrenaline. This hormone acts as a natural stimulant and has an array of effects on our bodies that are all part of the 'fight-or-flight' response. The release of adrenaline speeds up our breathing and heart rate to prepare us to run from danger, or stand and fight. It also causes our pupils to grow bigger to allow us to take in as much visual information as possible. It also slows down the digestive process so that the energy can be redirected to our muscles.