Thursday 31 August 2006

I just can't get you out of my head...



So, as I was saying, I went for an initial consultation with the hypnotist today. It was just a complimentary getting-to-know-you session, and a chance for me to see if it was something I fancied giving a try. It was also a chance for the hypnotist to ask me a few questions and to assess if he thought he could help me.

It was quite interesting.

The long and the short of it is that I've booked a session for next week, and it's likely to be the first of a number of sessions, perhaps as many as half a dozen. I didn't actually get hypnotised this evening: instead we spent a bit of time talking about my background (family, school, do I drink, do I smoke, do I have a history of depression, has anything been on my mind recently - that kind of thing) and we discussed what I was hoping he could help me with. I know that this may be hard to believe, but apparently the problems I have with my glasses could actually be about something other than my glasses.

I know!

For this reason, suggestion therapy isn't likely to do much more than push the manifestation of that underlying anxiety somewhere else. The better bet is to see if I can get to the root cause. It might be that I am worrying about my specs instead of worrying about something far more important - the WT's or my job perhaps. Perhaps it's something to do with a fear of abandonement or a fear of the clown I once met at someone's birthday party when I was five. Who knows?

Anyway. My first session is on Monday. I thought it was worth a try. I've been a lot better generally since I decided to do something about this, but I'm not going to let that fool me into not going ahead with it - and if this doesn't work, I'll try something else..

Just so you know though, I don't think I'm going to be blogging about it, except perhaps in passing. It's not that I wouldn't want to share the deepest, darkest secrets buried in the smothering blackness of my subconscious mind. It's just that apparently it's better to let anything that comes up tick away slowly in my head without trying to consciously analyse it, dissect it, or even really talk about it. As a blogger and an INTP, I'm thinking that this could be the biggest challenge of all.

Still, the first rule of hypnotherapy is that we do not talk about hypnotherapy, and rules are rules. It's a lot like Fight Club in that regard, only with a whole lot less fighting. And no smoking*.

Rather disappointingly, apparently you don't really go into a trance either. I suppose it's all very clean and clinical to be hypnotised in a matter of seconds, but I was rather hoping for some swinging pendulums and the whole "you are feeling very sleepy" schtick.

Oh well.

3, 2, 1..... you're back in the room!

* This has now got me thinking about who would play me in the film version of this blog. I'm not sure that Brad Pitt would get the gig, but I don't really see myself as Edward Norton either. Any suggestions? I also want to know what my Power Animal is. I was kind of hoping it was a Grizzly Bear, but I imagine it's probably a hamster.

10 comments:

  1. 4 xmas - was hypnotized 2 stop smoking - worked 4 about a couple of months. but then my m8 was hypnotized (or brain-washed) 2 give up chocalate - and now he can't stand the stuff

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  2. For the film??....hmmm Nicolas Lyndhurst or maybe Snoop Dogg.

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  3. Hey Swiss - long time no er... check-out?

    Dig the new photo - and I never knew you were an INTP. That's what I am tooooo!! :)

    After much befuddling action in my non-blog life, I'm looking forward to lurking here once more - and do feel free to make your presence known at my all-new blog :)

    Rock on.

    ooO[he'll figure out who it is in no time]

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  4. Ah, good luck. My experiences with hypnosis have been less than successful (three times to get me off the evil weed with no success) but I have heard good things from many people. Apparently I am too much of a control freak to be suggestible. Which is funny because I only need to hear someone whistle a tune and it's in my head for the rest of the day.

    What's an INTP?

    Cat

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  5. BTW I know what you mean about life-changing stuff. I've also recently found 'therapy' that's actually been able to tap into my INTP-ness and loosen a bit of the T. Result being that I've started feeling, or noticing feelings and generally being more aware of them. Definitely life-changing.

    I dunno, maybe you're not as extreme a T as I am/was, but I know with me, if someone said 'Just sit back and turn your brain off for a minute and go with your feelings' to me, they might as well have been speaking Klingon.

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  6. "What's an INTP?"
    It means they stand in the kitchen at parties and have discussions ;-)

    Seriously though, it's an analytical personality type. Just google and you'll find this amongst a million other articles.

    Good news that you're giving it a crack, lets just hope this guy can get beyond the bleedin' obvious and to the root of what's buggin' you.

    Totally understand the fight club thing but do let us know if it works or not.

    As for who would play you... I wonder what Zidane has got on now he's retired? ;-)

    Power animal? I think mine's a chinchilla. Either dormant or crazy, nothing in between. I don't know you well enough to make even a smart-arse comment I'm afraid...

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  7. "This has now got me thinking about who would play me in the film version of this blog"

    Su Pollard. Macaulay Culkin. Floella Benjamin. Just a few ideas for you to kick around. Do animals have power humans?

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  8. INTP - http://similarminds.com/jung/intp.html

    My old man is one - and he's been off work for 9 months with anxiety and depression!! Not meaning to worry you or anything...

    Personally I'm an ISTJ - very responsible! and very anti-tattoos!
    http://similarminds.com/jung/istj.html

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  9. I'm glad you are going through with this. I do hope it leads to feeling better.

    As for Myers-Briggs...I'm an E/INFP. I split the E & I because I've tested both at different times in my life. It all depends on where I'm balanced. I'm slightly more extroverted, but I can slip into that introverted space in a second.

    As far as Tina's links go, I probably agreed most strongly with the INFP version when I'm feeling depressed. The ENFP version when I'm feeling happy.

    If I combine the two, I'm someone who's likely to have a couple tattoos (indeed!) and support the legalization of marijuana (I think that's a prerequisite for living in the Bay Area).

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