Here's an article from the Washington Times which details the problems with testing drugs on a very vulnerable portion of the population - veterans of the armed forces returning from duty in Iraq.
The pertinent section to you as the reader involves Chantix, the drug that has been linked to depression and suicide in the U.S., U.K. and elsewhere.
[President-Elect Barack] Obama, [Rep. Bob] Filner and other lawmakers on both sides of the aisle called for an investigation into a smoking cessation study, which Mr. Peake immediately initiated.
The experiment tracked 240 veterans taking the drug Chantix to examine which forms of counseling were more beneficiary - smoking clinics or through a separate counselor. James Elliott, an Army infantryman who was wounded in Iraq, says the drug caused him to experience a mental breakdown and a showdown with police who used a Taser to subdue him in February.
Mr. Elliott said the VA didn't warn him about new FDA concerns that Chantix was linked to psychotic behavior and nearly 40 suicides until nearly a month after his disturbing incident occurred earlier this year.
The internal investigation confirmed that Mr. Elliott was not alone. It took medical professionals involved in the study anywhere from 16 to 134 days to notify participants taking Chantix about the new warnings.
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As with any mention of Chantix, I will take this opportunity to remind the reader of my personal stance on psychotropic drugs, which is, quite simply, "don't take them." The benefits very rarely outweigh the risks, and there are nearly always side-effects.
As for the ability of a drug like Chantix to assist you with smoking cessation, my advice is more specific: "you don't need it." You can quit smoking on your own, without drugs, patches, gums, lasers, needles or even hypnosis.
You can do it.
When I use hypnosis with my clients, I give to them what some ex-smokers have given to themselves -- a clear awareness of their motivation, along with a focus on the benefits of being a non-smoker. This not only works, it also produces a feeling of accomplishment and self-sufficiency - independence, if you will... that can only be achieved through learning to use the power of your mind.
Those who are successful quitting through other methods do receive the benefits of being smoke-free, which is fantastic. What they don't receive are the benefits of learning just how powerful they truly are when their mind is properly focused.
It's not just getting the results you desire that's important - it's also the sense of pride you feel that fuels your ability to accomplish other things in life that are perhaps even more meaningful.
Atlanta’s Stop Smoking Expert, Sean Wheeler challenges President-Elect Barack Obama to Quit Smoking on World Hypnotism Day - January 4th, 2009. Wheeler will hypnotize 88 smokers to quit the habit for good at a free event in Marietta, GA.
Atlanta, GA -- Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist Sean Wheeler has challenged President-Elect Barack Obama to stop smoking in conjunction with the 5th Annual World Hypnotism Day on January 4th, 2009. Obama recently admitted that he still struggles with the habit to Tom Brokaw on Meet the Press.
“I challenge our next President to set an example for the American people,” said Wheeler, a certified member of the National Guild of Hypnotists. “I think he should take a stand, be a true leader and say to every smoker in America that ‘Yes, we can’ become smoke-free.”
January 4th is the day when hypnosis professionals in more than 20 countries around the world promote the benefits of hypnotism. At this year's seminar in Atlanta, the biggest free stop smoking event in Georgia’s history, anyone - even Mr. Obama - can learn to become smoke-free.
“Many thousands of people have used hypnosis to quit, including some well-known celebrities like Ellen Degeneres and Matt Damon,” Wheeler explained, “it only makes sense that Mr. Obama would use a proven method that would allow him to serve as a role model for the entire country.”
Wheeler is well aware of the implications of such a powerful figure using something as commonly misunderstood as hypnosis.
“Some people might worry I’d try to make him a Republican,” Wheeler laughed, “but hypnosis doesn’t work like that. If it did, I’d try to persuade him to change his mind about the Bailout Bill.”
The free event will take place in the Cabernet Room of the Doubletree Hotel on Windy Hill Rd from 4:00pm to 6:00pm on Sunday, January 4th, 2009. Information on how to register for the event is available at www.purehypnosis.com/worldhypnotismday.
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Sean Wheeler is available for media interviews at 678-488-7362. Members of the press can find more information online at http://www.purehypnosis.com.
About Sean Wheeler
Sean Wheeler is a Board Certified Hypnotist with the National Guild of Hypnotists and the founder of Pure Hypnosis, LLC. He is the author of The Stop Smoking Solution - Atlanta’s premiere Smoking Cessation blog, and his articles have been published all over the web. Additionally, Sean Wheeler has appeared on CNN, CNN Headline News and TBS. He has performed as master of ceremonies, entertainer and speaker at venues including Atlanta’s Fox Theatre, as well as for academic and scientific organizations throughout Georgia and the Southeast.
Alright, we've finally got all the details in place...
My FREE Stop Smoking Seminar in honor of World Hypnotism Day on January 4th will officially take place at (drum roll, please) the Doubletree Hotel on Windy Hill in Marietta!
[crowd cheers]
The above link will take you to contact information at Meetup.com. Here's the official Meetup page where you can register. Do so quickly, as space is limited.
Here are the full details:
Who: 88 Future Non-Smokers What: Stop Smoking Group Hypnosis Seminar Where: Doubletree Hotel on Windy Hill (Cabernet Room) When: January 4th, 2009 @ 4:00pm Why: World Hypnotism Day Cost: FREE Parking: FREE
I've recently made a series of videos to answer some frequently asked questions. In this video, I discuss how many sessions are necessary when working with certain issues.
This event will include information about hypnosis and how it can benefit YOU... all presented in a very entertaining and non-boring fashion (hey, I'm a comedian at heart). The main event will be the finale - a group hypnosis session that will help the Lucky 88 guests to become non-smokers for life.
I will also be giving away more FREE goodies... including 1-on-1 sessions in my office, hypnosis CD's and more. Basically, if you're a smoker who wants to quit, you have absolutely NOTHING to lose, and EVERYTHING to gain.
Ladies, gentlemen, wannabe non-smokers... here's your chance: get your New Year's Resolutions started off with a BANG in 2009. I'll be offering a FREE event in honor of World Hypnotism Day on January 4th, which is a Sunday... perfect to get your week started on the right foot.
This event will include a group hypnosis session to help all attendees stop smoking on the spot. All who attend will also qualify for a complimentary followup session in my Marietta office. The total value of these services is anywhere from $150-$500 or more, so if you're serious about quitting and your budget is tight, this could be your Golden Ticket.
[yes, hypnotherapists are permitted to have a sense of humor]
I found this story today from Reuters, wherein we discover that due to the increased stress of the financial crisis and struggling economy, smokers are lighting up more often. Even a few non-smokers are falling off the wagon, citing the economy and stress as reasons for resuming the habit. More on Mickey D's follows below...
Check it out:
Hard Times Prompt Americans to Increase Smoking
NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - Stress caused by a slowing economy, shrinking retirement accounts and rising unemployment rates is driving some American smokers to increase the habit or delay quitting, according to a new survey.
A quarter of smokers who are worried about the economy said fretting over it has driven them to smoke more each day, while another 13 percent said they have delayed quitting.
What's that? Smoking has become cool again?
"The turbulent global stock markets have caused virtually every American a certain level of stress. Those who also struggle with an addiction to tobacco products are at an increased disadvantage as they contemplate quitting, or feel the urge to smoke more cigarettes," Cheryl Healton, the president and CEO of the American Legacy Foundation, said in a statement.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Consumers worldwide who are watching their spending bought more burgers and chicken breakfast biscuits at McDonald's in October, leading to a big rise in sales at established locations for the fast-food leader.
Noooooooooooooooooooooooo!!
Now listen, I understand that times are tough. Unemployment is up, there are bills to pay, credit card debt is piling up, and you just don't know what the heck you're going to do about it.
One thing is certain, though - poisoning yourself with cigarettes and greasy food is not the answer. These things make you feel worse, not better... that's in the short-term and the long-term.
If you're going to cut corners, cut out the $4/day nicotine habit. Replace it with a decent, home-cooked meal. You'll not only feel better immediately, your body will reward you down the road:
You won't get sick as often. When you do get sick, it won't be as bad or as long. You'll have more energy. You'll look better.
I could really go on, but the very simple point is that these crutches don't work. Cigarettes don't eliminate stress... they just distract you for a few minutes. The problems return as soon as you put it out (oh, I know... you clever ones will say "that means you just light up another one!"... but there's really no need to try to reason with you).
Your financial difficulties are going to be best addressed when you're healthy and in a good frame of mind. Try relaxing a bit - naturally. Eat a healthy meal. Find the best, most efficient method of quitting the smoking habit and do it right away. The money you save on cigarettes will add up quickly, no matter how much you spend to quit.
Oh, and go watch the documentary "Super-Size Me"... that'll cure your McDonald's addiction very quickly.
The YouTube video below is a podcast in which I describe in detail how my Stop Smoking Hypnosis program actually works, what you can expect and whether or not it could work for you.
So take a look and have a listen. This should answer some, if not all, of your questions.
The popular band Coldplay has a new album out next week, and in a new article it’s revealed that they hired a hypnotist to help them while creating “Viva La Vida” in the studio.
Q: And you also hired a hypnotist during the sessions? What was that about?
BUCKLAND: [Producer] Brian Eno knew a hypnotist and we thought it might get some interesting results. We all went upstairs, sat down, and he walked around us. He got us into some strange kind of trance, and we came down and played some more.
MARTIN: Quite a long time, I think. It did work, actually. We came up with a lot of interesting noises, which we used. I think the whole process of getting our own place and working with Brian has been really liberating for us. Because it was starting to become a little difficult to be in Coldplay — there's so much opinion, expectation, and criticism. We wanted to be free from that for a bit, to try things and just be a little group, which Brian really spearheaded. So things like the hypnotism, all these little crazy experiments that he tried with us was just an effort to say, ''It's OK. Not everybody hates you because you're in Coldplay. Just play some music and don't worry about it.''
Other famous people known to have used hypnosis include Matt Damon, Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson, Tiger Woods, Jimmy Connors, Rod Carew, George Brett, Kevin Costner, Sylvester Stallone, Jackie Kennedy-Onassis, Thomas Edison and Albert Einstein.
For a full list, see this page on my official website.
I’ll be out of the office this week beginning Monday afternoon, and will return on Friday the 13th. You can still reach me via phone or email, but my response time will be a bit slower than usual.
Here’s a quote to get your week started...
Have a great one.
-Sean
“Slow down and enjoy life. It's not only the scenery you miss by going too fast - you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.” -Eddie Cantor - US comedian & singer (1892 - 1964)
“Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them - every day begin the task anew.“ -Saint Francis de Sales
I went through the first 26 years of my life without learning anything significant about hypnosis. I’ll spare you the story of how I first got into it, but I was certainly skeptical at first. I figured anything useful or effective would naturally be known about and widespread by now. I mean, duh… if hypnosis is so freakin’ great, why isn’t everyone doing it?
First of all, many people are doing it, but not nearly enough have even heard much about it.
There are many reasons why hypnosis still remains on the fringe. One answer is fear. People fear the unknown. They fear being controlled. They fear feeling stupid for being taken in by a scam.
Another reason is that there isn’t much money in curing people through hypnosis. Sure, there are hypnotherapists who make a decent living for themselves, but that’s nothing compared to the multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical industry, which is based upon the assumption that only drugs can “fix” us, and that we, as humans, are ultimately powerless.
The top ten pharmaceutical companies earn more money per year than the other 490 Fortune 500 companies combined. You see, there is BIG money to be made by convincing people that they are powerless to help themselves.
Just watching the commercials during the evening news will “inform” you of two important things:
1) You have lots of problems. 2) A powerful new drug can help you.
Are you depressed? Try this powerful new anti-depressant! Can’t sleep? We have a great drug for that, too! Problems with erectile dysfunction? We’ve got you covered! Allergies? You betcha!
Take a look at “Big Bucks, Big Pharma” below. This is only part one, so visit YouTube to view the remaining portion of this informative video.
Also, check out this interview with Gwen Olsen, a former pharmaceutical sales rep and author of “Confessions of an Rx Drug Pusher,” a book revealing her experiences not only as a member of the industry, but also as someone who took dangerous anti-depressants herself. Also check out Prescription: Suicide?, a documentary based in part on her experiences.
And by the way, if you’re wondering why you don’t hear too much about hypnosis on the news, just imagine how thrilled the drugs companies would be if, just after running an expensive commercial for Lunesta, CNN aired a story about how you can sleep easily and naturally after a few sessions of hypnosis.
Just a thought you may wish to consider...
Heck, women in the United States can’t even give birth to a child without going to the hospital and getting injected with a chemical cocktail. Even though women have been giving birth since, well, forever... they have been hypnotized by our society to believe that a hospital is the only safe place to bring a child into the world.
Here’s a trailer for “The Business of Being Born,” an excellent documentary about the state of the birthing industry in America.
Is there nothing we can do on our own?
You have a problem? Chances are there’s a fancy new drug out there that’ll make it go away.
Of course, there will be side effects to taking all these drugs, which are often far more serious than the problem being treated.
Furthermore, most pharmaceutical drugs have tested only slightly better than placebos! That’s a documented fact. In fact, the placebo issue has become so problematic for drug manufacturers that they are currently making efforts to exclude subjects who responded to placebos from future studies. How awful it would be if the public discovered that their new wonder drug was only 2% more effective than a sugar pill, not to mention the enormous financial expense and all the dangerous side-effects.
Sadly, many of today’s licensed psychiatrists have become more like glorified drug dealers. I have worked with many clients who had previously seen psychiatrists or other mental health professionals over a long period of time without experiencing any noticeable improvement. Maybe that’s because psychiatrists openly acknowledge that they can’t “cure” any mental illness (see video below).
The underlying message is that you need medical intervention to solve your problems. Now, is that empowering? Is that the kind of treatment that builds self-confidence or a sense of independence?
Of course not. But it is very difficult to sell people things they don’t need unless you first convince them that they actually do need it.
My message to my clients always boils down to this: you can do it. It may not come easily, but you can do it. You can find a better career. You can get back in shape. You can have fulfilling relationships. You can stop smoking, drinking, biting your nails and obsessing over trivial things.
You can do it and you can do it on your own. You may benefit from some guidance and good advice, but you don’t need to take a pill, and you don’t need a nose job or a tummy tuck to feel better about yourself.
That’s my message, and yes, I make a decent living by helping people understand it and change their lives for the better.
Hopefully by now you understand a bit more about why hypnosis, if it can be so powerful and effective, still isn’t as popular as McDonald’s or Starbucks.
Anyone who’s seen “Supersize Me” knows what a steady diet of McDonald’s will do to you, and that healthy, fresh foods are the way to go.
So maybe the fact that something is popular (or not) isn’t the most important thing when considering your options.
The truth is, you don’t even “need” hypnosis... but compared to the alternatives, it sure is a safer and far more reasonably-priced solution.
“Determine never to be idle...It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing.” -Thomas Jefferson (1743 - 1826); 3rd president of the United States
I saw this information years ago while I was training to be a hypnotherapist, and it’s very impressive. I’m currently reading his book - “The Biology of Belief,” which is a bit more technical than I’d like, yet easy enough to follow.
Basically, he’s a cell biologist who demonstrates that perception and belief - not genes - determine our lives.
From his website:
His research at Stanford University’s School of Medicine, between 1987 and 1992, revealed that the environment, operating though the membrane, controlled the behavior and physiology of the cell, turning genes on and off. His discoveries, which ran counter to the established scientific view that life is controlled by the genes, presaged one of today’s most important fields of study, the science of epigenetics. This is a description of the below video, taken directly from Google Video:
Recent advances in cellular science are heralding an important evolutionary turning point. For almost fifty years we have held the illusion that our health and fate were preprogrammed in our genes, a concept referred to as genetic determinacy.
Though mass consciousness is currently imbued with the belief that the character of one's life is genetically predetermined, a radically new understanding is unfolding at the leading edge of science. Cellular biologists now recognize that the environment, the external universe and our internal physiology, and more importantly, our perception of the environment, directly controls the activity of our genes.
This video will broadly review the molecular mechanisms by which environmental awareness interfaces genetic regulation and guides organismal evolution
Let me tell you, if I had a nickel for every time I’ve had that exchange…
Here we are, forging our way into the 21st Century… we carry our ten thousand “favorite” songs around in our ipods, NASA is blasting probes into comets just as in those horrible (horrible) movies from 1998, scientists are able to clone anything that moves, and an overwhelming majority of the civilized world still thinks hypnosis is something that causes you to behave like a fool in public.
I’m here to bust up a few myths for all of you interested in gaining some enlightenment. Today...
MYTH #1: The hypnotist controls his subjects.
The Truth: The hypnotist’s subjects cooperate with him.
Stage hypnosis shows can be highly entertaining. Unfortunately, they also do a great job of convincing people to NEVER allow themselves to be “controlled” like those morons on stage. Truthfully, no one can be hypnotized against their will. One must willingly follow instructions to be hypnotized.
Once a person is relaxing in a nice, deep trance, those nervous feelings of self-consciousness can disappear for a while. Think about it… relaxation is the exact opposite of tension. You can’t be both at the same time. Once a person is relaxed, as long as the hypnotist doesn’t suggest anything that is against that person’s moral code (ex. “kill the guy sitting next to you”), they’re more or less willing to follow along.
Hypnosis loosens up inhibitions… almost like a couple of stiff drinks. The difference is that afterwards, instead of feeling worse, you feel great.
Context has a great impact on what a person will do in a trance. For example, if a client seeks my assistance to stop smoking, and in the middle of the session I throw in a suggestion that he’ll have a strong desire to wash my car on his way through the parking lot, he has the presence of mind to ignore that bogus suggestion (though I often wish it did work that way).
Those people on stage know they’re up there to have a good time. They know they’ll be asked to do strange things. Remember, they volunteered in the first place. They weren’t dragged from their seats and chained to the stage.
A hypnotized person arguably has more control than normal, since his mind is free from distractions and focused on the moment. At any time while hypnotized, he is able to awaken and return to a normal state of awareness. However, most people find that it just feels better to hang out in a trance for a while.
So remember, when you see a magic show it’s not really magic that’s happening up there... we all know that. In a hypnosis show, the illusion often being presented is that the all-powerful hypnotist controls his subjects like puppets on strings.
The truth is much less impressive, yet makes for an equally entertaining show.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Milton Henry Erickson, MD (1901 - 1980) was a psychiatrist and psychologist regarded by many as the foremost practitioner of medical hypnosis in his time.
He wrote "Hypnotic Realities" and many other books dedicated to the "Art of Hypnosis" and which document the many things he learned while treating the many patients he encountered.
He was a scientist and deeply gifted hypnotist.
He was founding president of the American Society for Clinical Hypnosis, as well as a fellow of several APAs: The American Psychiatric Association, The American Psychological Association, and The American Psychopathological Association.
He was noted for his often unconventional approach to psychotherapy, such as described in the book “Uncommon Therapy” by Jay Haley; for his extensive use of therapeutic metaphor and story as well as hypnosis; and for coining the term Brief Therapy for his approach of addressing therapeutic changes in relatively few sessions, often only a single session.
Erickson’s work and techniques were 'modeled' by Richard Bandler and John Grinder, the co-founders of Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP).
For a very in-depth look at Erickson, written by Jay Haley while Erickson was still alive, click here.
Granted, Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods are gifted athletes. But there are many other athletes who have similar (even superior) physical abilities. So why have these two dominated their sports with such regularity? Aside from the amount of time they devoted to practicing, the answer is: they learned how to handle pressure.
Not coincidentally, these two remarkable athletes have some experience with hypnosis themselves. Since the age of 13, Tiger Woods has worked with his mental coach, Jay Brunza. Jordan and the Bulls practiced hypnosis daily with the help of head coach Phil Jackson.
Mentally, golf is perhaps the most demanding game around. It is well known among golfers that much of the score depends on how a golfer thinks. Jack Nicklaus has stated many times that he believes that golf is 90% mental preparation and only 10% skill.
He prepares by visualizing problem putts and mentally rehearsing how he will play each shot.
Everyone has heard the phrase “You are what you eat.” Sometimes I think that phrase has lost its meaning, as even the people who say it will admit to eating junk food far too often. However, it’s the logic behind the statement that warrants another look.
If you truly are “what you eat,” then shouldn’t it come to follow that you are also “what you see” and “what you hear?” Many health-conscious people, who frequent farmer’s markets and health food stores, spend an awful lot of time watching mind-dumbing “reality” TV shows (a topic worthy of further discussion) and listening to shock-jock talk radio.
So the question is...
Shouldn’t you be just as cautious about what you watch on TV and what you listen to on the radio as you are about what food you put into your body?
Think about it. We can joke about watching “Big Brother” or “American Idol,” since we all know these shows are devoid of any true intellectual value, but at the end of the day, aren’t these shows, by virtue of failing to inspire creative thought or stoking the fires of the imagination, actually making us less intelligent?
“Use it or lose it” is another saying that comes to mind.
It makes me wonder: if you find yourself checking your brain at the door too often, will it still be there when you need it?
I didn’t really believe it until I saw it for myself.
I was halfway through a comprehensive training program to become a clinical hypnotherapist, and although I was learning amazing techniques and had benefited personally from hypnotherapy in the past, I was naturally curious as to whether it would work for me.
One day as we were having lunch, a classmate mentioned to me that she had a paralyzing phobia of cats that she had been suffering from for thirty-two years.
I mentioned that I had been learning some techniques outside of class, and that I may be able to help her.
Naturally, she was skeptical. After all, I had no previous experience curing anyone of anything, and she had been suffering from this intense phobia since she was nineteen years old.
After some prodding, she eventually agreed to come to my house and do a session. In my own estimation, this was done out of courtesy on her part, and not out of faith in my abilities.
Now, the interesting part about this story is that I happen to live with two cats. So before she would agree to come over, my friend insisted that my cats be isolated in another room, and placed in their cages.
When she arrived at my home, she had a wide-eyed glare that was similar to what you see in horror movies when the babysitter goes outside to investigate a strange noise. I assured her that the cats were locked safely away, she came inside and we got to work.
After two hours, I calmly asked her if she would like to meet my cats. She thought it over a moment, nodded and said “okay.” We walked into the adjoining room, let the cats out of their cages. She held them in her arms and started to cry... tears of joy.
In that moment, I knew that seeing was believing... but I discovered something even more significant: that you don’t always have to see before you believe.
Here’s the testimonial from my classmate and friend, in her own words:
“Hi Sean,
I finally got to show my family that I could be in the room with a cat and when they saw me holding one they just could not believe it... my husband and children were absolutely in shock! They could not believe it, and after only one session. Wow !! I made believers out of them!!
I'm the Heartbreak Hypnotist™ - Atlanta's leading relationship expert. I also help people to change bad habits, stop smoking, lose weight, eliminate fears and all sorts of other wonderful things. Oh, and I make it fun :)
