Tag Archives: Newcastle Hypnotherapy

The Root Cause Falsehood In Addiction Hypnotherapy

The idea that there is a Root Cause to a problem is a fallacy that has slithered and crept into the language of therapy, politics and daily life. Some may wax heartily that once the root cause of a problem is discovered change can happen.

OK but what about the cause of the root cause? Have we thought about that? And the cause of the cause of the root cause? And here we are following Alice down the rabbit hole into the mythical world of cause and effect.

This post is specifically about Addiction Hypnotherapy in Newcastle and Hexham and the ideas apply to most problems.

Addiction Hypnotherapy In Newcastle

If we were to list all of the factors that are involved in addictions we would be here forever. Some factors are genes, environment, poverty, upbringing, hedonism, nutrition, availability, mental and physical well-being, culture, your mothers stress levels during her pregnancy, morality …

In other words chance, luck, predestination. As the variables or factors increase and their countless interactions multiply the best that can be thought of is a story which somehow in the relationships of life factors paints a totally individual picture that has no root cause.

If you are suffering with an addiction can you say it happened the first time your experimented with your drug? Was it the place you were with friends? Was it because way back in your genetic line you have inherited some dopamine receptors that are contributors to addictions? What about that time you were saddened and depressed? What about the time you were elated with joy and it hasn’t been the same since?

This is your story and if you carefully examine your history you may find an event or situation where you experienced your drug for the first time. OK so what ’caused’ you to be there at that specific time, to take that specific drug? There is no Root Cause except in the story you tell yourself or in the well meaning actions of a therapist helping you create a falsehood that will make little or no difference.

Perhaps a therapist can help you reformulate your story and change its meaning BUT if you think about this relationally wouldn’t it be more useful for you open to the possibility that you can be free of your current addiction?

There is no Root Cause to your addiction. There are the possibilities of solutions to be free of your addiction.

An addiction is defined as something you can’t stop doing and it is harmful to you or those people around you. Most people I work with when they are totally honest don’t really know why they are addicted. It’s just something they have learned to do and to feel normal. They struggle greatly without their drug but want to stop

Of course in the short term issues and problems can be temporarily resolved but they don’t go away for very long. I totally get how difficult it can be to orientate to the future and see there is hope. Hope but not optimism because with hope you can actively do something to change and not leave it in the lap of The Fates.

Addictions are like bad relationships. You know its time to move on but its very difficult.

When you are struggling with addiction take a positive, no risk step towards the possibility of a solution for you. Consultations are free so call or email to find out what addiction hypnotherapy in Newcastle or Hexham could do for you.

Nigel Hetherington Hypnotherapy in Hexham, Newcastle and Online.

Should you be in a crisis situation The Samaritans are here 24 hours each and every day.

Serious Stress, OFSTED, a Blank Check and the Head Teacher

I am no stranger to stress in the professional workplace. In fact I am testimony to it having worked in three very stress-full places of employment. Working in the Northumbrian Water business at the time of privatisation, working in the off shore oil and gas exploration setting and in an an entrepreneurial software engineering setting while the business was sold off to venture capitalists.

Two weeks or so ago I was contacted by the head teacher of an extremely prestigious North East school. The conversation was two fold. They required personal assistance and the school staff were massively stressed because an OFSTED inspection was looming and how could I help the staff?

Hypnotherapy for OFSTED Stress

Twice in the first five minutes of our conversation I was asked for an invoice to come into the school to help the teachers with their extreme stress. This is a blank check for my services. Anyone thinking there is no money in the local schools will have a bit of a shock. My fees were never discussed and I was asked twice for my invoice details.

Each time I politely refused because I wanted to come into the school and observe the environment and because until I was sure what I would offer would make a real difference I would not take any money for my services. I am as sure as I can be that I could help the teachers change their coping responses but I like to see first hand before that kind of professional contractual obligation.

In my line of work as a therapist and a teacher of NLP I have had the privileged of working and meeting several teachers that are effected by the pressures of an OFSTED inspection. I have also met one of the highest people in OFSTED who runs the massive coordination of school inspections at the highest level. So I am reasonably familiar with the different effects this has on a wide variety of people.

This head teacher described their personal problem as one of those all two familiar acronyms where things have to be just so or there is massive anxiety. I would think that a successful head of an enterprise needs to have these kinds of structures when all is going well. It’s called being a head.

I explained to the head I require a completed questionnaire before our appointment and arranged their personal appointment and I also arranged a time, the week after our one to one appointment to come to the school and meet the staff, the head, the occupational psychologist and whoever else would be there.

I contacted the head teacher twice to remind them to complete and return their questionnaire before our appointment. Guess what happened. That is right, nothing! So two days before our scheduled appointment I emailed a third time to postpone our one to one because they had failed ( love to say that to a teacher ) to follow my terms and conditions and could we re-arrange our appointment.

The reply was priceless. It was ‘cancel my appointment and cancel the school one too.’ I was not shocked at all because I had anticipated this knee jerk reaction.

Anyone who can not follow processes as simple as filling a questionnaire is unlikely to take on board any advice and techniques I suggest to be implemented in dealing with stress. I was so very much looking forward to working with people who do amazing jobs, teaching our next generations, work out some ways to turn stress into pressure.

IF you are a mega-stressed teacher at this school or any school in the North East, call me, fill in the questionnaire! and I will do my very best to help you find ways to turn what I know can be massive stress into workable pressure.