Let’s get one thing straight from the start. I not a cure, but with hypnotherapy for ADHD, autism or Asperger’s Syndrome
I can make life a lot easier.
But what I can do is help sufferers of all three conditions deal with the negative feelings that are commonly experienced, such as anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, behavioural issues and phobias.
As an example, with Asperger’s anxiety builds up due to external or internal sensory stimuli in the brain that can lead to temper outbursts, irritability, pacing, agitation etc. this then creates tremendous stress. In turn, this behaviour can be seen as unacceptable and lead to alienation and enforced solitary preoccupation.
I want to make sufferers calmer, happier and more confident as they struggle to make themselves understood in a society that just thinks they are ‘odd’ or assumes they are somehow learning disabled.
What is hypnotherapy for ADHD?
It’s simply using hypnosis to try to treat conditions, or change habits for the better.
So what is hypnosis? How does this help?
Hypnosis is simply relaxing. A deep state of relaxation. One where you’re prepared to take on board new ideas - to change for the better - and it doesn’t feel scary, or hard, to do.
To give this some context we all go into a hypnotic state many times a day – it’s when we daydream. In hypnotherapy, we make sure that in this relaxed state we only focus on positives, rather than the negative loop sufferers have found themselves in.
Hypnotherapy for ADHD. The key bit.
Hypnosis for hypnotherapy for ADHD, autism or Asperger’s only works if we want it to work.
It’s not mind control. I need your buy in. IT HAS TO BE YOUR IDEA. If not you won’t relax and be able to let in new ideas.
Especially where a youngster is concerned. They need to feel involved in the decision-making process at every step of the way. If they think their parents are forcing it on them, we’ll struggle.
I appreciate it’s hard to relax on demand. For example, for many people with ASD. However, there is a HUGE positive. Many autistic people (especially kids) have this awesome ability to get lost in their special interests. Without even realising it, they can find themselves totally relaxed. So I let them think about what they enjoy to get them into a state of relaxation.
It’s a similar process for hypnotherapy for ADHD. It’s said sufferers have difficulty focusing and concentrating, it is often assumed that people with ADHD find hypnosis hard. This isn’t entirely true. Instead of attention deficit, ADHD is more accurately understood as “attentional variability” - people with ADHD have issues regulating attention, not attention per se. What I mean by this is, people with ADHD tend to focus on something when they are interested and motivated by it. In fact, they can often activate one of the ADHD “superpowers” called hyperfocus, where they can focus for hours on a topic when motivated to do so.
Hypnotherapy for ADHD. Nothing's too small
If it matters to the sufferer, it matters to me. What might seem like a low level trigger of stress and anxiety to a neurotypical person may well be something the anxious brain registers as a threat.
For example, when their favourite food isn’t available, or when the school day is disrupted by a fire alarm.
And what about you, the carer? The parent?
Families of those affected by the challenges may feel guilt, stress, worry, anger, inadequacy, despair, helplessness – the list is endless, but they too can benefit from hypnosis and stress management. They are often overlooked and expected to manage. This can harm their mental well-being too.
For example, the divorce rate is 60% higher than the national average amongst parents with an autistic child and as many as one in three become single-parent families as the stress of living with autism becomes too much to bear and this invariably results in the carer being unable to work, or only work part-time around their child’s needs.
And don’t forget siblings. They are often overlooked, but they too are impacted - foregoing holidays and family days out if their sibling cannot cope. This can lead to resentment then guilt and they too can benefit from hypnotherapy.
And who am I?
I’m James Thomas. A Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapist. I call myself The Gentle Mind because we’re a better, kinder version of ourselves when we’re calm. I work with people aged 7 to 87 who are stressed, anxious, want to stop smoking, have eating disorders, phobias, drug addictions, want to improve their sport performance, have self-esteem issues, need business coaching - basically anyone who’s out of sorts.
I have consulting rooms in Leeds, York, Lincoln and Louth. Feel free to chat on 07787563099, or talk at jamesthoma@thegentlemind.co.uk
