I have recently been seeing a 35 year old male client who presented at the first session with fear of flying.  He was about to fly to Europe for a wedding and felt he would be unable to get on the plane.  We did a simple fear of flying exercise but the next day he contacted me again, saying he had been unable to fly and he also felt that something from his childhood had been uncovered which he now urgently needed to address.  He described feeling as if he was being physically crushed.  He had a very stressful job, requiring him to be on call 24 hours a day and had gradually allowed his life to close down, cutting out exercise – particularly running, which he loves.  He had been to the GP who gave him a “fit note”, stating that he must only work normal hours with no on call duties.   

It seems that both his parents committed suicide when he was seven.  He and his brother went to live with their grandmother for a couple of years and were subsequently adopted into a very happy home.  He loves his adoptive parents and they are very encouraging and understanding.  His brother had a major breakdown a few years ago but is now doing well and shortly after putting them up for adoption, his grandmother developed Alzheimer’s disease and was lost to him. 

Over the years my client has been into drugs, had a number of periods of worrying completely groundlessly about his health – blindness, brain tumour – but he is now in a stable relationship and his life is on track.   

I taught him tapping to help with the anxiety and panic attacks and we did five hypnotherapy sessions, regressing to his childhood, comforting and releasing emotions, and generally relaxing, interspersed with counselling.  Initially he seemed to be getting worse, with increasing anxiety, troubled by dark thoughts, fearing death and finding it difficult to be in the present.  However, in the midst of it all, he managed to join a running club and start spinning classes with his partner.  His boss was supportive and the GP extended the “fit note”.   

In session seven he managed to say he forgave his birth parents and this certainly seemed to be the turning point for him.  By the 8^th session he had really turned a corner and, following a short holiday in the UK which he found very relaxing and enjoyable, he is feeling really good.  He has had no panic attacks for two months and is going back to on call duties gradually.  He is beginning to think about another holiday in Canada, where he has been several times and would really like to live.  

I felt really engaged by this client.  In the depths of despair still managed to get to see me and keep himself going, even though he was experiencing physical symptoms and severe panic attacks.  It is wonderful to see him come through safely and I wish him well.