# Shortcuts: NLP, hypnosis, EFT, EMDR and Why CBT doesn't work for everyone



## VanDamme (Jun 8, 2004)

[this post is a tie-in to my recent update in the Triumphs Over Anxiety topic http://www.socialanxietysupport.com...re-for-social-anxiety-has-been-found-1617434/ If interested, check out the part about how fears can be *created*]

Before we begin, let me give you two "strange" examples that hypnosis was able to resolve.

Example #1: A woman experiences random panic attacks. One panic attack occurred suddenly after talking to a friend for a while. Another occurred again during a regular walk. Yet another occurred while waiting for the bus. 
Q: What would you think might be the cause? 
A: For her it was cats. Yes, cats. Even though she wasn't consciously aware of it, during hypnosis, the her subconscious mind revealed that the issue is cats and with the proper follow up technique the issue was resolved.
Example #2: Another woman unable to loose weight. She tried diet, exercise, etc but nothing worked. During hypnosis, her subconscious mind revealed that being overweight is a protection, since she appears less attractive and that decreases the chance of others approaching her and getting hurt (physically and emotionally). Again, with the right approach following that, the issue was resolved.

Yes, the subconscious can work in mysterious ways.

Q: Why do most people go to a tailor to have a wedding dress or suit made and not try to find one in a department store?
A: Custom situations need custom approach. Kind of like a number lock. You need the right combination and even if you have one number incorrect, it's not going to open. You need all numbers correct. Sometimes, you may get lucky and quickly find something that works but chances are still good that you'll be still able to find something if you persist.

Q: Why do people say that change is hard and slow?
A: Because they do it the hard and slow way. Taking a hiking path full of thorny bushes is much slower and much harder (not to mention painful) than taking the gondola to the top of the mountain.

These techniques are especially effective for emotional issues such as fear, panic, phobia, shame or embarrassment. If the issue is PREDICTABLE, then chances are very good that it can be changed. Or if it isn't as predictable (as mentioned above), there may still be some underlying issue that one of the techniques can address one way or another.

Many people with SA seem to be only familiar with few/some approaches but not with ones that can literally significantly reduce or completely eliminate certain issues (yes, high intensity panic/phobia is included) in one or a few sessions instead of months or years.

Q: Why doesn't CBT work for everyone?
A: There are a number of aspects to social anxiety:
-beliefs
-thinking habits
-feelings, emotions
-behavior
-body (health, nutrition, exercise)
CBT focuses on thinking and behavior. The part CBT is missing is that it doesn't deal with the feelings, emotions and the subconscious mind.

During my 11 years of going to SA support group meetings, I've seen CBT work for many but also saw many people who didn't experience much change. It's like having a nail in your foot and you're trying to "walk it out". If it's small and near the surface then that may work. However, if it's large and/or deep inside then you need a different approach. The good news is that there are approaches that cover those.

I've added a few links to websites but if you prefer to listen or watch, chances are good that you'll find a video on YouTube.

EFT and EMDR
I'll just briefly mention EFT and EMDR because those mainly focus on removing the emotional charge from certain situations. I've met a few people who found them useful and the techniques worked for them to remove the unwanted emotions.
You can try EFT by yourself http://123eft.com/
EMDR: http://www.emdrhap.org/content/what-is-emdr/

NLP and HYPNOSIS
NLP and hypnosis are better because they are more comprehensive and deal with many areas such as changing beliefs, thinking, etc. There's an overlap between them but each also has it's unique aspects. The beauty of these approaches that instead of simply exposing yourself a certain situation where you want change and *hope* that there'll be change, these approaches work more directly with the subconscious mind. That can be very useful if the subconscious mind has a reason/intent to maintain a certain behavior and it won't change unless that reason is sufficiently resolved.

NLP:
The best part is that you can do many techniques yourself. This can be useful if cost is an issue, an NLP practitioner isn't available nearby or if you happen to have certain issues (like I used to have) e.g. SA when meeting new people.
If you like daydreaming then you'll love the following techniques. They are highly effective for removing/deleting the emotional charge of a situation because they change your brain and memory in a way that triggers will no longer be active.
-Change content of memory: http://www.planetnlp.com/nlp_primer_content.html
-Change submodalities of memory: http://www.planetnlp.com/submodalities.html
-Anchoring: http://www.planetnlp.com/nlp_anchors.html
Note: much like a cup of water is able to extinguish a match or napkin on fire but it won't have much effect against an entire room on fire, chances are that you won't be able to run relaxation against panic level fears. But for moderate to low intensity fear it may work. You just have to try it for yourself.
A few specific approaches that may work for some, but not for everyone:
-Quick Phobia Cure. http://www.planetnlp.com/nlp_exercise_phobia_cure.html
-Richard Bandler's Spinning http://exploring-hypnotherapy.com/weird-strange-or-bizarre-phobias/tapping-and-spinning/#spinning

Hypnosis:
More of a "sit back, and enjoy the ride" when the hypnotist provides instructions. You can also listen to something that you record but that has to be done in advance before the session. NLP also incorporates hypnosis techniques but I've seen many specific hypnosis approaches (e.g. past lives regression, energy balance) that certain people preferred. Also, some issues need deeper trance based techniques that are covered better in hypnosis.

I personally really like the NLP techniques and it's really amazing to play around with them. If you have subconscious permission and participation then change can be very fast. If you're interested in those techniques and after trying them get stuck or something isn't clear, let me know and I'll try to help you to figure it out.


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## longtimenolove (Oct 21, 2015)

I'm beginning EFT therapy, I guess it's a "Universe psychotherapy" or something like that and deals in energies and meridians...I was surprised. The medical center I go to has a councilor who works with these techniques, and I was referred...so here I am. It seems different, haven't started yet, only did an intake.


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## VanDamme (Jun 8, 2004)

longtimenolove said:


> I'm beginning EFT therapy, I guess it's a "Universe psychotherapy" or something like that and deals in energies and meridians...I was surprised. The medical center I go to has a councilor who works with these techniques, and I was referred...so here I am. It seems different, haven't started yet, only did an intake.


My favorite is NLP but I've met many people who found each of the approaches useful for reducing or even eliminating certain unwanted feelings and that's why I posted about them. Also, they tend to work much faster than the exposure based desensitization.

Let us know about your experience (if you don't mind)


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