How to conquer negative thought

Despite how seriously people may take it, hypnotism is often associated with comedians duping willing fools into doing the funky chicken in front of packed audiences.

But Ian Smith, a hypnotherapist and thought field therapist based in Royal Quays, North Shields, believes it could help revolutionise the treatment of debilitating mental health problems such as anxiety and depression - and save the NHS millions.

His belief in the treatment is so strong that he suggests even schoolchildren could enjoy life-long benefits from learning self-hypnosis and thought field therapy.

With a survey by Newcastle-based young persons' service Streetwise suggesting 65% of young people are missing school because of depression, and 43% of 13 to 19-year-olds binge on booze up to three times a week, could this be the key to long-term mental health?

Ian says: "To me, these are the treatments of the future.

"Stress is increasing, anxiety is increasing and doctors just don't have the time to deal with all these people in the right way.

"There should be a combination of the more traditional treatments offered for anxiety and depression and alternative treatments like hypnotherapy and thought field therapy, which can eliminate problems without the need to see a doctor."

Ian teaches his clients to use thought field therapy to tap into their mental health and "unlearn" their fears and negative thoughts.

The process is described as being like acupuncture without the needles, as it relies on the patient simply tapping the correct acupressure points in sequence.

Ian explains: "Thought field therapy requires the patient to tap on a series of acupressure points while thinking about the thing that causes them that horrible, stomach-churning feeling that is anxiety.

"The beauty of thought field therapy is that once learned it is an excellent self-help tool that can bring about an end to many emotional problems, even where the client has suffered for many years.

"The client doesn't even have to discuss the problem with me if they don't want to."

The alternative treatment is based on the theory in Chinese medicine that energy flows along meridian lines in the body, which are said to promote the body's natural ability to heal itself and grow.

By using a tapping sequence to treat the blockages in the energy flow, which lead to anxiety and depression symptoms, the disturbance or upset is said to disappear.

There are no drugs and no invasive treatments involved - the only thing required is the patient's mind.

But does it really work?

Tracey Tweddle, 19, of Wallsend, was shown the techniques of thought field therapy before a hypnotherapy session to make her quit smoking.

She was awarded a £100 grant from a Youth Action fund from North Tyneside Council to help her pay for the therapy that would help her kick her five-year habit.

After mastering the techniques of thought field therapy to control her cravings, Tracey underwent a hypnotherapy session in early January - and has never smoked a cigarette since. She says: "Ian taught me some of the tapping techniques of thought field therapy which I could still use now if I got a craving.

"But when I left the session I had it in my head that I was a non-smoker and I was going to be a non-smoker all my life.

"It was hard at first. I used to smoke 20 cigarettes a day and 40-60 if I was going out. But I can honestly say that I have never touched a cigarette since the therapy session, and I couldn't have done it without the hypnotherapy."

Ian helps patients with a range of other problems from addictions and phobias to depression.

He says: "Most problems can be resolved in a single session, although more complicated, multi-layered problems will need additional sessions. But the clients themselves tell me when they feel they don't need any more sessions."

Ian, who was intrigued by the power of hypnotherapy from a young age, decided to pursue a career as a practitioner after being medically discharged from the armed services.

He studied at the Northern College of Clinical Hypnosis.

Ian said: "I saw how hypnotherapy and thought field therapy could help people and give them control back over their lives."

Sarah tries hypnotherapy herself

When Ian suggested I tried it for myself, I thought it could help me with the nightmare of driving tests.

Having failed three times due to the feeling of sheer panic that grips me as soon as the examiner gets in the passenger seat, I decided to give it a go.

Ian asked me to focus on that feeling of panic and rate it on a scale of one to ten.

He then talked me through a series of tapping techniques on various parts of the upper body, including the hands, forehead, face and collarbone.

As I went through the procedure, focusing all the time on the dread, the sickening feeling and the shaking which has left me a quivering wreck behind the wheel in a number of tricky test situations, Ian would pause now and then and ask me to rate the feeling again.

Gradually, the anxiety was reduced, and I can at least think about my next driving test without my legs shaking - and it took less than ten minutes.

As to whether it will help me pass my next test, watch this space.