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Emotional Freedom TechniquesWhere emotional relief brings physical health
Self help method often works where nothing else will No Drugs Involved ~ High Success Rate
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23 Year Hair Pulling Compulsive Disorder Ends at an EFT Workshop
Hi Everyone,
Here's a remarkable EFT story where the major relief came even though the issue involved (hair pulling or trichotillomania) was not directly tapped on. This is one of our interesting "side benefits" that often occur during EFT sessions. Many thanks to Elizabeth Hart from New Zealand for submitting it.
Hugs, Gary
Hi Gary,
Julie attended my introductory EFT workshop. As I often do, I began by asking students why they had come to the workshop, and what they hoped to achieve. Each person spoke in turn and when we came to Julie, she began to sob so hard she could hardly speak.
Seeing how distressed she was, I knelt on the floor beside her and received permission to tap on her wrist as she wept. She began to calm down and told me that she pulled her hair when she was stressed, and had done so since she was seven years old. She went on to explain that her mother and sister also pulled their hair when stressed, and what was upsetting her so much was that her young son Brett had begun to do it too.
She had tried a lot of things from medication to counseling to stop, but nothing had worked for her. She had a large bald spot on the top of her head where she had pulled her hair out. She was desperate to find a way to stop and to help her son.
As Julie talked she calmed down more and stopped crying, and after about 4 or 5 minutes of continuous wrist tapping we stopped. I thought it may be a lengthy issue to sort out, and perhaps complicated, so I suggested that while at the workshop, she focus on different (simpler!) issues while learning the technique. Afterwards, I would help her to work with this when she knew how to use EFT.
I returned to my usual class schedule, and she followed my suggestion and did not address the issue during the class again. When class finished Julie had to leave quickly, so I didn’t get a chance to talk privately with her. I was concerned for her, so called her a couple of days later to discuss how she could begin to treat the issue.
You can imagine my surprise when Julie told me that she hadn’t pulled her hair at all since the workshop. I was stunned. I made a few suggestions about what to do if the impulse came up again, and asked her to call me if she ran into trouble.
At my two-week post course follow up call, when I asked Julie about the hair pulling, she commented casually, “Oh that, I don’t do that anymore. I don’t really think about it. I found myself going to do it a couple of times, but then I just didn’t bother.” Julie is quite confident she wouldn’t do it again. Brett, her son, stopped his hair pulling spontaneously without any intervention at all from me or his mother. Below is an email I received from Julie describing her experience:
"I have a compulsive disorder of pulling my hair. I've had it since I was about seven, my mum does it too. And just recently my son started to pull his hair. I started to get desperate then. I didn't want him to do it at all!! I have tried every thing that I know of to stop - medication, gloves and bandaids on my hands and fingers, colouring my hair.
My mother tried hypnotherapy so I knew that wouldn't work. I couldn't wear my hair out because I was bald on top of my head. I couldn't cut my hair. I couldn't do anything with it but wear it up. I would look in a mirror just to make sure that my bald spot (about a 10 cm circle) was covered with my thinning hair. I wouldn't let anyone touch my hair, especially a hairdresser. I was getting myself mentally prepared for a life time of wig wearing.
I was depressed and desperate. I just couldn't stop, but I wanted so badly to get out of my 'internal hell'. THEN I met Liz. My angel. All I can say is "Liz, you are my Hero". And I thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. You saved my life, my sanity, my freedom. It has now been two months since I went to Liz's Emotional Freedom Techniques Workshop, and I have accidentally pulled my hair out twice. - Twice!! Compared to about 50 times a day.
Since the day I went to Liz's EFT workshop, I haven't had the need to tap on myself for my terrible disorder, but I still do sometimes to keep it away. And I use it for other things as well. I can't believe that this has happened. One day is all it took to break a 23 year compulsive disorder. I am turning 30 next month and this is the best birthday present I could ever get."
Now, whenever I am presented with what I think may be a hard case to solve, I remember Julie and relax, knowing that … well … you just never know!
Love and Gratitude,
Liz Hart, MA, EFT therapist and trainer
