Don't look down! - Hypnotherapy on test

With the help of hypnotherapist Alan Wick and mountain guide Nigel Shepherd, reporter David Lawson gives hypnotherapy its ultimate test on one of Wales' highest and most exposed mountain ridges, finding out if it can really can cure a life-long fear of heights.

THREE-thousand feet above Snowdonia lies Crib Goch, a knife-edge ridge amongst the clouds, that last year I was prevented from crossing by my life-long fear of heights. Now though I was back, to see if hypnotherapy would finally allow me to conquer my fear.

The challenge began 12months ago after my first attempt on the mountain failed to even reach the summit, let alone its nightmarish mile-long tightrope ridge. I should explain that my fear is not strictly heights, but 'exposure' I love high places, but put me on a ladder and I freeze. Transfer that sensation to the top of Wales' most exposed mountain ridge, dropping away hundreds of feet either side and my legs trembled uncontrollably before grinding to a halt.
It was clear will power was not enough, I needed help, but as a hardened sceptic I had initially dismissed hypnotherapy. As I began to run out of options however, my research led me to hypnotherapist Alan Wick who immediately impressed me with his ability to explain the logic behind his approach.

Alan explains our brains search for old memories that match the situation before us, to know how to act. In my case the only matches involved fear, so my brain's reaction was to hit the panic button, overloading me with adrenalin and fear, creating yet another destructive memory in the process.
Fortunately however, our brains cannot distinguish between a real and imagined experience and this was how Alan planned to help me, creating new positive memories for my brain to find.

Without exception, everyone I mentioned hypnotherapy to asked the same question; "What if he makes you think you're a chicken?"
It's amusing, but shows what Alan's profession is up against, thanks to TV and stage shows, and is the reason the National Council's code of ethics, prohibits members from performing hypnosis for entertainment.
Hypnotherapy itself felt like a vivid daydream, guided by Alan, visualising the environment that scared me but without the fear. As the sessions progressed the hypnosis became deeper and more effective as Alan built in tools to help me in case I started to panic, the most effective of which involved visualising a dial with which to control my emotions.

Under Alan's expert guidance it was a very enjoyable experience and at every stage I was in control and aware of what we were doing. The first time I was put into a relaxed state, I admit I was taken aback by its effectiveness, but immediately realised I could simply get up and walk away at any time.

Alan says most straight forward phobias can be dealt with in around four sessions and after five weeks, daily exercises and a nightly CD to listen to, I was ready. In the weeks that followed however, an unhelpful voice in my head kept asking "what if it doesn't work?"
Two of my closest friends have accompanied me on all my mountain adventures and had been with me on Crib Goch the previous year, but as desperately as I wanted them there this time, I did not want them to be responsible for me if things went wrong.
That said, I also realised this was not something I could tackle alone. Nigel Shepherd of Penmaenmawr is an international mountain guide and one of the UK's leading mountain experts, so I was delighted when he agreed to join me. With Nigel onboard my preparation was complete and there was only one thing left to do.

I had slept little the previous night and driving through Snowdonia beneath a darkening sky, was painfully aware that months of preparation were reaching their conclusion. As the road curved around the mountainside my heart skipped a beat, as I caught my first glimpse of Crib Goch sliding silently from the mist.

At a windswept Pen-y-Pass I was encouraged to find Nigel enthusiastic and cheerful, but he warned me that what would be a challenge for me in fine weather, may be impossible in high winds
I always thought I knew the mountains, but under Nigel's instruction they took on a new dimension and as we left Snowdon's easy paths, and climbed into the mist, he explained the different coloured rocks underfoot; which would grip even when wet, which would slide and which were likely to crumble at the slightest pressure.

Alan always stressed we were not trying to eliminate my fear, leaving me oblivious to danger, but simply prevent it overwhelming me, and as the route became steeper and we passed the point where I had stopped the previous year, the sensation was like a strong flu medicine. The symptoms were still there, but distant and blunted. No paralysing fear, just an awareness of increased risk.
With Nigel guiding me I continued upwards, making sure of each hold before reaching for the next, until finally we breeched the summit and could look out along the ridge.

Crouched low we waited, allowing the strongest gusts to pass, howling banshee-like as they whipped carpets of mist screaming over the rock edge into oblivion.
Moving along the steep left-hand side, using the peak as a handrail, we worked our way towards the Pinnacles. Even in my nightmares the ridge never held so much fear for me as the Pinnacles, three jagged outcrops guarding the ridge, threatening to ensnare the timid between them. With Nigel's help the first two proved straightforward, but I knew what was coming.

I had always hoped videos I had seen of people climbing the third Pinnacle had been some alternate route for crazy people, but as we reached its base it was clear the only way up was a stomach churning climb out onto the sheer right side.
A few months ago the mere thought of this set my heart pumping. But now, while I could hear my brain's warnings that I was nearing my limit and any slip could surely only have one outcome, I was not paralysed by fear. I used Alan's techniques to calm myself, weighed up the situation and made my decision.
Stepping out onto the first ledge I was instantly aware of the drop beneath me. This was by far the most exposed position I had ever experienced and I paused instinctively, braced against the ice-cold fear sure to come shooting through my veins. But nothing happened. Up onto the next ledge, and the next, and the next and over the top. I could hardly believe it.

From there the descent towards Snowdon was a blur of elation and only when we dropped back below the clouds to Snowdon's gentle paths, did I finally stop to take it all in. Hundreds of feet below, the icy waters of Lake Glaslyn had never looked so blue

For days after I felt quiet, almost humbled. I had been unable to imagine life without this fear and it took time to adjust.
I was unprepared for how powerful and effective hypnotherapy could be, and this in turn impressed on me the importance of choosing the right hypnotherapist.

In the same way that you would only chose an expert like Nigel to guide you on the mountains, I believe you should only chose an expert such as Alan to guide you through hypnotherapy. Not only will this give you the best chance of success, but knowing you are in the hands of an expert will allow you to relax and truly enjoy the experience.

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Hypnotherapy Diary

Week One: Initial consultation and given a CD to listen to as I go to sleep. Alan explained our brains naturally filter what people tell us, but as we drift off there’s a period when we still take in information though the our conscious mind is switched off (like falling asleep infront of the TV) this is the best time for that kind of suggestion to work and a similar state to hypnosis.

Week Two: First hypnosis. Lying listening to Alan, I wasn’t sure it was doing anything. Was only when he counted me back out of my relaxed state that I realised just how emersed I had been. Very pleasant. CD is proving effective. First time I used it was surprised to feel myself relaxing.

Week Three: More hypnosis. Listened to CD while properly awake. It’s designed to boost self confidence and I noticed I have been walking taller and feeling noticeably more confident (despite strangling myself with the headphones). Given new self-hypnosis ‘homework’ to do.

Week Four: Hypnosis much deeper and more specific to the mountain now. Building new ‘fake’ memories. Imagining it so vividly I actually felt the sick feeling in my stomach at one stage. Stopped and started again, repeating it until able to experience it without the fear.

Week Five: Developed an ‘anchor’ linking feelings from a happy memory to an action (pressing thumb and forefinger together). Allows you to trigger those feelings at will whenever you start to panic. Also learned to control subconscious by visualising a dial and simply an emotion up or down which seemed particularly effective.

CLICK HERE FOR CRIB GOCH VIDEO DIARIES
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Nigel Shepherd

MOUNTAIN expert Nigel Shepherd from Penmaenmawr is one of the UK’s foremost authorities with over 30 years experience.

- Qualified as a Mountain Guide 1979. Mountain Guides Association Training Officer 1986-1989. President 1993-96.

- Has worked everywhere from New Zealand and Australia to Greenland, Norway and Nepal.

- Author of books on ropework and rock climbing, his photography is also widely published.

- Available for off piste skiing, touring, alpine trekking and climbing.

- www.nigelshepherdphotography.co.uk

Alan Wick

A GRADUATE of Bristol's Clifton Practice Alan worked in nursing for 20years before using hypnotherapy to quit smoking. Realising its potential, he retrained, established Positive Hypnotherapy, and began refining his Solution Focussed Brief technique.

- A member of the National Council for Hypnotherapy, Alan recommends people only use therapists signed up to a strong regulatory body

- Says hypnotherapy can help with smoking, weight loss, problems sleeping, anxiety and depression, sport, performance, phobias such as flying, spiders and needles, compulsive behaviour, drinking, gambling or drug use, and can even aid pain relief in childbirth.

- Holds clinics in Wrexham, Chester and the Wirral, Oswestry and Nantwich

- www.positivehypnotherapy.net

Eddie Izzard - Marathon Man

“We are different, we are the same, we are United Kingdom, we are Africa. We are humanity!” Eddie Izzard

With BBC Three currently airing their three part documentary following comedian Eddie Izzard on his 43-marathons in 51-days for Sports Relief, here’s the article I wrote having caught up (but only just) with him as he ran through Oswestry and Chirk (at the time aiming to complete a mere 30marathons). Have a read then please donate to his challenge at http://www.sportrelief.com/

WHEN Sir Ranulph Fiennes announced he would attempt seven marathons in seven days, I remember being impressed though not exactly shocked, but when comedian Eddie Izzard announced he was to run 30 marathons in 30 days however, I was probably not the only person waiting for the punchline.

Amazingly though, last week the world famous comedian, who most recently starred in the blockbuster Valkyrie alongside Tom Cruise, arrived in Oswestry on the 13th day of his incredible challenge, having run at least a marathon distance every day and hitting the 30- mile marker on a several occasions. Having caught up with Eddie on the outskirts of Chirk, we joined him as he crossed the border into Wales and caught up on his challenge so far.

“OH WOW, that’s right, he did, didn’t he!” says Eddie, genuinely startled, as I mention Fiennes’ seven marathons in seven days, perhaps for a brief moment realising the scale of what he himself has achieved already, nearing the end of his 13th back-to-back 30-mile day.

OK, admittedly Fiennes’ marathons came just three months after a heart bypass, but let’s be honest, the world’s greatest living explorer is just the kind of person you would pick for such a feat of endurance. If you sat down with a piece of paper and drew up a challenge more than three times as long, I’m not sure too many people would have Eddie Izzard at the top of their list of potentials.

But that, he explains, is the point of the challenge: “I really do believe this is something we all have in us and that it is in our genes to be able to do this kind of thing. “For centuries, people have run like this for days, hunting food and tracking down their prey, and in other parts of the world people still do and have retained that ability.

“Even here though, I believe that if say another world war broke out tomorrow and we were forced to run, either for our survival or to fight, I feel we would all find the capacity.”
In all Eddie will cover 1,000 miles in seven weeks, raising money and awareness for Sports Relief. Not bad after just four weeks’ training!

“Sport Relief asked me if I would like to do a sporting challenge. I had always wanted to do a big physical running challenge and this seemed a great way to do it and also raise money to help Africa and the poorest countries in the world as well as projects that Sport Relief fund in the UK.
“I told them I wanted to try to run around the whole of the UK. London to Cardiff to Belfast to Edinburgh and back to London.
“They said ‘Great. You’re nuts’. They said ‘How far is this?’ I said 1,100 miles. I will try to run 30 miles a day for six days a week. It will probably take seven weeks.
They said ‘Right, anything else?’ Yes, I'm leaving in five weeks!”

As we headed for the Welsh border at Chirk, Eddie prepared to change from the English flag he had been carrying to his Welsh one, a symbolic gesture at the heart of his chosen route.
“It started as a vague idea, but has become something of a mantra and is the reason I’m not just carrying the Union Jack,” he explains. “I tell people; we are different, we are the same, we are United Kingdom, we are Africa, we are humanity.

“I’ve been really enjoying this part of the run, you’ve got great history - being the place where Oswald was killed in battle - the scenery is beautiful and I’ve been able to watch the butterflies and the bees as a I go by, which takes my mind off running, but that’s part of it too. I could be running here, or in Africa, or in Yemen - where I was born - and still find that beauty, we’re all part of the same thing.”

As we left Eddie continuing on towards Wrexham, I couldn’t help wondering if he was right. Perhaps we really do all have, built into the genes of our ancestry, the capacity for such incredible feats of endurance. After less than a mile however my genes were telling me they would rather I went back to the office and donated online. You can do the same by visiting: http://www.sportsrelief.com/donate/eddie or http://www.eddieizzard.com/

A Ship Called Oswestry - Part 2

While the second ship to bear the name of Oswestry Grange may have been an adopted member of the family, it met with a similar end to its predecessor, falling foul of one of the most devastating convoy attacks of the Second World War... Convoy SLS 64.



Part Two: The Rhodesian Prince

AS THE first World War ended, the Houlder Brothers shipping company looked to replace the first Oswestry Grange, sunk in a U-boat attack. A new ship, The Rhodesian Prince, was bought and renamed to replace her, but less than four years after Oswestry’s name had been painted across her side, it would face an even more devastating attack than its predecessor.

It was 1937, some 20 years after the demise of the first Oswestry Grange that it’s replacement took to the Houlder supply routes, enjoying just four years of plain sailing. By late January in 1941, enough ships had assembled at Freetown in Sierra Leone, to make up a convoy, but from the outset things looked bleak.

Nineteen of the merchant ships were in such a poor state that they could not maintain the minimum convoy speed of nine knots, but worse still, the navy then announced they could not spare enough ships to escort them.

Convoy SL64 set sail for Liverpool, passing by the navy gunships in port as they headed out to sea, where the 19 slower vessels were soon left behind, leaving the remaining 28 ships to plough on with just a single ocean escort for defence.

A few days in, news reached the crew of Oswestry that convoy HG63, who had started out just a few days earlier, had been attacked. The German submarine U-37 and a squadron of Condor aircraft had sunk six of the ships and damaged a seventh, which had also later sunk, but just when the surviving vessels had thought the worst was over, a large unidentified destroyer had loomed onto the scene, sinking the defenceless Iceland.

The days that followed would have been agonising onboard Oswestry, whose 42 men knew they were being hunted and must have holding their breath as their convoy attempted to slip by unnoticed. Finally there was relief, when two days later on February 19, it seemed the navy had had a change of heart and come to their aid.

The convoy’s log entry read: “06:05 - The Margot sights strange Man o’ War” but it was then that the large unfamiliar ship on the horizon hoisted its battle ensign. It was the Admiral Hipper.


A steely 200m long metal giant, the Admiral Hipper was the first of it’s kind. A new class of German heavy cruiser, designed for the sole purpose of smashing allied supply lines. It was hailed as a new breed of merchant raider, but it’s first outing had not gone well, inflicting only minor damage before engine problems forced the metal monster to limp embarrassingly back to port for repairs. It had remained there for more than a month. Now, finally returned to sea, the Admiral Hipper was out to prove a point.

For Oswestry and the convoy, there was no chance of escape. More than 18,000 tons of German military might was bearing down on the convoy at 30knots. The Hipper carried a crew of 830 and was heavily armed with eight-inch guns as well as 21inch torpedoes, and it was just a few minutes before she was within range and brought her guns to bear.

The Hipper opened fire on the convoy from 3,000 yards. The convoy’s commodore immediately signalled for all ships to alter course, but in their haste the Margot and Blairatholl altered early. It was just what the Hipper had been waiting for and it attacked, destroying first the Warlaby, then the Derrynane, the Westbury, Perseus, Borgestad, Lornaston and finally the Oswestry Grange.

Three ships Derrynane, Borgestad and Lornaston attempted to fight back opening fire on the Hipper, the Borgestad even appearing to hit its control tower, but in return for their display of defiance, the official report describes the three ships as receiving “very heavy punishment.”

The Derrynane and Borgestad were sunk with all hands lost and the Lornaston left badly damaged as the Hipper turned it’s attention back to the merchant vessels, opening fire on the Margot, before the worsening weather came to the convoy’s salvation, forcing the cruiser to break off it’s attack.

Oswestry had been hit in the engine room on her port side, damaging her bridge and shelter deck.

The crew managed to launch the lifeboats and 37 survivors were picked up five hours later, but one boat had been damaged and capsised, drowning five crew. These men are commemorated at the Canadian Halifax Memorial, while George Medals were awarded to the ship’s British, Greek, and Norwegian captains.

It was a desperately sad end for the second Oswestry Grange, while the Hipper would go on to become known as a potent but temperamental killer, deadly at sea, but spending more and more time under repair.


Hitler would eventually become disillusioned with the Kriegsmarine surface fleet and after the Admiral Hipper was used, partly-repaired, to evacuate troops from the Eastern Front, it was scuttled in dock at the Kiel Deutsche Werke yards in 1945, before being broken for scrap in 1948.


CLICK HERE FOR PART ONE - The Oswestry Grange

CLICK HERE FOR PART THREE - Tiger Bay

A Ship Called Oswestry - Part 1

Between 1902 and 1970 four ships criss-crossed the Atlantic, running the gauntlet of the allied supply lines in two world wars, ferrying passengers to Australia, bearing witness to the passing of New Zealand’s greatest leader and even taking a starring role in a Hollywood movie, before being sunk by German naval forces. What linked these ships was their name... Oswestry.


Part One: The Oswestry Grange

The first Oswestry Grange was one of two ships built by shipbuilders Workman Clark in 1902, more than 6,500 tons of steel, shaped into a single funnelled, four masted steamer, 450ft long and capable of 13knots and with accommodation for 39 passengers. Oswestry took her place on the Federal-Houlder-Shire Line service travelling from Britain to Australia and New Zealand.

It was a boon time for the service and as one of its flagships, Oswestry transported dignitaries including New Zealand’s greatest and longest serving prime minister, Richard John Seddon. It was just before setting foot on Oswestry in 1906, that Seddon returning from Australia, sent a famous telegram to the Victorian premier, “Just leaving for God’s own country,” he wrote. Seddon would never see New Zealand again, dying onboard ship the following day, but his description of the country has endured to this day.

In 1912 Houlder Bros disposed of most of their Australian trade and Oswestry was sold on to the Union Steamship Company of New Zealand as the freighter Roscommon. It was during this same period that German high command placed an order for a new batch of their feared U-boat submarines, and while Oswestry was put to work on the supply routes, U-53 was being quietly assembled in Germany’s Germaniawerft Kiel shipyard.
It was finally ready for launch on February 1, 1916 under the command of Hans Rose and would cross paths with Oswestry just once, but with deadly effect.

The sub soon developed a fearsome reputation. Germany had hoped to use submarines to slip supplies past the Allied blockades and had fitted out the weaponless Deutschland and Bremen subs to carry cargo. The ballast tanks of U-53 were specially adapted to carry extra fuel so it could escort the Bremen, but Lt Rose instead put this extra range to more devastating use, emerging unexpectedly just outside US territorial waters and sinking five ships in an attempt to intimidate the Americans. Meanwhile, the cargo carrying Bremen, departed for America, but disappeared en-route.



Early on the morning of August 21, Oswestry was one of 19 steamers attempting to slip unnoticed out of Northern Ireland’s Lough Swilly. It was a tense time, and the fleet began the long process of manouevering from single file into convoy formation, unaware of the submarine below stalking it’s prey. It took almost seven hours to move the convoy into position, but at 11.30am the formation was complete and with a sense of relief, the ships finally began to get under way.

Suddenly alarm bells rang out as the destroyers picked up three torpedoes, headed straight for the ships. There was no time to react. The first torpedo struck the Devonian at the head of her column, a second skimmed past the lucky Vasari just behind her, but the third of U-53’s torpedoes found its mark, striking the second ship on the portside column... Oswestry was hit!


The convoy’s Destroyers immediately launched a counter attack, protecting the stricken ships from further assault, but U-53 was gone, the assassin slipping silently back out into deep water and making good its escape. Five of Oswestry’s crew were killed in the attack, but miraculously, 80 made it to safety, abandoning ship and reaching land.

Captain Trant of The Devonian later spoke of the danger of assembling such long lines of vessels, sometimes up to 12miles in length: “The hours spent forming the convoy had given the submarine ample time to prepare for the attack,” he said, “resulting in the loss of two large and valuable merchant-vessels.” It was a sad end for the first ship to bear Oswestry’s name.



U-53 would prove to be one of the German’s most potent convoy killers, sinking almost 100 ships before it was eventually surrendered and broken up in 1918, but ironically, while the submarine’s earlier attack on a US port had succeeded in intimidating the Americans, it ultimately did not have the effect its commander had hoped.

The Americans had been surprised when the weaponless sub Deutschland slipped the British blockade and suddenly appeared in Baltimore with cargo to trade, but it was the devastating surprise attack by U-53 far beyond a U-boats’ normal range, that would spur the Americans to channel even greater resources into their naval forces.

CLICK HERE FOR PART TWO - The Rhodesian Prince

CLICK HERE FOR PART THREE - Tiger Bay

In the time it takes...

"Of all that is written, I love only what a person has written in their own blood" Friedrich Nietzsche

CAN five minutes sat in a chair really change someone’s life forever? What if there was something you could do in that time that cost you nothing, but had the chance to save a person’s life.

Having had a successful bone marrow transplant last year, leukemia patient Ben Walters from Glyn Ceiriog organised a Bone Marrow Register clinic through the Anthony Nolan Trust, which saw around 50 people join the register, which searches to find matches for those needing a transplant.

Having heard how easy it was, I went along to the clinic held at Bellan House and, arriving early, was amazed to find a dozen others had beaten me to it and were already finished.

I spent a couple of minutes reading a leaflet and filling in the form, another minute to realise I had ticked a wrong box (I don’t remember being pregnant in the last six months) and then it was into a room where a nurse took a tiny blood sample... there was even tea and a biscuit!

So what happens now? Well, my blood sample is sent away for testing and a record of my bone marrow stored on the Bone Marrow Register. On average just one person in every thousand turns out to be a match, so the chances are I will never be called upon, but for those that are, all that is needed is a minor medical procedure requiring a few days off work.

The register includes potential donors from 18 to 40 years of age, but as Ben explained even people at the end of that range should not be put off: “The one and only match for me was a 39-year-old, which shows how important it is to join the register even if it’s only going to be for a year.

While donating is a relatively easy process for the donor, it’s a rough ride for the person waiting for it. After intensive chemotherapy to kill off their existing bone marrow the new cells are introduced.

Ben says he remembers seeing the tiny pack of blood arrive for his transplant and was shocked such a small amount could have such a life changing effect.Anonymous

Once his bone marrow was killed off, Ben had to remain in a completely sterile environment, as without his body’s normal defence even the smallest infection could have been disastrous: “You have basically wiped the slate clean, so since then I have had to have all the children’s immunisations again and have gone through all the childhood illnesses like chicken pox.”

Donors remain anonymous for two years, then – if they wish – have the chance to meet: “I really hope I do get to meet him, to say thank you and find out what made them join the register,” said Ben, “Having had the transplant I can’t join the register myself, so I want to do what I can to raise awareness, persuade others to join and increase the chance of finding a match.”

Just think, those five minutes in a chair will either be a few moments out of your day, or could be the most valuable thing you ever do in your life.

To find out more or to join the register visit www.anthonynolan.org.uk or phone 02072 841234.