Pay Per Post

A few entries back I wrote a piece on the link between financial difficulty and stress-fairly obvious stuff I suppose. However very often people don't take action on their stress- a condition psychologists call "learned helplessness," where the attitude of "oh, what's the use" prevails and the individual digs himself in deeper and deeper.

Chances are that you have heard the old adage "watch the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves." This applies on both the supply and the demand side. Small "leaks" in your spending habits will surely erode your net worth over time. And in the same way, missed opportunities to earn a few extra bucks here and there can have the same effect.

Lately I have been having some fun with blogging for extra money. This is where you can be paid to post on a blog (like this one) on topics related to a given sponsor. These various business entities contract with companies that solicit bloggers for them. And no, you don't have to write glowing ad copy praising their goods and/or services-its more about getting the word out one way or another. In fact there is something called blog ethics that you may be required to follow.

A couple of "opportunities" have turned out to be "turkeys" (especially one European outfit I encountered who has a really professional looking website and a really unprofessional way of doing business-ie they don't seem to be into paying their bloggers). However, even with a few of these clunkers lurking out there, since you don't have to put any money up all you risk is wasting a bit of your time.

One exciting new opportunity that I just recently joined is Pay Per Post. They have loads of jobs available and some of them can really pay well. Is blogging for you? If you enjoy writing and the idea of earning a bit of extra cash-yes!









blog ethics

Does Hypnosis Work?

“Does hypnosis work?” is a question many people ask when they consider using the services of a Certified Hypnotist. And the answer may surprise you.

During the past 12 years I have had the privilege of working with many individuals in group and private hypnosis sessions for a variety of self-improvement goals. Over time I became curious as to why some people experienced amazing results while others barely registered any progress at all. What was at work here?

The research literature on clinical hypnosis mentions a lot about the trait of “hypnotizability,” or the level to which someone can respond to hypnotic suggestion. In fact, different scales have been developed to enable clinicians and researchers classify a person’s potential to enter a workable trance state.

It has been noted that strong responsiveness to hypnosis is correlated with having a good imagination and the ability to relax, trust and go along with the experience. Conversely, the more “resistant” type of person is usually unimaginative, tense and fearful.

Is a person’s rating on a suggestibility scale the only indicator as to whether hypnosis will work for them? It has been my observation that while this measurement does have some bearing on the success level, it is not necessarily the most significant one.

Some people who have some difficulty in achieving the relaxed and focused state of attention commonly known as hypnosis make very significant progress towards their desired outcomes. And there have been a few individuals who responded wonderfully to the hypnotic process yet fell far short of what they wished to achieve.

A variable that does seem to be highly significant is whether the person expects that a positive change through hypnosis is going to be an active or passive process. There is an abundance of interventions that promise the easy and effortless path to transformation.

“Rub this cream on your thighs and buns and watch the fat melt away as if by magic without exercise or changing your eating habits.”

“Get your ear zapped with a laser and quit smoking with absolutely no struggle or stress.”

"Become a zillionaire just by dreaming about it."

These are just a few examples that you are probably familiar with. And hypnosis counseling should not be placed in this category, although I imagine it often is.

One of the myths of hypnotism is that the hypnotist takes control of the passive “subject” and changes them. That people have this misconception is fully understandable given that the complex psychology of a stage hypnosis performance can encourage the impression of a hypnotist as omnipotent authority figure.

Actually the consulting hypnotist is best viewed as a facilitator who enables the client to engage the subconscious mind in a beneficial way. That is why I do my best to let prospective my clients know that my services are designed to “help people who want to help themselves.”

For example, hypnosis can help people with weight loss and smoking cessation by giving them the realistic sense of confidence that they can be successful if they are willing to apply themselves. A person lacking confidence can be encouraged to confront what he or she fears first in the imagination and then in real life, finding that the fear dissolves. However, yet even the most skilled hypnotist needs you to be an active partner for good results to be achieved. So does hypnosis work? Yes, however you have to also.

James Malone is a Certified Hypnosis Consultant dedicated to helping people who want to help themselves. Unhealthy habits and negative stress can have you look and feel old before your time-and who needs that? If you are interested in learning more, a visit to the New Jersey Hypnotist Store is the next logical step.

"Burned" by Laser Therapy for Smoking Cessation?

With the Great American Smoke Out being held this month, public interest in methods of smoking cessation will increase. In the years I have been practicing hypnosis counseling, I have had the privilege of working with many folks who have been able to quit successfully.

Oft times I have been asked what I think of the other methods of quitting. Keeping in mind that I am not a physician, here it goes-

Nicotine replacement therapy- this is where the person continues to receive a regular dosage of nicotine via a skin patch, inhaler or gum. The rationale is that the smoker can taper down with the nicotine replacement product and then quit with minimal withdrawal (why a person wouldn't just taper down the number of cigarettes they smoke has never be explained to me). However this method does not address the mental aspects of the smoking behavior. In fact, the manufacturers of nicotine replacement products usually recommend some sort of behavioral counseling in addition.

Anti-depressant drugs- an unintended benefit discovered by psychiatrists who prescribed the anti-depressant drug Wellbutrin to patients that they were treating for depression was that many spontaneously stopped smoking. Eventually this drug was approved for use in smoking cessation. Is it possible that a subset of people who continue to smoke against their own wishes are masking underlying depression nicotine? Like any prescription pharmaceutical, there is the risk of some upsetting side-effects. The cost-to-benefit ratio is one that you and your doctor would have to decide on. Like nicotine replacement therapy, a behavioral counseling intervention in addition to the medication would probably increase the chances of your success.

In my hypnosis counseling practice I have had clients who have integrated either nicotine replacement or anti-depressant therapy with hypnosis and have had great results. Since I am not an MD, I cannot recommend whether you should go this route, talk to your physician first.

Accupuncture- this Asian healing practices stimulates the subtle energy points of the body with needles gently placed into the skin in order to promote wellness and healing..A licensed practitioner of accupuncture or a Doctor of Oriental Medicine is a healthcare professional you can trust and they may very well be able to help you with smoking cessation. They usually take a careful history before working with you and may integrate traditional Chinese herbal remedies into the treatment plan.

The same cannot be said for the proprietors of the new breed of laser clinics that tout rapid smoking cures who are usually not qualified accupuncturists.

For starters, cold laser therapy is not approved by the FDA for the treatment of smoking or any other addictive behavior. These devices are supposed to be used for the temporary relief of pain only. No reliable study has indicated that laser accupuncture provides any benefit above a placebo or sham treatment. In fact, Ralph Nader's consumer protection group Public Citizen has petitioned the FDA to begin cracking down on these fraudulent providers. Their press release on the topic is provided below.

Companies Must Stop Fraudulently Promoting Laser Therapy as a Treatment to Quit Smoking, Public Citizen Tells FDA
Companies Illegally Marketing Therapy Despite Lack of Scientific Evidence and Lack of FDA Approval

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Public Citizen today petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to stop five companies from illegally promoting low-power laser therapy as a means to quit smoking. The clinics, Freedom Laser Therapy Inc., the Anne Penman Laser Therapy clinics, New Beginnings Laser Therapy, Laser Concept and the Stop Smoking Laser Center, are marketing laser therapy as a safe and effective smoking cessation treatment despite the lack of FDA clearance or any evidence that it is effective.

Laser therapy, also known as laser acupuncture, aims a low-power laser beam rather than needles at various points of the body. It is approved by the FDA for marketing only for the temporary relief of pain. For all other uses, the therapy may be used only for investigational clinical trials or studies. “The laser device does not have marketing clearance for smoking cessation, and promotion of such use as well as claims of safety and/or efficacy for this use are illegal,” reads the seven-page Public Citizen petition.

Although all five companies are violating FDA laws and regulations, the petition focuses on Freedom Laser Therapy (FLT), which has garnered the most news coverage on multiple local and national television programs. FLT claims an 85 percent success rate for curing smoking addiction in just one 30-minute session. It also touts the support of “international clinical trials” to back up its claims. But inspection of the three “international clinical trials” offered on the company’s Web site reveals that none has been published and none is a proper trial that would offer scientific evidence that laser therapy is a valid treatment to stop smoking.
FLT’s therapy is $399 for the single 30-minute session, an expensive treatment for typical smokers who are trying to quit. According to the petition, this money would be better spent on treatments that have been proven to show some success: nicotine replacement therapy, physician advice, certain antidepressants and individual behavioral counseling.

Despite the lack of scientific evidence supporting its claims, the company has launched an aggressive marketing campaign to recruit a wide audience of vulnerable clients who are looking to stop smoking. It has created two promotional videos, orchestrated coverage on at least 20 local and national news programs and has run a demonstration booth backstage at the nationally televised American Music Awards to appeal to celebrities as potential spokespeople. In all of its advertising, FLT presents laser treatment as a much more credible option than has been shown in the medical literature.

“FLT claims it is conducting clinical trials authorized by the FDA, however the nature and extent of its advertising and promotional activities portray a company that is clearly marketing a self-proclaimed proven treatment,” said Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director of Public Citizen’s Health Research Group. “At this time, there is a lack of any scientific support for the use of laser therapy for smoking cessation, and to claim otherwise is illegal.”

A thorough review of the medical literature reveals only a single well-designed study that could answer the question about laser effectiveness for smoking cessation and this study revealed “no difference” between laser acupuncture and placebo.

Its violation of the law and misleading advertising to a susceptible audience make this industry a prime target for FDA action. According to FLT’s Web site, it plans to open franchises across the country and expand the treatment to include weight loss in addition to smoking cessation.
“Manipulative and aggressive marketing campaigns such as this must be met with equally aggressive FDA action in order to protect the health and interests of the public,” states the petition.###

Source for this entry:
http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/release.cfm?ID=2223

Great American Smokeout Special

The third Thursday in November is the date set aside for the American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout. On this day smokers are encouraged to give up the cigarette habit for at least that day. Often times an individual will discover that stopping isn't hard as anticipated and continues beyond that day.

Does this suggest that the "addiction" to smoking is in at least part a form of negative hypnosis-that a person becomes convinced that they can't stop and doesn't really put forth the effort to break the habit? Although there is certainly a physiological component to the nicotine habit, a comprehensive smoking cessation program accounts for this and simple measures like exercise, adequate hydration and deep breathing can help tremendously. These behaviors also minimize unwanted weight gain upon quitting.

Hypnosis counseling is a powerful tool that helps smokers break the negative trance that keeps them tied to the smoking habit. Consider this, public health surveys tell us that literally millions of Americans who once smoked have stopped successfully. Do these people have anything that you don't?

Some individuals find that private sessions work best for them. However there are also some who respond best to a group format, especially if they are quitting with a group of friends. If interested, I am offering small group (3 or more participants) smoking cesssation programs for $125 per person. This includes a follow-up visit after the quit date, which can be done individually if you like. Please call (732) 714-7040 for full details.