'You saved my life'!
A patient who had not met John was waiting in the reception area at the Cavendish Centre and heard him making an appointment for someone else. She said, "Is yours the voice on the tape* they gave me"? I said it was, and she said simply, "you've saved my life"! I said I was delighted to hear it, but asked what she meant, and she explained that since learning of her cancer diagnosis she had been unable to sleep, for all the anxious thoughts going round her head at night. Without sleep she had no energy, was ratty with her family, and couldn't concentrate on things she wanted to do during the day. She said using the Sleep CD had helped her put her worries out of her mind and find a comfortable and simple way of getting back in the habit of regular sound sleep.
Anonymous Cavendish Patient
(*people often refer to the programmes as 'tapes' although they are only available as CDs or in MP3 format)!
I don't know how you've done it
"I haven't had a decent night's sleep for such a long time, and I thought I'd never sleep properly again. I don't know how you've done it, but I listened to your tape and now I don't wake at all during the night, and as a result, I'm so much better during the day. I've benefited so much from your programme. Please put this on the website because I'd like other sufferers to get the same benefit"
BC, Cavendish patient
Comforting Brown Bear
"I do appreciate being able to try out your self-hypnosis CD. I think everyone who listens will find it beneficial. The length is right, the background music is nondescript and relaxing, the words are appropriate and the voice is soothing (even seductive over time!)
"I usually lie under a duvet when I listen to your voice. I try to listen every day, sometimes in the daytime and sometimes at night. If it's in the daytime I listen to the CD right through to the end. I do like the part where you count backwards from ten to one, but I usually wish I could stay in that space for hours or even days, and I'm generally unhappy about counting back up from one to ten and waking up (sometimes I mentally protest when I hear you), though I realise it is necessary. I'm sure this is not because of anything wrong with your CD - it's just me wanting to wallow in a safe and good place
"When I listen to the CD at night, I usually stop it before you can count from one to ten because that's when I need the time and space to mentally tell myself that my skin feels comfortable, all my nails feel okay, I have flexibility in my fingers, no part of me hurts and I will always feel protected.
"I think of you as a comforting bear sitting nearby - at any rate at the beginning. Forgive me if this remark is too personal."
(This feedback about a version of the 'Help Yourself' CD was given by the distinguished poet and writer, Debjani Chatterjee. MBE. I asked Debjani if she would prefer that her remarks were included anonymously, but she said she was very happy for the to be attributed because 'anonymous testimonials are always suspect'!)
