Recently
a hypnotherapist received a call from the wife of a friend he had not
seen for more than two years. He knew that the friend had been treated
surgically for cancer of the kidney, but he had heard that the operation
had proved successful and all was well. Unfortunately, this was not
the case.
The wife asked the hypnotherapist if he would see the husband and try
to relieve the intense pain which was being suffered. The therapist
requested medical authority to enter into the case and was advised that
the situation was terminal, and that everything possible had been done
-- any help in pain relief was more than welcome. The prognosis was
for about six months of life.
The situation was such that the patient could not visit the office,
so the hypnotherapist offered to make a house call. He had some concern
about the hypnotizability of the patient, since hypnosis usually requires
an ability to focus attention as directed by the hypnotherapist in the
fixation phase of the induction. It was possible that the sheer intensity
of the pain was so great that diversion of attention from it would be
difficult or impossible.
Anticipating that repeat visits would be difficult in view of the medical
and family situations, the therapist made a tape dealing with relaxation,
rest and pain reduction, taking it with him on the call. On arriving
he learned that he was ill-prepared to face the situation confronting
him. His friend was in bed, face contorted with agony, with a tube in
the arm connected to a button which released morphine on demand. The
morphine now provided minimal relief.
The Power Of The Mind
The hypnotherapist called the family into the room, together with the
patient, to acquaint them with the plan and procedures. After the family
was informed, members left and the therapist talked for some time with
the patient, discussing hypnosis the powers of the mind and pain. An
induction was then begun, and while it was slow going at the beginning,
the patient did slip into a hypnotic trance and responded very well
once relaxation was achieved. He was programmed for alleviation of pain,
control of emotions, abilities to take nourishment and response to treatment.
He was given a special cue to use for pain relief when discomfort became
particularly intense. He was given the tape and advised it paralleled
the hypnotic session and would provide similar relief when used. On
awakening the patient commented that he had not rested so well in months.
In six weeks the patient died. At the funeral services the wife told
the hypnotherapist the final six weeks had been bearable for both the
patient and the family due to the tape. She commented that when pain
became intense the patient would ask for the tape, and when it was begun
the time required to move from deep pain to total relaxation was approximately
thirty seconds.
It was evident that the expectation of relief more than the content
of the tape was the effective element. Such is the power of the mind.
Applications and Techniques
Hypnotherapeutic methods for achieving pain relief are numerous. Effectiveness
can vary and the choice may depend on the condition and personality
of the patient. Suggestions may be direct or indirect, interspersal,
or may utilize anaesthesia, guided imagery, hypnoanalysis or other procedures.
As is so important in hypnosis, attitude is a major factor. It is important
that the patient accept that relief is possible. Constant pain needs
to be approached on a different basis than interim pain. Constant pain
is not to be relinquished completely even for a few minutes, since it
is identified with the life force. The patient likes to feel it is there,
however reduced, even during periods of sleep.
Physical pain is seldom constant. The therapist will determine if the
patient has experienced periods, however briefly, which were free of
pain. If the patient claims the pain is constant, it is more likely
to be psychological in origin and may indicate a constant pain syndrome.
Treatment will likely involve the establishment of rapport with empathy
and appreciation of the value of pain. Hypnotic regression to the problem
can lead to understanding and relief.
A reasonable hypnotherapist usually will not work with
physical pain without being in communication with an appropriate physician,
for the simple reason that pain is more of a symptom than a condition.
Pain indicates that something is wrong, somewhere, and that is true
whether the pain is physical or mental. It would be the height of folly
to treat a migraine headache only to have it turn out to have been a
brain cancer.
It is important to remember that some patients value their pains highly,
just as a hypochondriac can be said to “enjoy poor health”.
Through hypnosis patients frequently can be shown that they can control
their pains, and being able to do so they also can diminish pain to
tolerable levels or turn it off completely at will.
Seemingly endless periods of tests which prove in-conclusive, often
accompanied by conflicting diagnoses, can instill levels of fear which
may be dealt with through hypnotherapy. Guilt, anger or other emotional
problems often enter into the picture when accidents are involved as
source conditions.
Negative attitudes must be dealt with, and again the capability of hypnosis
to modify trends of thought becomes important. In difficult cases the
power to cope can be programmed into the patient’s mind, possible
together with cues to make the process more or less automatic.
In dealing with pain situations, teaching the patient the use of self-hypnosis
techniques can be highly beneficial, reinforcing th programming that
has been done in the case.
HERE
ARE SOME POWERFUL AND POSITIVE USES FOR HYPNOSIS
Dentistry to relieve conscious and unconscious fears,
reduce discomfort, allergic reactions to drugs and to bring an all around
sense of calm to the patient for the dentist. Because of this you can
also expect rapid healing and often times complete control of blood
flow. Perfect for children who fear the dentist and for the "older
kids" who still hate the thought of someone in their mouth! You
can imagine the benefits already!
Pain
from unknown origins. Often
times a client will have pain that baffles even the doctors. It could
be from an accident the individual had years earlier! During traumatic
moments a person's subconscious mind is wide open to whatever influence
is around whether that be words, actions or unseen forces at work. The
skillful work of the hypnotherapist can quickly uncover the origin of
pain and help manage or eliminate it completely!
Medical
Professionals now recognize how powerful hypnosis is to help
reduce or eliminate pain. From Burn Units to Cancer Wards, Pain Control
units for Migraine Headaches and more, hypnosis is being used succesfully
around the world to alleviate pain.
Surgeons
often utilize hypnosis to calm the patient, slow down or stop
bleeding, eliminate pain, facilitate rapid healing and too offer an
alternative to patients who may have allergetic reactions to anesthesia.
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