As
more of the giant pharmaceutical companies continue to pull their pain
medications off the market due to the adverse side-effects and death
these have caused, many people are beginning to ask "Where can I
get help? Must I just grin-and-bear the pain? Is there a safe and
effective way I can personally manage my pain?"
Understanding Pain
Pain at the outset of any injury is generally to be considered your
friend. It tells you that there is something wrong that needs to have
your immediate attention. Most people follow the wise path and visit
their doctor who assesses the situation and generally will provide a
course of action involving the use of some form of pain medication. In
the short term, this may be all that is necessary, and if the patient
can tolerate the medication, no harm is caused.
However, pain can also persist way beyond the need for using
analgesics to reduce or eliminate the discomfort. The brain, over
time, hard-wires the pain signal so well, that many times long after
the initial "good" pain has passed, the signal is still
being given. As well, many people persist in taking their pain
medications over longer periods of time "just in case" the
discomfort returns - they are so fearful of the pain, that they focus
on it, and generally, what you focus on is what you get. Sometimes we
need only to "forget" the discomfort to make it go away.
At this point, I am obligated by my Certification to make it clear
that ALL hypnotic pain relief clients do
need to have a note from their doctors before I can treat them. The
reason is simple: I am not qualified to diagnosis or assess your pain.
If I were to treat you for a pain or discomfort that was cautioning
you about some part of your health, and that pain signal was blocked
out with hypnosis, then it could result in more severe injury or
sickness for you. However, if you have seen your doctor, and their
only solution is to put you on pain medication or tell you to
"get used to it", then you have the right to ask them to
consider other options, including relief from pain through
hypnosis, and you can request them to provide the note for you. I will
never tell you to discontinue any medications you have been
prescribed: that is a decision between you and your doctor.
How It Works - Controlling The Degree of Discomfort
Using the mind to control pain, through hypnosis, is a safe, effective
long-term solution to finding relief from discomfort. Whether that discomfort is mild
or severe, long or short term, most individuals are able to experience
large to complete amounts of relief with a few hypnosis sessions.
During the sessions, the initial focus is on reducing your discomfort
as much as possible, and you are taught how to continue to do this on
your own. Most people experience complete elimination of the pain
within three to four sessions, unless there is an underlying reason
why the discomfort still needs to be there. Even in those cases, you can
learn how to manage the discomfort in ways that allow you to continue
most of your normal activities.
Pre-Op - Preparing yourself for a more comfortable recovery:
Are you anticipating surgery? Do you want to decrease or eliminate
post-op discomfort without resorting to drugs that also leave you
dazed and mentally underpowered for long periods? Would you like to
make a pre-emptive strike on getting well faster? Learning how to
manage your discomfort before you even have it may be the answer for you.
Hypnosis sessions teaching you how to use self-hypnosis before the
"big day" gives you the edge you need.
It is important for three reasons to give "pre-op"
preparation with hypnosis strong consideration: one is that people who experience
less discomfort generally heal faster; the second is that most strong pain
medication you get "post-op" can only be taken while you are
in the hospital under strict control conditions; and, three, the
longer you stay in hospital to take that pain medication, the more apt
you are to contract secondary infection, or some other nasty bug to
have to manage along with your post-op condition.
Nausea Control for Chemotherapy/Radiation Patients
Much of what works in hypnosis for controlling and managing body
discomfort can
also be used to manage the debilitating effects of Chemotherapy and
Radiation treatment. If you, or someone you know, must have these
treatments, there are ways that hypnosis, and learning self-hypnosis
in particular, can assist you in mitigating the effects so that you
can live as normally as possible during your treatment. It is a
well-known fact that persons who can continue to nourish themselves
properly during treatment have a much greater ability to fight off the
disease that required the treatment at the outset.
Dental Work Coming Up?
Are you going to the dentist, and dread the thought of having the
needle in your mouth, or the after-effects of "laughing
gas"? Or perhaps your dentist has indicated that general
anesthesia is necessary. There is a way for you to free yourself from
ever again needing the needle, gas or general anesthesia (which
usually leaves one nauseous) when going to the dentist. You can learn
how to take charge of the discomfort of dental treatment before
it occurs, using hypnosis.
How
Do I Approach This With My Doctor?
Hypnosis
for controlling the discomfort of medical procedures has a long history
of documentation. Field surgeons used it in WWII to treat soldiers
during major operations, including removal of damaged limbs. In
many countries of the world, for thousands of years, hypnosis and its
variations have been used to assist with the discomfort of
healing. Doctors are aware now, and have long been aware of the
possibilities of better outcomes for their patients, and in 1952 The
American Medical Association recognized hypnosis as a viable part of
medical treatment. Similar recognitions have occurred in Canada as
well. As such, then, you as the patient, do have the right to at
least a fair hearing from your physician as to the feasibility of using
hypnosis in your medical treatment. Once a doctor is aware that
you would like to do this, most are quite willing to provide the
prescription note I will need from them. If your doctor is
hesitant, and you are still hoping to use hypnosis, with your permission
I can speak with him or her about how hypnosis might be considered a
viable alternative or adjunct to drugs, allowing you a greater ability
to control discomfort from medical procedures and to, therefore,
facilitate your own healing.
My Commitment To You
As a person who has first hand experienced a lot of discomfort, and found
that hypnosis and self-hypnosis alleviated it, I want to encourage you
to consider hypnosis as an alternative to either just living with it,
or using medications (or even illegal drugs) that have questionable
long-term side effects, and may actually be keeping you on the
roller-coaster ride of pain in your life. As a Certified Pain Control and
Management Hypnotist I am very qualified to help you in
this area of hypnotic motivational assistance.
