[img]560|left|Nicholas D. Pollak||no_popup[/img]Have you noticed how, when you suffer from chronic and debilitating pain, your life changes? Remember all you used to do before the pain? Have you noticed how your mood has changed?
You used to be ready to do anything at any time. Now it is a matter of whether you can do anything that resembles your former way your life used to be? Do you regret the wasted days that you only now realize were wasted?
Remember how you used to take for granted your good health, never realizing it would change so dramatically?
Those who suffer chronic pain daily will identify with the questions I have raised.
Pain leaves a person sad, without hope, wondering whether life is worth continuing with unrelenting pain.
Doctors try to help. Often they succeed. They poke you and prod you and come up with a variety of medical terms to explain your pain and continue to provide you with a variety of pain relieving medications, All of which, in the end, stop working. Yes, they work for a while but then your body becomes used to them and you find yourself taking more and more and experiencing relief less and less.
Getting up in the morning becomes a serious chore. Some pain sufferers even have given up getting out of bed. When you are awaken, you immediately feel the pain you escaped while sleeping, only to have it return in the first moment. You take your meds and wait for relief. Sometimes it never comes. In addition, you are tired from dealing with the pain and constantly finding excuses not to do things because of the pain.
He Knew, and She Would
Recently I received a referral from a surgeon whose patient was to undergo major surgery within a few days. From experience, the surgeon knew the benefits of hypnotherapy. He wanted his patient to see me because she would be in major pain after his surgery. He wanted her to be prepared.
When the surgeon’s patient arrived we began preparing her for surgery. This consisted of ensuring that she understood what the surgery was for, having her become familiar with the check-in routine, where she would be waiting before the surgery, the kinds of things she could expect before, and to start to teach her how to relax.
Pain is worse when the body becomes tense, either from the current level of pain or from the expectation of pain. The key to reducing the pain is to learn to relax the body completely. Take a simple injection. If you don’t like shots, then it will be painful. Your body and mind stiffen in anticipation. When you see the needle, you become more rigid. The shot is painful.
Interestingly, shots are becoming less painful because needle manufacturers are making them smaller, sharper, significantly reducing the discomfort because the entry point is tinier. Of course when you relax your body —sometimes just looking away — the pain is less.
The client noticed when her body tensed everything hurt more, and less when she relaxed.
She learned simple techniques to relax her body — imagining a stable, healthy blood pressure, a slow, regular heartbeat, a positive attitude about what was happening before the surgery and the ultimate relief that she would feel several weeks after surgery. Also she was to envision significantly less blood loss because her body was so relaxed.
She was a good candidate because she took instruction well, and she understood the benefits of the conditioning processes. She truly wanted to be more relaxed than usual.
It Almost Vanishes
There would be some pain but only temporarily, much less than before. In terms of her life span, she would have the reduced pain to no more than a blink. She would want to focus on the benefits of the surgery and the positive aspects that it would have on her life.
She was encouraged to not watch the news or any negative TV programming. Instead, she should watch or read what was light and positive. Spend a few minutes every day relaxing while concentrating specifically on the area of pain as a result of the surgery. Picture the pain dwindling while imagining the surgical site healing without complications.
By changing fear to confidently knowing what to expect, her surgery will be successful. She will recover quickly.
She has a new internal image. The old one was dominated by unrelieved pain. She sagged even more because she was tired all the time and it reflected in her showed in her strained, haggard, miserable face. Now she sees herself recovering, pain-free, energetic, and ready to face the challenges that her new life will bring.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me by telephone, 310.204.3321, or by email at nickpollak@hypnotherapy4you.net. See my website at www.hypnotherapy4you.net
