[img]560|left|Nicholas D. Pollak||no_popup[/img]I recently met with a lady suffering severe pain. She could not sleep at night, walk long distances or lift anything over 5 pounds. Pain ruled her life. She was literally housebound. Every time she tried to leave, her severe pain forced her to turn around and return home.
At 40 years old, she appeared to have no hope of improving her life. Her Social Security check was hardly enough to live on let alone cover the medical assistance she needs. To that end, I offered her a series of sessions at no charge.
It turns out that when she was a child, she suffered “excruciating” earaches every two weeks. Additionally, her 14-year-old brother repeatedly molested her when she was 9. Her parents refused to believe her complaints and her brother, of course, denied he had done anything.
For three-quarters of her life, this poor woman has suffered. She learned that if she wanted to gain the attention, love and sympathy from her parents, being sick was the answer.
Heaping more complexities and problems on her, at the behest of her mother, her brother moved into her apartment to help her go to appointments and to look after herself.
Even though she did not want her brother around, her mother insisted, and he has been of some help. He even apologized for what he had done when they were small.
However, when she goes back to her apartment and finds her brother there, her pain soars.
Taking Charge
Since she was an excellent hypnotic candidate, we were able to accomplish a lot during her first session. When we tackled her pain issues under hypnosis, she was able, on request, to increase or decrease her pain levels. Afterward, she was feeling no pain. For the first time in a long while, she had a happy, pain-free expression on her face. Suddenly she was no longer stooped, sad or speaking quietly. Erect, smiling and much improved, she was genuinely happy. We agreed to meet again in a couple of weeks.
I called 24 hours after her first session, which I do for new clients. She was in pain, not feeling good at all. She said that after seeing me she went to a physician appointment, and her pain promptly returned afterward.
How interesting.
Uncovering the Cause
Her visit with the physician centered on her pain, and after talking about it for a while, the pain reappeared. The explanation was clear. She wanted to feel better and responded to hypnosis but when with the doctor, her subconscious gave her all the old habit patterns that it had learned to give her. Soon the work in her first session was forgotten and her strong old behaviors returned.
I have mentioned how homeostasis (the innate desire for the body and the mind to remain the same) can affect us. Here was a classic example. The body and mind felt better, but when faced with the same kind of doctor visits as before, her subconscious gave her what she was used to.
More hypnotherapy sessions would be necessary for her to have a successful recovery, and the outcome is certain. Once the body and the mind accept the hypnotic suggestions for reducing pain levels, the subconscious will get the message and will alter her attitude and reactions to her pain.
She is learning a new life where capturing attention by using pain no longer will work.
By allowing the subconscious, a powerful tool, to accept the new pain-free behaviors reinforced through hypnosis and adopting a pain-free image, slowly but surely, her life will change.
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
