It is well documented that stress has an impact on health and the ability to heal one’s self when in a state of illness. How many stressed people do you know that also suffer from headaches and pains in their bodies, or reoccurring colds? My own personal story is that I used to work in a very stressful and pressured environment. I worked through my lunch breaks and at the weekend. If I got sick, I still went to work. I worked when I had tonsillitis and sickness bugs. I covered other people’s shifts when they were off sick, but I was sick myself! Everyone kept telling me to take a break or else I’d get really ill. And I’d reply “Yeah I’d have to be half dead in order to stop me working!” So guess what happened? I got appendicitis! I had to have my appendix removed and was signed off work and unable to do practically anything for a month! It was as if my unconscious was telling me “If you really belief that you need to be half dead in order to stop, then that’s exactly what you’re going to get!”
When we are in a good state of mind it inevitably has a positive impact on our body. We know for example that laughing and exercise cause the body to release endorphins, which are not only the body’s natural painkillers, but also alleviate stress, therefore impacting on the health and immunity of the body.
Yes laughter really is the best medicine! But your jokes do not have others rolling around on the floor laughing, then Hypnotherapy could be a beneficial alternative.
We know already that there is a loop that is created between stress/ illness or stress/ pain. For example, when you are stressed you may start getting headaches. The headache then becomes a fuel for stress in itself. Causing the patient to anticipate the onset of a headache and stress further about any aches or pains they start to get in their head. Then they create more stress and anxiety once they have actually managed to get the headache because it prevent them from doing the work they should be doing, or it prevents them from doing work that they do not really want to be doing.
By throwing Hypnosis into the equation, we stimulate the hypothalamus which is responsible for creating moods and emotions. This can be used to induce suggestions of feeling happiness, relaxation, carefree, and fun. In fact simply by vividly remembering times in the past when these emotions have been experienced can onset the emotion itself. The release of the endorphin chemical can also be directed to reduce any pain that the patient is experiencing in that moment to begin to alleviate it.
Thus the cycle is broken. The endorphins aid the relaxation and pain relief and the stress reduces.
By Gemma Bailey
www.hypnotherapyandnlp.co.uk
