Physical Health Issues
The connection between the mind and the body has been recognised for a long time, but with the advent of modern medicine, science has turned more and more providing solutions for illness through chemical interventions, with little or no acknowledgement to the evidence that your mind can be as effective in finding a cure.
Placebo effect is fact, not fantasy and as such the effect of positive thinking and belief are proven cures, not just some ‘mumbo jumbo’. The gateway theory of pain, where mental focus can be utilised to reduce or even cut off the pain system in the body has been proven in cases where people have undergone operations using just self hypnosis and mental relaxation techniques promoted through hypnotherapy provide relief for the symptoms caused by prolonged anxiety.
Stress, worry, depression and anxiety activate systems within the body which cause the release of hormones designed to protect the body from immediate danger. As these chemicals increase the whole system becomes more alert and prepared for immediate action, heart beat increases, breathing gets quicker and blood is diverted towards the muscles. The body tenses in anticipation and even your eye sight changes as your peripheral vision widens. Your digestive and immune systems are suppressed and people often feel butterflies or sickness. In some cases these symptoms escalate into full on panic attacks where the body is demanding flight, fight, freeze or faint.
Many physical issues are a direct result of this basic instinct reaction and by treating the mind to understand the difference between mortal danger and everyday issues and releasing old patterns of learnt thoughts or behaviours you can begin to reduce conditions such as IBS, migraine, skin conditions, pain, tinnitus etc.
Therapy can give you the tools to change the way you view your symptoms and techniques applied through hypnotherapy and CBT can release you from the habits formed as a subconscious reactions linked to certain emotionally charged memories and experiences. We are programmed to remember what makes us frightened and to react to these memories without having to ask ourselves if it is a logical or rational reaction. If you were in the jungle you would need to run immediately from that lion, without having to wonder if it was dangerous!
The treatment process for these conditions is usually 4 weeks and it is important that you commit to the whole plan. Some people look towards hypnosis as a magic wand which I can use in 1 session and although this is possible in some cases, most people require at least 3 sessions.
Please look through my blog and other pages on the site for details on more specific conditions and contact me for anything not listed here yet.
Bunny