Hypnotherapy long term effects or imagination?

Okay so here it is:

I feel a little background is in order here.
Some time ago before my wonderful insurance issued doctors where not able to figure out I was having seizures again, they had me sent to a “therapist” once a week at 300 dollars a pop. About three months into seeing her once a week the insurance funds started to run out. At that time she suggested I go and see a hypno-therapist as it would be cheaper than paying her etc and may actually help.

So there I was sitting in her office wondering what on earth she was talking about! After all I had spent three months making my husband miss days off of work just so I could get these precious appointments and she is now telling me I could have done this hypno-therapy thing all along!
Not having wasted half my coverage on going to an office to tell some stranger why my life sucked in under 15-20 minutes! I am not afraid to admit I LOST IT and read her a whole new form of riot act that she obviously hadn’t heard before.

To be honest I said some things I hadn’t heard before. Didn’t know I had it in me to “cuss like a truck driver”! As my husband so “gently” put it on the way to the car. Although I must admit she threw my husband a “new prescription” for my ANGER ISSUE as I went storming out. One that I promptly BURNED when he showed it to me at home.( Boy did I make him wonder if I really did have an “anger issue” with that one ) But O’man did it feel good!

Needless to say I sat at home suffering for several years, I was actually homebound 100%. I couldn’t even go out to my mailbox without feeling weird and getting to the end of the driveway was an absolute joke. It WAS NOT happening. I just got used to it and went about living that way for like 7 years. During that time I got back into studying and all kinds of on-line blogs and chat rooms etc. I was at home all the time and well there is just so many crumbs you can pick up off the floor.

I learned about all kinds of new stuff to do from home and taught myself how to read medical reports use the internet like a pro etc. I finally got tired of being stuck at home when my husband decided it was better to go out with out me and take someone else. Yeah he did cheat on me. I can’t say now that I actually blamed him at the time although NOW I most certainly do. Don’t get all excited we where able to work it out after he spent a month or two OKAY maybe it was more like 3 sleeping on the couch. Even then I had gone and ordered a cal. King bed! He had his side and I had mine. It stayed that way till I felt I could trust him again.

It was then at quite possibly the lowest point of my whole life that I met some “new age type” people in a chat room. They where talking about hypnotherapy and told me ALL about it. How it was supposed to work and all the pucky to go with it. So with me being who I am I had to go and look it up and study it. Well after about three months of reading all I could on it I looked up one in my area who turned out to be a total quack! That really put me off on even considering it and I had remembered the lovely therapist and her suggestions at the time. THAT did not fair well for the good doc either, he also got the riot act!
So it was back to being my little homebound self. Only this time I was on a mission to find one that wasn’t a quack. I kept telling myself that if this stuff was real there had to be one somewhere that wasn’t a money grubbing quack.

I did find one and to be totally honest she did help me get over what was going on and told me to also go and see a different doctor. (Glad she did!) It was then about 6 years ago that I found out I wasn’t 100% agoraphobic with panic disorder, I was having seizures again. Some/most of what was happening wasn’t panic at all! But a effect of the seizures themselves. Now all she had taught me was how to relax myself TOTALLY.
I had what she called a “trigger” where I would join my thumb and first finger together and think of the color blue.( I had a ton of blue stuff so was easy if I was to freaked out to close my eyes.) The relaxation thing she taught me helped me to get past the panic response over the side effects. I knew it was just relaxation and that was that. I had however gone out of the house 3 days later and had no problems. Yes I took baby steps and sat at the door then on the step then half way down the driveway etc. It took three days but on the forth I went for it and went fishing. By the ocean, which I don’t like here in California at all because of the rouge waves on the north coast where I live. It really shocks me now that I think of it. I can remember my husband asking me if I wanted him to just tape my fingers together!

Now what I want from you is some honest opinions as to whether or not you think it could be used for anything other than “progressive relaxation”.
To be honest she contacted me recently and asked me if I wanted to participate in a free “wealth magnet” workshop she is going to hold on-line. She knows I am still not able to work or drive for that matter.( We have kept in touch all this time and frankly become friends)
She has gotten SOO many emails from people asking her for help due to job loss, lost wages etc you name it. She feels bad for people because this same reason is what got her into the field to start with. I know she has done this workshop in person before with groups of people all over the world. But I never put much thought into it until now.

Now the claims of this are; that most people have some underlying positive emotional experience or train of thought that makes them feel they aren’t worthy of having money. The goal is to get the person to see what that is and help them to get past it. (While being hypnotized mind you.) There by making it easier for them to come up with ways to make money or get a better job etc.
I have got to tell you this one has got me to thinking! I mean I know it works to get you SO totally relaxed you are like in lala land.
BUT do you think it can really be used for something like this? Or anything other than this? Also how can you really get someone past a “positive emotion” they have ingrained into their mind? IF you can actually get a person past it how long will it work for a day a month a year or longer? Oye I have some many questions on this one it isn’t funny!
Well that is about it am looking forward to hearing some thoughts on this one! I am totally stumped on where to go from here and need some input.

[edit on 13-8-2009 by xoxo stacie]

[edit on 13-8-2009 by xoxo stacie]

Higher prices like that are likely to be a psychiatrist. My insurance only pays about $45.00 or about half of the cost just seeing a therapist. It's no wonder why California is bankrupt.

I've yet to actually look into a regression hypnotherapist. But I have recalled having seen one when I was around 11 or so. Some of the psychiatrists I've seen some appear eccentric or crazy to me and seem more like patients than doctors. I guess the sliding scale also means the type of doctor you get.

[edit on 13-8-2009 by aleon1018]

reply to post by aleon1018


Well I never even considered it being a form of regression. In a way I guess it could be considered to be just that. I mean if you are trying to get to an emotion that you engrained at a past time it would make sense.
Thanks.

reply to post by xoxo stacie


Hey, xoxo,

Yes, hypnotherapy works. I know this for two reasons 1. I used hypnotherapy myself, years ago, for an illness, and it helped. 2. I, like you, wasn't happy with the first hypnotherapist I encountered and so then I decided to go to hypnotherapy school myself. (Started out as a pharmacist, then went to two different hypnotherapy programs.) I then became a hypnotherapist myself.

So, yes, hypnosis works. Humans have been using hypnosis since the ancient Egyptian times, however, it wasn't actually called "hypnosis" until Dr. James Braid named it that. Before that, it was known as other names, such as Mesmerism (started by Dr. Frans Mesmer.)

Interestingly, Dr. Frans Mesmer was run out of town becasue he had cured some people who were suffering from seizures! The local doctors, his peers, called him a quack for what he was doing, despite the fact that his patients were cured.

Here's another funny story: Dr. Sigmund Freud started out learning hpnosis at the School of Nancy, but he was a terrible hypnotist, because he couldn't handle people looking at him. He was a bit neurotic, from what I hear. So, he created the "therapist behind the couch method" and proceeded to create the psychotherapy model.

Anyway, there are some GREAT books you can read about hypnosis and how it's worked in all kinds of illnesses. I actually had a naturopathic physician refer a few patients to me because one of her patients recommended me to her.

I stoped working with cilents a few years ago because it was too hard running a business on my own and then the economy tanked, and then I went back to homeopathy school, etc... but for the few years I was doing it, I did get very good results with my clients.

Nowadays, hypnotherapy can be used for many, many indications. Once in a while, I even use it in the hospitals where I work (for patients in pain, when nothing else is working) and there are many, many hospitals around the country who have hypnotherapists on staff.)

Hypnosis doesn't work for everyone, but then again, what does? Not even modern medicine works for everyone.



[edit on 13-8-2009 by nikiano]

reply to post by nikiano


Hey thanks for the reply! Good job by the way.

Do you have any links for those books on-line?

Might be interesting to get others involved if they could see some of them too. I have read a few but am just on the fence about it working is all.

reply to post by xoxo stacie


I think that many have panic attacks from feeling and being stressed for one reason or another. You might want to look into diets and how certain foods and additves can have this effect. Some are known as excitotoxins. MSG, corn syrup etc.

MSG and or Glutamates, I understand, are part of our nervous system and spinal fluid...I recall. I recall my leg used to overreact to tripping as if some seizure.


en.wikipedia.org...

en.wikipedia.org...

Acidodis, lactic acidosis.diet, dehydration etc.; acid reflux, migraines etc. Check any symptoms like these. About a half teaspoon of baking soda and water has been said to be better than calcium tablets and worth trying.

As for medication, I'm on lamictal or equivalent which is for bipolar and seizures. My suspicion is that bipolar is a type of seizure. I think it's a sign the system is breaking down.

Not that it's related to you, but here's a youtube video real life recreation series on "a doctor who hears voices"

She's a great actress and I liked the message, even though, 'the system' wouldn't. It's basically based on regression or repression and something mundane ( by comparison) from her past. I have my doubts it was the truth with the actual person.

www.youtube.com...

Sorry for my crazy rambling

[edit on 13-8-2009 by aleon1018]

Hey OP!

I'm actually going to hynotherapy school right now, so I know a bit.

I am continually awed and amazed at all the positive benefits it can have for people and myself too (as us students have to practice on one another).

I can tell you that as long as a person is motivated to change, they certainly will benefit from hynotherapy.

When it doesn't work is, for example, when someone is trying to change something because someone else wants them too. Like a wife sending her husband in to quit smoking. If he doesn't want to quit, he won't.

What they are teaching us is that is all has to do with what your subconscious mind thinks. So yes, if your subconscious mind believes, lets say that you'll never be successful, then no matter what you tell yourself consciously, you'll allow yourself to fail.

So the key in hypnotherapy is changing those negative beliefs in the subconscious and replacing them with positive ones.

Take losing weight for example. Someone really, really wants to lose weight. They keep trying different things, but nothing really works and they can't seem to stick to it, regardless of their good intentions.

Consciously, they want to lose weight. They believe they just have to find the right method, the right time, etc...

Subconsciously they believe that it is impossible - that it's just too damn hard.

The subconscious ALWAYS wins over the conscious mind. If this inner programming is not changed, a person will continue to follow it despite the best of intentions to want to change.

Hypnosis allows you to be relaxed enough to be able to reach the subconscious mind. That is why it can really be life changing.

Anyway, also you can ask your hynotherapist to teach you self hypnosis. That way you can make tapes for yourself for anything you want to change. Wording of your suggestions is important, however, and that is what you should study on if you want to do hypnosis on yourself. Or, of course, you can go to a hypnotherapist.



[edit on 13-8-2009 by Violet Sky]

You guys go big on the thoughts etc. I need a major nap was up way to late watching the sky is falling meteor shower last night. I will check back in a bit and chime in!
Xoxo stacie

Before you ask:
No I didn't get any pictures they came out black as my camera was set on the wrong lighting!
NEVER let kids play/use with your 500+ dollar camera set up BAD NEWS when you want it to work!

reply to post by aleon1018


I haven't actually had an actual "panic attack" since they put me back on epilepsy medication and I learned the relaxation from my friend. I have been seriuosly nervous a few times but that is about it and to be honest the times it did happen I had every right to be as it turned out.

edited:
sorry inserted her first name and not supposed to do that!
I am def. going to take a nap now byeeeeeeeee

[edit on 13-8-2009 by xoxo stacie]

reply to post by xoxo stacie


There could be other health reasons for the seizures. Ever had any tests done like an MRI? MS history in the familiy etc.? I had recalled having seizures when I was a kid and having medication for it. When my two kids were diagnosed with epilepsy type seizures and metioned it to my father, he denied I ever had them.

Side effects, other meds additives etc. Might think about an elimination diet to narrow it down also.

Sorry about being off topic though. I really don't know about long term effects, but I think most of us are under some type of mind control anyway.

www.transformationsolutions.com...

This prospective comparative clinical study evaluated the effectiveness of clinical hypnosis and its long-term effect in oral and maxillofacial treatment. A total of 45 highly anxious and nonanxious subjects were evaluated by subjective experience and objective parameters. Parameters were EEG, ECG, heart rate, blood pressure, blood oxygen saturation, respiration rate, salivary cortisol concentration, and body temperature. During and subsequent to the operative treatment, hypnosis led to a significant reduction of systolic blood pressure, and respiration rate and to significant changes in the EEG. The subjective values of the parameters evaluated existing anxiety mechanisms and patterns and possible strategies to control them, whereas the objective parameters proved the effectiveness of hypnosis and its long-term effect

I don't think we can meditate chemical environments away so easily.

[edit on 13-8-2009 by aleon1018]

reply to post by aleon1018


No don't need any tests at all; we know exactly what caused them and why.
My cousin thought it would be a really funny thing to hit me on top of the head with a tire iron for a big truck.
It cracked my skull, that led to seizures because it didn't heal right. The on going thing is because for MANY years the inside of my skull had an opening that allowed the membrane to swell into it. I have them now simply due to the damage of not having proper medical care when I was younger.Honestly it caused a whole lot of damage and other problems too.

I am intrigued how ever with the other posters input about people with epilepsy being helped with hypno-therapy.
I mean if you can help something that complex with it perhaps it is possible to have some lasting effects. By using it to get over not feeling worthy of money due to a positive emotion embedded in the subconcious.....