Relief from Neuralgia

Hi everyone...

I have had a lady come to me that during a flight tried to "clear" her ears by blowing and burst her ear drum. She had an ear infection at the time.

This was 8yrs ago - since then she has had terrible pain down the left side of her face - specialists can't find anything wrong, the ear has healed in their eyes although there is scar tissue. She has been diagnosed with Neuralgia.

The only way she gets relief enough to function is to keep the area warm, regularly wearing a balaclava, and taking pain meds that tend to put her to sleep.

We attempted hypnosis last week but she couldn't relax due to the constant pain...she lives with this every minute of every day.

I haven't been trained specifically in pain management (or what the correct wording would be for helping relieve pain) but I do get excellent results with most of my clients on all sorts of other conditions/states.

Can anyone lead me in a direction to help her please?

I suggested she take some pain meds before she comes to see me, so that she can at least have some relief and relax into trance and have read here how it can sometimes hinder the whole process.

I will refer her on to another therapist for hypnosis that is more experienced if I can't help - the number one thing for me is her comfort and her results.

Amber xo

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Permalink Reply by Michael Ellner on September 23, 2010 at 7:43pm

Hint: I find that taking a lighthearted approach is the best way to help people with serious pain.

FYI- Neuralgia is a chronic condition that is caused by changes in the structure or function of nerves rather than the more common chronic pain that is caused by the arousal and excitation of our pain receptors.

The great news is that you can help your client take the unnecessary suffering out of her pain by suggesting that as soon as you help her take the emotional charge out of her painful experience she will be able to tune out, ignore or at the very least turn down her suffering and improve the quality of her life.

You do not have to use conventional entrancement/relaxation to help her when you use the Ellner/Barsky detox to neutralize her emotional charge: Create a safe place for getting in touch with her pain - Anchor/Break State/Create a Resource state-Anchor/Break State/Fire both anchors at the same time and neutralize negative charge.

Now create a new resouce state based on feeling as good as she can feel - Have her remember and/or imagine feeling so good- that she just hasn't got time for the pain and anchor it. Now, tell her that every time gives herself the post hypnotic cue that is being installed today - She will automatically release enough feel good chemicals to take all of the unncessary suffering out of her pain and she will feel so much better. Blah, blah, blah-

You can model the detox here:
The Ellner/Barsky - "Do it yourself -Emotional De-tox"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=422jBmyEJw4

FYI-
A) Generally people are more responsive to the hypnotic experience sans drugs, but I am confident that you will be able to help even if she uses drugs.

B) In the US - Pain Management is code for managing Pain by Prescription and doctors who practice Pain Medicine do not appreciate it when non-doctors offer "pain management" They seem to be fine with "hypnotic pain relief" in my experience.

C) It's just a hop, skip and one long flight to my next training in NYC (Nov 2010)

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Permalink Reply by amber lee poole on September 24, 2010 at 2:45am

Oh Michael!!! I wish!!! Maybe next year?!?!?!?

Thank you so much, that has given me a definite path to follow so we can flow to where we need to go!!! I had read all about your course and your area of expertise - I am so lucky to have you and others to tap into xoxox

Amber

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Permalink Reply by Vince C on September 24, 2010 at 5:36am

Thank you for your generous video, you do great work. However,
In the end of your video, IMHO, you have an unnecessary post hypnotic suggestion:

"...Even though sometimes life is terribly painful..."

The Ellner/Barsky - "Do it yourself -Emotional De-tox"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=422jBmyEJw4

FYI-

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Permalink Reply by Joshua Johnston on September 24, 2010 at 6:01am

Here's something adapted from Melissa Roth's technique for migraines. She actually likes to have them come in in the middle of a full-blown migraine, as she can then provide a powerful proof for them that she can help them. I'll describe it below, in terms of your client's neuralgia.

First ask her to rate the pain on a scale of 1 to 100 (iirc, that's the scale Melissa uses). If it's off the scale, great; she'll get the most dramatic results this way.

Now ask her to pick one word that describes the feeling. Once you have that, get another one word. And another, till you have 3-5. Now have her re-rate the feeling.

It should be lower.

Rinse and repeat until you have it at a level where she can relax enough for you to work with her.

On a psychological level, this technique limits and defines the pain, making it smaller and smaller with every word. At the start, it's a large nebulous cloud of fear and pain and anxiety about the pain and ... By defining it, it becomes less nebulous and gets smaller, too; if it's X, then it's not Y. If it's X and Z, then it's not Y and A. And by being less nebulous and smaller, it becomes easier to manage and tolerate, which lessens the fear and anxiety and brings the numbers down.

Or you can use Michael's advice, which is excellent, as well. The important thing to remember is hypnosis doesn't *need* relaxation. You can hypnotize and start helping even if the client can't relax. One way of doing it is to use NLP techniques. Or EFT. Or "emergency hypnosis" (very authoritarian waking suggestion delivered with unshakable confidence).

Hope this helps and you're able to get your client on the way to a pain-free life.

Joshua

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Permalink Reply by Kelley Woods on September 24, 2010 at 6:17am

Here's another idea for you:

A Spanish doctor (Dr. Angel Escudero) has an idea that he has named NoEsiTherapy
NoEsiTherapy means: "Healing by thinking / Healing by thinking about them"
Greek Noesis (the "action of thinking") and Therapy: ( "healing").

• The body communicate stress in various ways
• Stress amplifier pain perception
• If we lessen stress, we reduce pain perception
• When you are stressed, your mouth is dry
• IF we keep saliva running in our mouth, we can reduce stress perception, because the body gets feedback FROM the mouth that NO stress is present as the mouth is wet and the pain subsides. (Endorphins released)

It is so simple, that you might think it can’t be so, but it works ...

• FOCUS - The client focuses on obtaining liquid saliva in the mouth (you know how to promote this)
• AND subconscious "feedback" from the body to the mind. (Saliva = no stress)
• Saying "I need my X numbed and X will continue to be numbed until there is no need for it anymore .."
• Think positive - Happy thoughts (love life)

I've successfully used this technique for people preparing to get dental work, injections, or, like in your client's case, for chronic pain...

Best wishes,

Kelley

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Permalink Reply by amber lee poole on September 24, 2010 at 9:15pm

Thanx Kelly - so very helpful!!

Amber xo

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Permalink Reply by amber lee poole on September 24, 2010 at 9:19pm

Thank you for taking the time to give me such thorough answers - i have a lot to work with now and Michaels idea of being light hearted was very helpful - i am usually so comfortable with my clients and believe in hypnosis so much that it is a non-issue for me when someone walks in wanting to quit smoking or lose weight.

As I have had chronic pain in the past i understand so much some of what she is going through and I made it "very important" that i "get it right" for her....

Very interesting how this affects the outcome - just like walking my dog for years without a muzzle brought so much panic to me as he would go at other dogs... i bought a muzzle the other day and we walked the best we have in years BECAUSE I WAS CALM! Seems Cesar is right.....

Thank you xoxoxox

Amber

Joshua Johnston said:

Here's something adapted from Melissa Roth's technique for migraines. She actually likes to have them come in in the middle of a full-blown migraine, as she can then provide a powerful proof for them that she can help them. I'll describe it below, in terms of your client's neuralgia.

First ask her to rate the pain on a scale of 1 to 100 (iirc, that's the scale Melissa uses). If it's off the scale, great; she'll get the most dramatic results this way.

Now ask her to pick one word that describes the feeling. Once you have that, get another one word. And another, till you have 3-5. Now have her re-rate the feeling.

It should be lower.

Rinse and repeat until you have it at a level where she can relax enough for you to work with her.

On a psychological level, this technique limits and defines the pain, making it smaller and smaller with every word. At the start, it's a large nebulous cloud of fear and pain and anxiety about the pain and ... By defining it, it becomes less nebulous and gets smaller, too; if it's X, then it's not Y. If it's X and Z, then it's not Y and A. And by being less nebulous and smaller, it becomes easier to manage and tolerate, which lessens the fear and anxiety and brings the numbers down.

Or you can use Michael's advice, which is excellent, as well. The important thing to remember is hypnosis doesn't *need* relaxation. You can hypnotize and start helping even if the client can't relax. One way of doing it is to use NLP techniques. Or EFT. Or "emergency hypnosis" (very authoritarian waking suggestion delivered with unshakable confidence).

Hope this helps and you're able to get your client on the way to a pain-free life.

Joshua