Hypnosis and Migranes

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Michael Ellner on December 21, 2009 at 6:13pm

Hey Ray-

Consider yourself a master chef and feel free to modify this recipe according to taste and what you think will work best for your client...
A) Set her up for sucess - (Think of this as part of your "pre-talk") "Reseachers have discovered that guided self-hypnosis can help people learn how to turn off their migraines and many of my associates are experts in pain relief like Roth, Cleary and Ellner (that's me) and they have helped many people head off and/or relieve migraines and they say-- learning and practicing self-hypnosis can help you in a big way... Blah, blah, blah...

B) You can begin your hypnotic ritual using your fav induction or just use this narrative as your induction:
Imagine: “It is a very warm day. The sun is shining brightly. There is almost no breeze whatsoever. It is a very lazy day. . . and you have nothing to do but relax and enjoy the warmth. You are so very relaxed. “You are sitting in one of your favorite places in the whole world. You are enjoying the peace, warmth and relaxation and getting kind of drowsy, just relaxing and enjoying the warmth that fills your body. “You enjoy the feel of the sun warming you. The sun’s gentle rays bathe your body in warmth. You are wearing exactly the right amount of sun lotion to protect your kind of skin, so you can relax and enjoy the sun’s energy. Your skin is protected against burning. “You feel the sunlight warming your chest and stomach. It is so soothing and tranquilizing. The sunlight warms your back and shoulders. Your arms are getting warmer and warmer. You feel it especially in your in your forearms. They have begun to perspire from the heat. . . and it feels so good. . . this soothing warmth and relaxation.” Now have her start repeating thoughts like "I deserve to feel great!" and/or "I am feeling better and better" to herself in the privacy of her mind, Reminding her to feel the warmth of the sunlight in her body, especially her forearms... Keep this up for a few minutes

C) Give her a post hypnotic suggestion: Suggest that if she practices this 5 min exercise several a day with or without the CD or MP3 you will be giving her- she will quickly develop a skill that will enable her to head the migraines off at the pass or reduce their discomfort by simply warming her forearms...
and bring her back feeling a sense of control... Now - give her a 5 min CD or MP3 with your customized variation of the above script and remind her that if she practices this 5 min exercise several a day with or without the CD or MP3 - she will quickly develop a skill that will enable her to head the migraines off at the pass or reduce their discomfort by simply warming her forearms...

Happy Holidays!

Michael E.

Permalink Reply by Ray MacDonald on December 21, 2009 at 6:41pm

Hi Michael -

Thank you very much. Great ideas.

I am SO looking forward to taking your class at Tribeca next May.

Happy Holidays to you as well.

Ray MacDonald

Permalink Reply by Kelley Woods on December 21, 2009 at 8:01pm

I don't suffer from migraines, but now I have warm forearms. Thanks a lot, Michael! lol

Permalink Reply by Anne Mullis on December 22, 2009 at 12:16am

Ray - being a migraine sufferer myself, I can suggest looking in the direction of pain management, perhaps. I have also used, with clients, the concept of either a radio tuner, to turn down the volume of pain; or the idea of packing the pain and stress of the migraine into a "cloud box" and allowing it to float away, once the client is satisfied they have loaded the "box" to the max and sealed it. I hope this is at least a small help, Anne

Permalink Reply by Michael Ellner on December 22, 2009 at 4:07am

Hi Anne,

Based on your use of the term Pain Management - I get that you understand what I am about to say -- I am sharing this for newbies and future readers.

Note- Although in theory Pain MANAGEMENT includes all approaches for helping people in pain -- it is good to be informed and understand that ONLY licensed medical professionals can MANAGE pain and the term is understood by doctors and patients to mean managing pain with pain medications--

Hypnos like us can work with Pain Specialists as an adjunct to their patients care by offering their patients hypnotic Pain Relief -- which can reduce the dosage and even eliminate the need for medication -- But, in my experience PAIN specialists will frown on our offering Pain Management services.

Anne,
FYI -- Hypnotists who help people in Pain are well aware of each other and we appreciate just how big this problem is. We also know just how much our services can improve the quality of some one's life and we tend to share what works for us in the spirit of partnering against pain -- Welcome to the club.

You radio tuner is a great idea - as one can learn to tune out pain -- I suggest trying using a Thermostat - because when helping people with persistent or chronic pain - it is often easier for them to start out by turning up the pain and then turning it down --

I know many hypnos who use a verison of your "cloud box" who find that it s quite effective for many clients as do I.

Warmest regards



Anne Mullis said:

Ray - being a migraine sufferer myself, I can suggest looking in the direction of pain management, perhaps. I have also used, with clients, the concept of either a radio tuner, to turn down the volume of pain; or the idea of packing the pain and stress of the migraine into a "cloud box" and allowing it to float away, once the client is satisfied they have loaded the "box" to the max and sealed it. I hope this is at least a small help, Anne

Permalink Reply by John Hall on December 22, 2009 at 9:31am

Ray,
First thing when seeing this client is to make sure you have a doctors referral. (This is a must !!!) You can use hypnosis to teach the client to control the pain, but to me this is like taking a pill to get rid of the migraine, you are just masking over the symptom. There is a reason why this person has had migraines for 20 years. What I would suggest you do is take the time to do a good pretalk and explain why we have symptoms such as migraines. Then do an induction, then follow up with an affect bridge regression to the ISE of the migraines finding out why this person is having migraines. Then get forgiveness whether its for someone else or themselves or both.By finding the underlying cause and changing it, you have taken away the reason for the migraines. (This way the migraines will not come back). I would follow up with suggestions of how she deserves to be happy and pain free and so on. Just another point of view. Good luck
John

Permalink Reply by Ray MacDonald on December 22, 2009 at 11:07am

Thanks John - Your suggestions make good sense.

John Hall said:

Ray,
First thing when seeing this client is to make sure you have a doctors referral. (This is a must !!!) You can use hypnosis to teach the client to control the pain, but to me this is like taking a pill to get rid of the migraine, you are just masking over the symptom. There is a reason why this person has had migraines for 20 years. What I would suggest you do is take the time to do a good pretalk and explain why we have symptoms such as migraines. Then do an induction, then follow up with an affect bridge regression to the ISE of the migraines finding out why this person is having migraines. Then get forgiveness whether its for someone else or themselves or both.By finding the underlying cause and changing it, you have taken away the reason for the migraines. (This way the migraines will not come back). I would follow up with suggestions of how she deserves to be happy and pain free and so on. Just another point of view. Good luck
John

Permalink Reply by Patricia Reynolds Sorbye on February 28, 2011 at 10:31am

I have a client right now with intense migraines that last several days. He was a pro athlete, and as a result suffered numerous concussions. The migraines started around the time he decided to retire. He's having all sorts of medical treatments for the migraines and concussions. We are working on anxiousness and emotional discomfort, but I'd love to be able to give him something that would help the migraines, as well. I've already taught him to do self-hypnosis, but perhaps he is not yet using it at an opportune moment. Or maybe there are migraines that can not be positively effected by Hypnotic techniques? Any thoughts?

Thank you,

-Patricia

(...and thank each of you for everything you have already posted about this...it does help!)

Permalink Reply by John B. Lee IV on February 28, 2011 at 11:00am

Just Curious, I know there are no apparent medical conditions, but are there any triggers? Does she receive any benefit from these migraines?

 these issues can be approached.

 

Also, I don't know if this is too simplistic, but I've seen it work... have you considered telling the mind that the migraines are no longer needed.?Kind of taking the thanks but no thanks approach...

Permalink Reply by Hypno-Jay on December 12, 2011 at 11:10am

Forgive me if this has been said, I haven't read all of the replies. What about using the effect bridge ? This could be conversionsl disorder, maybe worth checking for that ?