Because conventional medicine has made tremendous strides in infection control and trauma treatment we are now plagued with a host of chronic illnesses that rob us of the vitality of life. Although they are not life threatening they are life changing. Research has not defined the causes and the pharmaceutical industry has not developed drugs to cure them. So far, conventional medicine has been at a loss to make the symptoms go away or to make them go away well enough for us to actually feel better.
With hypnosis , however, we can improve the quality of life for people suffering from many chronic illnesses. Irritable bowel syndrome and fibromyalgia are two examples of common, chronic illnesses that respond very well to hypnosis but not to conventional medical treatments.
Irritable Bowel SyndromeIBS is a common chronic digestive problem. It strikes one out of five people in the general public and one out of three adult women. It is the second most commonly cited reason for missed work days. Typically, it strikes people in their early 20’s to the mid 30’s, the peak productive years. However, many of my clients say they have had symptoms since childhood. The average age of diagnosis in children is 9 to 11 years old. For adults and children alike, the symptoms tend to grow worse as they age.
The symptoms are: chronic constipation, chronic diarrhea or a combination of both. These are combined with gut pain, gut spasms, gas, bloating and a change in bowel habits . Roughly 40% of people with IBS will also have dyspepsia and/or fibromyalgia. Some people have a sense of urgency and others may experience nausea or other symptoms.
No one knows exactly what causes irritable bowel syndrome. Although we know many differences between someone with IBS and someone who does not have IBS, we still haven’t been able to use that knowledge to develop safe, effective pharmaceutical treatments. In diarrhea predominant IBS, the contractions that normally push food through the gut are stronger and last longer resulting in diarrhea. In constipation predominant IBS, however, food passage slows and stools become hard, dry and painful. Some clients experience both diarrhea and constipation in the same day.
Regardless of the causes, IBS responds very well to hypnotherapy. Since 1996, over 86% of my IBS clients have become and remain symptom free. 94% got at least a 50% reduction in symptoms. The symptoms do not return when the sessions end. The oldest person to date has been a 76 year old lady who had experienced severe IBS symptoms since she was 21. She is now symptom free. The youngest was a nine-year-old boy who also remains symptom free.
For people under 50 years of age only six sessions are required. For those over 50, an average of 8 sessions is necessary. Imagine, in as little as ninety days you could have a whole new lease on life. No longer would you have to worry about the location of the closest bathroom or fear going out in public. For more information about IBS relief through hypnotherapy visit www.tranceworkers.com . Or, to locate a certified IBS hypnotherapist near you go to www.ibshypnotist.com .
FibromyalgiaFibromyalgia (FMS) is characterized by widespread pain in all four quadrants of the body, fatigue, non-restorative sleep disturbances, cognitive difficulties, particularly short-term memory loss and 9 out of a possible 21 tender point sites. If these symptoms have lasted longer than three months and there is no discernable cause, then you can get a diagnosis of fibromyalgia.
Pain is the chief complaint in FMS. It is pain in the muscles and connective tissues as opposed to pain in the joints. It is usually a deep aching. However, there may be some areas of the body that have more intense pain.The sleep disturbances may be difficulty getting to sleep, staying asleep or both. People with FMS may be exhausted but unable to get to sleep for hours. Or they fall asleep easily only to awaken after a few hours and be awake for hours before falling asleep again. They awaken as tired as when they went to bed.
Fatigue in FMS is overwhelming. One client complained she had to rest from the exertion of getting out of bed. Typically, FMS patients experience the need to rest or nap between 30 minutes and two hours after awakening.FMS has been described as the flu that never goes away. Recall the last time you have a bad cold or the flu. Remember those first couple of days when you ached all over and felt bad, all you wanted to do was crawl into bed and pull the covers over you. You didn’t want to eat or shower or think. That’s how people with fibromyalgia feel all the time. But, since they look perfectly normal on the outside, they get no sympathy. It is an invisible illness.
Researchers have learned many ways in which FMS patients and non-fibro people differ. In spite of all we have learned about how FMS affects the body there remains more that we don’t know. And, we don’t seem to be any closer to a cure. Although there are new medications on the market for FMS, they are proving not to be as safe in widespread usage as they appeared to be in limited clinical trials. Not only are they not effective for everyone but there is a price to pay in side effects. And, when you stop taking them, the symptoms return.
But Fibromyalgia responds very well to hypnotherapy. Since 1996, over 80% of FMS clients have become and remain symptom free. And, 97% have gotten significant and lasting symptom reductions allowing them to return to higher levels of comfort and functioning. And, like IBS, the symptoms do not return when the sessions end.
Since hypnosis is non-invasive, it is the safest approach to use. And has been deemed “evidence based effective” by the National Institute of Health. It has had the full recognition of the American Medical Association since 1958 predominantly for its ability to relieve pain. There are no negative side effects with hypnosis. Hypnosis puts immune cells back in circulation leaving you healthier. You experience a greater sense of well-being and peace of mind. Since a hypnotic trance is a naturally occurring phenomenon it is quick to learn. And, once learned, it can be used for a lifetime.
What would your life be like if you no longer suffered with the pain, fatigue and dysfunction of Fibromyalgia? What would you do that you can not do now? For more information on hypnosis for fibromyalgia relief visit www.tranceworkers.com . To locate a certified FMS Hypnotherapist near you visit www.fmsrelief.com .
As a result of healing herself of both IBS and Fibromyalgia using hypnosis, she founded Alabama Hypnotherapy Center and partners with physicians and healers around the world. She sees private clients in her Birmingham, Al. office and travels to lecture and train others in the techniques she uses to alleviate suffering and un-wellness. She has published numerous textbooks in the field of medical hypnotherapy and is an internationally acclaimed author and lecturer.