Today I want to say a few things about the use of hypnosis for people facing cancer. First – it helps. I know it helps because I am a cancer survivor and the use of hypnotherapy changed the way I experienced cancer.
To begin, hypnosis is commonly used to assist people in removing fears and apprehensions in their lives. When someone is diagnosed with the “Big C” it is the same as developing a new fear or realizing they are very apprehensive. People are afraid to go back to the doctor because they don’t want to hear bad news. They fear the worst.
The hypnotherapy techniques I use include sessions that provide cancer clients with “Instant Calm” that takes away the anxiousness of returning to the doctor or cancer clinic. Another session actually reverses the overwhelming stress around the cancer diagnosis. The client doesn’t forget that they have been diagnosed, but they experience the diagnosis without the negative emotional elements usually associated with a cancer diagnosis.
Many major cancer treatment centers in the USA have hypnotherapists on staff to work with patients. M.D. Anderson and Beth Israel are two centers that come to mind. In the summer of 2007, ABC News did a report of the use of hypnosis prior to breast biopsy surgery. The study found that women who had a short session recovered more quickly and experienced less pain.
Clients seek our my services as a Clinical Hypnotherapist to prepare themselves for surgery and to support their recovery after surgery. Post surgical support includes inner healing and pain control. Recently I worked with a client with skin cancer. We did sessions prior to surgery during which he learned how to use self-hypnosis for pain control. He left the hospital about two hours after his surgery. He was feeling good and eager to get home. Once he was home, he continued with self-hypnosis to control his comfort levels. He took no pain medications – not even an aspirin.
The power of our mind is amazing and many believe that it is limitless. What we conceive, we can achieve. Thus, by directing their inner resources through hypnosis, cancer patients can control the way their body reacts to the side effects of both chemotherapy and radiation treatment. With side effects lessened the body is able to heal more quickly.
