Preparing for Surgery: A Surprising Way to Make it Easier
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Is one of the first thoughts you might have if you had to have
surgery, "I better make an appointment with my hypnotherapist."?
Perhaps it should be.
When Alice T., a medical doctor, mentioned to her hypnotherapist
during a sessions for weight control that she was going to have
abdominal surgery for fibroid cysts, he suggested that she use
hypnotherapy to help her prepare. Before surgery, she had a
hypnotherapy session in which suggestions were given to relieve
anxiety, reduce bleeding during the operation, and eliminate
post surgical discomfort.
There is plenty of evidence that with hypnosis simple mental
imagery and direct suggestions can assist in speeding recovery,
and lessen the need for anesthesia during surgery. It is even
possible to reduce or eliminate the need for pain medication
after surgery. Hypnosis is also quite effective for soothing
away presurgical anxieties. Although most hypnotherapists have
some training in the techniques, it is best to use those
certified in hypnoanesthesiology from the National Board of
Hypnotherapy and Hypnotic Anesthesiology (NBHA). All NBHA
certified hypnotherapists are extensively trained in techniques
for presurgical preparation, painless child birth, and pain
management.
Lessening the need for anesthesia during surgery is an important
health consideration, because as any surgeon knows, there are
risks associated with chemical anesthesia. The less a patient
needs the better. The same is true for any pain medication. Fear
and anxiety can easily increase the amount of anesthesia needed.
As fear raises adrenaline levels, it takes more and more
chemicals to overcome the natural "fight or flight" excitement
of the body, and to produce anesthesia.
Hypnotherapists
have found that the mind can lessen or eliminate those fears and
anxieties easily and permanently with some simple hypnotic
techniques. One of those techniques is "safe place" imagery, in
which the client begins by imagining him/herself in a location
that feels safe and secure. Once the "safe place" is established
and the feelings of safety and security are anchored in, the
client watches the whole process of the surgery repeatedly while
maintaining the feelings of safety and comfort. Just rehearsing
the event brings about a sense of familiarity, which makes
things easier. Rehearsing with the anchored feelings speeds the
process of familiarization, and ensures that feelings of safety
and comfort will be associated with the prospect of surgery.
The body has an intelligence of its own that can be engaged
through hypnosis to speed healing. For most, simple direct
suggestions for rapid healing combined with positive imagery
will activate the body's healing intelligence to shorten
recovery time, reduce bleeding during surgery, lessen post
surgical swelling, and to reduce or eliminate post surgical
pain. Ideally the person would have several sessions with the
hypnotherapist. The repetition of positive suggestions amplifies
the beneficial effects. That is one reason why hypnotherapists
frequently make audio tapes of the hypnosis sessions for
clients. Tapes are specifically tailored to the needs of the
individual, and will typically include "safe place" imagery, a
rehearsal of successful surgery and recovery, suggestions for
comfort, rapid healing, and a positive attitude. For those who
need the most reassurance, it is important that the rehearsals
have the greatest detail. That way as the person goes through
the event all of the details will be not only familiar, they
will be reminding the person to feel "safe and secure".
How does hypnosis
can help control pain after surgery? At first it may seem
like a rather mystical process, yet it's quite simple. With
hypnosis it's the same as when someone deep in conversation
bumps into a misplaced chair, noticing nothing until seeing a
bruise later. The preoccupied mind just doesn't notice the pain.
The nerves sent pain signals, but they never registered in
consciousness, and that's how the unconscious treats post
surgical pain. The "ouch!" never comes into awareness. Of
course, post hypnotic suggestions are given so that some pain
occurs if the person starts to do something that could cause
damage.
Two weeks after the surgery Alice T. called her hypnotherapist
and blamed him for her feeling guilty about not going back to
work early. After all, she felt great. She reported that she had
only had a few twinges of pain when she tried to overexert
herself, and her doctors were amazed at how quickly she was
healing. She also mentioned that she had never taken, or needed,
any pain medication at all after the surgery.
Hopefully in the days to come as medical doctors are integrating
the best of complementary healthcare into medicine, everyone
undergoing surgery will have hypnotherapy for presurgical
preparation as an option.
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