# Ques.About Hypnotherapy



## BQ (May 22, 2000)

Do we know WHY it works? Thanks BQ


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

My theory (subject to change or revision without warning







). The two brains, the one in the gut and the one in the head communicate. The one in your gut is very efficient, but it isn't capable of learning or working around a defect (I mean day in day out same thing...it isn't like it has to figure out how to turn a rock and a branch into something that will kill a deer for dinner or anything). The one in your head is very capable of learning and can quite often adapts and become essentially normal even when there are grave defects (a friend of mine had an EEG recently. The doc figured one of the leads was bad. Turns out the accident he had as a young child killed a substantial part of his brain (before all the great imaging techniques were developed so I don't think the really knew...he just came out of the coma kinda thing). Although he has a few minor problems--which is why they ran the EEG--he is pretty normal, and the part of his brain that is missing is pretty vital.So one way to work around the lack of learning and adaptability of the gut brain is to use the head brain to fill in the gaps and fix things up.Additionally, the head brain can be doing things that interfer with the functioning of the gut brain (nervous diarrhea is one example). If you can convince the head brain to stop screwing with the gut brain than in and of itself should help get rid of some symptoms.K.[This message has been edited by kmottus (edited 01-26-2001).]


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## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

There are quite a few ways they know it works, but they have not figured it out completely. I will add more to this thread and I personally find it very interesting. I believe K is on the mark as well and I am sure Mike himself will comment, but I had saved this from an earlier dicussion we had one time and I think this is a good place for it. It is partly on his tapes, but also explains some other aspects.Many doctors and gastro specialists use this term 'all in your head'. I think they are trying, all be it ham fisted, to say that there is nothing organically wrong. However I have had quite a few discussions about this in the past, the problem lies with the fact that doctors are taught to look for disease and illness. We know IBS is a functional disorder, so I argue that by definition there is something wrong becuase peristalsis is not doing what it should. 'All in the head' is not right, it is an offensive term to those that are looking for solutions.It conjures up the emotion that sufferers are doing it on purpose somehow. However, the majority of us, tend to run things out, before they happen. So along with Stress, there is also a psychological element in our thought patterns that expects us to have dificult IBS days. Running out worries causes us to have anxiety and added stress, which creates a negative physical response. The annoying thing is, this is part of being a human being, its a response which we don't have to even try to do, it all happens automaically. To understand the tapes a bit more, we have to understand stress is not 'out there', stress is how we respond internally to real or perceived external demands. What is a stressful event for one, can be invigorating or relaxing for another. Every thought has a physical response, exactly as Eric says. We can prove this by the feelings of love, anger, jealousy,etc all emotions start with thought ( our interpretation to an event ) , which then leads to physical response. This is even recognised in legislation by recognition of the term Crime of passion - a person might kill another ( an extreme example, granted) becuase they were firing on emotion, which made them pick up the knife to perform the action. That anger began in the thoughts, was interpreted and an action was carried out. All by the release of chemicals and electrical impulses. Police officers see hightened states every Saturday night when people come out of the pubs, we even have our own language for heightend emotion, count to ten is a good example. Count to 10 before we say or respond to something that has annoyed us, basically by giving a bit of time, the response travels through the 7/8ths of the brain that is emotion until it gets to the 1/8th bit of logic and reason, which allows us to stop and think. In effect changes the chemical releases and electricsl impulses - we simmer down. All these physical reactions, along with the more every day concerns of, getting to work on time, what happens if I need the toilet?, do the shops have toilets, etc. every thought produces a physical reaction, good or bad. The thing is, we can choose to learn new coping strategies. Our inner resources can be topped up. Users of the program will have noticed that the first session, is time spent topping up the emotional reserves, making sure they can complete the journey through the program. Patients that come to my practice all go through the same thing, in short we have to be able to have the interal emotional resource to deal with everyday living, as well as changing our thoughts towards IBS. Becuase IBS has affected lives of sufferers so deeply, to try and deal with the IBS before we are prepared would lead to a tougher jouney. So taking the time to top up the emotial batteries as it were is time well spent. Still on stress, it helps too if we remember that the only important moment of our lives is the moment we are living, not the past (although we can change emotions attached to memories to make the past more comfortable for us), or the future that might never come. The other thing that holds us back is the fear that however we are feeling is going to last forever - Nothing lasts for ever, if we want to change! When we throw a ball up in the air, there is a point of time which the ball is neither going up or coming down, that is the moment of change. Users of the program who are feeling much better are changing the way they think, their outlook on life and its events, but I doubt anyone will be able to pinpoint exactly when things started to get better, but they do, and they do so becuase very gently the subconsious mind, which controls the digestive system, begins to realise, that these thought patterns of IBS are no longer needed, the individual as a whole is reminded that it existed very well thank you, without IBS, and can do so again, simply and gently by changing the thought processes, that kept Stress and Anxiety, Guilt etc in control. So the tapes are quite complex in their make up, but when I was doing my early days of research, I remembered that people learn more and easier if we enjoy what we are doing, so by using imagery and suggestion we create the enviroment internally, that allows changes, both emotionally and physically to occur. And becuase we enjoy what we are doing it doesn't seem difficult, and it isn't, its only when the conscious mind tries to control areas it wasn't designed to that problems occur. I might have babbled a bit, but don't expect a doctor to tell you this in this way, becuase their skills are in the organic, and they might just not know how to say what they mean! Hope it helps Regards Mike------------------ http://www.ibshealth.com/ www.ibsaudioprogram.com


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

Ok. K, I love YOUR vernacular!!!







I got it!Eric or Mike(Sorry I'm confused who posted but I know both of your hearts are here so I'll address you both







)It is hard to get past the negative connotations of the word Psychosomatic, but I think that this is what you are saying. IBS is a psychosomatic syndrome in the truest sense of the word. I'm beginning to feel a little less like my stress, my high blood pressure, my IBS is NOT my fault. I know that is probably obvious to you all, but like I've said b/4 I'm under construction. Have been for quite some time; will be for quite some time. I cannot honestly seperate myself into a body section OR a mind section. They are connected. Period! Ok, it's not my fault, its not within my control. I can't Make my neurotransmitters do anything......Right now. But I CAN change my thinking & my perceptions, which in turn will change the way those neurotransmitters do business. Have I FINALLY GOT IT???? Thanks so much.BQ


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## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

Bq, IBS isn't phycosomatic, but there is a new unnderstanding how the brain and the gut communicate to each other, that in a way comes across this way. There is a physical problem. The regulation of neurotransmitters in the uptake and down take of the enteric nervous system seems to be a big part of it. In the old days when I was ten, one of my doctors said that to me, that it was phycosomatic. I knew there was a physical problem though. On a side note hypnosis can lower blood presssure. Maybe Mike will say something about this.AS for this "Right now. But I CAN change my thinking & my perceptions, which in turn will change the way those neurotransmitters do business. Have I FINALLY GOT IT????" YES and I could not have said it better. This also happens with your subconcious which is a very important aspect of this, that not just your concious thoughts change, but your subconcious as well.------------------ http://www.ibshealth.com/ www.ibsaudioprogram.com


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

Eric, What I meant by Psychosomatic was it is a syndrome that includes both the mind and the body. Not that the cause of it is "Psychosomatic". Does that help? Because if I've got the rest of it right, I think I'm ready to try hynotherapy (as soon as the old budget allows). I did some brave things today. I finally let my Dr. in on the "Whole Picture" of me. I came clean with the insomnia, the stress, under-eating, the BP headaches and other stuff(That I'm not ready to dump here)that I was not telling him. I know now that he is better able to treat me with this knowledge. He talked options: therapy(right now, like tonight, I'm not feeling physically strong enough to do that, I'm gonna have to try to sleep more & eat better b/4 I consider that, I KNOW the work involved & I'm just not up to that yet);Another option he threw out was a support group(At which point I told him I've got the BEST!!!);The 3rd option, anti-anxiety meds. Don't shoot me but here's my theory FOR ME on those: I've worked REAL hard to get where I am today without the use of them and for me,NOT EVERYONE, I think they could mask things or dull?(not sure that's the right word)my perceptions therefore impedeing (spBIG TIME) my progress. He encouraged me to consider everything and call him back when I make some choices. But I'll tell ya I felt like I was standing in the street stark naked telling him everything BUT I'm proud of myself for having the courage to do so. I'll be eagerly saving my pennies to try the tapes. Now Let me start welling up the courage to tell HIM I want to try it.







BQ


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## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

BQ, I am proud of you also and feel your right about coming clean with the doctor as this can help him better undertand how to treat you.Also, remember like he says to keep all treatment options open, the thing is to feel better. Sometimes antidepressants help in the short run for some and then they can quite taking them and for others maybe they need to take them longer.Take this a little at a time but move forward and you will feel more positive and with knowledge about certain treatments and how they work will find what is right for you.------------------ http://www.ibshealth.com/ www.ibsaudioprogram.com


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

Eric, I feel more positive already. I think I WASN'T moving forward b/4 and that was part of the problem. Now I feel like I'm starting to get somewhere and being 'stuck' in the same place was part of the problem. I'll try to keep an open mind on all of the options. (What I should have said, like K, all of these things I'm thinking are "subject to change without warning!"







) BQ BTW - BP is down slightly this am, what a shock, Huh?


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

BQ. I am so proud of you for opening up to the doctor!! Way to GO!!And I'm also proud of you for the intellectual struggly that you have been through as well. K.


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## Jennifer7 (Nov 13, 2000)

Eric,My blood pressure is generally low. Is therea chance that it could go too low during thetapes? And if my bp is low, does that meanthat the tapes might have less of an effecton my IBS?Jen


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## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

Jennifir, we should ask Mike about this but I am sure he has answered the question before. I do know that it is safe with no side effects and I have not found any complications in any databases. ------------------ http://www.ibshealth.com/ www.ibsaudioprogram.com


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## JeanG (Oct 20, 1999)

Hi Jennifer:As Eric said, Mike could answer this one the best, but, I have low blood pressure also and the tapes have not negatively affected me.







They have a very calming, relaxing effect.JeanG


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

My blood pressure has been low most of my life (impending middle age had gotten it up to normal) and I've done various meditation and biofeedback type of things with no problems.You may want to be careful when you get up, especially if you get light-headed getting out of bed in the morning, but that's more of a anytime you lie quietly anywhere for any reason kinda thang, not specific for hypnotherapy.K.


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

bump for jimz.


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