# What should I expect from hypnotherapy?



## Clair (Sep 16, 2000)

Hello all







My new doctor is keen for me to try hypnotherapy for my sleep problems with my ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - and having told him of the success I had with Mike's tapes for the IBS component of my illness he is trying to get me to come into the surgery asap to start on a program for my sleep problems.Basically because of the ME/CFS I have a reversed body clock (want to sleep all day all awake at night), I have very light broken sleep patterns and get roughly 4-5 hours at most a night.He seems to think that one to one hypnotherapy is well worth a go and I'm willing to try it - but I have to admit to being more than a little nervous and don't know what to expect. Could Mike possibly enlighten me as to what usually happens in one of these sessions? My doctor mentioned that there is no facilities for me to sleep when I go for one of these sessions and that it is more to equip me with the skills to do it for myself.I'm thinking that with the success I had on the IBS side with the tapes that I'm open to hypnotic suggestion so I see no reason why it couldn't work - but not knowing how the process works in a live one-to-one hypnotherapy session..well it is a concern for me.Anyone out there had this sort of hypnotherapy session? what happenened? what should I expect?Hugz xxxx


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## cookies4marilyn (Jun 30, 2000)

Hi Clair!Good to "hear" from you again, but I am so sorry you are having these sleep issues. (((HUGS)))As luck would have it, I was speaking with Mike while I was looking at your post, so I asked him directly!Mike says until you find a hypnotherapist, that your circadian sleep pattern has been altered as a result of the ME/CFS, and that maybe you might want to see if you can try to break that cycle yourself until you start with the hypnotherapist in person.He said if you lie awake longer than 20 minutes, to get up, and go to another room, turn the light on, and just stand or sit there with NO other stimulation of any sort - no telly, radio or book, etc. and stay there for 20 minutes or until you feel sleepy, then go back to bed - if you are awake again for 20 minutes, then repeat it and get up again, as many times as you are still awake for 20 min or more in bed. You have to do this because you are associating bed with only sleep or sex, and not being awake (that's what he said, yes!







) He also said you will be "unhappy" with him at this suggestion for 2 or 3 nights - so perhaps do it on a Friday night if you work regular hours, or when it would be best. He uses this technique with doctors who medicate themselves to get sleep,with their late hours, and no longer want to use meds. This breaks the cycle of "expecting not to get to sleep" and to at least try it for 3 nights or so and see what happens.Also, he looked up for your area to see if there were any hypnotherapists specializing in ME/CFS sleep pattern disorders and didn't see any listed for your location.So he said to ring the Hypnotherapy Association at: 01257 262 124 and ask for Liz or Irene and tell them that Michael Mahoney referred you them to find a hypnotherapist for your condition.He also said to make a list of questions before you go and to "interview" several if you have that option, to find personality compatability, etc. - ask them price up front, and if they have had experience treating sleep patterns with ME/CFS. Also, he said you should bring someone with you, or if they do therapy in your home, to have someone there with you. Each hypnotherapist does their own thing, so he said that even though persons may tell you their experiences of what to expect, it may be different from the therapist you may see, and his methods may be different from theirs as well.I asked Mike if you could also email him, he said if this info isn't enough to do so, but he is swamped at the moment, and wouldn't get back to you until next week, and said most likely that pretty much what I mention here is what he would tell you anyway, unless you had other questions not listed here.Here is a website about sleep patterns - you probably know most of this stuff already: http://www.bio.davidson.edu/people/midorca...s/Treatment.htm And here is a study that may be of interest to you: http://www.immunesupport.com/message/cfssleep.htm Disordered Circadian Sleep-Wake Nueroendocrine & Immune Functions in Chronic Fatigue SyndromeH. Moldofsky, F.A. Lue, J. Dickstein, L. Poplonski, C.G. Jiang, R. GorczynskiRegarding disturbed sleep patterns, a group of researchers investigated the circadian sleep/wake-related neuroendocrine and immune functions among CFS patients. Eleven CFS patients, and two control groups containing healthy participants or healthy participants with symptoms of fatigue, were included in the overnight study. Blood samples were drawn from each test group, and analyzed. The amounts and activity of T-cells and natural killer cells were analyzed by immuno-fluorescence technique with flow cytometry. The plasma was assessed for cortisol, human growth hormone, and prolactin. Analysis were performed for sleep stages as well. In comparison to the two control groups, altered patterns of cortisol, prolactin, and natural killer cells which accompany the alpha EEG sleep disorder, sleepiness, pain, and daytime fatigue were found in CFS patients.---------------I think your condition of the ME/CFS, has to be taken into account with the sleep pattern, because there are other factors going on as that study shows, so make sure your therapist isn't just a specialist in sleep patterns alone, but is familiar with ME as well.Hope this helped you a bit - take care of yourself, and let us know if we can help further!xx Happy Hols to you too. ~ Marilyn


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## Clair (Sep 16, 2000)

Thanks Marilyn







give my thanks to Mike too and tell him not to work so hard







The sleep problem has been going on for sometime (now about 4 years) and is more related to my bladder than insomnia. I can only go 3 hours sleep then wake up needing the loo urgently. Then when I go back to bed it takes me ages to fall asleep and when I do it seems like five minutes and Im up needing the loo again.The bladder issue is being tackled as well, I have medication for that and I've had some tests to try and find out why its so irritable. I'm not allowed to consume cafffeine, alcohol or certain foods past 6pm to try and help with that.My doctor has started me on amityrptyline (think its called Elavil in the US) at a low does because it can help with sleep and with bladder problems too - but he thinks I would also benefit from hypnotherapy as well so I am seriously considering it.I get the impression that they have someone at the surgery who does the hypnotherapy but I doubt very much if they specialise in CFS/ME sleep problems...I think it would more than likely be just general hypnotherapy. I don't think I can afford to go see someone privately as I'm pretty poor as it is.


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## cookies4marilyn (Jun 30, 2000)

Hi Clair - Oh, well now that is a bit different with irritable bladder as an added cause of your awakening - I have this as well as a result of abdominal surgery, and the doc also suggested Elavil for me too. But I was sort of not wanting to take something on an ongoing basis, as mine isn't consistent. But when I do have this problem, I listen to one of the sessions on Mike's chronic pain program, and that usually gets me back to sleep. Well, if your doc has someone in his surgery who does the hypnotherapy, it certainly isn't going to hurt anything to give it a try - you will know if it and the therapist would be right for you. I hope you are able to find some relief for this!Best wishes - Take care and hope you are better soon.


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## Clair (Sep 16, 2000)

Thanks Marilyn as as always your such a star! Well I'm quite willing to give it a go as I remember back to when I did Mikes Tapes for the IBS and I got some fairly decent sleep albeit a few afternoon naps as part of that.I will see what the surgery offer and if it isnt to my liking I will be back on here for recommendations as to which if Mike's recordings may be best. I think my initial worries about this other hypnotherapy is that it may not be as good as what I'm used to (a.k.a. Mikes Tapes) anyway we will see.Marry Christmas to you, hope you have a lovely time! xxxx


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