HYPNOTHERAPY


Jeffrey Ennis (2017). Hypnotherapy for pain control: 

                                   A Safe and Nonaddictive Way to 

                                   Relieve Chronic Pain.


Ennis is an medical doctor and psychotherapist who ran a chronic pain clinic for more than 20 years. More incredible is his heroic personal story of dealing with chronic pain since age 16. Among the many treatments he explored over the years, only hypnotherapy produced consistent results in decreasing his pain without the side effects of others kinds of treatments, especially pain medications. 

Ennis maintains that hynotherapy isn't a cure all. Personally, it reduces his pain by 30 per cent and lasts for an hour before he has to re-dose. And for those that suffer with chronic pain, any reduction in pain for any length of time is a welcomed relief. Ennis views self-hypnosis as one of many methods that can be used in coping with chronic pain. 

Chapter 9 covers the pragmatics of how to "box breathe," relax muscles, induce a trance, deepen the trance, use images and color to make suggestions to decrease pain, and how to come out of the trance. For most patients, he says learning self-hypnosis is a slow and steady process that is well worth the modest but meaningful pain reduction.


Anyone, in pain or not, can practice "box breathing." Draw a rectangle on a piece of blank paper about half the size of your hand. You will be tracing the figure with your index finger in the following manner. Begin at the upper left point of the box, move your finger across the top line of the box to the right while breathing in...then pause as you move your finger down to the right bottom corner to the box...breathe out as you move your finger to the left across the bottom of the box to the left most corner, then pause again as you move your finger up to the place you began in the upper left corner of the box....that's one complete breath...repeat 3-4 times and note any difference in how your body-mind-spirit feels when you finish.

 


 

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