As a Registered Nurse, my focus has always leaned more to the medical side of hypnosis. I prefer helping individuals with chronic anxiety, stress, and pain conditions which is why I decided to become an irritable bowel syndrome specialist. IBS is a chronic gastro-intestinal condition (GI) with no known cause or cure.
Symptoms include any one or a combination of the following: diarrhea, constipation, cramping, gas, pain, or bloating. Symptoms usually run in cycles lasting for days, months, or years. IBS making its victims feel like prisoners in their own home.
IBS affects 35 million Americans, 4 of 5 are women, and it is more prevalent than asthma, diabetes, acid reflux and depression combined. There are likely millions who never pursue treatment due to embarrassment. 10% of all primary care physician visits are IBS related. It is the 2nd leading cause for employee absenteeism and costs the US 8 billion dollars/year.
Diagnosing IBS is a process of exclusion which means a physician needs to rule out conditions such as lactose intolerance, Chron’s disease, bacterial infections, parasites, dumping syndrome, ulcerative colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac and gallbladder disease before a diagnosis of IBS can be determined.
The onset of symptoms ranges between the ages of 20-29 in adults and 9-11 in children. Onset of symptoms can sometimes be traced back to a traumatic event, illness, injury, or accident. Some clients just begin having symptoms early in life for no apparent reason at all. IBS is also known to be familial. Many IBS sufferers go through life with no idea of what normal gastro-intestinal function is like.
Symptoms can also be aggravated by stress, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, foods high in animal or vegetable fat, beverages containing dyes, artificial sweeteners, food or medication sensitivities or hormone fluctuation but none are the cause.
Traditional medical intervention includes high fiber diets, antispasmodics to relieve cramping and spasms; antidepressants to relieve the emotional burden and antidiarrhea medication. Research indicates that this approach offers symptom relief to only 25%. Because IBS is not life threatening, is not a precursor to acute illness and is undetectable with diagnostic equipment, sufferers are usually told they have to live with it.
Hypnosis stands alone as the most significant long-term symptom solution for IBS which is why I chose to specialize in it. IBS hypnosis has been researched for over 20 years and the results are consistently positive. The success rate of hypnosis relieving IBS symptoms ranges from 70-95% and relief is at least two years in duration.
The largest study to date followed 250 IBS clients who were treated with 12 hypnosis sessions over a three month period and they also listened to recorded sessions at home. The conclusions showed dramatic improvement in all IBS symptoms. The average reduction in symptoms was more than 50% as well as increased quality of life and relief from anxiety and depression. (Gonsalkorale, WM., 2002)
Another study compared 25 severe IBS clients treated with hypnosis to 25 patients with similar symptom severity treated with other methods. The hypnosis group showed that in addition to significant IBS symptom improvement participants had fewer MD visits, lost less work time, and rated an improved quality of life. Hypnosis clients unable to work before treatment went back to work afterwards. The study shows the economic benefits and improved health-related quality of life. (Houghton, LA., 1996)
My IBS program involves four gut-specific hypnosis sessions spread out over the course of a three month time period. My clients daily rate all of their symptoms on a scale of one to ten, so we can objectively track their progress. To give you an idea of how effective IBS hypnosis is the average combined symptom rating at the beginning of treatment is 8/10, after 6 sessions it is 3/10
Most IBS clients have suffered with their symptoms for decades, but after a few short months they learn to create peaceful comfort from within. With the help of hypnosis they are able to replace anticipatory anxiety with the expectation of relief. When an individual knows they can control how they feel with their thoughts all bets are off in terms of how long lasting the relief can last.
By: Paul Gustafson RN CH
It doesn’t matter what your goal is, if you are as consistent with the solution as you were with the problem, some version of relief is in your future. I tell my clients all the time that repetion rules. Repetition causes our problems to become rooted and automatically part of who we are. The same is true for the solution.
If you spend 20 minutes per day listening to a hypnosis session which supports a particular goal it is next to impossible to no establish positive change. If you are an open minded individual, able to follow simple instructions, and truly want to create positive change, repetition will more than likely get you where you want to go.
By: Paul Gustafson RN CH
In most states hypnosis is not a regulated profession which means that anyone could take a weekend seminar and call themselves a Hypnotist, so it is a good idea to go into the selection process with a game plan. The first step would be to find someone who is also a licensed healthcare provider such as a physician, registered nurse, psychologist, psychiatrist or a social worker. These individuals are educated and certified in their field and are more able and likely to offer professional quality care.
Although most doctors know very little about hypnosis you might ask your primary care physician for a referral. Another resource is holistic health centers, where there are usually several modalities of holistic practitioners under one roof. In such settings there is more likely to be a collective professional atmosphere.
There are several reputable organizations such as the National Guild of Hypnotists and the International Association of Councilors and Therapists. You can also do an Internet search of your area. From there you can research practitioner’s websites for office rates, qualifications and also get a feel for their level of professionalism.
If you are fortunate enough to be able to speak to the Hypnotist on your initial phone call you can gauge if they are generally interested in your concerns, how long they have been in business and what their qualifications are. You can also inquire if they are affiliated with any national organizations, if the session(s) will be specific to your needs, whether they teach self-hypnosis and if you will be receiving a recording of the session for home reinforcement.
There are many in this field who do very little in terms of preparing you for long term success as they prefer to have you keep coming back for costly office visits. Also ask how many sessions are required and you should also ask for references. I have a long list of satisfied clients who make themselves available to offer references.
If you get all the right answers to these questions and you feel good about the person you are speaking with, the last thing is to make sure their rates are in line with the area they practice in. This varies greatly from one part of the country to the next. If you feel good about how they describe their services and they seem to respect you and your concerns don’t let a few dollars get in the way of a positive experience. The average cost per session in most metropolitan areas is about $125-$150.
Once you have chosen a hypnotist the last step is to evaluate their office. If they got passing grades so far the chances are pretty good that the office experience will pass as well. A hypnotist can practice in a professional building or out of a home office. You will know right away if it is clean and professional in appearance. The hypnotist should make you feel welcome and cared for. There should also be a comfortable place for you to relax during your session. If everything meets your approval relax and enjoy the experience.
By: Paul Gustafson RN CH
Life is a long string of choices and how we imagine ourselves strongly influences the choices we make. The only limitations are those we self-impose. A phrase from the popular DVD The Secret sums it up perfectly, “thoughts become things.” If our most predominant thoughts are based in stress, frustration, disappointment and failure then that is what we should expect in our lives. How we think and what we think shapes our world.
Hypnosis is a simple tool enabling you to powerfully harness your thoughts and accomplish dramatic positive change. By constantly imagining what you want, how it is going to look and imaging how the joy will feel you are programming your subconscious to initiate the inner changes supporting your goal.
I had a client who became fearful of driving. Over a period of three years she drove less and less. She constantly focused on the irrational fear and began to see herself not being able to drive, which is exactly what happened. Over time she became more adept envisioning and feeling her fear. During our initial conversation she went into explicit detail about her problem and became emotional in the process.
During the hypnosis session I guided her along an imaginary drive in the country, something she used to enjoy. Then her drive led her home which was in the city. During hypnosis she was able to reconnect with what she used to enjoy about driving, the independence, control and the destinations she chose.
At the conclusion of the hypnosis session she was surprised to say that the thought of driving home that day seemed okay to her. Intellectually she remembered the problem of the past but for that moment in time she had a new vision. She saw herself as a confident driver. In twenty minutes she re framed her view of the situation to the point she felt ready to drive again.
Most of problems people encounter are the result of unproductive repetition of thought. Like anything else, if we do it enough it gets easy and automatic. This is true in athletics, academics, auto repair and fishing. We are creatures of habit, if we habitually consider positive situations and experiences that’s what we should expect.
By: Paul Gustafson RN CH
Intensive Therapy: Utilizing Hypnosis in the Treatment of Substance Abuse Disorders. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, Jul 2004 vol.47 (1):21-28. Potter G. This study examined 18 cases over the course of 7 years in which hypnosis was used in an attempt to assist the subjects in overcoming a variety of substance addictions. Fifteen cases related to alcohol, two to cocaine and one to marijuana. All subjects were received daily hypnosis sessions over a 20 day period and then reassessed a year later. While the sample size was small it was found that these daily hypnosis sessions led to a 77% success rate.
Paul Gustafson, R.N., C.H. has been featured on WBZ radio, hosts TV show Healthy Hypnosis, is an Angie’s List ‘Super Service’ provider. Check out his in-office Substance Reliefprogram. Also available as MP3 download.
Contact Paul for free consultation: 888-290-3972 or info@burlingtonhypnosis.com and visit Burlington Hypnosis.
