Clien, physical discomfort during hypnosis/multiple issues

**Posts:** 32 · by **Sylvia** » Thu Oct 16, 2003 6:28 pm

Hi everyone,

I hope someone can give me some help with this problem as I have never experienced it before with anyone other than myself and can't find any information anywhere about how to handle this.

I have a client that I have done one session for Self-Esteem and then a week later a session for Pain Management (arthritis, etc). She came yesterday and reported that 2 or 3 times now while listening to her tapes, she has had such extreme discomfort in her legs (twitchiness, etc) and into her whole body that she would end up rolling around on her bed to try to get comfortable and then have to end the session.

I had already decided that she needed to continue with the pain management tapes for longer than a week before we do anything else so we didn't do any hypnosis yesterday. She wants to also do Weight release.

We had a good talk instead where she disclosed that she is seeing a psychiatrist for depression, but he mostly just regulates her medication (Wellbutrin). She has just been on this med for 3 weeks, is having uncomfortable side effects, and the dr.'s response was to up the dosage(?). She had not told me about this before. She says she feels extremely lonely and is lacking motivation to do anything and lacks energy but most definately not suicidal (has strong religious beliefs about this).

We talked about the possibilities of Forgiveness Therapy, Parts Therapy and the like.

Can anyone, please, give me some advice about this? First, what causes the physical discomfort and what to do about it.

Second, how would you handle the multiple issues? In what order? What length of time between different sessions for different issues?

Third, the Pain Management session was a 'general' script, not the Glove. Should I do the Glove also?

Should I leave the Pain Management for now and move on to the more emotional issues? ie. would clearing the emotional issues clear up some of the pain issues?

She can't afford to pay for a psychologist or counsellor. I am doing this for free, and she really wants the help.

I am going to suggest that she see a well-qualified counsellor I know, who is free, if we go into the emotional problems to any depth so she has a back-up person to go to. She has sexual abuse traumas in her past. And physical abuse.

Sorry to be such a long post; hope I have explained it well enough for someone to be able to help.

I appreciate this so much, Thanks very much,

Sylvia

**Posts:** 2522 · by **kfedouloff** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 2:56 pm

Hello Sylvia!

Reading your post reminded me of a client I once had who also had multiple psychological, physical and financial issues. I had only recently started practising, and I was quite daunted by it all. I was particularly concerned because I noticed that I was spending a great deal of time thinking about this client and feeling that I must find a way to help, or I would be letting them down! Not to mention myself! It took me some time to sort myself out and let go of the need to rescue them, which I was able to do with the help and support of colleagues on a list I participated in at the time. What I learned out of the experience was the importance of keeping the responsibility with the client and not letting my keen desire to "help" become the dominant feature in the relationship. I also learned not to try and do everything at once!

So, bearing in mind that I know no more than the bare details you have shared, I might suggest asking the client herself to tell you what she wants to do next - which area does she most want to see change in, what kind of change exactly, and what is she prepared to do to facilitate that change happening? I have often noticed that my clients will tell me what they want without even noticing that they are doing so. I try to listen very carefully to the words they are using, particularly the words they use during the first 5 minutes of a consultation - there are often clues here. I note down anything that strikes me, and feed it back as a question or a suggestion, using their own phrases. That could open up a way forward for you!

Stay in touch

Kathleen

**Posts:** 2821 · by **Roger Elliott** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 3:31 pm

One way to look at it (and the one I adhere to) is to start where you can make the most difference the quickest. If she is suffering post traumatic effects of abuse, then I would start there as flashbacks can be stopped in a single session.

The effect of going this way is to 1) Immediately reduce unpleasant symptoms 2) Inpsire hope that other problems can be helped, and promote perseverance

Side Effects of Wellbutrin (Buproprion)
From: http://www.prozactruth.com/bupropion.htm
Agitation and Insomnia: A substantial proportion of patients treated with bupropion experience some degree of increased restlessness, agitation, anxiety, and insomnia, especially shortly after initiation of treatment.

The level of perception of pain is modulated by serotonin levels. If she has low serotonin due to depression (likely), sleep disturbance, lack of pleasurable activities and so on, she may be feeling higher levels of pain.

I would educate her about depression, remove any post-traumatic effects, give her self hypnotic skills to manage pain, and personally I wouldn't really do anything else until her depression had lifted.

All in my opinion, of course.

Best of luck

Roger

**Posts:** 32 · by **Sylvia** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 6:56 pm

Thank-you so much for your advice.

Always good to have a reminder about rescuing people in this type of occupation; it is easy to become emotionally over-involved in a client's issues until you can't see the trees for the forest - or is that vice versa?

I always remind my client's that they are the ones who have to make the decisions and try to help them to 'know their own mind and recognize their own feelings'; there is a lot of wisdom in that inner voice. I feel that is one of the benfits of hypnotherapy - we do learn to hear our inner voice much more clearly.

I agree that working on the depression is the way to go; I will start her off with your information about depression so that she then takes on the responsibility of dealing with her own issue and will be even more prepared (accepting) of anything that I then do. I love to send my clients home with homework - it makes them more independant and an active member in our little team (meaning the client and me). The decision will be hers, but I know my recommendation will be respected.

Thanks for the info about Wellbutrin. If she is on Wellbutrin, how will she be able to know that the hypnosis is working? What would she look for that would help her to know its the hypnosis and not the Wellbutrin? Is there any way to overcome the physical complaints during the hypnosis?

Thanks again for all your help,

Have a good weekend,

Sylvia

**Posts:** 2821 · by **Roger Elliott** » Sat Oct 18, 2003 8:16 pm

Thanks for the info about Wellbutrin. If she is on Wellbutrin, how will she be able to know that the hypnosis is working? What would she look for that would help her to know its the hypnosis and not the Wellbutrin? Is there any way to overcome the physical complaints during the hypnosis?

Once she understands how depression and antidepressants work, she will be able to see what is happening. All this is available on http://www.clinical-depression.co.uk

If she is feeling better, then it doesn't much matter why; I would say that it isn't the hypnosis - it is the changes she is making in her thinking patterns and lifestyle. The hypnosis is just part of the means to the end.

As far as the physical complaints go, I would be interested to see if she experiences them at other times. If she is simply getting them whenever she relaxes, then she has to decide whether she is willing to put up with these side effects of the drug, if indeed that is what they are.

**Posts:** 32 · by **Sylvia** » Mon Oct 20, 2003 7:55 pm

Hi again,

I will get the information for her re depression. Thanks very much for your advice and all this information you make so readily available.

Have you had any experience with the physical discomfort happening during a session before and what would you recommend can be done about it?

I have experienced this myself and it felt like very extreme pins and needles. So uncomfortable that it didn't stop for some time after the session even when I was able to complete it. She says she is not even able to complete the session.

By the way, is this forum open to the public or just to practioners?

Thanks again,

Sylvia

**Posts:** 2821 · by **Roger Elliott** » Tue Oct 21, 2003 7:55 am

Hi Sylvia

The forum is open to anyone.

Roger

**Posts:** 17 · by **guyb** » Tue Oct 21, 2003 10:17 am

When treating smokers I have had a couple of clients experience strong unexpected pain during hypnosis. Both clients were relaxed and giving strong signs of trance before getting strong neck/back pain.

Nothing to do with the physical environment or an existing ailment.

I put this down to an unconscious sabotage of the session.

I wonder if that fits with anyone else's experience

:?:

Guy

**Posts:** 24 · by **Jenifahr** » Mon Oct 27, 2003 5:30 pm

Hiya Sylvia,

I dont know whether this is of any help to your patient, but I thought I would share with you my personal early experience of hypnosis.

I suffer from hypothyroidism, and my main symptom is tiredness/muscle fatigue... when i was first introduced to hypnosis by my partner, he would spend much time putting me into deep trances.

What we discovered was that as my body relaxed, and so with it my muscles - I would start to twitch and ache... almost to the point of rolling around as I could not get comfortable, the longer i stayed in one position the achier i got until i would give in and stop the session.

Having now been interested in hypnosis for 18 months, i am able to recognise these symptoms as a sign of my body relaxing, not as something to be frightened of, and because of that I have mostly been able to overcome that feeling of twitchiness/aching during a session.

It wasn't easy, but I think the mindset has a lot to do with it, recognising a response and not seeing it as a threat.

Hope that may throw some light on the problem

Jenny

**Posts:** 32 · by **Sylvia** » Tue Nov 04, 2003 5:54 pm

Thanks for the suggestions to all of you.

I agree, Jenny, I think its a big step for a body that has not relaxed, to relax without some reaction. When you endure chronic pain, it's hard to let go and still feel safe. Chronic pain and chronic illness do a number on your mind.

My client is not having reactions anymore. I am glad for the input though in case this happens again.

Buried in snow here! Hope you're all having good weather and a good day.

Thanks,
Sylvia

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