There are physical and emotional discomforts the patient may be struggling to adjust to. From the physical discomforts, the cancer patient may suffer fatigue and lack of sleep due to both pain and anxiety. Hypnotherapy can help with fatigue and insomnia as Hadley and Staudacher have stated that twenty minutes of deep relaxation induced by the hypnotic trance “can equal one to two hours of sleep”. If this is then bolstered by suggestions of better, sound sleep and deeper relaxation at night, then results could be further improved.
Of the physical discomforts though, pain is the most significant one. Both pain caused by the cancer itself, and any pain caused by treatment, such as headaches from chemotherapy may be significantly reduced through effective hypnotherapy. Suggestions can be given in the hypnotic state to reduce the pain felt by the patient. This can be done either taking the patient into a room in a house which is the control centre for pain that they feel. In this room they can either adjust the pain by reducing the level visualised on a dial then turned down from intense to mild. It would be extremely important though that the pain is not removed altogether as pain is an important indicator in determining the course of medical treatment. The reduction in the intensity of the pain can itself have many other benefits branch from it. A reduction in the intensity of the pain can make sleep easier thus reducing fatigue and insomnia. The release from the preoccupation with pain, can also allow the patient to feel free to participate with friends and family once more and to be involved in hobbies and activities that they enjoy. This in turn can result in a reduction in stress and anxiety. Another benefit in the reduction of pain is that the patient may find themselves less reliant on painkillers, in particular narcotics. The great benefit of this then is that the patient is less exposed to the depressive effects on mental functioning that these medications can cause. In addition to this the likelihood of the patient developing addiction to such painkillers is also reduced. Their consciousness is also less clouded allowing for clear thought and not feeling even more helpless and confused. Once again, this can all contribute to reducing anxiety and allowing for a happier and more positive disposition for the client. As Hilgard and Hilgard state, “A more meaningful existence is open to the suffering individual.”
Hypnotherapy can also be effective in the management of episodic pain. Erickson described episodic pain as “a construct of past remembered pain, the present pain experience, and future anticipated pain. Thus, immediate pain is augmented by past pain and is enhanced by the future possibilities of pain. The immediate stimuli are only a central third of the entire experience” (Hilgard and Hilgard). This anticipatory aspect of pain can also be present in anticipation of sickness or other discomforts based on past experiences. Hypnosis can be used to dull previous memories of pain, sickness and the like, thus reducing the anticipation of pain that can exacerbate the immediate pain. Hypnosis can also be used prior to any treatments so that expectation of pain and other discomforts can be reduced. For example prior to a session of chemotherapy the client can be induced and given the suggestion to visualise the chemotherapy drug as a healing liquid flowing around the body and the site of cancer, rather than a poison causing pain and discomfort. Rehearsal of the treatment that the client will have to undergo may also reduce their anxiety, making them feel prepared for what lies ahead. In a trance state the client may be taken through a day in which they have a chemotherapy session at the hospital. In trance state the hypnotherapist can describe to the client a day where they wake up in the morning, have breakfast and go on through their normal daily routine and then travel to the hospital, arrive in the car park, enter the hospital, all the way through to arriving at the treatment room, meeting the doctors, going through the treatment and then returning home. All the while the hypnotherapist would suggest to the client how calm and relaxed they are and how positive their attitude is towards the treatment before them, knowing that this will cure them of their illness and allow them to return to good health.
Another method that could be used in the reduction of pain in cancer patients is to suggest to the patient that at the onset of pain they can just imagine themselves leave their aching body behind and leave the room and the pain behind them. Erickson gives the example of a client who was sick and would suffer periodically from agonising pain. He suggested to her that at the onset of the pain she go into a trance state and take herself away mentally from her sick body. She would go into her wheelchair and into the next room and watch TV while her body that was in pain remained behind in the bedroom.
The reduction in pain in and of itself gives rise to many other non-physical benefits which allay many of the emotional strains of struggling with cancer. Decreased pain often decreases anxiety too. With this having been achieved, the hypnotherapist can further enhance the mindset of the client by encouraging a positive and optimistic, though realistic attitude. It is important for the ethical therapist not to delude the patient, especially if for example the cancer has been diagnosed as being terminal. While on the point of terminal cancer, it is important for any therapist seeking to work with cancer patients to be sure that they are mentally able themselves to face and handle the often challenging discussion of death. A therapist who is uncomfortable or even scared of the inevitability of death would certainly not be suitable for such work, particularly as many clients would want to discuss this and prepare for it too.
The hypnotherapist could further empower the cancer patient by teaching them self-hypnosis. Such an ability to manage situations which previously the client had felt completely weak and helpless in can be a powerful tool in boosting morale. A boost in the morale of the client can have a ripple effect, allowing friends and family around the client to also be encouraged by the client’s relief, ability to cope and generally more positive attitude. Even in cancer patients who are considered terminally ill, this can be extremely liberating and allow them to reclaim their last days. As LeBaw said, hypnosis represented a means of helping people die “with their boots on, instead of in a pair of slippers in the hospital”.
Additionally, when a client is less occupied by pain, feeling more in control and have more self esteem and confidence, they are able to find the energy, motivation and time to return to activities they previously enjoyed. They may even be motivated to take up new activities, though of course this would be within the constraints of their physical abilities.
Cancer can leave some patients disfigured, while others can lose hair through treatment and feel unattractive. Confidence building and ego-strengthening suggestions could also help patients come to terms with these side effects of cancer, and allow them to grow and rise above it.
In conclusion then it is clear that while hypnotherapy cannot treat or sure cancer, it certainly can aid a cancer patient in a supportive and motivating role. It is vital for success, as with the treatment of any other client with any other issue that the cancer patient is a willing client for any success, as it is well established that hypnotherapy is only as effective as the client allows it to be. In agreeing to treat a cancer patient it is also important for the therapist to be honest about their own ability to deal with such a case, which can be rewarding but can also be traumatic as the therapist will be exposed to the fears and concerns of an individual suffering from a severe disease and possibly even a terminal form of it.
If a client is willing and a therapist is well equipped, the scope for hypnotherapy in the aiding of a cancer patient in dealing with physical and emotional difficulties is immense.
Bibliography
Cancer Research Website –http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerstats/
Hadley, J. and Staudacher, C. “Hypnosis for Change”
Hilgard, E. and Hilgard, J. “Hypnosis in the Relief of Pain”
Macmillan Website - http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Cancerinformation/Cancertreatment/Treatmenttypes/Treatmenttypes.aspx
Module 8 Chrysalis Class notes
by
lionpoo (student)
