I wrote this blog aimed at the general public to outline why I use hypnotherapy and consider it a crucial factor in strengthening an individual's fight against cancer, and not only cancer but all life-threatening debilitating illnesses and diseases where a positive mindset can be generated and utilised to develop a more optimally functioning immune system, potentially creating the edge that makes the difference.
These days approximately one in three are going to develop diagnosed cancerous tissue at some point in their lives, emotionally and mentally a challenging time. In my clinical practice, I follow a six-point protocol to not only turn lives around, as far as hope and positivity are concerned but also to give each patient's innate immune system the best possible chance to naturally fight any development of their condition. After my hypnotherapy sessions, patients always feel stronger, calmer, more relaxed and empowered with a clearer, more positive mindset.
My six-point hypnotherapy protocol
Changing an anxious and fearful mindset
Psychoneuroimmunology: super-charging the immune system
Developing the power of hope and feeling good about oneself
Ensuring solid fundamentals, diet, exercise, lifestyle
Coping with the negative effects of orthodox treatment
Relaxation, peace and personal development
1. Hypnotherapy for changing an anxious fearful mindset
Almost all patients with a cancer diagnosis suffer from deep anxiety and fear. These negative mindsets can continue throughout the development of the disease, for some spiralling out of control, and even increase with the orthodox cancer treatments as the tiredness and low energy can equate to a lowering of resolve and resilience. There's also a pre-existing component in my experience as most patients suffered from anxieties and fears long before their physical illness developed.
What's the problem with an anxious and fearful mindset, apart from the general unpleasantness and negative effect upon daily life?
Quite simply negative mindsets over time demolish the immune system. Stressful states allow excessive levels of cortisol to develop in the blood eventually overloading the system and negating cortisol's anti-inflammatory role thus allowing all sorts of inflammation to occur. Stress states also cause a depletion of lymphocytes (white blood cells), which lessens the body's 'normal' ability to deal with damaged cells.
Lymphocytes clear rogue cancerous and pre-cancerous cells continually. They also inhibit cancer cell proliferation and migration so when there aren't enough to cover the territory, or they become less effective, that's a problem.
Therefore the mere turning around of a negative mindset can have the powerful effect of rebuilding a debilitated immune system. This is done by using hypnosis to redirect and shrink negative perceptions at a deep level allowing for a more free and positive mindstate to take prominence. Also, by supercharging the unconscious mind positively, which in a negative state works against good health and wellness, we can create a mindset that works for you... not against you.
2. Psychoneuroimmunology - building up that immune system
Psychoneuroimmunology is a field of study discovered by Robert Ader and Nicholas Cohen at University of Rochester NY in the 1970's. For the first time, it was demonstrated how the mind (psycho) via the nervous system (neuro) directly influences the immune system (immunology).
Arguably this has always been known via paths of wisdom within many ancient cultures but this was the first time it was demonstrated scientifically and is now a recognised, though perhaps fringe, branch of science.
Researchers now know that our nervous system and immune system communicate with each other but they've only recently started to understand how and what that means for our health. Quite simply, the body chemistry of someone with an anxious, depressed or worried mind is quite different from a body chemistry where the mind is relaxed, positive and happy. Why is this? Psychoneuroimmunology and psychoneuroendocrinology (mind affecting hormones).
Our mental state influences the release of hormones, neurotransmitters and cytokines which alter the functionality of all bodily systems. Some basic examples being an impaired hormonal balance creating infertility, inflammation creating gut issues such as IBS, or the depletion of strength and effectiveness in an immune system's ability to deal with serious illness.
To influence the immune system one has to get to the engine room, that deep core of the self known as the subconscious or unconscious mind, the area which contains the memories of almost all life experiences. Negative experiences such as shock, trauma, loss, pain or a frightening event commonly ingrain into the unconscious negatively influencing future behaviours and physiological functions. The best, fastest and most controlled method of accessing that 'engine room' is hypnosis, or more accurately in a clinical therapeutic setting, hypnotherapy.
3. The power of hope and feeling good about oneself
In the 1950's Curt Richter performed a series of rather unpleasant yet extremely telling experiments where he placed rats into a tank of water with no way out to see how long they would swim around before giving up. The rats drowned after around 15 minutes. He then used rats that had been removed and returned to the tank several times... some of those rats swam around for almost 40 hours.
The first group very quickly perceived their state as hopeless, after swimming round and round the tank. They absolutely 'believed' or 'knew' there was no way out. The second group, who had been shown the possibility of a way out, lasted an incredibly long time relatively speaking, thus brilliantly demonstrating the power of hope and the vast chasm between hopefulness and hopelessness.
Developing a deep sense of hope and a positive outlook of one's future is so important in dealing with serious disease. Clinical hypnosis is the fastest and most effective method of accessing the unconscious mind where encouraging the development of hope and fostering a positive outlook helps generate another powerful deep healing belief... along with simply feeling good about one's daily life.
4. Ensuring solid fundamentals
Each of the following I consider very important in putting up a solid opposition to ailing health. Using hypnotherapy to help make wiser, healthier dietary choices, improve sleep, remove any self-harming bad habits such as cigarettes or alcohol, encourage deeper more effective breathing and perhaps stimulate the desire to exercise more.
a) Food better appetite and digestion, the utilisation of cancer-fighting foods, the removal of sugar and other harmful foods.
b) Supplementation vitamins, minerals, herbal medicines
c) Fluids water quality, juicing etc.
d) Sleep quality, deeper sleep
e) Breathing quality, deeper breathing, understanding meditation
f ) Exercise doing whatever you can do
Plus Acupuncture and Herbal medicine, utilising my knowledge and skills as a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner of over 23yrs.
5. Dealing with the orthodox treatments
The orthodox treatments, chemo and radiotherapies, can be emotionally and physically draining, sometimes feeling worse than the disease itself, depending on the intensity and duration. They can be difficult to endure and in themselves create fear, anxiety and sometimes dread, the absolute opposite of what is needed to generate a healing state and uphold a well functioning immune system. Again, hypnotherapy is a wonderful mechanism to aid in getting the best from these treatments.
6. Relaxation
Relaxation is an important part of healing and should always be aimed for as essentially it underpins positive feelings such as happiness and contentment.
Is it possible to feel happy and contented whilst dealing with a life threatening disease? Absolutely YES, and this is a fundamental of a hypnotherapy session. It's not uncommon for my patients to say 'I dont think I've ever been that relaxed in my whole life', which is a wonderful start in getting their biology to work for them and not against them, as it does within a stressed state of being. Hypnotherapy is actually a very pleasant life-affirming experience. Within it, I encourage all my patients to develop a lighter, more contented, empowered state and then take that home and continue the session's positive momentum. It's all about choice and intent.
Much of this is really about personal growth and development, learning how one functions and improving on that. Perhaps gaining a little mastery over the mind, actively and intentionally choosing what you want, freeing yourself from any life trauma, all things which commonly we are not taught how to do. I also teach and encourage mindfulness and meditation techniques to understand and quiet that overthinking mind.
Not everyone will be able to win. Some will come to it too late and for some, the illness may be just too powerful, but no matter the outcome, each patient using hypnotherapy with guidance from a 'health specialist' hypnotherapist will feel stronger, calmer, more complete, more connected and far more ready for whatever they may have to face.
Are there any downsides?
No... but there are a multitude of benefits in using hypnotherapy to powerfully assist in the treatment of serious illness. In my opinion, all cancer patients should really be seeing a hypnotherapist, as long as the patient...
a) wants to participate and b) has a level of cognition to be able to participate.
A few basics of hypnotherapy
1. Hypnotherapy is a pleasant experience and you'll feel good after a session.
2. You are totally in control, you are not going to blurt out any deep dark secrets.
3. You are aware of everything in a session, you are not unconscious.
4. You fix you. It all comfortably and pleasantly happens between your ears. I'm merely the facilitator.
In my clinical experience, there are immense benefits in using hypnotherapy for patients with cancer and other life-threatening diseases but there's no money in it for 'the system'. A handful of sessions with a hypnotherapist is cheap and highly effective but does nothing to fill the coffers of 'Big Pharma'. In fact, hypnotherapy reduces the need for stress and anxiety meds but be aware, 'the system' will always push sedatives, anti-anxiety and depression medications that are more likely to weaken the immunity than benefit.
Hopefully, this little blog has inspired you to think a little differently about yourself, your mind-body connection, and your self-healing potential, if so, I'm pleased as that was my aim.
Nick Malyon MSc. BHSc. Dip.(hypno).
Systematic review: Antidepressants for the treatment of depression in people with cancer
G.Ostuzzi, F.Matcham et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018 Apr; 2018(4): CD011006.
There is a very low number of randomised trials assessing the efficacy of antidepressants in cancer patients, despite the relevance of this issue. Moreover, evidence for the effects we have found in terms of the efficacy and acceptability of antidepressants in people with cancer is of very low quality. Data from the present review failed to reveal any statistically significant beneficial effect of these drugs over a placebo.
Psychoneuroimmunology and cancer: fact or fiction?
J K Kiecolt-Glaser, R Glaser
There is substantial evidence from both healthy populations as well as individuals with cancer linking psychological stress with immune downregulation. This discussion highlights natural killer (NK) cells, because of the role that they may play in malignant disease. In addition, distress or depression is also associated with two important processes for carcinogenesis: poorer repair of damaged DNA, and alterations in apoptosis. Conversely, the possibility that psychological interventions may enhance immune function and survival among cancer patients clearly merits further exploration, as does the evidence suggesting that social support may be a key psychological mediator. These studies and others suggest that psychological or behavioural factors may influence the incidence or progression of cancer through psychosocial influences on immune function and other physiological pathways.
Psycho-oncology and cancer: psychoneuroimmunology and cancer
J. K. Kiecolt-Glaser, T. F. Robles , K. L. Heffner , T. J. Loving & R. Glaser
There is substantial evidence from both healthy populations as well as individuals with cancer linking psychological stress with immune dysregulation. Stress may also enhance carcinogenesis through alterations in DNA repair and/or apoptosis. In addition, the possibility that psychological interventions may enhance immune function and survival among cancer patients is still an open question as is the evidence suggesting that social support may be a key psychological mediator. However, these studies and others suggest that psychological or behavioral factors could influence the initiation/progression of cancer.