Away with the fairies

In my 'so whatcha gonna do about it?' post, I mentioned that hypnotherapy was on the cards as part of my treatment, well it's finally come around and I've finally started my 'Gut led hypnotherapy'. It has been a long time waiting, being lauded as the 'key' to unlocking everything and really making progress. 

Now, when someone mentions 'hypnotherapy' or 'hypnosis', I don't know about you but my mind instantly jumps to the scene in George of the Jungle 2 where someone is hypnotised to eat a boat load of ice cream... Just me? Anyway, the point is, hypnosis has almost been satirised as a 'magic trick' or something done for entertainment in western society. Then you learn that actually its been a technique employed for various forms of therapy, including trauma, for almost a century (if not longer). Its actually something that is discussed in 'the body keeps the score' by Bessel Van Der Kolk, a well renowned and respected book on trauma, the body's reactions and various treatments.

As far as I understand, hypnosis helps you enter a calm relaxed state that calms the nervous system and leaves your subconscious open to suggestions. Gut lead hypnotherapy takes this one step further and uses this to help to heal the gut and the gut brain connection (via Vagus nerve). This far I've only had 2 formal sessions, but have a recording to listen to every day, dedicating 1 hour daily to hypnotherapy in between formal sessions. So far, I'm really enjoying it and finding it fascinating, the way the script brings me down from my daily racing brain and pain, leaving me feeling relaxed and calm, is in all honesty very welcome and most enjoyable. I've come to look forward to my afternoon sessions and that dedicated down time I was struggling to allow myself before. I'll be completely honest, I regularly fall asleep, but what's incredible is I wake up when the recording is bringing me around. I was actually worried about this , and asked my therapist if it was ok, apparently it's no problem at all because the subconscious is still listening and taking on board the suggestion in the script - hence my waking up when I'm 'supposed to'. This alone shows me that it's working, and I'm hopeful that after my 12 formal sessions I'll be progressing. It's hard not to get my hopes up too much as I know there will be work to do after the formal sessions finish, but this is a damn good start and hopefully the foundations I need to continue the 're wiring' and fixing my gut brain connection. 

Hopefully once I've had a few more sessions and understand everything better, I'll be able to give more of an update on how it's going and affecting my symptoms this far, so stay tuned!

Ta ta for now! 

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