The Hospice-Hypnosis Connection
Do you
know that you are hypnotized every day? Social hypnosis goes on all the
time. We are constantly bombarded with information and messages targeted
for our subconscious minds. Advertisers know this. They know that once a
message reaches our subconscious it takes root and grows as an accepted
belief. They also know that when we are relaxed and focused on a television
screen our critical conscious mind rests
and our fertile subconscious mind is open to receive their work, uncensored.
Our conscious mind normally evaluates everything we hear and see everyday
of our lives. Advertisers capitalize on
this unguarded moment to convince us we need what they have.
There
are two ways messages can reach our subconscious
mind. One is to just serve it up and keep your fingers crossed that the
conscious mind will let it in. The other is to relax the analytical
conscious mind allowing the subconscious mind to open up and become focused
on what ever message is being offered. This way is more productive and ensures
positive results.
Hypnosis,
whether it involves a hypnotherapist or the efforts of a Wall Street advertising
firm, is based on this simple technique of achieving relaxed focus and offering
suggestions to effect action or change. It can
be as subtle as a 30 second television ad showing the Marlboro Man riding
off into the sunset or as involved as a session with a hypnotherapist. It
can be divisive or benevolent.
So
what’s the hospice connection? In ten years of nursing I’ve never seen a more
attentive motivated group. Once you
earn your hospice families trust, get them more relaxed and focused you
can nearly always dramatically
enhance their ability to cope and to manage the daily changes and inevitable
hospice surprises by what you say and how you say it.
Most
people go into nursing because they want
to make a difference. In hospice nursing the opportunity to make a big difference
pops up everyday. Most hospice families are ready and eager to hang on every
word the hospice nurse has to say. They want straight answers, guidance
and empowerment. Seize the moment. This is what all nurses are looking for,
to teach important things to people in need and get positive results.
Early
in my career I realized that the hospice
population was starving for a compassionate ear. After the shock of their
diagnosis, chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, nausea, vomiting, hair loss,
busy doctors and nurses and then the ultimate hospice referral, this group
always tends to have a few things on their mind. Listen to your families.
Not
only is this helpful to collect information, but it’s also a cathartic
process for them to experience. It puts them in position to hear you’re
your helpful words. Finally they get someone who just listens. What a pleasant
surprise. Your job is easy just ask open ended questions, get comfortable
and let them run with it. When you think it’s time for you to speak, don’t.
Listen a little more. Give them all the time they want.
This
simple process of actively listening does three things. It supplies you
with information, creates a trusting therapeutic relationship and more importantly
it helps them to relax and focus. You can
almost see the relaxation unfolding as they speak. This may not necessarily
be obvious on your first visit but usually it is. There are, however, some
families who haven’t had a moment of peace their whole lives and they are
not about to start with you. So be open minded, realistic and patient.
Once
you have your hospice family relaxed and focused, how you speak and what you say can
offer profound impact and direction. You speak slowly, confidently, with
direct eye contact and use positive affirming tones. One statement builds
on the next. For example: “you’ve shown that you can
manage his pain and there is enough medication
in the house.” Any victory along the way is praised and added to your laundry
list of positive review topics. Such as: “you did a great job repositioning
him in bed, you’ve also made excellent decisions using the break-through
medication and you know you can
call us anytime.”
By
packaging up distracting emotional debris you can
better offer direction, validation and clarity in a way that supports their
continued growth and success. The more order and control you create the
more relaxed and focused they can
become. The more at ease they are the more attention they pay to everything
you say. When your words and suggestions
reach their subconscious mind they have more dramatic impact on their ability
to cope and make difficult decisions while dealing with their own issues
of grief. Your words become their words and their actions. Whether you like
it or not you are in the position of authority and knowledge of all issues
involved with this life transition. All eyes and ears are pointed in your
direction so take advantage of this opportunity to position them for success.
By
understanding the principles of suggestion and how the conscious and subconscious
minds work, hospice nurses can empower
effective change with every stop they make. The repetition of supportive
constructive suggestions and affirmations to those in a more relaxed and
focused state of mind can have an enormous
therapeutic effect. Good nurses know the obvious advantages of reducing
stress and putting their clients at ease. By also practicing these simple
communication techniques your hospice families
will be much more autonomous, confident and in control during this difficult
transition.
Paul
Gustafson RN, BSN, CH runs Healthy Hypnosis in
Burlington
Massachusetts. He has ten
years of nursing experience and eight years specializing in the field of
hospice nursing. His in-depth medical
experience offers a solid foundation supporting his clinical
approach to hypnotherapy. Healthy Hypnosis is www.myhypno.com.
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Individuals who have had suffered from meningitis in their childhood may be scarred with some adverse effects for life. The most common symptom is hearing loss. This is why while the treatment of meningitis is going on, hearing protection should be kept in mind. In other case, the person might have to resort to a hearing aid, and sometimes, not even that.
