Hypnosis. For many, the word conjures up images that make a person uncomfortable. Many fear hypnosis because they fear a loss of control, yet a person is actually more in control while in a state of trance. This fact should interest people with diabetes, because control is exactly the issue that concerns them: controlling blood sugar levels.

Hypnosis has been a medically recognized phenomenon for well over four decades. In 1958, the American Medical Association and the American Dental Association made resolutions recognizing hypnosis as an accepted form of treatment in medicine and dentistry. Three years earlier, the British Medical Association passed a formal resolution approving hypnosis as a valid therapeutic technique for treating neuroses and for relieving pain in surgery and childbirth.

Even if they are doubtful, hypnosis works for people with diabetes, including one of my patients, "Paula," a high-powered sales executive. When she first came to me about a year ago, this type 2 told me that if anyone in her business found out that she had been to see "one of those voodoo hypnotists," it could have serious repercussions, including making her blood sugar escalate. Despite her doubts, which many people share, hypnosis helped her.

Hypnosis Helps Doubting Type 2

Paula's beliefs about food were changed through hypnosis. She was 63 pounds overweight, and had tried every diet and pill under the sun, with no success. Many of the diet pills and herbs even caused adverse reactions relating to her diabetes. She would take various remedies and begin to lose weight, only to notice that her sugars were hitting the roof. She had almost resigned herself to suffering from dangerously high blood sugars to help her to become thinner.

She only sought my services because her husband had begged her not to go that high-BG route until she had tried absolutely everthing else. Paula's husband asked her to think about their 2-year-old son. She told me this with tears in her eyes, but her intense desire did not stop her from being very skeptical and nervous. She felt like she was seeing a witch doctor but she was desperate. She loved her husband and son and would investigate any opportunity.

The first thing I did was to advise Paula that as she began to lose weight, her blood sugars would be affected. Therefore, it was absolutely necessary that she obtain exact medical advice as to how to proceed with her oral medical regimen (5 mg. glyburide, three times daily) as she began to lose weight. I requested that she do that before I could help her to lose weight.

Two weeks later, she told me that she had discussed medication with her doctor, who had also given her the okay on her "unconventional approach." I had supplied Paula with all kinds of documented information to present to her doctor so that he could see that she was not pursuing some quack cure.

We then began an intensive hypnosis program designed to help her to attain an ideal weight, using three steps.

Setting a Goal

Creating a desired goal is the beginning. People are not inclined to do anything unless there is something in it for them and that something has to be really compelling. So, in a nutshell, we discussed the pleasure of attaining her goal of losing weight and the pain of not achieving it. Hypnosis helped her to more powerfully "feel" her goal, as she put it.

Emotions

Next, we worked on her feelings that interfered with following a healthy diet. Many people know what they should do but emotions always overpower logic. Paula and I worked on her understanding that she was not sacrificing anything by changing her eating habits.

We then moved on to other emotions that were driving her eating habits. The emotions that caused her to crave unhealthy foods were the same ones that caused her blood sugars to rise. Stress releases hormones that act as insulin antagonists, raising blood sugars. When a person is in a constant state of emotional upset, insulin resistance is the natural by-product, simply because the body is flooded with chemicals that defeat the action of insulin.

Habit Control

Habit control followed. We began to use hypnosis for behavior modification, to help her more naturally adhere to her doctor's prescribed diet. Once all blocks are removed to accepting a new behavior, then direct suggestion is extremely powerful. Suggestions are then accepted as if they were the client's own ideas.

The suggestions covered which foods she actually enjoyed that were good for her, and her discovering real pleasure in some form of activity. I stay away from the E word-exercise-because that almost always induces guilt, a very unproductive emotion.

Paula discovered she really enjoyed taking daily walks that ranged from 20 minutes to one hour. Walking, or "walking relaxation," as Paula calls it, helps her think more productively.

Hypnosis in Combination with Traditional Treatment

Hypnosis is not meant to, nor could it ever, replace standard medical treatment. In fact, hypnosis is most effective when used in conjunction with traditional health care.

Hypnotists are not licensed as medical practitioners. Therefore, a hypnotist must always have a doctor's referral before helping anyone in any manner that is medically related.

How can you tell a certified hypnotist? The first rule, when seeking health care in any form, is your feelings about your health consultant, be it a doctor, herbalist, acupuncturist or hypnotist.

The second qualification, which is equally important, is the hypnotist's experience. Training is a bit of a misnomer. Car mechanics can have all the training in the world, but they can still be inept, and have no value to a consumer. National hypnosis organizations can help find skilled hypnotists. There are several bona fide organizations which exist, but the largest and oldest by far is The National Guild of Hypnotists. It has the largest data base for experienced hypnotists. Additionally, it has an annual convention that is unmatched in its educational scope or variety.

To contact the National Guild of Hypnotists:

Web site: www.ngh.net

email: ngh@ngh.net

telephone:(603) 429-9438

It Worked On Me

The reason I am pioneering this approach to diabetes management is because I have successfully used it in my life. I have changed my eating and exercise habits and have lost 25 pounds of weight. My sugars have gone from near 300 mg/dl to normal ranges with considerably lower amounts of oral medication. I have also quit smoking two packs of cigarettes a day.

The method is complex, but it can be described concisely. Hypnosis is your ability to convince yourself that something is true. When you believe something, that belief is reflected in your thoughts, feelings and actions.

C. Devin Hastings is a type 2 diabetic. He is a registered behavioural therapist with the American Association of Behavioural Therapists. He is also a certified instructor of hypnosis and neuro-linguistic programming. For more information call (407) 290-3434 or visit his Web site at www.adac-hypnosis.com.