Saturday 11 May 2013

Hypnotherapy

Following my session of hypnotherapy earlier in the week to hopefully help me with dental surgery, I have been practising dealing with medical issues.  I have been so nervous around medical issues, that just going into the doctor's surgery has been difficult for me!  The hypnotherapist asked me to make a list of ten medical issues that are difficult for me and number them one to ten, one being something that I don't feel happy about but hope I can cope with, and ten being having an operation under general anaesthetic.
Regular readers of my blog will know that is something I am going to do soon.
Number one on my list was going to a  chemist's.  Now I know most of you won't be nervous about going into Boots and asking the pharmacy counter for a box of Lemsip, but that sort of thing has always made me anxious.  They ask probing questions about possible blood pressure issues and want to know if you are taking any other medication, including herbals.  Then the counter staff tend to go off to consult the pharmacist for any tiny issue.  I always worry that they will advise me to see my doctor - that has happened when I wanted eye drops and when I was buying too much deep heat for a back problem.  Anyway, I went to the pharmacy yesterday evening and sat down in the row of chairs that they keep for customers then walked around the shelves and then - big achievement - spoke to the pharmacist about not sleeping well.  Just asking for general advice.  I did feel anxious but under control.  I listened to one of my meditation tracks afterwards and then slept really well.
I did number two on my list at the same time.  The doctor's surgery is next door to the chemist and I went in with a form and handed it in at the reception counter.  Completely fine.
Number three on my list is filling in a medical questionnaire that I have been given - a pre-op assessment form before the general anaesthetic.  I have put off filling it in because I know they want to see me for a pre-op assessment appointment in the hospital. The form asks about my general medical history and so forth and whether I suffer from any medical problems.  The truth is I just don't know because I don't frequent doctors' surgeries to find out!  So now's the time when I will find out and I feel anxious about that.  I'm going to print the form on Monday and fill it in during the evening!
Setting foot in the pharmacy and the doctor's surgery has been fine but I am aware I have put off filling in the pre-op form, and that is since the hypnotherapy, so maybe it hasn't cancelled out all my medical worries just yet. Another session later in the week.

Thursday 9 May 2013

Overcoming Anxiety

I have been to the hynotherapist today.  Time will tell if it has helped.  I am going back next week.
She has lent me a book - Overcoming Anxiety.  I have added a link below to the book on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Overcoming-Anxiety-Helen-Kennerley/dp/1849010714/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368128935&sr=8-1&keywords=overcoming+anxiety

It is based on Cognitive Behaviour Therapy so a real programm for overcoming anxiety.  Let us know what you think.

Wednesday 8 May 2013

Meditation for anxiety

This afternoon and evening I have been feeling more and more anxious.  I think it started with not enough good quality sleep last night, then wondering if I would get all my work done this afternoon and then a cup of coffee when I usually have decaff.  Fast forward to rapid heartbeat, tingling arms and muzzy head. If anyone has any ideas about how to keep myself awake in the afternoon without resorting to coffee, I would be very grateful.
I decided to try a mediation for anxiety from youtube, so completely free.  This is the one I have just tried:

It has actually really helped, and it's less than 10 minutes long.  I would normally think that 10 minutes isn't long enough, but I surprised myself this time.  If you are bothered by anxiety try this and let us all know what you think.

I enjoy meditations to chill me out because I do tend to easily feel anxious.  I have recently been using this meditation, also from youtube:


This is glorious and lasts an hour! It's beautiful music and a flickering candle on a loop, so you don't need to view it for the whole hour.  I have been using it as background to anything else I've been doing on the computer. Very relaxing. Try it.

Tuesday 7 May 2013

An interesting article about hypnotherapy

I've been looking around for interesting articles about hypnotherapy.  One of my colleagues has been particularly sceptical about my upcoming hypnotherapy appointment. I said that hynosis has been pretty well proven to be effective. I've put a link below to an interesting article:

http://theconversation.com/hypnotherapy-panacea-or-placebo-8674

Does anyone have any experience with hynotherapy, either for or against? I'll let everyone know how I get on.

Before my appointment, I have downloaded an mp3 to help me with my worries about a general anaesthetic. The download comes from Uncommon Knowledge:

Link to download - phobia - general anaesthesia

I have found this download effective. The reason I am also going to a hypnotherapist is to get hypnosis more tailored to my individual situation.




Monday 6 May 2013

Alternative therapies to treat high blood pressure

I have added a link to a blog that I noticed today - Medical Breakthroughs reported by Ivanhoe. The link is on the right of the posts and also below:

http://ivanhoe.com/channels/p_channelstory.cfm?storyid=31302


 He reports on alternative therapies for high blood pressure.  As my blood pressure has been climbing recently I have been looking into some of these therapies. I have particularly looked at Resperate which is a device-guided slow breathing piece of equipment.  You basically breathe in time to music which gets slower and slower, bringing your blood pressure down.  I have been using this recently and I think that it is working.  I bought a second hand device on eBay.  I'll put a link below so that you can see what it involves:

<iframe src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=analternativelife-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=B0022NI1NG&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>
            


The top figure in my blood pressure reading has come down by 10 points or so in a month and the same with the lower figure so I am pleased with it.  Plenty of second hand devices about.  I have asked people why they are selling them and the answer always seems to be that they don't have time to use them.  Well, the procedure takes 15 minutes at a time, four times a week.  Who wouldn't make time for that?

Has anyone else used the Resperate system?  What did you think?

I have wondered about the other device mentioned in Ivanhoe's post - isometric hand grip exercises.  This is a device where you grip a handle for a specified amount of time and then release, dilating and relaxing the blood vessels.  I have to be honest and say that I haven't used this device - Zona Plus  - although it has good reports. I may try it but I slightly worry about exerting a lot of pressure if my blood pressure is already high.  Does that make sense?  Anyway, a link below to the device:

http://www.amazon.com/Zona-Plus-Natural-Effective-Cardiovascular/dp/B001GABJTY

The Daily Mail has done a review:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2110806/Zona-Plus-Can-squeezing-ball-help-cut-blood-pressure.html 

Has anyone used this system?   It's fairly new in the UK. 

I'm also using relaxation music mp3s.  That also seems to work. Measuring my blood pressure after listening to a half hour track seems to lower it.

I have heard that beetroot juice will lower blood pressure but so far I find it too revolting to drink!

Has anyone else had any success stories in bringing their blood pressure down with pills?   

Hypnotherapy

So let's get started.  Does anyone have experience of hypnotherapy? I am about to have a few sessions to, I hope, help with dental phobia.  I am due to have some treatment and I am very worried.  I have discussed this with friends and they have said that hypnosis is likely to help. I would love you to post on my blog if you have had hypnosis, and please let me know whether it was successful or not.