Date Published:
Publisher: Koeppe Conscious Awareness
Hypnosis can assist in Pain and Anxiety Management during Mercury Detoxification.
If your patients have contemplated or actually made the decision to remove their old mercury amalgam dental fillings, then Hypnotherapy can help to promote pain and anxiety management before, during, and after the surgery and the mercury detoxification process. Yes, it is possible for Hypnotherapy to also assist with patients who exhibit the Psychological Disturbances (Erethysm) caused by mercury poisoning such as; Irritability, Nervousness, Low Self Confidence, Anxiety, Insomnia, Low Self Control, etc.
A dental patient's fears or anticipations of an upcoming procedure and the associated pain can often be more paralyzing than the actual treatment and real pain experienced. In fact, it is quite possible for a patient to delay or never undergo the required treatment simply for this reason.
Research has shown that Hypnosis can and will work as an excellent complement to many other Medical Therapies. Hypnosis, a technique practiced for thousands of years, was approved by American Medical Association as a viable healthcare practice in 1958, because it accesses the power of the subconscious mind to achieve a desired and specific outcome. A suggestion given in a hypnotic state is much stronger then a command given in a conscious state, because it travels from the critical area of the mind which deals with the known's and unknown's to the modern or recent memory. Furthermore, a person's consistent and reoccurring positive reaction to a suggestion while in hypnosis can actually change their behavior and become a permanent habit.
Many patients experience irrational fear during the Pre-Surgical Phase of an upcoming dental procedure. A Hypnotherapist can demystify the entire surgical process by providing a complete step-by-step guide of the surgery to the patient during Hypnosis. An informed subconscious mind aids with pain and anxiety management, promoting and supporting the patient's medical compliance.
Circle Therapy is one way to alleviate a patient's negative anticipated emotional trauma. His or her behavior can be modified by desensitizing the patient to the upcoming dental surgery by helping him or her to visualize while in the hypnotic state that the procedure is comfortable and manageable rather than painful. The association of facing the situation and feeling comfortable during hypnosis allows the mind and body to relax during the actual surgery experience.
Guided Imagery work will also relieve and prevent common symptoms of pre-surgery stress such as frustration, muscular tension, depression, anxiety, shortness of breath, and problems with concentration. This Therapeutic Imagery approach acknowledges the client's desire for self-direction by providing a window on the client's inner world and a means of transformation that may unconsciously direct their life and shape their health. Through imagery in healing, the Hypnotherapist can stimulate changes the patient's physiology usually considered inaccessible to conscious influence. Thus, this therapy method can lead to a state of calmness and emotional stability before, during, and after the surgery.
Hypnosis can be a powerful healthcare tool when the patient is highly motivated to overcome a problem, such as the proposed dental surgery, and achieve the desired outcome of a successful recovery. In the Pre-Surgical Phase, first and foremost, it is important that the patient wants help, is an active participant, and believes they will heal and get well.
Dr. Sierpina, M.D., Associate Professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, describes a patient with cancer delaying surgery because she had a strong phobia about anesthesia. Finally she agreed to see a hypnotist, who helped her overcome her fear and have the operation. Hypnosis did not help her medically to manage her disease, but it did help her indirectly to enable her to undergo the required treatment.
During the actual Surgery Phase, techniques and goals learned during the Pre-Surgery Hypnosis sessions are then implemented. Some sample methods include the following:
During the Post-Surgery Phase, the use of Hypnotherapy can also aid in the Medical, Pharmacology, and Vitamin Supplement Therapy. Medically, there are a host of therapies, including chelation, drops, baths, vitamins, and anti-oxidants, to aid the detoxification process. Hypnosis can be used as a complement to the detoxification and recovery process in the following ways:
The benefits to the Dental Community are multifold. Patients who have chosen to remove their mercury amalgam dental fillings can use Hypnotherapy to manage their pain and anxiety during the entire surgical process promoting an easier surgery experience with a compliant patient in a relaxed state. The patients will visualize themselves healed completely and medically compliant to reinforce pre-surgery goals, supporting the detoxification process and a successful recovery. The resulting calm, happy and satisfied patients are your best source of referrals.
If you wish to find out more about the benefits of Hypnotherapy, please contact Karen Koeppe, C.Ht.
With grateful acknowledgement to Janice Newman, Lauren Koeppe, and the Hypnosis Motivation Institute, Tarzana, California.