Mercury Detoxification

Hypnosis can assist in Pain and Anxiety Management during Mercury Detoxification

Koeppe Conscious Awareness
2008 January 23, Wednesday
by Karen Koeppe, C.Ht

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.

Hypnosis Can and Will Work

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.

Irrational Fears and Anxieties

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

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

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.

Hypnosis and the Surgery Phase

During the actual Surgery Phase, techniques and goals learned during the Pre-Surgery Hypnosis sessions are then implemented. Some sample methods include the following:

• Self Hypnosis promotes relaxation and anxiety reduction.
• Sensory Substitution supports pain management by relocating pain from one part of the body, such as the sensitive mouth area, to a lesser part, such as the big toe.
• Therapeutic Reframing allows the patient to visualize and focus on the end goal. The patient then works backwards and implements the steps necessary to achieve the desired outcome, including but not limited to the surgical procedure and subsequent recovery. For instance, the patient's goal of a successful recovery is already completed and already assumed to have happened even before the surgery occurs.
• Glove Anesthesia creates coldness or numbness in the affected areas through suggestions and visualization of numbness or insensitivity.
• Disassociation alters the perspective of the pain by creating the loss of feeling in different areas of the body while in a state of hypnosis. Through the use of this process, the patient becomes more aware of the mind rather than the body.
• Visualization of the procedure during Hypnosis allows the patient to see and experience the procedure in the mind's eye as successful and pain free in order to further control their behavior during the actual surgical procedure.

Hypnosis and the Post-Surgery Phase

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:

• Guided Imagery supports healing and immune cell building.
• Motivational Suggestions promotes the alignment of positive attitudes, thoughts, words, actions, and feelings concerning the patient's recovery.
• Therapeutic Reframing enhances the patient's successful and speedy recovery.

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. www.koeppe-consciousawareness.com

With grateful acknowledgement to Janice Newman, Lauren Koeppe, and the Hypnosis Motivation Institute, Tarzana, California.

Reference Sources of Information

1. Berk, Diane, All Pro Health Foods, Pacific Palisades, California
2. Husband, Kimberly, Hypnosis, Today's Health and Wellness, June 2004
3. Kappas, John, Ph.D., Professional Hypnotism Manual, Panorama Publishing Company, 2001
4. Orloff, Judith, M.D., Positive Energy, Three River Press, 2004
5. Rossman, Martin L., Healing Yourself

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Last modified: 2008-05-16T14:06:05-0700