Over the years, I have noticed that a number of my clients have been traumatized by either a serious illness or an invasive medical procedure. It was first apparent in anxious kids, including one who had been so traumatized that he had never spoken to a teacher and he was 9 years old. Others were just really “nervous” kids. Just a couple of weeks ago, I spoke at a support group for breast cancer survivors. They spoke about still being fearful, not sleeping at night and wondering if “it” will come back.

Can my work help? Yes. You do not have to live with stress. It’s pretty simple for me to do a couple of private sessions, or you can begin with a CD or download. Fear begins in the subconscious mind, where all emotions start and memories are stored. The subconscious is not under our conscious control. This is important. One man told me “My son is brilliant! Why can’t he just stop his panic attacks?” Because panic attacks are created by the 90% of our mind that is not under our conscious control. If I were to do age regression, I would simple say “Yes, that was a scary time for you. But, you are a survivor and you survived! Almost all the time, you are safe.”

Hypnotherapy and Guided Imagery target the subconscious and make changes at a very basic level. The process is simple, effective and very affordable.

My message is twofold. If you or someone you love is either ill or going through medical procedures, it can be very helpful to address emotions needs at that time. An article I recently read talks about keeping a diary and reviewing it with a counselor when your treatment is over. There are also many options for CD’s prepared by qualified therapists and hypnotherapists. If your treatment has ended and you are feeling anxious, please consider traditional counseling or counseling with a Certified Hypnotherapist or Guided Imagery Practitioner.  There is help for anxiety. That help could be in the form of meditation as opposed to medication.

Sound Mind is my product which allows anyone with access to the Internet access to my hypnotherapy and guided imagery recordings. Let me share just two stories that show the power of both stress and hypnotherapy.

A counselor at a very large and successful EAP is working with a woman who was held up at gunpoint. She had been doing well until recently when she saw a story about violence on the news. The counselor gave her an assignment to listen to “Peace of Mind” from the Sound Mind library. The woman replied with the following email: “You don’t know how much this link has helped me! I can actually sleep at night! Thank you SOOOOOOOOO!!!!! much”

A woman who is marketing the program with me called a couple of weeks ago asking about sharing access to Sound Mind with  a 35 year old man with Chronic Lyme Disease. “His muscles are in spasm 24/7 and because of that, he is in a wheelchair. He can’t walk. He has two toddlers and would love to be able to pick them up and play with them. Can’t we just ‘relax’ him?” Thinking that we had nothing to lose, I gave him access to the recordings. Within 2 weeks, I got a call saying that for the first time in one year, he was able to walk up the stairs with his wife’s assistance.

Most of us have lost sight of the fact that stress is more than just an uncomfortable feeling. It has many causes and many life changing effects. Most importantly, it can be managed. The most powerful antidote for stress is daily meditation. It is simple and requires only the investment of 20 or so minutes daily. If you are looking for an additional cost effective and convenient way to relax, take a look at “Sound Mind Sound Body Corporate Wellness Plan” for yourself or your company.  Enjoy this wonderful day.

Let me share some statistics:

The American Psychological Association published a study of 1,848 adults.
Their findings include the following:
• 77% experienced physical symptoms of stress during the last month
• 73% experienced psychological stress during the last month
• 74% find work a significant source of stress
• 48% of adults lay awake at night because of stress
• 43% overeat or eat unhealthy foods because of stress
• 55% reported varying degrees of lost productivity while at work during the past month
• Only 7% have sought professional support during the past year

These stats along with our current “health” care system have stimulated a lot of thinking about this.  I am presenting  a plan to help millions of people (employees and dependents) manage stress in order to stay healthy and heal faster if they become ill. My plan allows completely confidential access to help.

My new product is called “Sound Mind Sound Body Corporate Wellness Plan”.  It offers downloads of my Guided Imagery (hypnotherapy) CD’s for a variety of challenges.   Employers choose to either pay a nominal fee per employee per month for unlimited downloads, or pay per download.  Sound Mind is in the Beta Test stage and so far people love it. It will be available for purchase February 1, 2011.

My first prospect is a large, privately held EAP (Employee Assistance Program) whose goals and philosophy are very similar to mine.  We differ in that the owner, Chuck Nechtem, understood the importance of the mind body connection  27 years before I did. One of their in house counselors has started sharing the downloads with their clients and is convinced they should be offered to all 5 million of their covered employees.  I agree.

You may already know that in 1958, there was enough research and evidence using hypnotherapy for the American Medical association to approve it as a valuable healing modality to complement Western Medicine. It hasn’t yet been used to its fullest potential. I am doing my best change that.  It is powerful, simple, comfortable, without side effects and cost effective.

If you’d like to learn more, either check out the the Sound Mind Sound Body Information Packet or be in touch with me.  I look forward to helping you improve productivity, morale, and decrease presenteeism, sick days, and Workers Compensation Claims.

This past week, I saw first hand how many people are stressed. .  Every client who walked into my office was stressed. People came to me because of smoking, overeating, vomiting when it was time to head off to school.  With the exception of that young student, my clients didn’t even acknowledge that they were feeling stressed.  It was very apparent to me because of the way they spoke.  They just seem to take this for granted. I t’s pretty amazing, but not really surprising.

There are so many challenges in our culture right now.  We have people without jobs stressed about finances and finding another job. Then there are those with jobs who may be overworked and wondering how long their jobs will last.  Gallup-Healthways reports that only 47.7% of those polled feel good about their work.

Many have kids and parents to care for and place great demands on themselves and others. The Gallup-Healthways Study “Facets of Well-Being Across the Age Spectrum in the American Population” shows that people age 44 to 64 have an “intermediate” wellness score, lower than people both older and younger.

Why is too much stress harmful?  Because what we are talking about is the “Fight or Flight” response as a chronic state as opposed to the response to an “acute” situation.  It wasn’t meant to be used in that way.  Think of the effect of excess stress.  We don’t sleep at night; we overeat, may use alcohol or cigarettes to cope. We have more accidents, more illnesses, challenges in our relationships. This takes a huge toll from the standpoint of quality of life and financial resources.

The challenges are real.  The economy is the source of much worry.  What can we do?

In  my opinion, pay attention to the basics:

1.       Meditation.  Try practicing meditation twice daily. Before you dismiss this as being to “out there” for you, consider the fact that in addition to being embraced by people of many faiths and belief systems for thousands of years, the value has been quantified by Western Medicine and its advanced imaging equipment. We know that the mind has “neuroplasticity” and, just like a muscle, can be exercised into better shape. Meditation is simple, effective and requires no financial investment.  It takes only a few minutes twice daily.

2.       Focus on what is great about you and your life.  Have you ever noticed that 90% of your life can be wonderful and yet  where do your thoughts gravitate?  The 10% that is not.  Make lists of your accomplishments, positive skills and attributes, dreams and all that is good in your life.  Allow the challenges you face to take a back seat to the abundance you have.  It is not only possible but very helpful

3.       Feel as happy as possible.  You may have noticed that happy people are also successful. University of California researchers in a meta analysis of 275,000 participants found that hat people with “frequent positive affect” are more likely to be successful  in both their professional and personal lives. “It seems that happiness leads to success, not vice versa.”   Appreciate simple pleasures.  Do your best to continue to spend wisely on things that make you feel truly happy.

4.       Surround yourself with people who are upbeat and encouraging.  Words have power. Allow yourself to be inspired by the words of others.

5.       Read motivating books or encouraging books.

6.       You may want to consider one or two hypnotherapy sessions to release outdated and limiting beliefs that may be contributing to your stress.

7.       Sound Body:  Exercise, eat nutrition packed foods, get adequate rest. Make sure you get plenty of sunshine. We are just starting to document the benefits of Vitamin D, the Sunshine Vitamin. A sound body contributes to a sound mind and vice versa.

I’d like the take away message to be that you are in control.  Feelings change based on your perspective.  Looking for that  “silver lining” can be very empowering.

1.  Research + review + commons sense = the right choices for you.

The internet provides us a wealth of information with simply the click of a mouse.  Take full advantage of this.   Research any topic that impacts your health and wellness with an open mind.  Check out sources that challenge your beliefs.  Review the findings and apply common sense to determine what makes sense for YOU.

2.  Be internally motivated  as opposed to making choices based on the expectations of others. What works for you?  No two people are alike.  Determine what feeds your mind, body and spirit.

3.  Create balance in your life.  Every aspect of your life will be better if you make time for family, work or other responsibilities, recreation, exercise, spiritual practice, and quiet time for yourself.

4.  Manage your time wisely.  Many people experience stress because they are overcommitted. Look at your schedule in an objective way and eliminate or delegate whatever you are not passionate about.

5.  Evaluate your diet and nutritional needs.  There are many pitfalls in our food supply.  Learn more about Organic and GMO foods, Vitamin D Deficiency (which is implicated in a host of serious conditions) aspartame (just because there are no calories doesn’t mean it’s good for you).  Plan your meals and snacks. Eat for Optimal Health.

6.  Move a lot.  Incorporate exercise, movement and stretching into your daily routine.  Determine what works for you.  Your plan should be safe, comfortable and become a valued part of your schedule.

7.  Manage your emotions. We are now aware that the so called “molecules of emotion” are found in every cell of your body, not only in the brain.  A common emotion that we feel is stress. Stress related hormones are powerful and impact us in a very negative way.  They contribute to illness (according to the CDC, up to 85% of illness is a result of stress) accidents, poor decisions, unhealthy habits and coping mechanisms, and more.

Meditation is first on my list for managing emotions.  It is simple, affordable and very powerful. We have also learned that the brain has “neuroplasticity”.  Much like a muscle, it is improved and enhance by exercise. In this case, exercise in the form of meditation allows us to be in a peaceful place in the face of challenges.  That becomes our fallback position.  It’s   also  very healthy  to feel and express gratitude, forgiveness, and, at times acceptance.

We are well aware of the need to balance caloric intake and exercise, but clearly, more changes are necessary.

Let me share some things I have learned about weight control.

1. In our culture the word “lose” has a negative connotation. We don’t really want to “lose” anything.  A much better way to define our goal  is to “attain our ideal weight” Words have power.

2. There is a powerful emotional component to overeating and being overweight.  Many people eat in response to an uncomfortable emotion. In my hypnotherapy practice, I help people identify their emotions and satisfy them in an appropriate way. When they feel a need to eat, I ask them to stop to identify whether or not they are feeling true physical hunger. If they are, they choose a nutrition packed snack. If not, they determine what emotion they are feeling and choose a healthy coping mechanism. If they are bored, they find something to do; anxious, take some deep breaths or maybe exercise.

3. The second part of the emotional component is that the subconscious mind sometimes uses fat as a blanket of protection.  I have observed in my own practice that many obese people have been physically or sexually abused as children. Some of my clients have done extremely well using hypnotherapy to allow them to feel safe without that insulation.

4. People need a good night’s sleep to be at their ideal weight. If we are tired, we have more cravings.  Without adequate, deep sleep, the hormone Leptin which allows us to feel satisfied is not produced properly.  Know what works for you to manage stress and sleep soundly most nights.

5. Overweight people can have an obstructed airway  which can lead to sleep apnea.  These people  seldom get a good night’s sleep.  If you snore, it’s really important to be screened for sleep apnea.

6. There is far less nutritional value in our food supply than in the past as a result of depleted soils and the over processing of foods.   We eat a lot of food and lots of empty calories but receive inadequate  nutritional value.   We  need to continue eating since our body truly does need nutrients. Do some research and make wise food choices based on what is available to you locally.

The work I do as a certified hypnotherapist can help with some of these challenges.  n addition to private sessions, I have a wonderful, preloaded MP-3 player “Oasis of Comfort”which has hypnotherapy scripts for stress management, changing habits, sleeping well,  along physical and emotional comfort.  It is totally portable and provides  positive thoughts to go. Available at Amazon.com or my website for just $29.95 plus shipping and handling.

I’d love to hear about your journey to a fit and trim, healthy body.

The meditators remained healthy longer and had lower blood pressures.

Dr. Robert Schneider, Director of the Institute for Natural Medicine and Prevention, states that the stress reduction that accompanies meditation can reduce the production of stress hormones and lessen the inflammatory processes which are associated with atheroschlerosis.

Check out  the article “Regimens:  Meditation, for the Mind and the Heart”

A number of years ago, changes in my life style led to a transition from working as an RN in Emergency Departments to a private practice in hypnotherapy. I had no idea the impact this would have on my life and the potential it holds for transforming the health care system as we know it, in addition to individual lives.

As I began treating patients for the usual fears, phobias, unwelcome habits and to prepare them for surgery something else was happening. They would call back saying that in addition to managing the primary issue, other changes were happening as well. For instance, one man said the psoriasis he had for 20 years was gone. Another woman who was scheduled for surgery on her knees got better. One woman began to sleep through the night for the first time in her life. One man whose broken arm had not healed for 9 months returned to his doctor to find it had suddenly healed.

Reviewing literature and anecdotal reports, I’ve come to the conclusion that stress is the underlying issue in the vast majority, perhaps as much as 90%, of health issues. In the mid 1950’s Hans Selye encouraged doctors to “treat the whole person, not the organism causing illness” and yet that suggestion has not yet been adequately integrated into our systems.

In the February 27, 2008 issue of JAMA, Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH writes

“If reforming US health care results only in expanded access to care, costs will increase faster but with limited health benefits. If only cost controls are instituted, even more individuals will be denied access to care. Health care must be restructured to make maximizing health the organizing principle. To do this, 3 synergistic changes are needed: (1) payment that offers substantial rewards for disease prevention and effective management of chronic disease; (2) an information system oriented toward prevention; and (3) changes in care management and practice workflows.”

Let’s consider how managing stress could impact the current crisis in health care funding.

Janet Kiecolt Glaser, University of Ohio Medical School did a study measuring the rate of healing of a small, intentional wound (size of an eraser on a pencil). The wound took nine days longer to heal on the group experiencing stress versus the control. Think of the implications of this on diabetics and wound healing. Would you be stressed if you were diabetic with a foot ulcer? How about patients undergoing surgery who are “scared to death”? Reading about the history of hypnosis and surgery, it is said that back in the early 1800’s surgery was done without anesthesia. When hypnosis as anesthesia was introduced, the mortality rate decreased from 40% to 5%.

Blue Shield of California gave a group of 941 women undergoing surgery a guided imagery (hypnotherapy) CD which cost them $17.95 each. This reduced the per patient cost by $2,000 on average.

Similar studies and results abound. This is such a simple, powerful, affordable intervention. Why is it not commonly done?

How about reducing stress among asthmatics, IBS patients, cancer patients, couples seeking fertility treatments, people with dental phobias? Insomnia. Think about the implications of sleep deprivation which can be caused by stress. The applications are endless. Studies support these applications and others.

Hypnosis was approved by the AMA in 1958 – 50 years ago. Since then the trend has favored pharmaceuticals. In my opinion, it’s time to revisit that. Hypnotherapy is evidence based, effective, affordable and without adverse side effects. It manages underlying stress that impacts our physical and mental health, our ability to heal and ultimately our quality of life.

]]> http://www.acmswellness.com/blog/wellness-stress-and-the-american-health-care-system-2.php/feed 0 http://www.acmswellness.com/blog/stress-and-your-health.php http://www.acmswellness.com/blog/stress-and-your-health.php#comments Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:11:04 +0000 Sharon O'Connor, RN http://www.atlanticcomplementary.com/blog/?p=243 Continue reading →]]> How is life treating YOU?  Life is busy; we face many challenges.  We seem to accept the fact that we are too often  stressed. The truth is stress is a lot more than just an uncomfortable feeling.  It has profound ramifications in terms of our health. We do have power to manage our stress.

Sharon O’Connor, RN, CH will share thoughts about stress and techniques your stress with Christine Lauer on “Your Health Matters”  Monday, July 13, 2009,  on Concord, New Hampshire Community Radio WKXL 1450AM.  The program will also be available online at www.wkxl1450.com

Hope you can tune in or listen to the archived version.