Self Hypnosis or other coping techniques
 

Anyone have experience with self hypnosis or other coping techniques. Sometimes (like today) I come home from work and the pain is really bad. Living alone means there isnt really any way to take my mind off the pain when it is bad.

I am also planning to try to quit smoking again, but it seems that I always reach for a smoke when the pain is bad and the anxiety level goes up.

Today I got home and all I wanted to do was crawl in bed, I passed out and woke up six hours later, tonight I am laying on the floor with feet elevated on a pillow and I dont even want to stand up on my feet, I needed a pen for some paper work and crawled into the other room to get one just so I could keep my feet off the floor. ughh. I hate this condition.:eek::eek:

Self hypnosis has always worked for me. I learned it ages ago.

Here is a book by the author I used (his old version is out of print)..

http://www.artashealing.org/ahfwbio.htm
Healing with the Mind's Eye

Self hypnosis is easy to learn from a book for some, but not
all. People who do not have innate talent with this, may need induction tapes or a few sessions in person with a licensed
hypnotist/therapist.

I learned it years ago to improve my artistic imagery...little did I know it would help with chronic pain.

The smoking? This is something that you need to address.
Smoking in males especially reduces the blood flow to the legs and feet and may develop into intermittent claudication eventually.
http://www.vascular.co.nz/intermittent_claudication.htm
The link of this to smoking is well known.
Being a diabetic is another risk factor.

Thanks for the link to the book

I know I need to quit, I actually did back in June and didnt smoke for about six months, then things started to get worse with my feet and it was the first thing I reached for. I am working on it. 1 step forward, 2 steps back

I too use smoking when my pain goes up and I need to quit. I have set April 1st as my quit day and joined an online group for support. I have also ordered NJoy the electronic cigarette, it has nicotine and the tip lights up when you puff and smoke (vapor) too. I did some research on this, there is no FDA ruling on these but I having been inhaling cigs since I was a teen and this can't be worse. Along with that my health insurance company sent me a hypnosis cd, I preparing as much as I can for this. I've used everything out there and I'm hoping with the fake cig I can gradually step down on the nicotine and then work on breaking the hand to mouth habit. It's the only thing in my past I would change, ever taking that first puff!!!

Visualisation has helped me some.....
 

In that when it gets BAD, I try to place myself in those situations where I'd never felt better!
On a beautiful Beach? On a trip in a boat over clear waters on a great day... on a mountaintop where you can see forever almost...well, you get the idea.
Moving my mind away from the here and now of the pain helps with the coping.
Body awareness also helps, in that I'd learned where I am tense and what things I can do to help relax that tenseness [caused by the pains] and get by with things.
I do hope this helps :hug:'s - j

Smoking is the most difficult addiction to break. More so even than cocaine! (so I was told in an addiction class).

The habits, time of day of use, etc are very powerful for slipping back.

Plus smokers get nagged alot, and that certainly doesn't help.

But-- if you hold the image of your blood vessels opening up and your feet/legs getting better, that would be a definite goal to reach. For some reason men are much more afflicted with the circulatory effects of smoking. But women can be too. Jarrett here stopped and her RLS improved. Maybe she will see this post and chime in! <hint hint>

The hypnosis may help with this, as well. It it certainly worth a try.

I find that when I can concentrate very hard on something, say a piece of writing or a game (I love Patience, or Solitaire if you like) or a computer problem (I'm a bit of a techie, or think I am) the pain goes into the background for a while.

Otherwise I'm in the very early stages of developing a home-brewed and somewhat vague theory, or perhaps philosophy to help me cope. It goes something like this: Our natural instinct is to try to run away from, or defeat, pain. So because I can't do either, I need to relearn and re-form my instinctive attitudes to this pain. That's about it (I said it was early stage), except that by some sort of logic or nonlogic, I give myself full permission to moan whenever, and others full permission to totally ignore my moans. They can be trained as well!

Addictions? Those are allowed too, but I'm not telling (except Patience, of course) :winky:.

I find distrations help as well, I think being couped up in the house this winter has made things worse, I keep waiting for the sun to break out but this winter has been miserable. I was working out and that helped but since my doctor out me in a boot cast to stabilize my ankle until I can get a brace, that has made excercise sort of difficult (although not impossible) I may try swimming. I need to look into that book, but it sounds like I need to find my happy place and get my mind to focus on that.

Generally I try to keep myself as distrated as possible when I am home alone but it isnt always easy especially when the pain is really bad. Sometimes I am sitting on the couch, watching tv, on the computer and doing paperwork all just so I can keep my mind off of things with my feet.

Yesterday I got home from work and the pain was so bad, I had been trying not to use my cane at work to see if I could tolerate not using it, all it did was make me completly cramp up. I came home and went to bed at 4 pm and aside from waking up for an hour at 8 to watch tv and make dinner and then again at 3 am (sat in bed and checked email) I slept until 6 am this morning. Yikes. I dont want too many days like that.

As far as smoking is concerned, I am working to quit, and probably just need to take the plunge, I am sorta hoping tomorrow will be my quit date. I did it before, I know I can do it again. I know sometimes it takes several attempts befor being sucessful though.

I am trying not to let neuropathy and pain overwhelm me and make me a shut in or prevent me from going out and having fun as I am trying to cope with depression revolving around medical disaster that this last year has been for me.

Back surgery, Diabetes, Neuropathy, Gastroparesis, Family Drama around the holidays - It was a "perfect storm" kinda year.

Kevin, one thing that may help your comfort levels, is to try
soaking your feet up to and including the problem ankle, in
epsom salts mixed with lukewarm water. Use about a dixie cupful to a bathtub, or 1/2 dixie to a dishpan (if you don't use the bathtub). Do this when you get home from work. It will also relax you and help you deal with the pain. It improves sleeping. If you take only oral magnesium, and have some reduction in circulation to your feet, the oral won't get to them effectively. The soak will bypass that failure.

This can often help lower pain, and reduce muscle stiffness.
The magnesium soaks in thru the skin and can block the NMDA pain receptors. You need to do it for at least 1/2 hr or up to an 1hr. Take a book or magazine in with you.

Many of us do this, and also at the RSD forum also.

Thankyou for the tip, I will try this today!

Hi. I have not down this but guided imagery and relaxation tapes along with biofeedback. I too live alone and that is hard but try to distract when I can or do things like a bath to calm me down pain and mental wise. I think a lot for me with things like imagery so on is the person who is doing it and that it takes practice. There is this place on the internet I think it is called meet up and they have groups like this for healing. If you google it you should see and then you can put in your area. As for smoking. I know the battle of addiction so to speak and the vicious cycle. As you know with smoking it helps you in no way but it does fill something for you like you stated dealing with your pain so finding healthy ways to cope can really help.

Meditation
 

Kevin,

I feel your pain and like many others do numerous things to combat the issues of living with PN. I've had it for 5 yrs. and did enjoy my 1st period of lower pain levels last Fall but when the weather changed, so did the PN. Therefore I have started the epsom salt soaks (thanks, Mrs. D!) as well as listening to an excellent guided imagery cd that includes affirmations. Both help especially during more painful periods.

The cd was recommended by my therapist. (As a side note, I have found my therapist to be a crucial part of learning to live with this frustrating condition.)

You can find an entire series of cd's at: http://www.healthjourneys.com
The name of this particular one is, "A meditation to Ease Pain," done by a psychotherapist, Belleruth Naparstek whose voice is wonderful and the music is very calming. It's about 45 minutes long (20 minutes of guided imagery and 15 minutes of affirmations) and I highly recommend it. :D

Good luck!
Doxie

Thankyou for suggestions, I am trying to find resources, and will probably explore this when I get with a counselor or pschiatrist. (Depression has also been an issue) I have found a couple of guided imagery sets on you tube and have tried those. I also read a suggestion, to concentrate on your pain as being a color - then a shape, to visualize the shape, then to change the shape in your mind. Not something that works really well at work, but at night laying in bed is has helped me with getting my mind off of pain and relaxing.

For example, I try to imagine the pain as the color blue, then as a blue triangle, then a pyramid, then a cube, then a box that stretches out and out and out until I cannot it stretching any further in my mind.

I also try to imagine myself at the beach in mexico, standing waist deep in warm water, feeling the cool breeze on my upper body and the warm water and sand between my toes. I try to visualize the sky, the fishing boats, etc etc.

As far as smoking goes, still working on it..:mad:

Imagery. self-hypnosis, exercise - are all good ways to distract the mind from pain.
We have one member (Wing42 - David) who has defeated his PN pain significantly thru Yoga. You might do a search on this site with "Yoga" and see what he's done.

Hi again. I just went back to a pscyh. I had been before many years on and off but not in the 2 years I have been dealing with this. Anyhow my mood lately and anxiety has been really bad so it was time to go. She did rx me some meds for anxiety/sleep and may add a muscle relaxer. So I was wondering if possible meds may help with you too since you made the comment of going to a psych etc? As someone who has been overtherapied I am not sure if that is word I do feel that coping mechanisms take practice to work in the best manner so don't give up. Also do you journal? I do not just a pain rating one but about my feelings and thoughts. It helps me get out some of the feelings I have. Hang in there and keep up the hard work to stop smoking. Take 1 day at a time

Hi Kreink

I have been using self hypnosis for about 15 years and, although I have not been in severe pain with this so far, I have found it helpful with my numbness and burning feelings. I have used it for childbirth and other pain over the years such as dentistry including root canal. I was taught it at a class in the uk and would recommend finding a good, accredited teacher in your area (sorry I don't know any organisations in usa but am sure you could find out on the net). I tend to use visualisation to help e.g. imagining a dial that you can turn to alter the intensity - if it won't go down turn it higher then lower, or giving it a size, shape, colour and altering those as well as direct suggestions about increased relaxation. Tapes can also be useful with visualisations, I have made some for myself but again that was after the training. If you see a hypnotist they can also give you or you can learn for yourself what are called post hypnotic suggestions so that is a suggestion e.g. for pain relief that is triggered when you say a certain word with the intent to use it for pain relief. I remember my teacher always talking about pain in terms of seeing it as a message from your subconscious and therefore of value and distinguishing between what he called 'necessary pain' eg you need to act on this now and see a dr and 'unnecessary pain' messages which you can instruct your subconscious to turn down in intensity. I have to be honest and say it hasn't always worked for me 100% in all circumstances and I don't know why that is but it has definitely worked in many and helped alleviate pain.

Sarah