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goldie
3 Posts |
 Posted - 08/11/2003 : 12:56:16 AM
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| I have been alcohol free for 8 years, smoke free for 3 1/2, and eating disorder free for 2 1/2. I am 33, take vitamin supplements, have a healthy diet, and exercise almost every day. I am also pissed off and edgy all the time. I am so tired of living like this (everyone around me is too), and was wondering if hypnosis could help me. Can hypnosis raise the level of seratonin in the brain? Years ago, I tried Prozac, and it worked like a charm, but I would much prefer to go this route, if it is proven to be affective. Any information would be appretiated. Thank you. |
Edited by - goldie on 08/11/2003 12:57:15 AM |
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Terry
Canada
63 Posts |
Posted - 08/11/2003 : 09:34:49 AM
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| Goldie, congratulations, rather than offer an answer to your question, I would much preffer it if you told us how you accomplished such a fete as to remove alcohol, cigarettes, and even an eating disorder from your life, and accomplish it at the age of 33? You see, I don't know you, but I do know that you know yourself, and this being so, I am sure that somewere in your story is the secret you are looking for. If I am wrong, at least we will have a better understanding of what might work for you. Terry |
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goldie
3 Posts |
Posted - 08/11/2003 : 5:43:25 PM
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Terry,
Thank you so much for the positive feedback. I truly appretiate it!
I was anorexic and bulimic for 18 years, and tried everything (therapy, etc..) to get over it, but just couldn't. What people do not realize, is how physically addictive eating disorders are.
The physical addiction and the phycological addiction are intertwined, and it took me years (of blaming myself for having this)to realize that. I recovered on my own 2 1/2 years ago, when I had a major epiphany that I COULD get better, after meeting someone (the same age, who had an eating disorder as long as I had), who recovered succesfully. Anyway, I chose a date, and just made a commitment. Instead of "trying", or "making an effort", I just did it, because I was too tired to go on this way, and I wanted to see my child growing up, and my thirty's as a healthy person, I had gone on too long spending my life hanging over a toilet. I used a very holistic approach to cure my eating disorder, and giving up was never an option for me. I literally changed my mind over night-I cannot explain it. It really was quite miraculious. From that day forward, I have been very solution oriented about tackling my anorexia and bulimia.
Smoking and alcohol came before I gave up my eating disorder. I quit drinking first. My drinking was a huge problem. I had been hospitalized three times for alcohol poisoning, had a DUI, and went to rehab, none of these were wake up calls for me. My wake up call was when I had a terrific job in a new city that I loved, and saw what I had was at stake, when I missed too many days of work. My boss (a recovering alcoholic) took me to an AA meeting (I had gone to numerious meetings before with no such luck), and I finally started to listen, because I was too scared to lose everything. The prospect of drinking again, is not an option for me. I know that I am a person who cannot drink, and there is too much at stake if I do.
Giving up cigarrettes was uncomfortable, but not excrutiating like I hear it is for a lot of people. I just knew that I had to quit at some point, and made a decision to just go for it. I stayed in bed for the first two days, getting out of bed only if necessary. I had an eating disorder at the time, and as sick as this sounds, I think the eating disorder alleviated a lot of the typical withdrawals other people experience.
Anyway, I certainly did not intend to spill out a condensed version of my life's story. I don't mind at all, but this is a hypnosis forum, not a recovery forum, and I don't want to put anyone off.
Anyway, about this moodiness. I am just speculating, but think that there is a possibility that I may have altered my brain chemistry from years of abusing my body. I do take many supplements which promote emotional (and physical) wellness, and a natural supplement called 5-HTP, which is a seratonin and melatonin inducer. I am apprehensive about taking it all the time, because I don't know what the long term effects are when taken on a regular basis. I took three last night, and do feel a lot better, than I did yesterday. Again, Prozac was incredible, there were some side effects, but it absolutely took the edge off, and I felt so wonderful!
I currentely do not have medical insurance to get a prescription, but honestely, if there is a sure way I could retrain myself to feel better, I would do it in a heartbeat. I love the idea of overcoming my mood swings and constant edginess naturally, and the idea of hypnosis didn't even occur to me, until last night.
Thank you again Terry, your kudos are very much appretiated! |
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Terry
Canada
63 Posts |
Posted - 08/12/2003 : 08:54:46 AM
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Goldie, never apologise for being lucid, and detailed when communicating on a hypnosis board. All too often, we get a very short question, without any detail about the writer, and are expected to come up with a detailed CURE for them as if we had some magical power.
Your reply was indeed interesting and informative, and based on it, I found much to offer in return. You said, "I stopped trying, and I did it" or words to that effect. I want you first to copy what you wrote, and keep it for refference in the future, it is exactly what I would have done with you had you been my client, and you would have paid for this instead of doing it by yourself, and feeling good about that (G)....I would like you to set a new goal, and be prepared to try the same techniques by setting a date to be free of ALL drugs, the ones you are using now can be just as damaging to your personality as street drugs, and you can't afford to do more damage than was previously done to both body and mind. Now I have no idea if you are correct, and that the damage done in the past is catching up with you, or if it is indeed the drugs that are causing mood swings, but I do know that being free of them will be another step towards feeling fantastic, which is how you should feel after what you have already accomplished. No honest practitioner can promise miracles, and advice from a distance is not always the best, we have so little on which to base our suggestions. However, what I have said to date is as accurate as it can be, and I look forward to hearing that the mood swings have gone with the removal of drugs from the system. As for using a hypnotist, finding a good one is difficult, and since you have already used self hypnosis very effectively, I advise this for the future also. You say you have no medical coverage, and this indicates that money is tight, so using the skills you have makes perfect sense to me. Terry |
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goldie
3 Posts |
Posted - 08/14/2003 : 03:08:26 AM
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Thank you Terry, and I think you are right. I do have it in me to beat this.
Just a little clarification: I should not have used the term supplements, as that is a blanket definition for anything marketed as "promotes well being". What I meant is, I take vitamin supplements.
Like a multi-B vitamin, an Ester-C vitamin, selenium, vitamin E, etc-coupled with a healthy diet. The only thing I do take that could be considered a drug, is 5-HTP. I totally get your drift though, I probably should not take it, as it indeed could cause more harm than good.
You know, I have been browsing this forum (REALLY interesting by the way), and have not found what I am suspecting could be a catylist to my "condition". I am embarrased to admit, that I am a real television junkie. After I made my initial post in this forum, I really started to sort out, my addicive personality, and what I need to work on, and figured out that (well, actually have been in denial for quite some time), TV is the very last thing I am hooked on.
I am hooked on every kind of TV, you name it. News shows, stupid TV. Idiotic TV. Programs that literally turn off my brain, and put me into a coma like state. Television numbs my brain and crushes my sense of true purpose, just like all the other crap did. It is SO hypnotic, and the second someone trys to pull me away from my favorite reality show-I am a BEAST!
Come to think of it, I am one of those people who has bought into the media hook, line and sinker. Think skinny women (eating disorder), but excessive consumption of junk food including fast foods (bulimia), Joe Camel (smoking), Excess and glamour (spendaholic), It's Miller time (alcohol, actually Miller beer was my brand of choice), and one I forgot to mention, my coffee adiction I kicked last year (a former frequent patron of trendy coffee houses).
Today was day three of no television. Can I just say (offering some insight), that this is one of the HARDER ones to kick? My husband had the television on this morning, and the glare of the TV set, the sound of it sucked me in immediately. I told him, I had to leave the house, after I caught myself almost unconcious and drooling after 5 minutes of TV viewing (by the way, I did leave).
I am climbing the walls without watching television. It is bizarre. It's like going through some kind of withdrawal. I am always doing things that are constructive, but always have the Blah Blah Blah, of the television set in the background. That thing was ALWAYS on, even when I wasn't watching it.
Here is the key to reprogramming my brain (i think, I hope). I will stay on track, as I am an absolutist when it comes to ridding things that I know are harmful to me. Is it ever weird though. I realize that I turned it on to relax, but actually it had the opposite effect. It prevented me to think, and when I was confronted with the task of thinking and/or problem solving, I would immediately become irritable, and want to return to that "blissful state" (I am so addicted to), of not thinking! What an epiphany, and thank you for allowing me to use you as an outlet Terry  .
Also thank you for responding to my posts. This is a terrific site, and I will continue to lurk around, and possibly post here from time to time.
Goldie |
Edited by - goldie on 08/14/2003 03:15:55 AM |
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Terry
Canada
63 Posts |
Posted - 08/14/2003 : 1:40:03 PM
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| I'm delighted to find you are getting so much out of a suggestion you were only given so recently, but I will add one other suggestion to help the mood swings. Since you are avoiding TV which is terrific by the way, (it is damaging to health,) let me suggest replacing this time with something healthy!! Power walks are good, I was up early this morning, and took one round the lake, I feel just fine, though recently, due to a bruise foot, I have neglected to do any walking, and found myself watching TV or listening to the radio too much. Any habit should be replaced by one of a happier or healthier nature since we abhor a vacuum, hence the desire to watch the boob tube. My problem was sleep, I needed an afternoon nap while I was not getting any excercise, now I am just fine.....Hope this helps, I find it refreshing to offer help to someone who is willing to help themselves, most posters want spoonfeeding (G) Terry |
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trentzilla
USA
1 Posts |
Posted - 01/05/2004 : 7:30:23 PM
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These were some great posts, but I have to admit, I still want to know about the seratonin. Does anyone know of any studies or research that has been done about hypnosis and chemical brain levels specifcally seratonin? I would find that extremely interesting. I searched the web but found nil, if someone has an article or tidbit, or even could point me in the right direction, please do. Thanks.
-Trentzilla
ps. Oh yeah, Terry isn't that you from hypnosis.com? |
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HypnoDoc
USA
369 Posts |
Posted - 01/16/2004 : 12:36:11 PM
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| Thanks Terry for the excellent posts and answers. Very positive and getting right down to the meaty parts of the issue. |
HypnoDoc
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unMorph
Canada
2 Posts |
Posted - 01/28/2004 : 5:56:54 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by trentzilla
These were some great posts, but I have to admit, I still want to know about the seratonin. Does anyone know of any studies or research that has been done about hypnosis and chemical brain levels specifcally seratonin? I would find that extremely interesting. I searched the web but found nil, if someone has an article or tidbit, or even could point me in the right direction, please do. Thanks.
-Trentzilla
ps. Oh yeah, Terry isn't that you from hypnosis.com?
I don't know of any studies, however, I would suggest looking beyond the problem (low seratonin) and instead achieve the desired outcome (being happy as opposed to depressed, etc). Hormones such as seratonin may affect our general moods, but our general moods also affect which hormones are produced. So if you allow yourself to feel happy, 'happy' hormones will be released and make your mood congruent with your physiology.
Also, many people enter into REM when in trance. I am unsure whether this is exactly the same REM as during sleep, but I would guess that seratonin is produced during trance. I have heard it said that there are people who can meditate (go into trance) for 15 minutes and achieve the same level of rest as 8 hours of normal sleep. That would be useful, don't you think? ^_^ |
Never worry about things you can't control.
Never whine about things you can. |
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Seratonin?
