Treating Diabetes With Hypnosis??

In the treatment of diabetes, there are at least two absolute truths.

One.    Everything affects your insulin needs.

Two.    Steady glucose and insulin levels decrease the occurrence of complications.

Stress, illness, hunger, hormones, altitude, physical fitness, diet, activity, depression, insecurities, ability to move, pancreatic motivation, heart function, circulation, respiratory status, lymph systems - literally everything in and around your body, including your emotional states, affect how much insulin your body needs. And when you control those things, you have better control over the levels of insulin.

Diabetes is a physical disorder, and like most other physical states, is heavily impacted by psychological stresses as well as adherence to self-care behaviors and medication. Lifestyle therapy is the cornerstone of diabetes treatment. Any intervention that is able to achieve good control of blood sugar, prevent complications of diabetes, improve patient’s quality of life, and decrease diabetes risk factors is certainly worth exploring.

Even though acceptance of hypnosis and hypnotherapy by conventional medicine was officially acknowledged in 1958 by the American Medical Association and the Canadian Medical Association as a valid medical therapy, acceptance by health professionals has been slower. Research has demonstrated the effectiveness of hypnosis as part of the integrative treatment of many conditions that traditional medicine has found difficult to treat. In fact, hypnosis has shown not only to reduce anxiety in medical conditions but also change physical parameters and has been effective in the management of diabetes, including regulation of blood sugar, increased compliance, and weight loss in adults as well as adolescents.

One of the most problematic complications of diabetes is a diabetic foot ulcer. Hypnosis has proven to be effective in increasing peripheral blood circulation and decreasing diabetic foot problems. Hypnosis is also used to decrease the feedback of diabetic neuropathy, easing the discomfort or eliminating it altogether.

Hypnotic suggestions can be a motivational coach and may be used effectively to alter beliefs and behaviors. Hypnosis is helpful in increasing compliance for exercise, diet, treatment compliance, fear of needles, and other lifestyle changes that may be required for diabetes management, including stress reduction that is associated with the better metabolic control.

Hypnosis is also a helpful tool to induce relaxation, decrease psychological components such as depression, and accelerate wound healing. Another advantage of hypnosis is that patients can be taught self-hypnosis. This means that they can continue to reinforce the suggestions at home, increasing the patient’s sense of control over the disease, and enhancing treatment outcomes.

Hypnosis can help people with diabetes because it has been proven to be a powerful method of helping people to change. This article references medical studies found here:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18058487

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5738869/

The Role of Hypnosis

Hypnosis is a way to produce rapid, permanent change. You are probably already aware that it helps people quit smoking and lose weight. Here are some specific ways that hypnosis can be an effective part of the treatment regimen for both type 1 and type 2 diabetics.

Compliance

In many cases patients struggle to stick to their doctor’s plan for a healthier lifestyle. Hypnosis goes directly to the subconscious mind and helps remove the things that are preventing you from following the plan, whether that is avoiding cravings and emotional eating, consistently testing, remembering to take medications. Once these “bad habits” are removed, it becomes easy to follow the plan. Hypnosis helps with better eating patterns, more exercise, losing weight and getting control of diabetes.

Reducing Stress

Hypnosis is a very deep state of relaxation and that relaxation plays a critical role in better health. Controlling anxiety and stress is one of hypnosis’ best kept secrets as it relates to managing diabetes. Stress isn’t the thing or event itself, it is the way we react to the thing or event. Hypnosis allows you to change the way you react in the same way it helps you to change a habit. You experience less stress, and your blood sugar stays more stable.

The Subconscious Mind’s Effect on the Pancreas

Under hypnosis the hypnotherapist can tap into the subconscious mind and offer suggestions for the body to produce the proper levels of insulin. Because your whole body is regulated and controlled by the subconscious mind, the subconscious mind has the ability to relieve common ailments and diseases. Similar strategies are used under hypnosis to help mothers produce breast milk and alleviate pain during childbirth.

Reducing Depression and Emotional Eating

Studies show that people with diabetes are at an increased risk for depression which can lead to emotional eating and making it more difficult to manage insulin levels. Hypnosis increases self-confidence, reduces negative thinking, and helps improve beliefs about a brighter future, thereby reducing depression and emotional eating and helping the patient control diabetes and overall mental health.

Breaking the Cycle of Bad Habits

Hypnosis is used around the world helping millions to reduce and reverse negative behaviors that lead to diabetes like overeating, snacking on sweets, being sedentary and more. The power of suggestion to the subconscious mind can literally reprogram the body to make better and healthier choices.

Issues with Self-Love and Self-Esteem

Many patients with diabetes have low self-esteem and low self-love. This can affect their choices in how they treat their body without even being consciously aware of it.  Hypnotherapy addressed these issues directly. Many diabetic clients feel significantly different about loving their body enough to get better which is a springboard for change.

Whether you are diabetic, or you know someone who is, you are probably aware of the struggles in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, balancing medications and exercise, and finding the best treatment that fits a person’s individual needs.  There are many ways that hypnosis can help from the moment someone is diagnosed with diabetes and throughout their treatment.∎