Picture this – Manage Diabetes with Hypnotherapy

You have been feeling a bit off colour, a bit lethargic, you know you are carrying too much weight and you have a sweet tooth. You often get thirsty and often have difficulty getting the energy up to do anything. You spouse nags you to go and get it seen to so you make an appointment with your local GP. The doctor does some tests and that advises you that you have diabetes and then gives you prescriptions for medication that you must take. You walk away in disbelief, feeling angry, confused, anxious and unsure of what to do. Read on were diagnosed 279 Australians were also diagnosed with diabetes. Although there are over 1 million Australian who are currently living with diabetes it is estimated for every person diagnosed there is another who has not yet been diagnosed.

This year in Brussels over 120 world leaders from the UN, governments and the private sector released a blue print for action and put Diabetes into the Pandemic category. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) estimates that by the year 2030, one in ten people will have diabetes unless rapid action is taken. Current worldwide statistics are alarming.

  • Diabetes kills: 1 person every 8 seconds, 4 million people a year
  • Diabetes does not discriminate: all ages, rich and poor, all countries
  • Diabetes can no longer be ignored: 4 million lives lost a year, 1 million amputations a year, millions lost in income and productivity source: www.idf.og

There is no cure for Diabetes. However people with both diabetes Type 1 and Type 2 can still live normal lives and reduce the risk of developing complications by looking at their lifestyle. 90% of those diagnosed have type 2 diabetes; that is non insulin dependent, and the majority of these would fall within the overweight to obese category.

So how can hypnotherapy help the person who has been diagnosed with diabetes or the person who is in the pre diabetes stage?

Diabetes is a condition that can be controlled and by making some small life style changes the effects of diabetes can be significantly reduced.

Obesity And Weight Loss

Obesity is a key factor is many diabetics particularly Type 2 diabetes. It has been clinical proven that losing weight will reduce and alleviate diabetic symptoms and some may even live a life free of diabetes if they can maintain their weight in the health weight range. So using hypnotherapy to lose weight and maintain that weight loss will help both those who have been diagnosed and those who are in the high risk group (obese or family history of diabetes).

Hypnotherapy is very effective for weight loss and the new Virtual Gastric Band Program has had great results around the world.

Physical Exercice

Regular physical exercise is very important for those with diabetes. Getting enough regular physical activity is important for maintaining good health and ensuring good diabetes management. Regular physical activity can become an enjoyable part of your day with long-term benefits to your diabetes and your overall health.

For the person with diabetes, physical activity helps to:

  • Improve the body’s response to insulin which can lower blood glucose levels
  • Lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, reducing the risk of heart disease
  • Control weight
  • Reduce the risk of developing diabetes complications

Other positives include:

  • Stronger bones
  • Improved mood
  • Increased energy levels
  • Reduced stress and tension
  • Improved sleep

Hypnotherapy can provide the motivation, suggestions and support sometimes needed for those who find exercise difficult.

Quit Smoking

Give up the cigarettes, Smoking increases the risk of serious health problems associated with diabetes. People with pre-diabetes are already at high risk of heart disease. Smoking makes this even worse. You can significantly improve your health by quitting. Quitting at any age will benefit your health but the earlier you stop the more you gain.

Hypnotherapy is a proven way to help people quit for good and has a higher long term quit rate compared to other forms of quitting. See the Smoking Intervention Program details.

Limit Alcohol Consumption

Limit alcohol consumption Too much alcohol can increase the risk of developing complications by putting on weight, increasing triglycerides (blood fats) and increasing blood pressure. Alcohol can also make it more difficult to manage your diabetes.

Hypnotherapy can help by using suggestion therapy to help decrease the need for alcohol.

Stress

Stress is a word that is used widely but not well understood. At some time we all experience stress and different people react in different ways. While a particular situation may cause stress for one person, it may not be stressful for another. To fully understand stress, it is important to know about the direct link between the mind and the body and to know that it’s not stress itself that is harmful, but the way we deal with it.

Research has shown that what happens in the body affects the mind and vice versa. It has also shown that how we view our environment affects the way our bodies work. Imagine yourself sitting at home when suddenly a huge tiger bounds into the room. How do you feel? Probably terrified! Now imagine yourself in the same room when a dear friend you haven’t seen for a very long time walks through the door. How do you feel? Probably surprised and excited! How do you react? Your body reacts to each of these situations in the same way. It is an automatic or reflex reaction called the ‘fight or flight’ response. It is designed to allow you to act quickly to deal with the threat you have detected – or to get out of the situation – ie: fight or flight.

Physical changes that occur in the ‘fight or flight’ response:

  • Your heart starts to beat faster
  • Your blood pressure goes up
  • Your breathing becomes quicker, allowing more oxygen to the brain and muscles
  • Your blood glucose level rises to give your body more energy to do whatever needs to be done
  • Blood moves away from your gut and into the big muscles of your arms and legs so you can act quickly
  • Your blood gets ready to clot quickly should you start to bleed
  • You become very alert so that you can think about how to deal with the threat you have detected

In both situations, these changes occur without you doing a thing other than feeling fear or surprise ie: reacting to the change in your situation. They occur whether you want them to or not. Your mind has detected a stressful situation and set in train a series of body responses to cope.

Keeping in mind the link between mind and body, the effect stress is likely to have on your diabetes is caused by the way you deal with it, rather than the stress itself.

An example:

Ben and Paul both have diabetes and are overweight. Both men are having trouble at work and are worried they may lose their jobs. However, they respond to this stressful situation in different ways.

Bob: He has not shared his concerns with anyone. He has a constant headache, diarrhoea and no appetite. As he can’t sleep, he sits in front of television every night until well after midnight, drinking beer and snacking. His blood glucose levels (when he thinks to test) are all over the place and he is generally feeling lethargic verging on depression.

John: The moment the trouble started at work, Paul told his wife. Together they re-arranged the family budget and Paul started looking at ‘Jobs Vacant’. Paul contacted a local Hypnotherapist and started a program to provide some awareness of what was happening to his body because of the stress, provided tools and techniques to help him better manage stress and help to determine the best course of action in terms of his career. He decided to play some extra games of tennis to help get his diabetes back on track.

We run regular stress workshops at Brisbane Natural Health in Milton to provide help in education and management strategies to deal with stress. Hypnotherapy is a very effective way of helping manage stress by using tools and techniques such as relaxation and mindfulness.