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Diabetes, Depression & Hypnosis |
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Written by Devin Hastings
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Page 2 of 2 The Formation of Depression Activating Post-Hypnotic Suggestions
A post-hypnotic response is a cause-effect belief program that powerfully dictates behavior. Another way to look at this is that when a specific stimulus becomes uniquely associated with a strong internal state, you have a post-hypnotic suggestion and effect. (stimulus/response)
For example, the physical lethargy and mental apathy that accompanies very high (or low) blood sugars can be a contributing factor to inappropriate cause-effect belief formation. To illustrate, let me share with you this case: Shortly before I was diagnosed with diabetes, my cognitive functions were significantly reduced and my affect was severely depressed.
In layman's terms this means I felt like garbage due primarily to out of control blood sugar levels that were causing me to lose my vision as well as feel awful. (What is interesting to note is that diabetes and its attendant emotional/physical affects can go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed for years.)
Now, when a person has a strong emotional feeling, that affect state can then become associated with whatever situation and/or thoughts they are currently experiencing i.e. uncontrolled diabetic consequences coupling with a relationship break-up, a job loss or any other stressful situation. These are common events but note that even a small, insignificant incident can also be implicated. This confluence of events is called an I.S.E. or Initial Sensitising Event. (Please note that, as in the case of many phobias, some initial sensitising events can have a profound post-hypnotic impact after only one learning event.)
The next stage in deepening the power of this erroneous belief programming occurs when a person is next exposed to the same stimuli that were initially associated with a powerful, negative state of mind.
The result? Generally, with enough repetition and enough time, feelings can become facts cognitively and physically. And then, a pseudo-depression cycle is perpetuated.
As a quick illustration imagine a large spider near your foot. Now, if you are a person who becomes upset when big, hairy spiders with lots of eyes and big fangs are near you, then your body will respond to some degree.
Now, imagine being unconsciously reminded (triggered or post-hypnotically influenced) to thinking and therefore feeling, many times a day that there is a nasty spider about to crawl up your leg. Ultimately, this could become a panic disorder that can even attach itself to unrelated objects and/or events. In fact, this is not uncommon.
Hopefully, this example will help to illustrate why I call it pseudo-depression. I do this because the belief syllogism is: "I feel depressed therefore I must be depressed because of…(you name it).." And, when feelings happen, a person must make sense out of their world. So, they justify this unconscious, powerful, emotional experience with a conscious understanding that usually takes the form of inappropriate cause-effect associations i.e. "I am feeling depressed because of my job--spouse--life--" or whatever seemingly reasonable explanation is available.
In other words, one's feelings of depression can be in part or whole, built on erroneous beliefs or accidentally created post-hypnotic suggestions. Therefore, all a depressed-feeling person may need are the tools and coaching in order to be able to disable erroneous cause-effect belief programs.
To finalise this point, please consider a quote from Breaking The Patterns of Depression, by Michael D. Yapko, Ph.D.: "For most people, depression is the product of a hurtful way of interpreting and responding to life experiences."
Summary
In this article I have attempted to share information that will raise awareness on a number of different levels. If you are a person with diabetes and you are hitting a 'wall', consult with your physician to discover whether or not you have depression.
If you are a nurse or physician and you have patients who don't seem to want to take care of themselves, then perhaps there are hidden forces at work. And, there are alternatives that you may not have been aware of before now.
If you are a hypnotherapist and you wish to help those with diabetes, please remember four things:
1) You must always obtain a fully informed referral from your client's doctor. If you suspect your client is depressed, never diagnose. In fact, if you think they are depressed, it is incumbent upon you that you suggest they see their physician for an official assessment before you can help them further. Be sure to obtain an additional referral so that you can help them appropriately with their depression if your help is suitable. If you feel you cannot help, don't.
2) Should a physician or nurse, have time to chat with you, please remind them that if you are only allowed one approach to helping their patient, stress management alone can produce incredible blood sugar lowering benefits over time. This is attested to by an article in a January, 2002 issue of Diabetes Care in which a study done by Dr. Surwit shows that: "stress management techniques, when added to standard care, helped reduce glucose levels”. Surwit notes also that: "The change is nearly as large as you would expect to see from some diabetes-control drugs”.
3) By acting in a responsible manner as part of your client's health care team, you can in your way, make a big difference, even if only by reducing stress. Please note that stress is a contributing factor to depression. Therefore, as your client is reducing their stress levels they may also experience a reduction in depression. This will in turn create a need for your client to reduce their diabetic medication(s).
There is evidence that a reduction in depressive symptoms correlates with a reduction in blood sugar. (This was demonstrated in a study conducted by Patrick Lustman, a psychologist at Washington State University School of Medicine in St. Louis).
4) Finally, before helping a person with diabetes or depression, you really need to know a great deal about both subjects.
Thank you for reading this article. It is greatly appreciated, I welcome comments and I look forward to meeting you in October.
REFERENCES:
1. The Mind/Body Diabetes Revolution, Richard S. Surwit, Ph.D. Page 43
2. Ibid. Page 44
3. Psychological Stress May Induce Diabetes-Related Autoimmunity in Infancy --Anneli Sepa, PhD; Jeanette Wahlberg, MD; Outi Vaarala, MD, PHD; Ann Frodi, PhD; Johnny Ludvigsson, MD, PHD
4. Ed. Note: It is fascinating to note that in 1684, English physician and anatomist, Thomas Willis wrote that diabetes was the result of "sadness, or long sorrow." Apparently like DaVinci, he was ahead of his time.
5. Hägglöf B, Blom L, Dahlquist G, Lönnberg G, Sahlin B: The Swedish childhood diabetes study: indications of severe psychological stress as a risk factor for type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus in childhood. Diabetologia 34:579-583, 1991
6. Thernlund GM, Dahlquist G, Hansson K, Ivarsson SA, Ludvigsson J, Sjöblad S, Hägglöf B: Psychological stress and the onset of IDDM in children. Diabetes Care 18:1323-1329, 1995
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