“Frances” came to me to see if hypnosis could help her reduce the severity of her lupus symptoms. Lupus is an auto-immune disorder in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues. In Frances’ case, her joints were severely affected. Walking was difficult and she experienced constant pain and swelling in her knees and shoulders. She had used a number of different medications that had been somewhat helpful but was hoping to avoid the more toxic medications which work by interfering with the effectiveness of the immune system. She had also used bee venom therapy for 6 months. It had helped with the pain but not reduced the swelling in her joints.
I saw Frances for 8 sessions over a four month period. By the end of this time she was feeling significantly better. She was able to walk downstairs normally instead of side stepping. She was enjoying doing chores around the house that had previously been too painful and exhausting. She had skated several miles in a single day and participated in a walk-a-thon. She was listening to her tapes almost every night and felt that the regular listening was significant in maintaining her improvements.
When I contacted her a year and a half later, she said that hypnosis had proved to be a real turning point for her and the improvements had continued. She continues to use the tapes on a regular basis and has found that they are a key to her continued well-being, as they reduce stress in general, and give specific messages to her body that help to keep her joints comfortable.
