The palliative phase is when a person is basically out of treatment in terms of getting better. This is no longer going to work, but this does not mean that care stops. In the case of cancer, for example, medication that inhibits the growth of the cancer can still be looked at so that you can live as long as possible.
In this way, the palliative phase can sometimes last for years.
Still, knowing that you will soon transition to death can cause you to have a mindset change. Some people have less trouble than others with the idea of dying.
But some people find this very difficult and go down fighting and struggling, so to speak, when it could be much more peaceful and with more peace of mind.
The annoying thing about dying is that you do it alone, just as you were once born alone (or perhaps as twins). And that can be exciting.
To help people make peace with the fact that the end is coming, people often talk to a spiritual caregiver, psychologist or other professional or coach who can provide more insight and specializes in palliative care.
Hypnosis in the palliative phase
Hypnosis can be used by these professionals as a means of helping people. Scientists indicate that hypnosis can be incredibly valuable in the palliative phase in support of other treatments, but there is actually too little research on it[1].
The studies that have been conducted do show hope for treating pain, stress and depressive symptoms at this stage[2].
A study on hypnosis for cancer patients found that hypnosis can help in promoting mental and physical health[3]. This is always in support of medical treatment, never a replacement!
Hypnosis can be used for people who, for example, suffer from cancer which is under control but not curable. Stress that may arise from a missed or late diagnosis can be treated with it. Symptoms of the condition can also be reduced with hypnosis or hypnosis can help one experience less distress due to the symptoms. In the latter case, the symptoms are not gone, but you can look at them in a different way.
In the final months or weeks of life, a patient who has learned self-hypnosis can use it to change priorities and cope with symptoms (source 1).
With priorities, you can ask yourself the question: Do I want to live long, or do I want a good life? After all, this affects the choices you make regarding nutrition, exercise and what you want to do daily or devote your energy to.
How hypnosis is now being used in healthcare
In many hospitals, hypnosis is used to keep people calm before, after and/or during treatment. For example, while taking a biopsy under local hypnosis, a nurse can help you relax by giving a guided visualization.
In addition, hypnosis can be used against:
- Nausea caused by medication
- Fear of needles
- Fear of masks
- Fear of the MRI scan
For mental problems, such as anxiety and stress due to diagnosis or treatment, hypnosis can also be used.
In the palliative phase, you may also have a desire to talk things out with people with whom you have a difficult relationship or just in dealing with memories of difficult relationships. This is also something hypnotherapy can then help you with.
Especially at the beginning of the palliative phase, or when you know you won't get better, but are certainly far from dying, hypnosis can help you in your motivation to keep living a healthy life anyway. So to pay attention to mindful eating, exercise and improving or maintaining good sleep (source 1).
Untreated cancer: effects
Some people with cancer have cancers that are treatable but not curable. This can cause all kinds of problems. For example, some people can no longer work, lose relationships, have to quit their own businesses and may feel they are losing their identity.
Family ties can become closer, or it can become painfully obvious that the ties are really not good.
Sometimes, then, there are suddenly additional financial stressors.
To cope, some people may suddenly become very religious or give up faith.
In addition, symptoms can also increase your anxiety and varying degrees of fatigue.
So plenty of reasons to get mentally all tangled up before "getting used" to the new health situation.
Hypnosis for untreatable cancer
Cancer symptoms, such as pain, can cause unconscious thoughts about future pain to arise. The neurological pathways about pain can change as a result. Fear and worry, for example, can make pain worse. Fortunately, with hypnosis it is also possible to change neurological pathways and, as a result, pain perception can also be changed. In this way, hypnosis can act as an analgesic because it literally affects the brain and nerves (source 1).
One example of how hypnosis can be used for cancer is that a woman with breast cancer used self-hypnosis to treat hot flashes. She used visualizations of cold water to do this and it helped (source 1).
Another example is of a woman with neuropathic pain due to a tumor in her spine. Unfortunately, her husband was not supportive enough and left her while she worked for his family business and lived next door. She was afraid to move because of the pain and fatigue. Hypnosis was used to reduce anxiety and stress and to give herself resources to protect herself from emotional stress through contact with her ex-husband and in-laws.
One way this was done was by visualizing how there was some kind of gateway in her nerves that allowed pain to pass or not pass. She also started practicing walking and biking while in a hypnotic trance in order to maintain her physical health. In addition, hypnosis was combined with psychology to re-enter and change her social life (source 1).
The treatment even allowed her to start her own business, leave her ex-husband without too much emotional pain, bitterness and self-blame. At some point, she was even able to ride her bike and walk again as usual and go on hiking vacations with her new friends, in addition, she no longer needed pain medication.
If someone in the palliative phase does have a partner who stays and provides support, a hypnotherapist can also teach that partner simple hypnosis techniques that he or she can use to support the loved one (source 1).
Hypnosis in palliative care
As you can see, people's problems can vary greatly. In hypnosis, you tailor the treatment and techniques to the client. It is important to note, however, that at the time people are told they have incurable cancer they are emotionally very vulnerable and very open to "suggestions" this is also called waking hypnosis.
So make it clear that nothing is mandatory and that there are other psychological treatments without hypnosis. If you recommend hypnosis, do so positively and without hesitation. For example, you can state that good results are often obtained with it and indicate for what kind of problems this is the case. Especially if the person in the palliative phase has symptoms in which hypnosis helps.
Then, if someone wants hypnosis, explain what hypnosis is and what people can expect from it. In the preliminary interview, people can talk more about how their condition affects their lives. So the relationships they have, but also their daily functioning and symptoms.
This information will help you as a hypnotherapist find the right techniques to help people in the palliative phase.
Techniques
During induction, it is wise to use the visualization of the safe place. This is also something your client can then use with self-hypnosis during an MRI scan, for example.
People get to choose a place that is soothing to them. If they describe it, a therapist can use the description again in suggestions to be completely calm and visualize being in that place. The place does not have to exist literally. For example, it can also be a place in their imagination, as long as it is calming.
They can also work with symbols, such as colors or shapes given to certain emotions. These in turn can be used in suggestions to change and transform certain emotions.
Then, when someone is completely relaxed, a suggestion can also be made about finding a box that contains everything they need to overcome their problems.
Instead of regression, progression can also be used. In this case, you are not talking to the inner child, but rather to an older wiser version of themselves who can guide them through this difficult time. In this conversation, the therapist does not always have to provide guidance. It can also be a private conversation in the client's mind.
Visualizations can also be used to practice on future problems. For example, people can visualize what they would do if...
- They suddenly become dependent on a wheelchair.
- They run out of energy to leave the house.
- They receive chemotherapy.
In contrast, for complaints such as pain and hot flashes, visualizations of thermometers and volume controls can be used to have more control over these feelings.
In addition, post-hypnotic suggestions can be given, such as "Every time you wash your hands, remember to wash away your anxiety."
These kinds of suggestions help people in the palliative phase to suffer less from anxiety, their symptoms and personal problems.
Learning hypnosis to help people
In the palliative phase, people are very vulnerable, so if you want to help people in this phase, it is important to be able to help them in the best way possible. If you want to help people in this phase with hypnosis, we recommend that you take all the trainings of the HIN. So that you don't accidentally miss the knowledge needed for certain problems.
Want to learn more about hypnosis and helping people? Then come to the free online master class.
Or register directly for one of our training courses.
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