Bruxism: Grinding Teeth

Feeling good about yourself now, release all feelings of guilt or aggression.

Things don't bother you like they did in the past. Things that used to upset you or make
you nervous, hurt your feelings, embarrass your, or make you angry no longer have such a
profound effect on you. You can now see them more clearly for what they are and not allow
them to upset you.

Anytime you clench or grind your teeth you become aware on a conscious or
subconscious level of what you are doing. As the awareness occurs you automatically relax
every muscle in your body.

Clenching or grinding your teeth is an aggressive or nervous outlet. Instead of grinding

You no longer grind you teeth as an outlet, that is a thing of the past ... just let it go like a
thought that is not important to you.

Now take a deep breath and notice how relaxed you become when you exhale. You are
relaxed and in control. You will remain calm relaxed and in control.

Bruxism Hypnosis Script No. 2

You're now feeling deeply and comfortably relaxed - and just listening to the sound of
my voice - relaxes you even more deeply - for my voice can take you in - and out - of
trance - and you know - just - how relaxed you can be - so calm - relaxed - and
comfortable.

How wonderful it is to be so relaxed - tensions can drop away - and you're going to find -
that from this moment forward - you're going to become - so much calmer - so much
more relaxed and so much more comfortable - every day - in every way.

You also become more confident in your own ability to relax this way - whenever you
want to - whenever you need to - because tension has caused you to grind your teeth in
the past - sometimes without even realizing what you were doing - but now you're aware
- of this growing comforting feeling from deep within yourself.

You now check yourself throughout the day to make sure you're not tensing your body or
your teeth in any way - and if you notice you are - then you simply relax - you simply
relax and feel calmer again - calmer - more relaxed and more comfortable too.

You become so proud of your new found ability to relax this way - that you practice it
more and more - and this makes you confident and able to cope more effectively with any
situation that arises in your life.

You also find yourself speaking up for yourself - whenever you need to - whenever you
want to - because there's no need to grit or grind your teeth - you're entitled to say what
you feel - how you feel - when you feel - and when you express yourself in this
confident, positive way - you feel so much better - and happier and more relaxed.

Other people notice how much more relaxed you are - and comment on what they see -
for there is an inner sense of calm and contentment arising from deep within you - no
more stresses and strain - no more stress or restrain - for you have the ability to relate -
without any negative thoughts or feelings - in any way that you know and feel is right.
You trust yourself - you really do.

You now check yourself throughout the day to make sure you're not tensing your body or
your teeth in any way - and if you notice you are - then you simply relax - you simply
relax and let go and feel calmer again - calmer - more relaxed and more comfortable too.

So let go - and enjoy these wonderful feelings - and allow those feelings to take you
deeper and deeper into gentle hypnotic rest.

Let your mind wander back in time now - to the first time - the very first time - that you
ground your teeth - don't try to remember - let your wonderful subconscious mind - scan
through the memories of your life - your conscious mind doesn't even need to know -
right now - so just go back - to the very first time that you ground your teeth. When
you're there - just allow your right index finger to lift - easily - effortlessly.

(Wait for signal).

Where were you at the time? At home? Somewhere else? In bed? Alone? Or with
someone else? Notice your surroundings - where you see yourself now - and if this was
the very first time that you ground your teeth - allow your right index finger to lift again -
if there was an earlier time - let your left index finger lift.

(Wait for signal)

You can know - what was going on in your thoughts at that time? You were thinking of
something? Or was it a dream? Trace it back to it's root - you're a detective - looking for
clues. When you know what it was, signal again to me.

(Wait for signal)

See yourself dealing with that situation in a much more effect way - this is easy for you to
do now - for you're older and wiser and have more experience of life.

Now for some reason - known only to the subconscious mind - your reaction to that
original thought or event was to grind your teeth - and unconsciously you remembered to
do this many times afterwards - until it became a fixed habit of yours. I want you to tell
your subconscious mind - here in hypnosis where communication is clear - that you don't
need that response any more. Thank your subconscious mind for doing what it felt was
right at the time - but tell it firmly that it's time for a change. You can do this aloud or in
your thoughts - and signal to me when you've done it.
Good - now ask your subconscious mind if it's willing to try something new. If it agrees,
signal yes again.

Thank you - well here's what I'd like to suggest - but if you have any better idea - please
feel free to use your own. From now on I want the subconscious mind to take over
checking your body and teeth for tension. Now there are some situations where tension
might be appropriate - but most of the time it isn't - so when subconscious notices your
body - or teeth - beginning to tense up - I want it to take over - and allow yourself to relax
- and let go. If subconscious mind agrees to this, signal yes again - if now then I'd like
you to go into your creative resource centre and dream up a better idea.

Okay - now subconscious mind can do this throughout the night as well as the day - in
your sleep - you're going to feel relaxation washing over you - like tidal waves - relaxing
and calming you. And it's such a pleasant feeling to allow yourself to feel calm and
relaxed - and so much more confident too.

In a moment I'm going to count from one to five and at the count of five you'll be wide
awake - but you'll feel as though you're floating on air for a while - knowing also that you
are safe - you are calm and comfortable and so relaxed.

One, two, three, four, five.

Migraine Headaches

(Make sure you are not dealing with tumor, poor eyesight, tooth decay, infectious disease,
high blood pressure, head injury, etc.)

Relax and shape and form the headache and throw it away. As you relax you do not need the
headache. Anytime you feel a headache coming on, you release it. Place the tips of your
fingers on the back of your neck and apply a very gentle pressure and the tension goes away.

Whenever the muscles start to tighten or you start to squint your eyes, you become aware of
it immediately and relaxation begins immediately.

If you have pressure behind the eyes, very gently use your fingertips to brush your eyelids
with an outward motion and the pressure will subside.
A deep breath will relax the muscles and the headache cannot materialize.

(Deepen by having the client go down a staircase.)

At the bottom of your staircase design a release valve for the escape of the tension or
nervousness. Anytime you are in a situation that tension is building, see yourself at the
bottom of your stairs and pull the release valve. Do not let the tension build

Fibromyalgia and Pain Management Techniques

by Darlene Cheek,

While researching Fibromyalgia, I learned a lot of different things about pain. I have the
usual "over 30" daily aches and pains, and my husband is just reaching that point; but how do
you recognize that this is something that isn't just going to go away? Some of the
Fibromyalgia patients remember "growing pains" as a child where they laid in bed at night
with a heating pad and cried. There's a good possibility that their fibro symptoms had started
that early (this does not mean that everyone with growing pains has Fibromyalgia).

Some of the patients started feeling the constant pain with the onset of a trauma, such as a car
accident... or even emotional trauma, such as divorce or childhood abuse. With some, it just
started one day, and two weeks later was so bad they had to go to the doctor. Also, with
Fibromyalgia, there are some days better than others... and some days with "flares" that are so
bad the patient can't stand for a sheet to touch their body. So, once you realize that you have
something wrong with you that is going to cause you pain... what do you do?

I'd like to share with you some of the things the Fibromyalgia patients I've spoken with have
shared with me. Then I'd like to add to the script in last week's article and help you with a
hypnotherapy method for pain management. At the end of the article, I will give you a short
hypnosis technique that you can do in five minutes. Try these different approaches as
"YOU" feel like doing them. Just because something works for someone else, doesn't mean
it's perfect for you. If you have any questions, especially with exercises, please ask your
physician.

Some of the patients do gentle stretching exercises to keep their muscles and joints more
limber and toned. This is an excellent idea and doesn't take more than a few minutes.
Another great suggestion was water aerobics or low impact aerobics in the senior's class
because they understand pain more and go at a slower pace. Again, do what you are able to
do... no more. Some of the fibro patients use Yoga. Yoga doesn't have to be a head-stand
routine where you have to balance for an hour. The benefits of yoga go beyond exercise into
the areas of meditation, relaxation and focus.

Another friend receives Acupuncture. Along the same lines of eastern healing methods, I
highly recommend Reiki, a Japanese method of energy healing that treats the body, mind
and spirit. One especially great thing about Reiki is that anyone can be attuned by a Reiki
Master, and you can treat your physical symptoms yourself at Level I. Also suggested, was
Massage Therapy.
 Pain Management Script:
(One note: In hypnotherapy, we do not use the word "pain" while hypnotized... pain hurts...
we use "discomfort"... it puts the mind on a more susceptible level, not thinking about
"pain.") (begin) Just imagine yourself in your magical place of relaxation... you hear water
gurgling in the background and look to see where it is coming from... you notice a beautiful
waterfall pouring into a mirror clear pool... there is a large, soft float near the edge... just go
over now and lie down on the float and drift into the pond... there is no reason to feel any fear
of water here... this is just our imagination at work... you are completely safe... and relaxed...
just like a beautiful dream...

You begin to feel something enchanting about this place... you realize that this water has
healing powers... it is warm... and calming... healing... allow the water to wash away any
discomfort that is left in your body... and it floats away... gently cleansing... renewing... you
can feel the healing energy flowing through every cell of your body... allow it to work...
allow the water to take away everything negative in your mind, body and spirit....

The discomfort slips away like a distant memory... when you return, your discomfort will be
under your control... all you have to do is take a deep breath, close your eyes, and remember
this place and the feeling that you have at this moment... your mind has the power, and your
thoughts are the greatest of all healers... (end)

At this point, you may drift on to sleep by finishing the script for sleep therapy, or allow
yourself to wake up simply saying to yourself "and when I awake, I will feel refreshed and
have more energy than I've had in a very, very long time"... count to five and open your eyes.

Once you practice this and come to a point where you can ease the discomfort without
completing the entire script, I use a technique where I visualize a sliding scale. On this scale,
there are numbers from 1-12 and a red arrow that slides up and down. See the number where
your discomfort is presently, and imagine it sliding down the further your "discomfort"
subsides... then imagine yourself with a hammer and nail (or whatever you want) and nail the
red arrow into place at the lower number. Most of my pain management clients can be into
hypnosis in five minutes and have that arrow nailed down to at least 1 or 2. Remember the
three most important words in self-hypnosis... practice, practice, practice.

You can add any visualization or positive suggestions to these scripts that you like. Be
creative, and use your imagination. If you prefer a beautiful green valley to lie down in,
imagine yourself there and allow the earth to soak away the pain... imagine the sun's rays
healing your body. Sometimes I stand on top of a mountain and allow the wind to whisk the
discomfort away on the breeze. Use whatever works for you, and enjoy many more pain-free
days of life.

Pain Control
Pain is a warning device from you body. You do not need to be warned about your (specific
pain problem) any more. You know the problem is there and you are correcting it.

If you need to know about a change, if you need to be warned, you will feel a tingling in the
area instead. You will then see that any new problem is taken care of.

You no longer feel any pain connected with (specific pain problem) but this in no way alters
your warning pain signals for any other reason.

I want you now to concentrate a healing light in the area where you desire the pain to go
away and stay away. Set up rapid and instantaneous healing with the healing light. Feel all
tension leaving the area. All pain is completely gone from the area. Feeling soothed, relaxed
and painless. As though the entire area has been anesthetized without taking away any motor
response what-so-ever. You have complete muscle and motor response but the area has no
pain.

Do no call back the pain. You do not need it. You do not want it. It no longer belongs to you.

Anxiety control
You are going to now learn the art of controlling anxiety. As a result of this session you
will no longer suffer from anxiety and you will be in control at all times. You will feel happy
and so confident that you are now in control.

What I would like you to do right now is to use your imagination … I want you to imagine
a scene in your mind … to visualize yourself at a wonderful place … a place where there is
no anxiety whatsoever … It could be some place that you have been before, or if you cannot
think of an anxiety free place you may go ahead and create one in your mind … it can be a
fantasy place, or a real place … just visualize it and imagine it … Maybe you can see it
clearly in your mind … and maybe you can’t … if you can’t imagine it … just think about it
and the same purpose is being served … You can even surround yourself with things and
activities that you find extremely enjoyable, without any stress at all. Take a few moments
and create this scene in your mind ………….. and as soon as you have this scene in your
mind, nod your head for me ... so that I know you have it… (wait until they nod their head
before continuing.) Now in just a few words … describe, or tell me what the scene is that you
are imagining right now… (Wait for their response. If no response, asked them again) Good
… now visualize that place and see it very clear in your mind. It’s a wonderful place isn’t it.

Now while you are in your comfortable place right now I would like you to take a deep
breath and as you exhale allow yourself to feel twice as comfortable and wonderful as you do
right now … and take your second deep breath … and as you exhale allow yourself to relax
even more … and on the third deep breath, as you exhale, allow yourself to feel wonderful …
realizing that you are in a place where nothing affects you, where there is no anxiety, where
you are completely safe … Now commit this place to memory … every detail … because in
the future, any time you find yourself confronted by what used to be an anxiety provoking
situation, or any kind of stress whatsoever, all you need to do is take your three deep breaths
and allow yourself to remember … and come back to this wonderful anxiety free, stress free
place, that you have created for yourself.

Let’s go ahead and try it right now to insure you understand the concept. Right now, I
would like you to think of something or a situation that may have caused you a small amount
of anxiety in the past … and as soon as you feel a little bit of anxiety, nod your head for me
so I will know … (wait for the response, repeat if necessary)
Take a deep breath and just let the negativity flow away … take your second deep breath and
allow yourself to feel wonderful, coming back to your special place … and take your third
deep breath, and allow yourself to relax completely … You are now anxiety free … It feels
great doesn’t it.

Headaches and Migraine

Hypnosis is more effective when treating conditions like these if the client is taught how to
deal with the pain before it becomes too bad. In this way they can learn to control the pain,
by first of all turning it up and then turning it down. This program will demonstrate how this
is done.

As with most conditions of this nature it is also a good idea to discover what purpose it serves
in the patient's life, this can be done through ideomotor techniques which are explained in the
Strategies section of Hypnotic World. It is also essential that any pain is first investigated by
the patient's GP before treatment is commenced.

Begin with your favorite induction and deepener from Hypnotic World.

As you drift deeper into this wonderful hypnotic experience I want to show you some tools
that you can use to control the headaches and migraines which you have been having.

When we experience signals of pain it usually means that something is not right somewhere
in our body - and headaches and migraine are no exception. Imagine a friend banging on
your door in the middle of the night. You may be too busy to see her right now or perhaps
you're asleep and don't want to be disturbed, so what do you do? You ignore the knocks and
continue with what you are doing.

But your friend has something important to tell you and she knocks even louder, and louder
still to make herself heard. The door begins to shake and rattle - oh, If only you'd stop what
you're doing and open the door and listen to all she had to say.
Eventually, you relent and open the door, but by then it's too late and the pain has become
really bad. So whenever you get a signal like this, just stop whatever you're doing as soon as
you can, and go inside and listen to what your friend has to say.

Migraine

Let yourself feel as comfortable as you're able to at this moment in time - because soon - very
soon - you will find yourself so deeply relaxed and comfortable that your body will seem as
though it's not a part of you any more - as you drift into a lovely calm and peaceful feeling.

So relax your mind and focus only on my voice - listen to my voice and allow any external
thoughts or sensations or movements or noises fade into the background. Just fade away.

And imagine yourself in a beautiful park on a lovely warm, sunshiny day - not too bright -
not too warm - just comfortable for you right now. There's a clear blue sky with not a cloud
in sight. Flower beds set out here and there - the grass has been mown just a few hours ago
and you can still smell the freshness of the newly mown grass. Imagine it now - breathe in -
just the smell of that grass takes you back to your roots - back to nature itself. There are trees
in the park - weeping willows and elms and oaks and other trees that have been here for
perhaps hundreds of years. One particular tree - with snarled branches and an orange tinged
bark catches your eye. Its branches hang low but the tree stretches high and it's summer and
there's an abundance of leaves and greenery here.

There is a path through the park - and here and there a wooden bench and a cluster of bushes
with overhanging branches - ideal for a child's den - be aware of the birdsong - listen
carefully to the different tunes - and go deeper and deeper and deeper still. And as you listen
to the sound of my voice - you find yourself beginning to drift - going deeper and deeper
relaxed.

Imagining the scene I describe takes you deeper into hypnosis - and you come to a hill and
begin to walk down - towards the lake - and further away - the dome.

TECHNIQUES
Building a Pain Control Dial
By: Adam Sargant

This hypnosis script assumes that the subject is already in a state of induced trance. It is
intended for generic use in allowing the subject to realize greater control in managing
specific, chronic pain. The script uses phonetic and syntactic ambiguity to create a mild
confusional state, so will not read as a grammatically correct piece of prose.
In a profound state of relaxation, you can notice what you notice as you relax, still,
further. And, relaxing, still further, you can notice how you can perceive yourself in all
sorts of new and exciting ways. You can wonder, for example, what it might be like to
see your self as only you can see your outer and inner self. I don’t know just how you
might make an inner sense of all this, but I do know that you clearly know ways of
making that inner sense right now, so as you can clearly see yourself, all the inner
experiences are clearly seen too. Allow your attention to wander to that area that has been
experiencing the pain, you may give yourself the opportunity simply to notice just how
you see that sense of pain, while you remember that pain is just a signal from the body to
yourself telling you to be aware. This pain is neither good nor bad, but an important
message you give yourself. And just as a message over a radio can be turned up and
down while retaining its importance, so too you can learn new ways to attend to the
signals your body sends you.
So, as you continue to relax still further, and continue to breathe in and out automatically,
just notice how you relax further each time you breathe out that which you no longer
need, and how you breathe in only that which is useful to you. And just as there is one
you, in your mind you can create in image of this you as you too, one imagined and one
imagining a picture of yourself. And I don’t know just how you see those areas of pain,
but as you do, in a minute just imagine that they change in whatever way is needed to
make them less intrusive. Just as with a radio dial, you can move the dial down from 5 to
4 and the sound gets just a little bit quieter and the sensation becomes just a little less
intrusive as the way you picture these areas of pain changes, maybe in intensity, or
brightness or color. And as you move the dial from 4 to 3, the image changes so that as
the numbers go down, the area simply becomes number still. As the dial moves from 3 to
2, and everything gets quieter, those sensations can become less and less intrusive,
moving further into the background. And as you turn the dial from 2, to 1, just notice how
your two you self can become clearer and moves more to the fore as those unwanted
sensations move further back still. And you can ask yourself, what would happen if I
move the dial all the way down to zero?
Pause
And this dial is one that can go with you, so that any time you need it, you can simply
count down from 5, to 1, breathing in only that which is useful and breathing out all that
you no longer need. With each number, the sensation simply becomes number for only as
long as is useful to you at that time.
(at this stage the hypnotist can let the subject rest for a while, before bringing them out of
trance with suggestions to reinforce the work already done).

Creating Numbness-Glove Anesthesia

Begin with your favorite induction and deepener.

In hypnosis you can give yourself suggestions - and for the purpose that you
require. I'm going to show you a way that you can give blood for your tests and
still feel calm and relaxed - your arm can feel light and comfortable - maybe it will
feel as though it doesn't even belong to you - and even though you will be aware
of certain sensations there 0 these sensations will not bother or disturb you. It
will be just as though they are happening to someone else.

Focus your attention now upon your right hand - notice how your right hand feels
slightly different from your left hand - be aware of the tiny ripples of air gently
caressing the skin of the right hand - and I wonder - can you create a certain
feeling of coolness in the right hand - and a feeling of coolness will allow you to
drift even deeper into hypnosis - into that calm, relaxing feeling.

This coolness can change - to a feeling of numbness - you don't have to do

You can remember that numb feeling now as it spreads from your hand and into
the arm - cold and numb - cold and numb - and go deeper and deeper relaxed.

Focus now on that feeling of coldness and numbness - allow it to grow stronger -
colder - even more number - like the feeling that ice can create when you touch it
- cold and numb - cold and numb - and take a deep breath.

Cold and numb are your key words for post hypnotic conditioned response.
When you are in hypnosis you can repeat those words - cold and numb - and
your right hand and arm will become cold and numb - cold and numb - and you
can go into hypnosis easily and effortlessly - by telling yourself - I am going into
hypnosis now - taking three deep breaths - and taking yourself deeper and
deeper - the way that works best for you.

While your doctor or nurse takes blood from your arm - it will remain cold and
numb - cold and numb and you will remain calm and relaxed the whole of the
time - even though you are aware that blood is being taken from the arm - it will
remain - comfortably cold and numb.

Cold and numb are your key words - by practicing this technique every day - it
will become a conditioned response - and you will find yourself able to create
those sensations of cold and numb - easily - effortlessly - instantly.

Now you that that in the event of an emergency situation - or it at anytime during
your self hypnosis you should need to bring yourself to full awakening
consciousness - you can do so easily - effortlessly - merely by counting the
numbers from one to five - and at the count of five you will be wide awake,
refreshed and relaxed.
Good - now when you're ready - I'm going to count from one to five
and at the count of five you'll be wide awake.

One, two, three, four, five.