The Case:
In the last episode, we met Liana and heard all about her issues with fatigue, digestion, hair loss, joint pain, and lack of concentration. As a person living with Hashimoto’s, she knows many of these symptoms are related but was struggling to stick to the healthy routines that could make a difference.
That’s why I decided to discuss her case with Hypnotherapy expert, Grace Smith.
In episode 139 of Health Mysteries Solved: Thyroid and Hashimoto’s Revealed, Grace busted the misconceptions surrounding hypnotherapy and explained so clearly how it works. I encourage you to jump back and listen to that episode before proceeding to learn how hypnotherapy can specifically help those with Hashimoto’s and how it helped Liana with her issues.
Stress as a Trigger for Hashimoto’s
There are four main triggers for Hashimoto’s:
- Food
- Infection
- Toxins (environmental and food)
- Stress
Of these, stress is so often overlooked. And one of the causes of stress that is easy to overlook because we may not be fully aware of is past trauma. This is where hypnosis can play a big role.
Sometimes it could be big T trauma (a specific event that is easily identifiable as the source of trauma), but for others, it could even be smaller things. For example, it could be that they may have been rejected from something, or that they struggle with self-worth because of their upbringing. There’s also a really big connection between shame and Hashimoto’s and inflammation in general. These small t traumas or limiting beliefs can be the stress trigger for Hashimoto’s without people realizing it.
Grace explains that many of these issues develop in the subconscious before the age of 7. What’s significant about this is that the brain has not yet started to produce beta waves. And so, from seven and under, we’re almost completely in the hypnotic state. This is why kids learn so quickly – our brains can easily absorb new information and make new neural pathways in the hypnotic state. However, those neural pathways and ideas we are taught at an early age, tend to stick. This is why it can be hard to change our way of thinking – especially if our brains are stuck in a beta brain state.
Rewriting Childhood Neural Pathways
Since many of our beliefs (limiting and otherwise) are created before the age of 7, hypnosis can help to take us back to that time and allow us to understand where these ideas come from and rewrite those neural pathways.
Grace shares a great example of this in our conversation where she’s talking about a kindergarten teacher picking on someone’s drawing and how that can lead to them feeling shame, unworthiness, or even fear of being the center of attention.
As kids, we have a reaction to that and it’s hard to believe that a single event can affect us years later but Grace says it can be the cause. The good news, she says, is that through hypnosis, you can go back and rewrite that script. And, by doing that, you shift those long-held beliefs and feelings.
Subconscious Self-Sabotage
When we looked at Liana’s case, we discovered that she had this subconscious belief that she was not worthy of good health. As a result, she couldn’t trust that feeling good would last or that it was really how she felt. That’s why she couldn’t stick with a routine – she never believed it would work, and when it started to, she couldn’t believe it would last. She didn’t think she deserved to be healthy.
Grace says this is so common and something that can absolutely be addressed through hypnosis.
She shares a great story about a grandmother in her late 70s who was dealing with chronic pain. Doctors and their tests could find no cause. Through hypnosis, Grace was able to get the patient into the theta brainwave state and have a conversation with the woman’s subconscious. It was here that the real cause of the pain was revealed – the woman was afraid to heal because she believed that her family visited her only because she was sick and that if she was healthy, they would not visit as frequently.
In this episode, Grace reveals how she was able to rewrite this belief and have the woman come out of hypnosis no longer debilitated by pain.
What Does Hypnosis Feel Like?
Everyone is going to experience being in the theta brainwave state differently. Grace is quick to dismiss the ‘Hollywood’ version of hypnosis where you’re watching a movie on the inside of your eyelids. She explains that some people are more auditory while others are more kinesthetic. It’s important for anyone curious about hypnosis to keep this in mind because they may go in expecting to see something when they can simply know it or feel it and still have it be effective.
When people don’t have the ‘Hollywood’ experience of being able to visualize, they can sometimes question the validity of the work. It can lead to them not believing in hypnosis. Grace says this is okay because belief is not required. The results will come whether you believe it or not.
Free Sample Hypnotherapy Session
Because I know people are curious about the experience of hypnotherapy, I asked Grace to help you get into the theta brainwave state. In this episode, she walks you through a simple exercise – be sure to listen in a comfortable position (and that you’re not driving or walking while doing it!)
The exercise shows how effective moving into a theta brainwave state can be for reducing stress levels. Be sure to note your stress level before the exercise and then again after.
This is a 5-minute exercise and most hypnotherapy sessions done by Grace or her team are 45 minutes, so this really is just a little sample of what it’s like to experience hypnotherapy.
Grace also has an App where you can continue exploring the benefits of hypnotherapy.
Conclusion
Taking a look at what Lianna was doing to support her thyroid, I discovered that she wasn’t clear on her thyroid type. Her thyroid type is ‘unavailable thyroid type’ which means that her thyroid was functioning but her body was unable to absorb the T3 and T4 she was producing. We were able to improve that by supporting her estrogen levels and also addressing her stress.
But, much of her stress was coming from her limiting beliefs so I knew that hypnosis would help. She was game! She discovered through hypnosis that she had a subconscious belief that nobody feels good and that suffering is part of life. No wonder she didn’t feel like she deserved to be healthy!
Through hypnosis, she was able to rewrite these beliefs and as a result she experienced a reduction in the pain in her joints and she had more energy. She also saw a reduction in hair loss which I think was a result of the shifts in her biochemistry as well as the hypnotherapy sessions and the self-hypnosis she is now doing.
Personal Update
I hope you enjoyed this conversation about hypnosis. I personally have been doing hypnotherapy and have had some major breakthroughs. In fact, I loved the process so much that I am getting my certification for hypnosis as well. Don’t worry, I’ll still be here as your guide on your Hashimoto’s or thyroid journey – I’ll just have one more tool on my belt! For me, it’s all about getting to the root of the problem so we can heal and enjoy life. And hypnotherapy is definitely one of the ways to get to that root. I’ll keep you posted on my progress.
But remember, when it comes to your health issues, the answers really are out there. It’s just a matter of looking in the right place and finding the right support.
Links:
Resources mentioned
Thanks to my guest Grace Smith. You can connect with her and download her app at GetGrace.com.
And you can check out her books, too:
- Close Your Eyes, Get Free
- Close Your Eyes, Lose Weight
- Close Your Eyes, Sleep
- The Adventures of Sleep (a children’s book)
Related Podcast Episodes:
139 How to Power Up Your Hashimoto’s and Thyroid Healing Journey with Hypnosis Part 1 113 The Surprising Brain Connection that Could Improve Your IBS 125 The Super Simple Mindset Shift to Help Hashimoto’sThanks for Listening
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