Hi
I have a new client who is a hypochondriac, his doctor has told him that there is nothing wrong physically with him after doing tests. He has put him on Lexipro to relax him. He is now convinced he has swine flu.....what nlp techniques would you use with this client?
I am a trained Master NLP Practitioner and have some ideas on what to work with but just wondered if there are any insights you might have here?

Yvonne

Hi Yvonne,

One study I read suggested that 80 per cent of "hypos" focus on, or concentrate on, or mention at least a few times, "cardiac" symptoms - eg, agina-like chest pain, breathlessness, pains shooting up their left jaw or down down their left arm, etc - and out of this, they come to the conclusion that, amongst several other ailments, they have heart disease.

If this has conclusively been ruled out by their GP, and/ or a hospital work-up, and/ or they're under 30 (and thus, CHD is very unlikely), it is highly likely that their "clear and present symptoms" are being caused by chronic faulty breathing. (Source: Dr Claude Lum).

Anxiolytics are not much use for this, but mentalistic interventions (ie, nlp) are not much better.

A helpful first line of intervention, IMO, is to teach the chronic hypo how to breathe properly, and to direct that they practice the breathing exercises you give them several times a day.

This usually has the fairly immediate effect of reducing or eliminating many of their symptoms - the ones which FOR THEM are their irrefutable internal proof that there is something wrong with them. ("But Doctor, I've got this terrible pain ... ") And if you remove the symptoms in this way, you also remove the convincer - and usually with the result that the patient or client begins to place some credibility in a source outside themselves - namely, you.

It should also leave them open to the possibility of other, useful work - which in my experience is usually appropriate. For example, at this point, you can do useful and consolidating work around beliefs and health. And around doing something meaningful and outgoing with their lives.

So, to recap: First you get them stable. And then you do some nlp work. But it isn't the nlp that gets them stable, it's the breathing exercises wot does.

If you pm me, I will send you some details of breathing exercises that usually prove effective.

Eric.

Eric
Thanks for that post about hypochondria. Are there particular nlp exercises you would think would be useful for this client....I am going to use WFO and Parts therapy and get him to identify positive intent behind the behaviour etc.....what others would you consider?

my email is yvonne@focusedsolutions.ie if you could email me the breathing exercises that would be great!

Yvonne

Hi Yvonne.

My home computer is on the blink, and I'm using internet cafes and other people's machines till I get it sorted out. If I can, I'll add a longer post in a day or two.

As a general approach, I would go after the way the client's beliefs about health fit into the larger pattern or structure of "what do I want to do with my life?" rather than, say, some version of the Six-Step Reframe, or "let their unconscious figure it out for them".

Their unconscious hasn't done a very good job so far - and, typically, the hypo is as poorly informed about life and life's choices as they are about symptoms and their meaning - and health.

The aim would be to end up with the person putting most of their energy into getting a really good life, than into wondering and worrying what's wrong. And in this respect, I think this is a context where it's OK to both direct and educate the client.

But, as I said, gimme a day or two. And it may be that I pm you with my further suggestions, if I'm not able to post them here.

Eric.

HMN, INTERESTING!!!!

I recently visited (again, 2x chking blood & all) my GP for prescripting me something for my lazyness. He explained that anxiologics(?) contained coca or cocaine so its highly addictive and so the other ones.

He further explained while flanking my field of vision left and right "It's about the clouds, the puffs -the winds, and even when the sky is blue. It doesn't effect even when I raise my hands to touch, nor got anything to do with the stick. Its likely something you cut down 3 to 2 to 1 a day pack."

The doc further mentioned about the caffein, I wish I wasn't LMAOing and could've gotten straight now.

Its like investigating a crime scene, where 'is it premeditated or is it not and just a plan before the fact.' Because all the lawyers in the world will not solve anything by argueing. There's got to be a pleasant thought going on somewhere before all of these sequenceing. I got to write them down triggers and so to helps to clarify the puffs, or is it just nicotine? Per doc "Its just a nicotine habit that's causing it all the fluff."

SO, HMN, there might be something to it breathing here. Its all about the breathing deeply exercising remembering do at least quite a few times on a daily, basis. Breath in/out deeply and evenly. Hmn, COOL!

So hope, someone will keep us posted particularly me, on the breathing scheme without the yogaying.

spiritualrays wrote:

I have a new client who is a hypochondriac, his doctor has told him that there is nothing wrong physically with him after doing tests. He has put him on Lexipro to relax him. He is now convinced he has swine flu...

Hi Yvonne

You could use the power of the placebo as one of your tools. Some people fixate on the idea that an 'illness' can only be treated with something 'officially sanctioned'. You could mention something like:

"exciting new research on {x harmless product or foodstuff} has shown that it significantly boosts the immune system, and is especially effective for treating {y condition}; of course, this is known only to the medical elite at present, but the statistics are undeniable"

Another thought - it might be worth exploring what the client's hypochondria is preventing them from doing. Check for congruity as you ask them to describe their ambitions and goals in life.

Ben