Premenstrual Syndrome or PMS includes pain, bloating, depression and mood swings, which presents a week or two before menstruation. No one knows exactly what causes these syndromes, especially when some women experience severe symptoms while others experience only slight discomfort. Some women do not experience symptoms at all.
Pain medications and diuretics help, but another alternative solution is catching on. These days, women who want to control PMS symptoms without resorting to medication can use self-hypnosis techniques.
PMS Control
Hypnosis is deep relaxation induced by focusing on someone's voice or object, which induces relaxation like that experienced in sleep. In self-hypnosis, use of an audio or visual tape guides you into a relaxed state.
Guided induction allows you to experience hypnosis before you attempt self-hypnosis on your own; however, it is not necessary. Guided induction is a convenient tool to use when you are tired or too stressed to guide yourself, and some people prefer it because they find it easier.
An October 2001 article in the Western Journal of Medicine stated that randomized controlled studies have shown hypnosis and other relaxation techniques to help alleviate pain and reduces stress. This is not just new age stuff -- physicians and psychologists are using the mind-body connection and advising patients on relaxation techniques for stress and pain management.
Use of Imagery and Affirmation
Self-hypnosis, like meditation, induces relaxation of your body, reduces stress hormones and reduces pain by increasing endorphins, the brain chemical responsible for mood. Self-hypnosis uses visualization or imagery such as imagining yourself floating on a cloud or on some paradise island; any image you conjure up that helps you to focus on relaxation will work.
For PMS, you may induce an image of yourself on a warm and sandy beach. Imagine the waves rushing over you and with each wave that subsides, imagine the pain and stress of PMS washing away out to sea.
Using affirmations along with imagery helps to introduce new ideas about you through verbal statements. For example, you might say, 'I am a wonderful person,' or 'I handle stress well.'
Repeating affirmations will teach you to condition yourself and to learn different things about you until you begin to believe it. Affirmation helps reduce negative ideas or feelings you have. It is important however, to repeat affirmations that you do believe, at least on some level.
Self-Suggestion
Self-suggestion is like affirmations in that in a relaxed state, you can repeat words that help to focus on relaxation, such as the words calm, or serenity. When preparing for hypnosis, you should think about suggestions related to what changes you want to make. Self-suggestion comes before the affirmations because self-suggestion is telling yourself what to feel about PMS and affirmations are about you and your self-image.
Self-suggestion helps deepen the relaxation state. You may want to make a tape of suggestions because you can play the tape without hypnosis whenever you want to remain alert, such as when you are in your car.
