How to Use Hypnotherapy and Self-Hypnosis as Part of Your Endo Management Tool Kit.

Beattie Streets Clinical Hypnotherapist Sinead has been diagnosed with Endometriosis and knows first-hand how debilitating and frustrating the pain can be. 

It's not just period pain. It's 3 weeks out of 4, It's the majority of my month and nearly my life. I have spent the last 15 years of my life fighting a constant invisible battle. I'm an Endo "warrior" apparently, but what if I don't want to fight anymore? 

The good news is we don't have to fight Endo. In fact it's better if you don't. You can find ways to befriend it... I promise it's possible! Say goodbye to FIGHT flight and hello to REST and REPAIR. 

“Sometimes I feel so invisible because no one else can feel my pain but me. I used to manage and mask my pain with smiles and soldier on, afraid of letting anyone down. Now I realise that behaviour only made the inflammation levels in my body worse, as I was putting my body and mind under immense pressure to ‘BE’ ‘Normal’. It was only causing more stress, interrupting my natural healing ability and limiting my capacity to manage my emotions.

I have discovered that rest and repair is necessary for me to get back to a state of ‘Normal’. I no longer berate myself for time taken off work or turning down social invitations. I realise that in order to be the best me I can be, I get to prioritise my well-being and happiness. 

I use hypnotherapy and self-hypnosis as part of my endo management tool kit. I feel lucky to have discovered hypnotherapy and somatic tools to help me day to day, not only with the pain but also the positivity to keep going. I want to share this with as many women as possible who I know are going through the same struggle. There is light at the end of the tunnel and you are not alone in this.'

At Beattie Street Health Studio, we're passionate about raising awareness about endometriosis, which impacts around 10% of women yet remains under-researched. Endometriosis occurs when tissue similar to the uterine lining grows elsewhere in the body, causing symptoms that can be challenging to manage.  Did you know that, in rare cases, endometriosis can even occur in men? 

This fact challenges the belief that endometriosis results solely from menstrual blood flowing in the wrong direction, which has previously been a widely suggested school of thought.

In some studies, evidence of endometriosis has been found in about 9% of female fetuses, suggesting that this condition could be something we’re born with. Factors like hormonal changes, toxin exposure, and high estrogen levels may then trigger symptoms later in life.

While there is currently no cure for endometriosis, several strategies can help manage its symptoms. 

Here’s how hypnotherapy at Beattie Street Health Studio may be able to support you:

1. Pain Management

Endometriosis often causes chronic pain that affects various areas of life. Common symptoms include painful periods, pelvic pain, back pain, bladder pain, and pain during activities like exercise. Hypnotherapy is known for its ability to trigger the body’s relaxation response, and it has even been used as an anesthetic in medical settings. Hypnotherapy can help you work with your mind to reduce the intensity of pain, giving you greater control over your experience.

Our unconscious mind processes millions of signals, while our conscious mind can handle only a handful at a time. Chronic pain, when no longer necessary as a protective alert, can often be “turned off” with hypnotherapy.

2. Stress Management

While science hasn't fully established a link between stress and endometriosis, many people find that stress worsens their symptoms. Hypnotherapy can help activate the body’s rest and repair state rather than the fight-or-flight response, which is essential for healing and reducing stress over the long term.

3. Support Lasting Lifestyle Changes

Endometriosis symptoms may be managed through lifestyle changes, such as reducing foods high in estrogen or those with artificial hormones, like some meats and dairy. While making these changes is often beneficial, sticking to them can be challenging. Hypnotherapy enables you to reach your unconscious mind, where real, lasting change occurs, helping you develop and sustain healthy new habits.

4. Fertility Support

About 30% of women with endometriosis face fertility challenges due to factors like scarring and poor egg quality. This can create an emotional rollercoaster of stress and frustration. Hypnotherapy can provide emotional support, helping you navigate these complex feelings as you pursue your journey to parenthood. The subconscious mind controls your immune system, hypnotherapy can help boost this function to support healing and recovery as your body finds its natural state of rest and repair. 

5. Visualisations for Hormone Balance

Our thoughts have a real impact on our physical responses, such as a racing heart when we feel anxious or blush when we’re embarrassed. Hypnotherapy can help you harness this mind-body connection, using visualisation techniques to communicate with the unconscious mind, enhancing the body's natural balance and healing response. 

If you’d like to explore how hypnotherapy and mind-body practices could support you in managing endometriosis, feel free to contact Sinead Rochford, Clinical Hypnotherapist at Beattie Street Health Studio. Together, we can create a personalised approach to help you navigate your journey with endometriosis.

I'm saying Goodbye to me as an Endo Warrior. Maybe I can call myself an Endo Befriender now? 

Sinead Practices in clinic at Beattie Street Health on Mondays or by appointment on other days.  

i) Case Reports in Obstetrics and Gynecology

Volume 2018, Article ID 2083121, 6 pages

https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/2083121

https://www.hindawi.com/journals/criog/2018/2083121/

ii) Signorile, P.G. et al (2009) Journal of Experimental and Clinical Cancer Research, 28 (1), p.49.