How hypnotherapy can help our patients to overcome anxiety, claustrophobia, needle phobia, nausea and fear of pain - Peter Sandy

Peter Sandy - clinical hypnotherapist

Peter Sandy

Why is six scared of seven? Because seven, eight (ate) nine. This is my daughter’s favourite joke and you will find out why this is important when you read on. 

I’ve been a clinical hypnotherapist for eight years. For the last two and a half years I’ve been lucky enough to work in The Christie’s complementary therapies CALMs team with a talented group of experienced therapists supporting patients (and carers) to overcome a varied range of issues such as anxiety, claustrophobia, needle-phobia, nausea and fear of pain. 

I support patients undergoing a range of radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatments as well as MRI and CT scans. Radiotherapy patients are often most anxious during the mould making process prior to treatment and some of our patients need help with cannulation prior to having chemotherapy or other treatments and procedures.

Many people imagine hypnosis to be along the lines of the stage hypnotist in the TV programme Little Britain…“look into my eyes, not around my eyes” * click fingers * “you’re under!” 

Whilst the idea of a hypnotist having instant mind control may be entertaining (even a little scary), the reality is quite different. Nobody can tell you how to think, not even if you want them to. 

Hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness, a relaxing state of internal focus – a bit like daydreaming – where a person can feel calmer and become more in tune with their unconscious ideas, thoughts and beliefs. A skilled hypnotherapist will build rapport and have an understanding of how to use unconscious communication – verbal and non-verbal - to connect with, and then help discover new strategies, changes in emotional levels or alternative ways of thinking. 

We all have a vast collection of useful past experiences - some are easily remembered and some are buried deeper. These inner resources have been acquired over the years (like humour, stubbornness, intelligence, and a plethora of problem-solving skills), and the ability to imagine different ways of coping in the future. Hypnotherapeutic processes explore and utilise these pearls, and we are able to anchor and recall powerful resources using gestures, colours, words or aromas. 

There’s an old saying: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach him to fish and he can feed himself for life”. The CALMs team can teach a variety of techniques and methods to help people become less anxious and feel calmer. This in turn can provide a long-term benefit, not only to the patient but also to everyone involved.  

If a patient is struggling with anxiety, we come alongside and invite them to try different self-soothing techniques to help them regain some control. Normally a patient who is panicking will be over-breathing so the first thing we might teach is a simple breathing technique, like breathing round a square shape to slow it down and keep it steady. We may ask them to close their eyes and vividly remember a special place and re-experience how they feel in that place (calm, relaxed, resilient, empowered) then use an aroma, object or even a hand gesture to retain and recall (anchor) the feeling. 

One of the things I really enjoy about working with patients is how often they teach us things.

I saw an 80-year-old man a few weeks back who was suffering from breathlessness. He was already halfway through radiotherapy on the lung and began the session looking out of sorts, slightly bent posture, struggling to breathe steadily. That was until we got onto the subject of Karate, of which he is an expert, and before I knew it, he was on his feet, chest out, showing me how to breathe in a way that allows you to take a punch to the stomach - which comes in handy when you have three kids! We swapped breathing techniques and this inspirational man quickly picked up how to do self-hypnosis so he can re-enter a useful relaxed state whenever he needs. 

Many of the radiotherapy patients we support will be receiving treatment focussed on the head and neck, lung or breast areas and they often have something in common – claustrophobia, the fear of confined spaces. 

Claustrophobia affects one in ten UK adults and, if severe, it can result in a full-blown panic attack. This type of phobia is awakened if the patient is required to wear a special mask that is closely moulded over their head, neck and shoulder areas and worn during each treatment to ensure they remain in exactly the same position for every session. Although this mask is an essential tool for the accuracy of treatment it is a very snug fit (and doesn’t look pretty either) so it’s not surprising that patients with high anxiety, pain, breathing issues or claustrophobia struggle to even have the mould made. 

Being able to help a patient get through the mould-making stage as smoothly as possible is important as it can reduce anxiety and make a significant difference to how that person feels about their future treatment. 

There are a number of ways we can help. I was asked to help a patient who suffered severe claustrophobia combined with neck pain issues from surgery who was shaking and hyperventilating in the waiting area outside the mould room. I recognised the signs of panic and quite naturally felt some of her anxiety rise in myself. As we spoke, I allowed my breathing rate to match hers so I could begin at her pace, and I invited her to take a sip of water and hold it in her mouth as research suggests that having a moist mouth tells the brain “you’re doing ok”. 

Next, I asked her to focus her attention on steadily clenching and then relaxing two squashy ‘stress-ball’ yellow stars in tune with her breathing, keeping in harmony with her as I slowed my own breathing and softened my voice. 

We agreed ways in which she could feel more comfortable and in control by establishing a clear stop signal. 

We discussed how she would like to feel in charge when we began to make the mould. We also spoke about things other people had found helpful, like slowly counting numbers down from 200 or focussing on rotating the yellow star and visiting places in her mind. We worked on releasing tension in her feet and legs by tensing and relaxing the large muscle areas involved in the fight-or-flight instinct.

Throughout the process, I continued to hold her hand and give her steady voice contact updating her on the mould process and directing her attention to all manner of other things. 

Having successfully completed her mould and the following CT scan, she thanked the radiologists and me and even laughed at my daughter’s favourite joke!