It is rare the person who has not experienced, to some extent, that feeling of dizziness and vertigo caused by a change in balance. Do you remember the time of your youth when you could not get enough of roller coasters and other amazing attractions? Then, at a later age, the fun stopped and you spent most of the trip fighting nausea, eyes closed, praying for the end of the trip. Opting to ride a roller coaster is an option that adults can easily defer, but avoiding a trip by plane, boat, train, or car is often inconvenient, expensive, and sometimes even embarrassing.
A common “cure” for motion sickness is the application of a medication such as Dramamine, with side effects including drowsiness and loss of appetite. But what’s the point of going on that fishing trip of a lifetime when you spend most of your trip sleeping in the forward cabin? And everyone knows that one of the main attractions of cruise ships is the fantastic variety of food available; you won’t get your share while high, or worse, fighting nausea while isolated in your cabin. Have you ever needed to use those “doggy bags” for motion sickness while wedged between two strangers on an airplane seat? Talk about humiliating.
Often, if you take medication, you can miss out on the adventure entirely and even suffer from a “drug” hangover once you reach your destination. A vacation in the tropics is not very satisfying when you are in a state of fog. I wonder if you can imagine being free from the devastating effects of motion sickness… being able to enjoy traveling without the discomfort of rocking or jolting sensations? It is possible through hypnosis. What really causes motion sickness? According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, “Motion sickness is caused by the contradiction between external data from the eyes and internal signals from the balance center in the inner ear.
For example, in seasickness, the inner ear perceives the movement of the ship, but the eyes see the motionless cabin. This stimulates stress hormones and accelerates the contraction of the stomach muscles, leading to dizziness, paleness, cold sweats, nausea, and vomiting. Minimizing changes in speed and direction can help, as can leaning back, not turning your head, closing your eyes, or focusing on distant objects.” Traditional preventative cures for motion sickness include medications such as Dramamine, whose active ingredient, dimenhydrinate, can cause tiredness There is a patch available which is placed on the body like a smoker’s patch but behind the ear, it should be placed about 12 hours before riding, it works by delivering the medication Scopolamine Hydrobromide through the skin.
It can be used for up to 3 days, but cannot be reused. For those who wish to try a drug-free method, there are wrist wraps that apply pressure to an acupuncture point on the arm. Two bands must be worn, one on each wrist in the correct position to be effective. Even if they are used correctly, they may not work for everyone. Hypnosis techniques that anyone can apply for relief. Research has shown that stress and fear responders in the body contribute to elevated blood pressure and tense muscles, resulting in complaints such as headaches, tension, dizziness, and nausea. The first step to alleviating these symptoms is to relax the body. This can be quickly accomplished using three easy steps:
1) Close your eyes to eliminate external distractions
2) Breathe deeply and slowly
3) Imagine yourself in a peaceful and quiet environment, perhaps your favorite place to read or relax, or perhaps a safe and beautiful place outdoors that you enjoy.
Notice that as you continue to breathe and mentally focus on that place, both your mind and body gradually calm down and relax. Also, as she continues to calm down, gently clasp your hands together or press the tips of your thumb and finger together. This gesture will act as a trigger in the future to help you reach that relaxation even faster. It is a good idea to practice this technique several times a day before setting out on your journey. Another method that is helpful in reducing the discomfort of motion sickness is to imagine yourself actually experiencing your trip. As you practice self-hypnosis for relaxation, envision yourself on your journey. This is called future rhythm and it is backed by the belief that you become what you think about. In this case, seeing yourself on your trip, enjoying yourself, feeling healthy and happy, will actually help the manifestation of a pleasant trip. So you have practiced the above techniques and now you are traveling and you still find yourself suffering from dizziness. What can be done?
To quickly ease discomfort, close your eyes and take a deep breath…then try one of these strategies: Regain control. Imagine yourself with your favorite toy. You may not have played with it in a while, but you can remember a time when you spent hours learning how to manipulate and control it. Maybe it was a yo-yo, or a remote control car, or a basketball. If you didn’t have any toys as a child, how about choosing one of your adult toys: your car or your motorcycle, or even a brush and a canvas? Whatever it is, look at yourself and feel yourself handling it now. Become aware of the physical movement that makes you feel bad and now transfer that movement to your toy. If the boat is rocking from side to side, imagine that movement in your toy. Realize that it is you who is leading the movement now; you are in control of your toy.
If you’re riding a motorcycle, cast your vision down the road so that every turn, every little rise and fall is anticipated and enjoyed. Notice that the action is planned and controlled by you. You can see yourself painting a fantastic picture with your brush, perhaps dipping it into the paint rhythmically or sometimes flicking it quickly onto the canvas, all in sync with the movements inspired by your journey. As you gain control of the movement, it becomes a tolerable and perhaps even pleasurable sensation. Reapply this method as needed. You will soon discover that you won’t even need to close your eyes to get relief. Images of objects. An effective hypnosis tool to alleviate symptoms is to imagine discomfort, whether physical or emotional, as an object and then transform it. This amazing technique can be used for all ages.
Start by focusing on the problem and assigning it a particular shape. This can be any shape you want, it’s entirely your choice. Add to this shape a color, a color that represents what that discomfort feels like. Then imagine the texture and consistency of the discomfort. Finally, designate the size of this object; as big as a plane or a ship… or maybe the size of a bread box. You choose. While visualizing this image in your mind, begin to change the elements of the object. Start with the shape: what shape would you like it to become? See it change to the new desired shape. Now imagine changing the color to a color you want and continue to vary the texture and consistency of the object. Watch it evolve before your eyes, transforming under your command. Next, resize the object, noting how it now looks completely different. Finally, create a way to let go of that object. You may want to attach a helium balloon to it or attach it to a bird’s wing.
It doesn’t matter how, but feel the sensation as you watch the transformed object slowly float away, drifting towards the clouds of your consciousness. And keep in mind, too, that you can keep it in view if you want, and in fact, you can even retrieve it if you need to. Secondary increase in motion sickness. One of the keys to reduce or eliminate a disease or illness is to discover its origin or causal factor. Unfortunately, understanding and treating the problem is not always enough to make it go away. This is mainly due to a phenomenon described as “secondary gain”. Secondary gain is a method by which a patient, either consciously or unconsciously, benefits from being sick. For example, a person with a back injury, while actually experiencing the misery of the injury, can greatly benefit from secondary gains. This could be in the form of being able to stay home from work, receiving sympathy, providing attention and care from friends and family, being able to avoid normal household chores, financial benefits, etc.
Often the benefits of secondary gain dwarf the benefits of recovery and play a significant role in restricting recovery and even influencing recurrent episodes of illness or injury. Taking secondary gain into account is crucial when tackling a problem like motion sickness. It is important to consider the possible reasons why a patient may not be aware of it, favoring the problem. Hidden secondary gain can be: a deep desire to avoid taking a trip, an undiscovered phobia of speed, water, or heights, a craving for attention and care, avoidance of having to participate in activities, fear or aversion to lack control, etc.
In addition to weakening the physical source of the motion sickness, it is ultimately recommended to understand and treat any suspicious secondary gains. This can be done through self-hypnosis methods or with the help of a qualified professional, depending on the depth and severity of the problem. Hypnosis is an affordable, natural and effective solution for the treatment of motion sickness. The days of crazy roller coaster rides may be long gone, but with a little advance planning and practice, almost anyone suffering from this restrictive disease can find relief and enjoy travel and vacations.
