Re: Anxiety Induced Asthma

[Guest guest]

I don't know if you're referring to my post or not. I've lived a

half-century with teachers, medical people, friends' parents telling me

and/or my parents (when I was a kid) that asthma was all in my head.

In worst-case scenarios, my parents would be told that I was playing

with their heads--manipulating them to get out of doing things because

I didn't want to do them...or was just plain lazy. Meanwhile, I

couldn't have pets, couldn't go to slumber parties, slept with plastic

on my pillows/bedding--was placed on all sorts of medications that made

you feel lousy, jittery, sleepy. School mates made fun of me if I

wheezed or used an inhaler. I loved sports but couldn't participate.

It was a pretty miserable ailment to have when you're a youngster.

I was merely making the point that once you have an attack, it's

advantageous to stay as calm as possible. --marty

On Tuesday, June 9, 2009, at 09:54 AM, Levine wrote:

>

>

>

> Hear, Hear, Alana! :-)

>

>

>

> sea_girl111 wrote:

>

>

>

> Yes of course there is a mind-body connection,

>

> and relaxation and guided imagery is excellent, if done regularly,

>

> and will greatly help with ANY health condition.

>

> But, still, it is a slippery slope when you start lumping anxiety in

> the same sentence with asthma.

>

> Sorry, but it sounds much too close to -

>

> " it's all in your head and you can control it "

>

> or

>

> " it's your fault " .

>

> It also smacks of " Blame the victim "

>

> (And when I say victim, I don't mean we should play victim and not

> empower ourselves,

> that's not what I'm saying -

> I don't know if I'm expressing myself clearly.)

>

> But I'm just saying that it is NOT the person's fault at all -

>

> asthma is a PHYSICAL reaction from a misfiring immune system.

>

> And to imply any kind of blame at all on a person with a chronic

> health condition is extremely offensive to me.

>

> Alana

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I don't know if you're referring to my post or not. I've lived a

half-century with teachers, medical people, friends' parents telling me

and/or my parents (when I was a kid) that asthma was all in my head.

In worst-case scenarios, my parents would be told that I was playing

with their heads--manipulating them to get out of doing things because

I didn't want to do them...or was just plain lazy. Meanwhile, I

couldn't have pets, couldn't go to slumber parties, slept with plastic

on my pillows/bedding--was placed on all sorts of medications that made

you feel lousy, jittery, sleepy. School mates made fun of me if I

wheezed or used an inhaler. I loved sports but couldn't participate.

It was a pretty miserable ailment to have when you're a youngster.

I was merely making the point that once you have an attack, it's

advantageous to stay as calm as possible. --marty

On Tuesday, June 9, 2009, at 09:54 AM, Levine wrote:

>

>

>

> Hear, Hear, Alana! :-)

>

>

>

> sea_girl111 wrote:

>

>

>

> Yes of course there is a mind-body connection,

>

> and relaxation and guided imagery is excellent, if done regularly,

>

> and will greatly help with ANY health condition.

>

> But, still, it is a slippery slope when you start lumping anxiety in

> the same sentence with asthma.

>

> Sorry, but it sounds much too close to -

>

> " it's all in your head and you can control it "

>

> or

>

> " it's your fault " .

>

> It also smacks of " Blame the victim "

>

> (And when I say victim, I don't mean we should play victim and not

> empower ourselves,

> that's not what I'm saying -

> I don't know if I'm expressing myself clearly.)

>

> But I'm just saying that it is NOT the person's fault at all -

>

> asthma is a PHYSICAL reaction from a misfiring immune system.

>

> And to imply any kind of blame at all on a person with a chronic

> health condition is extremely offensive to me.

>

> Alana

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Marty,

    Your point is very important--so hear, hear to you, too. We need to

stay calm (even if we really want to completely freak out).

you wrote

"School mates made fun of

me if I wheezed or used an inhaler."

That's rough.  When I was first looking through the internet, I

came across (I couldn't read the whole article as it was too

heartbreaking) a story written by an ER nurse about a nine year old

named who died of asthma.  His family didn't understand the

severity of it, didn't take it seriously. (They were camping and the

campfire aggravated it even more)  He "just had asthma." 

Martha and Alana and others.  I really hate one aspect of e-mail.  It's

so hard to get the message and the feeling through. Sometimes I write

something, and then read it later and think--someone might misinterpret

it.  They can't see the look on my face or my tone, etc.   Anyway--this

group is really excellent. People have a good spirit and share

wonderful information and stories--so thank you all.

Martha wrote:

I don't know if you're referring to my post or not. I've

lived a

half-century with teachers, medical people, friends' parents telling

me and/or my parents (when I was a kid) that asthma was all in my

head. In worst-case scenarios, my parents would be told that I was

playing with their heads--manipulating them to get out of doing things

because I didn't want to do them...or was just plain lazy. Meanwhile,

I couldn't have pets, couldn't go to slumber parties, slept with

plastic on my pillows/bedding--was placed on all sorts of medications

that made you feel lousy, jittery, sleepy. School mates made fun of

me if I wheezed or used an inhaler. I loved sports but couldn't

participate. It was a pretty miserable ailment to have when you're a

youngster.

I was merely making the point that once you have an attack, it's

advantageous to stay as calm as possible. --marty

Hear, Hear, Alana! :-)

sea_girl111 wrote:

Yes of course there is a mind-body connection,

and relaxation and guided imagery is excellent, if done regularly,

and will greatly help with ANY health condition.

But, still, it is a slippery slope when you start lumping anxiety in

the same sentence with asthma.

Sorry, but it sounds much too close to -

"it's all in your head and you can control it"

or

"it's your fault".

It also smacks of "Blame the victim"

(And when I say victim, I don't mean we should play victim and not

empower ourselves,

that's not what I'm saying -

I don't know if I'm expressing myself clearly.)

But I'm just saying that it is NOT the person's fault at all -

asthma is a PHYSICAL reaction from a misfiring immune system.

And to imply any kind of blame at all on a person with a chronic

health condition is extremely offensive to me.

Alana

[Guest guest]

Marty,

    Your point is very important--so hear, hear to you, too. We need to

stay calm (even if we really want to completely freak out).

you wrote

"School mates made fun of

me if I wheezed or used an inhaler."

That's rough.  When I was first looking through the internet, I

came across (I couldn't read the whole article as it was too

heartbreaking) a story written by an ER nurse about a nine year old

named who died of asthma.  His family didn't understand the

severity of it, didn't take it seriously. (They were camping and the

campfire aggravated it even more)  He "just had asthma." 

Martha and Alana and others.  I really hate one aspect of e-mail.  It's

so hard to get the message and the feeling through. Sometimes I write

something, and then read it later and think--someone might misinterpret

it.  They can't see the look on my face or my tone, etc.   Anyway--this

group is really excellent. People have a good spirit and share

wonderful information and stories--so thank you all.

Martha wrote:

I don't know if you're referring to my post or not. I've

lived a

half-century with teachers, medical people, friends' parents telling

me and/or my parents (when I was a kid) that asthma was all in my

head. In worst-case scenarios, my parents would be told that I was

playing with their heads--manipulating them to get out of doing things

because I didn't want to do them...or was just plain lazy. Meanwhile,

I couldn't have pets, couldn't go to slumber parties, slept with

plastic on my pillows/bedding--was placed on all sorts of medications

that made you feel lousy, jittery, sleepy. School mates made fun of

me if I wheezed or used an inhaler. I loved sports but couldn't

participate. It was a pretty miserable ailment to have when you're a

youngster.

I was merely making the point that once you have an attack, it's

advantageous to stay as calm as possible. --marty

Hear, Hear, Alana! :-)

sea_girl111 wrote:

Yes of course there is a mind-body connection,

and relaxation and guided imagery is excellent, if done regularly,

and will greatly help with ANY health condition.

But, still, it is a slippery slope when you start lumping anxiety in

the same sentence with asthma.

Sorry, but it sounds much too close to -

"it's all in your head and you can control it"

or

"it's your fault".

It also smacks of "Blame the victim"

(And when I say victim, I don't mean we should play victim and not

empower ourselves,

that's not what I'm saying -

I don't know if I'm expressing myself clearly.)

But I'm just saying that it is NOT the person's fault at all -

asthma is a PHYSICAL reaction from a misfiring immune system.

And to imply any kind of blame at all on a person with a chronic

health condition is extremely offensive to me.

Alana

[Guest guest]

Thank you, --agree totally about how difficult it is to

accurately convey tone of voice, hand gestures, facial expressions on

email--a lot of the cues that we all use when we're conversing

personally.

That's a sad story about . So young. I was really lucky because I

had an uncle who was an internist and he kept watch over my care like a

guardian angel. Am sure I wouldn't have survived as long as I have

without his care. He hooked me up with my pulmonary doctor who was

wonderful and kept care of me for the next 21 years--even made house

calls if I was too sick to drive (and too poor to take an ambulance).

Medicine has changed an awful lot. Nowadays I often feel as though I'm

on an assembly line and nobody really knows me. And I think it's

really important with asthma that the medical professionals have a

" feel " for each individual--because asthma is very individual. The

cookie-cutter approach doesn't always work.

Also credit horseback riding with helping me over the years to expand

my lung capacity (despite that my husband always joked that it was the

horse who was doing all the work!). I had hay allergies as well as an

allergy to horses, but I just pushed on--too stubborn to admit defeat.

When I first took riding up, I couldn't go more than about 15 minutes

without using my inhaler. After about 18 mos. I worked up to being

able to ride for three hours (jumping and dressage) without having any

episodes. Also swam, which helped, I think. The ironic bit is that

the less you have asthma, the more you bare your teeth at asthma--it

won't get you down. Every time you go through bad spells it can

demoralize you. And then people think you're just whining or something

(grrrr).

Everybody here is special. --marty

On Tuesday, June 9, 2009, at 02:42 PM, Levine wrote:

>

>

> Marty,

>     Your point is very important--so hear, hear to you, too. We need

> to stay calm (even if we really want to completely freak out).

> you wrote

> " School mates made fun of me if I wheezed or used an inhaler. "

>

> That's rough.  When I was first looking through the internet, I came

> across (I couldn't read the whole article as it was too heartbreaking)

> a story written by an ER nurse about a nine year old named who

> died of asthma.  His family didn't understand the severity of it,

> didn't take it seriously. (They were camping and the campfire

> aggravated it even more)  He " just had asthma. "  

>

> Martha and Alana and others.  I really hate one aspect of e-mail. 

> It's so hard to get the message and the feeling through. Sometimes I

> write something, and then read it later and think--someone might

> misinterpret it.  They can't see the look on my face or my tone,

> etc.   Anyway--this group is really excellent. People have a good

> spirit and share wonderful information and stories--so thank you all.

>

>

>

> Martha wrote:

>

> I don't know if you're referring to my post or not. I've lived a

> half-century with teachers, medical people, friends' parents telling

> me and/or my parents (when I was a kid) that asthma was all in my

> head. In worst-case scenarios, my parents would be told that I was

> playing with their heads--manipulating them to get out of doing things

> because I didn't want to do them...or was just plain lazy. Meanwhile,

> I couldn't have pets, couldn't go to slumber parties, slept with

> plastic on my pillows/bedding--was placed on all sorts of medications

> that made you feel lousy, jittery, sleepy. School mates made fun of me

> if I wheezed or used an inhaler. I loved sports but couldn't

> participate. It was a pretty miserable ailment to have when you're a

> youngster.

>

> I was merely making the point that once you have an attack, it's

> advantageous to stay as calm as possible. --marty

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Hear, Hear, Alana! :-)

>

>

>

> sea_girl111 wrote:

>

>

>

> Yes of course there is a mind-body connection,

>

> and relaxation and guided imagery is excellent, if done regularly,

>

> and will greatly help with ANY health condition.

>

> But, still, it is a slippery slope when you start lumping anxiety in

> the same sentence with asthma.

>

> Sorry, but it sounds much too close to -

>

> " it's all in your head and you can control it "

>

> or

>

> " it's your fault " .

>

> It also smacks of " Blame the victim "

>

> (And when I say victim, I don't mean we should play victim and not

> empower ourselves,

> that's not what I'm saying -

> I don't know if I'm expressing myself clearly.)

>

> But I'm just saying that it is NOT the person's fault at all -

>

> asthma is a PHYSICAL reaction from a misfiring immune system.

>

> And to imply any kind of blame at all on a person with a chronic

> health condition is extremely offensive to me.

>

> Alana

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thank you, --agree totally about how difficult it is to

accurately convey tone of voice, hand gestures, facial expressions on

email--a lot of the cues that we all use when we're conversing

personally.

That's a sad story about . So young. I was really lucky because I

had an uncle who was an internist and he kept watch over my care like a

guardian angel. Am sure I wouldn't have survived as long as I have

without his care. He hooked me up with my pulmonary doctor who was

wonderful and kept care of me for the next 21 years--even made house

calls if I was too sick to drive (and too poor to take an ambulance).

Medicine has changed an awful lot. Nowadays I often feel as though I'm

on an assembly line and nobody really knows me. And I think it's

really important with asthma that the medical professionals have a

" feel " for each individual--because asthma is very individual. The

cookie-cutter approach doesn't always work.

Also credit horseback riding with helping me over the years to expand

my lung capacity (despite that my husband always joked that it was the

horse who was doing all the work!). I had hay allergies as well as an

allergy to horses, but I just pushed on--too stubborn to admit defeat.

When I first took riding up, I couldn't go more than about 15 minutes

without using my inhaler. After about 18 mos. I worked up to being

able to ride for three hours (jumping and dressage) without having any

episodes. Also swam, which helped, I think. The ironic bit is that

the less you have asthma, the more you bare your teeth at asthma--it

won't get you down. Every time you go through bad spells it can

demoralize you. And then people think you're just whining or something

(grrrr).

Everybody here is special. --marty

On Tuesday, June 9, 2009, at 02:42 PM, Levine wrote:

>

>

> Marty,

>     Your point is very important--so hear, hear to you, too. We need

> to stay calm (even if we really want to completely freak out).

> you wrote

> " School mates made fun of me if I wheezed or used an inhaler. "

>

> That's rough.  When I was first looking through the internet, I came

> across (I couldn't read the whole article as it was too heartbreaking)

> a story written by an ER nurse about a nine year old named who

> died of asthma.  His family didn't understand the severity of it,

> didn't take it seriously. (They were camping and the campfire

> aggravated it even more)  He " just had asthma. "  

>

> Martha and Alana and others.  I really hate one aspect of e-mail. 

> It's so hard to get the message and the feeling through. Sometimes I

> write something, and then read it later and think--someone might

> misinterpret it.  They can't see the look on my face or my tone,

> etc.   Anyway--this group is really excellent. People have a good

> spirit and share wonderful information and stories--so thank you all.

>

>

>

> Martha wrote:

>

> I don't know if you're referring to my post or not. I've lived a

> half-century with teachers, medical people, friends' parents telling

> me and/or my parents (when I was a kid) that asthma was all in my

> head. In worst-case scenarios, my parents would be told that I was

> playing with their heads--manipulating them to get out of doing things

> because I didn't want to do them...or was just plain lazy. Meanwhile,

> I couldn't have pets, couldn't go to slumber parties, slept with

> plastic on my pillows/bedding--was placed on all sorts of medications

> that made you feel lousy, jittery, sleepy. School mates made fun of me

> if I wheezed or used an inhaler. I loved sports but couldn't

> participate. It was a pretty miserable ailment to have when you're a

> youngster.

>

> I was merely making the point that once you have an attack, it's

> advantageous to stay as calm as possible. --marty

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Hear, Hear, Alana! :-)

>

>

>

> sea_girl111 wrote:

>

>

>

> Yes of course there is a mind-body connection,

>

> and relaxation and guided imagery is excellent, if done regularly,

>

> and will greatly help with ANY health condition.

>

> But, still, it is a slippery slope when you start lumping anxiety in

> the same sentence with asthma.

>

> Sorry, but it sounds much too close to -

>

> " it's all in your head and you can control it "

>

> or

>

> " it's your fault " .

>

> It also smacks of " Blame the victim "

>

> (And when I say victim, I don't mean we should play victim and not

> empower ourselves,

> that's not what I'm saying -

> I don't know if I'm expressing myself clearly.)

>

> But I'm just saying that it is NOT the person's fault at all -

>

> asthma is a PHYSICAL reaction from a misfiring immune system.

>

> And to imply any kind of blame at all on a person with a chronic

> health condition is extremely offensive to me.

>

> Alana

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thank you, Marti.   I love the concept of "baring one's teeth" at

asthma.  I feel like I've just been a "little ninny" since I got it. 

I'm still in the early stages and have lots to learn. 

    Regarding exercise, I also love to swim, but haven't swum again yet

since my diagnoses (I am doing short walks).

    What a wonderful uncle you had!  What a blessing to have such a

special person in your life when you were young.

    Regarding present day medical care--I have also noticed what you

say about assembly line style care. (I belong to an HMO)

I have my first appointment with a specialist (a pulmonologist) this

Friday,  and wonder if this doc will actually look at me (instead of

the computer), answer my questions, etc. 

   

   

Martha wrote:

Thank you, --agree totally about how difficult it

is to

accurately convey tone of voice, hand gestures, facial expressions on

email--a lot of the cues that we all use when we're conversing

personally.

That's a sad story about . So young. I was really lucky because

I had an uncle who was an internist and he kept watch over my care

like a guardian angel. Am sure I wouldn't have survived as long as I

have without his care. He hooked me up with my pulmonary doctor who

was wonderful and kept care of me for the next 21 years--even made

house calls if I was too sick to drive (and too poor to take an

ambulance).

Medicine has changed an awful lot. Nowadays I often feel as though

I'm on an assembly line and nobody really knows me. And I think it's

really important with asthma that the medical professionals have a

"feel" for each individual--because asthma is very individual. The

cookie-cutter approach doesn't always work.

Also credit horseback riding with helping me over the years to expand

my lung capacity (despite that my husband always joked that it was the

horse who was doing all the work!). I had hay allergies as well as an

allergy to horses, but I just pushed on--too stubborn to admit defeat.

When I first took riding up, I couldn't go more than about 15 minutes

without using my inhaler. After about 18 mos. I worked up to being

able to ride for three hours (jumping and dressage) without having any

episodes. Also swam, which helped, I think. The ironic bit is that

the less you have asthma, the more you bare your teeth at asthma--it

won't get you down. Every time you go through bad spells it can

demoralize you. And then people think you're just whining or

something (grrrr).

Everybody here is special. --marty

Marty,

    Your point is very important--so hear, hear to you, too. We need

to stay calm (even if we really want to completely freak out).

you wrote

"School mates made fun of me if I wheezed or used an inhaler."

That's rough.  When I was first looking through the internet,

I came across (I couldn't read the whole article as it was too

heartbreaking) a story written by an ER nurse about a nine year old

named who died of asthma.  His family didn't understand the

severity of it, didn't take it seriously. (They were camping and the

campfire aggravated it even more)  He "just had asthma." 

Martha and Alana and others.  I really hate one aspect of e-mail. 

It's so hard to get the message and the feeling through. Sometimes I

write something, and then read it later and think--someone might

misinterpret it.  They can't see the look on my face or my tone,

etc.   Anyway--this group is really excellent. People have a good

spirit and share wonderful information and stories--so thank you all.

Martha wrote:

I don't know if you're referring to my post or not. I've lived a

half-century with teachers, medical people, friends' parents telling

me and/or my parents (when I was a kid) that asthma was all in my

head. In worst-case scenarios, my parents would be told that I was

playing with their heads--manipulating them to get out of doing things

because I didn't want to do them...or was just plain lazy. Meanwhile,

I couldn't have pets, couldn't go to slumber parties, slept with

plastic on my pillows/bedding--was placed on all sorts of medications

that made you feel lousy, jittery, sleepy. School mates made fun of me

if I wheezed or used an inhaler. I loved sports but couldn't

participate. It was a pretty miserable ailment to have when you're a

youngster.

I was merely making the point that once you have an attack, it's

advantageous to stay as calm as possible. --marty

Hear, Hear, Alana! :-)

sea_girl111 wrote:

Yes of course there is a mind-body connection,

and relaxation and guided imagery is excellent, if done regularly,

and will greatly help with ANY health condition.

But, still, it is a slippery slope when you start lumping anxiety in

the same sentence with asthma.

Sorry, but it sounds much too close to -

"it's all in your head and you can control it"

or

"it's your fault".

It also smacks of "Blame the victim"

(And when I say victim, I don't mean we should play victim and not

empower ourselves,

that's not what I'm saying -

I don't know if I'm expressing myself clearly.)

But I'm just saying that it is NOT the person's fault at all -

asthma is a PHYSICAL reaction from a misfiring immune system.

And to imply any kind of blame at all on a person with a chronic

health condition is extremely offensive to me.

Alana

[Guest guest]

Thank you, Marti.   I love the concept of "baring one's teeth" at

asthma.  I feel like I've just been a "little ninny" since I got it. 

I'm still in the early stages and have lots to learn. 

    Regarding exercise, I also love to swim, but haven't swum again yet

since my diagnoses (I am doing short walks).

    What a wonderful uncle you had!  What a blessing to have such a

special person in your life when you were young.

    Regarding present day medical care--I have also noticed what you

say about assembly line style care. (I belong to an HMO)

I have my first appointment with a specialist (a pulmonologist) this

Friday,  and wonder if this doc will actually look at me (instead of

the computer), answer my questions, etc. 

   

   

Martha wrote:

Thank you, --agree totally about how difficult it

is to

accurately convey tone of voice, hand gestures, facial expressions on

email--a lot of the cues that we all use when we're conversing

personally.

That's a sad story about . So young. I was really lucky because

I had an uncle who was an internist and he kept watch over my care

like a guardian angel. Am sure I wouldn't have survived as long as I

have without his care. He hooked me up with my pulmonary doctor who

was wonderful and kept care of me for the next 21 years--even made

house calls if I was too sick to drive (and too poor to take an

ambulance).

Medicine has changed an awful lot. Nowadays I often feel as though

I'm on an assembly line and nobody really knows me. And I think it's

really important with asthma that the medical professionals have a

"feel" for each individual--because asthma is very individual. The

cookie-cutter approach doesn't always work.

Also credit horseback riding with helping me over the years to expand

my lung capacity (despite that my husband always joked that it was the

horse who was doing all the work!). I had hay allergies as well as an

allergy to horses, but I just pushed on--too stubborn to admit defeat.

When I first took riding up, I couldn't go more than about 15 minutes

without using my inhaler. After about 18 mos. I worked up to being

able to ride for three hours (jumping and dressage) without having any

episodes. Also swam, which helped, I think. The ironic bit is that

the less you have asthma, the more you bare your teeth at asthma--it

won't get you down. Every time you go through bad spells it can

demoralize you. And then people think you're just whining or

something (grrrr).

Everybody here is special. --marty

Marty,

    Your point is very important--so hear, hear to you, too. We need

to stay calm (even if we really want to completely freak out).

you wrote

"School mates made fun of me if I wheezed or used an inhaler."

That's rough.  When I was first looking through the internet,

I came across (I couldn't read the whole article as it was too

heartbreaking) a story written by an ER nurse about a nine year old

named who died of asthma.  His family didn't understand the

severity of it, didn't take it seriously. (They were camping and the

campfire aggravated it even more)  He "just had asthma." 

Martha and Alana and others.  I really hate one aspect of e-mail. 

It's so hard to get the message and the feeling through. Sometimes I

write something, and then read it later and think--someone might

misinterpret it.  They can't see the look on my face or my tone,

etc.   Anyway--this group is really excellent. People have a good

spirit and share wonderful information and stories--so thank you all.

Martha wrote:

I don't know if you're referring to my post or not. I've lived a

half-century with teachers, medical people, friends' parents telling

me and/or my parents (when I was a kid) that asthma was all in my

head. In worst-case scenarios, my parents would be told that I was

playing with their heads--manipulating them to get out of doing things

because I didn't want to do them...or was just plain lazy. Meanwhile,

I couldn't have pets, couldn't go to slumber parties, slept with

plastic on my pillows/bedding--was placed on all sorts of medications

that made you feel lousy, jittery, sleepy. School mates made fun of me

if I wheezed or used an inhaler. I loved sports but couldn't

participate. It was a pretty miserable ailment to have when you're a

youngster.

I was merely making the point that once you have an attack, it's

advantageous to stay as calm as possible. --marty

Hear, Hear, Alana! :-)

sea_girl111 wrote:

Yes of course there is a mind-body connection,

and relaxation and guided imagery is excellent, if done regularly,

and will greatly help with ANY health condition.

But, still, it is a slippery slope when you start lumping anxiety in

the same sentence with asthma.

Sorry, but it sounds much too close to -

"it's all in your head and you can control it"

or

"it's your fault".

It also smacks of "Blame the victim"

(And when I say victim, I don't mean we should play victim and not

empower ourselves,

that's not what I'm saying -

I don't know if I'm expressing myself clearly.)

But I'm just saying that it is NOT the person's fault at all -

asthma is a PHYSICAL reaction from a misfiring immune system.

And to imply any kind of blame at all on a person with a chronic

health condition is extremely offensive to me.

Alana

[Guest guest]

What I find so often is that health professionals are great at

prescribing medications and running tests, but they're not always very

good at listening to patients. My uncle always said that a good doctor

learns from the patients.

Your not a " ninny! " That's the asthma talking--it saps your energy

several ways (in my experience): lack of sleep, oxygen deprivation,

medications that can help the breathing but leave you feeling exhausted

or jittery. The anxiety aspect I referred to earlier is that once you

have a few attacks, it erodes your confidence...you can find yourself

waiting around for the next attack-- " the next shoe to drop. " I've

heard heart attack patients say the same thing--they fret over

whether/when they'll have another attack.

Good luck with your Fri appointment. I hope he/she's not only a

skilled doctor but a good listener. --marty

On Tuesday, June 9, 2009, at 05:35 PM, Levine wrote:

>

>

> Thank you, Marti.   I love the concept of " baring one's teeth " at

> asthma.  I feel like I've just been a " little ninny " since I got it. 

> I'm still in the early stages and have lots to learn. 

>     Regarding exercise, I also love to swim, but haven't swum again

> yet since my diagnoses (I am doing short walks).

>     What a wonderful uncle you had!  What a blessing to have such a

> special person in your life when you were young.

>     Regarding present day medical care--I have also noticed what you

> say about assembly line style care. (I belong to an HMO)

> I have my first appointment with a specialist (a pulmonologist) this

> Friday,  and wonder if this doc will actually look at me (instead of

> the computer), answer my questions, etc. 

>    

>

>

>    

>

> Martha wrote:

>

> Thank you, --agree totally about how difficult it is to

> accurately convey tone of voice, hand gestures, facial expressions on

> email--a lot of the cues that we all use when we're conversing

> personally.

>

> That's a sad story about . So young. I was really lucky because I

> had an uncle who was an internist and he kept watch over my care like

> a guardian angel. Am sure I wouldn't have survived as long as I have

> without his care. He hooked me up with my pulmonary doctor who was

> wonderful and kept care of me for the next 21 years--even made house

> calls if I was too sick to drive (and too poor to take an ambulance).

>

> Medicine has changed an awful lot. Nowadays I often feel as though I'm

> on an assembly line and nobody really knows me. And I think it's

> really important with asthma that the medical professionals have a

> " feel " for each individual--because asthma is very individual. The

> cookie-cutter approach doesn't always work.

>

> Also credit horseback riding with helping me over the years to expand

> my lung capacity (despite that my husband always joked that it was the

> horse who was doing all the work!). I had hay allergies as well as an

> allergy to horses, but I just pushed on--too stubborn to admit defeat.

> When I first took riding up, I couldn't go more than about 15 minutes

> without using my inhaler. After about 18 mos. I worked up to being

> able to ride for three hours (jumping and dressage) without having any

> episodes. Also swam, which helped, I think. The ironic bit is that the

> less you have asthma, the more you bare your teeth at asthma--it won't

> get you down. Every time you go through bad spells it can demoralize

> you. And then people think you're just whining or something (grrrr).

>

> Everybody here is special. --marty

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Marty,

>     Your point is very important--so hear, hear to you, too. We need

> to stay calm (even if we really want to completely freak out).

> you wrote

> " School mates made fun of me if I wheezed or used an inhaler. "

>

> That's rough.  When I was first looking through the internet, I came

> across (I couldn't read the whole article as it was too heartbreaking)

> a story written by an ER nurse about a nine year old named who

> died of asthma.  His family didn't understand the severity of it,

> didn't take it seriously. (They were camping and the campfire

> aggravated it even more)  He " just had asthma. "  

>

> Martha and Alana and others.  I really hate one aspect of e-mail. 

> It's so hard to get the message and the feeling through. Sometimes I

> write something, and then read it later and think--someone might

> misinterpret it.  They can't see the look on my face or my tone,

> etc.   Anyway--this group is really excellent. People have a good

> spirit and share wonderful information and stories--so thank you all.

>

>

>

> Martha wrote:

>

> I don't know if you're referring to my post or not. I've lived a

> half-century with teachers, medical people, friends' parents telling

> me and/or my parents (when I was a kid) that asthma was all in my

> head. In worst-case scenarios, my parents would be told that I was

> playing with their heads--manipulating them to get out of doing things

> because I didn't want to do them...or was just plain lazy. Meanwhile,

> I couldn't have pets, couldn't go to slumber parties, slept with

> plastic on my pillows/bedding--was placed on all sorts of medications

> that made you feel lousy, jittery, sleepy. School mates made fun of me

> if I wheezed or used an inhaler. I loved sports but couldn't

> participate. It was a pretty miserable ailment to have when you're a

> youngster.

>

> I was merely making the point that once you have an attack, it's

> advantageous to stay as calm as possible. --marty

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Hear, Hear, Alana! :-)

>

>

>

> sea_girl111 wrote:

>

>

>

> Yes of course there is a mind-body connection,

>

> and relaxation and guided imagery is excellent, if done regularly,

>

> and will greatly help with ANY health condition.

>

> But, still, it is a slippery slope when you start lumping anxiety in

> the same sentence with asthma.

>

> Sorry, but it sounds much too close to -

>

> " it's all in your head and you can control it "

>

> or

>

> " it's your fault " .

>

> It also smacks of " Blame the victim "

>

> (And when I say victim, I don't mean we should play victim and not

> empower ourselves,

> that's not what I'm saying -

> I don't know if I'm expressing myself clearly.)

>

> But I'm just saying that it is NOT the person's fault at all -

>

> asthma is a PHYSICAL reaction from a misfiring immune system.

>

> And to imply any kind of blame at all on a person with a chronic

> health condition is extremely offensive to me.

>

> Alana

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Alana,

You are right that anxiety is a physical reaction, but before a person can have a physical reaction there are also cognitive events that take place which we are not aware of. This has been proven with studies of functional MRIs of human brains where a change in the active areas of our brain is measured several seconds before the subjects reported being aware of something. In the psychological sense, when it comes to hypnosis, it is not about blaming the victim or saying it is in your head. The goal of hypnosis is solely to teach the person how to achieve a state of relaxation and hypnosis has proven to be beneficial to some people in management of their asthma. Ishia is not in any way saying her asthma is gone, but she is saying she has a new tool in her box to help her manage her fears and anxieties while she is having an attack.

Not for nothing, EMTs & doctors will tell people to count their breaths or to concentrate on breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth type stuff. This isnt because we need you to do it, its all techniques to help you relax...and its really no different than hypnosis except that hypnosis is something that only psychologists or psychiatrists can do. Real hypnosis is not what we see on TV where you stare at a coin swinging back and forth or the roatating circles of different colors...its a long process that takes up to 8 weeks or more to achieve the state of relaxation that allows hypnosis to work.

Ishia's psychologist seems to be pretty proactive with helping her find a way to manage her asthma in my opinion. Hypnosis has gotten a bad rap from all the inaccurate publicity it has recieved, when in fact it can help people manage a number of conditions. Also...something our psychology teacher pointed out too is that hypnosis CANNOT help people with physical addictions like drugs, smoking, alcoholism etc. The reason behind this is that addictions are phsyical as well as mental in nature and when people have a physical addiction, it can be potentiallly life threatening to stop the behaviors through hypnosis since it doesnt address physical needs. Weve all seen the ads that say they can hypnotize you to stop smoking and all that...our teacher (who was a therapist for years) says those are bunk ads.

Ann

Wanna slim down for summer? Go to America Takes it Off to learn how.

[Guest guest]

Thank you, Martha.

    The lack of energy is also something I'm noticing.  Before I was

diagnosed I was having shortness of breath when I was sitting and

reading to my six year old.  It was really weird and I didn't

understand, but I would read a few sentences out loud and then have to

pause to take these very long breaths.

    Now I'm on the QVAR. I was prescribed 4 puffs a day (2 in AM and 2

in PM).

 

Last week I reduced it to 2 AM puffs and I'm doing okay. (I want to

just take one puff this morning and am thinking about it.  I am

unbelievably resistant to staying on this steroid--even though it's

inhaled. This is another topic.)

My breathing is better, but what I noticed when I read to my child

yesterday, was that I got tired. I didn't read him the whole "dragon"

book. 

Martha wrote:

What I find so often is that health professionals are

great at

prescribing medications and running tests, but they're not always very

good at listening to patients. My uncle always said that a good

doctor learns from the patients.

Your not a "ninny!" That's the asthma talking--it saps your energy

several ways (in my experience): lack of sleep, oxygen deprivation,

medications that can help the breathing but leave you feeling

exhausted or jittery. The anxiety aspect I referred to earlier is

that once you have a few attacks, it erodes your confidence...you can

find yourself waiting around for the next attack--"the next shoe to

drop." I've heard heart attack patients say the same thing--they fret

over whether/when they'll have another attack.

Good luck with your Fri appointment. I hope he/she's not only a

skilled doctor but a good listener. --marty

Thank you, Marti.   I love the concept of "baring one's teeth" at

asthma.  I feel like I've just been a "little ninny" since I got it. 

I'm still in the early stages and have lots to learn. 

    Regarding exercise, I also love to swim, but haven't swum again

yet since my diagnoses (I am doing short walks).

    What a wonderful uncle you had!  What a blessing to have such a

special person in your life when you were young.

    Regarding present day medical care--I have also noticed what you

say about assembly line style care. (I belong to an HMO)

I have my first appointment with a specialist (a pulmonologist) this

Friday,  and wonder if this doc will actually look at me (instead of

the computer), answer my questions, etc. 

   

   

Martha wrote:

Thank you, --agree totally about how difficult it is to

accurately convey tone of voice, hand gestures, facial expressions on

email--a lot of the cues that we all use when we're conversing

personally.

That's a sad story about . So young. I was really lucky because I

had an uncle who was an internist and he kept watch over my care like

a guardian angel. Am sure I wouldn't have survived as long as I have

without his care. He hooked me up with my pulmonary doctor who was

wonderful and kept care of me for the next 21 years--even made house

calls if I was too sick to drive (and too poor to take an ambulance).

Medicine has changed an awful lot. Nowadays I often feel as though I'm

on an assembly line and nobody really knows me. And I think it's

really important with asthma that the medical professionals have a

"feel" for each individual--because asthma is very individual. The

cookie-cutter approach doesn't always work.

Also credit horseback riding with helping me over the years to expand

my lung capacity (despite that my husband always joked that it was the

horse who was doing all the work!). I had hay allergies as well as an

allergy to horses, but I just pushed on--too stubborn to admit defeat.

When I first took riding up, I couldn't go more than about 15 minutes

without using my inhaler. After about 18 mos. I worked up to being

able to ride for three hours (jumping and dressage) without having any

episodes. Also swam, which helped, I think. The ironic bit is that the

less you have asthma, the more you bare your teeth at asthma--it won't

get you down. Every time you go through bad spells it can demoralize

you. And then people think you're just whining or something (grrrr).

Everybody here is special. --marty

Marty,

    Your point is very important--so hear, hear to you, too. We need

to stay calm (even if we really want to completely freak out).

you wrote

"School mates made fun of me if I wheezed or used an inhaler."

That's rough.  When I was first looking through the internet,

I came across (I couldn't read the whole article as it was too

heartbreaking) a story written by an ER nurse about a nine year old

named who died of asthma.  His family didn't understand the

severity of it, didn't take it seriously. (They were camping and the

campfire aggravated it even more)  He "just had asthma." 

Martha and Alana and others.  I really hate one aspect of e-mail. 

It's so hard to get the message and the feeling through. Sometimes I

write something, and then read it later and think--someone might

misinterpret it.  They can't see the look on my face or my tone,

etc.   Anyway--this group is really excellent. People have a good

spirit and share wonderful information and stories--so thank you all.

Martha wrote:

I don't know if you're referring to my post or not. I've lived a

half-century with teachers, medical people, friends' parents telling

me and/or my parents (when I was a kid) that asthma was all in my

head. In worst-case scenarios, my parents would be told that I was

playing with their heads--manipulating them to get out of doing things

because I didn't want to do them...or was just plain lazy. Meanwhile,

I couldn't have pets, couldn't go to slumber parties, slept with

plastic on my pillows/bedding--was placed on all sorts of medications

that made you feel lousy, jittery, sleepy. School mates made fun of me

if I wheezed or used an inhaler. I loved sports but couldn't

participate. It was a pretty miserable ailment to have when you're a

youngster.

I was merely making the point that once you have an attack, it's

advantageous to stay as calm as possible. --marty

Hear, Hear, Alana! :-)

sea_girl111 wrote:

Yes of course there is a mind-body connection,

and relaxation and guided imagery is excellent, if done regularly,

and will greatly help with ANY health condition.

But, still, it is a slippery slope when you start lumping anxiety in

the same sentence with asthma.

Sorry, but it sounds much too close to -

"it's all in your head and you can control it"

or

"it's your fault".

It also smacks of "Blame the victim"

(And when I say victim, I don't mean we should play victim and not

empower ourselves,

that's not what I'm saying -

I don't know if I'm expressing myself clearly.)

But I'm just saying that it is NOT the person's fault at all -

asthma is a PHYSICAL reaction from a misfiring immune system.

And to imply any kind of blame at all on a person with a chronic

health condition is extremely offensive to me.

Alana

[Guest guest]

Hi all. I have been catching up on posts and think here is a good place to jump in. First, I totally agree with Alana. Anxiety will not help asthma, but it in no way causes it. Marty is correct you must stay as calm as possible during an asthma attack. Breathing techniques are a terrific way to help do that. , I was first diagnosed with asthma almost 2 years ago now, and then had an industrial exposure to ozone which "sealed the deal" for me and caused other lung damage. I started pulmonary therapy (in a gym) last September and Aqua Therapy several months ago. I can't even begin to tell you the benefits I have experienced. I highly recommend that you keep swimming if you can tolerate the chlorine. If not, more and more gyms and therapy pools are switching to the saline base. So if you do a little research you can find a saline pool to use. The excercise

will only strenghten the muscles that support breathing and will help you contol your breathing during an attack. It will also dramatically shorten your recovery time. Lots of luck. Just find your limits and don't push past those and you will do well. Madeline http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Lungs_on_Vacation/

To: asthma Sent: Tuesday, June 9, 2009 5:35:07 PMSubject: Re: Re: Anxiety Induced Asthma

Thank you, Marti. I love the concept of "baring one's teeth" at asthma. I feel like I've just been a "little ninny" since I got it. I'm still in the early stages and have lots to learn. Regarding exercise, I also love to swim, but haven't swum again yet since my diagnoses (I am doing short walks). What a wonderful uncle you had! What a blessing to have such a special person in your life when you were young. Regarding present day medical care--I have also noticed what you say about assembly line style care. (I belong to an HMO) I have my first appointment with a specialist (a pulmonologist) this Friday, and wonder if this doc will actually look at me (instead of the computer), answer my questions, etc. Martha wrote: Thank you, --agree totally about how difficult it is to accurately convey tone of voice, hand gestures, facial expressions on email--a lot of the cues that we all use when we're conversing personally. That's a sad story about . So young. I was really lucky because I had an uncle who was an internist and he kept watch over my care like a guardian angel. Am sure I wouldn't have survived as long as I have without his care. He hooked me up with my pulmonary doctor who was wonderful and kept care of me for the next 21 years--even made house calls if I was too sick to drive (and too poor to take an ambulance). Medicine has changed an awful lot. Nowadays I often feel as though I'm on an assembly line and nobody really knows me. And I think it's really important with asthma that the medical professionals have a "feel" for each individual-- because asthma is very individual. The cookie-cutter approach doesn't

always work. Also credit horseback riding with helping me over the years to expand my lung capacity (despite that my husband always joked that it was the horse who was doing all the work!). I had hay allergies as well as an allergy to horses, but I just pushed on--too stubborn to admit defeat. When I first took riding up, I couldn't go more than about 15 minutes without using my inhaler. After about 18 mos. I worked up to being able to ride for three hours (jumping and dressage) without having any episodes. Also swam, which helped, I think. The ironic bit is that the less you have asthma, the more you bare your teeth at asthma--it won't get you down. Every time you go through bad spells it can demoralize you. And then people think you're just whining or something (grrrr). Everybody here is special.. --marty

Marty, Your point is very important--so hear, hear to you, too. We need to stay calm (even if we really want to completely freak out). you wrote "School mates made fun of me if I wheezed or used an inhaler." That's rough. When I was first looking through the internet, I came across (I couldn't read the whole article as it was too heartbreaking) a story written by an ER nurse about a nine year old named who died of asthma. His family didn't understand the severity of it, didn't take it seriously. (They were camping and the campfire aggravated it even more) He "just had asthma." Martha and Alana and others. I really hate one aspect of e-mail. It's so hard to get the message and the feeling through. Sometimes I write something, and then read it later and think--someone might misinterpret it. They can't see the look on my face or my tone,

etc. Anyway--this group is really excellent. People have a good spirit and share wonderful information and stories--so thank you all. Martha wrote: I don't know if you're referring to my post or not. I've lived a half-century with teachers, medical people, friends' parents telling me and/or my parents (when I was a kid) that asthma was all in my head. In worst-case scenarios, my parents would be told that I was playing with their heads--manipulating them to get out of doing things because I didn't want to do them...or was just plain lazy. Meanwhile, I couldn't have pets, couldn't go to slumber parties, slept with plastic on my pillows/bedding- -was placed on all sorts of medications that made you feel lousy, jittery, sleepy. School mates made fun of me if I wheezed or used an inhaler. I loved sports but couldn't participate. It was a pretty miserable ailment to have when you're a youngster. I was

merely making the point that once you have an attack, it's advantageous to stay as calm as possible. --marty Hear, Hear, Alana! :-) sea_girl111 wrote: Yes of course there is a mind-body connection, and relaxation and guided imagery is excellent, if done regularly, and will greatly help with ANY health condition. But, still, it is a slippery slope when you start lumping anxiety in the same sentence with asthma. Sorry, but it sounds much too close to - "it's all in your head and you can control it" or "it's your fault". It also smacks of "Blame the victim" (And when I say victim, I don't mean we should play victim and not empower ourselves, that's not what I'm saying - I don't know if I'm expressing myself clearly.) But I'm just saying that

it is NOT the person's fault at all - asthma is a PHYSICAL reaction from a misfiring immune system. And to imply any kind of blame at all on a person with a chronic health condition is extremely offensive to me. Alana

[Guest guest]

Madeline,

It's nice to hear that the swimming is helping you. I've been

reading in the archives some of the old posts and I felt concerned

about you. You are so young. I haven't read all the details about the

industrial exposure, but it sounds like you (your lungs) took quite a

hit.

Madeline Ingram wrote:

Hi all. I have been catching up on posts and think here is a

good place to jump in. First, I totally agree with Alana. Anxiety

will not help asthma, but it in no way causes it. Marty is correct you

must stay as calm as possible during an asthma attack. Breathing

techniques are a terrific way to help do that. , I was first

diagnosed with asthma almost 2 years ago now, and then had an

industrial exposure to ozone which "sealed the deal" for me and caused

other lung damage. I started pulmonary therapy (in a gym)

last September and Aqua Therapy several months ago. I can't even begin

to tell you the benefits I have experienced. I highly recommend that

you keep swimming if you can tolerate the chlorine. If not, more and

more gyms and therapy pools are switching to the saline base. So if

you do a little research you can find a saline pool to use. The

excercise will only strenghten the muscles that support breathing and

will help you contol your breathing during an attack. It will also

dramatically shorten your recovery time. Lots of luck. Just find your

limits and don't push past those and you will do well.

Madeline

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Lungs_on_Vacation/

From:

Levine <levine>

To: asthma

Sent: Tuesday, June 9,

2009 5:35:07 PM

Subject: Re:

Re: Anxiety Induced Asthma

Thank you, Marti. I love the concept of "baring one's teeth" at

asthma. I feel like I've just been a "little ninny" since I got it.

I'm still in the early stages and have lots to learn.

Regarding exercise, I also love to swim, but haven't swum again yet

since my diagnoses (I am doing short walks).

What a wonderful uncle you had! What a blessing to have such a

special person in your life when you were young.

Regarding present day medical care--I have also noticed what you

say about assembly line style care. (I belong to an HMO)

I have my first appointment with a specialist (a pulmonologist) this

Friday, and wonder if this doc will actually look at me (instead of

the computer), answer my questions, etc.

Martha wrote:

Thank you, --agree totally about how

difficult it is to accurately convey tone of voice, hand gestures,

facial expressions on email--a lot of the cues that we all use when

we're conversing personally.

That's a sad story about . So young. I was really lucky because I

had an uncle who was an internist and he kept watch over my care like a

guardian angel. Am sure I wouldn't have survived as long as I have

without his care. He hooked me up with my pulmonary doctor who was

wonderful and kept care of me for the next 21 years--even made house

calls if I was too sick to drive (and too poor to take an ambulance).

Medicine has changed an awful lot. Nowadays I often feel as though I'm

on an assembly line and nobody really knows me. And I think it's really

important with asthma that the medical professionals have a "feel" for

each individual-- because asthma is very individual. The cookie-cutter

approach doesn't always work.

Also credit horseback riding with helping me over the years to expand

my lung capacity (despite that my husband always joked that it was the

horse who was doing all the work!). I had hay allergies as well as an

allergy to horses, but I just pushed on--too stubborn to admit defeat.

When I first took riding up, I couldn't go more than about 15 minutes

without using my inhaler. After about 18 mos. I worked up to being able

to ride for three hours (jumping and dressage) without having any

episodes. Also swam, which helped, I think. The ironic bit is that the

less you have asthma, the more you bare your teeth at asthma--it won't

get you down. Every time you go through bad spells it can demoralize

you. And then people think you're just whining or something (grrrr).

Everybody here is special.. --marty

Marty,

Your point is very important--so hear, hear to you, too. We need to

stay calm (even if we really want to completely freak out).

you wrote

"School mates made fun of me if I wheezed or used an inhaler."

That's rough. When I was first looking through the internet,

I came across (I couldn't read the whole article as it was too

heartbreaking) a story written by an ER nurse about a nine year old

named who died of asthma. His family didn't understand the

severity of it, didn't take it seriously. (They were camping and the

campfire aggravated it even more) He "just had asthma."

Martha and Alana and others. I really hate one aspect of e-mail. It's

so hard to get the message and the feeling through. Sometimes I write

something, and then read it later and think--someone might misinterpret

it. They can't see the look on my face or my tone, etc. Anyway--this

group is really excellent. People have a good spirit and share

wonderful information and stories--so thank you all.

Martha wrote:

I don't know if you're referring to my post or not. I've lived a

half-century with teachers, medical people, friends' parents telling me

and/or my parents (when I was a kid) that asthma was all in my head. In

worst-case scenarios, my parents would be told that I was playing with

their heads--manipulating them to get out of doing things because I

didn't want to do them...or was just plain lazy. Meanwhile, I couldn't

have pets, couldn't go to slumber parties, slept with plastic on my

pillows/bedding- -was placed on all sorts of medications that made you

feel lousy, jittery, sleepy. School mates made fun of me if I wheezed

or used an inhaler. I loved sports but couldn't participate. It was a

pretty miserable ailment to have when you're a youngster.

I was merely making the point that once you have an attack, it's

advantageous to stay as calm as possible. --marty

Hear, Hear, Alana! :-)

sea_girl111 wrote:

Yes of course there is a mind-body connection,

and relaxation and guided imagery is excellent, if done regularly,

and will greatly help with ANY health condition.

But, still, it is a slippery slope when you start lumping anxiety in

the same sentence with asthma.

Sorry, but it sounds much too close to -

"it's all in your head and you can control it"

or

"it's your fault".

It also smacks of "Blame the victim"

(And when I say victim, I don't mean we should play victim and not

empower ourselves,

that's not what I'm saying -

I don't know if I'm expressing myself clearly.)

But I'm just saying that it is NOT the person's fault at all -

asthma is a PHYSICAL reaction from a misfiring immune system.

And to imply any kind of blame at all on a person with a chronic health

condition is extremely offensive to me.

Alana

[Guest guest]

i have been treated 4 anxiety n asthma since i was 14 n im 16 now well when i get anxious about neything and yes it could be as simple as seeming someone in a resturant it can trigger my asthma i hope this helps you out i never take my rescue inhaler neywhere u can survive without it u just have to teach yourself how to calm down on your own

Does anyone with allergies and asthma have anxiety symptoms like worrying about simple things (for eg., worrying about who may see you in a restaurant)? I think most of my asthma symptoms may be anxiety induced. Read these articles.

Tangie

http://www.mindpub. com/art376. htm

http://www.webmd. com/news/ 20010407/ anxiety-of- asthma-emotions- can-trigger- attack?z= 1660_00000_ 0000_ep_02

[Guest guest]

Oh, my goodness!  From the perspective of a few decades and a huge handful of chronic diseases... who cares who sees that you're taking proper care of yourself?  Absolutely yes, it is a great thing if you can learn how to calm down without needing medication, best yet if you can learn to recognize and treat the symptoms of anxiety long before it affects your breathing so you never get an attack. 

But if you need the medication, have it with you and USE it!There is no shame in loving yourself, and treating your body well.  There is no shame in having a medical condition.  (I know, I've got about a dozen!)  You're going to need your body, take good care of it now.

i have been treated 4 anxiety n asthma since i was 14 n im 16 now well when i get anxious about neything and yes it could be as simple as seeming someone in a resturant it can trigger my asthma i hope this helps you out i never take my rescue inhaler neywhere u can survive without it u just have to teach yourself how to calm down on your own

Does anyone with allergies and asthma have anxiety symptoms like worrying about simple things (for eg., worrying about who may see you in a restaurant)? I think most of my asthma symptoms may be anxiety induced. Read these articles.

 

Tangie

 

http://www.mindpub. com/art376. htm

 

http://www.webmd. com/news/ 20010407/ anxiety-of- asthma-emotions- can-trigger- attack?z= 1660_00000_ 0000_ep_02

[Guest guest]

Oh, my goodness!  From the perspective of a few decades and a huge handful of chronic diseases... who cares who sees that you're taking proper care of yourself?  Absolutely yes, it is a great thing if you can learn how to calm down without needing medication, best yet if you can learn to recognize and treat the symptoms of anxiety long before it affects your breathing so you never get an attack. 

But if you need the medication, have it with you and USE it!There is no shame in loving yourself, and treating your body well.  There is no shame in having a medical condition.  (I know, I've got about a dozen!)  You're going to need your body, take good care of it now.

i have been treated 4 anxiety n asthma since i was 14 n im 16 now well when i get anxious about neything and yes it could be as simple as seeming someone in a resturant it can trigger my asthma i hope this helps you out i never take my rescue inhaler neywhere u can survive without it u just have to teach yourself how to calm down on your own

Does anyone with allergies and asthma have anxiety symptoms like worrying about simple things (for eg., worrying about who may see you in a restaurant)? I think most of my asthma symptoms may be anxiety induced. Read these articles.

 

Tangie

 

http://www.mindpub. com/art376. htm

 

http://www.webmd. com/news/ 20010407/ anxiety-of- asthma-emotions- can-trigger- attack?z= 1660_00000_ 0000_ep_02

[Guest guest]

Oh, my goodness!  From the perspective of a few decades and a huge handful of chronic diseases... who cares who sees that you're taking proper care of yourself?  Absolutely yes, it is a great thing if you can learn how to calm down without needing medication, best yet if you can learn to recognize and treat the symptoms of anxiety long before it affects your breathing so you never get an attack. 

But if you need the medication, have it with you and USE it!There is no shame in loving yourself, and treating your body well.  There is no shame in having a medical condition.  (I know, I've got about a dozen!)  You're going to need your body, take good care of it now.

i have been treated 4 anxiety n asthma since i was 14 n im 16 now well when i get anxious about neything and yes it could be as simple as seeming someone in a resturant it can trigger my asthma i hope this helps you out i never take my rescue inhaler neywhere u can survive without it u just have to teach yourself how to calm down on your own

Does anyone with allergies and asthma have anxiety symptoms like worrying about simple things (for eg., worrying about who may see you in a restaurant)? I think most of my asthma symptoms may be anxiety induced. Read these articles.

 

Tangie

 

http://www.mindpub. com/art376. htm

 

http://www.webmd. com/news/ 20010407/ anxiety-of- asthma-emotions- can-trigger- attack?z= 1660_00000_ 0000_ep_02

[Guest guest]

>My asthma is triggered by irritants, smoke, temperature extremes,

overexertion, and laughing or talking too long. I find that if my

exposure to one of my triggers is mild, then I can concentrate on my

breathing and avoid a major attack. However, if I have a major exposure

to a trigger, then the attack will happen no matter what I do.

As for HMO doctors, well I have been lucky. I was referred to a

pulmonologist by my PCP despite a normal PFT. I did have a chronic and

severe cough despite being a non smoker so my doc thought it was a good

idea. I was sceptical and did not want to go but my doc (and my wife)

insisted. The pulm thought something unusual was going on, so he had me

go for a methacholine challenge test. That test confirmed asthma.

The pulm also referred me to an asthma specialist at the Lung Center at

Hospital in St.Louis. They all determined that I have cough

variant asthma.

It shows what I know. If not for my PCP and my wife's prodding I never

would have gone to the pulmonologist and who knows what might have

happened?

Like I said, I am on an HMO plan too, but my experience was entirely

positive. Everyone went out of their way to get me my needed care and a

correct diagnosis. I know that there are some horror stories out there,

but I believe most doctors want to do what's right for you.

>

> Alana,

> ???? You are right that anxiety is a physical reaction, but before a

person can have a physical reaction there are also cognitive events that

take place which we are not aware of.? This has been proven with studies

of functional MRIs of human brains where a change in the active areas of

our brain is measured several seconds before the subjects reported being

aware of something.? In the psychological sense, when it comes to

hypnosis, it is not about blaming the victim or saying it is in your

head.?? The goal of hypnosis is solely to teach the person how to

achieve a state of relaxation and hypnosis has proven to be beneficial

to some people in management of their asthma.?? Ishia is not in any way

saying her asthma is gone, but she is saying she has a new tool in her

box to help her manage her fears and anxieties while she is having an

attack.

>

> Not for nothing, EMTs & doctors will tell people to count their

breaths or to concentrate on breathing in through the nose and out

through the mouth type stuff.? This isnt because we need you to do it,

its all techniques to help you relax...and its really no different than

hypnosis except that hypnosis is something that only psychologists or

psychiatrists can do.? Real hypnosis is not what we see on TV where you

stare at a coin swinging back and forth or the roatating circles of

different colors...its a long process that takes up to 8 weeks or more

to achieve the state of relaxation that allows hypnosis to work.

>

> Ishia's psychologist seems to be pretty proactive with helping her

find a way to manage her asthma in my opinion.? Hypnosis has gotten a

bad rap from all the inaccurate publicity it has recieved, when in fact

it can help people manage a number of conditions.? Also...something our

psychology teacher pointed out too is that hypnosis CANNOT help people

with physical addictions like drugs, smoking, alcoholism etc.? The

reason behind this is that addictions are phsyical as well as mental in

nature and when people have a physical addiction, it can be potentiallly

life threatening to stop the behaviors through hypnosis since it doesnt

address physical needs.? Weve all seen the ads that say they can

hypnotize you to stop smoking and all that...our teacher (who was a

therapist for years) says those are bunk ads.?

>

> Ann

>

[Guest guest]

>My asthma is triggered by irritants, smoke, temperature extremes,

overexertion, and laughing or talking too long. I find that if my

exposure to one of my triggers is mild, then I can concentrate on my

breathing and avoid a major attack. However, if I have a major exposure

to a trigger, then the attack will happen no matter what I do.

As for HMO doctors, well I have been lucky. I was referred to a

pulmonologist by my PCP despite a normal PFT. I did have a chronic and

severe cough despite being a non smoker so my doc thought it was a good

idea. I was sceptical and did not want to go but my doc (and my wife)

insisted. The pulm thought something unusual was going on, so he had me

go for a methacholine challenge test. That test confirmed asthma.

The pulm also referred me to an asthma specialist at the Lung Center at

Hospital in St.Louis. They all determined that I have cough

variant asthma.

It shows what I know. If not for my PCP and my wife's prodding I never

would have gone to the pulmonologist and who knows what might have

happened?

Like I said, I am on an HMO plan too, but my experience was entirely

positive. Everyone went out of their way to get me my needed care and a

correct diagnosis. I know that there are some horror stories out there,

but I believe most doctors want to do what's right for you.

>

> Alana,

> ???? You are right that anxiety is a physical reaction, but before a

person can have a physical reaction there are also cognitive events that

take place which we are not aware of.? This has been proven with studies

of functional MRIs of human brains where a change in the active areas of

our brain is measured several seconds before the subjects reported being

aware of something.? In the psychological sense, when it comes to

hypnosis, it is not about blaming the victim or saying it is in your

head.?? The goal of hypnosis is solely to teach the person how to

achieve a state of relaxation and hypnosis has proven to be beneficial

to some people in management of their asthma.?? Ishia is not in any way

saying her asthma is gone, but she is saying she has a new tool in her

box to help her manage her fears and anxieties while she is having an

attack.

>

> Not for nothing, EMTs & doctors will tell people to count their

breaths or to concentrate on breathing in through the nose and out

through the mouth type stuff.? This isnt because we need you to do it,

its all techniques to help you relax...and its really no different than

hypnosis except that hypnosis is something that only psychologists or

psychiatrists can do.? Real hypnosis is not what we see on TV where you

stare at a coin swinging back and forth or the roatating circles of

different colors...its a long process that takes up to 8 weeks or more

to achieve the state of relaxation that allows hypnosis to work.

>

> Ishia's psychologist seems to be pretty proactive with helping her

find a way to manage her asthma in my opinion.? Hypnosis has gotten a

bad rap from all the inaccurate publicity it has recieved, when in fact

it can help people manage a number of conditions.? Also...something our

psychology teacher pointed out too is that hypnosis CANNOT help people

with physical addictions like drugs, smoking, alcoholism etc.? The

reason behind this is that addictions are phsyical as well as mental in

nature and when people have a physical addiction, it can be potentiallly

life threatening to stop the behaviors through hypnosis since it doesnt

address physical needs.? Weve all seen the ads that say they can

hypnotize you to stop smoking and all that...our teacher (who was a

therapist for years) says those are bunk ads.?

>

> Ann

>

[Guest guest]

>My asthma is triggered by irritants, smoke, temperature extremes,

overexertion, and laughing or talking too long. I find that if my

exposure to one of my triggers is mild, then I can concentrate on my

breathing and avoid a major attack. However, if I have a major exposure

to a trigger, then the attack will happen no matter what I do.

As for HMO doctors, well I have been lucky. I was referred to a

pulmonologist by my PCP despite a normal PFT. I did have a chronic and

severe cough despite being a non smoker so my doc thought it was a good

idea. I was sceptical and did not want to go but my doc (and my wife)

insisted. The pulm thought something unusual was going on, so he had me

go for a methacholine challenge test. That test confirmed asthma.

The pulm also referred me to an asthma specialist at the Lung Center at

Hospital in St.Louis. They all determined that I have cough

variant asthma.

It shows what I know. If not for my PCP and my wife's prodding I never

would have gone to the pulmonologist and who knows what might have

happened?

Like I said, I am on an HMO plan too, but my experience was entirely

positive. Everyone went out of their way to get me my needed care and a

correct diagnosis. I know that there are some horror stories out there,

but I believe most doctors want to do what's right for you.

>

> Alana,

> ???? You are right that anxiety is a physical reaction, but before a

person can have a physical reaction there are also cognitive events that

take place which we are not aware of.? This has been proven with studies

of functional MRIs of human brains where a change in the active areas of

our brain is measured several seconds before the subjects reported being

aware of something.? In the psychological sense, when it comes to

hypnosis, it is not about blaming the victim or saying it is in your

head.?? The goal of hypnosis is solely to teach the person how to

achieve a state of relaxation and hypnosis has proven to be beneficial

to some people in management of their asthma.?? Ishia is not in any way

saying her asthma is gone, but she is saying she has a new tool in her

box to help her manage her fears and anxieties while she is having an

attack.

>

> Not for nothing, EMTs & doctors will tell people to count their

breaths or to concentrate on breathing in through the nose and out

through the mouth type stuff.? This isnt because we need you to do it,

its all techniques to help you relax...and its really no different than

hypnosis except that hypnosis is something that only psychologists or

psychiatrists can do.? Real hypnosis is not what we see on TV where you

stare at a coin swinging back and forth or the roatating circles of

different colors...its a long process that takes up to 8 weeks or more

to achieve the state of relaxation that allows hypnosis to work.

>

> Ishia's psychologist seems to be pretty proactive with helping her

find a way to manage her asthma in my opinion.? Hypnosis has gotten a

bad rap from all the inaccurate publicity it has recieved, when in fact

it can help people manage a number of conditions.? Also...something our

psychology teacher pointed out too is that hypnosis CANNOT help people

with physical addictions like drugs, smoking, alcoholism etc.? The

reason behind this is that addictions are phsyical as well as mental in

nature and when people have a physical addiction, it can be potentiallly

life threatening to stop the behaviors through hypnosis since it doesnt

address physical needs.? Weve all seen the ads that say they can

hypnotize you to stop smoking and all that...our teacher (who was a

therapist for years) says those are bunk ads.?

>

> Ann

>

[Guest guest]

Absolutely! Untreated and repeated asthma attacks can cause permanent damage and scarring. Madeline http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Lungs_on_Vacation/

To: asthma Sent: Saturday, August 1, 2009 3:19:41 PMSubject: Re: Anxiety Induced Asthma

Oh, my goodness! From the perspective of a few decades and a huge handful of chronic diseases... who cares who sees that you're taking proper care of yourself? Absolutely yes, it is a great thing if you can learn how to calm down without needing medication, best yet if you can learn to recognize and treat the symptoms of anxiety long before it affects your breathing so you never get an attack. But if you need the medication, have it with you and USE it!There is no shame in loving yourself, and treating your body well. There is no shame in having a medical condition. (I know, I've got about a dozen!) You're going to need your body, take good care of it now.

On Fri, Jul 31, 2009 at 7:39 PM, katy baynard <lladykaty13@ yahoo.com> wrote:

i have been treated 4 anxiety n asthma since i was 14 n im 16 now well when i get anxious about neything and yes it could be as simple as seeming someone in a resturant it can trigger my asthma i hope this helps you out i never take my rescue inhaler neywhere u can survive without it u just have to teach yourself how to calm down on your own

Does anyone with allergies and asthma have anxiety symptoms like worrying about simple things (for eg., worrying about who may see you in a restaurant) ? I think most of my asthma symptoms may be anxiety induced. Read these articles.

Tangie

http://www.mindpub. com/art376. htm

http://www.webmd. com/news/ 20010407/ anxiety-of- asthma-emotions- can-trigger- attack?z= 1660_00000_ 0000_ep_02

[Guest guest]

I'm not sure who wrote what, but there is definitely some mis-information about hypnosis and addiction in the post below.

 

So you know that I know what I'm talking about, I've been a chronic pain patient for several years, and have taken some very strong narcotics over that period of time to control it.  My family history includes alcoholism, so I have been very closely scrutinized for any signs of addiction, and I've discussed this at length with several mental health professionals, and done extensive research on my own.  When I got a spinal cord stimulator, I went off those drugs.  Fortunately, I went off in a controlled manner, not cold-turkey, so I only got a mild version of " withdrawal " .  I'm also qualified to perform and teach hypnosis, with several advanced credentials, and membership in the National Guild of Hypnotists.

 

Hypnosis can be done by anyone.  We do it to ourselves all the time, mostly without being aware of it.  If you want to achieve a specific objective through hypnosis, it is a good idea to have a qualified professional teach you how, but it is not only psychologists or psychiatrists that can do that, there are thousands of qualified hypnotherapists (if not tens or hundreds of thousands!).

 

There are thousands of goals of hypnosis.  For example, I can cure my own nosebleeds in a matter of two minutes through hypnosis, and they're so completely gone, I can blow my nose without re-starting the bleed.  That's not just relaxation!  I stopped smoking by using only self-hypnosis, so that's not " bunk " .  One of my teachers can change the pulse rate in only one arm.  That's also not just relaxation.  Okay, that particular one isn't all that useful aside from as a " parlor trick " , but it begins to show the level of control that you can get over your bodily functions, once you master the basic skill set.  There are people who do not respond well to hypnosis by others, these are often people who feel a strong need for control.  If they can learn self-hypnosis, or find someone they can truly trust, they can often be successful.

 

On to addiction...

Addiction is not physical, dependence is physical.  Addiction is the compulsion to do something, usually something that is ultimately self-destructive in nature, despite the consequences.  Addiction is often, but not always, accompanied by dependence, but it is quite common to have dependence with no addiction whatsoever -- that is the condition of the overwhelming majority of properly treated chronic pain patients. 

 

If you remove access to the substance that a person is dependent on (but not addicted to), they will suffer withdrawal symptoms, and they will suffer, but they are not likely to break laws, alienate family members, or lose their job, just to get more of that substance.  An addict probably will risk some or all of those things, because it has become that important. 

 

A person who is dependent on a substance will not circumvent laws and processes to increase the sensation provided by the substance.  A person dealing with addiction usually has to, as they become tolerant to the level they're using, they need more and more to get the same feeling, and will usually do whatever is necessary to get that.

 

 

That said... I would probably not try to cure an addiction with only hypnosis, either.  Maybe not for the same reasons... but I wouldn't even try it.  That's what rehab is for.

 

>My asthma is triggered by irritants, smoke, temperature extremes,

overexertion, and laughing or talking too long.  I find that if myexposure to one of my triggers is mild, then I can concentrate on mybreathing and avoid a major attack. However, if I have a major exposureto a trigger, then the attack will happen no matter what I do.

As for HMO doctors, well I have been lucky. I was referred to apulmonologist by my PCP despite a normal PFT.  I did have a chronic andsevere cough despite being a non smoker so my doc thought it was a good

idea. I was sceptical and did not want to go but my doc (and my wife)insisted. The pulm thought something  unusual was going on, so he had mego for a methacholine challenge test. That test confirmed asthma.

The pulm also referred me to an asthma specialist at the Lung Center at Hospital in St.Louis. They all determined that I have coughvariant asthma.It shows what I know. If not for my PCP and my wife's prodding I never

would have gone to the pulmonologist and who knows what might havehappened?Like I said, I am on an HMO plan too, but my experience was entirelypositive. Everyone went out of their way to get me my needed care and a

correct diagnosis. I know that there are some horror stories out there,but I believe most doctors want to do what's right for you.>> Alana,> ???? You are right that anxiety is a physical reaction, but before a

person can have a physical reaction there are also cognitive events thattake place which we are not aware of.? This has been proven with studiesof functional MRIs of human brains where a change in the active areas of

our brain is measured several seconds before the subjects reported beingaware of something.? In the psychological sense, when it comes tohypnosis, it is not about blaming the victim or saying it is in yourhead.?? The goal of hypnosis is solely to teach the person how to

achieve a state of relaxation and hypnosis has proven to be beneficialto some people in management of their asthma.?? Ishia is not in any waysaying her asthma is gone, but she is saying she has a new tool in her

box to help her manage her fears and anxieties while she is having anattack.>> Not for nothing, EMTs & doctors will tell people to count theirbreaths or to concentrate on breathing in through the nose and out

through the mouth type stuff.? This isnt because we need you to do it,its all techniques to help you relax...and its really no different thanhypnosis except that hypnosis is something that only psychologists or

psychiatrists can do.? Real hypnosis is not what we see on TV where youstare at a coin swinging back and forth or the roatating circles ofdifferent colors...its a long process that takes up to 8 weeks or moreto achieve the state of relaxation that allows hypnosis to work.

>> Ishia's psychologist seems to be pretty proactive with helping herfind a way to manage her asthma in my opinion.? Hypnosis has gotten abad rap from all the inaccurate publicity it has recieved, when in fact

it can help people manage a number of conditions.? Also...something ourpsychology teacher pointed out too is that hypnosis CANNOT help peoplewith physical addictions like drugs, smoking, alcoholism etc.? Thereason behind this is that addictions are phsyical as well as mental in

nature and when people have a physical addiction, it can be potentialllylife threatening to stop the behaviors through hypnosis since it doesntaddress physical needs.? Weve all seen the ads that say they canhypnotize you to stop smoking and all that...our teacher (who was a

therapist for years) says those are bunk ads.?>> Ann>------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

I'm not sure who wrote what, but there is definitely some mis-information about hypnosis and addiction in the post below.

 

So you know that I know what I'm talking about, I've been a chronic pain patient for several years, and have taken some very strong narcotics over that period of time to control it.  My family history includes alcoholism, so I have been very closely scrutinized for any signs of addiction, and I've discussed this at length with several mental health professionals, and done extensive research on my own.  When I got a spinal cord stimulator, I went off those drugs.  Fortunately, I went off in a controlled manner, not cold-turkey, so I only got a mild version of " withdrawal " .  I'm also qualified to perform and teach hypnosis, with several advanced credentials, and membership in the National Guild of Hypnotists.

 

Hypnosis can be done by anyone.  We do it to ourselves all the time, mostly without being aware of it.  If you want to achieve a specific objective through hypnosis, it is a good idea to have a qualified professional teach you how, but it is not only psychologists or psychiatrists that can do that, there are thousands of qualified hypnotherapists (if not tens or hundreds of thousands!).

 

There are thousands of goals of hypnosis.  For example, I can cure my own nosebleeds in a matter of two minutes through hypnosis, and they're so completely gone, I can blow my nose without re-starting the bleed.  That's not just relaxation!  I stopped smoking by using only self-hypnosis, so that's not " bunk " .  One of my teachers can change the pulse rate in only one arm.  That's also not just relaxation.  Okay, that particular one isn't all that useful aside from as a " parlor trick " , but it begins to show the level of control that you can get over your bodily functions, once you master the basic skill set.  There are people who do not respond well to hypnosis by others, these are often people who feel a strong need for control.  If they can learn self-hypnosis, or find someone they can truly trust, they can often be successful.

 

On to addiction...

Addiction is not physical, dependence is physical.  Addiction is the compulsion to do something, usually something that is ultimately self-destructive in nature, despite the consequences.  Addiction is often, but not always, accompanied by dependence, but it is quite common to have dependence with no addiction whatsoever -- that is the condition of the overwhelming majority of properly treated chronic pain patients. 

 

If you remove access to the substance that a person is dependent on (but not addicted to), they will suffer withdrawal symptoms, and they will suffer, but they are not likely to break laws, alienate family members, or lose their job, just to get more of that substance.  An addict probably will risk some or all of those things, because it has become that important. 

 

A person who is dependent on a substance will not circumvent laws and processes to increase the sensation provided by the substance.  A person dealing with addiction usually has to, as they become tolerant to the level they're using, they need more and more to get the same feeling, and will usually do whatever is necessary to get that.

 

 

That said... I would probably not try to cure an addiction with only hypnosis, either.  Maybe not for the same reasons... but I wouldn't even try it.  That's what rehab is for.

 

>My asthma is triggered by irritants, smoke, temperature extremes,

overexertion, and laughing or talking too long.  I find that if myexposure to one of my triggers is mild, then I can concentrate on mybreathing and avoid a major attack. However, if I have a major exposureto a trigger, then the attack will happen no matter what I do.

As for HMO doctors, well I have been lucky. I was referred to apulmonologist by my PCP despite a normal PFT.  I did have a chronic andsevere cough despite being a non smoker so my doc thought it was a good

idea. I was sceptical and did not want to go but my doc (and my wife)insisted. The pulm thought something  unusual was going on, so he had mego for a methacholine challenge test. That test confirmed asthma.

The pulm also referred me to an asthma specialist at the Lung Center at Hospital in St.Louis. They all determined that I have coughvariant asthma.It shows what I know. If not for my PCP and my wife's prodding I never

would have gone to the pulmonologist and who knows what might havehappened?Like I said, I am on an HMO plan too, but my experience was entirelypositive. Everyone went out of their way to get me my needed care and a

correct diagnosis. I know that there are some horror stories out there,but I believe most doctors want to do what's right for you.>> Alana,> ???? You are right that anxiety is a physical reaction, but before a

person can have a physical reaction there are also cognitive events thattake place which we are not aware of.? This has been proven with studiesof functional MRIs of human brains where a change in the active areas of

our brain is measured several seconds before the subjects reported beingaware of something.? In the psychological sense, when it comes tohypnosis, it is not about blaming the victim or saying it is in yourhead.?? The goal of hypnosis is solely to teach the person how to

achieve a state of relaxation and hypnosis has proven to be beneficialto some people in management of their asthma.?? Ishia is not in any waysaying her asthma is gone, but she is saying she has a new tool in her

box to help her manage her fears and anxieties while she is having anattack.>> Not for nothing, EMTs & doctors will tell people to count theirbreaths or to concentrate on breathing in through the nose and out

through the mouth type stuff.? This isnt because we need you to do it,its all techniques to help you relax...and its really no different thanhypnosis except that hypnosis is something that only psychologists or

psychiatrists can do.? Real hypnosis is not what we see on TV where youstare at a coin swinging back and forth or the roatating circles ofdifferent colors...its a long process that takes up to 8 weeks or moreto achieve the state of relaxation that allows hypnosis to work.

>> Ishia's psychologist seems to be pretty proactive with helping herfind a way to manage her asthma in my opinion.? Hypnosis has gotten abad rap from all the inaccurate publicity it has recieved, when in fact

it can help people manage a number of conditions.? Also...something ourpsychology teacher pointed out too is that hypnosis CANNOT help peoplewith physical addictions like drugs, smoking, alcoholism etc.? Thereason behind this is that addictions are phsyical as well as mental in

nature and when people have a physical addiction, it can be potentialllylife threatening to stop the behaviors through hypnosis since it doesntaddress physical needs.? Weve all seen the ads that say they canhypnotize you to stop smoking and all that...our teacher (who was a

therapist for years) says those are bunk ads.?>> Ann>------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

I'm not sure who wrote what, but there is definitely some mis-information about hypnosis and addiction in the post below.

 

So you know that I know what I'm talking about, I've been a chronic pain patient for several years, and have taken some very strong narcotics over that period of time to control it.  My family history includes alcoholism, so I have been very closely scrutinized for any signs of addiction, and I've discussed this at length with several mental health professionals, and done extensive research on my own.  When I got a spinal cord stimulator, I went off those drugs.  Fortunately, I went off in a controlled manner, not cold-turkey, so I only got a mild version of " withdrawal " .  I'm also qualified to perform and teach hypnosis, with several advanced credentials, and membership in the National Guild of Hypnotists.

 

Hypnosis can be done by anyone.  We do it to ourselves all the time, mostly without being aware of it.  If you want to achieve a specific objective through hypnosis, it is a good idea to have a qualified professional teach you how, but it is not only psychologists or psychiatrists that can do that, there are thousands of qualified hypnotherapists (if not tens or hundreds of thousands!).

 

There are thousands of goals of hypnosis.  For example, I can cure my own nosebleeds in a matter of two minutes through hypnosis, and they're so completely gone, I can blow my nose without re-starting the bleed.  That's not just relaxation!  I stopped smoking by using only self-hypnosis, so that's not " bunk " .  One of my teachers can change the pulse rate in only one arm.  That's also not just relaxation.  Okay, that particular one isn't all that useful aside from as a " parlor trick " , but it begins to show the level of control that you can get over your bodily functions, once you master the basic skill set.  There are people who do not respond well to hypnosis by others, these are often people who feel a strong need for control.  If they can learn self-hypnosis, or find someone they can truly trust, they can often be successful.

 

On to addiction...

Addiction is not physical, dependence is physical.  Addiction is the compulsion to do something, usually something that is ultimately self-destructive in nature, despite the consequences.  Addiction is often, but not always, accompanied by dependence, but it is quite common to have dependence with no addiction whatsoever -- that is the condition of the overwhelming majority of properly treated chronic pain patients. 

 

If you remove access to the substance that a person is dependent on (but not addicted to), they will suffer withdrawal symptoms, and they will suffer, but they are not likely to break laws, alienate family members, or lose their job, just to get more of that substance.  An addict probably will risk some or all of those things, because it has become that important. 

 

A person who is dependent on a substance will not circumvent laws and processes to increase the sensation provided by the substance.  A person dealing with addiction usually has to, as they become tolerant to the level they're using, they need more and more to get the same feeling, and will usually do whatever is necessary to get that.

 

 

That said... I would probably not try to cure an addiction with only hypnosis, either.  Maybe not for the same reasons... but I wouldn't even try it.  That's what rehab is for.

 

>My asthma is triggered by irritants, smoke, temperature extremes,

overexertion, and laughing or talking too long.  I find that if myexposure to one of my triggers is mild, then I can concentrate on mybreathing and avoid a major attack. However, if I have a major exposureto a trigger, then the attack will happen no matter what I do.

As for HMO doctors, well I have been lucky. I was referred to apulmonologist by my PCP despite a normal PFT.  I did have a chronic andsevere cough despite being a non smoker so my doc thought it was a good

idea. I was sceptical and did not want to go but my doc (and my wife)insisted. The pulm thought something  unusual was going on, so he had mego for a methacholine challenge test. That test confirmed asthma.

The pulm also referred me to an asthma specialist at the Lung Center at Hospital in St.Louis. They all determined that I have coughvariant asthma.It shows what I know. If not for my PCP and my wife's prodding I never

would have gone to the pulmonologist and who knows what might havehappened?Like I said, I am on an HMO plan too, but my experience was entirelypositive. Everyone went out of their way to get me my needed care and a

correct diagnosis. I know that there are some horror stories out there,but I believe most doctors want to do what's right for you.>> Alana,> ???? You are right that anxiety is a physical reaction, but before a

person can have a physical reaction there are also cognitive events thattake place which we are not aware of.? This has been proven with studiesof functional MRIs of human brains where a change in the active areas of

our brain is measured several seconds before the subjects reported beingaware of something.? In the psychological sense, when it comes tohypnosis, it is not about blaming the victim or saying it is in yourhead.?? The goal of hypnosis is solely to teach the person how to

achieve a state of relaxation and hypnosis has proven to be beneficialto some people in management of their asthma.?? Ishia is not in any waysaying her asthma is gone, but she is saying she has a new tool in her

box to help her manage her fears and anxieties while she is having anattack.>> Not for nothing, EMTs & doctors will tell people to count theirbreaths or to concentrate on breathing in through the nose and out

through the mouth type stuff.? This isnt because we need you to do it,its all techniques to help you relax...and its really no different thanhypnosis except that hypnosis is something that only psychologists or

psychiatrists can do.? Real hypnosis is not what we see on TV where youstare at a coin swinging back and forth or the roatating circles ofdifferent colors...its a long process that takes up to 8 weeks or moreto achieve the state of relaxation that allows hypnosis to work.

>> Ishia's psychologist seems to be pretty proactive with helping herfind a way to manage her asthma in my opinion.? Hypnosis has gotten abad rap from all the inaccurate publicity it has recieved, when in fact

it can help people manage a number of conditions.? Also...something ourpsychology teacher pointed out too is that hypnosis CANNOT help peoplewith physical addictions like drugs, smoking, alcoholism etc.? Thereason behind this is that addictions are phsyical as well as mental in

nature and when people have a physical addiction, it can be potentialllylife threatening to stop the behaviors through hypnosis since it doesntaddress physical needs.? Weve all seen the ads that say they canhypnotize you to stop smoking and all that...our teacher (who was a

therapist for years) says those are bunk ads.?>> Ann>------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

Sorry , but in regards to the hypnosis thing, Ill take the words of my psychology professor (who is a trained hypnotist) and several psychologists who wrote the text book. Addiction is a physical and psychological dependence on a substance or habit and it can be downright dangerous to use hypnosis to attempt to cure an addiction. Even you said you wouldnt do it. I cannot just go out right now and hypnotize someone just like that either. It takes proper training. I too can blow my nose 2 minutes after a nose bleed and it wont bleed again...but thats not hypnosis..its just good clotting time. And, if I deep breathe long enough I can lower my heart rate and blood pressure...

While its true that some poeple might try to use hypnosis to treat addictions/dependencies whatever you want to call it, its not ethical to use hypnosis alone, b/c it could be dangerous. Addictions have a physical component and hypnosis cannot treat the physical component of addiction. If someone were to say that they were using hypnosis in addition to a plan of treatment to address the physical need then that might be a different story.