Have you or a loved one been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer? Does the idea of a noninvasive treatment option sound like something you may want to try? Did you know that hypnotherapy can be a beneficial option for managing symptoms experienced with stage 4 cancer as well as the side effect associated with the following cancer treatment options:

  1. Surgery

  2. Chemotherapy

  3. Radiotherapy

In this article, we'll be looking at how hypnotherapy works for stage 4 cancer, the importance of self-hypnosis with stage 4 cancer, and explore possible alternative and holistic approaches to consider.

How Hypnotherapy Works for Stage 4 Cancer

Hypnotherapy for stage 4 cancer will not make cancer disappear. It also will not act as a cure. The way that hypnotherapy for advanced stage cancer works is, hypnotherapy aims to improve quality of life in spite of having to live with the challenge of fighting a battle with cancer.

One systematic review looked at how effective hypnotherapy is for advanced cancer patients while this one study, there are five ways that hypnotherapy works for advanced stage cancer:

  1. Increased comfort: Being comfortable can lead to feelings of relaxation and less stress. This, in turn, helps the immune system. And all of this is possible through hypnotherapy for stage 4 cancer patients.

  2. Frequency of pain: Advanced stages of cancer can be painful as can the medical treatment that one must undergo. Hypnotherapy can work to reduce the frequency of the pain experienced by advanced cancer patients.

  3. Reduction in suffering: hypnotherapy can aid in reducing the degree and severity of suffering that might be experienced when battling stage 4 cancer.

  4. Stabilized mood: Emotional distress is not uncommon in a battle with advanced cancer, hypnotherapy works to help stabilize moods of stage 4 cancer patients by reducing levels of depression, fear, and anxiety.

  5. Greater survival time: Hypnotherapy has the ability to enable an advanced stage cancer patient to have a greater survival time frame as hypnotherapy can build a person's ability to manage the disease they are battling.

Self-hypnosis and Stage 4 Cancer

Why is learning self-hypnosis useful for cancer patients battling stage 4 cancer?

From treatment side effects of nausea, fatigue, and pain of advanced cancer to the emotional side of the disease of distress, depression, and anxiety - hypnotherapy can be a vital tool and supportive approach to helping advanced cancer patients.

But, most hypnotherapists do not do house calls, and they cannot follow cancer patients around and offer a hypnotherapy session as soon as signs of pain, discomfort, or distress arise. This is where self-hypnosis comes into play.

Learning how to do self-hypnosis from your hypnotherapist can help take the many benefits of hypnotherapy for cancer no matter where you are.

7 Complementary and Holistic Approaches to Supporting Breast Cancer Treatment

Here is a list of seven other complementary medicine approaches to support stage 4 cancer treatment:

  1. Acupuncture

  2. Homeopathy

  3. Meditation

  4. Guided meditation

  5. Aromatherapy

  6. Essential oil therapy

  7. Reiki

More Information

Want more information on hypnotherapy? Check out these other resources:

References

Montgomery, G. H., Schnur, J. B., & Kravits, K. (2012). Hypnosis for cancer care: over 200 years young. CA: a cancer journal for clinicians, 63(1), 31-44. Retrieved January 19, 2019 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3755455/

Rajasekaran, M., Edmonds, P. M., & Higginson, I. L. (2005). Systematic review of hypnotherapy for treating symptoms in terminally ill adult cancer patients. Palliative Medicine, 19(5), 418-426. doi:10.1191/0269216305pm1030oa. Retrieved January 19, 2019 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK71427/