Hypnosis as a supplementary treatment of the Corona virus (Covid-19)
1. Introduction
This article is not intended to provide an alternative to current measures against the Corona virus. Although the authors of this article are critical to the prevention measures taken, it is still supported, but it is also considered to be further measures to fight the pandemic. The aim of this article is to also focus on the psychology behind this virus and also to use psychological methods to overcome an imminent disaster. Clinical hypnosis seems to be a useful and powerful tool to avoid, overcome and heal the disease caused by the Corona virus if there is an infestation.
Pieter and Jorgan Harris are father and son, both psychologists working together in various areas and also working together to provide an alternative to combating the effects of the virus.
Our approach is to focus on the power of your subconscious mind. There is a strong focus during therapy on the power of the subconscious mind to face the virus, strengthening the immune system, overcoming unnecessary anxiety (which weakens the immune system), strengthening the internal healing mechanisms of the body, change what people can make sick and to keep the body in good health.
2. The legs (fundamentals) of hypnotic treatment of the Corona virus
There must therefore be an alternative treatment. That’s exactly what we want to examine with this. There are limitations in the current model and the authors want to help you to protect yourself more.
We want to present the following:
Strengthen your immune system
Health Professions Council of South Africa’s president Dr Kgosi Letlape said: “A weak immune system is the inability to fight off infections, meaning the ability to produce antibodies is less than optimum, so you can’t fend off organisms that entrap you. If you have chronic diseases, the resistance to infection is low.
Therefore it is imperative to maintain a healthy lifestyle with healthy eating, habits and exercise.
More than 80% of the cases of Corona infestation are mild and those people infected recover easily. Only about 3% of cases are fatal. The fatal cases occur mostly in people with a weak immune system.
Clinical Hypnosis has been proven as an effective way to help the body to live healthy and also to strengthen the immune system.
Jorgan presented a paper in 2005 during an international hypnosis congress on the power of the subconscious to strengthen the immune system in order to enable the body to fight off diseases.
However, the immune system is also weakened by anxiety. The treatment of anxiety is the second leg of this approach.
The treatment of anxiety
Clinical hypnosis with a combination of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) has been established over the years as probably the most effective therapy in the treatment of anxiety.
Anxiety is one of the most important causes for the weakening of the immune system.
Many people argue that the reaction to the Corona virus might be an overreaction. It is true to some extent. Only 3% of the Corona cases are fatal. The rest of the infected recovers. It’s really not necessary to panic about this virus. Diseases like tuberculosis and HIV have a much higher mortality rate.
The authors do, once again, not underestimate the seriousness of this, and support government’s precautions.
However, the problem is that all of these measures cause anxiety, thus weakening the immune system, making people more vulnerable to the virus.
The treatment of anxiety is an important component to combating the Corona virus.
Authors also remain realistic, however, acknowledging the fact that it is important to avoid touching your face. This brings us to the third leg of treatment.
Avoidance of the touch of your face
“Don’t touch your face”. You might as well tell yourself not to think of an elephant. The harder you try not to think of an elephant, the more you’ll think of an elephant, and the more you’ll want to touch your face.
Strictly speaking you can’t get the virus. You can only bring the virus unto yourself by touching your mouth, nose and eyes.
This is an important aspect of our approach for surviving the Corona virus. You and only you are in control of your life and therefore this virus. You can wash your hands, wear masks, avoid meetings – you can disinfect and dispose of tissues in a sealed bin. The truth is that you and only you are touching your own face.
Hypnotherapists have already begun to develop techniques to help you avoid touching your face. We as authors are building forth on this research and use this principle and new methods to help you to avoid touching your face.
This takes us to the fourth and last leg of our approach.
Keep your body healthy
Using hypnosis, we want you to help you keep your body and mind strong and healthy. The Corona virus will come and go. Like everything comes and goes. There may be other epidemics to come and go. However, your body can remain refutable and resilient.
3. The process
The question often asked is why such an obvious minute problem caused the whole world to panic. Tuberculosis or HIV and even flu are worse. More people are affected by these diseases more than by the Corona virus.
Our process of living through this disaster as an additional measure to what is being taken care of, is the following:
We use hypnosis to:
- help you strengthen your immune system
- reduce your anxiety
- to help you to put yourself in control of your life, by not touching your face, and
- to take good care of your body by using alternative methods.
4. Finally
Everything is passing. The greatest calamities that humankind ever hit have gone by. There had been greater disasters and gone by. We have survived and will live through this crisis as well.
The virus may just be a black swan visiting. A black swan is an unpredictable event that goes beyond what is normally expected of a situation and has potentially severe consequences, more so in our mind than anywhere else. Black swans are extremely rare, but their impact is severe. They disappear as suddenly as they appeared. What they leave behind, is learning, which is up to us.
For the time being, it requires patience and discomfort.
