How Neuro Linguistic Programming Helped My MS Symptoms

I attended a MS Group Meeting this weekend in which the speaker, David P., discussed how to use Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) in MS to facilitate healing physically, mentally and emotionally.

NLP Strategies and Techniques have a wide variety of application to change dysfunctional thoughts, feelings and behavior into a more functional and life-enhancing ways of being. These NLP skills and techniques can be quickly learned. NLP may be used as a stand-alone therapeutic process or may be used to supplement and elaborate upon others models of therapy.

NLP may be effective in treating a wide variety of disorders, including but not limited to physical disorders/illness including pain management, physical healing, symptom relief, dealing with medication side affects, etc.

What NLP is:

Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is a controversial[1] approach to psychotherapy and organizational change based on "a model of interpersonal communication chiefly concerned with the relationship between successful patterns of behaviour and the subjective experiences (esp. patterns of thought) underlying them" and "a system of alternative therapy based on this which seeks to educate people in self-awareness and effective communication, and to change their patterns of mental and emotional behaviour".


What NLP is NOT:

- NLP is not the "power of positive thinking"
- NLP is not a substitute for medical interventions. It is important to continue to work with health care providers.
- NLP is not a cure all. Nothing works all of the time.

There were about 20 of us in the group and after about a 1 hour long instruction and discussion on NLP he used some of his own techniques for Pain Control/Management on a few of us. I was one of those people. I was numb/pain from my mid-thigh down that morning and it was just a constant nagging annoyance. I had trouble walking and would not get up during the meeting unless I had to (my husband got me refreshments). Towards the end of the meeting David had asked me a few questions about what my symptoms were and what they felt like.

We together came up with the Metaphor I felt like I was walking through mud. So he asked me to put that picture in my mind of walking through mud and then in a second window or picture to picture myself walking on a soft carpet. Think a TV with picture in picture. Then he told me to replace in my mind the picture of the mud with the carpet over and over again - 5 times maybe. He called it Swoosh. So I was swooshing away the thoughts of walking through mud with walking on a pretty soft light yellow shag carpet in my mind. After about 10 seconds of doing this, he asked me how my legs feel. They felt pain free and no longer numb. He then asked me to get up and walk. I walked a good 20 feet with NO PAIN. I was thrilled. I sat back down and he continued to speak to others. I realize what I just did was a Visualization technique. A technique that for a period of time took away my symptom.

NLP is not Visualization, I just compared it to that for the particular exercise he had me do. There are many NLP techniques that help other MSers with pain and symptom management. I plan to look into this further. Some good resources are listed below.

Resources:

NLP Techniques: How to use them

NLP Coaching

Richard Bandler - Co-founder of NLP