Hello A.B. Curtiss
My name is P_________. I am a third year med student at the University of Minnesota, as a person that has always felt empathy for others, and have always been able to recognize deep emotional pain, I have made the careful, thought-out choice to pursue Psychiatry as my field, as my profession and as my life's work. Many of the students that I attend classes with naturally go home during the summer months. This year I chose to stay in Minnesota and work, volunteer, and attend a twice weekly coffee club where a few of my classmate, some upper classed students who are already MD's and are pursuing psychiatry, and at least one practicing psychiatrist share information, theories, ideology, discoveries, and we are also a book club. As it turns out our practicing psychiatrist was a no show because she gave birth on Monday evening.
I am reaching out to you because you are not only a Psychiatrist, but also a Hypnotherapist, and I need some sort of answer here. I will relay to you what one upper class man mentioned on Tuesday. Due to Edwards (the student) family history whereas his entire family are members of the psychiatric community so whenever he speaks everyone listens, and I always take very concise notes. On Tuesday he mentioned a case that his father tended to in the last year. The synopsis is something like this.
He began seeing a 43 year old male patient in October of 2009 the man claimed to be suffering from the following
· Inappropriate anger and the lack of temper control
· Frequent emotional overreactions or intense mood swings, including feeling depressed, irritable, or angry
· Unstable personal relationships.
· Unstable emotions: Rob’s emotional state was/is in fluctuation from euphoria to intense anxiety or rage in a matter of minutes. Typically these are reactions to social interactions.
· Psychosis and the temporary loss of reality; dishonesty.
· Low self esteem/unstable self image: He builds himself up with dishonest bragging.
· Little or complete lack of Impulse control. He was for some time engaging in the self destructive practice of unprotected sex with multiple partners while married. More recently episodes of depressive cycling
The man said that he was seeking help because his marriage was at the breaking point and he truly loved and was in love with his wife, they have two little girls ages 4 and 5,and he needed help. He recognized that there were a multitude of problems with his behaviors and that he "was not the man he once was" He was highly educated and along with everything else had been under or unemployed for the last several years.
Doctor and patient met twice weekly for approximately 18 weeks during which time there were naturally clinical session, but also again naturally a variety of personality assessments and inventories administered, about 14 in all including the BPI, MCM, Myers Briggs... The collective outcome of each of these assessments/inventories led Doc to suggest that perhaps the patient was "suffering from a neuro physical ailment rather than a mental illness". Further personality assessments lead to Doc concluding that
Quote
" It is my professional opinion that the things that have transpired over the past several years (impulsive, aggressive, depressive behaviors) are not conforming to the standard, or typed personality parameters of the man known to me as patient D"
Enquote
A complete physical was done on the patient and CBC revealed a high WBC, and the presence of a higher than normal level of heterophile antibodies which suggested the Epstein Barr Virus.
A complete physical was done on the patient and CBC revealed a high WBC, and the presence of a higher than normal level of heterophile antibodies which suggested the Epstein Barr Virus.
Medical records were reviewed by the assisting MHNP and a discovery was made that showed at least two other instances where the patients was once in the ER complaining of extreme fatigue, and the party that brought him in said that he had been "acting strangely for days". The other time he was simply fatigued all the time. In both cases the CBC was positive for elevated amount of heterophile antibodies. Reason this fact was overlooked by the treating physician is unknown. No other entries were significant from a psychiatric standpoint. There was not history of mental illness throughout the family.
Patient D was schedule for a Neuro MRI, CT and CSF. CSF naturally revealed the presence of the same antibodies. MRI revealed that the patient was suffering with Encephalitis that had affected his pre frontal cortex, basal ganglia, and deep limbic system. It is not surprising that he was impulsive on a whim. All leading to a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder.
The MRI also revealed some sclerotic lesions that led to an eventual diagnosis of MS. I noted in my own research that young adults who have a high level of Epstein Barr antibodies are at a higher risk of developing MS later in life. I believe things may have been a trigger in this case. Here is the closing statement in Docs final diagnosis. There is of course much more, but Edward, and therefore the rest of the group was not privileged to that information
Quote " I know as well as both of you that the choices he made were horrible ones, foolish, hurtful, dangerous, and perhaps, though very improbable, premeditated. However “if it had not been for the viral infection and subsequent conditions he would have never considered doing such things. I willingly staked a 42-year practice and put my professional reputation on the line when I said and also included in my final diagnosis that "Robert was without a doubt committing the impulsive acts of a mind that was very open and subject to its own cognitive impairment" His mind was physically ill, mentally defective, his logical thought processes disrupted, his judgment listed. He was in fact acting outside of his character" Enquote
Okay A.B (if I may call you A.B.) that is the normal part. Next is where it gets strange for lack of a better word. In my 24 years on this earth I have heard and seen a few unusual things, but this is one of the strangest.
Mrs D was finished with this marriage; she did not love Patient D, was not in love with him, not emotionally tied to him, and was pursuing someone else. She had admitted to patient D that they should “try and get along for their children's sake”, and month earlier she has said that life would be easier, and things “would be more convenient if they could work things out”, but due to his constant cycling... She had finally filed for divorced.
She went to a homeopathic seminar (she is heavily into essential oils) that included some emotional release techniques, (she did not take part in these) and then as far as the story goes she spent a session with a professional hypnotherapist, that was also using the oils and wanted to try and help her with some therapy.
A few days go by and Doc has not heard from patient D. Patient D finally calls and asked to meet Doc at a local mall amusement park, and when he shows up he is with his wife and his children, everyone is all smiles, his wife is on his arm, snuggling close, and he tells her in front of Doc how much he loves her, and she says the same. Doc is excited, but baffled. What happened here A.B.?!!!!
She hated him, he had abused her in every way a person could abuse another Yet Yet what? I do not know, but I need to understand what may have taken place here. I am somewhat familiar with Age Regression, and Five pass... But this was such a complete makeover of mind that it almost seems occult like.
I know that hypnosis can be a very powerful tool and benefit people in so many ways, but this woman was finished with this marriage, she had filed for divorce. When patient D was approached by her with the news that she did love him, and that she truly wanted to try again, he asked "why" and her reply was that she did not know why but she just wanted to. I am a thinking young woman; I understand the concept of love. I know that in the course of my professional years ahead things like this may become the norm, but right now I am so confused that it is all I am thinking about. I have a few questions I hope you can help me with.
1. Is it possible that she received some Post Hypnotic Suggestions, and she did not know why she chose to try again because of induced amnesia during the trance?
2.With her filing for divorce, and moving on with her life, would she not reject the suggestions?
3.Is there a pharmaceutical that perhaps she was administered that made her more susceptible to those suggestions?
4.I thought that Post Hypnotic Suggestions were only acted upon when induced by a key word or something of that nature, how would she act upon the suggestion 24 hours a day 7 days a week for the rest of her life?
5.If post hypnotic suggestions are what has lead to Mrs D's change of heart then how long will those suggestions remain active in her subconscious.
6.I am not certain, or even suggesting it,but do you feel from what I have explain that something unethical may have been done here?
I truly hope you can help me. I do know one thing for certain. I will pursue hypnotherapy, as another avenue of treatment for my future patients. I thank you for your time, and anticipate your logical, and knowledgeable reply.
Kind Regards, P___________
Dear P________-
First, I am not a psychiatrist or medical doctor. I am a board-certified cognitive behavioral therapist, diplomate of the board--psychology, a certified hypnotist and a licensed psychotherapist in the State of California. I also think most of the DSM IV is a complete fraud not based on any medical evidence. Having said that I will try to answer you questions.
1. Is it possible that she received some Post Hypnotic Suggestions, and she did not know why she chose to try again because of induced amnesia during the trance?
MY ANSWER: There are still some mysteries about hypnosis because there are still mysteries about the human spirit and the other-than-conscious mind. People talk about the unconscious or subconscious but I think Freud's terms are incorrect and misleading. Generally speaking, people do under hypnosis what they desire to do, act silly, perform unusual feats they deny they can do when not under a trance but could do if they BELIEVED they could do it because their DESIRE was great enough that they HAD to do it. The surrender to relaxation in hypnosis which takes people out of the sympathetic mode and situates them in the para-sympathetic mode (where their brain waves lower to at least alpha) makes it easier to believe something. Also emotional trauma makes it easier to believe something. This is why faith healers push a person backwards as they say "You are healed." The person experiences emotional trauma because they don't know that someone is stationed behind them to catch them so they won't fall.Your body cells respond to your belief.
People generally don't try to figure out why they want something. They generally want something or they don't. It also makes a difference if a person decides to make the major decisions of their life on their core principles or their "feelings." Most people don't think too much about what they are doing and follow the latest cultural trends. This culture does not support marriage as an institution but as a device to achieve personal happiness. The real problem is that most people don't really know what their core principles are and thus are often confused by what they decide to do.
2.With her filing for divorce, and moving on with her life, would she not reject the suggestions?
MY ANSWER: I've already answered this question above. It is now this woman's desire to do what she is doing. She has changed her mind.
3.Is there a pharmaceutical that perhaps she was administered that made her more susceptible to those suggestions?
MY ANSWER: It is possible to achieve deeper relaxation with drugs.
4.I thought that Post Hypnotic Suggestions were only acted upon when induced by a key word or something of that nature, how would she act upon the suggestion 24 hours a day 7 days a week for the rest of her life?
MYANSWER: Post hypnotic suggestions can last a lifetime if they do not go against a person's core beliefs. Most people don't know what their core beliefs are.
5.If post hypnotic suggestions are what has lead to Mrs D's change of heart then how long will those suggestions remain active in her subconscious.
MY ANSWER: There's no such thing as a subconscious mind. This is Freud's misunderstanding of Emil Coue's work in hypnosis. Coue resurrected Mesmer's work in France which was discredited by Benjamin Franklin when he was the ambassador to France.
6.I am not certain, or even suggesting it,but do you feel from what I have explain that something unethical may have been done here?
MY ANSWER: No, I think you are jumping to conclusions. People make snap judgments and decisions all the time that change the course of their lives. Unless they hit a wall of some kind, they keep going forward in the same direction--It's simple physics. A body in motion tends to stay in motion.
As for studying hypnosis, most hypnotherapists that try to teach can't hypnotize themselves, they can't stick a needle in their own arm without pain. Finding someone who can is difficult. Remember that hypnosis is new to the medical profession. They denied there was any such thing for years and hypnosis was practiced by stage hypnotists. Which is why they are generally better at it then doctors. A. B. Curtiss
Thank You A.B.
You are a brilliant scientist. You have given me the straight answers that I have been seeking. Of course now there have been some doubts about my choice of professional field of endeavor. P_________
Dear P__________
Just remember to make your decision from the love of something, not the fear of something. Set aside distractions such as winning or losing. Any decision that you make out of love of something is appropriate in some way to your life, whether you win or lose. Any decision that you make out of fear of something is never appropriate to your life. It is not always so easy to tell if you are doing something out of fear or love. A. B. Curtiss
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