Re:hypnotherapy and dementia

Hello Stephen,

Thanks for responding my questions so quickly and extensively. As you see, my answer comes a bit later, but I couldn't earlier. Anyway, here I am, in the meantime I had the opportunity to think things over, read, practice and try out. And here are some of my new findings and of course questions. I'm curious what you think about them.

I must say, your answer was not really enthousiastic. You seem rather pessimistic about the possibilities of influencing the mood of dement people. Perhaps I'm totally wrong but at this moment I stay rather hopefull about the possibilities of working with dement people. Sometimes I've positive results (encouraging!) and when not, I say to myself: I've still so many things to learn (which is of course completely true) and when I've learnt all that, hypnotherapy will be really effective with the majority (?)of these people (and here I'm perhaps completely wrong).

Anyway, I've found an author who has worked with dement people. Yapko writes in 'Trancework' about using time regression with people with - I suppose beginning - dementia, to bring them in a happy mood. So my question is: do you know, how I can get in contact with him to ask a few things? (That would already be great).

According to me, also music that was important in a man 's life, has the power of inducing time regression. Especially songs, for old people have sung a lot in their 'good old days'. By hearing and (more yet) by singing these songs, they relive (unconsciously or consciously) the memories connected with the songs (often happy and important memories). And by reliving these memories, their old self-image (which was young, strong, healthy, with hope, possibilities, open future, etc.) starts living again, at least for some time. What do you think of that: right or wrong?

Next thought: songs are like stories: they have the same metaphorical power to influence the unconscious. The person identifies himself with the characters in the song and so takes in his way of reacting, and gets influenced by the general mood of the song. I use popular songs to change the negative mood of dement people (first and also second phase!). First I seek for a song that matches with their mood (sad, hopeless,...). When there is rapport, I choose other songs that slightly differ from the previous one and so I go toward a happy mood. I try to keep the atmosphere going on. When the person accepts my first song, there is a great chance that this technique 'works'. And when it works, it often works rather quickly, also whith people with increasing apraxia, afasia, agnosia (second phase dementia). But (!), that positive mood usually doesn't stay for long. So my question is: how can I improve the effect of my technique? I thought of the following things:

- perhaps I have to sing some essential words/sentenses in a different way, or perhaps I have to move my body in a different way when I sing these key words? So the unconscious will understand the message more clearly. Perhaps I should learn a lot by looking to a videotape of Erickson in which he demonstrates this technique: which videotape would you advise (if such exists)?

- perhaps I have to use more repetition of sentenses/words or of melody only? To which degree is repetition essential to make a suggention effective?

- perhaps I have to spend more time than I do now? Now I work 15 to 30 minutes with one person. (The maximum is 45 minutes).

Or perhaps it is useless to seek for more change than I can get now. But I don't think I'm at my limit already now. And senile or not, they must have an unconscious. Moreover, I suppose that, the more they get dement, the more they lose their conscious mind and the only thing that remains, is their unconscious mind. Only, it seems hard to reach it.
And finally, when they can stay in a depressive, angry mood, they must be able to stay also in a happy mood. What I would like to try with them, is bring them back in a 'positive' field of associations and anchor them there.

What do you think about all that? Thanks for your opinion and advise! Stijn

Replies:

Re:hypnotherapy and dementia, by Steve Lankton, 12/29/01

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