Sites to Seek; Hypnosis Links

First, a quick update on how I'm doing with my hypnosis CD's. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and get routine blood work done once every 3 months. Last week it came back that I am anemic (iron deficiency), which is pretty common for people with an autoimmune illness like myself, but I want to make an experiment out of this too. So I am going back to using the "healing guided imagery" CD in Dr. Weil's Mind Body Tool Kit because it had healing suggestions, including increased blood flow and healthy blood cell formation. I go back in to retest my blood work for iron levels next week and I am curious if my levels will increase with the help of the CD.
Now onto helpful and useful tips and links about hypnosis:

Free hypnosis scripts. You can record your own voice, which works great for self hypnosis, using these scripts for ideas and guidelines. http://www.choosehypnosis.com/scripts.htm
Related to this, is self-hypnosis MP3 downloads. This is super convenient and sites like Amazon have them- very easy to find.

Milton Erickson is the godfather and one of the founders of mainstream hypnosis. Ericksonian hypnosis scripts are the best and most useful- far above and beyond others. They are clear, thoughtful, unique, and I hate to say this, for fear of scaring anyone off, but there is a lot of wordplay invloved that tricks you into learning lesson or breaking a habit. Sometimes just reading them can make you reflect deeply on certain issues you need to resolve. These links include books- some I have read and recommend.

• http://www.amazon.com/Uncommon-Therapy-Psychiatric-Techniques-Erickson/dp/0393310310/ref=cm_lmf_tit_5
• http://www.amazon.com/Hypnotherapy-Scripts-Neo-Ericksonian-Approach-Persuasive/dp/0876305478

This link will take you to "Hypnodude" a username of an individual who is well-versed in everything hypnosis. I have been following his article site for quite some time and there are other useful articles on related topics such as Reikki. http://hubpages.com/profile/hypnodude scroll to find hypnosis articles.

Other good sites:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnotherapy
• http://hypnoticadvancements.com/index.htm
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milton_H._Erickson

The 2 products I have used for my self hypnosis experiments:

• http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Andrew-Weils-Mind-Body-Tool/dp/B00185VKP0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1281944112&sr=8-1-catcorr
• http://www.amazon.com/Self-Hypnosis-Kit-Discover-Hypnotherapy-Improve/dp/0670865303/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1281944347&sr=8-1

One last note on the products I used; Dr. Weil's is spoken by a man. Some people, including myself, prefer a woman's voice for relaxation. The other product is a great starter kit- book and general relaxation hypnosis CD- not too expensive either. However, another consideration is the speaker, a woman, but she has a strong English accent. Take your preferences into consideration before purchasing a self-hypnosis CD. Enjoy!

What is The Self-Help Project?

"Freakishly Resilient" describes the self-help industry (Forbes.com, 1-15-09). What industry has not been effected by slumps in the economy? As if you couldn't guess by now- of course! The self-help industry. So how does someone help themselves? I don't know, but I'm going to find out.

If anyone needs help, it's me. I've been in transition the last few years: from single to married, from not mother to new mother, from career woman to stay-at-home mom, from "normal" to dealing with a recent chronic illness diagnosis (Rheumatoid Arthritis). Needing to redefine who I am would be an understatement. At this point, if I were to write a self-help book, it would be titled "What Not to Do; and Other Stupid Stuff."

Even though I consider laughter a cure-all, I am searching for something more- plus Adam Sandler hasn't delivered in his last few movies. I am willing to venture far outside my logical boundaries (and comfort zone) and what I was taught during my academic days of strict research psychology. I will look no further than the self-help industry for a me make-over.

I am enlisting the help of an industry that requires no evidence, no research to support their claims, and no quality control- even you can write a self-help book. In fact, I haven't seen much of my Chihuahua lately so I think he's been writing one entitled "Own You Owner; Take Back the Leash and Be Your Own Boss".

On a side note: I do find it humorous that if you look up "Self-help" on Wikipedia.com, a comment box at the top of the page states "This article has multiple issues". Seriously? Too funny!

This is my quest to test various self-help strategies, techniques, and advice. I will be testing a new self-help technique every 2 months and giving weekly updates on my blog, beginning with:

~ Self-hypnosis CDs. Actually, I was trained in hypnosis 13 yrs ago but never pursued it. I believe it is beneficial with follow-through and that's what I plan on doing. Average results seen in 30 days and I am trying it for 60.

~Dr. Andrew Weil; 8 Weeks to Optimal Health. I want to revive my eating regimen and Dr. Weil gets a lot of credit in his area of expertise.

~Spiritual or Religious program

~ Meditation. I would self-diagnose me as borderline ADD and I have a 2 year old so I may need some medication before my meditation.

~ Daily self-affirmations and nightly gratitude journal. This should be an interesting one for me since I would otherwise label self-affirmations as fluff talk or conversations Martha Stewart has with herself while watching re-runs of her own show.

more to come....suggestions welcome....