Huei-lin Hsieh
School of Nursing, National Taichung University of Science and Technology, Taiwan
Corresponding Author Details: Huei-lin Hsieh, Faculty of Nursing Sciences, National Taichung University of Science and Technology, Taiwan. E-mail: hljd@nutc.edu.tw
Received date: 15th July, 2017
Accepted date: 25th August, 2017
Published date: 06th September, 2017
Citation: Hsieh, H.L. (2017). The Development of a Happy-Life Hypnosis CD for Taiwanese Seniors. J Comp Nurs Res Care 2(2):111.
Copyright: ©2017, This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited
The psychological problems of the elderly are complex and difficult to understand. A few sentences of comfort or encouragement can not make them happy. Many negative emotions and problems are pushed into the depths of the subconscious, especially in depressed elderly. Psychological treatment should focus on solving subconscious problems. Hypnotic therapy is a kind of psychotherapy that can work on the subconscious to find problems and solutions. Hypnosis methods such as relaxing, deep breathing, and meditation techniques can be integrated into mental health nursing interventions to develop a hypnosis CD for the elderly. The purpose of the study was to develop a happy-life hypnosis CD for Taiwanese seniors. A fivestep hypnosis technique was used to develop the CD. The content of the CD was designed using positive suggestions, hints, hypnotic deepening skills, relaxation with imagination of seniors’ preferences, and an abdominal breathing method. The development of this happy-life hypnosis CD is innovative. Taiwanese seniors can listen to the CD to improve their negative emotions. Other researchers or practitioners can use it as a reference to develop more hypnosis CDs to promote health.
Keywords: Hypnosis CD development, Seniors, Nursing intervention, Depression
Seniors are prone to negative emotions such as emptiness, lack of vigor, sadness, anger, anxiety, fear, despair, and weakness [1], which can lead to depression. In every 10 people over the age of 70, there is one suffering from depression and needs professional assistant [2]. Peng [3] also surveyed 120 seniors in nursing homes and found that 68.3% of them suffered from depression. For seniors with depression, many negative emotions and problems have been pushed into the deep subconscious. Therefore, psychotherapy needs to address these subconscious problem [4]. The purpose of hypnosis therapy is to hypnotize a person from the subconscious to find problems and solve them [5]. The hypnosis CD development process is rarely discussed, especially hypnosis CDs for seniors’ mental health. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to develop a happy-life hypnosis CD for Taiwanese seniors to enhance their mental health, and as a reference for other researchers to develop more hypnotic CDs.
In the development process, the researcher used the hypnosis techniques integrated with mental health nursing interventions and developed the first edition of a hypnosis CD in November 2007. Ten seniors at least 65 years old in a community in northern Taiwan were invited to listen and give suggestions. These suggestions included (1) use a slow speaking speed, (2) with a relaxed, soft tone of voice, (3) use differ- ent words and sentences, (4) use a more whispered sound, and 5) add more content, Based on these suggestions, a formal edition of a happy-life hypnosis CD (ISRC: TWM511200001) was developed in Novem- ber 2012. This study was approved by IRB in Show Chwan Memorial Hospital in Taiwan.
The researcher used five steps to develop the hypnotic CD, including introduction of the CD, inducting seniors into a hypnotic state, deepening the hypnotic state, giving suggestions, and waking up [6]. The content of the CD was developed using simple sentences, positive words with background music, a slow, soft tone of voice, relaxation with imagination of seniors’ preferences, as well as the abdominal breathing method. Furthermore, when they were young, their life was agriculturally oriented and close to nature, and they often saw a lot of butterflies. Therefore, the guiding sentences used nature words and phrases to help them recall their youth. The use of positive guiding sentences would not only enhance their self-esteem, but also make them optimistic and cheerful, with promise for the future. Affirming the contribution of the elderly to society and family, strengthening the meaning and value of life, increasing gratitude, and reducing stubbornness will also contribute to adjustment of seniors’ emotions. Finally, a counting technique [6] was used to wake them from the hypnotic state.
The variety of bright colors in the background are cheerful. The two smiling faces with the 4 large Chinese characters here, “happy life”, as the theme are easy to see and understand. “Happy Life” is a positive hint. Therefore, when they get the CD, seniors would be pleased by the visual elements. The back of the CD contains a warning “do not listen when driving” as a reminder to avoid accidents from falling asleep (Figure-1).
Mandarin was originally used for the CD. The CD uses relaxing music in the background. The slow speech, sound, and intonation are relaxed and natural. The CD is 25 minutes and 36 seconds long.
Dear friends, this hypnotic CD can make you feel full of energy happier, freer, more comfortable, and more relaxed. Please take at least 30 minutes every morning and evening for 30 days. Put everything down, wear comfortable clothes, rest, lie or sit comfortably, listen to the hypnosis CD instructions and follow the instructions. You will be happier, freer, more comfortable, and more relaxed. If you listen more often, he effect is much better. If you fall asleep while listening, let yourself sleep. Letting the body rest is also very good. Please note “do not listen while driving or doing activities which require concentration.”
Now please put everything aside, take a break, and lie down or sit in a comfortable position. In a moment, all your muscles and nerves will relax, you will become calm, and your body will feel more comfortable. Your face muscles and nerves will gradually relax. Your hand muscles and nerves will gradually relax. Your leg muscles and nerves will completely relax. All your muscles and nerves will completely relax, and you will enter a very comfortable and relaxed state. When you enter this relaxed state, it will take you into a “new life”, your problems and worries will disappear and you will live happily every day.
Now gently close your eyes and take a deep breath. Inhale slowly from the nose and exhale slowly from your mouth. Slowly exhale from your abdomen. Each breath makes you feel more relaxed, calmer, and more comfortable. Your face muscles begin to relax. Take a deep breath, slowly inhale from the nose, slowly exhale from the abdomen. Each breath makes you more relaxed, calmer, and more comfortable. The nerves of your face begin to relax. Take a deep breath. Each breath makes you more relaxed, calmer, and more comfortable. Now the muscles of your neck are also relaxing. Take a deep breath, each breath makes you more relaxed, calmer, and more comfortable. Now the nerves of your neck are relaxing. You feel calmer and more comfortable.
You can adjust your posture to relax. Take a deep breath. Each breath makes you relaxed, calmer, and more comfortable. The muscles of your hands are relaxing. Take a deep breath. Each breath makes you more relaxed, calmer, and more comfortable. The nerves of your hands are relaxing. Take a deep breath. Each breath makes you more relaxed, calmer, and more comfortable. The muscles of your legs are relaxing. Take a deep breath. Each breath makes you relaxed, calmer, and more comfortable. The nerves of your legs gradually relaxing. Take a deep breath, inhale deeply, and slowly exhale from the mouth. When you exhale, feel your body relaxing feel your mood calming. Take a deep breath. Each breath makes you more relaxed, calmer, and more comfortable. Take a deep breath. Each breath makes you more relaxed, calmer, and more comfortable. Take a deep breath, exhale from your mouth. This makes you more relaxed, calmer, and more comfortable, I will count from 10 to 1. As I count, you will feel more relaxed. As I count, you will feel calmer. As I count, you will feel more comfortable. 10 --- the body is more relaxed, calmer, and more comfortable. 9 --- the body is more relaxed, calmer, more comfortable. 8 ---the body is more relaxed, calmer, more comfortable. 7 --- the body is more relaxed, calmer, more comfortable. 6 --- The body is more relaxed, calmer, more comfortable. 5 --- the body is more relaxed, calmer, more comfortable. 4 --- the body is more relaxed, calmer, more comfortable. 3 --- the body is more relaxed, calmer, more comfortable, and 2 --- the body is more relaxed, calmer, more comfortable. 1--- The body is more relaxed, calmer, and more comfortable.
Now you are completely relaxed. You are very relaxed, very calm. Your body is very comfortable. The cells gradually open one by one. The cells get sufficient nutrients and oxygen, live in a healthy state. Opening a cell makes you more relaxed, calmer, more comfortable. Cells are opening one by one. Opening a cell makes you more relaxed, calmer, more comfortable. You can adjust your posture to make you more relaxed. Take a deep breath. Exhaling makes you more relaxed. Each breath makes your scalp more relaxed, you feel calmer, and more comfortable. Take a deep breath. Each breath makes your fingers more relaxed, you feel calmer, and more comfortable. Take a deep breath. Each breath also makes your toes relaxed, you feel calmer, and more comfort- able. The muscles of your whole body completely relax. You are very calm, your body feels more comfortable. The cells of your whole body completely relax. You are very calm, and very comfortable. The nerves of your whole body completely relax. You are very calm, and very comfortable. You enter a deep, very deep relaxation state, feel very calm, very relaxed, very comfortable. You are lying on broad grass, enjoying the forest, breath- ing fresh air, chatting with your favorite friends, talking and laughing. It is wonderful! The gentle breeze makes you feel very relaxed, very calm, very comfortable. Butterflies fly through the air, a white butterfly, a red but- terfly, a green butterfly, a yellow butterfly. Each color makes you very relaxed, very happy. Each color makes your life more colorful, each color makes your life more exciting. You feel like the butterflies, relaxed and free. The clouds float in the sky over your head, very free. Your worries float away with the clouds. You hear birds chirping in the distance. You are more relaxed. Feel the warm sunshine on your head, making your brain full of energy. This energy makes your brain cells open one by one. The cells receive oxygen one by one, making your brain more healthy. This energy goes to your throat, nourishing your throat, spreading to your body. Your body is full of energy. This energy begins to activate every organ of your body, every cell, activating your heart, making your heart more powerful. Your heart feels healthier. This energy enters your lungs, activates your lungs, makes your lungs fill with oxygen. Oxygen circulates in your body. Your lungs feel healthier. This energy activates your central nervous system, makes you completely relax, makes your nerves function better. This energy also spreads to your back, massages your back, lets your back feel very relaxed, and more comfortable. This energy spreads to your abdomen, slowly massages your abdomen, makes your abdomen very relaxed. Your abdomen feels more comfortable. This energy spreads to your arms, massages your arms, make your arms feel very re- laxed and very comfortable. This energy spreads to your fingers, massages your fingers one by one, lets your fingers feel very relaxed. Feel your fingers move quickly. This energy spreads to your feet, massages your feet. Your feet are full of power. Feel your feet move freely. This energy spreads to your toes, massages your toes, makse your toes very relaxed. Feel your toes move quickly. This energy spreads to your bones, gently massages your bones, makes your bones very strong. Your bones feel very healthy. This energy in your body continues to massage your internal organs, strengthens your internal organ function. This energy continuously supplies oxygen to your internal organs, makes your internal organs full of nutrients, makes your body feel more and more comfortable, makes you have more and more energy, makes you more relaxed, makes you calmer.
Your subconscious mind is completely opens. Tell yourself: “I know I have the power to live happily, to live freely. I feel everything is good in my life, everything is a good experience. All these experiences teach me how to let go, to know or not know does not matter me. I can accept all my emotions, expressions of joy, anger, sadness, and happiness, I can accept everything that happens in my life. All the decisions in my life are good decisions. I feel very happy that I can be alive. I want to say thank you to every part of my body. I am also very grateful to all the people and things in my life. I can live to make myself happy. I can keep my mind happy. My mind is happier, my mood is calmer, my body feels more comfortable. I believe I was born as a good person, to do a lot of good things. I feel I am very important to this society, and also very valuable, because I contributed to this society when I was young, I strongly believe that I have made a lot of contributions to my family and society. I am proud of these contributions. I have a lot of experiences to teach young people. I can share my ex- periences with young people, and teach them history, culture, and moral values. This will help them go down the road of life more smoothly. Money can not buy these experiences. I can also take care of the next generation. I am very proud of my contributions. I believe I can still contribute all I have to others, even a smile or a greeting to make others comfortable. I feel I can think positively about all the events in my life, so I am happier, calmer, more and more comfortable. I believe my mind can change everything I believe everything will get better and better, so I will become more and more comfortable. I can let go and live happily. I feel there is a power to help me, make me live more smoothly, freer. I feel very safe, full of self-confidence, very happy, very free, very com- fortable. I can do what I want to do and have any thoughts and behavior that I want. I feel I can treat everything with a calm mind, so I feel freer, more and more calm. My mind is more and more quiet, my body is more and more comfortable. I believe everything will become better and better, and make my life happier and more com- fortable. Now I enter a new future. I already understand the truth of life that I did not understand before. I also have some new ideas to make me discard obstacles and worries, and live happily everyday”.
I will count from 1 to 5. When I count to 5, I will be completely conscious and full of energy, with a clear mind, cheerful mood, and comfortable and free ody. Next time I will be able to more quickly enter a deeper state of relaxation. 1--- I prepare to wake up. 2---I feel my body is very comfortable. 3---I feel more and more comfort- able mentally. 4--- My mind begins to clear, my eyes gradually open. 5 ---My eyes have completely opened. I am completely awake. Now I feel very comfortable and free, very cheerful. I am completely awake. My mood is also very comfortable and free. I feel very wonderful, very wonderful.
The development of this happy-life hypnosis CD technically integrated five steps of hypnosis techniques with mental health nursing interventions for seniors. The content of the CD was designed using positive guiding sentences, suggestions, hints, deep hypnosis skills, background music, a relaxed speaking tone, pleasant sound, slow speed, and imagination of relaxation for seniors. It is innovative and advances the development of hypnosis CDs for seniors. Seniors can obtain the hypnosis CD through foundations for the elderly, long-term care institutions, retirement associations, and community care settings. They can listen to the CD any time in their homes and deal with their own negative emotions. It is a breakthrough in the development of mental health nursing interventions for seniors.
Author declares no conflit of interest.
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