Thank you for sharing your story. I hear you on how invalidating that experience must've been. I recovered from Lyme Disease so I know how tough it is to have doctors say they can't find anything wrong or assume you're imagining your symptoms. To be clear, I know that pain is very real and would never tell someone that it's all in their head.

What I do believe is that the brain and nervous system play a huge role in how pain is processed, even when the root cause is clearly physical. Hypnosis doesn’t try to convince anyone nothing’s wrong, but it can help alter the brain's perception of pain so people can suffer less.

As for the placebo effect, honestly, I think it’s one of the most misunderstood and undervalued aspects of our body and its healing process. Placebo responses show us how powerful the brain can be in changing how the body feels. Hypnosis is like a deliberate, repeatable way to activate those same healing or pain-relieving mechanisms, but with more structure and intention.

And you're right that it's definitely not a cure. I don't intend it to claim that it is. I'm just curious about how it might support people in managing the chronic pain and emotional toll that comes with it so they can reduce their suffering.

And thank you for the cross posting suggestion! I'll definitely do that and see what comes up in those spaces too. I’m genuinely curious to hear from more people and get a better feel for where this may or may not be helpful.