Sophrology & Self-Hypnosis: My Journey from Excruciating Pain to a Life Restored
For anyone suffering from chronic pain, I want to share my story—not as a prescription, but as a personal experience. While I believe what worked for me could work for others, I’m not a doctor, and I can’t guarantee any specific results. But I can tell you how Sophrology and self-hypnosis helped me reclaim my life after years of debilitating pain.
It all began in April 2010 when I suffered a devastating back injury. The damage was severe—my spinal discs at levels L4/L5, L5/S1, and C6/C7 were crushed, protruding, leaking, and pressing on nerves. The pain was relentless, a constant, excruciating companion. My legs and feet went completely numb, and walking became nearly impossible. The agony in my lower back was unbearable.
After three years of consultations with three GPs and 17 specialists, my life had devolved into a haze of heavy medication. I was on 120mg of Oxycontin daily, 700mg of Lyrica, and a cocktail of Panadeine Forte. The pain persisted, but the medications dulled my senses and left me disconnected from the world. I felt like a zombie. Worse still, my legs twitched uncontrollably, especially at night, robbing me of sleep. The prognosis was bleak: I was told my condition would worsen, and I’d likely be in a wheelchair within a few years.
Desperate for a solution, I sought advice from leading spinal injury teams in Germany, France, and China. Each offered expensive treatments—spinal fusion, disc replacement, and stem cell therapy—none of which were financially viable without selling my family home. I felt emotionally and financially drained and began sinking into a dark place.
Then, out of the blue, I received a call from an unexpected source—my sister’s ex. He’d heard about my situation and suggested Sophrology and self-hypnosis. At the time, I was still heavily medicated and dismissed the idea, feeling angry and hopeless. Weeks later, however, the conversation resurfaced in my mind, and I began looking into these techniques. Unfortunately, the constant pain and medication made it difficult to focus, but I kept experimenting whenever I had moments of clarity.
Initially, it felt like nothing was working, and I gave up several times out of frustration. But something kept drawing me back, and slowly, without realising it, I began to climb out of the deep hole I was in. I wasn’t pain-free, but my mood started to lift, and for the first time in years, I began to feel glimmers of hope.
I knew I needed a drastic change. That’s when I made a dangerous decision: I quit all my medications cold turkey. Without consulting my doctor, I locked myself in the guest room and endured five days of sheer hell. My body went into full withdrawal—twitching limbs, vomiting, sleepless nights, shaking, and cold sweats. I felt like I was losing my mind. After five days, I collapsed from exhaustion, waking up 24 hours later. When I told my doctor what I’d done, he was furious, calling me reckless. He was right—I could have easily died.
But I survived. And once the medications were out of my system, I leaned fully into Sophrology and self-hypnosis.
Sophrology, a practice developed by neuropsychiatrist Alfonso Caycedo, combines meditation, breathing techniques, and gentle movement to harmonise the mind and body. Its goal is to achieve a state of mental clarity and physical relaxation, helping the body cope with pain and stress. Research shows that Sophrology can positively impact anxiety, pain management, and emotional well-being.
Self-hypnosis involves using focused relaxation to reach a heightened state of awareness, allowing the mind to influence physical sensations like pain. Multiple studies have confirmed that hypnosis can alter the brain’s perception of pain and reduce its intensity.
As I embraced these practices, I began to meditate, focusing on controlled breathing and entering a self-hypnosis state. It wasn’t easy, especially in the midst of the pain, but over time, I found that I could “accept” the pain. It was as if I could distance myself from it, turning it into a faint hum in the background rather than an overwhelming force.
Once I gained some control over the pain, I started rebuilding my strength. I began by walking around my backyard, slowly at first. Then, I added small weights, progressing from 500g to 5kg in each hand. After three months, I was walking for 30 minutes non-stop. Within six months, I was walking an hour on the treadmill without difficulty.
Six years after my injury, I returned to work. Two years later, I was hiking 30 km without any issues. The fact that I could walk—and even hike nude again—was nothing short of a miracle. Every step reminded me of how far I had come.
So, were the specialists wrong? Was it mind over matter? Or was it the combination of Sophrology and self-hypnosis that helped me reclaim my life? I can’t say for sure. But what I do know is this: I’m not in a wheelchair. My initial attempts at these techniques didn’t eliminate the pain, but they sparked a change in my mindset that became the foundation for my recovery.
My journey wasn’t easy, and I wouldn’t recommend my extreme approach to anyone. But for those suffering from chronic pain, there is hope. Whether it’s through Sophrology, self-hypnosis, or another method, the mind and body are capable of extraordinary things. I’m living proof of that.
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