Color, Imagery and Comfort

There are different types of imagery that people can use to assist in stress reduction and pain relief. There is the image that focuses on going somewhere and doing something specific that represents leaving something behind--usually the offending problem. There is another approach that can be used for stress reduction and pain control. That type of imagery requires a lot of concentration but when done successfully, it can lead to the relief of intense pain.

Many years ago, I went to the University of Vermont in Burlington to learn about biofeedback and self-hypnosis. I worked with a therapist for several weeks and learned several techniques that enabled me to rechannel my circulation and decrease the severe and debilitating pain of clusters and migraine headaches. It took a lot of practice but once mastered, I found I could use the techniques for a variety of painful conditions caused by arthritis and back injuries--to name a few.

• Give your pain a color
  Think about your pain for a moment. Think about the most distressing pain you have ever experienced. Now if you were to assign a color to that horrific pain, what color would that be? Well for me I usually choose black to represent the worst of anything. Now think about what it feels like to be comfortable. Notice I said comfortable and not pain-free because sometimes being totally pain-free is not a realistic expectation--think about this and assign a color to that like you did the horrible pain. I often choose my the color white for this one.



• Imagine an object
  Next, think of something--an object. A favorite fruit or a flower can work just fine.



• Strip away the color gradually
  
  When you are in severe pain, picture this object being covered by the color you assigned to represent the highest level of pain you can possibly endure--the ugliest and harshest pain you have ever experienced. With this type of imagery, you focus on removing the dark color from the object and replacing it with the color representing your comfort level. Now the trick of it is to focus on it as if you were scraping away the darkness little by little--paying close attention to the detail of the object and the location of the color around it.
  
  In the beginning, you might want to just hurry up and remove the "bad" color and go right to replacing it with the "good" or comforting one but what I have found to be key is taking a little more time and watching the change reveal itself gradually--just like pain tends to respond to comfort measures...Rather than go directly from black to white, I selected colors in between that I felt represented different levels of pain and comfort. As I moved closer to my comfort level, my colors progressed from the darkest to the lightest shades. As I carefully and methodically removed the black color from my object, I found a layer of a little lighter color waiting for me. I could not move onto the next color until I had completely removed the previous one.



• Imagine the removal of color as removal of pain
  
  Now it is important for you to equate the removal of color with the removal of pain or discomfort because remember--your color represents your pain at any given level. What I have found is this--as I progressed toward the white color, my pain levels would ease a little--sometimes more than others. Perhaps sometimes you will practice this form of imagery when your pain is moderate rather than severe.
  
  In this case, you might select a different color along your color spectrum and start the fading process from that point. And maybe you will change your particular object to other things when your source of pain differs. The neat thing about these skills is that you own them and if something specific works for you then by all means incorporate it. Some people imagine very large objects when they have "very large" headaches and they go about ridding of their painful color using a paint brush that has wide strokes. Others prefer to use an eraser and erase their pain away as if in layers until they reveal a perfectly clean and white object. If this works for you then use it!

The great thing about learning skills such as imagery, biofeedback, or self-hypnosis, is you can learn them and once mastered, you can use them over and over again--without having to pay for them over and over again!! And you may find these techniques helpful for a variety of conditions. How cool is that?!!

So if you suffer from a painful condition or just wish to reduce stress in your life, consider using imagery techniques as a tools to achieve your goals!

If you have found this type of imagery helpful in relieving pain or stress, consider sharing your experiences on the Pain Management and Migraine boards here at WebMD!! I look forward to hearing from you!!

Related Topics: Moving Meditation: Tai Chi for Arthritis Relief, WebMD Daily Video: Success Over Stress

Technorati Tags: imagery, selfhypnosis, painreduction, stress