I help with hypnotherapy (AHA) for blood pressure (1). Many of my patients often turn up to the clinic on medication for high blood pressure, dangerously low blood pressure or white coat syndrome.
As I am also a clinical naturopath (ANPA) I’m always looking at why this may be happening physically to begin with. It’s paramount to rule out any physical causes.
Blood pressure is determined by many factors that we’ll look at shortly. That’s why I look at you holistically to see what’s happening in your body, mind and life because they all contribute toward your blood pressure.
You should never be treated one-dimensionally because you’re a whole person.
You may get health fund rebates.
What’s considered blood pressure irregularities?
There are two measurements: systolic, which is the pressure in your arteries when your heart is beating, and diastolic, which is the pressure in your arteries between heart beats.
Adult average blood pressure is 120/less than 80
Stage 1 elevated is 120-129/ less than 80
Stage 1 elevated hypertension is 130-139 or 80-89
Stage 2 hypertension is 140 + or 90 or higher
Hypertensive crisis is 180+ or/and higher then 120
Low blood pressure is 90/60
Too low is 60/ 40
Dangerously low is 50/33
What physically causes high blood pressure?
The more overweight you become, the harder your heart must work pushing the blood around your body. It can even cause you to end up with an enlarged heart.
The weight also constricts the blood flow to your organs, meaning they sometimes don’t have enough blood. This means the blood pressure needed to pump oxygen to your body and cells rises. The more overweight you are, the higher the bloods pressure goes. It’s a vicious circle.
A poor diet, full of sugar and saturated fats blocks your vessels particularly in your heart, legs, and brain. This causes tissue death. Even though the blood pressure is high, you can have a heart attack (myocardial infarction), stroke (aneurism) and blockages in the legs (yntermittent claudication) (2).
While some families do have naturally higher blood pressure (familial hypertension) than others, poor health increases the risk of diseases.
Mental causes of high blood pressure
We are apes and primates, meant to be wild animals. When an ape eats, it rests and spends time with the family. It’s a low stress life apart from occasional dangers. But as humans we’ve built societies full of stressful living.
Stress increases the heart rate. You move into what’s called the fight or flight response, when you perceive you may be facing danger. The heart furiously pumps blood to your limbs so you can run away to safety or put up a fight.
Stress is an alarm signal that you need to change what’re doing. You’re supposed to pay attention to it and change. If you don’t, the alarm continues, and your heart works overtime, producing long-term high blood pressure (3).
It’s like a car being continually driven at top speed all the time which most often ends in disaster.
Physical causes of low blood pressure
This is hypotension when the body begins to shut down.
You get fatigued, low energy, dizzy on your feet, lightheaded, sight becomes blurred, and you feel faint, and get dizzy standing up or sitting down.
It happens in heat exhaustion, shock, bleeding from ruptured organs, traumatic blood loss, dehydration, irregular heartbeat, heart pump failure, toxic shock from infection, hormonal failure such as Addison’s disease, diuretics, nervous system disorders, drug and medication reactions, anaemia, starvation, and nutritional deficiencies.
Some people have low blood pressure because it’s a family trait or they are an athlete so it may register as 110/60 for instance. However, for most people it’s usually higher.
White coat syndrome
This is when you get stressed out having your blood pressure taken by a health professional. What happens is it tends to go much higher than what’s called normal resting blood pressure.
This false reading suggests you have an illness when in fact you don’t but you’re just someone who’s nervous about having your blood pressure taken.
This can be dangerous because the health professional may then prescribe you medication for high blood pressure that you don’t really need. This can have unexpected side effects (4).
Your true resting blood pressure may be more normal so it means the medications will cause it to become dangerously low.
Manipulating blood pressure with the mind
I used to play a trick on my endocrinologist. Every time I went to see him, he’d first take my blood pressure. In hypnosis I’d slow down my heart rate and lower my blood pressure and he’d say, “Oh Tracie it’s very low”, and I’d smile.
He’d take it again at the end of the consultation and I’d bring it back to normal and he’d say, “Oh it seems to be fine now”.
You see we can manipulate our bodies with our minds, including our BP temperature, immunology, gastrointestinal function, hormone function, and even our reproductive systems.
We’re able to change our blood pressure with our mind.
Hypnosis to control blood pressure
Hypnosis reaches deep into your unconscious mind and can change your bodily functions. As a medical hypnotist and naturopath, I constantly help people change their blood pressure (5).
As a hypnotist I train you to learn to control your own blood pressure so you can begin to do that for yourself without medication. I will work with your doctor to take you off any unnecessary medications.
This training allows you not to have white coat syndrome so when you get your blood pressure taken by your doctor or nurse you get a true reading.
If your lifestyle creates high blood pressure, I’ll also help you change what you’re doing to be healthier.
Hypnosis is also a very pleasant experience.
To book your appointment for hypnotherapy help with blood pressure problems call my clinic on 0403 398 808. In clinic visits or by Zoom for anywhere in the world.
Dr Tracie O’Keefe DCH, BHSc, ND, Clinical Hypnotherapist, Medical Hypnotist, Psychotherapist. Counsellor, PACFA registered Mental Health Professional and Naturopath in Sydney. You can get help by booking an appointment with her at Australian Health & Education Centre.
References
(1) Deabler, H., Fidel, E., Dillenkoffer, R., & Elder, T. (2011). The Use of Relaxation and Hypnosis in Lowering High Blood Pressure. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis. https://doi.org/10.1080/00029157.1973.10403656
(2) Mogi, M., Maruhashi, T., Higashi, Y., Masuda, T., Nagata, D., Nagai, M., Kanako, B., Ichihara, A., Nozato, Y., Toba, A., Narita, K., Hoshide, S., Tanaka, A., Node, K., Yoshida, Y., Shibata. H., Katsurada, K., Kuwabara, M., Kodama, T., Shinohara. K., & Kario, K. (2022, July 5). Update on Hypertension Research in 2021. Hypertension Research, 45:1276 1297. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41440-022-00967-4
(3) Spruill, T. (2010). Chronic Psychosocial Stress and Hypertension. Curr Hypertens Rep., 12(1): 10–16. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3694268/
(4) Pioli, M., Ritter, A., de Faria, A., & Modolo, R. (2018). White coat syndrome and its variations: differences and clinical impact. Integr Blood Press Control., 11: 73–79. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6233698/
(5) Jakubovits, E., & Kekecs, Z. (2017). The treatment of hypertension with hypnosis. Handbook of medical and psychological hypnosis: Foundations, applications, and professional issues, G. R. Elkins (Ed.): 273-281. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2016-41344-028
