Enuresis

Enuresis (bedwetting) can be a very distressing condition for both sufferers and their loved ones. Fortunately, hypnotherapy can often help, provided the patient is well motivated. It is important when addressing this problem that the term bedwetting or wet beds is avoided, as this focuses the mind on those two words - wet and bed - more preferable is to speak positively using the term ‘dry bed.’

(i.e. instead of saying, tonight you won’t wet the bed you would say, tonight you will have a dry bed), eventually the idea of dry beds becomes an attractive one.

With children especially it helps if a parent allows them to take responsibility for their therapy - using self hypnosis or special tapes without the need to be reminded. I like to involve the child as much as possible in his therapy, asking him to find ways of reminding himself to use the tape, for instance maybe tying a piece of ribbon around the toothbrush could serve as a reminder.

After the induction (if children are involved then please refer to the child hypnosis section) then the following suggestions can be made:-

“Imagine yourself in bed, snuggling down underneath the lovely warm covers. You’re in your bedroom, you can see the window, the curtains, the wardrobe, your belongings and clothes, the door.

Picture your room, and feel the warmth and comfort of your bed as you drift down into a pleasant, sleepy feeling.

And as you drift and float into that lovely warm feeling I want you to have a dream

And as I describe your dream you can begin to imagine yourself on a lovely hot beach - lazing there - in the sun - feeling the warmth of the sun on your body, listening to the sound of the waves gently lapping onto the beach. You may like to remember a particular holiday and pay attention to the scene, other children playing with a beach ball or building sandcastles, that sort of thing.

Take yourself back to that holiday, and feel the warmth penetrating your skin. And it seems like ages since you had a drink and its so hot here that you’re beginning to feel dry.

And on the beach is a makeshift table and someone is giving away ice-cold drinks - your favorite drink - perhaps coke or lemonade - and you walk over to the table and take a glass of your favorite drink.

And as you lift the cold glass to your mouth you can hear the ice cubes clinking against the glass and you take a lovely long refreshing drink.

Imagine it now, the drink fizzes around your lips and a little on your nose, its so cold, so refreshing, feel the drink entering your mouth and going down your throat, sweet and cold and fizzy and refreshing.

And you’re so thirsty that you drink and drink and drink and you can feel the icy drink traveling down your throat into your stomach and filling your bladder.

And you feel your bladder getting fuller and fuller with the ice cold drink.

Whenever your unconscious mind recognizes this feeling in your bladder you will go to the toilet.

And your bladder gets so full that you awaken from your dream, you get out of bed and go to the bathroom and go to the toilet, you wash your hands and go back to bed.

And drift back into that lovely sleep.

And whenever your unconscious mind notices this feeling in your bladder whilst you are asleep, you will awaken and go to the toilet, then wash your hands and go back to bed.

And this suggestion is so strong in your mind, that you will always awaken from your sleep whenever you notice that feeling, and you will go to the toilet.

And imagine now that its morning time and you open your eyes, waking up in a nice dry bed. So calm, so comfortable, so warm and relaxed.