The Chronic Pain Protocol

The Chronic Pain Protocol A protocol of Image Transformation Therapy By Robert Miller, PhD Copyright 2015!

The Chronic Pain Protocol The P/TRP can help with chronic pain. When a person experiences pain for a long time, the sensation of pain builds up in the body. The effect is that the person feels the pain more intensely. Releasing the built-up pain will reduce the sensation of pain. A common occurrence is for the sensation of pain to reduce by half or more. However, because the physical pain is being constantly created, the release of physical pain will have to be done everyday to prevent the build up of the sensation. A problem that occurs more with physical pain than with a psychological P/T is difficulty releasing. Often the color seems to get stuck somewhere. The solution is to think of the tiny particles of color as a physical substance that is trying to move through and out the body. Thinking in terms of How can I drain those particles out of the body? or Why are the particles getting stuck? can guide you to resolving the problems. Example: Gentry s chronic pain is in hips. He s been trying to move the particles down his leg but they seem to get stuck in his knee. A solution may be to imagine the particles leaving out the front of the knee instead of moving down the body. Another possibility is for the person to visualize the particles dissolving and then flowing out. The goal is to creatively find a solution to the blockage. It is often useful for the person will come up with own creative ways to release the color. When Jerry visualized his pain, he saw it as compressed. His method of release was to visualize the black color as made of small particles and then an avalanche released the particles. Ruth visualize the pain around her spine as a black rubber band. She released the rubber band by seeing it composed of small particles and the rubber band falling apart. Working with the person to find a creative solution to release the pain will also give them the experience and confidence to utilize the technique at home.

The Chronic Pain Protocol Instructions 1. Identify the area of the body that is painful. 2. On a 1-10 scale, how intense is the pain. 3. What color is the Pain? 4. Where is the color located? 5. See the color as being composed of tiny, tiny little particles of the color. 6. Take a slow breath and visualize the breath going into the color particles. 7. Now breathe the particles of color directly out of your body through the pores of your skin. Visualize the tiny, tiny, tiny particles of color emerging and flowing out of your body. Take your time and find a way to release the color out of your body. 8. At this point, release the color particles from whatever exit point is closest to the pain. If the pain is in the shoulder, begin releasing by the particles of color from the hand. The release the particles of color from the elbow, visualizing the particles of color flowing down the arm. Use this pattern, moving up the arm to the shoulder. If the pain is in the hip, begin with the foot, moving up to the hip as the particles of color flow down each time to the exit point in the foot. 9. Now were going to release the color particles from the closest easy exit point. We re going to start at that exit point so that we can clear the channels, otherwise some of the particles might get stuck. So breathe into your (name the exit point, e.g. foot) and see the tiny particles of color flow out your (name the exit point.) 10. Breathe into your ( name a part of the body further from the exit point) and visualize the particles of color flowing down you (name limb. E.g. leg). 11. Continue with step 10 until you reach the area of pain. 12. After releasing the color particles from the specific area where the pain is experienced, release the color particles from the other parts of the body. 13. As the sensation of pain often builds up in other parts of the body, we re going to release these particles from other parts of your body:

14. Breathe into the middle of your brain and breathe the tiny particles of color out the middle of your forehead. 15. Breathe into the middle of your brain and breathe the tiny particles of color out your eyes. 16. Breathe into your chest and breathe the tiny particles of color down your arms and out the palms of your hands. 17. See your spine as being composed of guitar strings. As you breathe out, release the tension on the guitar strings and see the particles of color radiate out in all directions. 18. Breathe into your abdomen and breathe the tiny particles of color down your legs and out the bottoms of your feet. 19. See a spot 6 inches below your feet, between your feet Breathe into that spot And see the tiny particles of color drain down your body, go through the spot, and be absorbed into the earth...drain down your body, go through that spot and be absorbed into the earth. 20. Breathe into your heart and breathe the tiny particles of color out your heart. 21. Breathe into the right side of your brain. Breathe the tiny, tiny particles of color out the right side of your brain. 22. Breathe into the left side of your brain. Breathe the tiny, tiny particles of color out the left side of your brain. 23. Breathe into the front of your brain. Breathe the tiny, tiny particles of color out the front of your brain. 24. Breathe into the back of your brain. Breathe the tiny, tiny particles of color out the back of your brain. 25. Breathe into the center of your brain. Visualize the particles of color as being very tiny, tinniest, particles of color. See them radiate in all directions from the center of your brain. 26. Breathe into what you think of as the core of your self Breathe into the core of your self and release the particles of color from the core of your self.

27. Imagine that you are about to yawn. Imagine that you are yawning, a big wide yawn. Feel the sensation of the yawn through out your body as the particles release from the core of your self. Hold that feeling of yawning through your whole body while the particles release from the core of yourself. 28. Scan your body to see if there is any color particles left in your body. If there is, breathe into that part of your body and then breathe the tiny particles of color out the pores of your skin in that area. 29. Re-evaluate the pain level. 30. Is there another color? What is the color? De-Construction the Image of being in pain When a person has been in pain a long time, the person often begins to constantly see himself or herself as a person in pain that adds to the problem. After reducing the pain with the P/TRP, de-construct the image of being in pain. The image may not disappear but alter in some way. If the image is still present when the IDP has been completed, check for feelings such as depression, despair, a feeling of helplessness or hopelessness or any negative cognitions that the person may have developed from the chronic pain condition. Process those feelings with ImTT. Image De-Construction Protocol 1. When a person has been in pain a long time, the person often begins to constantly see himself or herself as a person in pain that adds to the problem. So what we re going to do is release some of that image. Visualize an image of yourself being in pain.. 2. Now visualize the image as being composed of tiny, tiny particles like pixels on a TV screen. Client indicates when this is done.

3. Now we are going to de-construct the image. You can de-construct the image by dropping the particles to the ground, using a hammer to break up the image, wash it away, or any other method that works for you. So pick a method you like and de-construct the image. Client indicates when this is done. 4. Re-evaluate. Have the person visualize the image again. Now re-image it again and tell me how it looks.[client describes the image] 5. Now visualize the image again as being composed of tiny pixel-particles. Client indicates when this is done. 6. Okay, now de-construct the image again. Client indicates when this is done. 7. Re-evaluate. Have the person visualize the image again. Now re-image it again and tell me how it looks.[client describes the image] 8. Continue with steps 4, 5, 6 until the image either cannot be re-created again or the image has change to a positive feeling image. 9. Once the image cannot be re-created, release the pixel-particles of the image from the body. The following protocol is basically the same as the P/TRP protocol beginning with step 7. Instead of using the phrase particles of color, the phrase the pixel-particles is used. Allow about 3 breaths per part of the body though more time can given as needed. 10. Breathe into the middle of your brain and breathe the tiny pixel-particles out the middle of your forehead. 11. Breathe into the middle of your brain and breathe the tiny pixel-particles out your eyes. 12. Breathe into your chest and breathe the tiny pixel-particles out down your arms and out the palms of your hands. 13. See your spine as being composed of guitar strings. As you breathe out, release the tension on the guitar strings and see the pixel-particles radiate out in all directions. As you release the tension on the guitar strings. 14. Breathe into your abdomen and breathe the tiny pixel-particles down your legs and out the bottoms of your feet. 15. See a spot 6 inches below your feet, between your feet Breathe into that spot And see the tiny particles drain down your body, go through the spot, and

be absorbed into the earth...drain down your body, go through that spot and be absorbed into the earth. 16. Breathe into your heart and breathe the pixel- particles out your heart. 17. Breathe into the depths of your heart Breathe into the deep deep depths of your head, and release the particles out of the depths of your heart 18. Breathe into the right side of your brain. Breathe the tiny, tiny pixelparticles out the right side of your brain. 19. Breathe into the left side of your brain. Breathe the tiny, tiny pixelparticles out the left side of your brain. 20. Breathe into the front of your brain. Breathe the tiny, tiny pixel-particles out the front of your brain. 21. Breathe into the back of your brain. Breathe the tiny, tiny pixel-particles out the back of your brain. 22. Breathe into the center of your brain. Visualize the particles as being very the tiny, tinniest, particles. As the tiny pixel-particles radiate in all directions from the center of your brain. 23. Breathe into what you think of as the core of yourself.breathe into the core of your self and release the tiny pixel-particles from the core of your self Release the pixel particles from the core of your self. 24. Imagine that you are about to yawn. Imagine that you are yawning, a big wide yawn. Feel the sensation of the yawn through out your body as the particles release from the core of your self. Hold that feeling of yawning through your whole body while the particles release from the core of yourself. 25. Scan your body to see if there are any particles remaining in your body. If there is, breathe into that part of your body and then breathe the tiny pixelparticles out the pores of your skin in that area. 26. Let s re-evaluate the image. Does it still feel charged when you think of the image again? 27. What is your emotional reaction to the image now?

28. At this point, the person s attitude toward image should have altered. If the person s attitude has not changed, re-evaluate the situation for additional emotions.!