Words are Medicine

My coauthor just sent me this story from a hypnotherapist in Alabama who used Verbal First Aid in a random emergency.

Verbal First Aid Emergencies

Ladies and Gentlemen, you just never know.

I was driving on the interstate when a guy on a motorbike hit something in the road in front of me. His bike flipped three times and fortunately he landed off the interstate. I was the first to get to him. He was thrashing about and screaming that he couldn't breathe. I knew I had to get him to lie still and calm down. So, I calmly told him that the worst was over, that I wanted him to be still, to stop the bleeding and conserve his blood and to breathe slowly and deeply until the paramedics got there. I can't remember what all I told him but he did quit bleeding and his breath did slow and deepen somewhat…until the paramedics got there. Then, he started bleeding again and became hysterical again. At that point, it wasn't up to me anymore and I left. I made a mental note about putting time parameters on what I would say if the situation ever arose again. You may very well have saved his life that day.

He continues:

You might even use the mistake I made with him to illustrate a point if you need. The mistake was that I told him to stop bleeding, release the pain, breathe easily, etc… UNTIL THE PARAMEDICS GOT THERE. So, he was fine for the 15 minutes or so it took for the paramedics to arrive but as soon as they pulled up he went right back to bleeding, writing in pain, and all the other issues. At first I couldn't figure out what happened until my own words kept shouting in my mind. I hope I never have another emergency like that, but I'll for sure never make that mistake again.

And speaking of mistakes…a big one in confession form to come in Huffingtonpost this week. There's no being perfect at this. We just–as they say–make progress.

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