Treatment of disease without the use of drugs. V. Phasing out of benzodiazepine and amitriptyline medication with thought control

Abstract

Four subjects volunteered to phase out their benzodiazepine and amitriptyline medication by learning to increase their palmar skin resistance (GSR) with a method of thought control. This method involved a form of daily mental exercise which produced an accompanying increase in palmar GSR and a decrease in arousal level. Following two weeks of daily exercise subjects began to phase out their drugs and by the eighth week were free of their medication. In the three months of follow-up subjects practised the daily exercise at their own discretion and the symptoms which required medication did not return. Five other subjects each suffering from one of the following diseases: hypertension, hyperthyroidism, parkinsonism and gastritis (who were prescribed diazepam in addition to the drugs used to control the symptoms of their diseases), also participated in the same program. All five subjects were able to phase out their diazepam by the end of the sixth week. There was no aggravation of their diseases during the three months of weekly observation and the three months of follow-up.