Some of the most inspiring emails that come across my desk are personal stories of how Tapping has helped someone through a difficult time.
This one was particularly powerful because it not only speaks to the effectiveness of Tapping, but also to the heartfelt compassion between father and daughter.
Julia wanted to share her story in hopes that it could help other people and their families who are dealing with dementia.
Below, I’ve included the entirety of her written personal experience to preserve her voice, with only minor changes to help with formatting. I hope you feel as moved as I did. 🙂
Julia’s Story
My late father was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2006.
His condition was relatively mild to begin with, and although there was a physical deterioration over the years, it was slow.
He was taking medication, which reduced tremors, but mentally he was still really with it.
Come late 2014, however, there was a marked physical change. He was becoming a bit forgetful, but still keeping up with current affairs.
In October 2015 he started hallucinating, and then his mind went – almost overnight.
He was taken to the hospital, where they treated him for a UTI and gradually took him off the Parkinson’s medication, as both the infection and the medication could have been causing the hallucinations.
However, we later learned that the hallucinations and his mental incapacity were caused by Lewy Body Dementia.
So, how did Tapping help?
When I arrived at the hospital, my father was in bed, agitated with all four limbs and his body uncontrollably writhing. He was not in pain – it was more like a nervous energy trying to get out of his body.
I sat on the opposite side of the bed to my mother, took my father’s left hand in mine, put my thumb on the solar plexus point (reflexology) and began gently tapping on the karate chop point.
I continued to do this whilst mum brought me up to date with what the doctors had said and done so far.
After a while, mum told me to look as she pointed to dad…
He had gone completely still, and was off in a deep sleep.
Around 10 minutes later, he woke up suddenly, rubbed his head, and looked around. His body was relaxed and still. Mentally, he was no longer able to take care of himself, but Tapping literally “tapped” into a part of his brain that allowed him to communicate with me.
He was in the hospital for about 8 weeks and was then moved into a nursing home, where it took a minimum of 4 hours driving round-trip for me to see him.
Comforting the Failing Mind
Each time I visited my dad, I tapped on the karate chop point, nothing else.
He told me things that were worrying him while I tapped. Whether they were long-suppressed memories, hallucinations, or things he had seen on the TV, I do not know.
It brought him comfort.
I spoke with him by telephone every day. Some calls were bizarre, some amusing, some very upsetting.
He always seemed to remember me and associated my voice, even over the phone, with safety.
Clearly there was already a connection between us because we’re family, but I am convinced that Tapping made that connection deeper, allowing my father to continue communicating on a deep level when day-to-day interactions were beyond him.
For example, at Christmas, when I asked him if he wanted something to drink, he said, “Yes, something cool and in the shade”. The nursing home was well-heated, and dad was telling us that he was too hot, but unable to say so directly.
“Soothing Voice and Thoughtful Hands”
I saw him again in early January, the weekend of my mother’s birthday. Again I did some tapping on the karate chop point. He was in good spirits that day and managed to sign a birthday card for my mother that I had brought with me.
When I telephoned him on the Sunday and Monday after, he kept asking when he was going to see me again.
I wasn’t planning to visit again that week, but he persisted and said he wanted to see me “for your soothing voice and thoughtful hands” and I thought, he wants me to tap on him again!
I saw him that Wednesday, and when I tapped on his hand, it was as though he had a list of things to go through – things that were bothering him or had upset him.
As I tapped, he spoke about it, and I reassured him – told him he had done the right thing – and then he’d move on to the next item.
He was in the moment, truly engaged in the memory or experience, talking in complete sentences, holding a conversation whereas the rest of the time, he was off in a world of his own, often fixated on an idea.
In early March of 2016, my father passed away peacefully.
I thought my father’s description of Tapping as “soothing voice and thoughtful hands” was beautiful. It captures the technique perfectly.
I know that people with dementia are often anxious or seem to get stuck in a bad place mentally. Tapping seemed to allow my father to express his fears and move on, reducing his anxiety and bringing him some peace and calm.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Jessica, Nick, and Alex plus all of your colleagues at The Tapping Solution for the meditations and support you are providing during the Coronavirus pandemic. Much appreciated.
Kind regards,
Julia
Isn’t that such a wonderful story? I am so grateful to Julia for sharing it.
Julia didn’t use the full tapping sequence, she didn’t need to measure her father’s emotional intensity on a scale of 1-10, she didn’t have to come up with the “magical” words to say, and in all honesty, Tapping didn’t “cure” her father’s dementia…
She just tapped on the side of her father’s hand, she listened, and she cared. And that’s all he needed. 🙂
Until next time…
Keep Tapping!
Nick Ortner
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