As I like to quote renowned addiction expert, Dr. Gabor Maté, “Not all traumatized people become addicted, but all addicted people, including those addicted to opioids, were traumatized in some way.” He has also stated “Addiction is only a symptom, it’s not the fundamental problem. The fundamental problem is trauma.” This message is very powerful and supports efforts to destigmatize people who struggle with addictive behaviors of all kinds, whether the impulse to soothe is temporarily satisfied by alcohol/drugs, exercise, shopping, eating, caffeine, tobacco/nicotine, internet gaming, sex, TV, social media or gambling. My adaptive behavioral addiction to chronic toxic stress as a child was eating and it did soothe me in the moment, although not for very long. Since the diagnosis of gambling addiction was added in the 5th addition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), research has been able to focus on treatments that might be helpful to healing.
My own healing journey included both talk therapy along with yoga, to reduce the internal conflict and stress I felt and to understand why I felt it in the first place. The contemplative practices in yoga created space in my mind and body to process through talk therapy with more ease. I wasn’t aware of neurofeedback or non-invasive brain stimulation at the time, although it has been around for over 50 years. I think it was due largely to the pharmaceutical marketing push to treat mental health challenges that created our current infatuation with psychopharmacology and moved any non-pharmaceutical options into the shadows for a long time. I’m grateful neurofeedback is making a strong comeback as it does not have the many complex side effects prescription medications cause in both the body and mind!
As we begin to embrace addictions, both chemical and behavioral, as natural adaptive behaviors to chronic toxic stress from adverse childhood experiences, we can begin to expand our treatment options beyond Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and prescription medications. Neurofeedback can expand our window of tolerance (like yoga did for me) to create space to process and release the pain and shame emanating from our past with more ease and without drugs. Although preliminary, research is beginning to show that neurofeedback can significantly reduce the cravings experienced by people struggling with a gambling addiction. If you, or someone you love may be in this space, it is my hope that you might consider neurofeedback as a tool to support the journey of healing.
If you would like to read more about the research related to gambling disorder, click on the button below:
Can neurofeedback reduce the effects of another symptom of trauma – gambling?
/in Neurofeedback/by LindaAs I like to quote renowned addiction expert, Dr. Gabor Maté, “Not all traumatized people become addicted, but all addicted people, including those addicted to opioids, were traumatized in some way.” He has also stated “Addiction is only a symptom, it’s not the fundamental problem. The fundamental problem is trauma.” This message is very powerful and supports efforts to destigmatize people who struggle with addictive behaviors of all kinds, whether the impulse to soothe is temporarily satisfied by alcohol/drugs, exercise, shopping, eating, caffeine, tobacco/nicotine, internet gaming, sex, TV, social media or gambling. My adaptive behavioral addiction to chronic toxic stress as a child was eating and it did soothe me in the moment, although not for very long. Since the diagnosis of gambling addiction was added in the 5th addition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), research has been able to focus on treatments that might be helpful to healing.
My own healing journey included both talk therapy along with yoga, to reduce the internal conflict and stress I felt and to understand why I felt it in the first place. The contemplative practices in yoga created space in my mind and body to process through talk therapy with more ease. I wasn’t aware of neurofeedback or non-invasive brain stimulation at the time, although it has been around for over 50 years. I think it was due largely to the pharmaceutical marketing push to treat mental health challenges that created our current infatuation with psychopharmacology and moved any non-pharmaceutical options into the shadows for a long time. I’m grateful neurofeedback is making a strong comeback as it does not have the many complex side effects prescription medications cause in both the body and mind!
As we begin to embrace addictions, both chemical and behavioral, as natural adaptive behaviors to chronic toxic stress from adverse childhood experiences, we can begin to expand our treatment options beyond Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and prescription medications. Neurofeedback can expand our window of tolerance (like yoga did for me) to create space to process and release the pain and shame emanating from our past with more ease and without drugs. Although preliminary, research is beginning to show that neurofeedback can significantly reduce the cravings experienced by people struggling with a gambling addiction. If you, or someone you love may be in this space, it is my hope that you might consider neurofeedback as a tool to support the journey of healing.
If you would like to read more about the research related to gambling disorder, click on the button below:
5 Intention-setting Ideas to Awaken Your Soul
/in Newsletter/by LindaSpiritual Literacy Month
Spirituality is not religion yet it does means something different for everyone. For some it might refer to the journey of self-discovery and for others it might be a sense of connectedness to themselves, others and the world around them. It might mean the process of identifying our purpose in this world or finding meaning in our lives. It might be in relationship to a higher vibrational energy, whether embodied in a formalized religion or in nature.
Research is starting to show that whatever spirituality might mean to you, it can improve your overall health and wellbeing. So becoming more spiritually literate can be at the least an educative experience (i.e., expanding the mind and heart) and perhaps even transformative, by deepening your faith (i.e., good for the soul). By learning about different spiritual perspectives, it supports a deeper understanding of others, creating space to invite in more acceptance and peace.
Therefore, to support your health and wellbeing and the expansion of the collective consciousness of the world during this holiday season, below are some ideas to celebrate Spiritual Literacy Month:
2024 Vision Board Playshop
/in Events/by LindaCopy of July 14, 2019 – 1
5 Intention-setting Ideas to Move Through Grief
/in Newsletter/by LindaHolidays are not always the happy events portrayed in movies. Often times they activate a mixed bag of emotions and can leave us feeling sad, angry, depressed, confused, lonely, fearful, helpless, and hopeful. Yes, hopeful.
Hope is a human tendency of our authentic self and a universal invitation. It is the same emotion that allows us to think this holiday season will be different, that everyone will embrace the holiday spirit and bring forward their best selves.
Yet holidays are often a reminder of the things we have lost, whether loved ones, the possibilities of a life not lived or world peace. With the current world events creating a ripple effect that spreads shock, fear and grief, it’s important to recognize that holidays can be a challenging time for most of us for different reasons.
Therefore, below are some ideas for moving through grief that might arise during the holiday season:
New Stretch Yoga Class
/in Events/by Linda5 Intention-setting Ideas to Fulfill the Universal Basic Human Need for Play
/in Newsletter/by LindaIn my experience, part of why adolescents struggle with the transition to adulthood is tied to the balance between work and play. The cultural pressures to academically succeed to ensure future financial independence and stability doesn’t create a whole lot of space for play. In addition, they watch their parents struggling to make time for self-care and play. The future that they see doesn’t look too appealing and certainly not fun. So, it’s no wonder that they might resist leaving their childhood behind.
Therefore, I think it is important for all of us to embrace that play is a universal human basic need, regardless of your biological age. It is mission critical to create time and space for play as the balance it brings invites joy and peace into not only our lives, but the lives of those around us.
Therefore, below are some ideas for inviting more play into your life:
5 Intention-setting Ideas to Celebrate National Yoga Awareness Month
/in Newsletter/by LindaLet’s celebrate all things YOGA!
Yoga changed my life, literally and figuratively. I now measure my life in terms of Before Yoga (BY) and After Yoga (AY), because it is so very different today. I was showing all of the signs of having Metabolic Syndrome, which was a wake up call to start doing something different or end up on prescription medications for the rest of my life. I knew enough that all of the signs and symptoms could be reversed by life style changes. Easier said than done!
Then I discovered yoga, first the physical practice on the mat in group yoga classes, and then all of the other contemplative practices that are encompassed by the practice of yoga. The most powerful aspect of yoga for me personally was the breath practices. When I changed the way I breathed, it invited in so many other changes, including but not limited to what and how I ate, changing my reactions into responses, and making space for more compassion both for others and myself. I’m proud to say that at age 60, I am part of the 15% of the US population NOT on any prescription medications!
Therefore, to celebrate this powerful lifestyle of yoga, below are some ideas for your consideration:
How might the trauma of adverse childhood experiences impact the health of older adults?
/in Talk Therapy/by LindaAs I am now in my 60s, I am even more eager to do what I can to maintain my health, physically, mentally and emotionally. My personal goal is to live to 120 years of age and to be teaching yoga beyond the age of 100! Perhaps I will shoot for breaking the Guiness World Record as the oldest yoga teacher, currently held by Tao Porchon-Lynch, who died at the age of 101 in 2020. Who knows, right? Well, new research into the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in older adults might level set my expectations a bit.
In 1995, Kaiser Permanente began the original study collecting data on (ACEs). Since the publication of that data, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has expanded the scope of such data collection through the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Since 2009, every state has begun to collect such data in its efforts for prevent violence, recognizing the long-term health impacts of ACEs. Most of the research to this point has focused on the negative mpact of such ACEs on the health and well-being of children and early to mid-life adults. New research took a look on the potential impact on older adults, specifically ages 50 years and older.
This new research study out of UCSF investigated the connection between ACEs and physical mobility, cognitive impairment, and functional disability in 3,387 participants between the ages of 50 and 97 years of age. Raising the collective awareness of ACEs, along with their traumatic impacts on our children, is important to implement preventive measures moving forward. As the results of this study highlight, it is also vital for implementing trauma-informed geriatric care approaches, since older adults who have had adverse childhood experiences are more likely to experience physical and cognitive functional impairments.
5 Intention-setting Ideas to Transform Your Life!
/in Newsletter/by LindaSay ‘YES’ to you!
Saying ‘No’ to others can create an internal conflict as it challenges cultural messages that encourages and rewards our external focus. Many of us received conflicting messages as we grew up, such as that we ‘should’ help others or we will be seen as callous but if we ask for help we will be seen as weak or perhaps dependent in a culture that promotes independence as an ideal. Another conflicting message that we might grapple with inside is when people compliment you as big hearted when taking care of others but denigrate you as selfish if you take care of yourself. Such conflicting messages can hold us in a space that is ripe for symptoms of anxiety and depression to grow.
It might appear to be contradictory, yet I have learned that saying ‘no’ is actually quite freeing. It actually was a significant step in transforming my life!
Learning to embrace what is most meaningful to you will not only transform your life, but will contribute to the transformation of the world! And saying ‘Yes’ to what is most meaningful to you (and saying ‘No’ to others) is not selfish, it is SELF-CARE!
Instead of feeling like you have no control over your life and that you are moving through the world at the beck and call of others, focusing on what matters the most to you and saying no to anything that does not align with that vision will create space to transform your life into one of presence and peace.
I know it can be scary to imagine saying ‘No’ to others, especially to those that we love, so below are some ideas to motivate you to take some small steps forward on your journey of transformation:
5 Intention-setting Ideas For Remembering You Are Good Enough
/in Newsletter/by LindaMost of us experience self-doubt at times, which is normal especially when we are trying something new. However, if self-doubt feels all consuming, it will hold us back from experiencing life fully. When we become aware that self-doubt is starting to stifle our passion for life, we may need more tools to overcome it.
Self-doubt can grow from different life experiences, such as past negative experiences or from adverse childhood experiences that challenged our innate self-worth. If we grew up in a critical environment that informed us no matter what we do it will never be good enough, we will more likely experience self-doubt. And a culture that has a laser focus on achievement, that implies conditional love, can actually do more harm than the intention to motivate us, setting us up for failure and the development of that nasty core negative belief that we will never be enough.
Therefore, to challenge that sense of self-doubt within, below are some ideas to try for remembering you are innately good enough, with unique individual inherent gifts to bring to the world: