The symptom of impulsivity can be found listed under several mental/behavioral health diagnoses, including but not limited to intermittent explosive disorder, substance abuse, OCD, PTSD and binge eating disorder. When the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth edition (DSM-5™) was published in 2013 and included binge eating disorder, I finally felt validated and, at the same time, gratitude for discovering yoga, which helped to reduce my anxiety and my out-of-control eating, especially in light of the fact that I didn’t want to start taking any prescription medications.
My relationship with food has been a long and winding road. I have memories when I was 4 or 5 of sitting at my kitchen table by myself, long after everyone else finished eating and was allowed to move on, because I was not allowed to leave the table until I finished everything on my plate, including those horrible green vegetables. I tried every trick in the book, including slipping some to the dog under the table and putting some in my mouth, wiping my mouth with a napkin and spitting what was in my mouth into the napkin. I also hear my parents in my mind saying “Eat your food! There are people starving in Africa” and thinking to myself “Great, send them my food!”.
From there, after my parents got divorced, food became scarce for most of my adolescence. My parents’ divorce and subsequent relationship was very contentious, pushing me into the land of anxiety. I began to worry about where my next meal would be coming from and if it would be enough. The pattern that grew from there involved eating large amounts of food (even if I wasn’t hungry) when food was available and eating very quickly (to ensure I got enough before it disappeared). I also have memories as a young adult where I would eat my meal very quickly and then eat what was left by others on their plates.
As time passed, my relationship with food changed when my weight began to increase. At this point, I would not allow myself to eat anything until the end of the day, after I had taken care of everyone else’s needs on my list. Only then, almost like a reward for completing my “To Do” list for others and my sense of self-restraint or control, would I allow myself the indulgence of fulfilling one of the most basic human needs. What didn’t change at this point though, was the speed in which I ate and the amount of food I would eat!
I then ventured into the many ‘diets’ being promoted. My weight began to yo-yo. My life felt so out-of-control as did I! It wasn’t until I discovered yoga that I found myself in a space to really confront this unhealthy relationship I had with food, facing the fears lying beneath my journey in the land of anxiety. And even with the support of my yoga practice (and a boost from some hypnotherapy), it took me many more years to see food as simply a source of energy for my body, like gas or electric for a car.
So how excited was I when I read the recent promising research on using direct neurofeedback (i.e., transcranial direct current stimulation or tDCS) to reduce impulsive behaviors! Although it is not exactly clear how it does so, a positive effect was found in 74 out of 92 research studies. It warms my heart to learn that there is an alternative to prescription medications, something that specifically supports the brain’s innate ability to reorganize itself towards health, and does so relatively quickly.
If you would like to read a little more on this research, click on the box below:
Can direct neurofeedback help individuals with a diagnosis of schizophrenia?
/in Neurofeedback/by LindaThe effects of the unprecedented coronavirus will be felt by all for a currently unknown period of time. The fear-driven behavioral responses that this pandemic has been producing is a reflection of how deep and strong our survival response goes. And, yet, at some point, relief will come in the form of a vaccine. However, there is another health challenge that stirs fear in the hearts of many, the life-long diagnosis of the severe mental disorder of schizophrenia.
One of my very first clients that I saw as a Marriage and Family Therapist Trainee carried a diagnosis of schizophrenia. My client challenged me to learn more about this disorder in order to provide the best quality of service I could at that point in my training. I learned that schizophrenia, although not as common as other mental disorders, affects feelings, thinking, and behaviors and the symptoms can be very disabling. Symptoms of schizophrenia are categorized using the medical terms of either positive, negative, or cognitive. Positive symptoms add and negative symptoms take away.
For example, positive symptoms might include hallucinations, delusions, or repetitive movements that are hard to control. Negative symptoms include reduced feelings of pleasure, reduced speech, apathy, reduced social drive and social interest, and loss of motivation. The underlying cause or causes of this severe mental disorder are still unknown and available treatments focus on eliminating the symptoms of the disease. The first line of attack as far as treatment is concerned is antipsychotic medications. Once a medication is found to work, then psychosocial treatments, such as therapy, is offered to help individuals learn and use coping skills. Research has shown that participating in such psychosocial treatments reduces relapses and/or hospitalizations; however, the most challenging aspect of treatment is nonadherence to medication. Therefore, a focus on increasing treatment adherence could have a positive effect on all impacted by this severe mental disorder.
Individuals with schizophrenia struggle to live life independently and improving this situation is a significant mental health priority. It seems as though the negative symptoms of this disorder are associated with poorer functional status and quality of life than are the positive symptoms and this may be because primary negative symptoms generally do not respond well to the antipsychotic medications currently available. Research has suggested that up to 60% of patients may have prominent clinically relevant negative symptoms that require treatment. With this information it then becomes more easily understandable why these individuals may not be compliant with their medications – because those medications don’t work for them. The question now is what is being done to support these individuals and address this unmet medical need?
Well, there is hope on the horizon. An article recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Psychiatry looked into the use of transcranial direct current stimulation (AKA direct neurofeedback) as an add-on therapy for negative symptoms of schizophrenia. In this double-blind randomized clinical trial of 100 individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia with predominant negative symptoms, results showed that this non-medication treatment was effective and safe in ameliorating negative symptoms.
If you would like to read more, click on the button below:
5 Intention-setting Ideas to Reduce Inflammation During Times of Transition
/in Newsletter/by LindaThe experience of the season of Spring seems to reflect Ralph Waldo Emerson’s quote above – and, no wonder, Spring might be the most eagerly awaited change of seasons of the year for many of us!
At the same time, did you know that it is also the time of year when suicides peak?
Researchers are beginning to uncover why this world-wide trend might exist. Adam Kaplin, MD, a neuropsychiatrist at Johns Hopkins, suggests that there is overwhelming evidence that links inflammation to depression and suicide. One of the sources of inflammation is seasonal allergic reactions, with chances of depression being 42% higher for people with rhinitis. So, although Spring may, at first glance, seem full of rebirth and like a welcomed time of transition, it too comes with the reminder that all transitions come with challenges.
So, although you might not be currently experiencing depression (or suicidal thoughts), becoming aware of the impact that inflammation has on the body and mind can help to support you through this seasonal change, as well as other times of significant change, such as navigating the stress of moving or from the loss of a job.
Please consider the following intention-setting ideas to support your immune system, especially when navigating transitional times which tend to increase the experience of inflammation in the mind and body:
As always, if you try any of these intention-setting ideas for holistic health, I would love to hear about the impact they might have had for you. Please send me an email at linda@sanctuary4compassion.com to share!
Compassion for Survivors of Trauma – a New View of Substance Use Disorder/Addiction!
/in Talk Therapy/by LindaI remember being assigned to read the book by Dr. Gabor Maté, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, while in graduate school and simply feeling gratitude, compassion and validation afterwards. I never believed in the medical model of addiction that describes the symptom of addiction as a chronic disease of the brain, even suggesting a genetic component to the disease, implying that if my parent(s) had addictions, most likely I would too. Now, don’t get me wrong, the brains of people who struggle with addiction are different, yet those changes are created as a response to the adverse childhood experiences (AKA TRAUMA) these people survived. And if your parents suffered from addictions when you were growing up, that experience is traumatic to a child!
I’ve written before about the impact of adverse childhood experiences, especially on physical health later in life as well as addiction; however, I felt compelled to revisit it again when I learned of research that found over 96% of the study participants suffering from substance use disorders, including prescription opioids, nicotine, and cocaine, had trauma histories. When comparing the groups based upon their drug of choice, the prescription opiate group reported more traumatic childhood experiences than the other groups and a younger age of their first adverse childhood event. So, when you learn about the underlying dynamics associated with substance use, the thought of “Just Say No” to drugs seems crazy!
Trauma comes in many packages and I’m grateful that the new California Surgeon General (Dr. Nadine Burke Harris) is focusing on early childhood, health equity and Adverse Childhood Experiences and toxic stress as her key priorities. (For more information on the ACEs Aware initiative, visit www.ACEsAware.org.) It is time to stop blaming the victims and participate in bringing this information forward in order to educate. What we don’t know, we don’t know. However, once we know better, we can do better. With this knowledge, we can bring more empathy and compassion in our interactions with people that struggle with substances. We can take extra steps to explain this new research to them, validating their experiences and bringing them hope that they can heal from these past traumatic experiences and release their attachment to something that is harmful to them. We can empower them to explore various healing modalities, such as psychotherapy, neurofeedback, meditation, hypnosis, guided imagery, and expressive arts, such as yoga, writing and drawing, all of which have been shown to support post-traumatic growth.
To read more about this research, click on the box below:
5 Intention-setting Ideas For Supporting Diversity and Inclusivity
/in Newsletter/by LindaCelebrating National Black (Afro-American) History Month!
Why is it important to promote Black History Month? Well, I believe, as did Gandhi, that it is our ability to embrace diversity that reflects the highest aspects of being human and defines the very fabric of our nation. This month is an opportunity to recognize the central role blacks played in our history of the United States. This month has been set aside so that we may broaden our awareness, deepen our understanding and choose to celebrate and thank those contributors!
Consider the following intention-setting ideas to try this month in our efforts to elevate the collective consciousness of the world:
As always, if you try any of these intention-setting ideas for holistic health, I would love to hear about the impact they might have had for you. Please send me an email at linda@sanctuary4compassion.com to share!
Will physicians start prescribing yoga for hypertension soon?
/in Yoga/by LindaBoth of my parents have a diagnosis of hypertension and were put on antihypertensive prescription medication to control it. I think my mother received the diagnosis in her 30s. I was turning 40 when I first heard my physician say my blood pressure was “elevated” and wanted it monitored in order to determine if I too would need to be put on some medication. Boy, am I glad that shortly after that I discovered yoga!
I found yoga while celebrating my 40th birthday in Neversink, NY at the New Age Health Spa. I recently learned that this place closed down a couple of years ago, which made me a little sad to think that it truly launched me on a path toward holistic health and wasn’t able to sustain itself, unlike the riches the pharmaceutical companies rake it. The first things I noticed after practicing yoga initially were that my low back pain (from bulging/herniated discs) went away and the chronic tension in my body began to lessen. The best news though was when I went back to the doctor’s office and was told my blood pressure was back to “normal”. Now, after many years of practice, my blood pressure is actually considered “low”!
This dramatic change in one of the leading causes of morbidity in my own experience – and one in which prevented the need for a life-long attachment to a prescription medication – was all the motivation I needed to continue to explore the benefits of a yoga practice, eventually leading me to becoming a teacher to offer such healing benefits to others. Unfortunately, my individual story doesn’t equal proof of a connection, so it has taken many years for the research to show that yoga does have a positive effect on your blood pressure.
In a recent systematic research article review that included 49 clinical trials, the data now show that yoga, when breathing and meditation practices are included, is a viable antihypertensive lifestyle therapy. It is in moments like these that I would like to say “I told you so”!
If you would like to read more on this recent research, please click the button below:
5 Intention-setting Ideas to Support Change
/in Newsletter/by LindaI believe most of us have thought to ourselves “I hate change” at least once in our lives. And the message we often hear is “Change is hard”. Perhaps it is these messages, thoughts, and/or beliefs that underlie the approximate success rate of 10% for the New Year resolutions set at this time of year!
On the other hand, we know that change is inevitable and constant – perhaps the only experience we can count on to always be there. The hope that comes from the trust in change is that we don’t get stuck in a rut. However, the universe invites us to be co-creators of the changes we want to make in our lives. This co-creation requires us to commit to learning new things . . . whether that is to learn to do something new or to learn something new about ourselves.
We are very supported at this time to initiate the process of change due to the fact that we are in the midst of a current Eclipse Gateway. Eclipses support growth and the 2 weeks between the Solar Eclipse (12/26/9) and the Lunar Eclipse (1/10/20) is a potent time for transformation and renewal. So, if you might want to catch the wave of energy, consider trying the following intention-setting ideas to support change this month:
As always, if you try any of these intention-setting ideas for holistic health, I would love to hear about the impact they might have had for you. Please send me an email at linda@sanctuary4compassion.com to share!
Might direct neurofeedback reduce impulsive behaviors?
/in Neurofeedback/by LindaThe symptom of impulsivity can be found listed under several mental/behavioral health diagnoses, including but not limited to intermittent explosive disorder, substance abuse, OCD, PTSD and binge eating disorder. When the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth edition (DSM-5™) was published in 2013 and included binge eating disorder, I finally felt validated and, at the same time, gratitude for discovering yoga, which helped to reduce my anxiety and my out-of-control eating, especially in light of the fact that I didn’t want to start taking any prescription medications.
My relationship with food has been a long and winding road. I have memories when I was 4 or 5 of sitting at my kitchen table by myself, long after everyone else finished eating and was allowed to move on, because I was not allowed to leave the table until I finished everything on my plate, including those horrible green vegetables. I tried every trick in the book, including slipping some to the dog under the table and putting some in my mouth, wiping my mouth with a napkin and spitting what was in my mouth into the napkin. I also hear my parents in my mind saying “Eat your food! There are people starving in Africa” and thinking to myself “Great, send them my food!”.
From there, after my parents got divorced, food became scarce for most of my adolescence. My parents’ divorce and subsequent relationship was very contentious, pushing me into the land of anxiety. I began to worry about where my next meal would be coming from and if it would be enough. The pattern that grew from there involved eating large amounts of food (even if I wasn’t hungry) when food was available and eating very quickly (to ensure I got enough before it disappeared). I also have memories as a young adult where I would eat my meal very quickly and then eat what was left by others on their plates.
As time passed, my relationship with food changed when my weight began to increase. At this point, I would not allow myself to eat anything until the end of the day, after I had taken care of everyone else’s needs on my list. Only then, almost like a reward for completing my “To Do” list for others and my sense of self-restraint or control, would I allow myself the indulgence of fulfilling one of the most basic human needs. What didn’t change at this point though, was the speed in which I ate and the amount of food I would eat!
I then ventured into the many ‘diets’ being promoted. My weight began to yo-yo. My life felt so out-of-control as did I! It wasn’t until I discovered yoga that I found myself in a space to really confront this unhealthy relationship I had with food, facing the fears lying beneath my journey in the land of anxiety. And even with the support of my yoga practice (and a boost from some hypnotherapy), it took me many more years to see food as simply a source of energy for my body, like gas or electric for a car.
So how excited was I when I read the recent promising research on using direct neurofeedback (i.e., transcranial direct current stimulation or tDCS) to reduce impulsive behaviors! Although it is not exactly clear how it does so, a positive effect was found in 74 out of 92 research studies. It warms my heart to learn that there is an alternative to prescription medications, something that specifically supports the brain’s innate ability to reorganize itself towards health, and does so relatively quickly.
If you would like to read a little more on this research, click on the box below:
5 Intention-setting Ideas to Bring More Joy Into Your Life
/in Newsletter/by LindaThis time of year can be stressful for most of us to say the least! For some, including myself, it might also bring up memories of loss, family discord, and unfulfilled dreams. So I did a little research on tools that have been shown to shift us into a space of joy and, when integrated into a regular practice, can make that joy more sustainable and available to us any time of year (also see my Reflections below on Positive Psychology).
To take a deeper dive, perhaps consider saving this website (https://itsallgoodhere.com/) in your Favorites and set a new year intention to explore these tools more.
In the meantime, consider the following intention-setting ideas to try this month:
Is positive psychology really effective?
/in Talk Therapy/by LindaWhen we experience loss, it is normal and natural to feel sad. It is also normal and natural when we are under stress to use safety seeking strategies such as pulling back from support structures, such as friends and family. At the same time, it can sometimes be difficult to move through such normal experiences and rediscover the joys in life. We can get stuck under the weight of loss and stress, feeling alone and on edge, especially when the stress is chronic.
Reminders of loss often arise at this time of year, whether it is the loss of the innocence of our childhood or the loss of someone that we loved. Mix in the stress of the holiday season, when our “To Do” list grows long, and it is a recipe for pulling us down into the gloom and making us more susceptible to falling ill. It can be especially challenging when experiencing this sense of spiraling downward when we don’t have any tools to support us in turning it around.
When we feel alone and don’t want to bother anyone with our troubles, where can we turn to support our navigation through such powerful emotions that tend to knock us off balance? Is it truly possible to use positive psychology to get us unstuck and back in balance? Can the technology wave of online help deliver such life balancing tools, allowing us to take this journey from the privacy of our homes?
Well, a new randomized controlled trial took a look at a facilitated online positive emotion regulation intervention with caregivers responsible for people with a diagnosis of dementia. It was a 6-week intervention that focused on testing the effects on positive emotion, depression, anxiety, and physical health. This study demonstrated that there are tools that can teach us to experience a more positive attitude and when we have a more positive attitude, it reduces the powerful emotions of anxiety and depression! This study supports the use of online, remotely delivered programs to support the navigation towards psychological well-being through the use of positive psychology tools.
If you would like to read more about this research, click on the link below:
5 Intention-setting Ideas for Holiday Self-compassion Breaks
/in Newsletter/by LindaOnce again I feel the holiday season crept up on me this year without a sound! Although my eyes enjoyed the seasonal changes in nature and my skin noticed the chill in the air, my fine-tuned skill of denial also kept me from fully leaning into what’s to come.
Why, you might ask . . . well, it’s because my Perfectionist starts to get really loud at the beginning of November! My “To Do” list seems to grow exponentially longer and, with the number of daylight hours shrinking, my energy level seems to decline.
It is at this time of year that I remember one of the things I am most grateful for in my life and that is my self-compassion practice! And it is a practice, one that must be tended to on an ongoing basis to keep that harsh, critical voice of my Perfectionist at a low roar.
I also like to remind myself that I am not alone in this experience. So, if you too experience a loud, critical voice inside of you, that tries to drive you to do more with less and sits in the shadows waiting to judge your every move, below are some intention-setting ideas to invite the more accepting, nurturing voice of your compassionate self forward: