THOUGHTS AND COMMENTARY
A Book Excerpt From
The Road to Neuroplasticity and Change to Heal Trauma, Improve Cognitive Capacity and Maximize Performance
I have been working on a book on neuroscience that is an easy way to understand the power of your brain, your mind and the thoughts that drive your creativity, insight and intelligence. The most powerful fact about the brain is the concept of neuroplasticity or the brain’s ability to change structurally to grow, evolve and increase it’s capabilities. We do this with cognitive training and surprisingly, mindfulness meditation. The brain can also heal from trauma as seen with the comparison of brain scans done on combat war veterans suffering from PTSD. Neuroscience is a remarkable wonder that we haven’t even truly begun to comprehend.
> READ MORE ABOUT NEUROPLASTICITY
> READ MORE ABOUT NEUROPLASTICITY
I have been working on a book on neuroscience that is an easy way to understand the power of your brain, your mind and the thoughts that drive your creativity, insight and intelligence. The most powerful fact about the brain is the concept of neuroplasticity or the brain’s ability to change structurally to grow, evolve and increase it’s capabilities. We do this with cognitive training and surprisingly, mindfulness meditation. The brain can also heal from trauma as seen with the comparison of brain scans done on combat war veterans suffering from PTSD. Neuroscience is a remarkable wonder that we haven’t even truly begun to comprehend.
> READ MORE ABOUT NEUROPLASTICITY
> READ MORE ABOUT NEUROPLASTICITY
AVAILABLE NOW!
A complete PDF guide to this section of my book is available for download now. If you are interested in reading it please email me to request a copy.
A complete PDF guide to this section of my book is available for download now. If you are interested in reading it please email me to request a copy.
HEALING THE PTSD MIND
HEALING THE PTSD MIND - HOME
The Neuroscience Behind Trauma & PTSD
Practicing Self Care
See Also:
Introduction to the Brain
Structure and Composition of the Brain
Glossary of Neuroscience
The Neuroscience Behind Trauma & PTSD
Practicing Self Care
- Debunking the Myths of PTSD
- Managing Intrusive Thoughts
- Dealing With Triggers
- Handling Flashbacks and Nightmares
- Coping With Suicidal Thoughts
See Also:
Introduction to the Brain
Structure and Composition of the Brain
Glossary of Neuroscience
STARLIGHT POETRY BY KAI
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View Me on Twitter @kairosoflife
See Creativity Chaos - a Creativity Blog by Kai
About | Reprints & Copyrights | Home
© 2019-2020 Copyright Starlight Poetry
VIEW FULL SITE DIRECTORY
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Unwelcome and distressing thoughts, a common occurrence for people with PTSD, can arise unexpectedly and suddenly. They can be mild or so intense you have a panic attack. Intrusive thoughts are threatening thoughts that occur to a person without conscious or voluntary control. These thoughts are capable of creating severe anxiety when they enter the mind.
Visual images, sounds, smells, and feelings of an event can also intrude severely upon a person with PTSD. People are stuck in the memories and time during which they experienced the event and are less attentive to present life. Sufferers report a frequent recurrence of distressing memories. Patients also have nightmares about the event.
People can feel as if the event is taking place again in their life. These types of thoughts are known as flashbacks. In a flashback thoughts lead to deep distress and increased physical excitation and stress. They can make your heart race and your body sweat, tremble or shake. As a whole, these intrusive symptoms lead to intense stress and result in guilt, fear, anger, and grief.
Sufferers have a graphic and dramatic image of the trauma that arises in their memory frequently. A couple of examples are a violent attack (seeing the image of the attacker in your mind over and over) or from a car accident (reliving the sound of the crash seeing images of injury or blood).
EXERCISE YOUR BODY : Exercise has proven therapeutic effects on the mind.
USE GROUNDING TECHNIQUES TO CALM DOWN
Use grounding techniques to bring yourself into the present by stimulating the senses like SIGHT, SOUND, SMELL, TOUCH, or TASTE.
Grounding exercises are things you can do to bring yourself into contact with the present moment – the here and now. They can be quick strategies (like taking three deep “belly breaths”) or longer, more formal exercises (like mindfulness meditation). Different strategies work for different people, and there is no “wrong” way to ground yourself. The main aim is to keep your mind and body connected and working together. Make a list of what works for you.
SAMPLE SENSORY GROUNDING TECHNIQUES
PRACTICE SELF SOOTHING
Determine what makes you feel good. When you need to ground yourself choose a soothing task to do and immerse yourself in it. For example, take a warm bath, put on your comfortable pajamas and lay down, massage your muscles, exercise, eat your favorite snack or dessert, color in a coloring book, read a favorite novel, watch a favorite tv program, play a game with your kids, hug a loved one, talk to a friend, call your Mom and let her baby you.
PERMISSION TO FEEL YOUR EMOTIONS
Let yourself experience the emotions you are feeling. Don’t be critical of yourself, judge yourself or scold yourself for feeling them. If you are angry - feel it. Process it. And then try to let it go. Do the same for sadness, resentment, grief, guilt, shame or defeat. Be patient with yourself as you process them. And forgive yourself.
SEEK OUT SUPPORT
Cultivate close friendships with people and nurture the relations so that you feel close and safe and trusting of them. When you need support call one or make plans to meet up.
Join social media, online forums, messageboards or chat rooms and make safe and positive connections with people. Online connections are less pressure than real life friends. When you are in need reach out to your online friends for support.
Join a support group for survivors of PTSD or symptom specific ones like for depression, addiction (AA or NA), divorce, or grief. If your therapist offers group therapy try joining and share your experiences with them or just listen to their stories.
Visual images, sounds, smells, and feelings of an event can also intrude severely upon a person with PTSD. People are stuck in the memories and time during which they experienced the event and are less attentive to present life. Sufferers report a frequent recurrence of distressing memories. Patients also have nightmares about the event.
People can feel as if the event is taking place again in their life. These types of thoughts are known as flashbacks. In a flashback thoughts lead to deep distress and increased physical excitation and stress. They can make your heart race and your body sweat, tremble or shake. As a whole, these intrusive symptoms lead to intense stress and result in guilt, fear, anger, and grief.
Sufferers have a graphic and dramatic image of the trauma that arises in their memory frequently. A couple of examples are a violent attack (seeing the image of the attacker in your mind over and over) or from a car accident (reliving the sound of the crash seeing images of injury or blood).
EXERCISE YOUR BODY : Exercise has proven therapeutic effects on the mind.
- Exercise increases the heart rate and this l pumps more oxygen to the brain.
- Exercise aids in the release of a host of good hormones that provide a nourishing environment for the growth of new brain cells.
- Exercise also stimulates the brain plasticity by creating growth of new neural connections between cells in a wide array of important cortical areas of the brain.
- From a behavioral perspective effects associated with “runner’s high” found in humans is associated with a drop in stress hormones. Studies have shown that the antidepressant effect of running is associated with more cell growth in the hippocampus, an area of the brain affected by PTSD.
USE GROUNDING TECHNIQUES TO CALM DOWN
Use grounding techniques to bring yourself into the present by stimulating the senses like SIGHT, SOUND, SMELL, TOUCH, or TASTE.
Grounding exercises are things you can do to bring yourself into contact with the present moment – the here and now. They can be quick strategies (like taking three deep “belly breaths”) or longer, more formal exercises (like mindfulness meditation). Different strategies work for different people, and there is no “wrong” way to ground yourself. The main aim is to keep your mind and body connected and working together. Make a list of what works for you.
SAMPLE SENSORY GROUNDING TECHNIQUES
- Remind yourself of who you are now. Say your name, your age now, where you are now, what you have done today, and what you will do later. Say it out loud if you can and repeat as often as you need to ground yourself.
- Take ten slow breaths. Focus your attention fully on each breath, on the way in and on the way out. Say the number of the breath to yourself as you exhale. See MINDFULNESS.
- Splash some water on your face. Notice how it feels. Notice how the towel feels as you dry. Use words in your mind to describe the sensations on your skin.
- Hold a cold can or bottle of soda or a hot cup of coffee or tea in your hands. Feel the coldness or the warmth. Note the bubbles of the soda as you sip it or feel the heat of the tea on your tongue and running down your throat.
- Focus your attention to the clothes on your body. Note the sensation of your clothes as you move in them. Notice how your feet feel to be encased in shoes or socks, or resting on the floor.
- If you are with other people, and you feel comfortable with them, concentrate closely on what they are saying and doing, and remind yourself why you are with them. Watch their body movements and note their facial expressions. Try to match their mood with your own. If they are laughing then join them. Smile back at them.
- Stop and listen. Notice and name what sounds you can hear nearby. Start with the closest or loudest sounds. Gradually move your awareness of sounds outward, so you are focusing on what you can hear in the distance.
- Connect spiritually with your God and get on your knees and pray.
PRACTICE SELF SOOTHING
Determine what makes you feel good. When you need to ground yourself choose a soothing task to do and immerse yourself in it. For example, take a warm bath, put on your comfortable pajamas and lay down, massage your muscles, exercise, eat your favorite snack or dessert, color in a coloring book, read a favorite novel, watch a favorite tv program, play a game with your kids, hug a loved one, talk to a friend, call your Mom and let her baby you.
PERMISSION TO FEEL YOUR EMOTIONS
Let yourself experience the emotions you are feeling. Don’t be critical of yourself, judge yourself or scold yourself for feeling them. If you are angry - feel it. Process it. And then try to let it go. Do the same for sadness, resentment, grief, guilt, shame or defeat. Be patient with yourself as you process them. And forgive yourself.
SEEK OUT SUPPORT
Cultivate close friendships with people and nurture the relations so that you feel close and safe and trusting of them. When you need support call one or make plans to meet up.
Join social media, online forums, messageboards or chat rooms and make safe and positive connections with people. Online connections are less pressure than real life friends. When you are in need reach out to your online friends for support.
Join a support group for survivors of PTSD or symptom specific ones like for depression, addiction (AA or NA), divorce, or grief. If your therapist offers group therapy try joining and share your experiences with them or just listen to their stories.