Bill's Brain Blog
Pain - modified from McGill Pain Questionnaire
Sensory Messages
Everyone experiences pain
1965 gate control theory - for chronic pain (lasting longer than expected 3 mos+)
Dr. Felman Barrot
Dr. Rachel Zoftness UCSF Stanford
Context.
social
memory
physical
emotional
Pain grabs our attention.
Our job is to direct our attention.
pain constructed in brain & spinal cord.
Pain is a receipt
High Low
- sitting too long being active = moving
- poor sleep good sleep
- stress manage stress
- trauma
- pills & procedures > acute pain education
Bio - psycho - social > will drive integrated solution
Bio -
pharmaceutical
psycho - thoughts, beliefs
nutrition
activity
trauma
Social
They come in many forms and from every direction.
Chronic (continuous) Stress takes us to a stuck state where we don't fully return to rest/ digest/ incorporate/rebuild developing .
Chronic Stress Reducers
- Check your diet.
- Enough good foods?
- Too many stimulants and alcohol?
- How do you stack up on the top 10 nutrient deficiencies?
- Get enough quality sleep
- Increase your activity/ exercise program (or are you overdoing this?)
- Schedule more time with better people
- Spend time with your pet - walk the dog? Feed the Koi
- Schedule time for meditation, yoga and/or controlled breathing
- What can you take off your plate?
- Delegate
- Delay the remodel project
- Actively procrastinate low priority items
- Schedule time for your favorite things
- Schedule so you arrive on time or slightly early rather than late.
Stress - How do I measure?
Heart rate variability
apps for phones are fairly accurate in identifying my level and real time changes in stress. They don't "change" it but they do measure it. I can use them before and after to identify what may be triggering stress, what may be reducing it and generally how I am responding in real time.
The Cereset Home
unit provides a different perspective on stress by looking at where in my brain activity is occurring which tracks not just to stress levels but also to how my body is responding to stress - right temporal lobe dominant = Fight or Flight response or left temporal lobe dominant = Freeze response. This is an active unit that not only measures my brain wave activity but also provides active "acoustical mirroring" that allows my brain to see how it is responding and make adjustments (generally over time). The general response is for the dominant side to "relax" and "calm"
Various Brain stimulation programs - using, sound - usually biaural or different sounds in left and right ears, direct electrical stimulation, infrared and maybe others. I have used biaural successfully. These are designed to actively stimulate the brain. Several have/ are coming out and I assume some must provide some measurements. They seem to be able to bring the different parts into "balance" with one another but the underlying issue is that my body neds these areas to "relax" to where the rest/ digest/ rebuild functions work optimally. I am not clear how stimulating protocols take me to a more relaxed state - balanced I get but deeply relaxed?
Emotional Stress
is the basis for
Emotional symptoms of stress include:
- Becoming easily agitated, frustrated, and moody
- Over reacting - road rage (extreme)
- Feeling overwhelmed, like you are losing control or need to take control
- Having difficulty relaxing and quieting your mind
- Feeling bad about yourself (low self-esteem), lonely, worthless, and depressed
- Avoiding others
Builders
- Increase Organization & Scheduling
- Be ontime
- Make better notes
- Ask better questions
- Know your learning style
- Visual
- Auditory
- Kinesthetic
- Prepare better
- Repetitions
- different styles
- summarize
- restate
- Variability
- Chunk it. Chunk Chains
- Celebrate Completions
- Use & Teach
- in all learning styles
- Analogies and metaphors
Physical Stress
is crucial for the way we
Physical symptoms of stress include:
- Low energy
- Headaches
- Upset stomach, including diarrhea, constipation, and nausea
- Aches, pains, and tense muscles
- Chest pain and rapid heartbeat
- Insomnia
- Frequent colds and infections
- Loss of sexual desire and/or ability
- Nervousness and shaking, ringing in the ear, cold or sweaty hands and feet
- Dry mouth and difficulty swallowing
- Clenched jaw and grinding teeth
Builders
- Time with people we care about
- Social
- Work
- Appreciation for work well done
- Show
- Receive
- Addressing Stressful situations
- Differently
- More Positive perspective
Reducers
- Negative Emotions
- Depressive Thoughts
- Nervousness
- Impatience
- Anxiousness
- Time on Toxic Relationships
Behavior
SleepCoacher App
- Yoga
- Cardio
- Weight Training
- Test known factors to determine how you respond
Cognitive Stress
is responsible for
Cognitive symptoms of stress include:
- Constant worrying
- Racing thoughts
- Forgetfulness and disorganization
- Inability to focus
- Poor judgment
- Being pessimistic or seeing only the negative side
Reducers
- Sleep deprivation
Behavior
- Chew Gum - makes stronger memories
- Drink Coffee - memory consolidation
- Meditation - improves working memory
- Sleep/ nap to consolidate
- Berries build long term memory
- Exercise/ walking - esp that morning
Nutrition
App
Spiritual Energy
is fueled by our sense of meaning and purpose.
There is a saying that if you love what do you do, you won’t have to work for a day in your life. And that is true. Our sense of purpose and belief in the value of what we are doing can keep us going longer than any energy drink.
We should all try to identify what we do best and enjoy most, allocate our time and energy to the area of our lives that we deem most important, and incorporate our core values into our everyday behavior.
Behavioral symptoms of stress include:
- Changes in appetite -- either not eating or eating too much
- Procrastinating and avoiding responsibilities
- Increased use of alcohol, drugs, or cigarettes
- Exhibiting more nervous behaviors, such as nail biting, fidgeting, and pacing
Builders
- Feeling Effective
- Seeing Meaning
- Experiencing Fulfillment
Reducers
- Acupuncture for Fertility
- Acupuncture for Delivery Anesthesia
- Chinese Herbs
Long-Term Stress
The
What are the Consequences of Long-Term Stress
A little stress every now and then is not something to be concerned about. Ongoing, chronic stress, however, can cause or exacerbate many serious health problems, including:
- Mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, and personality disorders
- Cardiovascular disease, including heart disease, high blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms, heart attacks, and stroke
- Obesity and other eating disorders
- Menstrual problems
- Sexual dysfunction, such as impotence and premature ejaculation in men and loss of sexual desire in both men and women
- Skin and hair problems, such as acne, psoriasis, and eczema, and permanent hair loss
- Gastrointestinal problems, such as GERD, gastritis, ulcerative colitis, and irritable colon
Nutrition
- Identify top 10 nutrient deficiencies in American diet
- Identify which apply to you
- Choose how to eliminate them
Probably will take more work and thought than you anticipate. The benefit is in the process as much as in the final result.
Our brains are the master control center so performance is impacted by shortages in key ingredients that affect all systems including points beyond the nervous system.
Nutrition
- Identify top 10 nutrient deficiencies in American diet
- Identify which apply to you
- Choose how to eliminate them
Probably will take more work and thought than you anticipate. The benefit is in the process as much as in the final result.
Our brains are the master control center so performance is impacted by shortages in key ingredients that affect all systems.
Measures
- Memory
- Focus
- Chinese Herbs
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2017