I bet your doctor doesn't give you information like this. What is really
needed is a protocol, these are just guidelines where YOU have to guess
amounts and times.
From The Best Brain Possible by Debbie Hampton.
Healing a traumatized brain takes effort, repetition, and time, but
it can be done. Just as we are biologically equipped with mechanisms to
deal with threatening situations, our brains are capable of
re-establishing normal operation and feelings of calm, security, and
happiness. While it is possible to activate these positive states
through self-care, healing your brain and life after trauma often
requires the guidance of a professional. Here are some methods research
has shown to be helpful in assisting the brain in processing trauma.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an interactive psychotherapy technique proven to be an
effective treatment for trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
During EMDR therapy sessions, you relive traumatic or triggering
experiences in brief doses while the therapist directs your eye
movements with a light.
EMDR is thought to be effective because recalling distressing events
is often less emotionally upsetting when your attention is diverted.
This allows you to be exposed to the memories or thoughts without having
a strong psychological response.
Memory is an active ongoing process.
Every time you recall a memory, your brain reconsolidates it,
incorporating and filtering it through who you are and the circumstances
at the time of remembering. So, over time, EMDR can lessen the
emotional impact of memories.
Neurofeedback
Neurofeedback
is a specialized form of biofeedback in which a person’s brain learns
at a subconscious level to permanently alter the brainwaves. It has
existed for over 40 years and has applications ranging from the
treatment of brain injury, epilepsy, migraines, depression, ADHD and
autism, and chronic pain to performance enhancement in sports.
I did neurofeedback extensively, and it played a crucial role in my recovery from a brain injury.
In neurofeedback, EEG sensors are placed on the scalp and ears to
read the amount of electrical energy put out by the brain in the form of
brainwaves at different sites. The brainwaves are monitored by computer
software that interprets the data giving feedback to the person
training. With repetition, the brain learns to self-regulate and
actually makes permanent physiological changes to perform more
optimally. A person’s brain will continue to make adjustments even when
not training.
Talk Therapy
Resolving trauma can be as simple as talking about it with a trained therapist.
Research
shows that the more we try to push away troubling memories, the more
the thoughts tend to intrude on our minds. Studies show that Cognitive
Behavioral Therapy
(CBT) is one of the most effective forms of therapy for PTSD.
In his article,
The Healing Power of Telling Your Trauma Story, Seth Gillian, Ph.D., tells that talking about trauma helps in the following ways:
- Feelings of shame subside.
- Unhelpful beliefs are corrected.
- Memories become less triggering.
- The trauma becomes more organized.
- You gain a sense of mastery.
Psychedelic Therapy
In
clinical research on PTSD,
MDMA, also known as ecstasy, has proven to be a highly effective
treatment. War veterans struggling with PTSD have reported significant
reduction of symptoms after MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. According to
one
study,
…after
three doses of MDMA administered under a psychiatrist’s guidance, the
patients reported a 56 percent decrease in the severity of symptoms on
average. By the end of the study, two-thirds no longer met the criteria
for having PTSD. Follow-up examinations found that improvements lasted
more than a year after therapy.”
The science of psychedelic drugs is in the early stages and ongoing.
Research on psilocybin (the psychoactive ingredient in “magic
mushrooms”) and MDMA is in FDA-approved trials in the U.S. Until more is
known, these drugs should be approached with caution. However, they do
hold great promise.
More at link.
