The Amygdala, The Parasympathetic Nervous System and Self Healing

This morning I was looking for some YouTube videos on Tapping/EFT (Emotional Freedom Therapy) for friends and clients.  The one I ended up listening to and forwarding is one where Nick Ortner ("The Tapping Solution") was interviewing Dr Lissa Rankin, OB/GYN ("Mind Over Medicine")  They were talking about the "placebo effect" and the body's ability to heal itself.  The scientific explanation they used was that when we catastrophize/worry/stress, we send a message to the Amygdala ie "attack is imminent" and the Parasympathetic Nervous System goes into the "fight or flight" mode; during this mode, the body is too busy to work on self regulating/healing itself.

I think that some people do not like to hear about the idea that our bodies can heal themselves because if their body isn't healing itself, what does that say about them as a person?  Are they less than for failing to heal themselves?  Why isn't it working for them?  Also, if we can make ourselves well, can we make ourselves sick and if I am sick did I do this to myself?  Lots of guilt and feelings of low self worth may arise.

I believe that the trick here is not to blame yourself but to dig deeper into your thoughts, ideas, worries, painful memories and dissatisfaction with certain areas of your life.  Having limiting beliefs and worries does not make you a bad person; it makes you a human being.  Addressing these things in various ways ie in therapy or by using EFT to get to the bottom of them just makes you a happier human being.

One statement often expressed is, "I'm stressed out because I hate my job/marriage/living situation and I am stuck there due to finances."  Believe me, that was my mantra for years and years!  Once you can find a modicum of hope that maybe this is a limiting belief, your thinking can begin to change and a shift can take place. Once you allow yourself to open your mind to an alternate paradigm, many wonderful changes can take place.  Remember, if you think you can't, you can't.

Meditation, exercise, and a healthy diet are great ways to reduce stress, but other modes like therapy and EFT can take this a step further by getting to the crux of the faulty, hopeless assumptions and begin to move your thinking into a more hopeful, authentic mindset that can effect your mental and medical health in a positive way.

I'll talk more on EFT in my next blog.

Best wishes,

Lisa