Neuroplasticity, and healing from trauma and chronic illness.

One of the fascinating things that I’ve been able to immerse myself in since I started my own personal healing journey, is Neuroplasticity.  The hope that the brain can be retrained to help in trauma recovery and chronic illness is so encouraging.  This is one of the biggest things that survivors can cling too, being able to retrain and heal our brain.

Anytime I get a chance to talk with a fellow blogger, colleague, or anyone who shares a similar passion about this topic, I jump at the opportunity. This post and podcast is no exception as I talk with friend and blogger, Kami Lingren.

Kami writes for her LivingGraceBlog.com, a website that she started as a place to share her life with chronic illness, specifically with Lyme, Bartonella, Babesia, Mold Illness, Heavy Metal Toxicity, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, MTHFR genetic mutation and POTS.  Kami is a survivor and a fighter, and through it all, she continues to encourage her readers; spreading a message of hope and grace towards ourselves and others.

The topic for our chat is on Dynamic Neural Retraining System, (DNRS), developed by Annie Hopper. As Kami describes it, “the DNRS program aims to first educate you on the science of neuroplasticity and then equip you with both the tools and techniques to help you repair your limbic system.”

In a nutshell: The limbic system, located just beneath the cerebrum on both sides of the thalamus, is not only responsible for our emotional lives but also many higher mental functions, such as learning and formation of memories.* It includes the amygdala, hippocampus, thalamus, hypothalamus, basal ganglia, and cingulate gyrus.

Kami has spent years trying different types of methods and techniques in an effort to heal and feel better both physically and emotionally.  Things that so many of us take for granted on a daily basis; walking the dog, going to the store, even simply getting out of bed are incredibly difficult for those that live with chronic illness. The physical pain and exhaustion are hard enough, but then you add in the emotional toll that it takes, and it’s easy to see how depression and anxiety can make an already difficult situation even worse.

We discuss how Kami first learned about DNRS, and while her initial reaction was one of skepticism, the subsequent research began to instill her with a sense of Hope. As someone who lives with chronic illness and those who are trauma survivors, embracing Hope goes a long way.

After watching videos and talking with others had gone through the program, she decided to dive in and give it a shot. As you’ll hear in our conversation, her results after doing the program for about 3 months now, have been encouraging and quite honestly, amazing.

For anyone living with chronic illness, traditional methods of modern medicine typically involve medications and therapy of various types.  For so many, spending days just surviving is often par for the course, and when the random “good” day does come around, it’s often the exception rather than the rule.

Where Neuroplasticity comes in, is essentially rewiring our minds to help ease chronic pain, and in the case of trauma survivors, to help heal from emotional trauma.  It’s no secret that limbic system can be damaged during trauma, but it can also be affected due to chronic illness.  Embracing the healing hope that Neuroplasticity offers,  through programs like DNRS, we as survivors and chronic illness sufferers can embrace a whole new realization of our past not defining our future.

It’s my sincere desire that you’ll find the podcast with Kami, informative, validating, and encouraging. If it speaks to you or you feel that someone you may know could benefit, please consider sharing it.

For more information on DNRS, you can check out RetrainingTheBrain.com.  And be sure to head over to LivingGraceBlog.com, and check out the amazing resources and information that Kami shares.  You can also connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

-Matt

Pictures courtesy of Pixabay. Kami Lingren image used with her permission. Social Media images created by Matt Pappas. 

Source: Boundless.com