How Your Brain Is Taking You Hostage and

How Your Brain Is Taking You Hostage… (and what you can do about it)! Kim Long, MC, CCC, R. Psych (Alberta) Director, Dochas Psychological Services, Inc. Spruce Grove, Alberta

Agenda • Disclaimer • Goals • Science stuff • Research – stress, resilience, how our brains work • Strategies • Lists of • Practice: Calm Place/Grounding • Wrap up

Disclaimer • Video recording • Implied consent • No affiliation with Young Living/No profit from sales of their product • Participation: • Your choice • Triggers

Disclaimer Continued… • YOU are the expert of YOU • Advice = grain of salt • These are my opinions based in: • Research • Experiences • • 2013 Masters of Counselling; 2015 R. Psych Teacher – 10 years – Elementary and Junior High levels Base Brat (aka military kid) Confidentiality – focus will be on my experiences • No identifying information given

What About You? • Take a moment to think about who YOU are. How do you want to live your life’s purpose? • Are the choices you make on a daily basis serving that life’s purpose? • Airplane analogy: Who do you put the oxygen mask on first and why? • Are you doing that?

Goals: • Education about: • • The brain and how it works (or doesn’t work) Wellness from a mental health perspective Science research Experience • Tools that can be used immediately

How to Tell if I Need Therapy… • Oil change (my bias) • Winter blues (Kwong, 2015) • 35% of Canadians • 10 -15% seasonal depression • 2 -5% SAD • How do you tell the difference between “blues”, “nerves”, and something clinical, like Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), Anxiety, or Depression? • Interferes with daily life function (work, relationships, selfcare) • Others notice • Genetic predisposition?

Stress • What is stress? • A physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation or • A state resulting from stress; especially: one of bodily or mental tension resulting from factors that tend to alter an existent equilibrium (Merriam-Webster. com, 2017) • Equilibrium/homeostasis • Don’t like change

Containers • Analogy: suitcase, pop bottle, tupperware container, etc. • Shove emotions/sensations/thoughts away • Think: What is your container? • Not really paying attention to how much putting away • Splits open/Leaks • Worst time • Under stress/overwhelmed or trying to relax/sleep • Having a great day • How to make space? • i. e. friend who’s father died

Types of Stress • Environmental: • Light (Lambert, Reid, Kaye, Jennings, & Esler, 2002) • Serotonin (n. a. (c), 2017) • Edmonton Public Library; BTU 10 000 (Johnson, D. , 2014) • Pollution (Heeken & Polivka, 2015) • i. e. China or even smog warnings in Toronto • Overcrowding (Burton, 1990) • Increased crime and health issues • Financial/Situational (Heeken & Polivka, 2015) • Lower SES/change in SES • Recession/layoffs

Types of Stress Continued… • Physical: • Illness (n. a. , 2013) • i. e. Brain tumor • Pain (n. a. , 2013; Wilcox, Veggeberg, Lemme, Hodkinson, Scrivani, Burstein, Beccerra, & Borsook, 2016) • i. e. Migraines • Emotional: • Family/Relationships (Heeken & Polivka, 2015) • Graduating/leaving home • Grief and loss • Divorce/death/significant changes = loss • Chronic Stress (n. a. , 2013) – Impact? • Incl. ineffective coping strategies that used to work • After mom’s diagnosis = stuffing

Resilience Factors • “caring, supportive relationships” (American Psychological Association (APA), 2017) • Family/friends (n. a. (b), 2017) • = safe place to come back to after exploring world • “able to plan and carry out plan” (APA, 2017) • “positive view of self and confidence in strengths and abilities” (APA, 2017) • Self-efficacy (n. a. (b), 2017) • “skills in communication and problem solving” (APA, 2017) • Dual awareness: frontal lobe and emotional center (limbic system) • “capacity to manage strong feelings and impulses” • i. e. The Hulk

Science Stuff OR: Why Mind, Body, and Emotion? • The Three Brains/Triune Brain • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=f-m 2 Ycd. Md. Fw • Three brain model (Siegel, 2017) • Wrist = spinal cord • Palm = brain stem (Reptilian brain; Fisher, 2016) • Thumb = limbic system/emotional center (Mammalian brain; Fisher, 2016) • 5 senses • Palm and thumb = regulate arousal, emotions, and 3 Fs • Sensory cortices = store info specific to emotional meaning of senses (Rettner, 2010)

The Brain • Fingers = Frontal lobe/cortex • Perceive outside world, think, and reason • Behind eyes = Prefrontal cortex • Regulates subcortical regions (limbic system/brain stem) • Limbic system tries to react to perceived threat; prefrontal cortex tries to shut the reaction off

“Flipping Your Lid” • Prefrontal cortex and Cortex offline • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=G 0 T_2 NNo. C 68 Flipping Your Lid • Thumb and palm triggered again and again • Like static electricity • • i. e. Sister and truck drive home - staring “Amygdala Hijack” (Ahuja, Myat, Cervantes, & Zahn, n. d. ) • Straw that broke the camel’s back • i. e. Vacuum and furnace

Memories • Hippocampus, prefrontal and frontal cortices, and amygdala • Directly linked in memory formation and retrieval (Jin & Maren, 2015; n. a. (a), 2017) • Offline = major problem in forming clear memories • Triggers are reactions to current events • “Trigger” our body/emotional memories of something not so great • Can’t id triggers or don’t know why we’re reacting the way we are – no language/story for trigger, just sensation • No explanation to label it/reduce charge

Window of Tolerance Steffensen, T. , 2010)

Window of Tolerance • Stress (esp. chronic) + coping mechanisms that no longer work = vice on either end • i. e. Master’s degree and laundry • Relief the trigger • Chronic stress without proper care after = • Continuum of illness and symptoms (Arber, 2014) • • Fatigue/illness Pain Hypervigilance (looking over shoulder, waiting for shoe to drop) Rumination (stewing about events/trying to predict future) Harder to deal with uncertainty Hopelessness Poor memory formation and recall Note: symptoms of anxiety, depression, and PTSD…

What Are Strategies You Used To Use That Aren’t Working So Great Now? • Distraction/Numbness • Addictions • Stuffing/Ignoring • Body issues = IBS • Outbursts and Deal with Fallout • Relationship casualty • Staying Silent/Retreating/Hiding • Lack of connection to others/self • Note what’s missing here… • Body and emotion strategies, yet effects on body and emotion.

So What? • Think about the information in the realms of: • • Decision making Conversations and relationships Living a full life? Managing stress? • What do you think?

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So What? • What do you think? • If you can stay in all three brains, you will have the ability to fully process trauma/stress; integrate the events • Western culture – usually only neck up • • Cortex doesn’t function well when triggered Roller coaster of 3 F’s and sometimes feeling ok Increased anxiety/tension from being overwhelmed Increased numbness from checking out • Technology anyone?

To Consider: • Key points: • Not about making it go away – “No Mud, No Lotus” – Thich Nhat Hanh; “Inside Out” movie (Chamary, 2015). • Harmony • Practice when calm – easier to access when activated • Practice every day – reflexive • Your choice…

Mind: • Distraction • Mindful change of pattern (reframe): Joe Di. Spenza • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=8 l 2 nv. Tv 9_Xw&t=8 s • Grass path: gives hope • Pay attention to body instead and notice moment by moment changes • Hexaflexercise activity (ACT; Harris, 2017) • Misophonia: know reaction doesn’t make sense = NCs • Hexaflex helps empower and refocus attention • Do something you haven’t done in a while to use a different part of the brain: • Phone a friend, sudoku, crosswords etc. (i. e. Virtual Hopebox application) • PTSD, anxiety, depression

Body: • Breath: Usually first resource (intake for client and self) • 4 count breath • Sighing breath • Left/Right breath • Light Stream • Imagination and visualization • Specific body location i. e. ball in throat • 4 Elements activity • General chronic discomfort • Specific trauma protocol but can use parts of it (or all) once used to it • Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR/Jacobsonian Relaxation) • Beware injury! • Yoga • Note: You cannot maintain a trauma response in a relaxed muscle body! (Gentry & Rhoton, 2017)

Emotion: • Use the 5 senses: • Hearing • Music – especially with teens • Rain, Rain app • Touch – i. e. Garnet/Max • Smell • “It reminds me of…” • Memories, strong reactions • What emotion goes with that memory? • What happens in your body when you smell the scent? • Note: Scents can help us feel something different i. e. lilacs = happy childhood • • • More pure the better (Rago, 2017) Taste Why do you think there’s such a thing as a food addiction? Because it accesses emotions. Sight • Colors (i. e. Dawn/Aspire and grey) • Familiar settings (i. e. driving to Cold Lake) Calm Place activity

To Ponder… • Notice overlap • Explore what works best for you • Pick and choose what suits situation • Body reaction = body strategy • Emotion reaction = 5 senses • Mind reaction = distraction/use mind in a completely different way

In Practice: Scents • Whatever tool depending on client needs • NOTE: I have no training in aromatherapy, choices come from client feedback and my own reactions • Self-regulation with clients (emotion strategy, Sacred Mountain, Lemon, etc. ) • Grounding, Calm Place, Muscle tightness • “YES!” reaction • Self-regulation for me (Bergamot, Release, etc. ) • Space “feels” off (i. e. Jack’s and Wilhauk’s ) • My own mood/body sensations • Samples + Chalkboard (Thanks, Yvonne!)

Activities: Calm Place and Grounding • Take a moment to notice • where you are on a scale from 0 -10 • 0 = meh (no activation) • 10 = pulling out your hair, rocking and sobbing in a corner • AND body sensations (i. e. where your breath gets stuck) • Take a moment after to notice • Scale from 0 -10 • Body sensations • A shift of 1 is considered awesome! • NOTE: If you are already at a 0 -1, think of something that was mildly annoying to you today or yesterday • Brings you to a 2 -4 on scale • Questions?

Calm Place • Place in adult life • Comfortable, calm, secure • Nature, home, or imagination • What do you: • • • See Hear Smell Feel (touch) Sense in body?

Calm Place Con’t… • Tap/Butterfly Hug • Word/Phrase/Symbol • Practice every day when calm • Building reflex

Grounding • Pick an object • Hold in hand • Can use scent as well if you prefer! • Two adjectives – to notice moment by moment experience • These can change with each pass • Word/phrase • Goes to heart/emotional center • Breath • Usually use sighing, but up to you • Use as needed

Whew… You Made It! • Checklist of goals: q. Toolbox of strategies you can use q. Understand to use strategies that fit the symptom q. Understand brains are amazing, but sometimes they need help too q. Recognize ways to tell if you or someone you love needs clinical help

Questions? • Recordings and presentation available for ONE WEEK at www. dochaspsych. com Contact Info: Kim Long Dochas Psychological Services, Inc. 301, 131 First Avenue, Spruce Grove www. dochaspsych. com klong@dochaspsych. com 780 -446 -8634 • To provide feedback, please go to https: //www. surveymonkey. com/r/T 87 TCN 2 (the link is also on my website and Facebook page) or please complete the forms on your tables

References Ahuja, N. , Myat, W. , Cervantes, A. , Zahn, N. (n. d. ) Amygdala Hijack. Retrieved from http: //neurosciencefundamentals. unsw. wikispaces. net/The+limbic+System American Psychological Association. (2017). The road to resilience. APA Psychology Help Center. http: //www. apa. org/helpcenter/road-resilience. aspx Retrieved from Arber, C. , (2014). Post-traumatic stress and the brain. Worthit 2 Be Me. Retrieved from https: //worthit 2 bme. com/post-traumaticstress-the-brain/ Burton, I. (1990, March). Factors in urban stress. Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare. 17(1), Article 5. Retrieved from http: //scholarworks. wmich. edu/cgi/viewcontent. cgi? article=1928&context=jssw Chamary, J. V. (2015, August 30). How “inside out” explains the science of memory. Retrieved from https: //www. forbes. com/sites/jvchamary/2015/08/30/inside-out-science/#4 c 5123355184 Di. Spenza, J. [Global. School. Net]. (2012, August 21). Three brains – Thinking to doing to being [Video file]. Retrieved from https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=8 l 2 nv. Tv 9_Xw&t=8 s Fisher, J. (2003). Triune Brain [Power. Poiint Slide]. Retrieved from https: //i. pinimg. com/736 x/5 c/4 f/f 0/5 c 4 ff 0143 a 1340 eea 15 b 0 d 2316 b 2 bcec--ptsd-trauma. jpg Fisher, J. (2016). Working with the neurobiological legacy of trauma [Video recording, course pack]. Jack Hirose and Associates.

References Gentry, E. , & Rhoton, R. (2017, May 1). Certified clinical trauma professional (CCTP) intensive training course. PESI. com. Retrieved from https: //www. pesi. com/store/onlinecourse. Harris, R. (2017). The Hexaflexercise. [Audio recording] Retrieved from http: //thehappinesstrap. com/free-resources/ Heeken, K. , & Polivka, L. (2015, November). Environmental and economic factors associated with mental illness. Retrieved from: http: //coss. fsu. edu/subdomains/claudepeppercenter. fsu. edu_wp/wpcontent/uploads/2016/02/Environmental-and-Economic-Factors-Associated-with-Mental. Illness-Manuscript. pdf Jin, J. , Maren, S. (2015). Prefrontal-hippocampal interactions in memory and emotion. Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience, 9(170). Retrieved from https: //www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/pmc/articles/PMC 4678200/ Johnson, D. (2014, February 2). Edmonton public library’s Stanley A. Milner branch now sports three mood lights to combat Seasonal Affective Disorder. Edmonton. Examiner. com. Retrieved from http: //www. edmontonexaminer. com/2014/01/29/edmonton-public-librarysstanley-a-milner-branch-now-sports-three-mood-lights-to-combat-seasonal-affective-disorder

References Kwong, M. 2015, March 5. Why winter brings us down but won’t for long. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved from http: // www. cbc. ca/news/health/sad-science-why-winter-bringsus-down-but-won-t-for-long-1. 2981920 Lambert, GW. , Reid, C. Kaye, GM. , Jennings, GL, & Esler, MD. (2002). Effect of sunlight and season on serotonin turnover in the brain. The Lancet. Retrieved from: http: //www. thelancet. com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS 0140 -6736(02)11737 -5/fulltext n. a. (2013). Stress. University of Maryland Medical Center. Retrieved from http: //www. umm. edu/health/medical/reports/articles/stress n. a. (a). (2017). Emotions and memory. Psychologists World. Retrieved from https: //www. psychologistworld. com/emotion-memory-psychology#references n. a. (b) (2017). Resilience. Center on the Developing Child: Harvard University. Retrieved from https: //developingchild. harvard. edu/science/key-concepts/resilience/ n. a. (c) (2017). Serotonin: What you need to know. Healthline. Retrieved from https: //www. healthline. com/health/mental-health/serotonin#overview 1

References Rago, R. (2017, December 7). Emotion on the brain [Web log post]. Tufts University. Retrieved from http: //sites. tufts. edu/emotiononthebrain/author/rrago 01 / Rettner, R. (2010, August 5). Brain’s link between sounds, smells, and memory revealed. Live Science Retrieved from https: //www. livescience. com/8426 -brain-link-sounds-smells-memory -revealed. html Siegel, D. [Dr. Dan Siegel] (2017, August 9). Dr. Dan Siegel’s hand model of the brain [Video File]. Retrieved from https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=f-m 2 Ycd. Md. Fw Steffensen, T. , (2010, September 30 -October 3). Trauma and the challenge of sexual addiction. Power. Point presentation at Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health, Boston, MA. Stress. (2017). In Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary (11 th ed. ). Retrieved from https: //www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/stress. Nhat Hanh Thich. (2014). No mud, no lotus: The art of transforming suffering. Berkeley, California: Parallax Pr. Wilcox, S. L. , Veggeberg, R. , Lemme, J. , Hodkinson, D. J. , Scrivani, S. , Brustein, R. , Becerra, L. , & Borsook, D. (2016, July 26). Increased functional activation of limbic brain regions during negative emotional processing in migraine. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. doi: https: //doilorg/10. 3389/fnhum. 2016. 00366