Dear Readers,
Last week I addressed a question from a reader suffering from depression. In my response I shared more clinical info on the holistic treatment of depression than I have found in one place anywhere in over a decade of devoted study. One reader took issue with my suggestions and seemed to be upset that I diminished depression to something a person can will themselves out of. That is neither what I said nor what I believe and practice. From a holistic perspective, depression and anxiety are complex biochemical-emotional-CNS system states that require a multifaceted approach that includes reducing toxins and increasing nutrients and nervous system restoration. Part of this restoration includes movement, and walking is one of the best ways to do that because it neither stimulates cortisol nor requires any specialized equipment.
By biochemical I mean that brain derived neurotrophic factor (an important component of brain and mood health) can be improved by nutrient therapies and inhibited by excess toxins. Dr. Drew Ramsey, a Manhattan based psychiatrist, has become rather famous for his TEDx talks on this very subject. It has come to be known as nutritional psychiatry. I invite readers to read for themselves what I shared last week and pass it along to anyone who may be in need. If followed, these principles can be life-altering.
This week I want to share more about the therapeutic benefits of just getting moving. It would seem so simple it could be dismissed as reductionist, but it’s actually backed by good science that demonstrates that movement can help unseat trauma and be a part of healing after PTSD. Let me explain.
When we experience trauma, our bodies have a nervous system response that we refer to as the fight, flight or freeze response. This is activated automatically by what is called the sympathetic nervous system in response to stimuli. It basically helps us adapt to stressors to protect us. This includes, but is not limited to a release of adrenaline, pupil dilation, increased sweating, increased heart rate, and increased blood pressure. Blood flow is directed away from the central organs and from digestion, and directed to the limbs to assist in fleeing a dangerous situation. If you’ve ever heard stories of people developing super strength under stressful situations, this is the scientific explanation why. It’s meant to be a very short lived burst of energy and acuity to help us navigate a serious threat - say threat from a predator or during a fight. After the threat is gone, the body returns to a calmer state and the parasympathetic nervous system takes over and healing and rest ensue.
When a body is repeatedly triggered into the fight, flight or freeze mode, it can get stuck, so to speak. The threshold for triggering this state can become very low - a phone ringing, an unidentified sound, a person behaving in a way that is unpredictable. This type of hypervigilance is not uncommon in returned soldiers or (adult) children of alcohol or drug addicted parents. And it’s common after trauma like war or, as we’re seeing now, the extended isolation of lockdowns.
What was meant to be a state of awareness and “nerves” to help us respond to threats quickly to save our lives becomes pathological when it’s repeatedly triggered. It can make us prone to mood swings and snappiness, cause us to be unable to relax, unable to trust, or unable to withstand human interaction at the extreme end of the condition. People who live in this state, with a nervous system that is damaged from repeated/ prolonged exposure to trauma are often diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD. It can also be referred to as psychological trauma.
Dr. James Gordon, a Harvard-educated psychiatrist and founder/Executive Director of the non-profit Centre for Mind-Body Medicine (CMBM) in Washington DC, uses and has written at length about simple movement techniques he’s developed to help clients heal from psychological trauma. He details his therapy in his book, “The Transformation: Discovering Wholeness and Healing After Trauma.” Gordon is also a professor at Georgetown Medical School and chairman of the National Advisory Council to the National Institutes of Health Office of Alternative Medicine in the United States. What I’m saying is the man has some serious credibility regarding holistic therapies for Mind/ Body health.
He has worked in war torn countries and has prompted Kosovo to integrate his suggestions into the mental health system. It’s the first country in the world where mind-body medicine is completely integrated into mainstream healthcare.
“Some of the people we trained were teachers in a rural high school. They began to teach our method of self-care to high school students. Eighty per cent of these students had had their homes destroyed and 20 per cent had lost one or both parents. They were very severely traumatized kids.
Eighty-five per cent of the kids who began those groups with post-traumatic stress disorder, (PTSD) — qualifying for that diagnosis — no longer had it after 11 weeks and those gains held at three months’ follow-up.
We published the research — the first randomized controlled trial of ANY intervention with war-traumatized children — in a major psychiatric journal. This is very important for many reasons. One is that the method works. The second is that you don’t need to be a psychiatrist or a psychologist to teach people these techniques … somebody who’s … learning them from [reading] ‘The Transformation’ can also get the same kind of benefits.” (source Mercola here)
So what is it that he teaches that is so profoundly healing? He starts with a special belly breathing technique that is relaxing to the nervous system. Then he advocates drawing to explore the emotions and tap into creativity. Next he teaches moving and shaking vigorously. This, he says, helps loosen trauma-tensed bodies to bring relaxation to the mind. He suggests standing with feet shoulder width apart, with knees bent. Then, start shaking from your feet up - all the way to the head. Dr. Gordon explains that this opens the body to emotions we may have been suppressing or resisting. It allows them to start to come up and be moved. Thereafter, his therapy focuses on using music that feels good and dancing around to it. Finally, he suggests a trauma-healing diet which uses probiotics, supplemental vitamins and minerals, and avoids wheat and diary.
This is not diminishing the experiences of people who have been traumatized. It is empowering them to overcome it. And it’s backed by some pretty strong data suggesting it works.
If this is of interest to you professionally, Dr. Gordon offers training to individuals to become certified to teach his therapies to others to help them with their own journey of healing. If it’s of interest to you for your own healing, I suggest getting his book. You can also watch a video of him interviewed by Dr. Mercola here.
We tend to think that pharmacopeia is the only way we can address mental health issues here in the west, but science is proving that mindset is outdated. Other than gym teachers, who would have thought moving and shaking could be so therapeutic?! And you can do it in the safety and comfort of your own home!
As always, if readers have a health or nutrition related question for the column, I welcome you to write to me at [email protected]. And if you’re looking for more specific health information, check out my website and blog at hopenotdope.ca. Enjoy that wonderful sunshine!
Namaste!
Nonie Nutritionista