Stress? Coping well vs just not doing it. You CHOOSE.
You may know the boiled frog experiment. Put a frog in a pot of warm water and it will detect the warmth and jump out. But the bizarre thing is if you put it in a pot of water at room temperature then heat it slowly, the frog can’t detect ANY change and will stay there […]
Continue ReadingCFS and getting sick
“Personal sickness behaviours can be a trigger for years of ME/CFS. So it makes sense to address these as part of one’s recovery plan. Why get well only to get sick again?” We all have unique sickness behaviours – habitual ways we respond to being sick – physically, emotionally and behaviourally. There is a spectrum […]
Continue ReadingTrauma and the brain
Why do we remember anything? We clearly don’t remember everything. So why bother remembering anything at all? It’s pretty clear life would be difficult and potentially dangerous without memories. Memories play an important role in keeping us safe. We learn from a bad experience so we don’t make the mistake again. So while many of […]
Continue ReadingLosing trust in your body
We all know and understand intuitively how important trust is in a relationship. However this is not about the loss of trust between two people. It’s about a loss of trust in one’s self. After years with chronic fatigue or pain people lose trust in themselves. They learn that they can no longer rely on […]
Continue ReadingDon’t bother trying to change
I was reading an article about immune function and how we can influence it. The advice: “Don’t smoke, sleep well, eat a healthy diet, make sure you exercise regularly, improve your personal relationships and try to reduce the stress in your life”. Wise words from the doctor and I agree except for one thing. The presence of […]
Continue ReadingAcceptance and Hopelessness
There’s some really interesting discussions taking place around the impact that a diagnosis can play in the path of physical conditions. That’s a fascinating concept. How can ‘naming it’ change anything for a physical condition? Clearly a diagnosis can be valuable in knowing what the appropriate course of action is. However, with many of the conditions I […]
Continue ReadingWhat is the Lightning Process – In a single word
I was recently asked to explain the Lightning Process in a single word. What a task! After 7 years of taking people through the training I still struggle to explain what it is because it is many things. It is a framework in which I work, and one person’s Lightning Process experience will be very […]
Continue ReadingPushing through doesn’t get you anywhere
Success stories often mention incredible activities that people enjoy after their training. Many people assume therefore that training encourages ‘pushing through’ fatigue and symptoms. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Conditions like ME & CFS are physical dysfunction of the Autonomic Nervous System. Merely pushing through won’t work. You’ve tried that and you know […]
Continue ReadingStress is contagious
My last post looked at environmental triggers. An article I read this week about stress being ‘contagious’ highlights this concept nicely. If someone is stressed, those around them can become stressed by watching them. The brain is constantly checking ‘Am I OK?’. If your peers are giving off the signs of not being OK, then for […]
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