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I
was looking over a news story (really it was more of an editorial blog posting)
that was blasting a drug and technique for treating Post Traumatic Stress
Syndrome. While the focus of my post today isn’t on PTSS, it does touch on this
controversial treatment.
The
issue at hand was a technique that combines a pharmaceutical that is considered
an amnesiac, similar to what is administered during some surgical procedures
such as colonoscopy with psychotherapy, whereby the recipient relives a
severely traumatic event.
In
the surgical setting, the drug renders the recipient unable to remember the
procedure or the unpleasantness of it, which can be rather useful in the
appropriate surgical setting.
The
controversy arises because of the effect of the drug plus the talk therapy. The
result is said to be that the sufferer ends up “forgetting” the traumatic event
and thus eliminating all the negative physical and emotional stress that comes
with the bad memories. Instead of healthy ways of working through the memories,
the sufferer is aided in blocking them out.
Blocking
out traumatic events is something the brain does as a defence mechanism in many
cases. Sometimes, the block is permanent.
Sometimes,
it isn’t. When it isn’t, and the horrible events come rushing back in, it can
be quite problematic for the victim.
That
is why psychiatrists and other doctors have been looking into techniques to
simulate the process of eliminating bad memories.
But
at what cost?
On
the one hand, eliminating bad memories that serve no purpose other than to
torment the victim, and offer no possibility of valuable life lessons to be
learned may be worthwhile. On the other, this process adds the possibility of
negative side effects from not only the drug, but also the problem of the sufferer
remembering everything eventually.
But
the really interesting controversy is where the limits of this treatment are
pushed. Some contend it may be abused, as in the case where someone with a
guilty conscience wants the treatment done so they can sleep
at night.
Not
being able to sleep
when your conscience is heave with guilt is actually a good thing…it shows that
you are not a sociopath. It is a normal, healthy reaction to understanding
consequences and being able to empathize with whomever it was you may have
slighted.
However,
punishing oneself by suffering endless sleepless
nights does no one any good. You have to be able to move on from the bad
memories of whatever it was you did in effective, healthy, and natural ways so
you can sleep
and so your body can function optimally, without drugs and without
controversial psychotherapeutic therapies.
Depending
upon what the infraction is that is causing the crisis of conscience, you have
a variety of means to overcoming the guilt reaction in a responsible and
healthy way. Using drugs to forget about the act that is causing your guilt is
not one of them. This is the problem at the heart of the controversy.
Proper
treatment should not only reflect the severity of the moral gaffe, but also
your own reaction to it.
Sometimes,
it is simply a matter of writing yourself a letter, whereby you actually state
to yourself, “I forgive you.” Be able to forgive yourself first, and then move
on with reparation elsewhere. This is really effective when your problem is a
simple flub, such as “why did I say that? That was so mean,” or, “I can’t
believe I danced like a crazy person after drinking too much.”
For
bigger moral dilemmas, you may want to join a support group or seek counselling
in being able to find the best course of reparation that is healthy for
everyone involved.
This
also may involve making the tough choices about coming clean to someone who
doesn’t know you have caused them harm in some way. This would be between you
and your minister, counsellor, or lawyer.
Seeking
to free yourself from guilt isn’t selfish. It is normal and healthy. It shows
that you feel remorse. Being able to take the next step in making amends for it
is the best way to naturally lift the weight that keeps you awake at night.
Don’t
let something you did in the recent or even distant past stand in the way of
good sleep. Chances are that whatever you did may be keeping someone else up at
night as well and a simple “I’m sorry” would do you both good.
For
more natural methods on relieving Insomnia naturally,
try my guide today.
Tossing
and turning at night may have less to do with stress
and more to do with a deficiency of the essential minerals magnesium and
calcium, according to a study conducted by the Human Nutrition Research Center
in North Dakota.
These
researchers tied low magnesium and calcium levels with inability to fall asleep
and poor sleep quality. In particular, low levels of these minerals tended to
cause the research subjects to wake during the night.
The
idea that a single mineral can cure insomnia may be appealing to the millions
of Americans that struggle with insomnia. However, the study authors note that
studies investigating the effects of these two minerals as a treatment of
insomnia are still on the way.
That
doesn’t mean supplementing won’t work –the North Dakota based scientists report
that people suffering from insomnia can benefit from taking magnesium and
calcium together.
Learn other simple ways to treat insomnia here…
Watch this Video - 3 HOURS of Gentle Night Rain, Rain, Rain Sounds - Sleep,Insomnia, Meditation, Relaxing, Yoga, Study
Relieving Insomnia - Insomnia’s
Tunnel and the Bright Light at the End of It
With
the weather finally starting to make a change for the warmer and longer days of
spring, many readers write in this time of year because they notice that with
the longer days they have better sleep habits.
One
gentleman asked a while back why it is that he feels so much better and can
sleep better at night if he starts his day spending just 15 minutes outside on
his porch swing just sitting in the bright morning sun.
What
he noticed is something that scientists and sleep doctors have known for a long
time…that pronounced periods of time spent exposed to bright light (real or
artificial) contributes to better, more restorative sleep.
As
the reader mentioned above asked, why is this do you suppose?
The main reason is that in order to experience the proper sleep cycles and for the optimum amount of time, several things must fall into place such as opportunity, environment, and body chemistry.
The main reason is that in order to experience the proper sleep cycles and for the optimum amount of time, several things must fall into place such as opportunity, environment, and body chemistry.
We
have a good deal of control over much of these elements, such as minimizing
stress, having a peaceful environment in which to sleep, and regulating our
pre-sleep behaviour to optimize the success of getting to sleep and staying
asleep.
However,
other than eating right and eliminating the anti-sleep toxins such as caffeine
and alcohol, it can be tricky trying to control the inner-workings of the
glands in the brain that are the gatekeepers to restful sleep.
Melatonin
is a hormone that is critical in regulating the body’s sleep and wake
cycles. The production of this hormone by the pineal gland is affected by
light, which is why its levels peak during the night.
It’s
kind of a collection of chain links in the production of melatonin, and it
starts in the eyes. Light reaching the retina is passed along the nerves to the
hypothalamus, then on to the pineal gland. This impulse is what causes
the production of serotonin.
This
is why the sunlight on our reader’s face seemed to have so many benefits.
It naturally stimulates the production of a very critical chemical that the
body needs for peaceful function.
Serotonin,
as many people familiar with depression disorders are acutely familiar with
now, is responsible for mood, muscle recovery, sleep patterns, and other
processes. This hormone is then converted to melatonin in the body.
The
dance between these two chemicals is seen as a day/night partnership.
As
serotonin is used during the day, melatonin is created slowly until evening
time, and the melatonin starts its work. Melatonin works by making you
feel drowsy and it gently sooths your body into a natural sleep cycle.
When
there is an imbalance or a problem with one or both hormones, you see the
problems with sleep disorders such as insomnia.
Problems
can be as a result of something we do or don’t do, which is a controllable
environmental issue. Examples of this would be like I mentioned above…consuming
too much caffeine, drinking alcohol before bed, and even smoking. All
these behaviours introduce chemicals into the body that compete with melatonin.
Problems
can be also attributed to what we can’t control, such as the aging process.
Even the healthiest living people will see a reduction in the amount of
melatonin their bodies will produce. This is a natural deficiency that occurs
with many seniors.
Likewise,
not getting proper sleep can affect how well glands in the body function, such
as with the pineal gland not producing enough serotonin. Thus the cycle
begins to turn in a different direction and the dance of hormones becomes more
of a mosh pit.
Phototherapy,
as it is also called, has been used for many years to treat a variety of
conditions, and has a tremendous body of evidence to support its use in
treating the insomnia and depression that occurs as a result of these
deficiencies.
It
is administered first thing in the natural waking cycle, which, for most is
first thing in the morning. However, as with those who do shift work or are
stuck on a submarine for months at a time, it can be administered at any time
as long as it’s the same time each 24-hour cycle to simulate the normal
wake/sleep patterns of most people.
This
stimulates the natural production of serotonin, which leads to a natural use
and conversion to melatonin. Once the body has been treated in this way
for even just a few days, it has shown to be very effective at improving the
restful nature of a disrupted sleep pattern.
Therapy
can range from a few minutes in a tanning bed (not recommended due to UV
dangers) to portable lights that sit on the desktop to just a simple break in
the morning on a porch swing.
Desk
top lights range in the $150-$300 range but are widely available on the
Internet and are safer than UV-A and UV-B-packed tanning beds and
sunshine. They can also be used any time of year and the weather doesn’t
matter…just plug it in and sit for a few minutes.
However,
sunlight is a little more on the “free” side and while it depends largely upon
the season and also whether or not you are having clouds and rain, it can be
tremendously beneficial in stimulating the serotonin and also valuable vitamin
D.
For
more info on overcoming Insomnia naturally, see
my program today.
This post is from The
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