It’s amazing how, nearly every morning when I rise, my thoughts sprint off like wild horses. Usually the pain in my body and fatigue in my limbs obliges them to head towards a negative horizon, and unless I stop to rein them in, their legs move faster until I am plummeted into a full downward spiral of pessimism.
Being short on biochemicals and long on symptoms propels my wild mind into places I’d rather it not go, but knowing that my healing is dependent upon me taking control of those thoughts is a strong incentive to not just allow them to dash off to whatever Hell they intend to drag me into. A depressed, worried, anxious mind cannot exist in a healthy body. I know I must fix the former in order to attain the latter.
But here’s the tricky thing. I don’t think that as Lyme disease sufferers, we can always rein in our thoughts at will. The brain is just too much of a mess. Sometimes you just want to smack the well-intentioned soul who sings, “Just think positive!”
Of course, rearranging our attitude is possible to varying degrees, and is made possible not only by our own volition, but also by divine revelation and the therapies which have been given to us to fix the damage caused by Borrelia and other sources of emotional trauma.
Counseling is a helpful first approach for teaching us to recognize harmful patterns of thought and behavior, but to get that knowledge past the staunch conscious mind and into the subconscious, where it can effectuate changes in the body, may require further assistance.
IRT, Immune Response Therapy, is one therapy designed to do this. If ever there existed a strategy to re-wire the subconscious and enable the mind to get a grip on its squirrely negative thought patterns, this is it. Visit: www.lymefree.com for more information.
Binaural beat CD’s can also help, as these utilize sounds to alter brain wave patterns and reorganize the mind in such a manner that the user is enabled to react more positively to stressors. Check out: www.centerpointeinstitute.com
Also, check out NET (Neural Emotional Technique) or Bowen, for bodywork strategies that will release emotional trauma from the tissues. These are physiological approaches that don’t involve any sort of cognitive therapy.
Finally, make it a daily practice to spend time in prayer, meditation and/or doing visualization exercises. First thing in the morning is ideal, before your thoughts have a chance to dash off towards some mad horizon. Receiving words of wisdom from God, practicing techniques such as EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique, www.mercola.com) as you repeat positive affirmations, and envisioning a body of health with your mind’s eye are a few techniques you can perform to help re-direct your mind towards right thinking.
A plethora of solutions exist. You may find that engaging in fun activities, helping a friend with a project, or spending time out in the sunshine are likewise effective. The important thing is to do something to keep the mind trotting along at a happy, or at least, neutral, pace. Don’t let it run off into the darkness. At all costs, remain in the light, for the sake of your health.