You’ve tried everything – supplements, protocols, diets, lifestyle changes. You installed a water filter, you ground, you’ve given liters of body fluids for laboratory testing, you’ve written volumes charting your symptoms and the possible causes, your medicine cabinet looks like a health food store – why can’t you get better?
The problem may lie in your autonomic nervous system (ANS). Your ANS controls involuntary body functions, such as goose bumps, pupil dilation, etc. It is the system that shifts between sympathetic (fight/flight/freeze) and parasympathetic (rest/digest/repair). After a trauma, stress, or illness and especially if that trauma, stress or illness is prolonged, the brain and the body can hold the impact or imprint of that for years. The brain can start to perceive everything as a threat, which can show up as anxiety, chronic pain, mast cell activation syndrome, chronic GI symptoms, palpitations, Lyme, mold, and much more.
Thankfully, there are programs that can help! Below are a few of the multitude of programs available to help you on your journey to ANS regulation:
Dr. Cathleen King developed Primal Trust after her own battle with Lyme and chronic illness. “Primal Trust’s transformative approach encompasses brain retraining, holistic nervous system regulation, somatic practices, vagus nerve healing, and true self-discovery. You will learn to consciously self-regulate your biology and heal from chronic symptoms to unlock a new chapter of well-being and empowerment.” https://www.primaltrust.org Primal Trust’s program is a bit different from the others listed because it has an online community which includes live weekly classes and interactive sessions, as well as a huge video library.
Annie Hopper developed the Dynamic Neural Retraining System (DNRS) out of her own personal trauma and illness journey. “DNRS is a drug-free, self-directed program that uses the principles of neuroplasticity to help reverse limbic system impairment in the brain, and to regulate a maladapted stress response involved with many chronic illnesses. The program incorporates both top-down (brain to body) and bottom-up (body to brain) processing strategies to heal the brain and body.” https://retrainingthebrain.com
Dr. Ashok Gupta also turned his own personal medical challenges into Gupta Program Brain Retraining, “a powerful revolutionary Neuroplasticity, Somatic Retraining, & Nervous System Regulation Program for Chronic Conditions, including Long Covid.” https://guptaprogram.com/home-2/
Alex Howard created the RESET program, “a self-paced course that gives you the practical tools and techniques you need in order to reset your nervous system, switch off maladaptive stress response and transform your life.” https://www.alexhoward.com/decodeyourfatigue/reset
If you’ve tried any of these programs, we’d love to hear about your experience with them!