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Come to the calm of a well functioning brain.

Pot...

8/12/2020

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I found an article in The Atlantic about America's Invisible Pot Addicts.  It is well written.  I usually loose people on this subject.  I have a personal interest because of my family and some of my friends.  So please bear with me.
  • The majority of people do not use cannabis daily or near daily.  They do not have a psychological addiction to the substance.
  • However, legalization, lower risk perception, lack of concentration, short-term memory problems and lack of motivation are real.
  • Ziva Cooper from the University of Columbia in the neuro-biology department wants people to know that some of the concentrates can contain 90% THC.
  • There is a withdrawal time involved with heavy use.
  • It can form neural plaque in the brain.  This means that the brain slows down and does not function as well.
  • I personally have seen people become less motivated to interact with others and get out of the house.
  • I have also seen big problems with the lungs. 
LENS can help with coping.  It helps the brain to relax.  It will save you money in the long run.
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Good Communication ideas......

8/4/2020

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I just read an article in The Guardian.  It is about communication again.  The article is about a couple from Wales that has learned how to communicate with terrorists and teenagers.  The whole premise of these way of communication is that we need to get our ego out of the way.  We need to learn to understand that the person that we are trying to communicate with needs to know that we are not trying to put them in a one down position.  As we know, we feel that way when we are in a position of trying to communicate with someone that is perceived as having more authority.  We learn in the movies that it is intimidation that rules the day, but in real life that is not the way that it works.
So here are some animal communication styles that we tend to go to:
  • The T-Rex is frank and forthright, but can become sarcastic and unfriendly.
  • The Lion sets the agenda and acts confidently, but can be demanding, dogmatic and rigid.
  • The monkey is social, warm and friendly, but can become over familiar.
  • The mouse is modest and humble, but will avoid conflict and become disengaged and needs tight structure.
It is important to know your style and how the other person is responding to get to a place of understanding.  Get to know yourself.

I know that I like my job using the LENS neurofeedback system,  I hope that I can help.
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Electroconvulsive therapy......

8/3/2020

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I just read an article about ECT or electoconvulsive therapy in Psychology Today.  We have been using this form of therapy for the last 80 years.  According this this article this form of therapy should be stopped immediately until further research has been conducted.  Dr. John Read from the UK published in Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry their analysis of the 11 studies that have been conducted on ECT.  All of the studies were done before 1985 and in a poor manner.  There is opposition to this study saying that it has saved lives and helped with depression.  The authors of this paper could find not evidence to support these statements.  ECT does cause memory loss and impaired thinking.  Perhaps that is why the patient is seen as improved.  I have had my concerns about this form of therapy.   It is very strong and debilitating.  

LENS by contrast is a gentle effective treatment that shows significant improvement with depression and anxiety.  If you know of anyone that is having trouble please send them my way.

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Nonviolent Communication......

7/29/2020

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Follow these 4 basic steps outlined by Dr Marshall Rosenberg, founder and director of educational services for The Center for Nonviolent Communication, to practice NVC:
  1. Observe the situation objectively. ...
  2. State how the observation is making you feel. ...
  3. Connect with a need. ... an internal observation
  4. Make a request
  5. I am concerned with the amount of problems that people are having with basic communication.  Nonviolent Communication has researched and found a way to work through good communication.  There seems to be too many unmet needs between people and organizations.  We need to be the ones that are taking responsibility with how we are feeling, our emotions and what we need.                                     Anger is just trying to tell us that we need something, perhaps from someone.  We have to learn to be able to process these emotions, and what the needs are behind these emotions, and not create problems.  If we lash out, we know that our needs are not being met.
LENS helps to calm the mind and brain so we can become the creators of our life.




















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The reason that we have anger....

7/27/2020

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I have a good deal of admiration for the late Marshall B. Rosenberg.  He created a system of communication that works.  It is called Nonviolent Communication.
  • Most of us live with the idea that anger is supposed to be suppressed.....Wrong
  • Anger is a gift that challenges us to connect to the unmet needs that have triggered this reaction.
  • If we sit on it, we can become sick or lash out.
  • We can learn to make judgment free observations.
  • We can get clear about our feelings and needs.
  • We can make clear requests.
  •  We can support life-enriching connections .
  • We can have a healthy response to anger and live from our hearts.

LENS can help us to be able to be clear about what we need, without all of the old triggers.  Join me.
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July 22nd, 2020

7/22/2020

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What if we can learn that the undesirable or bad emotions are something that we can feel?  That they do not need to be medicated away.  What if we learned that mental health is not the absence of mental pain?  What if we can learn to have a meaningful, bumpy life. 
Please understand that some people do need help with debilitating emotional states of anxiety, depression, etc.
Anxiety is our perception that bad stuff will happen, but how are we going to handle it?
Brene Brown praises vulnerability, struggle and adversity.  She teaches that hope is what we learn from struggle.
Thich Nhat Hanh teaches that the lotus flower cannot bloom without the mud.
Kelly Mcgonigal a Health Psychologist at Stanford studies how we can learn that the stress response is good.  Oh, my heart rate is going up, that means that I am ready for this challenge.
This is stuff that gives me the good juice.

LENS helps with the reactive process.  It calms the brain down.  It helps with taking a step back
.
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Loneliness is a problem....

7/17/2020

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It looks as though we are heading into some more isolation.  When we are alone the brain stays in a state of alert.  I know that mine has.  This creates a multitude of problems.
  • It creates wear and tear on the body I have been working with a exercise person.  Boy, I did not realize how out of shape I was. 
  • The body creates more cortisol and norepinephrine.  These are our stress hormones or natural drugs.  They also run around in your brain.
  • These things can create sleeplessness, weight gain, and anxiety.
  • NASA has been studying these affects on the astronauts.  They exhibit reduced cognition.
  • Some ways to cope include, keeping focused on what you have to do, journal, and get a hobby.

LENS can help you to feel better.  It calms you down and helps you to focus
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Understanding others.......

7/6/2020

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Would you like to learn a few tricks about how to get a good conversation going, even if your feeling anger or frustration at the time.

First of all don't assume that you know the other persons intent.
  • Ask questions to clarify what the other person was trying to express.
Learn to understand the other person's situation.
  • Where was the person coming from?
  • Why did they feel that their actions where appropriate at the time.
Explain why the conversation matters.
  • Why is this important?
There seems to be a good deal of reactivity going on with people.  We need to find other ways to communicate that involves the higher thinking centers of the brain.  When we are angry or frustrated, the conversation can wait until everyone is calmed down.  The lower brain center just wants to keep us protected and does not understand how to create better relationships. 

Give LENS a try.  It helps with depression, anxiety and the need to fight back.
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Comfort.....

6/24/2020

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I just read an article about illusions in Vox. https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/20978285/optical-illusion-science-humility-reality-polarization.  Neuroscience is studying how we perceive the world and our bias.  Our reality can be viewed on many different levels.  But is this reality the same for all involved.  We have all been raised in different environments and have different preferences.  We can all see things in a different way.  I believe that the trick is to check in with the other person to see if what they are seeing, feeling and understanding can parallel with our understanding, seeing and feeling.
I just spent the morning with a dear friend.  She came to help me clean out some hazardous waste.  We had to drive to another part of town, about an hour away.  We are people that perceive the world in very different ways.  She is very organized, everything is stripped down and she cooks on a certain day.  I have a haphazard way of approaching life.  My house can always use some more organization.  I cook when the mood strikes me.  My clothes are varied and sometimes frilly.  Yet, I find great comfort being with her.  Her generosity is beautiful, she is intelligent and gifted.  I sincerely appreciate her willingness to help me.  We research how we perceive the world and enjoy the differences.

LENS can help you with anxiety, depression and whatever else is getting you off centered
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Anxiety...What to do?????

6/23/2020

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Anxiety can relate to
  • fear
  • restlessness
  • inability to focus
  • hard to fall asleep
  • getting easily irritated
  • makes it hard to talk to others
  • makes you feel like your constantly being judged
  • stuttering
  • sweating
  • blushing
  • upset stomach
  • panic attack
All of this can lead to health conditions that are hard to control.

The people at the University of Cambridge have some ideas.
  • First, "Do it badly.  This speeds up the decision making and gets you into action.
  • Don't wait for the perfect time or to do it perfectly.
  • Forgive yourself.  If you had a friend that kept criticizing you, would you keep them around?  Become aware of your inner critic.
  • Help others.  This helps you get out of your downward spiral.  Find a child or older person that could use some help.
LENS helps to get your brain in the calm and cool area of life.
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    Author

    Hello, my name is Dana Lee Collins M.A.,L.P.C.  I am a psychotherapist that has been trained in the art of neurofeedback.  This science helps to heal the brain of trauma.  I am dedicated to helping people heal.

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