This blog is a continuation of the article originally published in Alternative Mental Health's latest newsletter. It's written by a brilliant, dear friend and fellow graduate of the US Military Academy, who has taught me, and continues to teach me, about the benefits of energy psychology.  If you've never heard of energy psychology, this powerful testimony is a great introduction. If you have any questions for the author, her email is posted at the end of the article, so please feel free to reach out to her. Thank you-  Dr. E
 
  Until recently, I struggled my entire life with symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Codependency. These symptoms were caused by childhood trauma and dysfunctional family dynamics. From the time I was a child, I experienced the following: chronic depression and anxiety, nightmares, hyper-vigilance, periodic insomnia, feeling “frozen” and detached, obsessive compulsive behaviors, self-injurious behavior, suicidal thoughts, inability to identify my own needs and feelings, feeling responsible for everyone else’s happiness, perfectionism, extreme criticism of myself, feelings that I would/should be punished if I didn’t do things a certain way, visual and auditory hallucinations, intense fears, and extreme emotional isolation. I especially felt I would be punished if I told anyone what I was experiencing. Starting in my teens, I numbed the negative feelings and nightmares using alcohol, nicotine, food, prescription painkillers, illegal drugs, adrenaline, and “love” (a long string of back-to-back codependent relationships.) I was addicted to approval: I believed I could find worthiness by making someone else happy or by doing something others deemed important. But it didn’t work. I walked an anxiety-inducing tightrope trying to balance my inner hell with a life that would look perfect on the outside. To outsiders I may have looked like an accomplished woman, graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point. But it didn’t matter how accomplished I became in school or in my career,  how well I did in sports, how much fun I had, how popular or respected I was, how pretty I was, how skinny I was, how religious I was, or how much I volunteered.  I still felt unworthy of love and happiness, and still wrestled with my internal demons. Seeking approval from everyone else drove me to compromise my ideals and neglect my own needs. This sent me deeper into the cycle of self-criticism, depression, anxiety, and addiction.

   In my late teens, my health began to decline. I was easily injured and constantly ill. I had four orthopedic surgeries by the time I was 22. I was on antibiotics regularly for chronic sinus problems. Starting at age 20, I experienced chronic pain in my hip, back, and neck. Eventually, I added fibromyalgia and migraines about 4 times a week. I took Percocet every day for 10 years to numb both my physical and emotional pain. I experienced stomach pain and Irritable Bowel Syndrome, which at one point left me at 85 pounds and attempting to keep enough food down to create breast milk for my infant daughter. I became allergic to several foods and suffered from painful itchy rashes all over my body.

    For my emotional symptoms, I tried different therapists for 15 years. I read psychology and self-help books nonstop. I attended religious services and prayed.  I attended support groups and 12-step groups. I volunteered with youth, hoping to give them the answers and encouragement that I didn’t have for myself. I attended seminars and retreats. I had ministers try to cast demons out of me. I tried various anti-depressant and anti-anxiety medications. Each was a learning experience in my journey, but nothing resolved the problem. The anti-depressant and anti-anxiety medication made me feel even more numb and out of touch with my feelings and needs, and I felt as if I had no conscience. I ended up staying on one medication years longer than I wanted to, because it caused electric-shock sensations in my body whenever I tried to taper off of it. My study of trauma eventually helped me understand my feelings and behaviors, but I felt powerless to change them!

   For my physical symptoms, I tried everything. I went the Western medical route:  surgeries, anti-inflammatory medication, allergy medicine, physical therapy, sleep aids, medication for stomach pain and slow food processing, pain killers, dozens of rounds of antibiotics, several emergency room visits, and more inconclusive medical tests than I can count. I tried the alternative route: chiropractic, massage, supplements, acupuncture, air quality machines, NAET allergy treatments, and cranio-sacral therapy. I tried strict diets: the IBS diet, the blood-type diet, the anti-candida diet, and finally a diet where I put nothing into my body but raw fruits and vegetables for a year. Each diet helped my pain and digestive problems for a little while, but after a few months the symptoms would return. I literally became allergic to whatever I ate. The traditional medical route got me nowhere; the alternative route provided temporary improvements. But it didn’t resolve the problems completely.

   Then I found Energy Psychology. A little over two years ago, I began seeing a new therapist recommended to me by my chiropractor– a licensed mental health counselor who believes in the connection between mind, body, energy, and emotions. In addition to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, she also treated me with guided visualizations and various Energy Psychology techniques.  With Energy Psychology, my food allergies were cleared in one session. I went from not being able to eat even the smallest amount of dairy to being able to eat pizza literally overnight.  After being treated for months by my holistic chiropractor (using NAET allergy treatments, which has worked many times for friends), my food allergies could not be healed until we resolved the underlying emotional issue. Despite my initial skepticism about the techniques my therapist used, I was quickly convinced on their potential through this initial experience. I was excited to address my other problems with it.

   Over the course of my Energy Psychology treatments, I continued to see a holistic chiropractor who looks for the underlying causes for imbalance in the body. We recognized that no matter how many times the chiropractor put my spine into alignment, it would move out of alignment until the underlying emotional issue had been resolved. The misalignment caused some of the pain I experienced. Using the Energy Psychology and chiropractic in tandem allowed me to clear the pain I had experienced for years. Other pains and illnesses seemed to be a direct result of “stuffed” emotions and as soon as they were cleared using Energy Psychology, the physical issue would resolve.  For instance, I used to pull muscles constantly in my left hip doing something as simple as walking down the street. I could not even lie on my left side for a decade due to the pain. X-rays and MRIs could never find a reason for this pain. Energy Psychology cleared this pain and tendency toward injury completely. Now I enjoy an active lifestyle again with no pain whatsoever, and I can sleep in any position I want.  I never would have guessed that my physical pain and illness were being caused by something that was not physical! No wonder those exploratory surgeries found nothing!

    Energy Psychology is sometimes known as acupuncture for your emotions, since it is based on the principle of releasing blocked energy from your acupuncture meridians. Many different Energy Psychology techniques exist and continue to develop. Just a few of these are Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT or Tapping), Neuro-Emotional Technique (NET), Thought Field Therapy (TFT), and Attractor Field Therapy (AFT). Some people also consider Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to be an Energy Psychology technique. I will give a brief explanation of one modality that we used that falls under the realm of Energy Psychology. First, the client identifies a problem he/she is having (a sensation in the body, an emotion, etc.) While the client focuses on that, the practitioner uses manual muscle testing to determine the original trauma (or experience) that caused that sensation/emotion. They will also find out if there were any earlier times that the client felt those same sensations/emotions and “round up” all the related experiences.  They will identify all emotions related to the experience, any associated limiting beliefs, and then find out where in the body those are being stored (which meridians are being affected). The client then places one hand on the acupuncture points associated with that meridian and the other hand on their forehead while he breathes deeply. He holds these points for a minute or two - until he feels a resolution. Manual muscle testing can also verify that the resolution has taken place. Other Energy Psychology techniques involve tapping or rubbing specific points on the body while speaking a phrase that keeps the client focused on the particular issue. While I held the acupuncture points to clear the trauma from my meridians, I often would see a scene taking place in my mind – almost a rewriting of the particular memory I was working with, or at least a scene of self-empathy and love amidst the trauma. Sometimes emotions would well up out of nowhere and I’d cry, but by the end of the process I would feel a release - peaceful and much lighter.

    One reason why Energy Psychology was so powerful for me is that I could remain in my completely emotionally disassociated state and my therapist was still able to access my subconscious through manual muscle testing.  As long as I could identify sensations in my body, we could clue in on those and then get answers from my subconscious about what events, emotions, and beliefs they related to. Regular talk therapy could never access my actual trauma and feelings that surrounded it, because it was too painful to access directly. My amazing mind and body had created a way to store the events and emotions that would have been too difficult for me to process as a child. These events and emotions were available to me to address and heal as an adult, but first I had to find a way to access them.  Previous therapists had tried to use EMDR with me. Each time, I felt terror and rage and could not continue. For some reason, it triggered my trauma and it was not the modality for me. That is why I was so glad to find a therapist with many different modalities in her toolkit so we could try different ones and see what was effective for me.

   After about 18 months of weekly Energy Psychology treatments, I no longer experienced any of the physical pain that had ruled my life for over 12 years. After 2 years, my Irritable Bowel Syndrome is about 95% resolved, and most of the time I can eat whatever I want. Best of all, my depression and anxiety are gone and I cannot remember the last time I felt the desire to harm or punish myself. The nightmares, night fears, and hallucinations are gone and I no longer feel the need to numb out from daily life. When I do get the occasional headache or stomach upset, it serves as a reminder to me to check in with my body and emotions and see what need of mine I’m not currently meeting. When I become aware of a limiting thought pattern or behavior in my life, I’m able to recognize it, have compassion for myself, and work through it with the various Energy Psychology and meditation tools I have learned. No shame or blame, just awareness and creating a better life for myself. I’m still learning how to express my feelings and needs, to recognize some of my limiting behavior patterns, and create balanced loving relationships in my life. But changing those things in the past seemed impossible due to the overwhelming anxiety and unmet childhood needs. I felt like I was just surviving and reacting. Now, I can rationally look at my life and make changes to myself, relationships, and situations that don’t meet my needs. I can allow other people to be responsible for their own feelings and not feel like I have to solve them.  I can create my life to be the life I want. I realize that I am not alone in my journey and I now enjoy connecting with other people who also believed they were alone!  I feel stable, loved by myself, joyful, and can laugh at my “imperfections”.  I never imagined my life could be this way! And I’m not finished with my journey by any means – I’m looking forward to even greater health and abundance in my future!

   Even though Energy Psychology has been a very powerful tool in my healing journey, I want to be clear that it is not a quick fix or cure-all; it is a process. Even with these powerful tools, a healing journey takes courage, discipline, perseverance, and a support system.  At times, my pain and other physical symptoms got worse as I worked through difficult emotions and memories. But I’m so glad I saw the process through until resolution! Also, I am not sure that I could have experienced all the benefits of Energy Psychology if it were not for my adoption of the practice of mindfulness. Mindfulness is a practice of observing one’s own emotions, bodily sensations, thoughts, and behaviors without judgment. By approaching the observation of ourselves with curiosity, openness, and acceptance, we can then awaken to a greater understanding of our own needs and compassion for ourselves. We can also then find areas we want to address with Energy Psychology or other therapy. But when we approach ourselves with judgment and shaming, we remain stuck in a cycle of abusive thoughts and addiction.  Energy Psychology, however, helped me release unhealthy beliefs, negative thought patterns, crippling emotions, illness, and physical pain. This allowed me to stay much more present in my body to practice mindfulness. So, the two have worked hand-in-hand.

    If you think an Energy Psychology technique might be helpful for you, please remember that a tool is only as good as the person using it. Not every practitioner is going to be a good fit for you, so shop around. Remember that when you go see a practitioner, you are interviewing them. Use your rational mind, your body sensations, and your intuition to help you decide if they are right for you. Ask a lot of questions. If someone asks for your blind allegiance or trust, I would see that as a red flag. In fact, I’ve found that my subconscious will not allow emotions to surface using Energy Psychology if I have not established a comfortable, safe relationship with the practitioner or if it is not a good time personally for me to deal with that specific issue. Find a practitioner who will take the time to explain everything they do with you, and answer your questions with respect, compassion and humility. Energy Psychology is not for everyone, and is not the answer to every problem. I have found it very helpful to hire practitioners who have a range of tools or they refer out when they realize that a specific issue might be resolved better by someone else. A good practitioner will use discretion in how much, how often, and how deeply to go during a session.  While my chiropractor introduced me to Energy Psychology, I found that a ten-minute session with her did not provide the depth and quality of support I needed; longer sessions with a mental health counselor were necessary for me. I am thankful she referred me out!  If addressing trauma, look for someone with a lot of experience and a license in mental health counseling. They will be able to better support you through times of facing trauma than those without a background in mental health.  If you’re not able to find that, perhaps create a team of practitioners – a mental health counselor who will support your work with an Energy Psychology practitioner. While resolution of all of my symptoms took almost 2 years, less complex traumas (created by single events) may take less time to resolve. As I mentioned earlier, my food allergies were resolved in one session!  For more information, or to find a practitioner, visit http://www.energypsych.org/ However, the list on this website is by no means a complete list of available practitioners.

   Operation Emotional Freedom is a documentary recently released showing the treatment and transformation of several combat veterans with PTSD being treated with one form of Energy Psychology. You can preview and download the documentary here: http://www.operation-emotionalfreedom.com Combat veterans can find a practitioner and qualify for free Energy Psychology treatment through this website: http://www.stressproject.org 

   I spent 15 years in and out of talk therapy, trying various medications, diets, and lifestyles in hopes to resolve (or run from) trauma and its related symptoms. Only Energy Psychology took the sting out of my trauma so that I could access it, accept it, release it, and move forward.  I can now make changes in my life with powerful results, whereas before I felt powerless to change.

   Energy Psychology holds immense power to help those who struggle with trauma-related symptoms, anxiety, phobias, depression, and even those who simply feel held back by limiting beliefs, habits, and emotions. It has been invaluable in my life, and I hope this message reaches someone else who can benefit from this powerful tool. Blessings to you in your healing journey!

   “Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.” ~Helen Keller 

    Please send any questions to maryhaskell24@gmail.com

   

   Happy belated Easter and/or Passover or happy day off! Whatever it is you celebrate, I hope it's a happy celebration.  I've been AWOL from blogging, and a lot of that is because I was super busy, but also because my cat, AWOL, was very sick.  Thankfully, she's doing much better now, and we are both now taking the same supplement. I will post her Xray in the next blog, explaining our common ailment and treatment, but for now I'm just happy she's feeling better.  She's my precious, delightful, personal form of pet therapy, and I'm not quite sure what I'd do without her.  Pet therapy doesn't have to entail fancy training, a doctor's note or a special vest for your special pet.  It can be as simple as enjoying the unerring loyalty, joy and affection of a constant furry companion. It can be laughing at their daily behaviors and habits or the fitness benefits of playing with them or walking them- - you know, the simple, little stuff that always ends up mattering more than the big stuff. :)  

   Research shows people with pets are happier and healthier.  This article, from Live Science, shows pet owners are more fit, report higher levels of self esteem, are less preoccupied and less lonely.  Here's a recent study out of Stanford Medical Center showing owning a pet ( particularly a dog) reduces blood pressure, lowers triglycerides, improves our emotional state and improves our autonomic response and endothelial function which leads to a lower risk of dangerous, cardiovascular events.  Here's an interesting study out of The University of Melbourne, Australia, showing pet owners have fewer visits to the doctor, fewer hospitalizations, are healthier, and because of that could reduce healthcare costs by 790 million to 1.5 billion dollars.  Who knew adopting a pet from your local shelter could improve your health significantly and, if enough people do it, put a huge dent in the healthcare budget?  The Psychiatric Service Dog Assocation is a nonprofit, peer-run organization that teaches people with mental illnesses how pets ( mostly dogs) can help them in tremendous ways.  I interviewed the organization for the Alternative Mental Health newsletter, and will publish that interview soon, but in the meantime, check out their site for information on how one can train an animal to help with depression, anxiety, phobias and even as reminders to take important medications.  Finally, one of my favorite studies is this one, specifically the research conducted in Japan, that showed making eye contact with a pet increases levels of oxytocin in the pet owner.  Oxytocin is considered the trust and attachment hormone. It creates feelings of calmness, trust, wellbeing and is one of the hormones secreted at higher levels when people fall in love.  That's beautiful. :)  

     Obviously, some people aren't "animal people", and that's okay. If those types of people adopt a pet, their blood pressures will probably go up, not down. ;)  Pets aren't for everyone and sometimes, depending on their health issues, they are a huge expense for people, which will only create more stress.  I'm a big animal person, but my dad is also a veterinarian, so I was raised to be one and didn't have to spend money on veterinary bills. My first pet was a hemophiliac dog, Hemor, who my dad would transfuse right on our dining room table. When Hemor got a bleed, there was blood all over our house, and our friends and families would compassionately bring over their dogs to donate blood for him. If my dad wasn't a veterinarian and if the dining room table wasn't a suitable operating table, Hemor's medical bills would have been...stress-inducing, to say the least. 

   Sometimes a person's living situation, such as a too-small apartment, ridiculous work schedule or pet-unfriendly roommates, makes it impossible to own a pet.  If you're an animal person in that situation, you can still get pet therapy!  Visit a shelter, as playing with them for even 5 minutes brightens their day. Visit a pet store, offer to watch, play with or walk a friend's pet, or even create your own pet-sitting or dog-walking business on the side. When I was studying for my medical board exam in New York City, I took a side job running dogs throughout Manhattan, about 3-4 hours a day. It was awesome and necessary for my physical and mental health and stress-relief. Jake, the golden retriever, Dublin, the jack russell terrier, Wep, the Pharaoh's hound, Ava and Ghita, the pitbulls, Ginger, the poodle...- all of them helped me pass my boards and maintain my sanity. I could honestly say I walked them for me as much as it was for them. ;) 

    Of course, there are therapy dogs that require a lot more, specialized training than the types of dogs I mentioned above. For example, there are dogs that are trained to sense and respond to seizure activity in epileptics, the seeing eye dogs and dogs for sensing hypoglycemia in severe diabetics.  Those dogs cost a lot of money to train.  Recently, I went to a Zumbathon charity event to raise money for Jayden, a 8 year old, severe Type 1 diabetic boy, whose family is raising money to train and take care of Rocky, a lab puppy that will be his therapy dog.  Rocky can sense when Jayden's sugar falls too low, and he does this through his keen sense of smell.  When our sugar crashes, our bodies start utilizing ketones, molecules released from fat, and there's a specific smell to ketones that Rocky can pick up before a human nose, and as a result, hopefully save Jayden's life.  I truly LOVED the Zumbathon- and by the way, what a great idea to raise money for a worthy cause!  They are so much fun, healthy and just one, giant dance party.  ( What I'm really trying to say is if you decide to hold a zumbathon invite me.  I'm slightly addicted to them now, and besides that, I promise to bring the heat!! ;) )    

Here's a picture of Jayden and Rocky dancing together at the party. ;)   

     



 

How cute is this??!!  :)   I'm hopeful his family continues to raise enough money for Jayden and Rocky.  Jayden truly needs him. 



P.S.  Whether you celebrate the resurrection of Jesus or not yesterday, I wanted to post one of my favorite poems that touches on the concepts of life and death.  ( Wait, a poet with a penchant for morbidity? No such thing! ;) ) No, really, it's a good poem, and every Easter I'm reminded of it, since death and dying creates soooo much anxiety and fear in people. There's even a name now for reading certain things that help ease us in some way: it's called "bibliotherapy," which might sound ridiculous and pointless, but a lot of things we do or should be doing as humans have fallen under various types of New Agey therapies.  Either way, reading poetry born first in great minds has always been a kind of therapy for me....

  So, here it is. It's called "No Coward Soul is Mine" by Emily Bronte.


No coward soul is mine,
No trembler in the world's storm-troubled sphere:
I see Heaven's glories shine,
And faith shines equal, arming me from fear.

O God within my breast,
Almighty, ever-present Deity!
Life--that in me has rest,
As I--undying Life--have power in thee!

Vain are the thousand creeds
That move men's hearts: unutterably vain;
Worthless as withered weeds,
Or idlest froth amid the boundless main

To waken doubt in one
Holding so fast by thine infinity;
So surely anchored on
The stedfast rock of immortality.

With wide-embracing love
Thy spirit animates eternal years,
Pervades and broods above,
Changes, sustains, dissolves, creates, and rears

Though earth and man were gone,
And suns and universes ceased to be,
And Thou were left alone,
Every existence would exist in Thee.

There is not room for Death,
Nor atom that his might could render void:
Thou--THOU art Being and Breath,
And what THOU art may never be destroyed


With Love,

E :)