How to Enhance 12 Step Recovery Using Energy Psychology Techniques Gloria Arenson, LMFT, DCEP 18th ANNUAL ENERGY PSYCHOLOGY CONFERENCE HYATT REGENCY SANTA CLARA, CA JUNE 2-5, 2016
Craving and the Brain Science reveals that many people with weight problems often have fewer dopamine receptors in the brain. Dopamine is a chemical that is part of the pleasure circuit in the brain. People with this problem have a harder time coping with stress. Therefore, they instinctively turn to activities and behaviors that stimulate the production of additional dopamine in order to feel better. Eating Carbohydrates stimulates dopamine production. They crave carbohydrates. Hunger caused by low calorie diets, deprivation and feelings of anxiety cause stress. The longing for relief from stress, whether physical or emotional, creates craving. The craving is directed toward anything that will raise dopamine or anything associated with the anticipation of feeling good/pleasure. That is why dieters usually choose cookies over celery and carrots when they feel a craving. But the relief of craving is temporary and is followed by the return of the physical or emotional stress. The stressful situation continues and the craving returns. Compulsive people often turn to other activities or substances that make them feel good like; cigarettes, caffeine, or spending. Another reason the cycle keeps going is that intense or prolonged stress lowers the serotonin in the brain. Serotonin creates a feeling of satiation/satisfaction that ends the craving cycle. Compulsive eaters, drug users, alcoholics, spenders, etc keep reacting to the urges that will raise the dopamine and bring pleasure. The feeling of "gotta have it" doesn't stop until the serotonin rises enough to offset the dopamine. Unfortunately, the brain does not have a system that automatically raises serotonin. At this time no drug seems to be able to stop cravings. The way to end craving cycles is for you to learn how to balance the dopamine and serotonin in your brain. It has been proved that these activities are able to raise serotonin: Meditation Neurofeedbackl Biofeedback Meridian stimulation by tapping or pressing on acupoints Acupuncture Everyone experiences stress in their lives, however I call the kind of stress that causes the most problems, Super Stress. Super Stress occurs when you are plagued by a situation or relationship and feel powerless to change it. "Ain't it awful and there's nothing I can do about it," leads to great turmoil and overeating. Stress reduction is mandatory to balance the brain. Ways to deal with life issues that create Super Stress are: 12 Step or support groups,
Psychotherapy (especially Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) Energy modalities.
EFT Daily Workout Start the day with this brief exercise and you will feel better all day. Part One: Physical Well-being Do the Breath Stress Test. Take a deep breath and rate how deep and satisfying it is from 1-10 with 10 being the best. If it is less than 10 perform the EFT Tapping until you are breathing deeply. You have just eliminated general STRESS. Are you feeling any physical discomfort? Perform the EFT Tapping for any symptom that is bothering you: pain, queasy stomach, congestion, lack of energy, etc until you feel better. * Part Two: Immediate Problems What issues or problems are bothering you right now? The number will vary from day to day. Choose one, and rate how much it is upsetting you on a scale of 0-10 with 10 being the worst. Perform the EFT Tapping until your level of distress is zero or neutral. Then go on to the next problem. Continue until you feel resolved about all of the items you started with. Part Three: Long Term Problems Long term or chronic problems such as depression, addiction, sleep disorders, compulsive behaviors or anxiety about troublesome relationships may require daily tapping.* Think about the Long Term problem. Perform the EFT Tapping. Tap for one minute (3 rounds). It is most helpful to perform the EFT Tapping for one minute as often as possible throughout the day for these problems. I recommend that you purchase an inexpensive watch that chimes on the hour. Each time it signals you can give yourself a one-minute meridian therapy treatment. * (Do not stop taking medication or seeing your physician for certain conditions).
Clear Out the Wreckage of Your Life WHO? Parents, Grandparents, Step Parents, Foster Parents? etc. Brothers, Sisters? Spouses, ex-spouses Lovers, ex-lovers Other relatives? Friends Co-workers and bosses Specific Teachers, Ministers, Doctors, Dentists, Lawyers, etc. Other Authority figures? Groups of People such as: The Government, The Church, The Medical Establishment, The Police, The Schools, The Armed Forces, Clubs and organizations, etc. People who: cut me off on the freeway, lie, cheat, steal, let their dog poop on my lawn, etc. Any other people WHAT? Traumas: Put a star next to the 3 worst things that have ever happened to you. Events: War, natural disaster, death of a parent, job loss, divorce Specific fears Addictions, Compulsions, Bad habits Accidents Physical Problems Illnesses, allergies or Conditions Surgeries Since you may be working with a Coach or you may be a Coach for a friend, relative or client please assure the other person that they do not have to even tell you the name of someone on their list. It is OK to use a first name, initials or even say woman 1, woman 2. Confidentiality is very helpful for many people, especially if you are working with a friend or family member and know the same people. Once that is completed, the next task is to read through all the Negative Core Beliefs on that worksheet and put a check mark next to each one that you think is at work in your life today. Here is the list that you will be working with. Whenever you use the Phoenix Effect Process have your completed list of who and what upsets you, your list of negative beliefs and your list of emotions in front of you.
The Phoenix Effect Process at a Glance 1. Focus on who or what is bothering you. If it is a person, get in touch with his or her negative traits. As you do, rate how upset you feel on a scale of zero to ten with ten being the most intense and zero meaning that you are neutral (no negative charge). 2. When you think of this who or what, how does it make you feel? Answer with an emotion. You may have more than one. List all of them. 3. Focus on one of the negative emotions from #2 and get a mental image/symbol for it. Let me know when you have it in mind. Close your eyes and watch as the image gets bigger and bigger until it stops growing. Don't try to make it larger, just allow it to grow. 4. Now watch as it grows smaller and smaller. Open your eyes when it has disappeared completely. Don't try to shrink it. Just watch it. 5. If there is more than one emotion in #2 do steps #3 and #4 for each one. 6. Focus on the who or what from #1. What is that like now? If you are not at zero and do not feel neutral, there may be another emotion involved that needs to be treated. Go back to the emotions list and see if there is anything else. If so, treat that. 7. Follow these instructions for all the people, events, beliefs and things that bother you until you no longer have a negative reaction. HINTS FOR PEP SUCCESS A symbol or image may pop into your head as soon as you think of the negative emotion. If it doesn't it is OK to create an image. It can be anything that has a color, shape and size. Do not try to force the image to grow bigger or smaller or you will not get a -*good result. Often the image takes a while longer to disappear than it did to grow. Please relax and be patient! As the image gets smaller it may transform into something else instead of disappearing completely. If it changes into something that is negative, go back to the original image or create a new one and do the process again.