We help people calm down their nervous system and improve their quality of life.
Your brain is powerful - left unchecked, it can wreak havoc on your body.
I have a friend who loves to hike, but she has an ongoing fear of crossing paths with a bear. If this were to happen, her brain would activate the fight-or-flight response. This would cause a number of things to occur in her body, all designed to help her survive such a situation.
What's troubling is, my friend thinks about this bear scenario a lot...and, it usually makes her breathe faster, it causes her heart to race, and it makes her muscles tense. It's even been known to keep her up at night.
Why does this happen?
Because her brain doesn't distinguish between thinking about being attacked by a bear and actually being attacked by a bear. It perceives both as a threat.
Of course, most of us don't spend a lot of time thinking about being attacked by a bear. We do, however, spend a lot of time thinking about other things that aren't happening. Whether we call it "a runaway mind" or being lost in thought, all of us frequently have our attention hijacked by imaginary scenarios running through our heads.
We also spend a lot of time
In short, we spend a lot of time caught up in mental activity. It's so prevalent, we usually aren't aware it's happening - it's just become our "normal state of being." Unfortunately, our brains often perceive mental activity to be a threat, so they are constantly responding to it in an attempt to protect us.
How do they respond?
The most common way is by causing pain, whether it's chronic in one area or sporadically moving around to different parts of the body. It's important to note that, when we talk about the brain causing pain, we aren't saying the pain is imaginary or that it's "all in your head." On the contrary, the pain is absolutely real. But, instead of being the result of an injury or structural abnormality, it's the result of your brain responding to mental activity it perceives as a threat.
Another common way our brains respond is by causing sleep problems, whether in the form of insomnia or poor sleep quality (i.e., a lack of REM or deep sleep). Recent studies show that well over half the population struggles with sleep, and going through your waking hours feeling like a zombie has a detrimental effect on almost every aspect of your existence.
(Related to sleep, we have a lot of people come to us suffering from sleep apnea. Most pursue CPAP therapy to treat the condition. But, many still don't get quality sleep: even though their CPAP machine is helping treat their sleep apnea, it doesn't address their brain responding to mental activity it perceives as a threat.)
Your brain's responses aren't just limited to pain and sleep. Every week we help people with
What's troubling is, my friend thinks about this bear scenario a lot...and, it usually makes her breathe faster, it causes her heart to race, and it makes her muscles tense. It's even been known to keep her up at night.
Why does this happen?
Because her brain doesn't distinguish between thinking about being attacked by a bear and actually being attacked by a bear. It perceives both as a threat.
Of course, most of us don't spend a lot of time thinking about being attacked by a bear. We do, however, spend a lot of time thinking about other things that aren't happening. Whether we call it "a runaway mind" or being lost in thought, all of us frequently have our attention hijacked by imaginary scenarios running through our heads.
We also spend a lot of time
- dwelling on the past and ruminating about the future
- wishing for things to be different than they are
- distracting ourselves from whatever makes us uncomfortable, including emotions and things we don't want to acknowledge or accept
In short, we spend a lot of time caught up in mental activity. It's so prevalent, we usually aren't aware it's happening - it's just become our "normal state of being." Unfortunately, our brains often perceive mental activity to be a threat, so they are constantly responding to it in an attempt to protect us.
How do they respond?
The most common way is by causing pain, whether it's chronic in one area or sporadically moving around to different parts of the body. It's important to note that, when we talk about the brain causing pain, we aren't saying the pain is imaginary or that it's "all in your head." On the contrary, the pain is absolutely real. But, instead of being the result of an injury or structural abnormality, it's the result of your brain responding to mental activity it perceives as a threat.
Another common way our brains respond is by causing sleep problems, whether in the form of insomnia or poor sleep quality (i.e., a lack of REM or deep sleep). Recent studies show that well over half the population struggles with sleep, and going through your waking hours feeling like a zombie has a detrimental effect on almost every aspect of your existence.
(Related to sleep, we have a lot of people come to us suffering from sleep apnea. Most pursue CPAP therapy to treat the condition. But, many still don't get quality sleep: even though their CPAP machine is helping treat their sleep apnea, it doesn't address their brain responding to mental activity it perceives as a threat.)
Your brain's responses aren't just limited to pain and sleep. Every week we help people with
- gastrointestinal disorders (IBS, acid reflux, digestive issues, etc.)
- issues with their skin and complexion
- TMJ and teeth grinding (bruxism)
- vertigo
- heart palpitations
- breathing challenges
- fatigue
- migraines
- chronic cough and sinusitis
- anxiety and anxiety disorders
- and more...most people actually have multiple "symptoms"
The bottom line is, your brain can cause A LOT of problems. But, we usually attribute those problems to something else: an old injury, a structural abnormality, a deficiency of some nutrient in the body, sleep apnea - even after it's treated, a "mysterious ailment" that's never properly diagnosed, and on and on. This misconception keeps us stuck on a wheel of suffering, hoping the next doctor or treatment will provide relief.
You might know what we're describing by different names, including Tension Myoneural Syndrome or Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS), Psychophysiologic Disorders (PPD), and mindbody symptoms. We are more straightforward, calling it (you guessed it!) "your brain responding to mental activity it perceives as a threat."
Many people are already familiar with the general concept. But, even if this is the first time you're reading about it, you probably understand it more than you realize. For example,
All of these things are your brain responding to mental activity it perceives as a threat. If you understand it, you can learn to stop it...and, dramatically improve your quality of life.
When it comes to "stopping it" - to getting better - there's good news:
There's nothing inherently wrong with videos, podcasts, and support groups - but, there is a fine line between getting help and having that "help" intensify, prolong, and enable your problems.
People often confuse consuming information with getting better, and they get lost in complex treatments that drag on and on. The end result is their situation doesn't improve. Or, just as likely, their situation gets worse.
The brain responds best to simple, direct instructions, and that's exactly what we teach. Our goal is to get you on the path to "getting better" as quickly as possible - that means hours and days, not months or years. Of course, you have to do your part; you have to put in the time and effort. But, if you do, there's a good chance you'll see results quickly, even if you've previously been working on your problems without a lot of success.
James Richards, Phoenix, Arizona:
You might know what we're describing by different names, including Tension Myoneural Syndrome or Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS), Psychophysiologic Disorders (PPD), and mindbody symptoms. We are more straightforward, calling it (you guessed it!) "your brain responding to mental activity it perceives as a threat."
Many people are already familiar with the general concept. But, even if this is the first time you're reading about it, you probably understand it more than you realize. For example,
- Have you ever had a tension headache?
- Have you ever had a dry mouth or broken out in a sweat when you're under pressure, or before doing something that makes you uncomfortable (like a meeting, a presentation...or a date)? What about a stiff neck or tight muscles? What about problems breathing or your heart beating fast? What about a rash, hives, or a sudden breakout of acne?
- Does a massage feel good because you "carry around stress in your back and shoulders?"
- Has there ever been something you worried about so much that you made yourself sick?
All of these things are your brain responding to mental activity it perceives as a threat. If you understand it, you can learn to stop it...and, dramatically improve your quality of life.
When it comes to "stopping it" - to getting better - there's good news:
- You don't need a 30, 60, or 90-day course.
- You don't need to watch dozens of videos, listen to podcasts, or join a support group and attend weekly meetings.
- You don't need endless amounts of therapy.
There's nothing inherently wrong with videos, podcasts, and support groups - but, there is a fine line between getting help and having that "help" intensify, prolong, and enable your problems.
People often confuse consuming information with getting better, and they get lost in complex treatments that drag on and on. The end result is their situation doesn't improve. Or, just as likely, their situation gets worse.
The brain responds best to simple, direct instructions, and that's exactly what we teach. Our goal is to get you on the path to "getting better" as quickly as possible - that means hours and days, not months or years. Of course, you have to do your part; you have to put in the time and effort. But, if you do, there's a good chance you'll see results quickly, even if you've previously been working on your problems without a lot of success.
James Richards, Phoenix, Arizona:
For almost 20 years, I had debilitating pain in my neck, shoulder, and lower back. Physical therapy and prescription meds didn't help, and surgery was being pushed on me. I also had chronic headaches, sleep problems, and issues with my stomach, but I had no clue it was all related until your program. You helped me get free of everything, and avoid unnecessary surgery and drugs. If anyone is struggling with problems similar to mine, I encourage you to read 'Instruct your brain' and do what it says. It changed my life, and I'm forever grateful.
Susan Cooper, Dallas, Texas:
The most helpful resource I've encountered by far. I've been dealing with TMS-type symptoms for almost three decades, and 'Instruct your brain' allowed me to bring most of them to an end (I'm still working on a few, but I'm confident in the outcome!). Thank you for giving me my life back!
Do you want to calm down your nervous system and improve your quality of life? Click here to look over the details of our self-study program and see if it's right for you.
