Dynamic Healing with David Hanscom MD and Les Aria PhD

 Perfection is often held up as a virtue by our families, peers, society. It is actually a deadly neurological trick and a cognitive distortion, which steadily wears us down. Perfectionism is much different than a “vision of excellence”, which has the energy of accurately assessing your strengths and weaknesses, creating a vision of where you want to go, and figuring out the steps to get there.Perfectionism is a self-critical voice of “not good enough.” It is a motivating force but detracts from experiencing joy. Dr. Fred Luskin author of Forgive for Good, is our guest on this podcast and discusses issues around perfectionism in detail.Find out more about David Hanscom MD here Find out more about Les Aria, Ph.D here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 Over 60% of people are raised in households that are chaotic and over half of have experienced severe trauma. Neuroscience has revealed that persistent pain and trauma share the same neural circuits cause a dysregulated nervous system and damaging body chemistry. The effects last for a lifetime – unless you choose a different course.Your actions today are programmed by every second of your entire past. If you were raised in a traumatic environment, that is how you will view the world. Your body remains in a heightened state of alert, it is hard to rest and regenerate, and there is a much higher chance of developing a serious mental or physical illness. We will be discussing the problem, but more importantly will be presenting principles of how to rebuild your brain. Neuroplasticity requires awareness, tools, and repetition. You can separate from your past and thoughtfully create your future.We cannot heal until we feel safe enough – Les Aria, PhDFind out more about Les Aria, PhD here David Hanscom, MD here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Purpose: Similar to anxiety, anger is an even more heightened physiological state. You cannot think clearly, and it is critical to regulate your body’s fight state and get back “on-line” before you take any action.Quote:“Anybody can become angry — that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way — that is not within everybody's power and is not easy.” ― AristotleLike anxiety, anger is a activated physiological state that is not subject to rational interventions. The problem is that it is also destructive, as the focus is on self-preservation. It is automatic and necessary for survival, but what can you do when you are in this state? “No action in a reaction” Dr. Aria provides insights and tools to de-energize and re-direct your focus, so as to not damage your relationships and quality of life.Find out more about Dr. Les Aria here Dr. David Hanscom here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are few rewards in nature for being vulnerable. You won’t survive. Humans also possess this basic instinct, but we also have language and consciousness that allows the possibility of deep relationships. It is a terrible paradox, in that being vulnerable is at the core of enjoyable and functional human relationships.  Anger is an intense reaction that covers up feelings of vulnerability. Yet you must connect with your vulnerability before can begin to forgive and thrive. Dr. Fred Luskin is a Stanford psychologist who has committed his career to learning and teaching about forgiveness. He is the author of Forgive for Good. He is our guest on our show and shares his insights on the need to be vulnerable and also some ways to acquire this skill.  The inability to experience vulnerability is a major block to letting go of anger and moving into healing. Learn it and thrive.Find out Dr. Fred Luskin and his book Forgive for Good here Find out about David Hanscom, MD and Les Aria, Ph.D. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You cannot move forward into healing if you are holding onto the past. Some aspect of forgiveness must be manifested in your life daily to truly solve your chronic pain. It is ALWAYS the tipping point. Why? Anytime you are anxious or angry, a current event has triggered something from the past that was dangerous or perceived as such. You are there and not here. Dr. Fred Luskin is a Stanford Psychologist who is a pioneer in looking at forgiveness as part of the process. He is the author of Forgive for Good and presents some deep insights into the need for forgiveness. Note awareness is the cornerstone of healing – anger and awareness can’t co-exist. Learning to let go of the past is a major milestone in the healing journey.Find out about Dr. Fred Luskin and his book Forgive for Good here Find out about Dr. David Hanscom here and Dr. Les Aria here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our thoughts and actions are processed by the nervous system, which sends out instructions to every cell in the body how to respond. If the input is unpleasant or overstimulating, your body will sense danger and produce a stress response. You will feel anxious, agitated, and your pain will increase. What you CHOOSE to load into your nervous system translates into a physiological response of safety or threat. Your brain will develop wherever you place your attention. It is the reason why we make the following suggestions as foundational to healing. Never discuss your pain with anyone, especially your close family – ever! The only exception is when you are checking in with your health care providers Don’t discuss your medical care Avoid complaining – about anything. If you have a problem, deal with the situation directly. Don’t give unasked-for advice or be critical. This is particularly true regarding your partner and children.  Malicious gossip will fire up your nervous system. Limit your time watching the news. Allow yourself a limited amount time per day. It is important to know what is going on, but there is no benefit to remaining agitated about situations you have no control over.  One of the cornerstones of healing is becoming aware of the nature of your input, understanding the effects on your mental and physical health, and being proactive in your choices.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 You have more say over your quality of life than you might think. The choices you make stimulate neuroplastic changes in your brain that become embedded with repetition. Humans’ brains develop by interacting with other humans. This is a much different programming process than the development of other mammals’ brains. Every move and decision you make today is determined by the sum total of your past experiences. Most of our programming is unconscious and not our choice. So, we are at the mercy of our past. To change it, you must first become aware of your past programming and how it is playing out. Then you have to ask the question, “What do you actually want your life to look like?” Do you want to remain in old familiar patterns or create new ones? Today the topic is to understand the necessity of awareness in order to make choices. How are you appearing to the world and yourself in difficult moments?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Psychologically flexibility is the opposite of what most of us possess. There is a human tendency to reinforce our views of the world and affirm them. It requires a lot of ongoing energy. ACT teaches you how to become more open to new ideas and creativity. This episode focuses on choose,” which is the final phase of this three-step process.·       Catch – noticing a shift in sensation or mood·       Check – identify it and create some “space”·       Choose – you then have a choice of a more appropriate response instead of an automatic survival one. Your incredibly adaptable brain will develop wherever you choose to place your attention.It’s not hard to make decisions once you know what your values are. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Purpose: In order to stimulate your brain to change (neuroplasticity) you must first know exactly where you are at. The first step is to “catch” and notice that there is a change. Then the second step is, “check” where you recognize what the change is (creating some “space”), and then choose where you want to go. Today we will be discussing the “check” phase of reprogramming your brain.Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response.In our response lies our growth and our freedom. Viktor FranklThere are two parts of healing that are equally important. It is a dynamic process.·       Learning tools to effectively process stress will allow you to break free from your powerful automatic survival reactions.·       Once you have let go, then the healing occurs from stimulating circuits to form in your brain that are enjoyable. This is the essence ofneuroplasticity, and it happens quickly in whatever direction you choose. “Check” the step where you create some “space” between your stress and reaction and then you are able to substitute a better response. You have to know where you are starting beforeyou can change direction.What is “check?”·       Conceptualize itHow to accomplish it?  Why is it so important?·       Reactive vs creative·       Need to get back into the neocortex Practical tools·       Expressive writing·       Mindfulness·       Welcome in the unwelcome·       Principles behind other tools Chronic pain is a neurological problem and is solvable by using proven methods to change the structure of your brain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) is a mindfulness-based behavioral intervention that helps us live in the present moment using values to move towards what matters the most to you in life. You are moving away from pain. It provides practical ways to unhook from the storylines of your mind. The approach reduces your suffering from emotional and physical pain. Changing your relationship to adversity allows you to minimize your suffering. It is a learned skill that represented by “3 C’s” that will teach you to be psychologically flexible.Catch – Awareness - what’s showing up in your fishbowl (mind)? Check - How hooked/hijacked is your nervous system? Where is your “willingness” dial? Which is higher? Your willingness dial or your resistance one? Choose - How you wish to show up or be towards yourself, others, or your situation during difficultmoments/experiences? What do you stand for? What is one small action or step I can take to align with my values. But you cannot choose until you create some “space” with the first two steps.We will be discussing the first “C” in this episode. You will learn to sense when you are not connected to the present moment and recognize your instinctive reaction to push unpleasant emotions away. “Catch” is the opposite action where you allow theminto your consciousness and where you can process them. 2nd Annual Pain SummitPlease join us for our 2nd Annual Pain Summit on February 26th and 27th where some of the original founders of this approach will bediscussing these concepts. Here is the link to the event.David and Les would love to hear from you about today's podcast and ideas for future topics. You can email them at: david-les@dynamichealingpodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices