• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of and finding treatments for complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

New article on Psychoneuroimmunology

kolowesi

Senior Member
Messages
267
Location
Central Texas
psychoneuroimmunology

Thanks, Jody,

I love the way you worded this explanation and what we can do. I've been having a down day and this is just what I needed to hear, that my thoughts can make a difference.

Kelly
 

Jody

Senior Member
Messages
4,636
Location
Canada
Kelly,

Glad you were encouraged.

Gets those good healing messages rolling through your immune system, and all that. :)
 

dannybex

Senior Member
Messages
3,561
Location
Seattle
Study: Immune Function and Meditation

Great article Jody!

Here's a study that backs up the mind-body connection:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12883106?dopt=Abstract

"CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate that a short program in mindfulness meditation produces demonstrable effects on brain and immune function. These findings suggest that meditation may change brain and immune function in positive ways and underscore the need for additional research."

Dan
 

Jody

Senior Member
Messages
4,636
Location
Canada
Thanks Dan,

And thanks for posting the study.

I have been getting a close look at some of the things that scare me this week, and one of them is being at all controversial. I am the type of person who is happiest when everyone agrees. And yet I keep finding myself getting drawn down paths that are ... controversial, or at least, are not in the general mainstream.

My editor liked my article, I believe it's true myself, and I have had good responses, eg. from you and Kelly on here. And yet as soon as it was posted (no turning back) with my name on it for all to see, ... I started getting anxious. What if somebody disagrees? What if somebody wants to argue with me about it?

Should've thought about all this before I started writing articles and sticking them on the net, right?:D

But that's me.

I've had two comments posted to my article on empowher so far and each time I get a notification about one, I get really anxious. Not sure what I'm scared of, being told I'm full of crap I guess. :rolleyes:

Both of those comments have been fine, but I get nervous anyway.

So I guess I better use what I know about psychoneuroimmunology and start sending confident messages to my own self, right?

Thanks, Dan and Kelly, for making that easier to do. :)
 

kolowesi

Senior Member
Messages
267
Location
Central Texas
Jody articles

I think it takes a lot of courage to put yourself out there. That's a really good insight that you are apprehensive about what people will say, or maybe that it won't be "true."

That bugs me too, when I've just written an anonymous post on here. What if what I think is true is not? blah blah blah

I guess we could say we are expressing our truth at the moment. We can learn more, experience more, and we might find ourselves disagreeing with an earlier piece.

Or we might re-read it in the future and be amazed at what we knew and had since forgotten:p

You are engaging with the whole world in a way, no wonder it feels risky.

Just my thoughts, at the moment :)

Kelly
 

Jody

Senior Member
Messages
4,636
Location
Canada
Thanks again for the reassurance Kelly. :)

I am thinking, I am totally the wrong personality type to do the stuff I keep finding myself doing. :D
 

dannybex

Senior Member
Messages
3,561
Location
Seattle
I have been getting a close look at some of the things that scare me this week, and one of them is being at all controversial. I am the type of person who is happiest when everyone agrees. And yet I keep finding myself getting drawn down paths that are ... controversial, or at least, are not in the general mainstream.

My editor liked my article, I believe it's true myself, and I have had good responses, eg. from you and Kelly on here. And yet as soon as it was posted (no turning back) with my name on it for all to see, ... I started getting anxious. What if somebody disagrees? What if somebody wants to argue with me about it?

I've had two comments posted to my article on empowher so far and each time I get a notification about one, I get really anxious. Not sure what I'm scared of, being told I'm full of crap I guess. :rolleyes:

Both of those comments have been fine, but I get nervous anyway.

So I guess I better use what I know about psychoneuroimmunology and start sending confident messages to my own self, right?

Thanks, Dan and Kelly, for making that easier to do. :)

Hi Jody,

If anyone questions your article, just post a link to the study I posted. :)

And there are many more...I just found one that showed a benefit on immune function with HIV/AIDS patients, another one with women with breast cancer, on and on...

I think many of us can relate to your worries and anxiety. Personally I've strongly suspected a link between elevated anxiety and fungal issues and/or bacterial imbalances. (In fact, I think I might've saved a study on that too...if so, I'll post it.)

But I remember a few years ago Dr. Teitelbaum came and spoke here in Seattle. He said that in his 30 years of practice, he found the vast majority of his patients had a 'CFS personality' -- mainly that many of us tend to be 'people-pleasers' and/or type A personalities and/or perfectionists -- in other words, terrified or excessively worried about criticism should anything we do not be 100% perfect.

I know I was raised to be a people pleaser and a perfectionist, and I've come to realize how much both traits have interfered with my healing, which is a point Teitelbaum stressed in his talk. He emphasized the need to get rid of guilt, learn to say no, take care of yourself before worrying about others and what others might think...

Easier said than done, but still possible. Both EFT (which I just started) and the Gupta CD have been helpful in trying to change these learned behaviours, especially the EFT.

d.
 

Jody

Senior Member
Messages
4,636
Location
Canada
Hi Jody,

If anyone questions your article, just post a link to the study I posted. :)

Oh, Dan,

Believe me, that had already occured to me. :D

But I remember a few years ago Dr. Teitelbaum came and spoke here in Seattle. He said that in his 30 years of practice, he found the vast majority of his patients had a 'CFS personality' -- mainly that many of us tend to be 'people-pleasers' and/or type A personalities and/or perfectionists -- in other words, terrified or excessively worried about criticism should anything we do not be 100% perfect.

I know I was raised to be a people pleaser and a perfectionist, and I've come to realize how much both traits have interfered with my healing, which is a point Teitelbaum stressed in his talk. He emphasized the need to get rid of guilt, learn to say no, take care of yourself before worrying about others and what others might think...

All of this would apply to me, too.

Easier said than done, but still possible. Both EFT (which I just started) and the Gupta CD have been helpful in trying to change these learned behaviours, especially the EFT.

I am working on these things too, using various methods. I guess, maybe going into stuff that terrifies me and leaves me wondering if I should have my head examined, may be part of how I'm trying to bring change for myself as well.

Right now, I REALLY feel like I need my head examined. :D But you all have helped me quite a bit tonight. :)
 

dannybex

Senior Member
Messages
3,561
Location
Seattle
Study: Probiotics and Emotions in CFS patients

I'll post this on another thread, but here's the one I mentioned above...

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19338686

"In this pilot study, 39 CFS patients were randomized to receive either 24 billion colony forming units of Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota (LcS) or a placebo daily for two months. Patients provided stool samples and completed the Beck Depression and Beck Anxiety Inventories before and after the intervention. We found a significant rise in both Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria in those taking the LcS, and there was also a significant decrease in anxiety symptoms among those taking the probiotic vs controls (p = 0.01). These results lend further support to the presence of a gut-brain interface, one that may be mediated by microbes that reside or pass through the intestinal tract."
 

dannybex

Senior Member
Messages
3,561
Location
Seattle
Dr. John Sarno M.D.'s mind-body theory...

Oh, Dan,

I guess, maybe going into stuff that terrifies me and leaves me wondering if I should have my head examined, may be part of how I'm trying to bring change for myself as well.

Rings another bell! We must be psychic friends. Do we get any prizes for this? :)

Have you heard of Dr. John Sarno M.D.? He's been treating chronic back pain, fibro (which he calls tension myositis syndrome...or something like that) carpal tunnel, etc., for 30 years with a high success rate based on his theory that these chronic pain conditions are a result of our brains protecting us from deeply subconcious issue of rage, anger, etc., things buried so deeply we don't even realize they exist. In other words, subconciously, it's "easier" to deal with physical pain, no matter how severe, even if it involves herniated discs, etc., than to deal with some of these emotional baggage or traumas from our past.

Here's a wiki page on Sarno -- a google search will turn up a ton of info. Controversial, but very interesting at the same time:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_E._Sarno

d.
 

Lisa

Senior Member
Messages
453
Location
Western Washington
And yet as soon as it was posted (no turning back) with my name on it for all to see, ... I started getting anxious. What if somebody disagrees? What if somebody wants to argue with me about it?

Should've thought about all this before I started writing articles and sticking them on the net, right?:D

But that's me.

I've had two comments posted to my article on empowher so far and each time I get a notification about one, I get really anxious. Not sure what I'm scared of, being told I'm full of crap I guess. :rolleyes:

Oh thank you for putting this out here. I am completely the sort who does this and have certainly felt more than a little odd about how OCD it all becomes for me. ack! :eek: Its so tiring to feel so anxious about having written something that is public.

For me, private emails are nearly as bad. Once I get to know someone, its not a big deal - though I still check many times a day for a reply. Problem is, it is fresh on my mind and so I think of it often. Soon as its thought of its almost a done deal of having to go check. If I don't, I'll become anxious about trying not to check, then about wanting to checking, circle of anxiety ensues.

After awhile my brain fog kicks in and saves me from this cycle, just give me a day and usually it is a fun surprise to have a reply to an email. lol Gmail is a life saver for this problem. I have googlechat and can very easily see if I have new mail at a glance instead of having to log all the way into somewhere.

Looks like I'm not as alone in feeling this way as I thought I was. :eek:

It was a good article Jody. A good subject that needs more publicity.

Lisa :)
 

Jody

Senior Member
Messages
4,636
Location
Canada
Dan,

Just read the page you linked in your post.

Pretty interesting. I don't know much about this, but I am more convinced as I go further into stuff that the mind and the body are far more interconnected than I ever fathomed.

Which is good news, when you think about it. I haven't been able to get very far with medical help with CFS, not until my naturopath these past 2 yrs. And she has definitely made a difference on a number of very physical fronts.

But she has also had me journalling to her via email for these 2 yrs and the relationship and baring my soul and being affirmed by her has been huge as well.

I have also been finding various mind body techniques to be very helpful and a part of my ongoing recovery.

So you get into stuff and scare yourself too, do you? :D
 

Jody

Senior Member
Messages
4,636
Location
Canada
Oh good Lord, Lisa,

You are so far from being alone in this. It is a VERY crowded room, I believe. :D

Hmm, d'you wonder if maybe the brain fog is meant to be the body's way of giving us a break from the worry? (It's a stupid way, but still ... :))

Thanks for the support. :D
 

Lisa

Senior Member
Messages
453
Location
Western Washington
(It's a stupid way, but still ... :))

hahaha! That made me laugh pretty hard. So very true! Perhaps it is a way to cope with the heightened SNS reactions. Shesh, I say it should just fix the darn problem instead of making me forget about it! lol

:)
 

Jody

Senior Member
Messages
4,636
Location
Canada
Lisa,

That would make a heck of a lot more sense to me too. :D

Then it would make sense to forget about it.
 
Messages
34
Location
chicago
Jody, Jody, Jody,

You are exactly the right personality to do what you are doing!:)I read your blog and it is great--- but psychoneuroimmunology is not way out there ---- it is real --- just a fancy name for the fact that our bodies, minds and spirits are all connected. I don't know if you read my stuff on heart coherence and the heart math -- they have studies showing positive thoughts(actually feelings) lead to improved dhea levels, better immune system functioning. That's part of psychoneuroimmunology. I teach relaxation techniques to most of the clients I have ( I am a psychotherapist in a hospital system(used to work in a fibro clinic--which closed) who have chronic illnesses, chronic pain, and fatigue - it does help them if they use the techniques daily.

There is just a ton of research out there on how meditation, biofeedback, relaxation helps the body heal.

As a therapist who works with people with chronic illness and as a former fibro, mcs, now cfids patient I can't help but wonder if trying all these treatments becomes an obsession -- that one can't make it through the day without taking a supplement or monitoring one's body (as Gupta says) I know i take a gazillion supplements and feel better when I do.

Do I feel better because the supplements work, or are they a placebo effect? Do the supplements improve my psychoneurimmunology system? because I believe they are helping me?

I'm going to continue taking them anyway. And I hope you continue writing.

Rosebud
 

Jody

Senior Member
Messages
4,636
Location
Canada
Jody, Jody, Jody,

You are exactly the right personality to do what you are doing!:)

Ya think? Why do you say that?

I read your blog and it is great--- but psychoneuroimmunology is not way out there ---- it is real --- just a fancy name for the fact that our bodies, minds and spirits are all connected.

Rosebud, you know that and I know that and thank goodness alot of people on here know that. But I'm betting you also know that there are plenty of people who don't know it. And those are the ones who make me nervous and wimpy.

I don't know if you read my stuff on heart coherence and the heart math --

I've only been able to glance at it. I will go back to it when I am better able to focus than I have been recently.

Do I feel better because the supplements work, or are they a placebo effect? Do the supplements improve my psychoneurimmunology system? because I believe they are helping me?

I'm going to continue taking them anyway.

Yes, who cares if it's placebo (as if that makes healing invalid somehow!:D)

And I hope you continue writing.

Thanks, I will. I apparently can't help myself. :D
 

susan

Senior Member
Messages
269
Location
Gold Coast Australia
Hi Rosebud and Jody,
Rosebud would love to read what you have to say about heart math...coherance. Been looking into it myself. I know these mind/boady therapies work since doing Gupta I have been far more happier...europhic at times...yet not altho not a lot has changed for me health wise

Yes I think supplements can became a bit of an obsession with because I did not want to deteriorate any further....but they started making me ill and now I am on none but hormones for thyroid dhea.......and it is a truly liberating expereince. Relaxation and breathing techniques have been more profound....no more pill popping.

Today I am finalising details with the Happiness Institute to form my own Happiness Club...called Pure Bliss....Happiness Club. What do you think of the name Jody or could you give me a better one...not good with this sort of stuff.

I will hold it at the beach looking up toward Nth America across the Pacific Ocean from Australia..Everyday I look at the sea and yearn so badly to get on a plane to see my family in Canada. Initially I want to encourage CFS people and there will be NO talk of illness. We will meditate...sing....and LAUGH.