June 6th, 2016
Every night, people all over the world go to sleep. Sleep is meant to help our bodies rest and our brains process the experiences and data we were exposed to each day. For some, sleep is difficult. They try to fall asleep but their mind is too active, they are unable to settle. For others, falling asleep happens easily but they are unable to stay asleep. They may wake up during the night and feel fully awake.
People who have experienced trauma often struggle with sleep. Night time is when they are faced with their worst memories and they do not feel safe. The flashbacks create anticipatory anxiety in the evening as they prepare for bed. Parents often become sleep deprived when their infants wake up often throughout the night. Sleep deprivation is linked to a variety of symptoms from poor concentration and irritability to hallucinations.
Some people don't remember their dreams. This is a shame because our dreams have important messages for us. There are entire dictionaries devoted to dream analysis. Dreamers are encouraged to perceive every character in their dream as an aspect of themselves. What is important is the emotion that is experiences during the dream. Therefore, if the dreamer feels afraid of a character, the question to ask is "What aspect of yourself are you afraid to express?".
Symbolism plays a huge role in dream interpretation. This is similar to my work as an art therapist. Clients can have strong emotional reactions to imagery in their art. Anything is possible in both art and dreams. When you are faced with a challenging situation, it is helpful to write about it before going to bed and asking for an answer to present itself. You can wake up with a solution the next morning as your mind has had the time to work on it overnight.
Dream analysis was an important tool psychoanalysis. It is still a valuable self-help tool. All you need to do is keep a pen and notebook next to your bed. Relax before bed and be clear about your intention to remember your dream. You can even ask a question in your notebook before you go to sleep. As soon as you wake up, write anything you remember in your notebook including storyline, characters, emotions and setting. Are you always in the same environment? Is there a recurring theme? You may recognize loved ones in your dreams and think this is about your relationship with them. However, ask yourself what that loved one represents to you and what emotions your dream interaction triggers in you. This may help you understand your feelings about a suppressed aspect of yourself. The longer you pay attention to your dreams, the more information will be packed into your dreams. If you are willing to document your dreams and do some soul searching, you may be surprised by how valuable this experience can be on your journey into personal growth.
Sweet dreams!
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
Showing posts with label insomnia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label insomnia. Show all posts
Wednesday, 6 July 2016
Monday, 25 January 2016
Neurofeedback
January 25th, 2016
Today was an exciting day. I visited Carol Williams in North Augusta to try Neurofeedback. I have read quite a bit about it but I still wasn't sure what to expect. I would like to share this experience with you.
In July 2014, after the car accident, my brain had a concussion and needed a lot of rest. I went for a year of physiotherapy and slept a lot. Then I started drinking more coffee to give me the energy to get through the day. I recently started working out at the gym to help heal my body. Most of the symptoms have gone away but I do get dizzy quite often and I reach a point, every day, where I hit a wall of fatigue and can't go any further. Unfortunately, my daughters don't understand this and, as they insist that they are not tired and beg me to stay up later, I get grumpy. I don't have the energy to negotiate with them or play with them. I say: "I'm done. I love you. Go to bed. I'll see you in the morning".
I was hoping neurofeedback would help my brain so I could experience less dizziness and fatigue. Carol uses the NeurOptimal System. She showed me someone's brain map and explained that each side represents one of the brain's hemispheres. The graph helped to visualize the level of activity in different parts of the brain and, whether there was more activity on one side of the brain or not. I sat in a cozy chair and she draped a thick, warm blanket over my lap. She then placed some sensors on either side of my head and onto my ears. She took a baseline reading which took 15 seconds with my eyes open and 15 seconds with my eyes closed. I saw a squiggly line across the screen. I was given ear buds and she checked the volume of the music. It was perfect. She presented two options: 1-watch the graph lines move on the screen of her computer or, 2-watch a moving kaleidoscope of colour, also on her computer screen. I chose the kaleidoscope. There were circles growing and shrinking, one expanding, the other swallowing itself, dots crossing the screen, vibrating squares, all in a variety of colours, very psychedelic.
The music was meditative, instrumental and, put me in a bit of a trance. Carol left the room but informed me that I could knock on the wall or call out for her if I wished to stop the session prematurely for any reason. I was quite comfortable, watching the computer screen and listening to music. The session lasted just under 35 minutes. Carol returned and took another reading with eyes open and eyes closed. Some of the spikes had softened and the second line was much lower, indicating that I was very relaxed.
Throughout the session, periodically, I would hear a bit of static. This is when my brain was getting distracted. The static is a cue to the brain to bring it back to the task at hand. This is like a workout for your central nervous system, increasing your brain's plasticity and improving its functioning. Most people notice an improvement within six weeks. You generally go to one session per week and the amount of sessions you'll need depends on the individual. On one website, www.zengar.com, they suggest 20 sessions to deal with current issues and 30+ sessions for early life problems.
Neurofeedback is helpful for a variety of challenges from ADD/ADHD and Autism to Insomnia and depression. It has been used for Ptsd, anxiety and brain injuries and, is recommended to treat chronic pain as well. Some people stop the treatments once they obtain the results they want, others space out their sessions to monthly appointments.
Carol says some people feel energized after a session and others feel relaxed. I was definitely in the latter category. I felt like I might fall asleep during treatment. Carol suggested we prop my head with a pillow next time so I can sit back and sleep. I was yawning as we chatted after my appointment. The appointment was just over two hours ago and I am feeling calm and energized. I am going back next week for more healing. I should mention that Carol herself is very calm and gentle, friendly and non-judgemental. She answered all of my questions patiently and did not pressure me to book any additional sessions.
If you would like to learn more about Neurofeedback or try it for yourself, go to www.cwilliams.ca.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
Today was an exciting day. I visited Carol Williams in North Augusta to try Neurofeedback. I have read quite a bit about it but I still wasn't sure what to expect. I would like to share this experience with you.
In July 2014, after the car accident, my brain had a concussion and needed a lot of rest. I went for a year of physiotherapy and slept a lot. Then I started drinking more coffee to give me the energy to get through the day. I recently started working out at the gym to help heal my body. Most of the symptoms have gone away but I do get dizzy quite often and I reach a point, every day, where I hit a wall of fatigue and can't go any further. Unfortunately, my daughters don't understand this and, as they insist that they are not tired and beg me to stay up later, I get grumpy. I don't have the energy to negotiate with them or play with them. I say: "I'm done. I love you. Go to bed. I'll see you in the morning".
I was hoping neurofeedback would help my brain so I could experience less dizziness and fatigue. Carol uses the NeurOptimal System. She showed me someone's brain map and explained that each side represents one of the brain's hemispheres. The graph helped to visualize the level of activity in different parts of the brain and, whether there was more activity on one side of the brain or not. I sat in a cozy chair and she draped a thick, warm blanket over my lap. She then placed some sensors on either side of my head and onto my ears. She took a baseline reading which took 15 seconds with my eyes open and 15 seconds with my eyes closed. I saw a squiggly line across the screen. I was given ear buds and she checked the volume of the music. It was perfect. She presented two options: 1-watch the graph lines move on the screen of her computer or, 2-watch a moving kaleidoscope of colour, also on her computer screen. I chose the kaleidoscope. There were circles growing and shrinking, one expanding, the other swallowing itself, dots crossing the screen, vibrating squares, all in a variety of colours, very psychedelic.
The music was meditative, instrumental and, put me in a bit of a trance. Carol left the room but informed me that I could knock on the wall or call out for her if I wished to stop the session prematurely for any reason. I was quite comfortable, watching the computer screen and listening to music. The session lasted just under 35 minutes. Carol returned and took another reading with eyes open and eyes closed. Some of the spikes had softened and the second line was much lower, indicating that I was very relaxed.
Throughout the session, periodically, I would hear a bit of static. This is when my brain was getting distracted. The static is a cue to the brain to bring it back to the task at hand. This is like a workout for your central nervous system, increasing your brain's plasticity and improving its functioning. Most people notice an improvement within six weeks. You generally go to one session per week and the amount of sessions you'll need depends on the individual. On one website, www.zengar.com, they suggest 20 sessions to deal with current issues and 30+ sessions for early life problems.
Neurofeedback is helpful for a variety of challenges from ADD/ADHD and Autism to Insomnia and depression. It has been used for Ptsd, anxiety and brain injuries and, is recommended to treat chronic pain as well. Some people stop the treatments once they obtain the results they want, others space out their sessions to monthly appointments.
Carol says some people feel energized after a session and others feel relaxed. I was definitely in the latter category. I felt like I might fall asleep during treatment. Carol suggested we prop my head with a pillow next time so I can sit back and sleep. I was yawning as we chatted after my appointment. The appointment was just over two hours ago and I am feeling calm and energized. I am going back next week for more healing. I should mention that Carol herself is very calm and gentle, friendly and non-judgemental. She answered all of my questions patiently and did not pressure me to book any additional sessions.
If you would like to learn more about Neurofeedback or try it for yourself, go to www.cwilliams.ca.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
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