Neural retraining (also known as Limbic Retraining) has been getting a lot of press recently among many of the health related websites, gurus, and groups. It’s showing promise for improvement and even recovery for things ranging from chronic fatigue, fibromyalgis, chronic pain, chemical/mold/food sensitivities, and much more. I want to take a look at what it is, then in future articles we’ll dive deeper into some of the specifics.
Neural retraining has its foundations in the science of neurobiology and is based on the principle of neuroplasticity, meaning that the brain is able to change form and function based on what we are thinking, doing, and learning. Neuroplasticity is the brain’s amazing ability to reorganize itself, to change and create new neural pathways.
It starts with understanding the Limbic System. The Limbic system is a complex set of structures deep in the brain that includes the hypothalamus, the hippocampus, and the amygdala (plus the possible addition of a few other structures, depending on different classifications).
The limbic system’s purpose is to interpret sensory input and decide if we are in danger at which time it begin a series of chemical reactions that lead to what has been called the fight/flight/freeze response. This is a completely subconscious response of the brain, meaning that it happens automatically without any conscious decision or control on our part.
When in fight/flight/freeze response we are instantly ready to jump into action when we experience any type of perceived threat. When this happens, energy and resources are routed away from the day to day functions of the body and into raised heart rate and blood pressure, increased blood sugar to give the muscles extra energy, faster breathing, and many other critical body changes. This was a wonderful adaptation for our ancestors – it allowed them to have a temporary burst of energy and strength to be able to out run or fight a lion or tiger, or to feign death in order to divert the predator away. The body would then quickly return to normal functioning (also known as the relaxation response, rest-and-digest, or tend-and-befriend). Ideally, we spend most of our time in the relaxation response with a focus on digestion, immune system, reproduction, endocrine function, and others – those systems that keep our bodies running for the long term.
In our current society, we fortunately don’t have much need to run from a lion! However instead of an occasional huge dangerous animal, we tend to have lots of little daily stressors that add up – work deadlines, fighting traffic, worrying about the family finances – which the body then interprets in the same way as if a lion or tiger is chasing us. It can cause the same chemical and physical changes in our bodies.
Besides the day to day pressures of life, many have experienced prolonged states of depression or anxiety, traumatic events in childhood, or chronic illnesses. This can lead to a “mis-firing” of the limbic system and cause it to become stuck in fight or flight. Chronic states of fight or flight wire the brain to be constantly in a state of hyperarousal building upon itself year after year, actually shaping the brain for many additional physical, mental, and emotional health challenges. The brain then becomes stuck in a rut – running the same negative loop patterns over and over again.
Every time we experience or learn something new, we are seeing the effects of neuroplasticity – the brain is making new connections which allow us to remember something. And the more we repeat our experiences, the stronger and faster those connections become. When we’re stuck in limbic overreaction (fight or flight) we’re further strengthening and reinforcing more overreaction, and the brain will be even more alert and looking for more stressors. When we’re able to get into relaxation response, we’re better able to wire our brain for even more relaxation.
We can see how neuroplasticity works on a conscious level – we learn to ride a bike, drive a car, or play a sport. Think about how difficult it was at first to do those things – we were uncoordinated, we had to really think about each movement, and we were constantly looking around us to make sure we didn’t miss something that could mess us up. But after a while we could do these things without even thinking about them. They had gone from being a series of complicated conscious decisions to becoming automatic (at the subconscious level) because our brain had wired them that way. Now we don’t even have to think much about doing these things. Have you ever been driving and all of a sudden found yourself at home and don’t really remember getting there? That’s the miracle of neuroplasticity! Your brain is now wired to do that thing easier, better, and faster, and you may not even have to consciously think about it!
Unfortunately, the brain not only wires the positive experiences, but also the not so positive ones. When you’ve had chronic illness for an extended period of time, your brain can wire to expect more illness. When you’ve had anxiety, eventually your brain can begin to see everything as another thing to be afraid of. Or if you’ve been involved in a traumatic event or series of events, your brain can see the world as a very scary place. All of this is happening out of your conscious awareness and out of your direct control. And when the brain is stuck in this fight/flight mode, it can lead to all kinds of unwanted mental, emotional, and physical symptoms.
Neural retraining allows you to adjust and reorganize how your brain operates in order to respond more appropriately to your current and future life experiences. You can literally rewire how you respond to your life.
I’m seeing some amazing results in not only my own life, and in the lives of my clients. Stay tuned for the next couple of articles with more on neural retraining, how it’s different than “positive” thinking, and the “how to” make the most of neuroplasticity to create change in health and wellness.
