Q: In regards to your blog about neurochemistry rebalance, how long does it take (on average) to develop these new receptors for uptake?
A: It's highly variable and largely depends on how frequently you are flooding your brain with the new neurochemistry while staying away from reinforcing the old neurochemistry. What I mean by that is, if you release the feel-good neurochemistry and your body responds like its on adrenalin/caffeine, and then you become hyper vigilant about it and are continually checking in to see how you are doing and fortune telling about what this means and how long it is going to last, it is going to take your brain longer to shift and adapt than if you release the feel good neurochemicals, think greater than how you feel if there is a negative response and not give it attention, and do something calming or regulating instead. There is no way to predict how quickly the brain will change but it is capable of changing in a short period of time given repetition and the right stimulus. If you are finding that you are not seeing changes very quickly, observe your thoughts & your response when this happens and come up with a plan to redirect away from giving it attention and calming your system in these instances.
Q: If you don’t mind...could you elaborate more on how to elevate, calm Limby Lou and at same time elevate mood and avoid a manic outcome.
A: Pick elevated states that are less adrenalin producing, like gratitude, enjoying beauty, creativity, inspiration, child-like wonder, loving-kindness, compassion, & playfulness. Start small by going there for very brief periods of time, and work your way up. Follow up with some sort of relaxation practice or meditation. And if an intense state does come about, then do some relaxation, grounding, guided meditation to help calm the system and don't give it any air time in your brain (to the best of your ability). The insight timer app may be helpful for the relaxation/grounding part.
Q: Is it normal for any healthy person to get a temporary IT when exposed to certain chemicals or mold, etc?
A: Ideally if your brain is fully rewired you would not get any temporary symptoms with exposures. You might notice the smell (as people with healthy functioning limbic systems would) but there should not be a reaction to it. If you think of a healthy functioning person, they might notice a strong scent, but it would be in passing, without being triggered by it, and their attention would move on almost immediately to other things. I would say if you are still experiencing even temporary reactions, keep up with your retraining and keep reinforcing the healthy alternative neural pathways. Watch what thoughts arise when a smell does get your attention and actively redirect them along with uplifting your emotional state.
Q: Can you address what to do if someone has an it every time they eat a specific food and despite (rewiring) for over 24 months the it continues to get stronger and last the entire day. I have done future visualizations with this food and have used the thought of it in rounds as a trigger. It is a food I love and do not want to give up as I have only a few foods at this time. It feels like a huge step back to stop eating it again. What is the best way to deal with this?
A: I can appreciate not wanting to give it up. I would also say it is important to look at what is within your training zone right now and how much of that particular food you are eating. Can you do less in quantity and spread it out so that there are days in between that you are not eating that particular item? Are there other food items you can retrain around to get more variety in your diet? Are you doing practice immediately after eating or redirecting thoughts and elevating your emotional state for a period of time? What else are you being triggered by and is there a way to reduce those stressors in your life so that it may be easier for your system to work with the food? Those are the pieces I would look at in order to get some traction in moving forward.
Next Monday: Navigating the Holidays (and getting the most out of the season)
If you have a question, please email me at: dearcandyquestions@gmail.com
Candy Widdifield is Registered Clinical Counsellor, Wellness Coach, and Registered Reiki Master Teacher in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. She works with people all over the world, helping them to optimize their wellbeing and thrive in their lives. Her modalities include coaching, therapy, Reiki and the Safe & Sound Protocol. More information about Candy can be found at www.candywiddifield.com