Here are limbic system trauma loops (pathways of the past)
1. Focusing on pain or body checking
2. Scanning your environment
3. Fortune telling
4. Obsessing about fear (of chemicals, fatigue, pain, anxiety)
5. Mood changes
6. Negative thinking patterns
7. Negative self dialogue
8. Believing that you cannot change or succeed because your illness is worse, not as bad or different.
9. Lack of self-love
10. Living by your feelings
11. Addictive behaviors
12. Being the Expert or comparing this program with other information.
13. Blaming
14. Justifying
15. Complaining
16. Over Analyzing – spending too much time asking “why?”
17. Stuck in the past
18. Comparing your results to others
19. Defining your self through the perspective of illness or symptoms.
20. Procrastination
21. Needing to be in control
22. Rushing
23. Perfectionist tendencies
24. Confusion and indecision
25. “Yeah, but…”
26. Over responsibility for others
27. Going back to old behaviors that don’t help
The expression of this impairment can be unique to each individual. When we are in this looping system our energy is consumed with our internal physical environment, the external environment around us and revisiting past trauma or forecasting future trauma. We are constantly on the lookout for potential threats that seem to be causing symptoms.
You may also notice that you are consumed by body symptoms and that you carefully plan where you go and how you can avoid the triggers that seem to cause the symptoms. Or you are concerned about how you will manage with such little energy. Or maybe you spend much of your waking hours trying various ways to find physical comfort and alleviate chronic pain that you may be experiencing. You also may find that you have repeating negative thought patterns that are filled with worry, anxiety or fear. You may find that you are emotionally over reactive or perhaps you may experience unwarranted and extreme mood swings.
When you are in a limbic system trauma loop it is common to experience feelings of dread, worry, panic, fear, anger, resentment, anxiety, hopelessness or sadness. And when you are in this state, it is easy to understand that coping behaviors like isolation or avoidance go hand in hand with a limbic system trauma loop.
However, what we need to realize is that the resulting repetitive thoughts, feelings and behaviors are all symptoms of the loop itself. When we choose to entertain these patterns it can also perpetuate the loop.
The key to shifting out of a limbic system trauma loop is to bring our focus of attention inward. We need to move our focus away from physical, psychological and emotional symptoms and step into the curious and loving observer of self. It is in this unique human reflective ability that we have the power to harness brain function. In this state we can examine how our repetitive thoughts, feelings and behaviors may be sustaining and contributing to this cycle.
With this new understanding we can consciously choose to think, feel and behave in ways that will change our brain patterns and interrupt the limbic system trauma loop. This supports us in taking charge of our health and moving forward in life.
Recognizing your unique patterns represents the first step in rewiring your limbic system. Your ability to be the observer will help you to distance yourself emotionally and assist you in thinking, feeling and behaving in ways that are greater than your reactions or symptoms.
“Through your conscious awareness and ability to re-label the symptoms, you are engaging in the process of changing the neural connections in your brain.”
Due to cross wiring in the limbic system from trauma, the body is automatically reacting in a survival mechanism before the brain can consciously filter the incoming sensory information. This negative stimulus reaction pattern becomes unconscious.
Please keep in mind that your limbic system is like a 3 year old and is looking for both verbal (language and talking about symptoms) and non-verbal cues (body language, etc) and is eavesdropping on every internal or spoken conversation you might be having, searching for evidence to support a “flight or fight” state. This part of your brain is very primitive and will follow your guidance as you consciously choose to lead it into a healthy and relaxed state.
Thus, rewiring your limbic system is, in some ways, akin to defying gravity.
As you learn to disengage from this unconscious reaction you are inhibiting the neural pathways that constantly over stimulate the protective mechanism in the limbic system.
As you learn to repetitively think, feel and behave in ways that are greater than the trigger and reactions you are weakening the response to the stimulus.
In this process you are slowing down or preventing the body’s internal chemical reaction to the trigger, which suppresses or blocks the body’s reaction.
Through specific, focused attention you are keeping your internal chemistry greater than the external cues.
You are building new neuronal pathways to the prefrontal cortex (area for higher learning)
With a greater understanding of this unconscious reaction you engage the frontal cortex in the brain. In your ability to discern and examine sensory input, rather than automatically react to it, you are reinforcing new healthy pathways in the brain.
The ability to think beyond alert messages and symptoms is mandatory in rewiring limbic system function.
