How to ALLOW your symptoms as a coping skill!

Ties into radical acceptance. I think these additional skills are really helpful, and work as part of a strategy of acceptance.

I’m not a big fan of the neuro plasticity concept. In wd in particular, I think it can be dangerous, as it leads to a feeling of guilt, when you are not able to control your symptoms. Of course in wd, we can’t control our symptoms! But we can control how we react to them. 😀

This channel is great, and Whitneys work on acceptance and associated skills, I throughly endorse!

In this video they discuss a fantastic framework ALLOW.

Acceptance

Let it be

Lean in strategically

Outcome independence

Willingness

Hot to Allow Symptoms- Designed to Heal

Hi @Chippy What is it about neuroplasticity you do not agree with?

1 minute ago, Catbird said:

Hi @Chippy What is it about neuroplasticity you do not agree with?

Essentially I’ve come across this in the pain world. My wife has had endometriosis and lots of pain with it. One day a doctor tried to explain to her, that her pain was learned behaviour rather than because of a cause. This was nonsense but she felt very invalidated because of it.

In WD I see a lot of trying to heal. We as humans want to be part of that process. We want to actively do something and fix ourselves. I learned early on you can’t. I like Whitney’s videos alot. She talks a lot about not trying.

The concern I have is that neuro plasticity is just that. Trying to heal. When you are harmed you didn’t cause it. And you are not keeping yourself harmed. You haven’t learned to be in the state you are in. People recover regardless of diet, attitude etc. It’s just what is happening inspite of what you do. I like the acceptance work as a way to reduce the suffering whilst you heal. But you can’t make yourself heal by teaching your mind and unlearning anything.

Ive seen a member on here who follows the neuro plasticity community feels very panicked, as they feel they are keeping themselves locked into their state, because they are just not ‘doing it right’. I think this is dangerous.

@Chippy Interesting interpretation. I see acceptance and allowing as roads to neuroplastic changes. I went through years of panic attacks and eventually learned how to just let them be — stepping back and just observing the sensations in my body. I think anything that creates a sense of safety in the body comes from neuroplasticity. I don't know a lot about the chronic pain world and how they approach things or how this relates to the pain from endometriosis which can be very difficult and painful to live with. I empathise with how your wife must feel. It sounds like that doctor was very dismissive of something very real.

7 minutes ago, Catbird said:

I see acceptance and allowing as roads to neuroplastic changes. I went through years of panic attacks and eventually learned how to just let them be — stepping back and just observing the sensations in my body. I think anything that creates a sense of safety in the body comes from neuroplasticity

I think acceptance stops secondary fear for sure. And anything you can do to stop that is good.

Also outside of drug harm, certainly retraining your nervous system to not be on high alert is good. I found my work anxiety, passed once I left my old situation, and taught my brain the new situation had nothing to fear in it.

My concerns are only related to the idea we learn our pain/injury. Which is nonsense.