05-01. General. The material in this chapter, like the material in chapter 4, is provided for informational purposes only. Always consult your doctor before attempting any new program or treatment.
I have tried all of the techniques listed here and will, as in the previous chapter, share my results as I go. Each of the techniques have been used to treat PTSD although they vary in both popularity and success. This chapter offers summaries of the effects of Color in your life, Nutritional Healing, Sound Waves that use “window frequencies” to stimulate and relax the brain, Brain exercises, Emotional Memory Management (EMM), and Writing as therapy.
05-02. General. Color is one of those things we think we pay very little attention to but which actually affects us on a daily basis. Understanding how color may affect you, your thoughts, and your moods may make living with PTSD a bit easier.
05-03. Color Affects Mood and Treats Diseases. Red and different hues of Red are thought to be warm and active while Blue, Violet and Green are cool, passive and calming. Several psychologists have carried out research to determine the effect of color on moods. N.A. Wells found that “deep Orange has the most exciting influence, then Scarlet and Yellow-Orange, while Yellow-Green then Green are the most tranquilizing.”
Dr. Robert R. Ross of Stanford University found that Gray, Blue and Purple were associated with tragedy while Red, Orange, and Yellow with comedy. William A. Wellmann of California claims that “Red is associated with vigor, Yellow with warmth and joy, Green with abundance and health, Blue with spirituality and thought, Brown with melancholy, Gray with old age, white with zest and awareness, and Black with gloom.” Robert Gerard, in a doctoral thesis in psychology for the University of California at Los Angeles, found that the higher chronic tension a person had “the more they were affected physiologically by Red. Blue had a reverse effect, for anxious subjects were calmed by it…and because blue lowers blood pressure, it may have possibilities in the treatment of hypertension.”
05-04. Using Color in Coping With PTSD. In his book Color Psychology and Color Therapy Faber Birren says that “bright colors arranged in garish patterns” were used to paint the rooms of troubled soldiers after World War I as a treatment for what was then known as “shell shock.” The theory behind the treatment was that nervousness may have been aggravated by monotony and relieved through excitation.
After years of investigation a physician named Felix Deutsch wrote an article called Psycho-Physical Reactions of the Vascular System to Influence of Light and to Impression Grained Through Light, in the Folia Clinica Orientalia, Volume I, which was published in 1937. He gathered many case histories relating to the effects of color on blood pressure. In another study he had patients stare through colored window glass into a small garden then questioned them regarding their general feelings and impressions. He found that “The emotional excitements which are recognized through changes in blood pressure, pulse-frequency and rhythm, are brought forth through association. Green may recall nature, mountains, lakes. Red may recall the sunset, the fireplace. These superficial associations lead to deeper lying memories, which explain the affective emphasis of the attitudes toward the colors. Thus the therapy of color is successful as it affects the emotions. The patient is relieved of anxiety. He finds himself “transferred to a world which is more pleasing and presents fewer conflicts….through the changed appearance of the environment the individual is lifted out of reality.”
Make a conscious effort in controlling the colors that surround you in daily life. Create an atmosphere of contentment by using colors which stimulate positive images rather than “trigger” negative feelings and emotions. Much of this will actually take place subconsciously once the color changes are made. In other words if Green reminds you of the forest and you really love walking or camping in the woods, surround yourself with Green. If Blue reminds you of the ocean and brings back positive memories of a cruise or just the sounds of the sea, surround yourself with Blue. Some people even have whole walls covered in a forest or ocean mural.
05-05. My Experience. I will admit to having purchased a Lava Lamp since my diagnosis with PTSD. I find that watching the yellow blobs rising and falling in the aquatic blue liquid relaxes me on less stressful days.
05-06. General. Many of us do not realize how large a role food plays in maintaining our mental well being. I will not attempt, in this small space, to educate you on proper nutrition. Instead, I would like to offer you a few eating tips that can help your body deal with anxiety and depression while being treated for PTSD.
Some of the recommendations in this section include the addition of herbs and other nutritional supplements to your diet. In depth information about these and other supplements can be found in a terrific book entitled Prescription for Nutritional Healing by James F. Balch, M.D. and Phyllis A. Balch, C.N.C., from which almost this entire section is taken. I recommend that you follow supplement recommendations for 3 to 12 months. Always take supplements with a full glass of water. I suggest you purchase and read the entire book for the sake of your overall health.
Always consult a medical doctor or health care professional before changing your living or eating habits.
05-07. Anxiety. Prescription for Nutritional Healing says, “Anxiety disorder can be either acute or chronic. Acute anxiety disorder manifests itself in episodes commonly known as panic attacks. A panic attack is an instance in which the body’s natural ‘fight or flight’ reaction occurs at the wrong time…Stress causes the body to produce more adrenal hormones, especially adrenaline. The increased production of adrenaline causes the body to step up its metabolism of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates to quickly produce energy for the body to use…Chronic anxiety is a milder, more generalized form of this disorder.”
The following foods, supplements, herbs, and recommendations may help your body replace nutrients that it is losing as it copes with the physical effects of anxiety.
a. Food: “Include in the diet apricots, asparagus, avocados, bananas, broccoli, blackstrap molasses, brewer’s yeast, brown rice, dried fruits, dulse (seaweed), figs, fish (especially salmon), garlic, green leafy vegetables, legumes, raw nuts and seeds, soy products, Whole grains, and yogurt.
b. Nutrients: Calcium (2,000 mg daily), magnesium (600 - 1,000 mg daily), Floradix Iron + Herbs from Salus Haus (As directed on label), Multivitamin and mineral complex with potassium ( 99 mg daily), Vitamin B complex (as directed on label) plus extra vitamin B1 (50 mg 3 times daily with meals) and vitamin B6 (50 mg 3 times daily with meals), niacinamide (1,000 mg daily), Vitamin C (5,000 - 10,000 mg daily, in divided doses), Zinc (50 - 80 mg daily. Do not exceed a total of 100 mg daily from all supplements), Chromium picolinate (200 mg daily), Dl-Ohenylalanine (600 - 1,200 mg daily. Discontinue use if no improvement is seen in one week).
c. Herbs: Bilberry, ginkobilaba, and milk thistle for flavonoids; catnip, chamomile, cramp bark, kava kava, hops, linden flower, motherwort, and pasionflower to promote relaxation; skullcap and valerian root to promote sleep; AVOID ephedra, which can aggravate anxiety.
d. General Recommendations:
1. Try eating small, frequent meals rather than the traditional three meals a day.
2. Limit intake of animal protein (meat).
3. Avoid foods containing refined or simple sugar…carbonated soft drinks and alcohol.
4. Do not consume coffee, black tea, chocolate, or anything else that contains caffeine.
5. Learn relaxation techniques and exercise regularly.”
05-08. Depression. Prescription for Nutritional Healing says, “People with depression typically withdraw and hide from society. They lose interest in things around them and become incapable of experiencing pleasure. Symptoms of depression include chronic fatigue, sleep disturbances, changes in appetite, headaches, backaches, digestive disorders, restlessness, irritability, quickness to anger, and loss of interest in hobbies.
Foods greatly influence the brain’s behavior…the levels of brain chemicals called neurotransmitters, which regulate our behavior, are controlled by what we eat, and neurotransmitters are closely linked to mood. The neurotransmitters most commonly associated with mood are dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. When the brain produces serotonin, tension is eased. When it produces dopamine or norepinephrine, we tend to think and act more quickly and are generally more alert.
The following foods, supplements, herbs, and recommendations may help your body replace nutrients that it is losing as it copes with the physical effects of depression.
a. Food: Eat a diet that includes plenty of raw fruits and vegetables, soybeans, soy products, brown rice, millet, and legumes. Salmon and white fish are good…and you will benefit from eating turkey. Omit wheat products and the artifical sweetener aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet). (authors note: You may have noticed that if you have both anxiety and depression, as is common with PTSD, fruits, vegetables, fish, soy products, and legumes are common to both but you may want to omit whole grain products).
b. Nutrients: L-Tyrosine (Up to 50 mg per pound of body weight daily. Take on an empty stomach with 50 mg vitamin B6 and 100 - 500 mg vitamin C. Best taken at bedtime), Sub-Adrene from American Biologics (As directed on label), Zinc (50 mg daily. Do not exceed a total of 100 mg daily from all supplements), Taurine Plus from American Biologics (As directed on label). The following vitamins listed by “cc” are by injection - Vitamin B complex (2 cc once weekly or as prescribed by physician), Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)(1/2 cc once weekly or as prescribed by physician), Vitamin B12 (1 cc once weekly or as prescribed by physician) OR liver extract (2cc once weekly or as prescribed by physician) plus Vitamin B12 (1 cc once weekly or as prescribed by physician) OR Vitamin B complex (100 mg 3 times daily) plus pantothenic acid (Vitamin B5)(500 mg daily) and Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)(50 mg 3 times daily) plus Vitamin B3 (niacin)(50 mg 3 times daily. Do not exceed this amount) and folic acid (200 mg daily).
c. Herbs: Balm, also know as lemon balm, ephedra (ma Huang) (DO NOT USE IF SUFFERING FROM ANXIETY), ginger, ginko biloba, oat straw, peppermint, kava kava, and St. Johnswort.” Note: Notice some repeats from anxiety treatment recommendations).
d. General Recommendations:
1. Avoid foods high in saturated fats (fried foods).
2. Avoids all forms of sugar, alcohol, caffeine, and processed foods (nobody said it was going to be easy).
3. Keep your mind active and get plenty of rest (I used the writing of this manual to keep me sane).
4. Try using color to alleviate depression. (See Section II of this chapter).
5. Vigorous exercise and appropriate music can help eliminate bouts of depression.
6. People who smoke are more likely than nonsmokers to be depressed.”
(From Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 2nd Ed. By Phyllis A. Balch © 1997. Avery Publishing Group, Inc., Garden City Park, New York. Reprinted by permission)
05-09. My Experience. Although I have made several efforts to adjust my nutritional habits I have found no significant changes in my anxiety or depression levels. I feel this is mainly because of the medications I am on and the difficulty of tracking cause and effect in this area. I hope that someone in the medical field will come up with a proven program using a combination of food, nutritional supplements and herbs to assist PTSD patients.
I would like to mention one danger associated with nutritional adjustments that may have contributed to my depression. Looking back I can associate 2 of my 3 bouts of depression with times in my life when I was on low carbohydrate diet. Only one other time have I been on a low carbohydrate diet. In that instance I did not suffer a bought of depression, however I happened to be in a very rewarding and satisfying job. Coincidence? Unknown at this time.
05-10. General. What I refer to as Sound Wave Therapy is probably better know as relaxation or stress reduction therapy. Even though soothing music can have a relaxing effect on most people, what I am referring to here goes beyond that. I have had success with two Sound Wave Therapy programs. One is marketed as a stress reduction tape, while the other is advertised as having something to do with “window frequencies”. I found that both programs can offer those suffering with PTSD at least a brief respite.
05-11. Relaxation and Stress Reduction. The first tape, Letting Go of Stress by Emmett E. Miller, M.D. and Steven Halpern, PH.D. and produced by “Source”, was given to me by one of the psychologists at the VA center where I am undergoing treatment for PTSD. After my initial visits to the VA and while waiting to see the results of my body’s response to the prescribed medications, my psychiatrist recommended that I attend a stress management class. The tape was provided as part of that class and I still use it on occasion. There are four twenty minute episodes. You can listen to the tape on any cassette tape playback device (the folks at my VA will even loan you a player if you do not have one) It is a good idea to listen through padded earphones. The earphones block out a lot of unwanted distractions.
The first session takes you through a “Muscle Tension Relaxation” sequence that I found to be the best of the four sessions. The second one involves “Deep Breathing”, the third a “Trip to the Beach” with waves and stuff, and the fourth, and final session, emphasizes “positive imaging”. Each has a pleasant musical background. To be effective the tape should be used three times a day.
I used mine twice a day. On the days when I could concentrate and was not too hyper, the tape helped me feel less stressed and more relaxed.
05-12. Addressing Brain Waves. The second and more effective tape is called Brain Power by Kelly Howell and is produced by “Brain Sync Corporation”. The following is a quote from the brochure found inside the tape box, “Brain Power delivers a special combination of window frequencies, ranging from high beta down to delta, which have been associated with higher cognitive function, visual acuity, concentration, creativity, and relaxation…. Brain Power will balance both right and left hemispheres of the brain, while allowing you to enter the peak performance brain state known as “Flow”.
I am not certain what all that means but I found the tape very gripping and easy to listen to. There are no words but rather a “beat” and rhythm combined with light music that produces an pleasant mind numbing effect. The program carries you to the edge of sleep then lifts you out, without giving you a jolt, several times over a 30 minute period. The tape has two 30 minute sides and I have found that in most cases one side at a time works just fine. Oh yeah, you need stereo headphones.
05-13. Personal Experience. The second tape works for me. I have found that when I used it on a regular basis, at least three times a week, my memory has been sharper and my concentration has not been so hard to come by. This baby is great if you are having trouble getting to sleep. I also recommend you try different concentration techniques such as deep breathing, total body relaxation, and watching a Lava Lamp (love my Lava Lamp).
Both of the above tapes state in their brochures that they are “not a medical device” and should not be used as a substitute for appropriate medical care.
05-14. General. I highly recommend that you purchase The Brain Workout Book by Snowden Parlette. It offers chapters on “Controlling Unruly Dreams”, “Balancing The Right and Left Brain Functions”, “Development of the Frontal Lobe”, and best of all “Strengthening Your Memory.” It is full of mental exercises and is written in a light, conversational manner.
05-15. Personal Experience. I have tried several of the exercises recommended in The Brain Workout Book, and I believe they have improved my concentration. The chapter on “Controlling Unruly Dreams” has also helped.
05-16. Separating Emotion From Memory. In my search for various treatments for PTSD I stumbled upon several concepts that were new to me. This particular one, created by Dr. Joseph M. Carver, actually makes sense, AND IT WORKS.
I present here the parts of Dr. Carver’s work that I feel are the most relevant to survivors of PTSD. I would encourage you to visit Dr. Carver’s Internet Web Site (No longer available) at “http://www.zoomnet.net/~jcarver/emotmem.html” and read the entire article Emotional Memory Management: Positive Control Over Your Memory:
“Every second we are alive, our brain functions. At a very basic level it maintains our breathing, our blood flow, our body temperature, and other aspects that allow us to stay alive and thinking. Emotional Memory Management, or EMM, is concerned with the thinking part of brain functioning. Almost every aspect of daily functioning is directly related to our memory. As you read this document, your brain recognizes words and provides definitions as you read - pretty fast operating when you think about it! While this discussion is not concerned with reading or word-memory, it is concerned with the manner in which the brain pulls memory files, makes those files, and how those files influence our daily life.
The following discussion is based on psychological and neurological research, combined with on-going theories regarding memory, thought control, and therapy/counseling. Several theories and the results of research have been combined by the author in a manner which allows the practical and daily use of advanced knowledge on topics of memory and brain functioning. As research in this area continues, the author anticipates new, neurological definitions of previously-labeled psychological concepts such as ‘the subconscious’ or the various defense mechanisms.
While the underlying theories are very technical, the concept is presented in a non-technical manner. After reading this information, you are encouraged to practice the techniques, be curious about how your file system works and observe it in operation, and make the most of the new knowledge and understanding available.
Much like a modern-day computer, the brain stores memories in a system of files… Recent studies in neurology tell us that the files contain not only data/information, but emotions as well.
Memory files thus contain two parts, the information about the event and the feeling we had at the time of the event.
Graphically put:
Memory file = Information + Feelings at the time
How Memories are made…
A memory is stored in long-term storage or “dumped” depending on it’s emotional value… Most of us cannot remember our many trips to the grocery store or service station. However, we will always remember times which have a good or bad value such as the time a store was robbed when we were there, the time an old lady threatened us over a can of green beans, or the time we spilled gasoline all over our clothes in one of those self-serve pumps… As years pass, we build up quite a file system. We build up a collection of good memories and bad memories. Our brain has the ability to pull these memories at the drop of a hat - almost instantly…. Those with emotional memories can not only give you the exact details, but a variety of random and irrelevant details surrounding the event. This is how powerful “emotional memory” (EM) can be.”
Dr. Carver goes into great detail at this point on how chemicals effect the brain and the memory/emotion process. I covered some of this same information in chapter 2, so we will by-pass it here. However, I do want to list the “rules” he brings out in that section:
“Rule: The brain operates on chemicals. These chemicals produce emotional responses in the brain and body.
Rule: Thoughts change brain chemistry.
Rule: The brain is constantly, every second, pulling files for our reference.
Rule: The emotional part of a memory begins 90 to 120 seconds after a file is pulled.
Rule: The brain only allows one file out at a time.
Rule: The brain doesn’t care which file is active.
Rule: Like the files, the brain only allows one feeling or emotion to be active at a time.
Rule: You can’t argue with a file.
Rule: Any stimulation can pull a file.
Files and Physical/Mental Trauma…
One of the most common situations in which emotional memory files create severe problems is in physical or mental trauma. Trauma, or severe emotional memory, can be created by physical assaults, combat experiences, crime, death of a loved one, viewing severe accidents, surgery, or brush-with-death experiences… in trauma, the brain not only memorizes everything about the event - including the emotions - but adds the surroundings as well…old Emotional Memory (EM) trauma files are often at the heart of long-standing difficulties…correction is often a matter of taking manual control of those situations, creating new files, and “watering down” the old files.
Rule: The brain pulls the most recent and most powerful file first.
How to Know When A File Is Operating…
If you find yourself thinking about a past trauma or bad situation, you may have an old file out and also be depressed and stressed. When depressed or stressed, the brain becomes our worst enemy, pulling files that have strong negative content and making us relive and reexperience old events…an older male suddenly thinks, feels guilty, and grieves about his experiences in combat (WW II, Korea, Vietnam, etc.). When the brain pulls these old files we know brain chemistry is upset.
Rule: The Brain doesn’t know if a file is real or imagined!
Making New Files…
112 Since our brain can’t tell real from imagined experiences, practice making new files to replace your old.
113 Depressed and anxious individuals always imagine negative experiences…If depressed or anxious, think the opposite of the brain’s normal disposition - daydream or imagine only positive experiences. It may sound strange but your brain will think your life is better (it only knows what it’s told!) and will chemically lift your mood gradually.
114 Pick an area in which your are having trouble. Create/Invent new files to deal with that situation. If uncomfortable around your supervisor at work or your relatives, imagine positive scenes in which you solve conflicts or make adjustments.
Developing a Treatment Plan…
Let’s suppose we have a strong Emotional Memory (EM), perhaps the result of an automobile accident, a childhood trauma, a life-threatening experience, a physical assault, a public embarrassment, or something equally emotionally traumatic. We can develop a treatment plan to eliminate the ‘emotional’ part of the memory. We can never eliminate the details of the memory/experience - only brain damage or disease wipes out complete memories. The goal in the treatment of Emotional Memories (EM) is to eliminate the emotional component - the part that causes us emotional pain. If the emotional component/part is taken away, we can relate the story without fear of being upset or returning to that mood.
One of the fastest and easiest ways to complete that task is to ‘water down’ the emotional part of the memory. To do this, imagine having a letter saved on a computer word processor. Each time you retrieve the letter - it looks the same, reads the same, and says the same thing. If we pull it up on the computer screen, read it, then save it - nothing has changed. This is what happens when we relate Emotional Memory (EM) events to others without adding to the memory or file. What happens if we pull up that word processor letter each day. Each time we pull it up on the screen, we add one long sentence to the letter - a sentence that is silly, unrelated to the letter, or just a bit off-base - then save it again. After two weeks we’ve added 14 sentences to the letter and the original letter is now gone. It’s something totally different now. We use this technique to eliminate emotional parts of Emotional Memory (EM).
Summary…
We are a collection of memories - that’s who we are, what makes up our personality, what controls our behaviors, and what often produces our moods. The good Emotional Memory (EM) is a blessing to us, remembering good times during childhood, our favorite songs/events, and old friends. However, we have all collected bad or often traumatic Emotional Memory (EM) files as well. The goal of Emotional Memory (EM) Management is to control or eliminate the emotional part of those files. If we can do that, our history of bad experiences becomes just that - history.
Those files become a record of where we’ve been and experienced, not something that continues to control our moods and behaviors.
In daily living and especially during times of stress, our memory file system is very important. It is a system that is active every second, works automatically, and can change our mood within two minutes. Our office has presented the above information with the hope that you can lower your stress and live more effectively by controlling your emotional memory files rather than allowing them to control you! Remember - our emotional file system is like our breathing, it will operate on automatic or we can take manual control. Knowing how the system operates allows us more control over our memories and daily lives.”
Joseph M. Carver, Ph.D., Psychologist
(Used by permission of author)
05-17. My Experience. I have used the “water down” technique, explained above, on several unwanted memories/emotions with positive results. I had been plagued for years with the memory of seeing a white cat hit and killed by an automobile. I kept seeing this event replay itself in slow motion when I would worry about one of my own cats, or just when feeling down. I wrote the sentence “The white cat has gone to a peaceful and beautiful place” at the top of a legal pad and for two weeks added a new, “crazy” sentence, such as “Small frogs wear small dresses” or “My boss has a large pimple on his nose”, below it. I can now think about the white cat being killed without the emotion. I wish you luck if you decide to try the same experiment.
05-18. Write a book. A professor of psychology at the University of Texas, James Pennebaker, contends that writing about your traumatic experiences is just as good therapy as talking about it. Dr. Pennabaker pioneered what is know as “Mind-body connections” in the mid 1980’s using blood samples of participants before and after a writing experiment and found an increase of what is known as “T-helper cells” for as long as six weeks afterward. Though not widely accepted at the time, and still controversial, other universities are now duplicating the same process.
Dr. Penebacker contends that writing style or correctness has no bearing on the outcome. The patient is asked to “…write for yourself”. The process involves “..writing and rewriting about whatever ails you - for as little as 20 minutes a day for three to five consecutive days - until you have a complete and coherent narrative with a beginning, a middle and an end. You may feel a little sad or depressed when it’s over. But you may also find that you stop thinking about whatever it was that moved you to write.”
And finally when asked why it works, Dr. Pennebaker said “…just organizing feelings and thoughts about traumas is beneficial, since trying to avoid thinking or talking about something is stressful.” (Austin American Statesman, Mar 1, 1998).
05-19. My Experience. Part of what has kept me sane during the last year has been the writing of this manual. It has provided a means of focus and release. Much of me is scattered throughout the text and each chapter brings satisfaction. A Vet Center counselor asked me the other day what I was going to do after the manual is finished and I said “I can begin helping others, which I feel will complete my healing.”
Although you must be prepared for the consequences of regurgitating your traumas, sometimes literally, the act of writing and the seeing on paper what happened during those traumas can free you from the guilt and disgust and allow you to understand and come to terms with what happened. You did what you were able or required to do. Nothing more could have been asked, by God or man.
Some of this understanding, and healing, will take place when you write your stress letter. Always have a friend or doctor available in case of fall out.
SITREP - Korean War Era (1952):
The first pocket-size radios are introduced by Sony; the Today Show debuts on NBC; the first Videotape is demonstrated in California; the book East of Eden is written by John Steinbeck and The Old Man and the Sea is written by Earnest Hemingway; the songs “Do Not Forsake Me”, “Your Cheatin Heart”, and “Lullaby of Birdland” are released; the films “High Noon”, “The Quiet Man” and “The Greatest Show On Earth” are released; the New York Yankees win the World Series by defeating the Brooklyn Dodgers 4 games to 2.
Korean War Era (1953) :
Joseph Stalin dies at the age of 73; the American Stock Exchange is created; the IBM 701 is the first IBM computer; TV Guide and Playboy Magazine begin publication; the books The Adventures of Augie March, Casino Royale, and Battle Cry are published; the songs “I Believe”, “Oh! My Pa Pa”, and “That’s Amore” are released; the New York Yankees win the World Series by defeating the Brooklyn Dodgers 4 games to 3 (their fifth win in five years).