The Dopamine Fast Alternative to reset your nervous system and HPA-Axis

Dopamine fasting is an alternative method to reset the nervous system and HPA-axis.

The Dopamine Fast Alternative

-Identify common behaviors that cause overeating, poor nutrition or weight gain -Explore strategies to address those behaviors

Learn how to identify and address common behaviors that lead to overeating, poor nutrition, and weight gain through effective strategies.

CBT Tools for Mindful Eating

Migraines affect 15% of the U.S. Population. We will discuss their Prevalence, Causes, Effects, Triggers, and Tools to Cope. Migraine is defined as a recurrent headache disorder manifesting in attacks lasting 4 to 72 hours, with or without aura.

Migraines affect 15% of the U.S. population and are recurrent headache attacks lasting 4 to 72 hours, with or without aura.

Migraine Triggers And Living With Them

Increasing neurotransmitters naturally involves a balance of nutrition, exercise, sleep, and stress management. Foods rich in tryptophan, B vitamins, iron, and vitamin D boost serotonin. Norepinephrine can be supported through vitamin D, choline, and healthy liver function. Acetylcholine benefits from B vitamins and moderate exercise. GABA is enhanced by low glycemic diets, sleep, and certain teas, while endorphins are released through exercise, laughter, and specific foods like dark chocolate. Dopamine levels increase with antioxidants, sunlight, and foods like meat, avocados, and bananas.

Boost neurotransmitters with balanced nutrition, exercise, sleep, and stress management; specific nutrients like tryptophan, B vitamins, and iron enhance serotonin, norepinephrine, acetylcholine, GABA, endorphins, and dopamine levels.

Increase Neurotransmitters Naturally

-BRIEFLY review the findings from the research identifying the connection between the brain and the gut -Differentiate gut health from proper nutrition -Identify signs and consequences of poor gut health -Explore the bidirectional relationship between the brain and the gut (second brain) -Identify promising alternative approaches to treating mood (and other) disorders.

Research connects brain and gut, distinguish gut health from nutrition, explore brain-gut relationship, offer alternative treatments for mood disorders.

Impact of Gut Health For Mental Health

Effects of Betrayal » Betrayal is an emotional assault that causes the loss of trust, the loss of the relationship you thought you had and a need to reconsider your assumptions about your safety, people, and the world. » These losses need to be grieved » It affects all aspects of you - Physical - Affective/Emotional - Cognitive - Environmental - Relational / Interpersonal

Betrayal causes loss of trust, relationship and affects physical, emotional, cognitive, environmental, and relational aspects; requires grieving.

Trauma of Betrayal

+What will be your "Rich and Meaningful Life?" +Affective Effects of Betrayal » Grief » Anger: Self, partner, other, the world for hurting you, taking away from your power to choose, spending money, choosing someone else over your current family » Blame: Self, partner, other, the world (woulda-coulda- shoulda) » Anxiety » Guilt » Depression » Jealousy of the other person » Envy of healthy relationships

Betrayal can lead to various negative emotions such as grief, anger, blame, anxiety, guilt, depression, jealousy and envy of healthy relationships.

Emotional Impact of Betrayal

Relational Effects of Betrayal + Trust issues - Stay in the present / Don’t hold hostages - Focus on facts + Fear of intimacy/vulnerability - You were vulnerable to your spouse and got traumatized - Becoming vulnerable is a terrifying thought - Take it slowly. - Don’t confuse sex or superficial small-talk with intimacy + Questioning the goodness of others - Make a list of good, trustworthy people you have known or you currently know (including yourself)

Overcoming betrayal and trust issues involves staying present, avoiding hostage-taking, focusing on facts, taking vulnerability slowly, and making a list of trustworthy people.

Interpersonal Impact of Betrayal

* Awe, Wonder, and Humility in Genesis 1 + Think about how two little cells can divide like breaking apart balls of clay. + Eventually, a master switch is flipped and the undifferentiated cells start to differentiate and become skin, bone, organs, etc. + How does that master switch get flipped? How does each cell “know” what to become? « There are scientific explanations for this process, but how was that process created + Explore the world through a child’s eyes. Ask how and why. Appreciate the world outside of yourself. (life, electricity, telephone, thoughts/memories...)

Reflect on the awe, wonder, and humility in the complexity of life's creation, from the division of cells to the intricacies of the universe.

Creation of Abundance Through Balance

- Being loving and compassionate is much harder than being selfish (which produces immediate rewards). - Compromise is much harder than being aggressive and taking what you want or demand your own way. - We see here that just “knowing” what is right does not mean people will choose it. - When we face challenges, we must be patient. There is a time for recovery and reconciliation (to offer and live branch) but we must wait until the environment is hospitable to that recovery. - Likely there were still lots of places that were submerged (suffering) but the dove found places that had begun recovery and worked to help unite/direct Noah to those places where they could start to rebuild.

Choosing love and compassion over selfishness and compromise over aggression is tough; patience is needed for recovery and reconciliation.

Noah's Ark

Principles - Prudence (Wisdom + Patience) - Earnestness - Respect - Forgiveness - Compassion + Truthfulness + Meekness / Selflessness

The principles of Prudence, Earnestness, Respect, Forgiveness, Compassion, Truthfulness, Meekness, and Selflessness are important for life.

Cain And Able

Learn about the story of Adam and Eve, but more learn some principles to take away: -Prudence -Respect -Forgiveness -Compassion -Truthfulness -Meekness

Discover principles from the story of Adam and Eve: prudence, respect, forgiveness, compassion, truthfulness, and meekness.

Adam and Eve

Forgiveness does not mean that you agree with or condone the situation but you are choosing to stop using your energy to beat yourself up.

Forgiveness doesn't justify the situation, it frees you from self-punishment.

Self Forgiveness

Sometimes our brain goes in directions we do not want. Thought stopping helps us redirect our brain. Tell yourself, “No. | am not going to think about that right now”

Thought stopping redirects unwanted thoughts by telling yourself "No. I am not going to think about that right now."

Thought Stopping, Stop Run Away Thoughts

Cognitive Behavioral Tips on how to DEFINE and LIVE your RICH and MEANINGFUL LIFE!

Learn how to define and live a rich and meaningful life through cognitive behavioral tips.

Living a Rich and Meaningful Life

-Create something to look forward -Radical acceptance (silver lining) -Anticipate the positive -Be present -Growth/learning to -Realistic -Affirm yourself -Solutions -Serenity

Focus on the positive, practice acceptance, be present and grow, affirm yourself, and seek solutions for a serene outlook on life.

Optimism With Radical Acceptance

+++ Prior Experiences => Overgeneralization (age, intensity vicarious learning, perfectionism, repetition, self-fulfilling prophesies (giving up)) - Unhook - Examine the facts in context - Find exceptions and commonalities - Eliminate extreme words (i.e. never, always) +++ Fear of the Unknown - If you fear the worst, then you cannot be caught by surprise +++ Fear of loss of control - Examine other painful or difficult situations you have successfully navigated

Avoid overgeneralization, unhook from fear of the unknown, and examine past successful situations to overcome fear of loss of control.

Stop Expecting The Worst

-Predisposing Factors: Early experiences, personal characteristics -Precipitating: Vulnerabilities -Perpetuating: Reinforcing factors and skill/resource deficits -Protective: Strengths

Early experiences and personal characteristics can predispose individuals to vulnerabilities, which can be perpetuated by reinforcing factors and skill/resource deficits, while strengths can provide protection.

4 Ps, Predisposing to Protective

+What is Lazy? +Burnout is a state of exhaustion that may or may not meet the clinical criteria for depression +Signs of burnout or depression -Exhaustion and lack of energy -Feeling disconnected -Withdrawal -Moodiness and irritability -Lack of motivation (due to depletion) -Loss of interest/apathy +Burnout and depression both represent a state of exhaustion coupled with a sense of hopelessness and helplessness -Get back to basics (must-dos) -Define a rich and meaningful life -Identify what is triggering your burnout/exhaustion and begin addressing it -Prioritize self-care- Physical stress contributes to B/D

Burnout and depression share exhaustion, hopelessness, and helplessness. To combat it, focus on self-care, identify triggers, and define a meaningful life.

Am I Lazy, Burned Out, or Depressed?

Forgiveness does not mean that you agree with or condone the situation, but you are choosing to stop giving that person or thing your energy or stop using your energy to beat yourself up.

Forgiveness means not giving energy to the situation or oneself, without agreeing or condoning it.

Forgiveness

- Mindfulness means turning off autopilot and being nonjudgmentally aware of your thoughts, feelings, needs, and behaviors in the present moment. - Mindfulness helps you connect thoughts, feelings, and behaviors - Mindfulness promotes prevention and early intervention - Think about how operating on “autopilot” may have contributed to sickness, anger outbursts, or relapses of depression.

Mindfulness is being aware of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in the present moment to prevent illness, relapses, and identify needs.

Mindfulness - Avoid Autopilot On

Intrusive Thoughts According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America intrusive thoughts are involuntary, have no bearing on reality, and are typically perceived as unacceptable. -Can be Triggered by stress, anxiety, insomnia, or hormone fluctuations. -Often totally random -Can be an aspect of anxiety, depression, PTSD, PPD, or OCD This track defines Intrusive Thoughts and provides tools for dealing with them.

Intrusive thoughts are involuntary, unrelated to reality, triggered by stress, and can be a symptom of various mental health conditions. This track offers coping strategies.

Coping with Intrusive Thoughts

-Assumptions /rules/attitudes are statements that are Extreme/overgeneralized: All dogs are vicious. -|f-then statements that provide a judgment based on a set of circumstances: “If | am not perfect, then I'm a complete failure." ****** Context Options Resources Probability Support ******

Assumptions and rules can be extreme and overgeneralized, while f-then statements provide judgments based on circumstances.

Problem Formulation with Context Framing

Identify the most effective way to use your energy to move towards YOUR rich and meaningful life.

Discover how to use your energy to achieve a fulfilling life.

Psychological Flexibility

Learn 6 simple techniques to help with grounding. What is Grounding Good For? *When people feel threatened, it can trigger feelings of anger or anxiety which result in (among other things) *Racing thoughts *Ruminations *Flashbacks *Dissociation

6 grounding techniques to help manage anger, anxiety, racing thoughts, ruminations, flashbacks, and dissociation.

6 Simple Grounding Techniques

Cognitive Restructuring literally means changing your thoughts. -Unhooking -Cost vs. Benefit to holding the distressful thoughts -Dispute using -Facts -Alternate explanations -Exceptions -Alternate perspectives (How would your best friend describe the situation? What solutions would your best friend offer?) -Evaluate probabilities -Focus on what you can change (Your behaviors, Your emotional reactions, Your perception) -Distress tolerant thoughts -What would you tell someone else -“Nobody would want to be in a relationship with me because I am too broken”

Cognitive restructuring is changing thoughts by disputing distressful thoughts using facts, alternate explanations, exceptions, alternate perspectives, and focusing on what you can change.

Cognitive Restructuring

Defining How to Effectively Use Your Energy + Looking at the bigger picture to understand the reactions of yourself and others + 4 Ps -Predisposing: What were the background factors (historical, personal traits, transference) that contributed to the person’s behavior? - Precipitating: What vulnerabilities and contextual factors precipitated the reaction? - Provocations: In what way might | have inadvertently provoked the behavior? - Plans: Did the person have good intentions?

Understand reactions of self and others by analyzing predisposing, precipitating, provocation, and plans factors to effectively use your energy.

Perspective Taking

-Thoughts -Activities (including breathing) -Guided Imagery -Sensations

Mental exercises for relaxation: thoughts, activities, guided imagery, and sensations.

Emotion Regulation Thoughts & Activities

-Authenticity means being true to yourself -We often become inauthentic because we -Are trying to get other people's approval -Fear of being rejected or canceled -Are operating on autopilot (not mindful) -Develop your self-esteem and let go of the need for other people’s approval. (If you are inauthentic, they are not approving of you anyway...only the facade) -Chocolate chip cookies -All parts of one body

Be true to yourself, let go of others' approval/fear of rejection, develop self-esteem, and avoid operating on autopilot to maintain authenticity.

Authenticity - Be True To Yourself

-Wise-Mind Thinking -Context—This Situation in the Present Moment -Facts vs. Emotions -Of the situation -What is in your control -Research solutions -Alternate Perspectives

Wise-mind thinking: consider context, facts vs emotions, what's in control, research solutions, and alternate perspectives for present situations.

Realistic Thinking With The Wise Mind

Recognizing how automatic beliefs trigger your reactions.

Awareness of automatic beliefs and their impact on reactions.

ABC's of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

10 Practical tips to help you deal with depression. (And a couple of bonuses at the end!)

"10 tips to cope with depression, plus bonus tips."

10 Ways to Deal with Depression

» Dissociation happens when your mind is so overwhelmed that it “checks out” » Dissociation may occur when you are in physical pain, the the current situation is too overwhelming to cope with or you are reminded of a prior trauma » Dissociation is different from daydreaming or “highway hypnosis”

Dissociation occurs when the mind checks out due to overwhelming situations, physical pain, or past trauma, and is distinct from daydreaming or highway hypnosis.

Dissociation and Safety

This track covers 11 tips that provide concrete steps and tools to help you cope with high functioning depression. Almost anyone dealing with depression will find some tools in here,

"11 tips to cope with high functioning depression, providing concrete steps and tools for anyone dealing with depression."

11 Tips to Cope with Depression

This track will teach you how to determine if YOUR Relationship is Toxic. +Relationships should enhance each person not tear them down +Relationships can be toxic for one or both people +Toxicity can be caused by: - A person’s behaviors in response to the other person (address it with the other person - don’t assume) - A person’s behaviors in response to what they assume the other person is thinking or going to do (based on current core beliefs and schema formed from past experiences)

Learn to identify toxic relationships by addressing one's own behavior and assumptions towards the other person, and understanding that relationships should enhance each person.

How To Tell If A Relationship Is Toxic?

Dealing with difficult people and finding meaning in life. Tips for forgiving others and finding a rich and meaningful life.

Tips for forgiveness and finding meaning in life by navigating relationships with difficult people.

11 Strategies To Enhance Forgiveness

I define the difference between introversion, social anxiety, and avoidant. We then develop a deep understanding of the introvert. Great for learning to understand yourself better or an introvert friend/partner.

Learn the difference between introversion, social anxiety, and avoidance to gain a deep understanding of introverts for personal growth or relationships.