Altering Frightening Memories: A Potential Treatment for PTSD

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is marked by debilitating anxiety triggered by traumatic memories. The individual becomes paralayzed with fear arisen by recollection of the traumatic event or by neutral events that are associated to the original trauma; for example a scent or a place can conjure up the traumatic memory.

Thus, it is the memory that triggers the anxiety and that is what researchers at NYU University are looking to alter. When people experience and learn something, it is immediately placed in short-term memory (temporary storage of information that will be used right away before being deleted, such as a phone number) where subsequently it will either be forgotten or be stored in long-term memory for future recall. According to the researchers every time a memory is recalled, it requires a process called consolidation to put it back into long-term memory and it is that mechanism that is targetted for the treatment of PTSD. In fact, the traumatic memory that is being recalled is then replaced with a more neutral memory, a process called reconsolidation. Interestingly, reconsolidation has only a 10-minute window of opportunity after wich time the memory can never be modified.

This method has not yet been applied to patients suffering from PTSD, but the results are so far very promising. 

Jazzie.

Living with Anxiety

Focusing Attention on Breathing Can Soothe your Nerves

Paying attention to your breathing, also called mindful breathing, has been shown to reduce negative moods.

A study looking at mindful breathing and depression showed that the participants who spent18 minutes maintaining continual awareness of their breathing displayed less negative thinking and fewer symptoms of depression.

In order to obtain desirable results, it is recommnded to try it for 20 minutes at first until it becomes easy, after which point it can be pacticed anywhere and for any amount of time.

This is definitely good news for people suffering from anxiety, because that technique could also apply in a case of a panic attack or high anxiety.

 

Jazzie,

Living with Anxiety

Focusing Attention on Breathing Can Soothe your Nerves

Paying attention to your breathing, also called mindful breathing, has been shown to reduce negative moods.

A study looking at mindful breathing and depression showed that the participants who spent18 minutes maintaining continual awareness of their breathing displayed less negative thinking and fewer symptoms of depression.

In order to obtain desirable results, it is recommnded to try it for 20 minutes at first until it becomes easy, after which point it can be pacticed anywhere and for any amount of time.

This is definitely good news for people suffering from anxiety, because that technique could also apply in a case of a panic attack or high anxiety.

 

Jazzie,

Living with Anxiety

Cooling your Brain may Alleviate Anxiety??

In a recent study presented this summer, researchers demonstrated that cooling the brain was an effective treatment for sleep disorders and insomnia.

They equiped insomniacs with a "cooling cap", which essentially used circulating water to cool the prefrontal cortex (front part of the brain located just behind the forehead), to help their brain relax before going to sleep. The results turned out to be positive as in more than 75% of the cases the patients did fall asleep and stayed asleep.

This finding has treatment implication for anxiety disorders, because in anxiety as in insomnia the prefrontal cortex is hyperactive.Therefore a treatment approach that would help slow down activity in that brain region could potentially reduce anxiety. More research is needed to test this hypothesis, but in the meantime it would not hurt to put an ice cap or a cool washcloth on your forehead if you are suffering from anxiety and are having difficulty sleeping. Who knows, you might be in for a pleasant surprise!

Living with Anxiety

Cooling your Brain may Alleviate Anxiety??

In a recent study presented this summer, researchers demonstrated that cooling the brain was an effective treatment for sleep disorders and insomnia.

They equiped insomniacs with a "cooling cap", which essentially used circulating water to cool the prefrontal cortex (front part of the brain located just behind the forehead), to help their brain relax before going to sleep. The results turned out to be positive as in more than 75% of the cases the patients did fall asleep and stayed asleep.

This finding has treatment implication for anxiety disorders, because in anxiety as in insomnia the prefrontal cortex is hyperactive.Therefore a treatment approach that would help slow down activity in that brain region could potentially reduce anxiety. More research is needed to test this hypothesis, but in the meantime it would not hurt to put an ice cap or a cool washcloth on your forehead if you are suffering from anxiety and are having difficulty sleeping. Who knows, you might be in for a pleasant surprise!

Living with Anxiety

Lucid Dreaming: A Potential Treatment Approach for Generalized Anxiety and Phobias

We have all experienced at one time or other a lucid dream, which is a state in which the dreamer is conscious that he/she is dreaming. In certain cases the lucid dreamer can even alter the course of the dream. 

Dreams have always intrigued researchers wanting to understand their function and mechanism, but for a long time lucid dreaming has been shunned because it was still elusive, if not unbelievable. It was the discovery of unique brain waves that draw more attention to it. Indeed, it was found that parts of the cerebral cortex ( the frontal part of the brain responsible for concentration and judgment) were active during that state while usually silent during regular dreaming (REM Sleep).

Recently, lucid dreaming has been considered as a potential treatment option for Generalized Anxiety and Specific Phobias, as the dream state is believed to provide a safe environment where the individual can confront his/her anxieties. The dreamer could thus manipulate his/her dreams to act out his/her fears while being in a relaxed state.However, there is nothing conclusive yet as more research is needed to clarify certain aspects that remain unclear, such as how to train someone to "lucid dream"...

Check out more info on lucid dream.

Living with Anxiety

Lucid Dreaming: A Potential Treatment Approach for Generalized Anxiety and Phobias

We have all experienced at one time or other a lucid dream, which is a state in which the dreamer is conscious that he/she is dreaming. In certain cases the lucid dreamer can even alter the course of the dream. 

Dreams have always intrigued researchers wanting to understand their function and mechanism, but for a long time lucid dreaming has been shunned because it was still elusive, if not unbelievable. It was the discovery of unique brain waves that draw more attention to it. Indeed, it was found that parts of the cerebral cortex ( the frontal part of the brain responsible for concentration and judgment) were active during that state while usually silent during regular dreaming (REM Sleep).

Recently, lucid dreaming has been considered as a potential treatment option for Generalized Anxiety and Specific Phobias, as the dream state is believed to provide a safe environment where the individual can confront his/her anxieties. The dreamer could thus manipulate his/her dreams to act out his/her fears while being in a relaxed state.However, there is nothing conclusive yet as more research is needed to clarify certain aspects that remain unclear, such as how to train someone to "lucid dream"...

Check out more info on lucid dream.

Living with Anxiety