Surviving the Holiday Blues

Dr. Dennis Maness

The Holiday Season is upon us. Can you tell? It seems Christmas was upon us before Thanksgiving arrived this year. While this may be great for retailers, however as a healthcare clinic we at BrainTektm started seeing the onset of holiday blues in our clients in October.

According to the American Psychological Association, about 19 million adults suffer from depressive symptoms. For some, all of the pressures of shopping, coordinating social functions and negotiating family issues bring anxiety while others start reminiscing about past holidays and become overwhelmed. The list of things that cause us to become anxious, depressed or down are many. It doesn’t have to be that way.

People often recall the highlights of a Thanksgiving, Hanukah, Christmas or a New Year event from the past and hold on to what they remember as an ideal holiday from years gone by, but today the facts have changed; we are older, the kids are older, many of the family have moved to distant places and this economy may bring financial limitations to many, making it impossible to reproduce the holiday in our dreams. The result is often family tension and holiday depression stemming from unrealistic expectations.

So just what is going on? The behavior on the outside is tandem to what is going on the inside. As we start to slip into a depressive state of mind, we start processing from a different part of our brain. We slip into a state called Fight or Flight. The governing area of the brain for this state is completely on the opposite side of the brain from where we think and process our best thoughts and decisions. As a matter of fact, most of the thoughts processed from this Fight or Flight area are thoughts of escape. We escape from the moment by recalling the past which causes us to miss all the new, happy memories being created in front of our own eyes.

One quick and easy procedure I teach people who are caught in this state is for them of a close friend, spouse or clinician to touch their forehead and ask them to focus on the touch.  While they are doing this, I am monitoring them utilizing proprietary software through connections on a BioComp qEEG or the Nexus 10 qEEG unit.  By monitoring, I am able to watch the activity of their brain.  With practice, they are able to move thoughts from undesirable behavior to the new acceptable brain behavior even if momentarily to a new focal point where they are able to process with logic, away from their current state. This step is called Behavioral Relationship Entrainment.    In this step, I use a proprietary computer program that teaches them to bring their thoughts from their current state to the executive center of their brain where they create their best decisions and behaviors. Here, we work together to help them appreciate the past and to be aware of the present.

These methods and software programs were developed by BrainTektm Institutes Dr. Dennis Maness we can work with you to establish new thought patterns so that you are more in the moment and open and able to creating new positive experiences. You are more able to think and work from your highest potential instead of being stuck in a repetitive pattern zone of Fight or Flight which can only give you less effective fear based solutions.

Remember you are making new memories with fresh results with each thought and action. Make them pleasant, proactive thoughts and deeds and enjoy each and every moment. Live the moment with love and appreciation of your family and friends. Making new memories and new friends can be a great and rewarding gift that only you can give yourself.

Our clients at BrainTektm learn how to be in the moment so they can deal effectively with the current issues, be present with their family and friends because this creates a more enjoyable and productive present and an even better future.

If you have a loved one who is caught reliving “Times Past” telling them to “Get Over It” doesn’t help, it will only aggravate or intensify their pain. This is like telling someone who has a toothache to “Get Over It”! Make the holidays fun, light and fill them with love. Involve the family member who is reminiscing the past. Help them create new, happy memories of the present and appreciate the great holidays we have enjoyed before.

There are also serious health consequences to being in a depressive state of mind - the longer you stay in this state of mind the more your body produces adrenaline and cortisol. This build up of adrenaline and cortisol will eventually be harmful to your body’s immune system. The sooner you can leave this state of mind, the sooner your body can regain balance and start to repair itself and you can also start to make new memories with the ones closest to you. Two great products to help you out of the doldrums are liquid Vitamin B drops and Passion 4 Live Vitamins which will help balance your hormones, support your body to synthesize protein and maintain mental wellbeing.

Remember you have a choice – choose to live in the present and create a  future you will be proud of.  We at BrainTektm Institute are here to support you and empower you to live and act from your highest capacity so that you are building a happy and healthy today and tomorrow.

Research
BrainTek Institute continues to stay at the cutting edge of brain / body research.  Our research has helped us become successful with  traumatic brain injury, stroke, Attention / Focus and other cognitive challenges.  We are also studying how early detection of irregular brainwave behavior is a valuable predictor of potential challenges.

International Society for Neurofeedback Research


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