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Therapy

 The toxic mind theory provides the scientific proof of the effectiveness of nearly all types of experiential therapies that encourage the release and redirecting of repressed anger. While some therapies are more effective than others, it is important to remember that recovery depends largely on unconscious physiological mechanisms, and if one does not recover fully in a particular therapy it does not mean that therapy was ineffective. Regressive therapy is actually a misnomer because there is no regression in time in the brain. It is the re-directing of anger that allows neural pathways common to current and previous experience to clear. The primal scream is an example of the release of anger, and because it occurs during a re-enacting of a childhood trauma, the anger is likely to be redirected toward early abusers. However, re-enacting the experience in detail without redirecting the anger is less healing and may involve unnecessary emotional pain. A primal is a detoxification crisis, and the most successful primal is not vicarious, but one during which nerve impulses are able to travel through neurons that store memories of early abusers--neurons that have atrophied and been clogged up for years. Sometimes therapists encourage clients to re-enact childhood traumas in psychodrama and redirect anger toward early abusers by hitting a hard pillow with a padded paddle called a bataka. This kind of therapy, which encourages the redirecting of anger toward early caretakers who were abusive, is provided by the Caron Family Services in Wernersville, PA and for juvenile and adult offenders by the Bethesda Family Services. Dr. Aletha J. Solter, author of Tears and Tantrums, has long understood the principles of detoxing emotions and has incorporated these principles in her techniques for helping young children heal by crying and raging. Her book is an excellent guide for all parents. Other therapists encourage deep breathing, use touch and massage, even manipulation of bones in the brain, to trigger detoxification crises. Therapists provide stimulation to initiate detoxification crises, and are most effective when they assist the person in recognizing the need to redirect anger. It is sometimes difficult to recognize that fear and other symptoms are signals that anger is trying to emerge, and it takes courage to go though the fear, recognize the anger and release it. Because of the redirecting of anger toward parents, therapists who use these techniques in treating young children might well explain to parents that there may be temporary hostility toward them, and even obtain written consent for the therapy.

Self help measures

Self-help measures that allow for the release and redirecting of anger have been used by many people in the past. This is the basis for recovery in Adult Children of Alcoholics, where members talk of their abusive parents. The discovery of the biology of this process brings a new way to speed the detoxification process and to recover rapidly and with less emotional pain than in traditional therapy. Since there is no time regression in the brain, it is possible to speed recovery by releasing and redirecting anger at the first sign of a detoxification crisis, which is an excitatory symptom such as a feeling of neurotic fear. It is not necessary to re-experience all the childhood traumas in detail and the emotional pain associated with them. Hopefully primal therapists will incorporate the redirecting concept for their patients who experience primals. What is necessary is to redirect anger in order to clear those neural pathways where memories of past abusers are stored. If the man in the example recognizes that the intensity of his anger is out of proportion to the incident with his wife, he might redirect some of his anger toward his mother by pounding with his fists on a bed and yelling at her while thinking about her or picturing her. This is NOT an attack on her, but on her sickness. It is important to stay out of ones head and to go with the feelings. Compassion for our parents will be there when the detoxification process is finished. Forgiveness comes naturally when all the anger is gone. His wife would be spared the brunt of his anger that was never intended for her in the first place, and the detoxification process will be accelerated. Most of us want to think our parents loved us unconditionally. No parent is perfect or needs to be perfect. It is not the mistreatment or emotional neglect that injured us so much as the fact that we were not allowed to complain about it. Most of our parents were forced as children to suppress their own anger. As children we loved our parents but were afraid that if we got angry at them we would lose them. There is no harm done to them if we express our anger in therapy or in self-help measures. Writing an account of early childhood relationships and later relationships that were abusive is a good way to trigger the anger that need to be released and redirected.

Detoxification crises will be triggered throughout the day and the more often the anger can be released and redirected at the first sign of an excitory symptom the faster the recovery will be. If a bed is not nearby, or it is not possible to yell out loud, the anger can be released and redirected mentally by talking to oneself. Some have gone to grave yards and pounded on the ground, others to the woods and yelled at trees pretending they were parents and other abusers. It is important to direct anger not only toward our parents, but also toward all past abusers, who were probably parent substitutes. This might include relatives, bosses, authority figures, clergy who told us anger is a sin, friends, and partners in intimate relationships. Remember, common characteristics of these people are stored in the same neural pathways, so when we get angry at these people we are getting angry at our parents as well, and this is healing. It's good to get mad at God too. It's not really God who we are mad at but a false notion of God as a punitive parent.

The self-help measures are consistent with advice given in 12-step programs. Melody Beattie, author of Codependents' Guide to the Twelve Steps, has in her ninth step for recovery from co-dependency a section on 'dealing with those who have harmed us.' Co-dependencies are unconsciously formed to set a stage for healing. We tend to get into relationships with people who remind us of our parents, and these seemingly loving relationship can turn abusive. In these relationships our anger is triggered, and if we understand that it is repressed anger from childhood, it is an opportunity to redirect the anger using the self-help measures. If the pain of rejection by society, a friend, boss, or partner is intense it probably signals anger at having been rejected by our parents. This is an opportunity to redirect anger toward all those who rejected us in the past.

 Perhaps the man in the diagram will beat himself up and feel guilty rather than get angry at his wife. This would be misdirecting his anger inward toward himself--also wrong neurons. If he keeps in mind the fact that his mother made him feel ashamed of himself, again he might pound with his fists on the bed--have the temper tantrum he should have been allowed to have as a child. Suicidal or other self-destructive thoughts are a signal to release and redirect anger. Stage fright is an example of neurotic fear and may have developed from some early experience. For example, in a kindergarten musical event I was told to pretend to sing by a teacher who was afraid my voice would spoil the event. Years later when I was asked to sing by myself as cantor in a chant group, I felt some stage fright and low self-esteem, but after pounding on the bed and expressing my anger at that teacher, my stage fright lessened. Obviously, one such expression of anger in the right direction will not be a cure-all for any specific symptom, but over time the consistent recognition of excitatory symptoms as related to childhood traumas will provide an opportunity to redirect emotions. Whenever I felt guilt or shame (anger turned inward), I could hear my mother's voice saying, "You should be ashamed of yourself," and I would say, "Get out of my head." It is important to mentally redirect anger as often as possible. Writing letters to our parents but not sending them can be another outlet for anger. It is useful to have witnesses when we are experiencing symptoms. Often when I was angry at someone I needed a friend to tell me the intensity of my anger was out of proportion to the incident, and then I was able to redirect the anger and appropriately express anger in the current situation as well. When I see someone yelling at a bus driver for some minor offense, I think to myself, "wrong neurons."

This description of the development of symptoms is necessarily oversimplified since nerve transmission involves highly intricate patterns of impulses. An emotional detoxification crisis is the sum of many crises in separate neurons, and depressive and excitatory symptoms can occur at the same time. Furthermore, detoxification crises occur in the brain and the periphery at the same time. It may not always be possible to recognize the beginning of a detoxification crisis, but it helps to know that the body is working toward healing all the time, and if we do not suppress the symptoms and try to redirect anger when it emerges, anxiety, depression, and other symptoms will subside. Depending on the intensity of an emotional release of anger during a detoxification crisis, there may be a "high" after the crisis. Releasing anger has a fast antidepressant effect. This does not mean one is cured. Until the detoxification process is finished the "high" may be followed by depression or a drug-like sleep. The depression will lift with the next detoxification crisis. The mind is brilliant in its capacity to heal and will seek stimulation to induce another detoxification crisis that will relieve the depression. There has been concern that one might get addicted to anger or more accurately to the 'high' that follows a detoxification crisis. This is not possible because the high is due to the release of excess noradrenaline, and there is a slow withdrawal of this substance. After each detoxification crisis the amount released becomes less and less. The 'highs' become less intense and the depression after the high is less severe. When one is post-flood, i.e. when most of the repressed anger is gone, there may be a let down because there are no more 'highs,' but there should be relief from anxiety, depression, and major mood swings. This may be followed by an intense grief period that can last for many months and there will also be lingering anger that needs to be redirected for a year or so.

To sum up, recovery is a periodic detoxification process that is physiological, but recognizing vicarious detoxification crises (excitatory nervous symptoms), as signals that repressed anger is trying to surface can greatly speed recovery. It is important to release and redirect anger at the first sign of a symptom. Detoxification crises may begin with feelings of anxiety, neurotic fear (the pounding sensation in the chest), low self-esteem, guilt, shame, paranoia, compulsive thoughts and behavior, judgmental, hateful, and revengeful thoughts, and misdirected aggressive behavior. Or they may be expressed as cravings for food, alcohol, activity, or people. These are signals that the neurons are detoxifying. An understanding that the symptom is the beginning of a detoxification crisis and that anger is trying to emerge can allow one to consciously redirect the anger toward past abusers and clear neurons that may have been clogged up since childhood. Usually angry feelings are released first, followed by feelings of grief. Since toxins flow through the circulation during the elimination process and can irritate tissues, there may be temporary physical symptoms, headaches, sweating, joint pain, sore throat, colds, fever, palpitations, diarrhea, and so forth. There are also toxins from non-nutritious foods and other exogenous sources that are being eliminated and the same time. Recovered persons will not tolerate stimulants or junk food and be attracted to natural foods. This cycling will continue and diminish in intensity until the detoxification process is complete. There is no sudden cure, but a rather dramatic release from depression and intense mood swings.

The Bible, Old and New Testament, has many encouraging words about doing this work, starting in Genesis with the 'hands off Cain' advice, and in Psalms, "Let not the sun go down on your anger." I believe this is how Jesus, who admonished his own mother, healed people from emotional and physical disorders. It explains his words in Matthew 10:34-36, "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household." Some religious leaders are recognizing the need to feel and express justifiable anger as the way to forgiveness.

Post flood is post primal.

These self-help measures used along with therapy will lessen the therapy time, and are also are fully effective used by themselves. There are a number of excellent books with similar self-help measures: Cure by Crying, by Thomas A. Stone, Reclaiming Your Life, by Jean Jensen, Dianetics by L. Ron Hubbard. The toxic mind theory supports the work of Alice Miller, For Your Own Good, and the primal therapy of Arthur Janov. Post-flood, which is post primal as described by Janov, is not a point of cure, but is a point at which most of the repressed anger related to childhood trauma has been released. There will be relief from depression and major mood swings. My reason for defining post-flood as when about 95% of the anger related to childhood trauma is gone (when the highs and lows are at a minimum, and when most of the anger that surfaces is about current interactions) is to set this as a goal. At this point the major toxicosis is pretty much relieved. As after any flood there is a muddy basin period during which there will be lingering anger related to childhood trauma and a need to continue redirecting during current interactions perhaps for a year or so. And when the anger is primarily about the current interaction, this anger needs to be acknowledged and, if appropriate, expressed calmly. It is possible for the neurons to become clogged up again, and this will cause future symptoms. There may be a prolonged period of grief and crying when the parasympathetic nervous system processes feelings of grief. People who are post-flood begin to identify with the comments made by post-primal people as described by Arthur Janov in his book, The Anatomy of Mental Illness and elsewhere. Post-flood people generally enjoy good mental and physical health. If diets are shifted toward raw foods, acute disorders like colds are likely to be infrequent. During the grief period the crying becomes less and less for ourselves and more for others. Eventually the fight or flight reaction is restored and all the emotions we were born with, anger, sadness and joy, are easily accessed. Here are some comments from Janov's post-primal people and from my own experience: I feel alive, yet calm and content. My life is simpler. I do less, go less, want less, talk less, everything is less. I can stop thinking about something, no more compulsive thinking or behavior. I trust my feelings now rather than others' feelings. No one pushes me around. I am more patient and tolerant and don't blow up. I am no longer violent and am incapable of harming another person unless in self-defense. I laugh easily and cry easily. I may feel sad but not depressed. I am no longer moody. I can sustain a relationship and I avoid abusive relationships. I am friendly and mentally present when interacting with people, who I find are more open to me. I can see into people, their needs and pain. I am less rigid. I am alone a lot, but not lonely. I don't get sucked into other people's troubles. My face has changed. I stand and walk like a child. I don't take on impossible projects. I can concentrate. My creative abilities are restored and I work when inspired. I finish what I start, yet don't have to compulsively finish everything instantly. I can accept but don't need compliments. My body will not tolerate stimulants, processed or overly cooked foods. I am attacted to raw fruits, vegetables, and raw fatty fish. I eat Garden of Eden style.

Here are some other changes that may be observed. Blood pressure, temperature, and pulse normalize. No more palpitations. Fasting glucose and cholesterol levels are lower. Hypothyroidism disappears. I seldom have colds or other acute disorders. Digestion is good. Relief from constipation, headaches, allergies, backaches, colitis, peptic ulcer, dizziness, alcoholism and all other addictions, menstrual cramps, skin disorders, stomach pains, nausea, and teeth grinding. I have not found relief from osteoarthritis. I fall asleep easily and sleep restfully, but no more heavy drug like sleep. Seldom have scary dreams. My weight never changes. My posture is relaxed. Breathing easier and more deeply. Decreased sex frequency, more pleasure.

Wild animals are emotionally healthier than most humans.

 Neuroscientists from Russia have shown that wild animals selected for tame behavior have more noradrenaline and similar metabolites clogging up the neurons in their brains than other wild animals. As far as we know, wild animals do not suffer from symptoms of psychiatric disease, certainly not to the extent humans do, but animals kept in zoos may develop toxic minds and occasionally exhibit outbursts of violent behavior. Not long ago at a zoo in the New York City area, a visitor broke into a cage and was viciously attacked by a bear for no apparent reason. Some domesticated animals seem to be healthier than humans, perhaps because they are less able to suppress the fight or flight reaction than humans. Most cats are examples of good mental health. If abused they respond instantly with anger, and within moments are purring again.

The unity of disease.

A careful study of what are described as distinct emotional disorders will illustrate the unity of disease. When toxins accumulate in regions of the brain that control specific activities, the symptoms observed will be related to those activities, giving rise to supposedly distinct disorders that are in reality the same detoxification process. While some of the symptoms may be due to the destruction of neurons, many neurons are just clogged up and can be repaired. Toxicosis is the cause of nearly all nervous and mental disorders, including schizophrenia, manic-depression, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Tourette's syndrome. Also included are anxiety, panic disorders, depression, mania, autism, pervasive developmental disorders, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorders, post-traumatic stress disorders, addictions, aggression, and criminal behavior. Alzheimer's patients may have suffered from abusive learning techniques as children. Persons with Alzheimer's disease usually have symptoms of other psychiatric disorders. A lady of perfect demeanor who develops Alzheimer's disease might suddenly begin kicking and biting others, because toxins are being released from the hypothalamus. Parkinson's patients frequently have mask-like faces, which may have been caused by continually suppressing emotions through facial expression. Patients often have multiple diagnoses or are rediagnosed many times throughout life.

No disease possesses its own special symptoms, but scientists classify and arrange symptoms as if they belonged to distinct syndromes. They begin to regard subjective taxonomic orders as objective realities of nature and, for example, classify symptoms in one part of the body as a certain disease separate from symptoms arising in another part of the body. Inflammation of the brain and inflammation of the stomach are the same disease. In his book Human Life Herbert Shelton wrote, "The brain can't vomit and the stomach can't become insane." The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which undergoes constant revision, lists hundreds of mental disorders, each characterized by a group of symptoms. f the boundaries are unclear, a second or third diagnosis is superimposed upon the first. Mental illness is not a myth. What is a myth is that there are discrete incurable disorders.

Addictions

Addictions to exogenous stimulants, chemical and psychological, commonly occur with emotional disorders. The fact that stimulants can trigger detoxification crises provides the physiological basis for "craving." It is paradoxical that the very thing that can accelerate the detoxification process is itself toxic. This explains homeopathy and the beneficial effects of psychological stimulation in therapy. It also explains why recovering alcoholics sometimes encourage active alcoholics to continue drinking until the detoxification crises are sufficiently painful for them to seek help. Addicts crave stimulation to initiate a crisis, which gives them a "high" because of the increased synaptic noradrenaline, and crave sedation to terminate crises and relieve excitatory symptoms. That these are factors in "craving" is supported by the observation of therapists that addicted persons in the kind of therapy that encourages the release and redirecting of repressed emotions gradually lose their craving for stimulants and sedatives.

Sleep disorders

Hypersomnia and insomnia are conditions commonly suffered by psychiatric patients. Toxicosis accounts for dream paralysis and narcolepsy. Depressed persons often experience a prolonged and heavy drug-like sleep caused by toxicosis at postsynaptic receptor sites, and periodic detoxification crises account for insomnia and nightmares. Two compatible theories of sleep exist. The first states that sleep is a passive process occurring when the neurons become fatigued, noradrenaline activity is diminished, and there is decreased excitability of the reticular activating system accompanied by a reduction in peripheral sympathetic activity. This type of sleep is characterized by slow delta waves and is normal and restful. According to the second theory, which developed along with the interest in catecholamines, sleep results from inhibitory signals that are transmitted into the reticular activating system. The basis for this inhibition is the accumulatioin of dopamine, serotonin, GABA, peptides, and other substances. Serotonin is associated with hypersomnia. Drugs that increase serotonin levels have an antidepressant effect probably because they inhibit the reuptake of noradrenaline and a sedative effect because serotonin clogs up noradrenaline receptor sites. In normal sleep the nervous system rests, and as a result of anabolism, metabolites and various structures are restored. During the overlying and often extended drug-like sleep, generally toward morning when elimination is most active, the neurons appear to accelerate the detoxification process. Paradoxical sleep, when emotional dreaming occurs, is thought to result from abnormal channeling of signals--wrong neurons--even though brain activity is not significantly depressed. Episodes of paradoxical sleep, also called REM sleep, are superimposed on slow-wave sleep in periods from 5 to 21 minutes every 90 minutes, the slow delta waves shifting to beta waves that are characteristic of the waking state. Paradoxical sleep is accompanied by irregular heart rate and other signs of increased sympathetic activity. Episodes of paradoxical sleep reflect detoxification crises during which noradrenaline and sympathetic activity accelerate. Dreaming probably goes on throughout sleep but is particularly emotional during paradoxical sleep. When the nervous system eliminates enough of the sleep-producing substances to allow noradrenaline to excite the reticular activating system, the drug-like sleep will end. If toxicosis is extensive, crises may recur frequently, and increased levels of noradrenaline will excessively excite the reticular activating system, contributing to insomnia.