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Vignettes
Throughout
my work in behavioral health, I have always firmly believed
in viewing a person holistically…mind, body and spirit.
I emphasize mind-body techniques as a way of empowering people
to understand and take control of their lives and enhance
their self-esteem.
Whether it is struggling with a physical illness, such as
headaches, chronic pain, or cancer- or an emotional state,
such as depression or anxiety, mind-body healing works. It
can be applied to your health, your performance at work, your
athletic pursuits or your interpersonal relationships!
Learning to harness your inner energy and strength will define
who you are and lead to a happier life. The following vignettes
are real-life examples where mind-body techniques have truly
changed people’s lives!!!!!
Denise DeForest Pastoor
Multi-tasking
mania
JP
is a career woman, devoted mother and wife, and
caregiver of aging parents. She feels overwhelmed
with the multiple demands of work and family responsibilities,
which keep her running from dawn to dark.
PROBLEM: Fatigue, headaches, mild depression,
and difficulty sleeping left her exhausted, worries
and concerns consumed her thoughts, and she struggled
to balance her work obligations and time with her
family.
GOAL: JP defined goals to change
her lifestyle, work habits, and how she handled
stress. |
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PLAN: JP learned to set priorities and make
choices, rather than do it all. Her family physician confirmed
her medical concerns were stress-related, so she focused on
lifestyle changes to maximize her health. At home, she delegated
more household responsibilities, chose healthy “on the
go” meals, defined reflective time for herself to “re-charge”,
tried yoga and daily walks for exercise, and balanced volunteer
requests.
OUTCOME: JP’s headaches, mood and sleep have
improved with her conscientious efforts to try new coping skills.
Her favorite stress tools are guided imagery of a beach scene
and redirecting worries to positive thoughts. As she has gained
clearer insights in understanding how her body handles stress,
she is able to let go of tension with relaxation techniques.
At work, JP utilizes new skills in time management, communication,
and goal setting. Today, JP enthusiastically embraces her new
lifestyle, feeling a sense of inner peace and more balance in
her life.
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Healing
and Hope
AR
was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer in July 2005.
She underwent surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation
to enhance organ functioning and shrink the lung tumor.
PROBLEM:
She was in constant pain and had shortness of breath
that impacted her daily living. Pain medication left
her groggy with difficulty focusing on simple tasks.
She became anxious in anticipation of the medical
procedures necessary to cope with her cancer treatment.
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GOAL:
AR wanted to learn mind-body techniques to cope with her ongoing
pain, enhance her body's ability to heal, and decrease her
anticipatory anxiety before treatments.
PLAN: By developing more awareness of how her body
responded to stress and pain, AR learned to master inner relaxation
with clarity and focused concentration. She incorporated repetitive
calming words (a mantra) to calm her body's stress response
and maximize her healing. She switched from self-doubt and
worry to positive, encouraging affirmations. She embraced
guided imagery, using an individualized CD created by Total
Health Connections, to visualize her immune system attacking
cancer cells and a white light decreasing her pain. She practiced
guided imagery and positive affirmations daily as she dealt
with medical complications from the cancer.
OUTCOME: AR died peacefully at home with her family
surrounding her during her final breaths in September 2005.
She believed the mind-body techniques that she utilized in
her fight with cancer truly enhanced her quality of life and
comfort level during her chemotherapy and radiation. With
her mind-body-spirit focus, she openly shared sensitive grief
and loss issues with her family, which brought a sense of
peace during her end-of-life moments.
IN MEMORY OF ANNE ROLKE... MAY HER SPIRIT SHINE ON! |
Type-A Time bomb
CT is a successful executive in a high profile, high tech
company. He is driven to succeed, demands excellence from
his staff, and strives for perfection and high profits. A
self-described workaholic, he works 60 hours/week, travels
internationally, and rarely takes vacations.
PROBLEM: CT has high blood pressure, high cholesterol,
back pain, and a Type A personality. A lifestyle change is
hard to implement for such a driven, competitive person, but
a heart attack was a catalyst for change… ongoing stress
was taking a toll.
GOAL: Stress-related disorders, such a cardiovascular
disease, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue, chronic
pain, stomach ulcers, can be prevented and healed with lifestyle
changes and new coping skills to manage stress. CT committed
to participate in a stress reduction program that combined
counseling with lifestyle management.
PLAN: CT followed his cardiac rehab program of changing
to a heart healthy diet, increasing his exercise with the
purchase of a treadmill and walking at lunch, and learning
to “slow down” and appreciate his family. Initially
resistant to learning relaxation techniques, CT agreed to
practice the relaxation response for 10 minutes before stressful
meetings and career contacts. Taking time to close his office
door, focus on his breathing and visualize the imagery of
fly-fishing, he was able to quiet his body and mind.
OUTCOME:
The combination of lifestyle changes and mind-body
interventions has created a new life for CT. He
is outspoken in sharing the benefits of utilizing
quick relaxation techniques in the workplace, having
reaped the benefits of feeling relaxed, focused
and productive after a 10-minute break. He reports
family and colleagues appreciate his new leadership
style of motivation and
striving for excellence replacing |
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intimidation and perfectionism. Counseling has been an effective
tool to keep CT on track with his goals of increasing self-awareness,
balancing work and leisure, and taking time to “stop
and cast his fly line.
Match
Meltdown
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RM
is a nationally ranked tennis player, who feels his performance
suffers under the pressure of close matches in tournaments.
PROBLEM: He acknowledges the benefits of taking
time before a match to relax and visualize the tennis
game, but doesn’t know how to handle situations
that overwhelm him during the game. His strong desire
to dominate his opponent |
drives
him to excel, yet he often feels frustrated and tense in game
play when he loses the upper hand.
GOAL: RM defined specific areas to address in improving
his tennis game. With confidence in his tennis skills, he
specifically wanted to learn mind-body techniques to enhance
his performance and outplay his opponent in close matches.
PLAN: By developing more awareness of how his body
responded to stress during matches, RM learned to master inner
relaxation with clarity and focused concentration. He incorporated
repetitive calming words (a mantra) into his pre-game relaxation
ritual that he was able to access during the match to calm
his body’s stress response. He switched from critical
self-perceptions to positive, encouraging affirmations. He
mentally visualized his body movement, racquet position, and
the ball placement. He concentrated on tuning out external
distractions and ignoring the pressure of a close score.
OUTCOME: RM is now confident he can master stressful
situations in match play and gain a winner's edge in tennis.
He affirms the importance of staying focused and mentally
sharp, while keeping his body relaxed and his motions fluid.
RM regularly practices mind-body techniques on and off the
court, feeling the benefits of body awareness and a mental
edge.
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