In 2004, having felt unwell for some time, I went to my family doctor in hopes that he could find the cause of my chronic fatigue, brain fog, sleep problems, muscle and joint pain, anxiety, and abdominal discomfort.
Test after test came back normal. Although he didn’t actually say the words, what I took away from those visits was that he thought it was all in my head, which left me feeling not only ill but hopeless of finding any cure for my “invisible” illness.
Had I known that what was needed to recover fully: to rewire my brain, I could have saved myself many years of suffering, not to mention countless missed opportunities in my career or even in my relationships and social life.
It was three years before a friend referred me to an MD who practiced functional medicine. He took the time with me that my family doctor hadn’t, having me fill out multiple questionnaire’s and testing me for things like candida, heavy metals, vitamins, hormones, trace minerals, and more.
He eventually diagnosed me with both chronic fatigue syndrome and adrenal fatigue syndrome. (There are many overlapping symptoms between chronic fatigue syndrome and adrenal fatigue syndrome and both can be very tricky to diagnose).
Six years after my symptoms began (and over 15k later), I finally had my health back.
In 2004, having felt unwell for some time, I went to my family doctor in hopes that he could find the cause of my chronic fatigue, brain fog, sleep problems, muscle and joint pain, anxiety, and abdominal discomfort.
Test after test came back normal. Although he didn’t actually say the words, what I took away from those visits was that he thought it was all in my head, which left me feeling not only ill but hopeless of finding any cure for my “invisible” illness. Six years after my symptoms began (and over 15k later), I finally had my health back.
Had I known that what was needed to recover fully: to rewire my brain, I could have saved myself many years of suffering, not to mention countless missed opportunities in my career or even in my relationships and social life.
It was three years before a friend referred me to an MD who practiced functional medicine. He took the time with me that my family doctor hadn’t, having me fill out multiple questionnaire’s and testing me for things like candida, heavy metals, vitamins, hormones, trace minerals, and more.
He eventually diagnosed me with both chronic fatigue syndrome and adrenal fatigue syndrome. (There are many overlapping symptoms between chronic fatigue syndrome and adrenal fatigue syndrome and both can be very tricky to diagnose).
Six years after my symptoms began (and over 15k later), I finally had my health back.
Or at least that’s what I thought. Although I experienced general good health over the next several years, I still lived in avoidance of certain things which I now know are triggers, like chemicals/fragrances, or a host of foods, or even emotional triggers like highly stressful situations.
As long as I avoided all these triggers I was fine, but what I didn’t know is that both the avoidance and the fear of reacting to any of these triggers was still keeping me from permanent recovery. Several years later, another trigger (this time pregnancy) set off chronic fatigue syndrome again.
It took 3 years before I finally diagnosed myself with chronic fatigue syndrome again because although fatigue and digestive issues were still core issues as they were initially, they weren’t as extreme and I also experienced an itchy rash and a handful of other “unexplainable” symptoms.
It took years before I realized that although it felt like I had chronic fatigue symptom a second time, in reality it never fully left.
Or at least that’s what I thought. Although I experienced general good health over the next several years, I still lived in avoidance of certain things which I now know are triggers, like chemicals/fragrances, or a host of foods, or even emotional triggers like highly stressful situations.
As long as I avoided all these triggers I was fine, but what I didn’t know is that both the avoidance and the fear of reacting to any of these triggers was still keeping me from permanent recovery. Several years later, another trigger (this time pregnancy) set off chronic fatigue syndrome again.
It took 3 years before I finally diagnosed myself with chronic fatigue syndrome again because although fatigue and digestive issues were still core issues as they were initially, they weren’t as extreme and I also experienced an itchy rash and a handful of other “unexplainable” symptoms.
It took years before I realized that although it felt like I had chronic fatigue symptom a second time, in reality it never fully left.
Having worked as a life coach for several years, I had fully immersed myself in NLP (neuro linguistic programming), cognitive restructuring, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and more.
I’d also been intrigued by neuroplasticity for years, and was inspired by reading countless stories of people who’d recovered from chronic conditions through brain training. After some trial and error with brain rewiring exercises, I finally recovered fully from chronic fatigue syndrome.
Having been thrown something as big and life-altering as these chronic conditions not just once but two times – and having healed fully, I knew it was my life’s path to help others do the same.
Having worked as a life coach for several years, I had fully immersed myself in NLP (neuro linguistic programming), cognitive restructuring, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and more.
I’d also been intrigued by neuroplasticity for years, and was inspired by reading countless stories of people who’d recovered from chronic conditions through brain training. After some trial and error with brain rewiring exercises, I finally recovered fully from chronic fatigue syndrome.
Having been thrown something as big and life-altering as these chronic conditions not just once but two times – and having healed fully, I knew it was my life’s path to help others do the same.
Having worked as a life coach for several years, I had fully immersed myself in NLP (neuro linguistic programming), cognitive restructuring, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and more.
I’d also been intrigued by neuroplasticity for years, and was inspired by reading countless stories of people who’d recovered from chronic conditions through brain training. After some trial and error with brain rewiring exercises, I finally recovered fully from chronic fatigue syndrome.
Having been thrown something as big and life-altering as these chronic conditions not just once but two times – and having healed fully, I knew it was my life’s path to help others do the same.
Having worked as a life coach for several years, I had fully immersed myself in NLP (neuro linguistic programming), cognitive restructuring, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and more.
I’d also been intrigued by neuroplasticity for years, and was inspired by reading countless stories of people who’d recovered from chronic conditions through brain training. After some trial and error with brain rewiring exercises, I finally recovered fully from chronic fatigue syndrome.
Having been thrown something as big and life-altering as these chronic conditions not just once but two times – and having healed fully, I knew it was my life’s path to help others do the same.
What is Neuroplasticity?
The Oxford dictionary definition of neuroplasticity is:
“(neural plasticity) n. the ability of the brain to develop new neurons and/or new synapses in response to stimulation and learning.” This can also be called brain training.
The brain is actually akin to plastic, and can grow new neural pathways when it learns new things. This is true for good or bad experiences, habits and teachings so it’s important to consciously make the changes that will move you to a greater state of health and happiness.
What is Neuroplasticity?
The Oxford dictionary definition of neuroplasticity is:
“(neural plasticity) n. the ability of the brain to develop new neurons and/or new synapses in response to stimulation and learning.” This can also be called brain training.
The brain is actually akin to plastic, and can grow new neural pathways when it learns new things. This is true for good or bad experiences, habits and teachings so it’s important to consciously make the changes that will move you to a greater state of health and happiness.
How do you rewire your brain?
I discovered in my process for my own recovery that a one size fits all approach to brain rewiring is not going to work for each person because we all come to chronic fatigue syndrome with different triggers, therefore brain rewiring will look a little different for everyone.
Which is why tailored brain rewiring specific to each person’s illness and triggers will determine what the brain wiring will entail.
When I work with a client to help them rewire their brain for chronic fatigue syndrome or related conditions, there are several elements to the recovery process, and to the brain rewiring itself.
One element that you, as a reader, can do right now to begin to rewire your brain for improved health, is to visualize. Meaning, to sit and close your eyes and imagine that you are well.
Countless books have been written about the power of visualization for improved health, and you won’t meet an Olympic athlete who does not do it for improved performance. The reason it works so well is because it is actually changing your brain’s neural pathways as you do it repeatedly.
In essence, you are creating a new reality with your thoughts. What you think and feel, you attract. If you are thinking about your illness all the time (because understandably, it’s in your experience all the time!) and feeling badly, you create more of that.
This isn’t to say that your illness is your fault. It is not. What you are experiencing are real, physical symptoms. However, our brains are always listening to what you tell them, and part of recovery is learning to think greater than you feel.
How do you rewire your brain?
I discovered in my process for my own recovery that a one size fits all approach to brain rewiring is not going to work for each person because we all come to chronic fatigue syndrome with different triggers, therefore brain rewiring will look a little different for everyone.
Which is why tailored brain rewiring specific to each person’s illness and triggers will determine what the brain wiring will entail.
When I work with a client to help them rewire their brain for chronic fatigue syndrome or related conditions, there are several elements to the recovery process, and to the brain rewiring itself.
One element that you, as a reader, can do right now to begin to rewire your brain for improved health, is to visualize. Meaning, to sit and close your eyes and imagine that you are well.
Countless books have been written about the power of visualization for improved health, and you won’t meet an Olympic athlete who does not do it for improved performance. The reason it works so well is because it is actually changing your brain’s neural pathways as you do it repeatedly.
In essence, you are creating a new reality with your thoughts. What you think and feel, you attract. If you are thinking about your illness all the time (because understandably, it’s in your experience all the time!) and feeling badly, you create more of that.
This isn’t to say that your illness is your fault. It is not. What you are experiencing are real, physical symptoms. However, our brains are always listening to what you tell them, and part of recovery is learning to think greater than you feel.
How do I get back my health and my life back?
Making change can be hard, especially when you feel exhausted, and having the right support can make all the difference. That’s why I created the Rewire Your Brain Transformational Coaching Program to help people like you get their best selves back.
In fact, my goal is to go even one step further than that and to help you feel better than you’ve ever felt in your life!
Life is supposed to be wonderful, but nothing feels wonderful when you don’t have good health. If you’re ready to get your health and life back and think this program might be for you, schedule a complimentary one hour call to find out. I’d love to hear from you!
How do I get back my health and my life back?
Making change can be hard, especially when you feel exhausted, and having the right support can make all the difference. That’s why I created the Rewire Your Brain Transformational Coaching Program to help people like you get their best selves back.
In fact, my goal is to go even one step further than that and to help you feel better than you’ve ever felt in your life!
Life is supposed to be wonderful, but nothing feels wonderful when you don’t have good health. If you’re ready to get your health and life back and think this program might be for you, schedule a complimentary one hour call to find out. I’d love to hear from you!
Disclaimer
The content in this website is intended to be used for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for medical diagnosis, treatment or advice Please consult a physical or other health care provider if you are unsure about whether you have any of the conditions described in this website.
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