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Dynamic Neural Retraining System (DNRS)

Writer's picture: Mindspark HealthMindspark Health

Seeing patients whom have undergone traumatic experiences has created a lasting mark on me, and a thirst to know more and help those who suffer. With those whom experience trauma, safe, gentle interventions are needed. This has lead me to the work from various trauma specialists, but also Annie Hooper. Although not a clinician, Annie founded DNRS to overcome her suffering with multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) among other diagnoses. The main premise and what Annie realized is that her, along with others have illnesses due to deeply rooted trauma in their limbic system and specifically the amygdala (fear center). She realized it's the limbic system that needs to be rehabilitated, almost like you would attend and rehabilitate a fracture or a sprained ankle, just done differently.


Limbic system:


The major goal of DNRS is to retrain the limbic system. This system is a primitive system and if turned on, it can recreate anxiety, fear, apprehension and hypervigilance. It may also present in the body as somatic pain syndromes like Fibromyalgia, which is why body awareness techniques and Yoga are so therapeutic. With ongoing trauma, those suffering can become sensitive to the environment, hyper-responsive and hyperalert. Annie and others have been using this model for years and re-programming the limbic system in those whom have chronic fatigue, biotoxin illness, fibromyalgia, multiple chemical sensitivity, anxiety, PTSD, Lyme Disease and chronic environmental illnesses. When this area of the nervous system becomes active, it can be sensitive to any sensation including light, sound, touch, smell, and even electromagnetic fields. Some have trouble sleeping, develop food reactivity and different environmental sensitivities.


When re-training, components of stress management, mindfulness, and cognitive behavioral therapy are included to restructure deeply affected areas of the brain from trauma. Feeling your body, or becoming "embodied" by doing yoga, stretching, and learning is all part of rehabilitation to desensitize this area. And maybe most important, doing exposure therapy and gaining success in small increments is required to retrain your brain for safety. This is why setting and achieving goals are so important, and also working with a therapist to create an exposure hierarchy to facilitate confidence over time.


DNRS and More:

In addition to the fundamentals of this program, I like to add calming herbs such as lavender or lemon balm, address mineral deficiencies and blood sugar imbalances, use bach flower remedies, attend to methylation defects and heavy metals and then focus heavily on polyvagal exercises for relief. I also find exercise to tolerance and working on diet to be foundational to healing as well. Usually the Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) protocol is sufficient. For more information on DNS training, Wired for Healing by Annie Hooper is a good book as is Gupta's amygdala retraining program at guptaprogram.com.

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