From CFS to Mexico, USA, Thailand & Cambodia (and back)..in 6 months

Below is a story from Brendan who did the Lightning Process 6 months ago. Well done Brendan. 

_________________________

I had CFS for 2 years.  Prior to CFS I was a 24yr old young man training as semi professional rugby player whilst working a full time job, One Wednesday morning I basically collapsed and turned into a shell of a man who could hardly get out of bed due to excruciating headaches and fatigue, not to mention crippling brain fog and memory loss.

Due to my personality I would still get out of the house and attempt to do things which always led to much worse headaches and fatigue.  Over the 2 years I saw countless numbers of physicians and therapist trying the most conventional to far out treatments and spending thousands of dollars as I felt like the best years of my life was passing before my eyes and I would do anything to get better.  I basically spent these two years in a state of rage, deep depression and dis belief that a fit young healthy man could be reduced to what I was without any apparent reason.

I had tried a mind training programme before (gupta amygdala retraining) with little success so when the lightning process was suggested to me I was very sceptical.  After my first free phone consultation with Ian he told me I wasn’t ready to do the course because of my attitude.  A couple of months later after suffering another set back I rang Ian in Desperation and signed up for the next course.  I entered the course with the attitude that I was willing to do anything to get my life back and that this would work but it was up to me.

At the end of the first day Ian asked me if I could do anything tonight what would it be?  I answered I would go for a run.  So this is what I did that night.  The day before the thought of going for a run was unfathomable for me. After each day of the course I began to feel better, and with Ian’s help we began to find more and more pieces of the puzzle to get me back to full health.

Ian has been absolutely amazing both at the course where he makes things very simple and easy to understand and with the constant support since the course. He has also helped develop other strategies for me to overcome some of the more difficult parts of my CFS.

In the last 6 months since the course I have travelled to Mexico, America, Thailand and Cambodia.  I now work for a construction company working 12 hours a day, I go for 3-4 runs a week pushing myself to the limit and also go to the gym 2-3 times a week.  I have a full social life and and am about to start pre season training for next rugby season.

The lightning Proccess gave me my life back and I can’t thank Ian enough for this.  I would recommend it to anyone with CFS no matter what your current beliefs are about your condition.

Brendan

Australian study findings on Stress Response supports Lightning Process theory

IN THE NEWS: Ground breaking Australian research suggests CFS is caused by dysfunctional Stress response.

"Stress-response systems in people with chronic fatigue syndrome are signalling to the body that it is not safe to relax, creating a state of high alert that can be likened to post-traumatic stress disorder, new research suggests." READ MORE 

This has been the understanding behind the Lightning Process approach for 12 years -  looking at how we retrain the brain and the body out of a dysfunctional stress response. Using the skills taught during the training people learn how to spot this, the things they do that set it off and importantly how to train the body to respond more appropriately to the environment. 

Often people question how can something that works with a condition like Post Traumatic Stress or anxiety possibly work with a physical condition like CFS. Does this mean I believe that CFS is psychological or 'all in the head'. 

We see CFS as a genuine condition where there is a imbalance in how the brain is setting off the stress response. The similarities between CFS and Post Traumatic Stress are interesting. I would say that both are physical conditions where the stress response is being triggered unneccessarily.  With CFS the brain has learnt that exercise is dangerous (or food, or light or chemicals, or noise, or even sleep or standing up). Of course everyone is different in what their brain is responding to as 'dangerous'. The Lightning Process therefore has to treat each person differently, looking at how they use the skills of the Lightning Process to assist them.

ME/CFS 'Full' Awareness Day

Today is ME/CFS Awareness Day. An important day to educate the general public about this much misunderstood condition.

The majority of people I see took way too long to get a diagnosis and during that time most encountered one of these:

• It's a form of depression
• You just need to take it easy
• You just need to get on with things
• There is nothing wrong with you
• It's all in your head
• There is no such thing as ME/CFS

.....even though the World Health Organisation classifies it as a neurological condition.

So awareness IS very important.

However, in the desire to prove ME/CFS is "real" and "bad" there is a missing piece of information, and that is that 'people do recover'.

For sufferers of ME/CFS this piece of information is critical. It means people don't have to just 'learn to manage their energy levels and learn to live with it'. And it allows the search for answers to continue without pessimism or hopelessness.

Pessimism and hopeless can actually play a role in the path of an illness but that is for another post.

My Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Facebook page

You can now find me on Facebook - Here's my page link

Watch for updates on about my work with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in Australia and New Zealand including public talks and lectures and interesting articles and resources.

See you there.

Author of "Explain Pain" - Lorimer Moseley - on Why things hurt

What influence do we have over our health?

In my work I find there are two ways people see their world. Either as an active player in their  circumstances OR with little real control.

When it comes to health issues in particular people either believe that they can influence it themselves or not.  Which one are you?

Our recent understanding of Genetics suggest that what we do in our lives (everything from the food we eat to the thoughts we think) influences the expression of our genes. This is the developing field of Epi-genetics.

The video below from NICABM (the National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioural Medicine) show how exercise can influence our risk of dementia. So even if it is 'in the family' you don't have to just cross your fingers and wait.

Other studies show the benefit of exercise on  the increase efficiency in mitrachondrial function (the energy centre of cells), increase blood flow to the brain (that sounds important ), increase immune function, improves mood, helps manage weight, boosts energy levels, promotes better sleep and promotes the neural growth hormone important in the Neural Plasticity I talk so much about.

BUT what if you body responds negatively to exercise like many of the people I see?????Well the first step is to see if this is something you think you can do something about. If you believe you can influence it and retrain the body to respond differently to exercise you are on the right blog. :-)

We need to get people up and moving again. But just pushing through exercise when you have ME/CFS is not the answer. I am not an advocate of either pacing or graded exercise. There is a another way!

Sick for decades? Read on...

I recently listened to an interview with Dr Edward Taub, who has become a world leader in stroke rehabilitation and Constraint Induced Movement Therapy (CI Therapy). He features in Norman Doidge's book - The Brain that Changes Itself.

He shows the real life applications of Neural Plasticity with his work training people out of their strokes - walking and talking after sometimes severe impairment.

But he highlights some interesting things that as a Lightning Process practitioner I see as well.

He agrees that there is no correlation between length of time since having the stroke and treatment effectiveness. He saw a man who had a stroke 50 years ago show excellent results in his 2-3 week programme proving rapid and large change is possible.

He also commented that success is not guaranteed. One's determination and consistency in daily exercises is what makes the difference. This is something that I always stress to people as well.  Although Lightning Process results might seem miraculous, it is not a magic cure and takes consistency and the right sort of work. But rapid and permanent change is possible.

As his work with strokes show, our nervous system's capacity to repair and re-organise is with us to our final days.

Lightning Process Christchurch

I am looking forward to my trip to Christchurch for another training this month and I am hoping to give a talk on my work with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome while I am there.

It will be on Sunday April 1st.

Email me for further information.

What role does age play in one's ability to change?

Age, Lightning Process & ME/CFS

Our brain's ability to change and adapt is with us until the day we die. This is the surprising finding in Neural Plasticity. While the brain undergoes incredible development and change in our early years its capacity to change never disappears.

So age is no obstacle to change....unless we believe it is and don't try. Neurally we are always in a state of potential change, however we get stuck in an auto-pilot. The great news is that at any age we can retrain our brain to serve us better and influence our health. 

Here is a link to an inspirational story about one woman's experience of the Lightning Process with ME/CFS.  At 70 years old and after years of being bed bound/house bound she is literally back in the drivers seat, and by her story she is enjoying the ride.

READ JANICE"S STORY HERE 

Janice was an inspiration through the training and through follow up as she refused to allow age to play a role in her success.

I recently ran a Lightning Process training and gave a public talk in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was my first time back there since the earthquake and it got me thinking about the impact of unpredictability on our physical and mental well-being.

Experiments done on rodents highlight the physiological impact of unpredictability. One group of rats will get an electric shock every day at the same time. Another group will also get one electric shock a day but at random times. When the animals have their stress hormones tested it is the later group whose stress hormones are through the roof.  Same amount of ‘trauma’ but one is unpredictable.

The idea is that a known stressor you can prepare for, experience and then get on with life. If the stressor is unpredictable, an organism goes on high alert. It's system becomes hyper-sensitivitive - it can’t relax.

I see unpredictability in many of the people I see. Some have been brought-up in an unpredictable environment (involving alcohol/gambling/extreme mood swings). They learn to be on high alert and physiologically they stay that way even after the ‘danger’ has gone.  

For others it is their physical condition, like CFS that is unpredictable.  When will the next crash be?  Just as you seem to be making some head-way, it all comes crashing down again. It gets to the point where people can feel unable to trust their bodies and never know what tomorrow will bring.

Getting back control is a key component of returning to full health.

So one of the things we address in the training if necessary is to address a dysfunctioning physical emergency response. To retrain the system to 'switch off' or 'step down' (moving into the Para-sympathetic Mode) when appropriate. The knock on impact of this is the regaining of control.

Both critical factors in returning to full health.

Pain & Rewiring the Brain

Here is a link to a recent article in Wall Street Journal on Pain and techniques that look to 'rewire the Brain'.

People are often interested as to why the Lightning Process looks at such things as thoughts/language/beliefs/expectation in retraining people out of chronic pain states.

The answer is that we know they play a role. They are an important piece of the puzzle.

WALL STREET JOURNAL

Rewiring the Brain to Ease Pain

Enjoy

Pain and retraining the Brain

Here is a great video put out by GP Access & NSW Health on Pain and the Brain. Simple and to the point.

It highlights how chronic pain requires a broad perspective and the power we have when we get smart about our brain.

The brain makes a wonderful slave but a terrible master

Subjective Sensations?

Ahhh. Spring has arrived. The temperature is rising. The days are getting longer. The smell of jasmine is in the air. The sunsets are intense thanks to people burning off ready for summer. The migratory birds from Asia and India have announced their arrival. 

Well that's what it means to me anyway.

I am very conscious however that it means different things to different people. While this marks the end of the cold weather related symptoms for some sufferers of ME/CFS it also marks the beginning of the warm weather related symptoms for other sufferers.

It highlights how variable ME/CFS is.

The impact of temperature is so pronounced for some, that I have met people that have moved regions to avoid the extremities of weather and thus symptoms.

I know some people whose body was such an incredibly accurate temperature guage. At a precise temperature symptoms started.  Without ever needing to look at the thermometer some people will know the temperature has passed a marker by the presense of symptoms. To me this highlights how this is a very physical condition and should silence those who see ME/CFS as a psychological condition. Equally people with food intolerances or cat allergies won’t know of the presence of the allergen, except by the bodily response.

The temperatures we are talking about of course are not extremes that should cause the body to respond like this. And that’s the frustrating thing.

The expereince of temperature is a subjective experience.  A hot day in Antartica is different to a hot day in Hawaii. When I lived in London I smiled when at 20 degree people would be out in the park sun baking in the ‘warmth’. The Aussies would still be rugging up. So there is a cultural (or learnt) aspect to how we experience temperature.

But this alone couldn't explain the symptom based temperature issues I see.

What else is going on and is it possible to retrain ourselves to respond differently to temperature. My experience would suggest that we can.

So how can a physiological process like the thermoregulation of skin be retrained?  Quite simply it seems, as Russian Scientist Ivan Pavlov showed in his classic conditioning expereiments.

Dogs gets food and hears a bell at the same time over and over. Then merely hearing a bell they begin to salivate.

Pavlov showed that an external stimulus (bell) could set off an physiological response in the dog’s Autonomic Nervous system (saliva). Fascinating stuff. Neurologists explain this with the saying ‘what fires together wires together’. Everything we do, think, experience changes the connections in our brains. So when two things happen at the same time regularly, those two things become physically linked in our brain. These dogs had neurologically linked the sound of the bell with the production of saliva through nothing more than  occurring at the same time! Or put another way, something outside the body was now controlling their Autonomic Nervous System's responses.

Now that they are linked, you experience one (hear a bell) and the other starts (saliva response). This is known as Pavlovian Conditioning. Interestingly, a term that was used for a while was 'Reflex at a distance'. It says that external stimulus (outside of 'us') can directly turn off or on biological functioning. While many of us may have heard of Pavlov and his dogs, we may not have really thought too much about the implications of this. The implications are huge.

These types of experiments and understandings have created a field of science known as Psychoneuroimmunolgy (PNI). 

For example we now know that if you drop an animal's immune system (artificially with a drug) and at the same time give the animal sugar, the animal links the drop in immune response with sugar. Now we have a 'learned response' to sugar. Just give the animal sugar and the immune system drops. So food or things we digest can set off a biological response. Interesting for those with food intolerances?

Other studies show that if a smell and a production of histamines occur at the same time they can become linked. Then just the smell will set off the histamine response. Interesting for those with chemical/mould sensitivities or hay fever?

How does this link to CFS? 

Think back to the experiment with a lowered immune system and sugar. What happens when the immune system is lowered without a drug. We know prolonged stress lowers the immune system. Then with a lowered immune system any common stimuli that are present at the time can become linked to it. What stimuli might be linked - light, sound, smell, chemicals, movement, touch, foods, standing upright, an increase in heart rate? 

The presence of the stimuli can then set off the Physical Emergency Response in the body. 

If this connection occurs, I would suggest that you then have two options – avoid the stimuli (which drastically reduces life quality as the triggers are likely to be the common things around) or retrain the physical responses so you normalize your repsonses in the presence of the stimulus. ("What fires apart wires apart" is the other mantra of neurologists).

But breaking out of CFS and the automated Physical Emergency Response is more than just relaxing and slowing down. Most have tried it and it doesn't work. Our approach is to retrain the body and the brain to respond more appropriately.

I would say that it is an important part of the ME/CFS puzzle that must be addressed if full success is to be achieved.

Now getting back to how we experience temperature. Can we do anything about it. That is the question. Here is a link to a study done on Hot Flushes (experienced by women after menopause and after breast cancer). We can use our brain to influence them so......Biological? Yes. Hormonal? Yes. Can we do something about it? Yes.

So with ME/CFS, I think avoiding the stimuli is a great way to stop the crashes but does nothing to stop the ME/CFS. 

PS. Pavlovs’s dogs didn’t have a psychological condition for all those who still see CFS as a physchological problem.

PPS I wonder after Pavlov’s experiment finished, the dogs thought of bells when they ate.  J  If only dogs could talk.

Choosing (well) what defines us

We all have defining experiences in our lives – an event or situation that becomes a driving force behind our actions and therefore our lives.

Of course for some their triumph over Myalgic Encephalomyelitis or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is their defining moment. “If I can beat this then I wonder what else I can achieve” – and they begin to look at other areas of their life they can change. The meaning they place on their Lightning Process success, allows them to make new decisions about their health and life.  They can go on to create extraordinary lives and I am continually inspired by their achievements.

For others it is ‘lost years’ of CFS/ME that is their defining moments. I often hear people say “Never again will I take my health for granted or do things which may compromise my health”. These people often see ME and CFS as their teacher and the years as a valuable journey to wellness.

Over the years many people have shared with me their defining moment. What has become clear is that it isn’t the circumstance that defines us but the meaning we place on the circumstances. 

Some people point to a ‘bad event’ as the reason why their lives are so bad, others point to a similarly ‘bad’ event as the reason they made changes and have an amazing life today.

People unfortunately can get ‘stuck’ in their defining moment when all that is required is to dramatically change the meaning they place on it.

The great thing is that we can choose what will be our defining moments. It doesn’t matter if they were positive or negative, it is the meaning we choose to place on it that makes the difference to our lives. So choose carefully.

Twin brothers were once interviewed about their upbringing under a violent alcoholic father. One had spent most of his life in prison the other had become a gentle well-respected priest. When asked about their life they both responded the same way– “growing up with a father like mine I had no choice. It’s because of my father that I am like I am today”.

Clearly they just chose very different meaning to the same circumstance. So when times are tough make them a defining moment for positive change.

You can then ask “Because of this, what am I willing to do to make change. Because of this what am I no longer willing to do? What will I take from this that will benefit me?

Life happens but we choose what meaning we place on it.


You can probably guess some of my defining moments by looking at my 'About Me' page. It is because of those horrible CFS days that I now have my drive and passion to ensure that others learn how to return to a full and healthy life.

Free Lightning Process Talks across the Sunshine Coast

Lightning Process & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Free Talks

For anyone living on the Sunshine Coast, I will be holding free talks this month about my work.

The talks will cover the Lightning Process's unique approach to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME & Fibromyalgia) and is suitable for both health professionals and sufferers.

The 1 hour talks will cover such questions as:
1. What is the Lightning Process?
2. Is Recovery Possible?
3. How lifestyle compromises and management techniques are off track?
4. Who is the Lightning Process suitable for?
5. What role does the current understanding of brain science play in CFS recovery?

For those that can't make it here are the answers :-)
1. Good question. If you can't make the talk call me.
2. Yes.
3. Managing may help stop crashes but doesn't stop the CFS.
4. Anyone ready to make massive changes in their life and ready to work at it. (it's not a magic pill sorry)
5. Look into Neural Plasticity and Psychoneuroimmunology. When you ignore the role brain function play in chronic illness you miss a massive opportunity.

Noosa - "The J"
Thursday 18th Aug - 6pm
Saturday 20th Aug

Maroochydore
Tues 23rd Aug 6.30pm
Saturday 27th Aug 2.30pm

Places in the venues are limited so bookings are essential.

Please phone on (07) 3102 4043
Or email through www.iancleary.com

ME/CFS research harassment

Working with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome certainly is very satisfying work. Like every job it has its challenges but seeing people reclaim their lives is so inspirational for me.

One of the aspect of my job is discussing CFS and the theories behind the Lightning Process and also who is it best suited for.

In these discussions I do sometimes hit, not literally :-), people with differing beliefs around CFS, its diagnosis and its prognosis. It certainly is an emotive topic for some. But a recent article in the British Medical Journal highlighted just how 'passionate' some people are, highlighting the harassment extends to people researching ME/CFS and is impacting the research process. It appears that any work looking to study anything but the physicality of the condition is a focus of this small group of individuals.

Lightning Process practitioners are sometimes included in this focus as we look at how the brain and the body interact. It is wrongly assumed by some that because we look at the role of beliefs, language, expectation and other brain related aspects that we must believe that ME/CFS is 'all in the mind' or a psychiatric condition. We do not at all. We see it as a real physical condition AND that we can use our understanding of how the brain and body work to retrain ourselves out of it.

We limit our effectiveness when we discard the role the brain plays in our health.

New understanding of this brain and body interaction are creating entirely new fields of health. 'PNI' (PsychoNeuroImmunology) is a great example of this. Check out a brief overview on Wikipedia here.

We need to break free from the old way of thinking that suggests if we can use our brain as part of the solution to fix it, it must not have been real or physical.

This radio pieces from the UK highlights the current situation:

BBC RADIO - (warning: some strong langauge)

Does success last? It's up to you!

A while ago I published a letter that appeared in the ANZMES Newsletter from Claire. It is now 9 months since she did the Lightning Process training in New Zealand and here is a letter keeping us up to date on her success. Well done Claire!

It is now more than nine months since I completed the course, and life continues to be wonderful. Not only am I well and enjoying a full and fulfilling life, but I have grown in confidence that this is how it will go on.

Since I wrote the letter, I have taken part in the organisation and running of a major event - the first NZ Natural Horsemanship Games which is something I could not have contemplated before doing the Lightning Process. It was prolonged pressure, high stress and demanded high energy on the day. And I sailed through it! Loved it.

I now make plans and follow them through. I've been tramping and away on holidays. I accept invitations with confidence, knowing I'll be able to go. I'll start work in a couple of months and in the meantime I am painting the house. All my days are fun.

Since I did the course, three of my friends have also done it, and they have enjoyed similar success.

There have been times when I have felt myself slipping back but the Lightning Process has always pulled me back out of it. There have even been time when I have woken with full blown symptoms but applying the process has always worked, and each time my confidence has grown. I have now lost the fear that this terrible and debilitating illness may return. I know that I can stop it.

Thank you Lightning Process. Thank you Ian. I have my life back.

Lightning Process on UK TV last week.

ME Awareness Week.

Nice to see the focus shift a little from 'ME - it's real and there is nothing you can do about it' to a different sort of awareness - 'It's real and you can make massive change in your life'.

There are ways out of the horror of ME/CFS.

Watch one lady's LP journey.

Neuralplasticity and ME/CFS

A few people have asked me about a book I sometimes make reference to  - 'The Brain that Changes Itself" by  Norman Doidge.

ME/CFS is a classified by the World Health Organsiation as a Neurological Condition. So for sufferers it contains a great overview of the changes in our understanding of how the brain works. In short, not only were we wrong about how the brain works but we were spectacularly wrong! The concept of neuralplasticity has totally changed how we treat certain conditions and what we now see as possible. In some cases such as stroke rehabilitation, it has turned the impossible into a wonderful new reality. What was unrealistic and just plain impossible is now standard treatment.

I see the Lightning Process as part of this new wave of approaches.

Sufferers of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain Conditions may be particularly interested reading how the very early work on 'Neuralplasticity' (that won Eric Kandel a Nobel Prize in 2000) was about influencing pain messages to the brain.

I sometime encourage people to read the book before coming onto a training as it gets people to realise that many of the things that we learnt at school as 'facts' have changed.

For those suffering from ME/CFS and feel unable to take in the whole book, there is a documentary of the book and there are lots of free videos online of Norman Doidge discussing the book and the concept of Neuralplasticity.

The book itself is available at most bookstores. Read it. Your brain will thank you.

"In other words I now have a life" - Claire - CFS for 16 years

Another great Lightning Process success story. This is a letter from Claire, a lovely lady I saw in Auckland a few months ago. The letter was written to the New Zealand ME Society and featured in their monthly newsletter.

Well done Claire. What a remarkable change. Enjoy!

Ever had your diagnosis challenged as not genuine?

This is my response (published in the Meeting Place - NZ ME/CFS association), to a previous article challenging that the Lightning Process can work with ME. My previous post gives the context of the letter.

Letter to editor

A recent article in the ANZMES newsletter from a member, put into print one of the arguments I regularly hear and felt needed addressing. A big thanks to Colin for allowing my comments to be printed in the following edition.

To paraphrase the article I was responding to - If you get well using the Lightning Process you couldn't have had ME in the first place. It was probably Glandular fever or some mimic of ME.

It is an argument that I hear all the time and makes no logical sense, as people I see are getting their diagnosis from ME experts. Which creates an interesting dilemma - either the diagnosis from the experts are wrong which puts uncertainly on all other diagnosis OR the Lightning Process can be effective with ME. I suspect it is the later.

Hopefully at some stage there will be a biological marker or definitive test that will allow these anti-Lightning Process arguments to be put to bed once and for all.

Lightning Process, rain, wind and thunder

Last year I had a very nervous training in Noosa as a cyclone headed our way and changed course at the last moment. Phew.

Then my last trip to South Island New Zealand for a training had the small town I was staying in receive a record downpour and I was flooded in. (Hello to Oamaru!)

I then had a lady fly to the Sunshine Coast for a training and her plane was struck by lightning on the way home. (I assured her it wasn't part of the training package!)

Over the last few months the South East of Queensland have been so wet that I had to cancel several trainings.

Then just last week a had a man fly down from Cairns for a 1-on-1 training. As Cyclone Yasi headed towards the coast, he didn't know if he would have a home to go to.

I know the Lightning process is powerful but that is ridiculous. :-)

CAUTION-The Lightning Process can scar you for life

How's this for an email I got from a lovely lady I saw 2 months ago. Well done Alex. You are a champion.

"Hi Ian,

Just emailing to tell you how I’ve been going. The past month has been absolutely amazing. I won dux at my school despite all the time I had off, I came first in English, Extension English, Modern History, Society and Culture and Music. I also passed my P’s test in the hail while all the traffic lights were out and it was flooding. I was able to keep my cool with the process. I also played my first proper gig on Sunday night in Newtown which was really fun.

I have been running the beach each day and this morning (I don’t know what your opinions are on tattoos but I got this one this morning) My first and last as I am not one to get tattoo’s but I believed it was appropriate. I attached a picture. It will be a constant reminder of what I have achieved and to always stay positive :)

I believe the process saved my life and I am so grateful for everything you have done.

Thanks again and I hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. "

(FROM IAN -The rubber duck is part of a story I tell in my training about the potential speed of change. Nice one Alex!)

ME/CFS and XMRV -

A new study has cast further doubt on the idea that a virus called XMRV causes chronic fatigue syndrome. READ BBC ARTICLE HERE

Although I'm sure this won't end the debate about XMRV and its links to ME/CFS, it would seem that opinion is starting to sway towards the findings that XMRV is not linked to ME/CFS.

Through my experience I would say that there isn't one single virus that causes ME/CFS. Any lingering virus has the potential to cause it. Onset may be from any number of stressors. I have seen Epstein Barr, Ross River Fever, Barmah Forest Virus, an operation, physical or emotional trauma, physical injury, vaccinations, bacterial infection, pregnancy, exposure to chemicals and even extreme jetlag.

The body seems to go into a heightened state of sympathetic nervous system arousal causing a miriad of symptoms.

The downside of this news is that it still means that we are no closer to finding a biological marker or definate test for ME/CFS. Until this happens sufferers will have to go through the long and frustrating process of getting a diagnosis.

Lightning Process Babies

As I start to get Christmas cards from people I have seen over the years and I hear what they are up to now, the one thing that always amazes me is the incredible ripple effect that occurs when someone gets success with the Lightning Process. It rarely effects just that person. Most people I see have a support group of friends and family who also benefit when some one gets their health back.

It might be a partner who can now have a 'normal' relationship or a child who gets a mother back. (Some friends and family of course don't stick around and have long gone by the time people see me).

There is one thing though that I really enjoy...getting news that one of my

Lightning Process graduates is pregnant. I know how much it means to them as my wife and I were in the same position.

I call them 'Lightning Process Babies', and I've just found out that one of this years graduates is pregnant!

For my wife it was a little different. We fell pregnant while she was still sick. She was terrified as she couldn't even look after herself. (As her carer and husband I was terrified as well). But being pregnant was the powerful motivator she needed to totally commit to doing the work required to get well.

We now have 2 gorgeous little boys who get to enjoy life with their healthy Mum.

Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain Talk

Today I was asked to speak at Nambour Base Hospital's physiotherapy department about the Lightning Process and its approach to Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain.

Some chronic pain conditions are seen as a real pain to health practitioners as they seem remarkably unresponsive to treatment.

Being an outpatient programme I made an assumption that their approach would be very much based around a physical exercise programme. I wasn't sure therefore how they would respond to the Lightning Process approach of focusing on more on the neurological re-training element combined with activity.

No tomatoes were thrown and they seem to have a very up-to-date approach! It was nice to talk to a group who understood the role the brain plays in pain and that neurological retraining wasn't suggesting it was 'all in the head'.

Hi to all the staff who sat through me rabbitting on. Hopefully it wasn't too painful for you.

Stay tuned for a more in depth piece about the Lightning Process approach to chronic pain.

The Lightning Process gave me wrinkles

Now that's enough to turn most people away from the Lightning Process, but I just got a lovely email from a lady I saw 3 months ago. She was doing the Lightning Process for Chronic Pain and Weight Issues that had kept her house bound and immobile.

3 months down the track she is able to leave the house and is walking regularly, mostly pain free and celebrating her reduction of weight. She now has wrinkles and is happy about it.

Funny how something like wrinkles can mean different things to different people.

Nice story of success

It's the third day of LP and a lady told me this story of a walk yesterday.

She decided to go for a bushwalk as this was something she had given up since having ME. She started walking and came to a folk in the path. She had 2 options to get to where she wanted to go. The 500m path or the 3 km scenic route.

She said it was a 'success moment' for her as she didn't hesitate and took the scenic route. With a smile on her face she decided she was going to take the scenic route of life from here on in.

Well done.

My wife in the news

Check this article about my wife in the Cairns Post about our epic Hinchinbrook Island trekking adventure.
Cairns Post Article

Celebrating with Sandflies and Crocodiles!

Some people like to celebrate anniversaries with Champaign or eating out at a fancy restaurant. Well my wife has just celebrated her 2 year anniversary of doing the Lightning Process and how do we choose to celebrate........by trekking for 5 days through the crocodile and sandfly infested jungles on Hinchinbrook Island (Qld).

For those that don't know the walk, only 40 people are allowed on the Island at any one time and you have to be totally self sufficient, carrying everything you need. It seemed fitting then to celebrate her amazing Lightning Process success by taking on such an adventure. To make it even more of a celebration I carried our son on my back. Trekking with a baby brings extra challenges but the three of us loved it.

We had torrential rain, swarming sandflies and a few nervous moments crossing swollen croc-infested creeks but we loved it.

Having a child (and the energy to look after him) is a dream come true for both of us.

Computer Games - Just a bit of harmless fun?

I just know I'm going to sound like a bit of a 'Grandad' here but of late I've been thinking about the impact of computer games on health.

A lot of the work that I do revolves around retraining the body's dysfunctional stress response.

The flight or fight response is brilliant for getting us primed for physical action. The stress hormones of adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol are released and get the blood pumping and heart beating. As this is seen as a dangerous situation, the body prioritises energy to the limbs. In fact any bodily function that is not needed is put on the back burners. So things like your digestion, your immune system, even your normal brain function takes up energy. These systems function are momentarily lowered to ensure all energy is used to get you safe. This is a brilliant system for acute stress. We can do without them briefly. However the impact of chronic stress can be disasterous. (Stress can be physical mental or emotional). We just don't seem to be designed for chronic stress.

So that's what's going on physiologically when we go into 'Flight or Fight'. Now think of computer games. We go into the same flight response. What is the impact of children spending hours and hours playing computer games in this stressed state?

There is another potential impact as well. New understandings of how the brain works indicates that our experiences changes the neurons in our brain. (A concept known as Neural plasticity) If we see someone doing something, the corresponding parts in our own brain light up as if we are doing it (Mirror Neurons). If we see it enough it is like we are doing it.

Computer games are no longer a yellow pac man eating pills and chasing monsters. It is so life like and you are 'in the picture' in what psychologists call being 'associated'. So with the shooting games children are learning in graphic detail what it is like to kill someone (but without the emotion or consequences).

New brain retraining programmes are highlighting the positive impact of computers to rewire the brain. So some caution should be exercised to ensure our children's constantly changing brain are protected.

Food Intolerance

Last week we looked at how our emotional state impacts directly on our digestion. The link between stress and ulcers is well known.

It’s worth looking at the field of neurology and how our understanding of the brain has radically changed over the last 10 years.

It was once believed that the brain was unchanging after early childhood. Well it turns out not only were we wrong but spectacularly wrong. Our brain is always and constantly changing. The concept of Neuralplasticity says that everything we do and think lays down new nerves in our brain. If one area of our brain is damaged we can train other areas to take up the missing function.

Another mantra of neurologists is ‘What fires together wires together”. For those that remember the Russian scientist Pavlov, his experiments with dogs and bells, was neurologicall conditioning . The sound of the bells became linked with food. So when one fired, the other fired. It’s a radical concept. That a bell could influence an animals digestive system!

When 2 things are happening simultaneously the brain makes a neurological link. Even if there is no actual link.

Now how is this linked to intolerances? If someone is undergoing stress then there is the potential for the brain to link that stress to whatever is happening at the same time. The longer the occurance of stress the greater the potential of a link. Remember - What fires together wires together.

From the brain’s point of view it is in ‘danger’ mode and detects gluten/grass seeds/lactose - things that are normally common and harmless. But a link is made. It then has been conditioned to respond to to the ‘danger’. Avoidance behaviours further reinforce the danger - which has now moved from perceived to real.

The the body has learnt (incorrectly) that something harmless is harmful. So it can be re-educated and you can be trained out of food intolerances. It takes a bit of work but far easier than a lifetime of avoiding foods and missing out on social activities because of a limited diet.

Next week we will look at the impact of computer games and TV in our childrens’s health….but as a sneak preview. If your child is playing war games for hours on end, they are in fight or flight not rest or digest.

Never Eat Angry - Digestion and Stress Hormones

It’s amazing how many times modern scientific discoveries finally catch up with ancient wisdom.

As I was sitting through a lecture in the role of stress hormones on digestion my mind was taken back to what I was told in an Ashram in India – never eat angry. The idea that you are better to go without than eat when in a distressed state -  as in that state you can not digest properly. A period of calm after eating also ensures proper digestion so it is recommended lie down and rest. Well a lie down seems like a pretty good idea when the only thing waiting for you after dinner is another long session of yoga or silent meditation.

But what about in the ‘real world’. Surely with the faster pace of our lifestyles it’s just not pratical. It is advice ignored at our own peril and it turns out this becomes even more important .

Flash back to my lesson on stress hormones and it all falls into place as does the high incidenses of digestion problems and intolerances.

Our bodies are designed to be able to deal with ‘stress’.  The part of the body responsible for this stress response is known as the Sympathetic Nervous System, or the flight or fight response. Our bodies goes through a rapid biochemical change releasing a cascade of neurotransmitters and hormones to attempt to bring the body back to homeostasis.

When you are stressed the body goes into fight or fight mode.  To get out of danger we are primed to either run away or fight the danger, so need our muscles. So it’s action stations.  The body then has a very clever way of putting all it’s energy into fight or flight. Any system that is drawing energy that is not needed is temporarily shut down.

During the moment of danger we do not need to digest as it uses up vital energy that might be spent getting out of immediate danger. And so our digestive function (as well as immune function) temporarily reduces.

So in a stressed state your digestion function drops hence the Ancient wisdom reminding us to not eat angry.

Of course the stressed state is not just anger. It includes anxiety, panic or just plain old garden variety stress. But what about eating on the run when you are running late for a meeting? What state are you in during your breakfast, your lunch and your dinner?

An extreme of this is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, a physical condition, whereby after some stressor (often viral) the body starts it’s stress response. The initial trigger seems to pass but the body gets stuck in what’s known as a sustained sympathetic nervous system arousal. With key body functions like digestion, immune and sleep ‘turned off’ the ensuing consequences can be debilitating. The majority of people I see with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome have some form of food intolerance and there is little point focusing on the food intolerance until the underlying dysfunctional physical stress response is addressed.

So being mindful of how you eat is just as important as being mindful of what you eat. If you are spending a fortune on suppliments, vitamins and organic fresh food but putting them into a digestion system that isn’t working for you, then you won’t be getting the full benefits.

Next week we look at the rise of food intolerances and new theories on how we are training ourselves into intolerances.

Nature and healthy Children

A lot of my work is involved in the impact chronic physiological stress plays on our health.

I have worked a lot with children and over the years and I have become fascinated by the positive impact that being in nature has on our physiology and health. Most would agree that they feel less stressed in 'green space'. But as our culture changes our children have less contact with nature and less direct nature experiences.

This is an article I wrote a while back that looks at this subject. Enjoy

London Training

Any doubts about having made the right decision to become a Lightning Process Practitioner soon disappeared when I began my studies. Most of the people training with me had recovered from ME or CFS over the last year. The all had incredible stories of recovery. Some have spent long periods in bed or in a wheelchair!

The buzz in the room is incredible...filled with all these incredible people who have made such recoveries and ready to help others achieve the same.

To further the excitment of being invloved in such a training, I sit in on regular 'live' seminars and watch people arrive on Day 1 (normally with a mix of fear and excitement) and leave on Day 3 transformed. They have a look on their face that I remember from my wife. It is the look of someone who is once again in control of their life and are ready to live life to the fullest.

The transformation for some is quite amazing. You can see it from a distance, in their faces, how they carry themselves. Even their clothes tell the story of their transformation.

They have reclaimed their lives!

It is such an honour to be bringing the Lightning Process to Australia and New Zealand.

MY STORY

I have been teaching and training for over a decade with both adults and children in environmental education. When I first met my wife she was an active, energetic and full of life. We swam, hiked, climbed mountains....but little did I know that she was ‘pushing through’ to achieve this, and her ‘crash’ a few days later was my introduction to Chronic fatigue Syndrome. I would slowly see her leave a job she loved, loose friends, struggle with the simplest of activities and at times be bed bound.

Her path became my path as I took on the role of carer. I was way too young to be a carer for my young partner, but that is the tragedy of CFS. I watched the ups and downs, the crazy cures, the seemingly uncaring doctors, the endless blood tests. It sometimes felt hopeless. Any progress she seemed to make would all give way to another crash.

She had managed her energy well for a few months, but on the second night of our honeymoon she had another crash and it felt like our lives were destined to revolve around CFS. It was one of the loneliest moments of my life - to be strolling along a tropical beach on my honeymoon......on my own. So we settled into a life of never knowing what tomorrow would bring. Grateful for the ups but always bracing ourselves for the inevitable downs.

When I heard about the Lightning Process, I was dubious but the results from others were incredible. The thought of a full recovery was so enticing, when we were merely aiming to just manage it. Maybe that’s why I was dubious. How can you get such results in just 3 days! My wife’s friend who had successful taken the Lightning Process practically pleaded for her to try it, and it was her results that gave us the confidence we needed.

So with the aid of Wheelchair assistance and very helpful airport staff my wife made the trip to England on her own.

At the end of the first day I received an excited phone message from London about the Lightning Process and news that she was off for a long walk! after Day 2 I had a long email, written with such an energy and passion I hadn’t witnessed in years. By the final day she was ready to live a full life again.

All the while I was wondering whether this was just another build up for a spectacular crash, and she still had her jet lag to contend with coming home……

But a few weeks later a very different person walked through the Arrivals door at Brisbane airport.

When people ask me now what it was like, I honestly struggle to remember. It feels like another life time. Since doing the Lightning Process we have traveled, started a family and a new business together. The days of her brain fog are long gone as she often puts me to shame with her sharp analytical mind. We used to dream of having a normal life, but instead we have a spectacular life.

After my experience with the Lightning Process in the UK, I was determined to help those in Australia and New Zealand. I made it my mission to bring the Lightning Process here.

Teaching the Lightning Process allows me to help people return to their true nature – their energetic and vibrant former selves. To be able to live the life they love.

How LP came to OZ & NZ

The Process that has helped thousands around the World is now finally available in Australia and NZ.

CFS, ME, PVSD, FM. These are real physical illnesses & I know how horrible they can be. My wife had Chronic fatigue Syndrome for 7 years. As her carer I know how it consumes people’s lives –both the sufferer and their loved ones. Then you had to travel to Europe for the Lightning Process. The transformation in her health was incredible. After 7 years of hell, she returned to Australia symptom free.

So I made it my mission to bring the Lightning Process to Australia. We moved to England and I underwent training and accreditation, and returned as Australasia’s only practitioner.

I am so excited to be able to offer it to others.

This blog will record my journey as a LP practitioner. I hope to give people a sense of me and the work I do.

For more information about the Lightning Process itself please go to www.iancleary.com or www.lightningprocess.com

Or simpler still, give me a call or drop me an email.