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One therapy that could be some kind of permanent (though perhaps only partial) solution to the problem of high ‘pituitary adrenal reactivity’ (Adrenocorticotropic hormone/corticotropin, cortisol) looks to be Stuart Tessler’s Fight and Flight Therapy. He is Denver, Colorado based so regular trips there look to be a requirement to do the therapy properly. The therapy looks to be especially helpful for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) but should benefit anyone who tends towards being in a ‘state of fight or flight’. No peer reviewed studies but the anecdotal feedback looks impressive…
LIGHT THERAPY OFFERS ALTERNATIVE HEALING : Denver Nursing Star
LIGHT THERAPY OFFERS ALTERNATIVE HEALING
by Mary Jo Fay
From the healing powers of the sun, to the high-tech light energy of the laser, light has made its way into patient care from many directions.
New light therapies can provide help for physiological, emotional, and stress-related issues. Light boxes are available to help those suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder, or winter depression. Another new light therapy is producing dramatic results for: 1) those with a history of stress and/or trauma, and 2) people who would like to reduce stress, improve their concentration and mental performance, or just function more effectively in their busy lives.
For some, the daily stresses of life are overwhelming but that doesn’t mean they need Prozac or a therapist. They are simply searching for a natural way to balance their lives. That’s where this new light therapy provides a unique alternative.
Dr. M. Stuart Tessler of Denver is the only fellowship-certified practitioner in Colorado offering this unique therapy to his patients. During his 20 years as an optometrist, Tessler noticed that when using light therapy for specific eye or vision disorders, many reported secondary benefits that went far beyond their eyes or vision. Patients were becoming more relaxed, less stressed, and handled new stress better. They seemed more open, receptive, and capable of change.
“The amazing thing is that many patients often reported changes that neither of us ever anticipated,” he says. One woman, who had been unsuccessful at losing weight for years, suddenly started shedding pounds. Another who had struggled to gain weight suddenly did so. Many described feeling less stress and anxiety in their workplace. Even high-functioning people reported greater productivity and satisfaction.
How does this light therapy work? Our minds and bodies respond to physical or mental-emotional stress in precise physiological ways. The nervous system automatically activates defensive reflexes designed to protect us, helping to insure our safety and survival. Typically, our system returns to normal after a challenge has passed. Yet, sometimes, the body remains “stuck” in survival mode, leaving us functioning less efficiently, creating a subconscious resistance to change, and ultimately limiting our options, resources and mindset.
After an initial evaluation, patients are given a simple light device to use in the comfort of their own homes, at their own pace. Specific wavelengths of light are directed gently and comfortably into the eyes, measurably shifting aspects of the “flight or fight” response back toward normal. Whether it’s traumas that occurred long ago, or simply the pressures of daily jobs and busy lives, light therapy acts “like a tune-up”, helping people function more easily, less stressfully, and more to their potential.
For those who do not feel comfortable talking about their personal issues with a therapist, light therapy allows them to maintain their safety and privacy. This therapy is not about bringing up painful memories, or even discussing what’s on one’s mind. It works at a physiological level to reset the nervous system.
As Tessler summarizes, "to whatever degree someone is stuck in ‘fight or flight’ their nervous system must, by necessity, expend energy and resources to maintain the safety of the status quo. In a complex demanding world, this limits their options and depletes the resources they need to deal with the rigors of everyday life. By resetting those nervous systems, lives can change in a multitude of ways.
As one patient, a 42 year-old single mother and administrator, aptly put it, “I seem to be glowing. I’m functioning easier and better in my world. I am less stressed and handling new stress better. ‘Overwhelm’ is a thing of the past!”…
Please Help - Page 5 - NeuroTalk Communities
PCS McGee (07-06-2007):
"The key is to find therapy that works for you; for me cranio sacral therapy has worked by far the best, though I did some light therapy a while back that was very helpful as well (I talked about this on a previous post).
…people develop PTSD every hour of every day from car accidents and other random physical traumas. Think about a car accident for what it really is: An unexpected violent hit that the body takes, and you can see there’s not as much difference between a car accident and a football collision as you might think…"
Syntonics~Light Therapy & other alternatives for TBi - NeuroTalk Communities
PCS McGee (07-24-2007):
"I did some light therapy a while back which was very helpful (as you’re apparently aware). The stuff I did was called Fight or Flight therapy…
This light therapy helped me in many ways, most notably as a “jump” as you put it, to the other therapies I’d been doing. I’d been doing conventional therapy for my PCS and PTSD for almost a year and a half when I started light therapy, and although the conventional therapy had been effective enough to get me to a point where I didn’t NEED medication anymore, I still felt like hell every second of every day, so I was in no way at a point that I was pleased with. The conventional therapies I’d been doing had also seemed to plateau, and little progress was being made, which is why I sought out the therapy in the first place. My therapists were skeptical of light therapy before I did it, but after just one week of the light therapy they were both astounded with how much more responsive my mind and body were to treatment.
At this point, about 10 months after I started light therapy, I’m still not completely cured, but I’m light years beyond where I was before I did it. I truly feel that a lot of the therapies that have really done wonders for me, in particular cranio sacral work, might not have worked at all had I not done the light therapy first. It really seemed to open up my nervous system and make it capable of receiving changes, whereas before it had been in this clenched up, unmovable, concrete state.
The only thing I can really point to and say “the light therapy was solely responsible for THIS happening” is that… and this sounds kind of weird… the light work made me able to cry again. Like I said, this sounds weird, but before I did the light therapy every day of my life since my accident was a total and unrelenting hell, and I was completely aware of this fact, and yet I was unable to cry over it (the only emotions I could produce were anger and fear). After doing the light therapy for a while, I was really able to get in touch with all of the sadness and other emotions that are tied into this event in my life, so that I could actually feel how truly upset my whole mind and body were, instead of just getting furious at the various activities that I could no longer do. This helped my therapy immeasurably…"
Post Concussion Syndrome - The “unknown” Condition ?? - Page 2 - NeuroTalk Communities
PCS McGee (12-07-2007):
“I wish you were in Colorado, there’s a guy out here that does really amazing light therapy for PTSD (the therapy is of his own design, so it’s not like EMDR that’s done all over the country). Before I did his therapy, I was pretty much in a constant state of high anxiety and was experiencing 5-15 acute panic attacks a day, and of course not sleeping well at all. Afterwards, my anxiety was markedly lower, and the therapies I’d been doing for years suddenly started working really well…”
Observation- and now I have a question - NeuroTalk Communities
PCS McGee (12-16-2007):
“…Yeah, you go in to see the guy and get your therapy recalibrated once every month or so, but the rest of the therapy is done at your house (it just involves staring at a light, having to go somewhere to do it wouldn’t make a whole lot of sense).”
People recover I think - Page 2 - NeuroTalk Communities
PCS McGee (02-11-2009):
“…Along with these findings, I did some light therapy that was abundantly helpful (I’d recommend that stuff above all else, though the only doctor who does it is in Colorado), as well as some craniosacral therapy that really helped out (I sincerely doubt this would have been notably effective without the light therapy coming beforehand), and some other stuff as well that’s helped put the bits, pieces, and massive chunks back together. Like I said, I’m not all the way there yet, but I’m much more there than where I was before, and that’s enough to get my life moving again…”
Are TBI and PCS the same? - NeuroTalk Communities
PCS McGee (02-12-2009):
"…A lot of people seem to think that only combat veterans and rape victims get PTSD, but people get it every day from car accidents, falls, and all sorts of other stuff…
Anyway, if you don’t mind my asking where are you located? There is a man in Denver who has light therapy that is just PROFOUNDLY effective for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. If you have any ability to see him I would recommend his services above all else."
Have you had a complex concussion? - NeuroTalk Communities
PCS McGee (02-19-2009):
"…I did this light therapy which was EXTREMELY helpful. It’s a therapy designed to alleviate the emotional residues of trauma, and I had pretty pronounced PTSD, so it helped with that end more than with the physical brain, but I am absolutely certain that the therapies I tried on my brain later wouldn’t have been anywhere near as effective had I not done this therapy first. Bar none, I feel that this was the single most important element in getting me from where I was a couple of years ago (undeniably horrible) to where I am now (pretty good).
Craniosacral therapy - Did this following the light therapy for about a year (once a week). Really got my brain turned back on… extremely, EXTREMELY helpful. Chronic pain diminished significantly afterwards, and experienced marked improvements in memory…"
Have you had a complex concussion? - NeuroTalk Communities
PCS McGee (02-27-2009):
"…I believe that you’re lumping in the light therapy that I did with a more common form of light therapy, EMDR. This is an (for lack of a better word) inappropriate comparison, as the light therapy that I did is nothing like EMDR in the slightest. In fact, it even says so right on the (admittedly poorly designed) website. Really, the only similarities between the two are that both are aimed at resolving trauma and both use lights to accomplish that goal. The types of lights that are used and the manner in which those lights are used is completely different, as are the intended results.
…it’s my opinion that there are far more effective therapies emerging at this time. The light therapy I did would be one of those…
Making a Difference Superior Performance-Angie Cox
Making a Difference
My Number Three child has made a significant contribution to my source of writing material. That is because she is such a gift to me in so many ways. She is wired much differently than her sisters. It’s not wrong or bad. It is just different, and it will most likely prove to serve her in ways that will make her highly successful.
Her uniqueness has allowed me to grow both personally and professionally. I am a better teacher because of her. I am a more flexible parent because of her. I recognize personality traits in others and am less quick to judge that person because of her. She is a gift not only to me, but to the entire world because of the lessons I have learned from her.
Her life is pretty blessed. She had a normal baby-hood. No traumas during pregnancy or birth. Everything was pretty much routine. Yet even as a toddler, her personality was much different than the previous two. She smacked her forehead on the coffee table at 2 1/2, which meant a trip to the emergency room and stitches, but she healed.
At four, we began to notice what the older girls called “the cross-eyed thing”. Every so often her right eye would do its own thing. I took her to an optometrist who diagnosed severe far-sightedness (like +5.0) and amblyopia. That was a difficult experience for my daughter because she was so painfully shy at that time she would not (and I now know she could not) respond to his questions as to which image was better. As a result, he used his magic lenses and a flashlight to focus the image on her retina to his satisfaction.
For the next few years, we did the coke-bottle lenses, then contacts at age six, and later back to glasses. All of these had traumatic effects on her. The prescription reduced some over the years, but was still pretty intense. All this time, as she fought having to wear anything, I would check her vision by having her read road signs. The kid could see close up, far off, and everywhere in between just fine. As a nearsighted person who needs correction to see two feet in front of my face, I had a real problem with this. Why would someone even need correction if they could see as well as she could?
That began my search for another answer. By that time, I had accumulated some BrainGym friends who I knew had contacts in the alternative medicine world. (No, BrainGym doesn’t necessarily equal alternative. It just happened to be my source for information.) They referred me to an optometrist in Denver who was doing some different types of therapies. His name is Dr. Stuart Tessler.
I contacted Dr. Tessler with my concerns. He wanted my daughter to see a behavioral optometrist before he saw her, so as to make sure we had all the basic vision issues assessed and addressed before moving forward. He gave me three possible locations, all of which are an eight hour drive from our house. I asked him who would be best able to work with my Number 3 child. Her differentness had by that time taken the form of frozen terror when faced with a stranger pumping her for the answer to the “which is better, one or two….one, two” question. I wasn’t interested in creating more trauma for her. He didn’t hesitate for even a second. He told us Dr. Marisa Kruger would be the one.
By this time, Number 3 was approaching eight years old, the third grade, and a beast of a state mandated reading test loomed on her horizon. I wasted no time getting her in to see Dr. Kruger. We even went one step further and took the whole family (minus one). That was probably the best experience Number 3 has ever had. Dr. Kruger was extremely patient with her and managed to draw out the necessary information without throwing her into a total frozen meltdown.
Dr. Kruger did a lot of educating that day. I learned so much about what this child was dealing with. She spoke to me from the voice of having lived a big part of what my child was living. Far sighted children have the ability to force focus their eyes, so it appears they can see clearly. The problem is this creates a tremendous amount of of stress that shows up in other areas of their lives, including behavior and academic success. She identified the activity that caused the most stress for Number 3, and prescribed minimum correction to reduce her stress for that activity. It was a pretty radical reduction in correction.
We rocked along through that school year. My daughter passed her test on the first attempt, but it was kind of close. She scored a 75 on reading and an 85 on math. We went back to Dr. Kruger during the summer after third grade and had a checkup. Adjustments were made as needed and then back to the school routine we went.
Fourth grade proved to be downright scary. It is a major leap in expectations for the students. It sees the addition of the state mandated writing test, and the reading requirements jump quite a bit. After a nerve-racking first six weeks, I requested all sorts of intervention possibilities as a means of opening the door to get my daughter some help if things continued like they had begun.
During the process, I also made contact with Dr. Tessler again. I decided to move forward with seeing what he could offer us. We scheduled, and of all things, he sent us a stress evaluation. One night before the trip to Denver, my daughter and I filled out the assessment. I knew she was experiencing lots of stress. I didn’t realize how much EVERYTHING was stressing her out.
He looked over her questionaire, asked me what my concerns were, and then proceeded to discover what was going on with her visual field. I watched the whole process from the sidelines. What he discovered was a child whose eyes worked, but whose brain wasn’t making sense of most of what was in her visual field. My daughter’s blind spot (everyone has them where the optic nerve attaches to the eye) was twice the normal size on the left eye and almost four times normal on the right side. She was only able to clearly identify what she saw in an area slightly larger than the size of a quarter with each eye. She was essentially functioning with tunnel vision. No wonder she was in a constant state of stress. She literally didn’t know what was about to blind-side her every second of every day of her young life.
He then proceded to identify a series of colors that were supportive for her body. He did this using muscle checking similar to what a chiropractor might use. We had experienced muscle checking in some of my early BrainGym classes, so I was very comfortable and confident with the process.
We left Denver with a very simple setup that included a light and some colored overlays. My daughter had been instructed to spend 20 minutes a day in total darkness with only the colored light on. She was to practice relaxed breathing techniques during that time.
The first session at home was extremely painful and traumatic. She was adamant that she didn’t want to do it. I have learned with her that punishment won’t necessarily get the desired outcome, so I have to offer some pretty significant bribes, which I did in the form of riding horses at her uncle’s house after a certain number of sessions had been completed without fuss. It worked.
The process was never an easy one, because it took away from other things she would rather be doing, however, it got easier, and the results were incredible.
After approximately six months and three different color combinations, her final visual assessment showed that her visual field had returned to something close to normal. Her stress self-assessment revealed a child who had mellowed substantially. She went from mostly 4’s and 5’s on the assessment to 0’s, 1’s, and 2’s. Her quarter-sized visual field opened up to the full limits of the testing apparatus. Her blind spots returned to normal size. Her fourth grade TAKS tests were 85 in reading and 95 in math, and she received “commended” status in math and writing. Her shyness decreased radically, and her response to discipline improved noticeably.
A year later, we are facing the fifth grade tests. Math, science, grammar, and spelling continue to be her strong subjects. Reading is still more challenging. However, she is making choices about her success in reading. When she chooses to be successful, she is. She did not have that ability before.
There are a number of things we continue to do to support my daughter’s vision and reduce her stress. We have a fabulous chiropractic neurologist who does some pretty incredible things for her. We own two horses that she rides frequently. We do our best to find sports activities that allow her to run and jump and experience success.
However, I cannot say enough about the work of Dr. Stuart Tessler and Dr. Marisa Kruger. These two people changed my daughter’s destiny in so many ways. I will continue to stay in contact with them and revisit this healing process as needed.
I highly recommend that educators and parents consider what “else” might be going on with a child who has reading challenges. Think outside the box like we did. Do what you have to do to get your child the help he or she needs. Don’t expect the school to fix things for you. They are limited in what they can do. Too many of the traditional and accepted offerings do not produce adequate results. Push your own envelope and go against the grain if you have to. It is worth spending every last penny you have to see your child turn the page on success.
What successful alternative therapies and providers have you found in your search for health and wellness? Let’s build a resource center within this blog.
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2 Responses to “Making a Difference”
Dr. T Says:
February 26, 2009 at 10:53 AM
Angie,
How touching. It brings a tear. Thanks for your kind words. I was happy I could help.
Give No. 3 a hug for me.
And, stay in touch.
Dr. T.
PS: What a nice resource. You’ve done a really nice job. Life here goes on, still trying to connect with the military for all these poor folks coming back with PTSD and TBI (traumatic brain injury). It took so persistence, and I finally got all the way to Washington, but they’re wanting ‘evidence-based’ research. So now I’m trying to make those connections as well. It’s proving difficult and I’m not making much headway. It’s amazing how many professionals and academics are just NOT interested in anything outside their knowledge base. Where else does innovation come from?? And a neurologist told me I’d have trouble getting professional referrals because, and I quote, “your people get better.” I thought that was the idea!!. He says my success is a threat to them. I just don’t get it.
Anyway, glad to hear our girl is doing sooooo well. My best to you, and keep up the good work.
mst
Concussion Superior Performance-Angie Cox
Concussion
…We made 3 or 4 circles around the perimeter of the arena at a nice slow walk. On the fourth trip around, something happened. I guess he spooked at the late evening shadows and the next thing I knew, I was going down. I landed in plowed dirt (definitely not a soft substance if that’s what you were thinking), smacking my left glute and bouncing my head off the ground in the process. I rolled over rather slowly, took a second to collect my wits, and then proceeded to drag myself upright and walk to the center of the arena where Buddy and other adults were waiting for me. Knowing “the law” that says you must get back on a horse when you are thrown, I prepared myself for the ascent. However, a feeling of blackness began to envelope my vision and I leaned against Buddy’s shoulder to rest for a moment.
My next realization was of me sitting in the dirt and people around me asking the how many fingers and what’s today’s date questions. Yep, for the first time in my life, I involuntarily checked out. As concussions go, mine was probably very mild with no headache or nausea, and yet my brain was shaken enough to need a moment to shut down and reboot.
I went to see my amazing chiropractic neurologist Tuesday morning after a very sore and tender night sleeping in a chair in the living room. Our bed is in the basement, and there was NO WAY I was going to attempt descending and ascending those stairs. He did wonders for me resulting in at least a 50% improvement in the way my body was feeling 36 hours post accident. He even did some neuro stuff to help my head fog to clear and restore my ease of eye movement.
In spite of the chiropractic success, I couldn’t shake something my daughter’s vision specialist had once said to me. I sent him an email telling him what had happened and asking him his thoughts. He replied, “OK, well, I know you know that I want to see you YESTERDAY. The earlier we intervene, the quicker we can halt the cascade of excitotoxins that mediate the post-concussion symptoms and syndrome. For example, six months or two years from now, you could go through a deep depression and have no inkling it was caused by this concussion.”
“From what you’ve said, there’s no question that you’ve been injured (for example, many of the people I treat never blacked out). Yes, you’re likely to recover reasonably well w/o light therapy. But post-concussed brains are never the same. Just like any significant trauma, we may seem to get over it in time (actually, many are symptomatic, they just don’t relate their symptoms to their accident). All the traditional tests may be normal, but ultimately, we’re left more susceptible and less resilient to the next stress or trauma. That’s where the visual fields are most helpful. They help people see something is indeed wrong. Even when traditional testing measures little or nothing, I typically measure significantly more on visual fields. Optimally, I’d want to measure your fields and see exactly what we’d be treating.”
If I’m in need of the therapy, how many old cowboys (or young ones), ex-football players, and accident prone kids are walking around with emotional and physical limitations as a result of past head trauma? I know the therapy works, because I saw behavior changes that were nothing short of miraculous with my daughter. I will fork over the money and make at least three trips to Denver to see Dr. Stuart Tessler. I will experience his Fight or Flight Therapy and have the benefits of it while making strides to stop and reverse the damage done in a horse accident.
I know so many others who have had much worse accidents than mine. Dr. Tessler has told me in the past that he will bring his therapy to our area along with the follow-up visits if he has enough people who will commit to the therapy. His therapy isn’t cheap by small town standards, and yet how much money do people spend on super sized beverages and over priced junk food every week? How much do we spend each year on satellite or cable TV? If it were cancer, most would be selling a vehicle or mortgaging the house to get the necessary treatment. Unfortunately, insurance isn’t likely to pay for Fight or Flight Therapy, but it’s just as tax deductible as any other medical treatment. It’s an alternative therapy that requires a person to be willing to expend their own money to improve their quality of life.
That’s the direction western medicine is moving these days. If you want to get better, you’d better be prepared to foot the bill. If you want to get temporary relief of some of your symptoms while hanging onto your pet ailment, then take a pill that insurance pays for.
Stay tuned for the follow-up adventures in Fight or Flight Therapy. Maybe my experience will help others make a choice to get better.