Saturday, May 25, 2013

10 Years in the Making -- The American Psychiatric Association's Newest and Most Controversial Classification of Mental Disorders


The group that gets to define mental disorders and how they should be treated holds tremendous power in our understanding about what is normal and what is not, as well as in the allocation of billions of dollars annually. In the United States, and for much of the rest of the world, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) has fielded this responsibility. 

The long-awaited fifth edition of the organization's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) was just released this month. It will, according to the APA, be "used by clinicians and researchers to diagnose and classify mental disorders [and] is the product of more than 10 years of effort by hundreds of international experts in all aspects of mental health. Their dedication and hard work have yielded an authoritative volume that defines and classifies mental disorders in order to improve diagnoses, treatment, and research. [It] is the most comprehensive, current, and critical resource for clinical practice available to today's mental health clinicians and researchers of all orientations."

Meanwhile, for more than 40 years, the International Society for Ethical Psychology and Psychiatry (ISEPP) has been promoting safe, humane, life-enhancing approaches to helping people who are plagued with mental disorders. The APA and the ISEPP have frequently been at odds, with ISEPP often being the first major organization to identify or publicize dangers of psychiatric treatments such as electroconvulsive shock therapy, lobotomies, and various medications that ultimately prove to have disastrous long-term side effects. ISEPP's position is that pharmaceutical manufacturers are among the primary beneficiaries of the DSM, with the evolving editions having been "remarkable in expanding psychiatric labels . . . with no scientifically substantiated biological etiologies."

While our position at Innersource is to recognize the merit in both points of view -- a tremendous amount of valid research has gone into the APA's formulations -- we share ISEPP's alarm that the DSM-5 expands the number of conditions that can receive a psychiatric diagnosis and, more importantly, expands the number of conditions where psychiatric medication is considered the standard of care. For instance, $16.1 billion last year was spent on giving children anti-psychotic medication based on very questionable diagnoses, a development that our friend Bessel van der Kolk, M.D., has called "a national disaster!" 

ISEPP was joined last month by a giant, though unlikely, ally. No less than the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) took the drastic step of renouncing DSM-5 even prior to its publication. Many mental health insiders have been critical of the forthcoming version. The chair of the task force that produced the prior version summed up the problem: "Pretty soon everyone's going to have a mental disorder or two or three . . ." And for each mental disorder, of course, a drug can be invented and prescribed to treat it. Is it possible that psychiatry, which is dedicated to using science to help overcome human suffering, is being totally reshaped by non-scientific influences? Wake up and smell the coffee. Of the 137 DSM-5 panel members who have posted disclosure statements, 56% have reported ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

For the panels on "Mood Disorders" and "Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders" -- where pharmaceuticals are almost always involved in treatment -- nearly 100% had financial ties to drug companies. Meanwhile, NIMH controls much of the money the U.S. allots for research into mental illness and its treatment, and its radical move around the DSM-5 is a repudiation to the corruption that has teeth!

Also on the constructive side, we echo Dr. Christiane Northrup's prediction about health care in the future (from her foreword to Donna's Energy Medicine for Women): "... working with the patient's energy field will be the first intervention. Surgery will be a last resort. Drugs will be a last resort. They will still have their place, but shifting the energy patterns that caused the disease will be the first line of treatment. And before that, teaching people how to keep their energies in healthy patterns will be as much a part of physical hygiene as flossing or exercise."  

This holds true for mental health as well as physical conditions. Amen!

Friday, April 26, 2013

Healing the Heartbreak of Newtown

The tragedy in Newtown has received tremendous media attention and has fueled heated debate about gun control and access to mental health services. At the same time, a dedicated group has been quietly providing effective relief and healing to those directly affected by the shootings.

The Newtown Trauma Relief Collaboration Project, led by Nick Ortner and Lori Leyden, was conceived to demonstrate and implement a comprehensive response to a local disaster, involving people and organizations at every level of the Newtown community. Its primary treatment modality has been Energy Psychology tapping (EFT), so it has put the claims of EFT practitioners to a serious test. Groups that come into disaster areas to provide therapeutic help have been notorious for offering services that are ineffective or even harmful, wasting invaluable energy, trust, and goodwill while leaving disappointment and a sense of hopelessness in their wake.

So far, the Newtown Project has served more than 200 traumatized individuals. In these documented sessions, every individual treated has experienced a decrease in self-reported stress levels. In the case of more than 30 first responders, parents who lost children, and parents whose children survived, significant trauma was cleared in only one to three sessions -- including intrusive memories, overwhelm, extreme emotional pain and hyper-arousal related to being present at Sandy Hook Elementary School on the day of the event.

As fate would have it, Nick Ortner, one of the most prominent leaders in the Energy Psychology field, lives in Newtown, and his mother is a psychologist at a nearby elementary school. They joined forces with the community leadership and formed the Newtown Project, along with Lori Leyden, whose disaster relief efforts with orphaned children in Rwanda through Project Light have held up to research scrutiny. The Newtown Project has trained and carefully supervised 24 volunteers in using EFT in the aftermath of the community's trauma. Donna's Daily Energy Medicine Routine is, by the way, a core element of the training these volunteers receive.

Nick's new book introducing people to Energy Psychology, The Tapping Solution, was released earlier this month. David and Donna, who hold Nick in high esteem, commented that the book provides "crystal-clear instruction on how to change the patterns of thought and behavior that hold you back, how to improve your relationships and your success in the endeavors that matter to you, and how to live a healthier, happier, more prosperous life." David has also had the honor of serving as a consultant to the Newtown Project since its inception.

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Developments in Energy Therapy with David Feinstein, PhD

David Feinstein, PhD, is a clinical psychologist who has served on the faculties of The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Antioch College, and the California School of Professional Psychology. Author or co-author of eight books and more than 80 professional articles, he has been a pioneer in the areas of energy psychology and energy medicine. His books have been translated into 18 languages and have won nine national awards, including the U.S. Book News Best Psychology/Mental Health Book in 2007 (for Personal Mythology) and an Indies Best Books Award (for The Promise of Energy Psychology). He and his wife, Donna Eden, are the founding directors of Innersource, in Ashland, Oregon.

David was interviewed on Shrink Rap Radio. The interview questions were based on two of his many articles. One was in the APA journal, The Review of Psychology and the other appeared in the Psychotherapy Networker during 2010. They are highly recommended reading.

http://www.innersource.net/ep/images/stories/downloads/PN_article.pdf

and

http://www.innersource.net/ep/images/stories/downloads/Acupoint_Stimulation_Research_Review.pdf

The interview can be heard on Shrink Rap Radio at http://www.shrinkrapradio.com/2013/01/09/333-developments-in-energy-therapy-with-david-feinstein-phd/



 

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Tap Away Your Problems



Tapping World Summit 2013 RegistrationAre you ready to tap away your problems?

Join 20 of the World's leading EFT and Tapping Experts in this FREE Online Event as They Show you Step by Step How to Improve Your Finances, Health, Emotions and Much More...

David Feinstein, PhD will present on Why Tapping Works: The Science and Research!

In this eye-opening interview you'll:
  •    Learn about the exciting, cutting edge studies that have revealed the proven power of tapping
  •    Discover how EFT may revolutionize the health industry
  •    Hear some of the most remarkable case studies in Tapping history
Donna Eden is presenting on the topic, Reboot Your Relationship with Energy Work!

In this revealing session you'll:
  •    Learn how to finally end those endless arguments that leave you sad and confused
  •    Discover your energy type, as well as your mate's
  •    Unlock the energetic pathway that transforms relationship stress into lifelong satisfaction
The Event Starts on Monday February 4th! 
Register Right Now to Get Immediate Access to the Three Pre-Event Audios!

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Energy Psychology in Rwanda


By David Feinstein, Ph.D.

In 2004, I was invited by the Institute of Noetic Sciences to write a piece for their magazine on the use of Energy Psychology in disaster areas (eventually expanded into a journal article and published in Traumatology). Unprecedented positive outcomes were being reported following natural disasters as well as human-made catastrophes. The TFT Foundation (TFT is the original Energy Psychology protocol) was taking the lead in pioneering this critically important application and producing heart-warming outcomes in heart-wrenching situations.

I had the privilege of interviewing members of the teams that courageously went into countries like Kosovo, the Congo, and Rwanda following unthinkable atrocities and full-scale genocide. These teams were making a tremendous difference in healing the emotional devastation using simple acupoint tapping protocols. They provided direct care in their early visits and then began training local health care practitioners and others so the benefits of the method could be spread.

For instance, in Rwanda, more than 100 people in leadership roles are now using TFT to treat members of their communities. A mayor in the Northern Province of the country commented: "People who I have never seen smile are smiling. People who were not productive are now productive." 

The TFT leadership is creating a movie, From Trauma to Peace, to show how it is possible to transform trauma and its debilitating states of anger, violence, and hate to peace -- compassion, forgiveness, hope, and love! It is a movie the world needs. Click here to find out more or to learn how you can help.

What Does Energy Have to Do with Energy Psychology?

By David Feinstein, Ph.D.

Abstract

An obstacle to professional acceptance of the growing body of research supporting the efficacy of energy psychology is the vague use of the term “energy” in the field’s name and explanatory models. This paper explores whether the concept of “energy” is useful in accounting for the observed clinical outcomes that follow “energy psychology” treatments. Several anomalies within energy psychology that confound conventional clinical models are considered. The most vexing of these is that a growing number of anecdotal accounts suggest that one person can self-apply an energy psychology protocol, with the intention of helping another person who is in a distant location, leading to the other person reporting unanticipated benefits more frequently than chance would seem to explain. The possible roles of “energy” and macrosystem quantum effects in these anomalies are examined. A working model is proposed that attempts to explain the actions of energy psychology treatments in a manner that is consistent with established scientific knowledge while accounting for the anomalies. Three premises about the role of energy are delineated in this working model, and potential strengths of the model for practitioners and researchers are discussed.

Get the full article in the Energy Psychology Journal


Comments on earlier drafts of this paper by Maarten Aalberse, drs., John Freedom, Dag Hultcrantz, Douglas J. Moore, Ph.D., Robert Schwarz, Ph.D., and Anthony J. Tranguch, M.D., Ph.D., are gratefully acknowledged. Special thanks are due Sandra Shipp for her assistance in collecting and analyzing the reports of surrogate treatments.

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Fixing Polarities with K1 and EEM

Greetings!! Sparky Energy here!!

As the end of December led up to the end of the Mayan calendar I was feeling out of sorts, off balance, confused, etc. I read Titanya Dahlin post on Facebook about purple being a good color to help grounding during this transitional time. Coincidentally, I had just bought new 500 thread count purple sheets and duvet cover. As soon as I started sleeping in them I felt a bit more calm and collected in the mornings. I felt like things were going better, I was more centered and more grounded. And then poof! At 2:30 a.m. Central time on New Years Day I awoke in panic and crying. I was in such overwhelm and despair I couldn't even think to do any Eden Energy Medicine techniques. I had two more spells of anxiety, each getting worse, over the weekend. On Monday morning I contacted Kelmie Blake, an Eden Energy Medicine Advanced Practitioner. We talked via phone for about half an hour and she felt that my polarities were flipping and gave me an EEM remedy to try:
K1 Points
  • Spin a crystal over my K1 points on the bottoms of my feet
    • Donna refers to the K1 points as the Wellspring of Life Points on page 126 in her book Energy Medicine.
  • Fork my feet with a stainless steel fork moving the energy out off the toes and heels on the top and bottom of the foot.
  • Spoon my feet with a stainless steel spoon in figure eight patterns going through the K1 point.
  • Of course, do the Daily Energy Routine a few times a day, especially the Homolateral Cross Crawl.
  • Use Rescue Remedy (a homeopathic remedy) as needed.
    • My intuition led me to spray a small amount of Rescue Remedy on my K1 points.
  • Put a rock(s) under my desk to place my feet on since it's cold outside and I can't really connect with the earth right now.
    • My own intuition told me to put sandalwood oil on the rock. The rock I brought into my office is from the original foundation of my 1886 schoolhouse/church-house I live in.
 I did this series twice and was already feeling better! Wahoo!! 

I already had an appointment set up with my family practitioner MD as a routine followup for the same day. Later that day, when I visited my doctor I told her about my symptoms and I also told her about my consultation with Kelmie and the EEM techniques. My doctor was impressed at the techniques and their results. She gave me the following "prescription":
  • Continue on the same medications at the same dosages I routinely take for anxiety, depression, and migraines.
  • Do the Eden Energy Medicine techniques recommended by Kelmie at least once a day.
  • Attend Yoga classes at least twice a week.
  • Take B-12 complex and Niacin.
  • Begin a gluten free diet.
Today is Tuesday, only the next day, but I am feeling 1000% better. I have followed the doctor and Kelmie's advise before bed last night and again this morning. I visit the MD again in 6 weeks. I hope that by then I am 10,000% better!

Eden Energy Medicine works, you just have to do it.

Blessings,
Sparky Energy!


The above statements are not endorsed by Innersource. This is an unsolicited statement from Sparky Energy - Innersource's Social Media Manager.