The autonomic nervous system is a part of the body’s control system that largely acts unconsciously. It controls the heart, breathing, pupil response, but it is also the primary means that controls the body’s fight-or-flight response. Even though the autonomic nervous system may seem out of our control, there are certain ways to tame it to overcome the fight-or-flight response that are part of the cycle of pain.
Taming the Amygdala With EFT
What is the amygdala? The amygdala is a small part of the brain that is tasked with the body’s experiencing of emotions and plays a critical role in the body’s fight-or-flight response. Stressors, like chronic pain, can trigger the body’s fight-or-flight response and this response can lead us to deal with those stressors in an unhealthy way, such as addiction.
EFT can help tame intense emotions that are regulated by the amygdala. Essentially, it’s a sequence of tapping the body’s energy meridians to remove any energy disruptions. In some ways it’s like acupuncture, but without needles. EFT regulates the body’s energy levels and can send signals to the amygdala to help the body to calm down and relax.
EFT helped Dawn Cady, Pain Freedom Coach, overcome an addiction to painkillers and PTSD. By using EFT whenever she felt the need to take a painkiller, she was able to slowly eliminate them from her daily life.
The mind is always trying to keep the body safe. If you are able to identify those daily threats or stressors, you can easily deactivate your stress response with EFT and feel grounded and more positive about your body each day.
Identifying the Cause of and Eliminating Stress
How do you use techniques like EFT to begin overcoming negative emotions, like fear and stress? First and foremost, identify the cause of stress and fear in your life. For example, it might be chronic pain that may be causing you to feed an addiction or a bad habit. Sometimes, the people and things in our lives can also cause negative emotions and stress.
To eliminate fear, stress, and other negative emotions, whenever we start down the path of addiction, EFT is a good thing to practice. EFT will help balance out the energy levels within the body and will gradually eliminate our need to engage in or with addictive substances and behaviors.
If you are aware of your surroundings, especially the people or things that cause you stress, you can identify the changes that you need to make in your life in order to make things better. You can also start implementing a strategy, like EFT, to help you deal with stress and other negative emotions in a proactive way.
