hi everyone.
my aunt has als and has been experiencing some severe panic attacks / anxiety attacks. knowing that i have gone through periods of anxiety myself, she asked me for some advice. i told her that going to a therapist worked wonders for me. but she's frustrated by the idea because her speech is so bad and the thought of talking about things at length exhausts her.
well, turns out that the type of therapy i go to for my anxiety doesn't require much speaking. it's called EMDR. don't know if you've heard of it but if anyone out there is experiencing similar anxiety issues while dealing with als, it may be a great option for you. you can read about it online but basically the whole idea behind it is that "left right motion calms the nervous system." this left right motion may be applied through headphones that play music in and out of each ear or following the path of a therapist's fingers from left to right or even a stimulator that vibrates left and right in your hands. i'd rather you look into it yourself if you're interested because the description sounds like some bizarre witchy thing! it's totally not. but my aunt (who isn't into that "hippie" stuff!) has been going and it's working wonders for her state of mind as far as calming and relaxing. it's a very smart theory that all started when someone wondered why "going for a walk" calms people down. left - right - left - right!
ok, roll your eyes!
just a little info for you.
take care.
nicole
my aunt has als and has been experiencing some severe panic attacks / anxiety attacks. knowing that i have gone through periods of anxiety myself, she asked me for some advice. i told her that going to a therapist worked wonders for me. but she's frustrated by the idea because her speech is so bad and the thought of talking about things at length exhausts her.
well, turns out that the type of therapy i go to for my anxiety doesn't require much speaking. it's called EMDR. don't know if you've heard of it but if anyone out there is experiencing similar anxiety issues while dealing with als, it may be a great option for you. you can read about it online but basically the whole idea behind it is that "left right motion calms the nervous system." this left right motion may be applied through headphones that play music in and out of each ear or following the path of a therapist's fingers from left to right or even a stimulator that vibrates left and right in your hands. i'd rather you look into it yourself if you're interested because the description sounds like some bizarre witchy thing! it's totally not. but my aunt (who isn't into that "hippie" stuff!) has been going and it's working wonders for her state of mind as far as calming and relaxing. it's a very smart theory that all started when someone wondered why "going for a walk" calms people down. left - right - left - right!
ok, roll your eyes!
just a little info for you.
take care.
nicole
