stress Archives - Back in Control

The Tragic Decline of Luigi Mangione: Pain, Isolation, and the Human Survival Response

posted in: Recent, Stage 2, Stage 2: Step 1 |

Luigi Mangione’s transformation from a promising academic star to an alleged murderer encapsulates the interplay of evolutionary instincts, physical struggles, and societal pressures. His story is cautionary, revealing the deeper mechanisms of stress and anger rooted in human survival instincts and their misalignment with modern life. The Evolutionary Roots of … Read More

If you want to be smarter and live longer, do this!

posted in: Recent, Stage 3, Stage 3: Step 4 |

My wife and I started to play ping pong in our backyard about five years ago. We quickly discovered how relaxing it was, even for 10-15 min. It is also social and every level of player grabs the paddle and can keep the ball in play. I have played ping … Read More

Don’t Take on the World’s Suffering

posted in: Recent, Stage 2, Stage 2: Step 2 |

Objectives Many of us become upset about the state of the world, which is definitely worrisome and disturbing. However, you have no control, your nervous system is fired up, and there is not an endpoint. We all have plenty of problems that we have to deal with without adding on … Read More

Be an Expert at Living life

posted in: Recent, Stage 4, Stage 4: Step 2 |

This post is the introduction for the last leg of the updated DOC Journey course. The main course is presented in four levels with the metaphor of learning how to snow ski. The focus is on skill acquisition to regulate your body’s physiology and also reprogram your brain in the … Read More

“My Son Just Died”

posted in: Recent, Stage 5, Stage 5: Step 3 |

George was a 78 year-old businessman who acted and looked about half his age. He was pleasant and talked freely about his LBP and pain down the side of his left leg, which had been a problem for about six months. It was consistently more severe with standing and walking, … Read More

Downhill Skiing is Dangerous – So is Life

posted in: Recent, Stage 3, Stage 3: Step 1 |

Looking down a hill well beyond your skill level is terrifying. Downhill skis are designed to be fast, are long, hard to turn without knowing what to do. Conversely, understanding how to use the edges, distribute your weight, time weight transfers, and position your shoulders, hips, and knees allows you … Read More

Stress Kills – Don’t Allow it

posted in: Recent, Stage 3, Stage 3: Step 1 |

Each of us has been given a profound gift – life. The meaning of life has been the focus of endless philosophical discussions ranging from life having no meaning to being connected to each other and the universe through deep spiritual bonds. However, the bigger question is what is the … Read More

How Many More Neck Surgeries?

posted in: Recent, Stage 5, Stage 5: Step 5 |

One middle-aged patient sought me out in Seattle from the East Coast for a second opinion regarding his neck. He had been disabled since 2001 with chronic pain over most of his body. He had at least 10 additional symptoms of burning, aching, stabbing, and tingling that would migrate throughout … Read More

There is an Answer to the Mental Health Crisis

posted in: Recent, Stage 1, Stage 1: Step 1 |

Objectives Avoiding danger is what keeps us alive. Humans call this signal anxiety. Avoiding this sensation drives much of dysfunctional human behaviour. We know how to stay alive but not necessary thrive. Anxiety is a physiological reaction that is about a million times stronger than the conscious brain. It cannot … Read More

My Descent Into The Abyss

posted in: Defining the problem of RUTs, Recent, RUTs, Stage 1, Stage 1: Step 1 |

Objectives There are many different physical and mental symptoms that are possible when you are in sustained flight or fight physiology. At my lowest point, I was experiencing 17 of them. No one could tell me what was happening despite seeing many physicians. I suffered for over 15 years. The … Read More