The intricacies of life…
Hello Everyone!
It's great to have the chance to produce another weekly newsletter for you. Thank you for reading and a warm welcome to all the new subscribers.
Two weeks ago, I shared a story about the cannabinoid system and mental health. Today, I would like to follow up by sharing a story on the same theme, using the analogy of "mechanics." I hope you'll enjoy it and learn something useful from it.
Thank you for your emails and comments over the past few months. I've really enjoyed your feedback. Please click on the comment button at the end of the newsletter if you wish to email me.
Have a terrific week!
"So...you've had a rough weekend?" I asked my patient Bill (pseudonym). He texted yesterday to see if he could reschedule his appointment for the next day. He told me that he had a "rough weekend" and that he would tell me about it during our session. I was both concerned and curious about what he meant by that.
"Yeah," he began, "both my cars broke down yesterday. I got a flat tire on one and its engine wasn't working, and a broken axle on the other...I had to change the axel in the rain. Afterward, however, the car was only half-fixed, because it still made a loud whining noise when I tried to drive it. And then that car got a flat too!"
"Well," I said, feeling relieved, "I can think of two good things about your situation."
"Oh, yeah?" He brightened with curiosity, "What things?"
"Well, you're a mechanic. You know how to fix cars, so even though you had these problems with your car, you can fix them right away without having to pay someone else a thousand bucks to do it for you. If I had a flat tire, I'd have to call AAA and wait for hours by the side of the road."
He shook his head, amused at the thought, and started to count his blessings.
"Second," I added, "these are problems with your cars, not with you. I'm not hearing that you had problems with pot, or heroin, or getting in trouble with the police."
"Nah, I don't even think about it much anymore. I guess I'm moving away from being a pot-head." His eyebrows crinkled in disbelief, as his face softened with a child-like smile.
"I had a week like that too, except with people," I added wryly. "Your story is like an analogy of what it's been like for me this past week. I dealt with a few situations that reminded me of your difficulties with 'flat tires.' Just like your problem with the 'axel,' when I tried to fix one problem, it didn't lead to resolving the whole situation. Clearly, something else needed adjustment. Remember how we worked on your endocannabinoid system with Logosynthesis two weeks ago?"
"Yeah, I felt better right away!" he said.
"Yes, you did. Well, that opened up a whole can of worms. Over the past week, I've learned a lot about the cannabinoid system. Those whose cannabinoid systems had values at 50/200 or 75/200 did well with Logosynthesis (some reported better sleep). But those with 5/200 had something else going on. They had problems with being hypersensitized to their own endocannabinoids and receptors. Let me draw you a picture."
I pulled out a yellow notepad and drew the basic mechanisms of nerves, receptors, and immunoglobulins, and how strengthening the endocannabinoid system had fixed just half the problem for those who had been hypersensitized to their own cannabinoid neuromodulators and receptors. For them, it increased inflammation, which worsened their mental health.
I explained how the same principle applied to those who had used stimulants, alcohol, and SSRIs, even though the patients had not used those substances for years. I had to "re-program" their immune system so that it would stop attacking the patients' own systems.
"At least I had the tools to fix things when I learned about them," I added. "And, I also learned that the endocannabinoid system and endorphin (opioid) systems work in similar ways and in similar places in the body."
"Oh, really?" Bill's eyes widened as we both thought of his past struggles with heroin addiction.
"Yes. From my energy testing, I found that patients' endorphin and endocannabinoid systems had the same numbers. So, those with low endocannabinoid function also needed healing of their endorphin system."
So, basically, to help patients lower their antipsychotics more smoothly, I started by strengthening their endocannabinoid system, but found that some were hypersensitized to their endocannabinoid system (the neuromodulators and receptors). Later, I found that I had to help some patients heal their endorphin, GABA, catecholamine, and serotonin systems too.
Bill thanked me for explaining everything to him and expressed how much he enjoyed coming for his sessions each time.
We finished doing some energy work to help him with all his systems. Bill is the kind of patient who can feel energy when we do energy work. After we finished, he said that he felt "lighter" and "better."
After an hour, we two "mechanics" said goodbye for another two weeks, each to continue our work of resolving problems we encounter.