Pain, Neuroplasticity, and the Fear Loop

Fear is an emotion that affects everyone on varying levels, and in this episode, Erin unpacks not just the science behind fear, but also how this can play into our happiness and health. If you've ever been labeled a hypochondriac, are someone who is hypervigilant or on guard (with your body or symptoms, as a parent or caretaker, or in relationships), or someone in your life is hypervigilant, this episode will help you better understand what's going on in the brain physiologically.

With nuggets of info for just about everybody, Erin discusses the concept of neuroplasticity, the relationship between fear, anxiety, and pain, flow state, and how fear affects ongoing issues with food, sensitivities, and autoimmunity. Is there a way to enhance our overall experience of life by better understanding our fear? Simply listening in may shift something within you.

In this episode:

-Erin's upcoming Boundaries Broadcast and why it's good for practitioners, empaths, and those who want a sustainable business [2:37]

-How fear is interconnected with hypervigilance and pain [8:20]

-Why you can't be in fear and healing mode at the same time [15:56]

-What anandamide, endorphins, and the immune system have in common with flow state [18:03]

-Self-monitoring and the voice of doubt [21:54]

-Fear, stress, and functional medicine patterns [25:15]

-Catastrophizing and how fear perpetuates itself [30:57]

-How a history of trauma recalibrates the brain's alarm system [33:58]

-Why unresolved trauma can lead to a dysregulated limbic system [35:32]

-The prefrontal cortex vs the amygdala [40:03]

-How fight or flight affects certain conditions like chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, chemical sensitivities, anxiety, IBS, & pain syndromes [42:44]

-Understanding and interrupting the fear loop in order to heal [45:05]

Resources mentioned:

The Funk'tional Nutrition Academy™ (Next enrollment opens Aug 11th!) https://www.funktionalnutritionacademy.com/

Sign up for Boundaries for Practitioners live class (Sat 7/24!) https://www.funktionalnutritionacademy.com/events/p/boundaries-for-practitioners

Your Hormone Revival™ (Next round starts in Sept!) https://www.erinholthealth.com/hormones

Coyote River Hemp Co CBD products (save 10% & free shipping on your order with code FUNK10) https://coyoteriverhempco.com/

Organifi supplement powder (save 20% on your order with code FUNK) https://organifi.com/FUNK

Ace Score free test https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/03/02/387007941/take-the-ace-quiz-and-learn-what-it-does-and-doesnt-mean

The Art of Impossible by Steven Kotler https://amzn.to/3kffe51

The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk, MD https://amzn.to/3wDPq51

Childhood Disrupted by Donna Jackson Nakazawa https://amzn.to/3ASmBFk

Related eps:

Ep 53: When Your Doctor Doesn't Believe Your Pain https://www.erinholthealth.com/funktional-nutrition-podcast/2019/3/20/episode-53-when-your-doctor-doesnt-believe-your-pain

Ep 145: EMDR, Mental Health & Starting at the Roots https://www.erinholthealth.com/funktional-nutrition-podcast/2021/3/2/episode-145-emdr-mental-health-amp-starting-at-the-roots

Ep 137: Is Perfectionism Driving Your Hormone Imbalance? Cortisol, DHEA + Adrenal Testing https://www.erinholthealth.com/funktional-nutrition-podcast/2020/12/29/episode-137-is-perfectionism-driving-your-hormone-imbalance-cortisol-dhea-adrenal-testing