Written by Ronnie Freedman, Ph.D.

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”
– Hippocrates

Food Is Medicine

Whether you believe it or not, your choice of foods can work for you or against you. Every time you select a food to eat, you are also choosing how you wish to feel. There is great power in using foods correctly and it is something everyone should be aware of, for healthy living and a true sense of well-being.

If one habitually snacks on simple sugars, such as hard candies, jelly beans, gummy candies, or sweet sodas. they are setting themselves up for future episodes of anxiety. Blood sugar levels immediately spike, resulting in an initial euphoria, and in about 30 minutes plummet, creating a crash in blood sugar levels and mood.

Sugar substitutes are equally as harmful as they often create anxiety reactions and quickly spike blood sugar levels.

Eating correctly is not always eating correctly for anxiety conditions. Just because a food is low in fat or high in vitamins does not mean it is maintaining good levels of serotonin (the feel good chemical) in the brain and warding off episodes of anxiety.

Too many processed and refined sugary foods deplete serotonin levels in the brain as well. The tension a diet high in sugar creates in the body also lowers serotonin levels.

The goal is to feel well, work at top form, sleep soundly and enjoy life. The proper foods will eliminate anxiety, feelings of brain fog (depersonalization) and depression. Learning to use foods correctly is the key to taking full control of your life again. The interesting side of this is that the foods you require are already in your own kitchen. You just have to learn to use them correctly!

Facts Everyone Should Know:

– Learning to use proteins in a way that will change your life is one of the greatest discoveries to eliminate feelings of anxiety, depersonalization and depression.
– Learning how to counter the intake of sweet foods can make or break one’s recovery process.
– Learning to use the proper combination of foods will naturally boost serotonin levels without the necessity of medications.
– Learning how to time your carbohydrates will give you the energy you need without feeling wired and tired.
– Learning to eat correctly will help you feel energetic in the mornings without anxiety and comfortably sleepy at night to ensure a good night’s rest.
– Learning to use foods properly will naturally end insomnia and your struggle with sleep.
– Using the correct foods combined with the proper way of eating will create a true sense of control over mind and body.

You have the power to make life easier for yourself and break the habit of self-sabotage. You have the ability to use foods to create the calmest, healthiest mind and body. We go into greater detail in our program so everyone is able to realize the simple power of using the proper foods.

Written by Ronnie Freedman, Ph.D.

Even though it is very helpful to avoid excessive sugar consumption while dealing with anxiety and/or depersonalization, changing from sugar to a sugar substitute may be jumping from the frying pan into the fire.

The chemicals that make up these “faux” sugars are just that, CHEMICALS. They are hidden in many substances, including your toothpaste, mouthwash, beverages, condiments, and are capable of creating negative reactions in both mind and body.

Splenda (sucralose), for one, is known to create panic-like agitation in many who use it.

Sorbitol, found in most sugar-free foods, is a laxative, which has been known to also cause dizziness.

Aspartame (Nutrasweet) often results in fatigue, headaches and visual disturbances for many who use it.

High Fructose Corn Syrup is a highly refined artificial product, an additive that goes directly to the liver, instructing the body to store fat. It often creates IBS type symptoms.

The chemicals that make up these “faux” sugars are just that, Chemicals. They are hidden in many substances, including your toothpaste, and are able to create reactions in both mind and body.

Bottom line, if you crave something sweet, reach for fruit first. This is the most natural way to satisfy your sweet tooth. If you must have something other than fruit, go for low real sugar items, rather than artificial ones. You’ll feel better, in both mind and body. Always eat a protein along with something sweet. This will counter the rise in blood sugar levels.

Written by Ronnie Freedman, Ph.D.

If you’re eating a food by itself, the glycemic index comes in handy. Foods listed lower on the index possess less sugar which help maintain balanced blood sugar levels. Balanced blood sugar levels translate into less anxiety, less OCD, less depersonalization, less depression, less fatigue, and less IBS.

Interestingly enough. we generally do not eat foods alone. We eat them along with other foods during our meals. Therefore, we are able to use other foods, lower on the glycemic index, as a buffer to counter the foods we enjoy, which might be higher on the glycemic index. This is not to suggest that one might rush to eat simple sugars such as candies or cakes along with a glass of milk all day long, although eating a dessert right after a meal rich with protein would not have the same blood sugar rise as if we ate the dessert alone.

Bottom line, one has much more control over the foods they eat to create the way they wish to feel.
Combining complex carbohydrates with lean proteins, good fats and non-starchy vegetables creates a slower rise in blood sugar levels, resulting in a calmer, more relaxed and emotionally stable individual.

This is an extraordinary fact, and is worth using. Most who struggle with anxiety are insulin sensitive. The less sugar the less anxiety. Remember, carbohydrates, break down into sugars. Even complex carbohydrates, which break down slower are still sugar based.

Fruit is simple sugar and therefore many fruits are high on the glycemic index. Grapes, bananas, peaches and most sweeter fruits are high on the glycemic index. A piece of cheese along with your fruit often helps to balance out the blood sugar surge in the body.

Every single time you combine a complex carbohydrate with a protein, good fats or non-starchy vegetables you are lowering the sugar surge to the body and helping to avoid an anxiety reaction.

Aim for meals with less sugar, and definitely avoid snacks that are lower in sugar. Avoid refined and processed treats and you will be aiding in your own recovery.

Suggestions:

Snack foods- Nuts, seeds, dairy (low fat cheeses), lean meats, nut butters on whole grain crackers.

Avoid Sugar substitutes. These create anxiety reactions. If you crave sugar terribly, have small amounts or use small amounts of honey.

Eat fruit that is low on the glycemic index, along with a protein. Aim for a protein along with every meal and snack.

When you ingest less sugar, eventually your body stops craving it. You maintain a healthy body and find your anxiety, depersonalization, IBS, depression and fatigue begin to diminish and then dissolve.

Written by Ronnie Freedman, Ph.D.

What we think, we become.
Buddha

Thoughts change the chemistry of the body.

Negative thinking, or “mind chatter” is much more exaggerated for those struggling with anxiety and depersonalization. It’s as if someone has turned up the volume on this negative way of thinking. The internal chatter if unrecognized, can often become a constant companion. It is easily described as the voice of doubt or to go one step further, the internal voice of fear.

It’s usually loudest when one is fueling it. It thrives on sugar, caffeine, nicotine and other stimulants. Eating a diet that is high in carbohydrates will also fuel the chatter. This is why balance is essential. Learning to balance good carbohydrates, with lean protein and good fats keeps the chatter down and the body less reactive. This is a fact.

This way of eating also maintains strong serotonin levels, not requiring the use of medications to hold serotonin in the brain. If your diet replenishes serotonin on a daily basis, there is no need to hold it there through the use of chemicals. Every single day it is being manufactured by the brain when one follows our food plan, and this increases one’s sense of well being within a 24 hour time span.

Brain chatter ads to feelings of brain fog, IBS symptoms and anxiety reactions in general. It triggers body reactions. It changes body hormones.

Natural serotonin production eliminates these reactions. It clears the brain fog, heals IBS symptoms, and dampens symptoms of anxiety. Our food plan takes what you already have in your kitchen and demonstrates how to use it properly. Protein and carbohydrate correction is one of the great mood changing plans and is simple to use. The results can be astounding.

What one may believe is a “healthy diet” is not always healthy for anxiety, IBS, Brain fog or depersonalization. Food is medicine. Learning to use this food plan will ensure a breakthrough as it repairs a mind and body overtaxed with stress. Further use, along with the proper behavioral skills will aid in the total elimination of intrusive symptoms.

Written By Ronnie Freedman, Ph.D.

Stay in the present moment. This is where you’ll find true peace. Past and future are out of reach. Remain in the moment for clarity.
Ronnie Freedman, Ph.D.

We’re always looking backward, trying to find answers by reworking the past. Problem is the past is unreachable. It’s the same with the future. Can’t touch it.

Why not remain in the present, and deal with what’s going on in the moment. So much easier. Why not make life easy?

The mind has a way of trying to pull one out of the moment but it’s worth staying in. This is the place where everything’s happening.

For the next few days, try staying in the moment and see what happens. Anxiety levels will plummet because you’re not trying to change what’s already completed. You’ll have a lot more energy because you’re not wasting it in a place that’s already over or hasn’t begun yet.

Give your mind a rest, start enjoying the moment. It has more to offer than you might imagine.

Have a great weekend.

Written By Ronnie Freedman, Ph.D.

“Comfort zones are most often expanded through discomfort.”
Peter McWilliams

If you are feeling uncomfortable, whether it be through anxiety or depersonalization, look at this as a sign. Welcome this signal because it could change your life for the better. Your mind and body are alerting you to signs that you are doing something wrong or not at all. This is the time to take action.
You may be failing to nurture yourself and this is the warning that allows you to make the decision regarding change.

If you feel uncomfortable where you are right now, then this is a strong message to make change. No one wants to remain in the position where they are unhappy, suffering, or living a life that is compromised. This is where you are able to USE your discomfort.

Anxiety and depersonalization are both conditions based upon your belief system. This means they are triggered and fueled by the way you think. We are what we think about all day long.

You have a choice. You have the final decision. You may choose to remain stuck in anxiety and/or DP, or you can decide to take the necessary steps to move up and out of these disorders. In order to do this, one must recognize their discomfort and frankly have had their fill of it. That is how you know you are ready to move on. You’ve had enough and remaining stuck is no longer an option.

Make your choice because you are worth it. The only thing that matters is that you are facing forward this time. Never look back, do not be satisfied to remain stuck and frustrated. Living your life requires your cooperation. Take the responsibility to be happy. Listen to your discomfort then crush it by taking the proper steps out.

Have a great day.

Ronnie Freedman, Ph.D.

Written By Ronnie Freedman, Ph.D.

Wisdom is the right use of knowledge.
Charles Spurgeon

No one is “stuck” with feelings of anxiety or depersonalization unless they are doing nothing about them.

In order to eliminate these intrusive sensations one must be willing to make some very specific changes in their thinking, living and doing, in order to move past this disorder and get on with their life.

The greatest part about this is that no matter how you came to experience anxiety or dp, there is a reversal of these reactions at your fingertips. It does not require a long, drawn out process, but it does go beyond understanding. It involves USING the information you learn, applying it daily and finding out how much power over these reactions you actually possess.

Once you do take on this approach, victim status drops away and you begin living your life as a victor, successful in whatever you choose to do. There’s only one person keeping you “stuck” in victim status and that is you. Make the choice to take the understanding one step further. USE IT! Take the sheet music and play it on the instrument this time. Unstick yourself by doing what needs to be done.

Suggestions for Success:

1. If you have the program, don’t just listen to it…use it afterward in your every day life. Use it and you will prove to your brain that you can survive, that you can succeed and you are able to overcome every facet of this condition. It works when it is used! You never needed a “safe person” or a “med” in your pocket for reassurance. All you ever needed was the specific knowledge how to knock out these reactions and then USE THEM, APPLY THEM! You’ll be home free once you do.
2. Understanding is ONLY the first step. Don’t be fooled by the idea that you understand something. It must be used and repetition is essential.
3. Use of the  knowledge you’ve obtained is the second step because it proves it out. It convinces the mind that you are able to succeed. Going through the experience is the way to reassure the mind. This retrains the brain as well.
4. Find the courage to use everything you have learned from the program. This is the final step, which lifts you out of fearful, victim status and into personal power over anxiety and depersonalization.

This is why one must not wait for the miracle of recovery to happen. It is making it happen that counts. It is using your new found knowledge the way it was meant to be used. This is very powerful and all it requires is moving on to the final step, the step that leads to permanent recovery.

For further information on how to get “unstuck” and out of victim status, feel free to give me a call for a complimentary phone evaluation.
Hrs. 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM, EST
Office Telephone: 215.635.4700

Written by Ronnie Freedman, Ph.D.

“Be yourself, everyone else is taken”
Oscar Wilde

The majority of individuals who struggle with anxiety and other stress related disorders are similarly wired, as in the way they relate to others. These are the “good guys,” the people pleasers, the ones who do not relish confrontation. This in itself is a fantastic attribute but there is another side to the coin. These individuals often find themselves under the heading of VICTIM.

No one is comfortable going through life as “the victim.” It’s demoralizing, defeating and the rewards are few. The upside is that one does not have to remain the victim once they recognize they are behaving as one.

It’s all about attitude. You are what you deem yourself to be, and have the option of changing this up whenever you choose. All you need is confidence. Confidence is defined as freedom from doubt, belief in yourself and your abilities…self-trust. In other words, knowing who you truly are, who you represent and having the courage to be yourself. It’s time to take the mask off and feel confident about who you are…the real you. Everyone puts that mask on when they leave the house. Wouldn’t it be so much simpler to feel self-assured in who you are and not have to hide behind a facade of someone you are not.

It’s time to locate your true self and true wants. It’s time to stop acting like someone you are not. It’s time to know what you want out of life and how you want to represent yourself.  In other words, it’s time to Be Yourself.

This is established by a few simple steps:

1. Acknowledge your strong points. Sit down with a pen and paper and list your talents, your interests, your attributes.
2. Realize that taking responsibility leads to self-confidence. You are responsible for all outcomes involving your decisions. If life does not work, then you are not making it work. It’s as simple as that.
3. There is no “secret.” The real answer is becoming self-reliant. Taking personal responsibility is the first step.
4. Drop all blame. All previous outcomes were the result of your own choices. This frees you up to run your life the way you see fit. Taking responsibility means you are making careful choices and will stand behind them.
5. If your life is not working you are either making bad choices or doing something wrong. Either way, figure it out.
6. Confidence also involves learning by your mistakes and correcting your perspective. We always get another “do over” if we wish.
7. Victims only exist if we allow ourselves to be victimized. Take back control of your life by vowing to take responsibility for everything, yes EVERYTHING. You will be showing others how you expect to be treated.
8. Find your Adult Voice, the voice of truth and reason, and use it. Operate from strength and you will be steering your own ship.
9. Be the star of your life, not the supporting player in the life of someone else. You count!
10. Stop living mechanically. Take small risks every day to make your life more interesting.
11. You are the boss of your own life. Never abdicate this power.
12. Stop defining yourself by a weakness, ailment or shortcoming. Stop listening to the voice of doom, and learn to turn off the habit of negativity. It’s time to retrain the brain.

Once you follow these suggestions you will be pleasantly surprised at how smoothly your life begins to run itself. The struggle disappears when you have taken back control. You are always the “alpha” in your own life unless you choose to give your power away.

Those who succeed in being true to themselves show others how they wish to be treated, by attitude, demeanor and the way they take care of themselves. They garner respect because they own self-respect.

It might be time to take a closer look at who you really are and embrace your stronger self. This will reflect on how others view you, treat you and respect you. Life becomes simpler, happier and much more manageable when you regain control by learning to steer your own life in the direction you deserve.

Written By Ronnie Freedman, Ph.D.

Depersonalization is possibly the most logical of all the anxiety symptoms. Yes, it might feel strange and intrusive but once you know and understand the facts, you will be pleasantly surprised at how much logic is involved with this reaction.

I use the term “reaction” because that is exactly what it is, and nothing more. It is a reaction to a tired, exhausted mind…tired from too much fearful worry, rather than lack of sleep.

There are many triggers connected with depersonalization, such as prolonged stress, health worries, fears, continuous work or relationship woes, smoking marijuana or other recreational drugs. Regardless of the trigger, the process toward recovery is the same. It is simple yet very specific. It does not include medication because one is not ill. Repeat, this is not an illness and should not be treated as one.

The logic behind the symptoms is proof alone that this is nowhere near and illness, although the symptoms can often be quite daunting. Yet, each and every one of them has a logical explanation and can be simply reversed. It is when the individual becomes so fearful about the reaction that anxiety is heightened and the cycle of fear>anxiety/depersonalization> becomes part of the picture. This is why the symptoms often linger.

One must keep in mind that the symptoms will linger as long as fear is involved. This is where logic saves the day. A tired, fatigued mind is what is the primary concern. Through learning to “retrain the brain” by using the process of thinking in a more productive fashion and using diet/nutrition (foods to boost serotonin naturally), one has covered both sides of recovery treatment. The depersonalization dissolves and the anxiety associated with it is neutralized. One is also protected against recurrence of this disorder because they are well informed of the triggers.

Therefore, the logic is as follows:

1. Depersonalization is not an illness.

2. Depersonalization is the product of a fatigued mind, due to constant, fearful worry.

3. Triggers are often:

Stress
Worries
Fearful Thinking
Marijuana and Recreational Drug Use
Prolonged Health Concerns

4. Every single symptom is logical and can be reversed.

There is a distinct personality that seems to lend itself to these reactions:

Highly intelligent individual
Analytical individual (deep thinkers)
Creative Individual (artists, musicians, writers, deep thinkers)
Sensitive Individuals (caring, loving, people pleasers)

Summary

It does not matter what the trigger or how long one has struggled with feelings of depersonalization. Once the logic behind the reactions is understood and the proper process of approach is taken, the sensations simply dissolve.

This is not and never has been an illness. It does not involve a long, drawn out period of time to overcome, when approached from the proper perspective.

Through learning to think differently (retrain the brain) and use foods to work for you rather than against you, the recovery process is short and to the point. All that is required is a willingness to follow our suggestions and move through the specific process.

Posted by Ronnie Freedman, Ph.D.

Falling down is part of life…getting up is living.

So many who struggle with anxiety and/or depersonalization often believe that they cannot “slip” or if they do they’re back to square one. Allowing yourself to be human is much more important. It’s the one’s who do get back on the horse, who do give it another try, who are actually living.

Regardless of a setback in your life, whether health related, relationship connected or merely a difficult day… ALWAYS STAY IN THE GAME. Never define yourself by one unforeseen event or one run of bad luck. We make our own luck. We construct our own reality. Take responsibility for everything in your life…and life begins to work. Choose to make this day and every one hereafter what you want it to be. You always have a choice. Get back up, figure out what you did wrong, and do it over, the right way.

We’re all responsible for every occurrence in our lives. You’re never a victim when you choose to take responsibility for everything in your life. You always have a choice, personal choice. Choose to make this day the one you want it to be. Don’t sit there pointing the finger and blaming others. It’s up to you. It always has been.