Simple/Practical Technique: Ambidexterity

[ghost]

I read something on this forum about a month back about someone beating their PTSD through ambidexterity (i.e. training themselves to become equally competent with both hands). I was mildly intrigued, but did not get around to reading the actual testimony of this person.

Interestingly, I attended an energy healing convention a few weekends ago, where I was again presented with ambidexterity as a treatment modality:

The energy healing that I received, did, as predicted, three eighths of **** all. However, the advice that I was given by an elderly gentleman (one of the energy healers) on the way out, made the trip worthwhile: He advised me to start using my left hand. He suggested that everything that I presently do with my right hand, I should train myself to do with the left. The rationale he gave is as follows:

Basically, the right side of the brain controls the movement of muscles on the left side of the body. Conversely, the left side of the brain controls the movement of muscles on the right side of the body – this I was already aware of.

He went on to explain that the left hemisphere is responsible for logic and reasoning; while the right hemisphere tends to cover such things as sensation and intuition (this struck me as a tad simplistic). Thus, he went on to say, by consciously and attentively engaging the left hand (particularly, by using it for complex tasks that it is not accustomed to, such as writing and drawing), we engage the right side of the brain. This allows some much needed respite for the left side, which according to this logic would be particularly over-worked in many PTSD sufferers.

I have experimented with writing with my left hand over the past few days, and found that it does seem to draw me out of my head a bit; particularly as it requires such a large degree of concentration to form legible words.

 

[JohnnyM53]

Not sure to what make of this in my case.

I throw a football, slap a puck, pick up snow, use scissors, hammer, saw, lead when I play drums, etc., with my right hand, yet eat and write with my left.

 

[midi]

I dunno either. I was a classical musician until the accident. Piano - both hands, guitar - right handed. Writing and painting left hand.

 

[becvan]

If your already an ambi, like myself, this will do nothing for you ... lol If you are dominant with right or left hand it may help.

bec

 

[ghost]

If you're already an ambi, you might want to start getting those feet going.

I've heard that during the filming of My Left Foot, Daniel Day-Lewis refused to break character off-screen, and actually performed multiple tasks, such as eating and writing with his left foot - There's your inspiration.

 

[Grainne]

Hey Ghost, interesting post. I've heard of this therapy before..but not for treating PTSD. My son's occupational therapist suggested this for him to help with his autism. They think that if you stimulate the side of the brain that is slower to function (emotional for him) it will help align the hemispheres and will cause an increase in emotional awareness for him.

It amazes me, how many things that apply to my son's condition, might also apply to mine (ours...)

Grainne

 

[bonnecanyon]

Ghost

Try giving your left hand the freedom to write whatever words it wants. Just start scribbling and words will start to come - it's amazing which words will get written down. I tried this a few years back. Let me know what happens.

BC

 

[Blues in NYC]

This probably has to do with the same mechanisms that EMDR is thought to work along. As I understand it: Bilateral activity, stimulating the brain in alternating symmetrical patterns supposedly gets parts of the brain communicating with each other again and creates opportunities for memories to be reprocessed.

So Johnny, your doing some activities with one hand and other activites with the opposite hand are not really going to stimulate the brain in the manner necessary. I think you would need to for example throw a football with BOTH your left AND your right hand. And it might help to alternate between throws.

Interestingly (IMO), Tai Chi, yoga, some forms of dance, fencing and some "schools" of skateboarding all encourage this back and forth symmetry of body knowledge and activity. There may be a connection as to why so many accounts of full recovery/management involve activities like these--not to mention the cardiovascular and hormonal benefits of exercise in general.

Anyways, be good all. Need to pop off to do some work today. Feels good to be in my current state of semi-managed PTSD. (Though I did have a few nights of nasty nightmares this week after getting overdrawn socially.) Be good to yourselves and keep fighting the good fight!

~ Blues

 

[lrs]

If your already an ambi, like myself, this will do nothing for you ... lol If you are dominant with right or left hand it may help.

bec

You were one of the first to respond to my story, and your response was one of skepticism. I'm totally OK with that.
What I am presenting is a new experience, I expect to be met with skepticism, and I expect to be challenged.
But unless you have actively tried the events I have carefully described numerous times, and they failed, I think you are way off base in telling someone else they will not work.

 

[becvan]

You were one of the first to respond to my story, and your response was one of skepticism. I'm totally OK with that.

Obviously your not.

But unless you have actively tried the events I have carefully described numerous times, and they failed, I think you are way off base in telling someone else they will not work.

A) you are assuming you have the slightest clue you know every method I have tried. You don't.
B) I am ambidextrous. Are you? I use both sides of my brain and both sides of my body equally, every day, every minute. I have been tested. I do not lean towards either side. Any method involving changing the side you use, will not work on people like me. Would you like to argue that with my doctor's, therapist and psychiatrist since you are such an expert of ambidextrous people?
C) This is not your thread and not about you.
D) I may say whatever I please on this forum as long as it falls within the said policies and guidelines, which I am clearly not breaking.
E) I really don't care what you think. You have NO RIGHT to tell me what I can say, type or do.

Have a great day.

bec

 

[lrs]

OK, I'll respond to this.

A) you are assuming you have the slightest clue you know every method I have tried. You don't.
- True, so why don't you share what ever you may have done in. You might have something constructive to offer. But realistically I can see nothing constructive coming from this. I'm not stupid. At the present, your level of hostility would prevent any type of constructive dialogue or exchange of ideas.
B) I am ambidextrous. Are you? I use both sides of my brain and both sides of my body equally, every day, every minute. I have been tested. I do not lean towards either side. Any method involving changing the side you use, will not work on people like me.
- This is my main point. YOU DON'T KNOW THIS, even in regard to yourself, unless you have done what I did, and it failed !!!
And in addition, Would you like to argue that with my doctor's, therapist and psychiatrist since you are such an expert of ambidextrous people?
- Since you are forecasting results, it is YOU who are presuming a high level of expertise.
- I have never said I was an expert on ambidextrous people. Nor do I wish to argue with anyone, including you.
C) This is not your thread and not about you.
- This is the opening sentence of this thread,
“I read something on this forum about a month back about someone beating their PTSD through ambidexterity (i.e. training themselves to become equally competent with both hands). I was mildly intrigued, but did not get around to reading the actual testimony of this person.”
- Actually I believe it was about my thread, as it was discussed recently. That thread was about me. If I am wrong on this point, see (D), your wording,, which is as follows,
D) I may say whatever I please on this forum as long as it falls within the said policies and guidelines, which I am clearly not breaking.
- I don't believe I was breaking any policies or guidelines in telling you I think you are off base.
E) I really don't care what you think.
- Where did this much hostility, even come from? What did I ever do to you?
You have NO RIGHT to tell me what I can say, type or do.
- This is totally inaccurate. I wouldn't dream of denying you any right to say, type or do anything, even if I did have such power. I am simply stating you are off base in forecasting results on this matter.
Have a great day.
- You do the same

bec[/QUOTE]

 

[ghost]

I has got to say dat I is greatly saddened by dis unreproductive display of emotions.

Some people is left handed, some people is right handed, some people is ambidextrous, some people is ambisextrous (bi-sexual). But we is all got hands, and we all use dem. Except for Daniel-Day Lewis when he was filming My Left Foot – but dat has already been discussed.

If we is to move forward as PTSD sufferers we has to got come together n join hands, not fight about who is usin which hand.

Den we can all have a great day.


Check it!

M.C.