If a child finds school easy, they will just jump in and do the work. Yet how many kids struggle in school? How many kids hate school? Why do they struggle?
Stress has been on the rise for decades! And instances of brain malfunctions and brain-centered disabilities of all kinds are also on the rise. Children’s developing brains are especially more vulnerable to stress.
Their brains try to cope. The stress called trauma is when someone experiences a circumstance that causes their body to respond in a “fight or flight” manner, whether child or adult. The trauma may be big or small; the reaction is individual. For example, some kids love a new sibling; for others it can be traumatic. The brain and nervous system “feels” this traumatic reaction and may not truly recover, which leads to learning difficulties and/or behavioral changes!
However, these struggles may not present at that time. Instead, for a child, they present themselves when the child goes to school and needs those brain functions that are blocked. The child may have learning, communication, cognitive, and/or coordination difficulties. Additionally, the nervous system and the Limbic systems dysfunction lead to emotional and behavioral struggles. Some of the more common difficulties are ADD, ADHD, Dyslexia, Autism-spectrum disorders, anxiety, depression, or addiction. Other children are struggling only with certain classes. Sadly, the struggles cause more emotional stress.
To understand a little about the brain: There are two main, separate but complimentary types of processing function: Gestalt, often thought of as right brain function, and Logic. Brain tasks require access to numerous brain areas and some need integration between both main functions – often simultaneously.
Blockages make processing slow or impossible; a child can take a long time to answer or give up entirely. Think of a child with those blocks: watching the teacher walk around the classroom, looking up at the chalkboard, looking down at their papers, trying to write and also being distracted by all the noise. For some kids, they can barely keep up if at all. It is not because they don’t try hard enough or are lazy or anything else – it is because their brain cannot do the task.
For example, some kids are artistic, but struggle with math or visa versa. Some kids can be good at both but have poor reading comprehension, as the two sides of their brain are not working together. Both Gestalt and Logic functions are needed. When someone has access to all their brain functions and pathways, they can jump in and do the task at hand.
What about emotional issues? Emotional intensity and loss of some brain function from a traumatic event can be completely normal (and sad). When a loved one dies, the person is going to be hurting and that will take time, even years, to get to a more balanced state. If you cut your finger, the healing of the wound will also take time.
However, when our brain is chronically not fully functional and your Limbic system and nervous system are under or overactive, we can be stuck in emotional cycles, making life hard to do. Time does not help. We stare at a screen or a piece of paper, frozen. How does one get unstuck? By calming the nervous system and balancing the Limbic system for starters. When the emotional intensity is balanced, then logic will be more available and life’s tasks are much easier.
What can be done? Candida overgrowth can cause brain fog, usually caused by eating too much sugar. Sugar reduces immune function and brain function. First, the diet must be cleaned up. Also check your environment, there might be too much screen time or EMFs that also affect the brain and sleep. Studies suggest that not getting enough sleep is as risky as drinking.
Toxins may be the cause of some problems requiring detoxification. The nervous system and Limbic must be balanced, as previously mentioned. The brain functions and pathways need to be balanced and re-wired. Logic steps in so fears can be overcome and tasks such as Algebra can be done. Pathways must be re-activated. The two sides of the brain must work together via re-wiring the Corpus Callosum. Equilibrium can be restored by balancing the vestibular system. Eyes and ears need to be working together as well. And so on. All these steps are crucial to enable learning.
What is health? It has been said that health is determined by pathogen and toxin load. As discussed above, stressors can block brain processing. Our brains are involved in everything we do! So add to the definition of health: stress load and brain function. How many children and adults have been hurt by stressors? How many are stuck in patterns and places that there seems no way out of? How has covid and all that came with it – added to already stressed lives?
How to balance, re-wire: “The Crossinology® Brain Integration Technique (BIT) – a natural, drug-free alternative proven to resolve learning difficulties. This cutting-edge, non-invasive technique offers you, or a loved one, a soothing and relaxing experience that relieves stress while delivering a permanent change in your performance.” – Susan McCrossin, Crossinology.com.