Articles BioMaptm How is bio-rhythm used to minimize relapse?
Why bio-rhythm?
Intervention can minimize relapse. Static or unchanging social attributes can give some clues regarding possible client relapse, but these markers lack temporal precision. Some individuals may have a greater likelihood of recidivism, that fact alone does not tell us when relapse is likely to occur. By including dynamic (changing) attributes such as biological cycles, we may be able to improve the "risk-of-relapse" model. Long-period (infradian) cycles can reveal precise physiological changes that can affect relapse. These attributes extend the time-boundaries of the model beyond those established by empirical studies.
Individuals struggling to change previous behavioral strategies are undergoing a very challenging transition. Occasionally, infradian cycles can impair mental acuity causing the choice to fall back to the familiar ways to seem easier than the challenge of a new lifestyle, increased responsibility, and a need to develop trust, dependence and acceptance necessary for sustained progress. The key may be these times of “impair mental acuity.”
Change is the primary constant
Order is evident in the way things change more than what changes. Change occurs in steps. A process is a sequence of steps or a compound event, made up of a series of smaller, individual events. Cycles are simply repetitive processes. The ebb and flow of physiological and chemical conditions that drive the physical and mental functions in all creatures, relentlessly plod through patterned processes - cycles.
Reasonable hypotheses exist, similar to the link between the earth’s rotation and daily (circadian) biological cycles which serve to justify the use of biological cycles to help minimize relapse. Biological cycles are found with frequencies that range from the ultradian (less than a day) through the circannual (yearly) and below. Not all the phenomenon experienced in these human frequency bands can be classed as inherent. Some rhythms may be an artifact or distructive interference, occurring between biological cycles of similar duration or external earth and societal cadences.
We can safely assume that our mental and physical capacities continually fluctuate at various frequencies throughout our lifetime, just as they do with rest and nourishment. We can imagine that mental acuity stems from the co-operation of a complex mixture of underlying physical and chemical conditions. While, measuring neural-chemical and physical conditions at any given time yields a snapshot of an individual, it is merely the current status. This status is not the whole picture. The physical and chemical conditions are continually undergoing cyclic change.
Included in the consistent evidence derived from many studies of bio-rhythm -- is data suggesting that cycles ranging from 23 to 40 days in length, periodically affect physical, emotional, intellectual, and intuitive abilities. A five year study of industrial accidents conducted by a society of safety engineers concluded that: 1) individuals do act differently on certain (predictable) days; 2) they are not cognizant (aware) of the fact that they are different even though it is apparent to others; and, 3) they do not know why an accident (they contributed to), had occurred. These and other study results demonstrate that calculable changes in our behavior, perceptions and abilities underlie our daily experiences. This could increase the chances of relapse.
Countless biomedical studies on neuromodulation indicate anomalous levels of serotonin, melatonin or dopamine in individuals with a variety of mental difficulties. Included are: depression, suicide, withdrawal from alcohol or drugs, premenstrual syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorder, seasonal affective disorder, anorexia, narcolepsy, hyper-tension, schizophrenia and even aging. Reduced neurotransmitter levels may allow internal desynchronization of biological processes and help establishing long period (infradian) beat frequencies. Heightened sensitivity to long period cycles can amplify depression and complicate abstinence.
How do we use bio-rhythm?
The four varying resources in the 21 to 40 day band are: 1) variable physical energy; 2)variable emotional intensity; 3)variable mental concentration and recall, and 4)congruency. We can characterize the condition resulting from all these cycles reaching a maximum recharge rate simultaneously as “resource-less.” This condition correlates to the phenomenon of impaired mental acuity observed in historical bio-rhythm studies.
To maximize noteworthy events, an enhancement technique is employed. Since the cycles of interest cover a range of lengths, periodically the longer processes are “lapped” by the shorter ones. On occasion, several of these processes end up discharging at the same time. An average of the cycles in the band, increases when cycles coincidentally align and compound one another.
The average decreases when the cycles are nonaligned and compensate for one another. A graph of the resulting effect is a dramatic visual separation of the times when cycles are in verses out of phase.
Benefits
The benefits of using bio-rhythmic information extend beyond the patient to the family, counselor and therapist. Using these rhythms can help reduce relapse and re-admissions through increased efficiency of case management. This occurs because bio-rhythmic information provides an additional insight into a patient’s vulnerabilities.
It is important to remember the client is not always cognizant of his or her vulnerable times. Knowing the status of the patient’s bio-rhythm, helps to anticipate conditions that threaten the process of recovery. The benefit for patients is awareness, leading to hope by suggesting that things may soon change. This adds re-enforcement to new problem solving strategies that can improve success.
For organizations, this technology serves as a revitalized methodology. Bio-rhythmic information supports an increase in client/patient volume without a loss of quality involvement between staff and patients by highlighting some of a patient’s high risk times.
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