Mechanisms of MCS

Multiple Chemical Sensitivities is the resulting symptom of an Acquired Toxic Brain Injury involving the limbic system of the brain.

This Acquired Toxic Brain Injury impairs the cascade of normal neuronal sensory input and the circuitry becomes interrupted or cross-wired. Information through the limbic system is not processed properly which decreases the overall function of the brain. Resulting irregular or cross- wiring causes the body and mind to behave in aberrant ways.

We become stuck in unhealthy neuronal circuitry patterns which directly affects the physiology of our body.  Resulting impaired physiology, combined with repetitive thoughts, feelings, behaviours and the fear associated with illness also become hardwired in the brain – which further reinforces abnormal physiology and body system malfunction.  The amygdala (fear centre) in the brain gets over stimulated.

All forms of stress can have an accumulative and damaging effect on brain structure and function resulting in a variety of different health challenges. 

The limbic system is comprised of a number of different parts of the brain and is largely responsible for how we interpret sensory input; how we code and remember this input; and how we emotionally respond to it.  It is also responsible for regulating hormones and our sense of smell. 

A resulting “fight or flight” response is triggered as a result of damage to the limbic system. Stress hormones released from adrenal glands send messages to decrease function of the immune system as the immune system function is perceived as taking up needed energy to survive.  In a chronic fight or flight response the brain and body need all available energy to survive.

A chemically induced brain injury alerts the brain that it is under attack and sets off a 5 alarm response that does not shut off. 

In the case of a toxic chemical injury a spreading phenomenon can occur. The brain perceives anything that resonates at the same energy as chemicals as threatening to its own survival.  Recent studies have shown that electricity, and wireless waves resonate at the same frequency as toxic chemicals.  It is not uncommon for people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities to also develop electro magnetic field sensitivities.

A surprising consequence of abnormal rewiring as the result of limbic system damage is that the brain activity associated with a given function can move to a different location. 

In the case of chronic pain, this can mean that pain signals keep occurring despite lack of a trigger or tissue damage.

Other abnormal rewiring mechanisms can manifest as impaired function in any limbic system activity, such as an abnormal ability to detect chemicals through olfactory (smell) or gustatory mechanisms (taste).

In the case of MCS this means that the “chemical alarm” setting gets stuck on the “on” position and does not turn off.

The sense of smell is the only sense that is directly processed by the limbic system. As smell is a watch dog for chemical threat, it is processed the fasted by this primitive part of our brain. The limbic system is the base of our emotions and is our highly vigilant look-out tower.

An impaired limbic system may manifest as sleep disorders, wide mood swings, or quick temper outbursts. A person may also be "over-aroused," quick to startle, and hyper-vigilant. Lack of energy, sex drive, inability to focus or process information, inability to cope with stress, and an abnormal ability to detect chemicals through smell and taste are all symptoms of abnormal limbic system function.

In essence, in response to limbic system damage, the brain forms pathways (neuro-networks) that eventually become “super highways”. In other words, the new neuro-network becomes more complex and elaborate.

We literally become stuck in a chronic fight or flight response and unhealthy neuronal circuitry patterns which directly affect the physiology of our body. 

In order to decrease symptoms of illness, new brain pathways or dormant pathways need to be engaged.

This process is called neuroplasticity and is the biggest breakthrough in neuroscience in the last four hundred years.

Prior to this we thought that the brain was hardwired, not only in function but in its ability to regenerate.  What we now know is that the brain is both adaptive and has the ability to regenerate until the day we die.

In order to remediate the effects of stress on the brain and improve our health and quality of life, it is crucial that we develop new ways of thinking, more effective ways of managing painful emotions, and new ways of behaving.

To facilitate this optimal state of health, new neuro-pathways need to be generated and used over and over until the highway is built.

Unfortunately there are many obstacles that can get in the way and detour people back to the old highways.

However, with conscious awareness we can change our behaviours and create healthy ones that not only decrease our levels of stress, but can directly act back on the brain, creating new highways that restore and optimize brain function and overall health and well being.

In changing brain structure and function we recruit healthy brain neurons and take alternate brain pathways to restore normal brain function. This retraining process also restores normal neuronal sensory input circuitry and function. As a result detoxification organ function is also restored.

And last but not least the blood brain barrier function returns to normal.  The chemical aversion response is abated and sense of smell and taste return to normal.

So, is it possible to heal the brain and in so doing recover from MCS?  Yes! The Dynamic Neural Retraining System™ is also beneficial in treating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Electro-Magnetic Field Sensitivities, Fibromyalgia and a host of anxiety disorders.