Interview with Book Author Brenda Stockdale, 'You Can Beat the Odds'

By Colleen Walsh Fong

 Filed under Wellness on Eve Laments

Brenda Stockdale, author of “You Can Beat the Odds—Surprising Factors Behind Chronic Illness and Cancer,” joins us today. Brenda is the director of Mind/Body Medicine at RC Cancer Centers, which uses the latest in mind-body medical research to augment medical treatment. She was the national program director for ECaP, a cancer support organization founded by Bernie Siegel, M.D., using the programs she designed for people with life-challenging illnesses. Brenda’s programs in health psychology are used in medical centers and oncology practices across the country. She has lectured nationally during the last 15 years and has appeared on national television and radio. She is the recipient of a Hambidge Fellowship.

Brenda is a clinician in the field of behavioral medicine, but she also practices what she preaches. Her extraordinary book, “You Can Beat the Odds,” details the program she uses in private practice for sufferers of autoimmune disorders, chronic fatigue and related syndromes, high blood pressure and diabetes. She chronicles her use of tools and techniques to deal with her own life-altering and catastrophic illness.

CWF: I am thrilled to have the opportunity to bring your valuable knowledge, and your story, to Eve Laments readers. Thank you for joining us today. To begin, will you tell our readers about your education, degrees and professional background?

BRENDA: First I would like to say how important the work you are doing is. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with all the information that’s available today so it’s vital to have reliable sources that focus our attention on what matters most and what is most effective. As far as my education goes–my undergraduate and graduate degrees are in Behavioral Science and Health Psychology—the practical application of applied psychoneuroimmunology (PNI). I completed Harvard Medical school’s clinical course in Mind/Body Medicine and was the clinical assistant at the most comprehensive PNI program in the nation. I’m also a Registered Expressive Arts Consultant and Educator and a Certified Wellness Practitioner.

CWF: I appreciate your kind words, Brenda. You have certainly worked with some eminent professionals. Even more impressive to me than what you gained from them is what you have brought to them and to others. Would you give us an overview of your approach to wellness?

BRENDA:  At the cancer center and in my private practice the focus is on applying the latest findings in multiple disciplines to help clients achieve a high level of well-being and restore joyful, vibrant living. There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach—it’s highly individualized. So while there are principles at play, there is no one right way to heal.

For example, fascination and purpose are two states that influence the behavior of our Natural Killer cells—an essential component of our immune system. But what fascinates each of us is different and the way we construct meaning and purpose in our lives varies from individual to individual—as do the blocks or impediments that challenge that flow. Temperament and personality also dictate which tools or skills we apply to our situation. So getting to know ourselves on a deep, fundamental level is central to designing an effective program that works for the unique lives we live.

CWF: One of the things I liked best about your program, and your book, is its basis in tangible, biological research. I found the connection between the limbic system and the immune system fascinating.

BRENDA:  I feel the same way; the findings truly astonish and amaze me. We take for granted, for example, that when we close our eyes and imagine let’s say a great vacation that we took—that the process stimulates the sensory cortex of the brain, the visual cortex and the auditory cortex—and each of these impact the limbic system, a magical part of our brain that translates thoughts, feelings and images with lightning speed into a chemical reality that affects every cell, every nerve, and every fiber of our being. Blushing at something someone says to you—or salivating when imaging biting into a lemon—are a couple of visible and palpable examples. But it’s also occurring on a moment-to-moment basis and it’s in our best interest to harness this pharmacy for our good and discover how to use this natural process with intention.

CWF: One thing I love about your book is that everything is simple. The language you use, the explanations. Even the tools you use go right back to our first seconds of life. Back to our first act—breathing.

BRENDA: I’m glad you mention that because breathing really is a make or break process. Taking the time to discern our breathing style and make the appropriate corrections quickly reduces harmful levels of stress hormones that wreak havoc on mind and body. I ask folks to take a moment and consider how babies and puppies breathe. Are their tummies moving or their chests? Of course it’s their abdomens. Some readers may be abdominally or diaphragmatically breathing right now. But others of us began holding in our stomachs or breathing in our chest which sends a message to the adrenal glands that we are facing a crisis—and bingo!—we’re in fight our flight response. All because of our breathing style.

CWF: The interventions you use are said to directly impact the immune system. How do you know they work?

BRENDA:  There’s a tremendous amount of evidence today from multiple disciplines. Over 300 original research articles are cited in my book and all together it would take many volumes to cite them all. Each method we use in the program is documented by a significant amount of evidence. So much so, in fact, that insurers have added behavioral medicine codes for the reimbursement of these techniques because of their effectiveness and cost-saving potential.

CWF: How has your program helped you to personally beat the odds?

BRENDA:  When I was very young I was diagnosed at the Mayo Clinic with Systemic Lupus. Chronic lung and kidney infections along with neurological problems made coping a challenge. But fortunately the findings in psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) were making headlines and I thought if I had expert guidance in applying these methods I could make a difference in my health. So I enrolled in the program (where I later became the director’s clinical assistant), began to practice, practice, practice and six months later half of my labs were normal. Three months after that all my labs were normal. It was my first clinical and serological remission in 8 years. And happily I’ve maintained those clean labs for more than 15 years.

CWF: Your recovery is stunning, and so are the many examples of other such recoveries you highlight in your book. What do you say to those who call chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia “made-up illnesses”?

BRENDA:  I would say that leading experts in environmental medicine disagree. And they have brain imaging scans and laboratory evidence to prove it. The physicians who diagnose and treat it know it’s real. There are too many laboratory findings to make such a claim any more. Those who do haven’t done their homework and are sadly misinformed.

CWF: I have used many of your tools, and have especially benefitted from guided imagery. Would you explain that to our readers?

BRENDA: There’s a lot of evidence supporting imagery for health. As I mentioned, when we imagine something, we are stimulating parts of our brain that correspond with our cells and tissues. The Mayo Clinic highlighted this valuable technique in its newsletter. You can try it out for yourself for free on my website atwww.brendastockdale.com. Click on “Healing Place.” From there it’s a natural process to begin practicing ‘medical imagery,’ – specific imagery for particular medical issues. In the chapter on that topic there are remarkable individuals who have used it in extraordinary ways. After the book was published I had a client come in with the book asking me why I didn’t recommend it for her eye condition. “Because it’s scar tissue…” was my reply. She laughed and said she wasn’t going to let my answer get in her way and she devised an image to deal with the problem. Three months later when she visited her doctor at Emory he was astounded that the scar tissue had been largely replaced with healthy tissue and her vision was 20/30. So yes, I am awed by what people do with this skill.

CWF: At first it seemed amazing to me that something so simple inside all of us, could be so powerful. Then I thought about all of the millennia during which mankind had nothing to fall back upon other than what we all carry within. I have to admit it took me 3 tries to find my relaxation place, but once I wandered in it fit like a glove. What advice can you give readers for finding the right fit?

BRENDA: Don’t use someone else’s idea of a healing place. Lie down and get comfortable and scroll through the catalogue of possible places in your mind’s eye. When you find one that resonates, hang out for a while and see what you can do to make it even more relaxing. Don’t be afraid to cut and paste different experiences or places you’ve seen in magazines or on television to create a place that is uniquely yours.

CWF: Do you use the techniques every day?

BRENDA:  Absolutely. It’s the regular use of these methods that lower harmful levels of stress hormones, reduce inflammation and promote the healing process. But I don’t want to give the wrong impression here. I truly teach what I need to know. While the lupus has never resurfaced I have had other health challenges and I then re-group and re-apply, so-to-speak, what I already know. It may be that I’ve not been paying close attention to my schedule—letting it run me—and I may need to rest, reflect and do a bit of self-nurturing. Or I could have fallen into a rut, and need to shake things up a bit. Sometimes it’s as simple as reminding myself to use music and sound as I go about my day.

CWF: Anti-depressant use is rising quickly in our society. What do you think accounts for the rise?

BRENDA: In short, hurry and worry. We are more time stressed than ever and advances in technology, while wonderful in and of themselves, reduce the time available when we can relax, slow down, unwind and just enjoy ourselves. We’ve turned up the volume so-to-speak on our lives to such a degree we are working longer and harder than most in developed nations. Our brains are being over stimulated to an excessive degree and the chronic, unchecked flow of stress hormones shrinks the brain and promotes inflammation. Both are damaging.

CWF: Why not just take a pill? Wouldn’t it be easier than setting aside time to do your program?

BRENDA: I should state that I’m not against antidepressants. I’m against using them without integrating other methods that protect brain health and support optimal immune function. In fact, antidepressants are more effective when combined with cognitive behavioral techniques, mindfulness, exercise and other components of a healing program. And often these methods will restore joy and wellbeing in and of themselves, eliminating the need for antidepressants entirely. So when I work with someone who is considering an antidepressant, with their doctor’s consent, I’ll ask them to try my program for 6 weeks first and reevaluate after.

CWF: Congratulations on receiving a Hambidge Fellowship! Would you explain Hambidge to our readers?

BRENDA: Hambidge is an incredible community designed to support creative leaders in various disciplines. It is a retreat for those doing cutting edge work in their field who need time to nurture and further their work and the creative process. They provide solitude and support in the North Georgia mountains for writers, composers, artists and scientists in an artists community on many acres. So peaceful. So nourishing. Check out their website: www.hambidge.org.

CWF: Visitors to your website, brendastockdale.com, will find all kinds of free tools and resources for reducing stress and building the immune system. I’m struck by your generosity. Why just give it away?

BRENDA: Because lives can be saved. It’s very necessary. People would attend my program at the center and ask for a book for friends and family who couldn’t attend and to remind themselves of what they had learned. For years I handed out this huge reading list and everyone was overwhelmed so I was asked, over and over year after year, to please put together a book. And finally I did. But it was also important for me to include a resource guide because there is so much great information out there. We can develop one skill or tool and then later go back and refine and deepen that ability—so I wanted to provide plenty of places for people to explore those options. The other issue is that there’s only one of me. There’s only so much we as individuals can accomplish. But when we share our expertise and get the word out magic happens and lives are changed. People need to know that small interventions can make a huge difference in their health and well-being. And the best person they can hear that from isn’t me. It’s their daughter, their neighbor, their best friend, your newsletter. I can’t imagine where I would be if my teachers (Deirdre Davis Brigham in particular) had not so willing to share. So the more information we freely give each other the better we will all be.

CWF: Brenda, I want to thank you for your generosity in talking with us today. Your book, “You Can Beat the Odds” is a must read for everyone in our stress-filled society. Your story is inspiring and your program is literally a life-saver. Best wishes for continued success with it.

You Can Beat the Odds, by Brenda Stockdale is available at , Amazon and other booksellers and on Eve Laments Blog.

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