In this interview, we talk to Dr Jane Foster, educator and creator of MYTERN – a program designed to help people change their language around emotion and regain control!

TERN = Take Emotional Responsibility Now.

As an educator, she was concerned about the false narratives that were, and still are, embedded in our culture, disrupting people’s lives and even ending them. She wanted to create a simple, every day language that could be used by everyone to build new positive narratives, eradicating stigma and judgement, enabling people to regain control of their mental and emotional state. A language that could replace blame, judgement and retaliation with empathy, compassion and responsibility. The culture of having to be happy and positive all the time is unrealistic and almost impossible to maintain – especially now.

In this interview, Dr Foster talks about

• her PhD project where she sent one text message per day to university students over a ten week period. She had astonishingly positive results in the test group, including increased psychological well-being, life satisfaction and purpose. They also had decreased psychological distress levels and there were several students who said that the program prevented them from committing suicide.
• how MYTERN can be used in schools, homes and occupational settings.
• how the program revolves around metaphors such as roads- you can be on a red (rough road) or a green (smooth road) in terms of your emotions. They are not necessarily “bad” and “good” roads- and we don’t want aim for always being on those smooth roads. The red roads can help us with our resilience, as we will always come up against challenges in life. The idea is to be in control – whether we are on the red or the smooth roads.
• how you can be out of control on red OR green roads. You can be on a green road and out of control – eg taking alcohol / drugs. You can also be in control on a red road – eg angry but responding in a calm way.
• how being out of control in MYTERN means that you are hurting yourself, hurting someone else or hurting something else.
• how the language can be simplified to – “are you on a red or green road? Are you in or out of control?”
• how the analogy of the steering wheel works – YOU are in control of the car (your emotions) and how you respond. Other people can not make you feel a certain way. “YOU made me feel this way” is giving the other person all the power. and making yourself a victim.
• MYTERN teaches you how to empty your glass – how little stresses build up over time and fill our glass. Minor stresses can help build health and resilience.
• how people of different ages can use the MYTERN model – from young children and adolescents to adults (even corporations)
• how sign language can be used to indicate when you’re feeling out of control (extending the fingers, flexing the thumb across the palm)
• the acronyms of PETs and TEPs.
• PETs are Personal Emotional Tools that help us regain control esp when we are on red roads. A PET could be going for a walk, taking some deep breaths, patting a pet, reading a book, cooking a nice meal, dancing etc. Adults will often choose alcohol, exercise or eating chocolate – which are fine in moderation, but in excess can become a TEP.
• TEPs are Triggers for Extra Precaution – ie the events/situations that cause someone to feel out of control. For example – parents are fighting, losing a computer game, bad drivers, feeling unwell or going to school/ work. Calling it a “TEP’ rather than a “trigger” means that there is no judgement. It’s a made up word so that there is no connotation associated with it. Understanding your own TEPs (and what PETs can help in that particular situation) gives you skills to help bring yourself back into control.
• how these tools can help lay down new neural pathways and some of the changes that Jane has seen over time within groups using the MYTERN model.
• the different packages available on the MYTERN website – eg therapist pack, teenager pack, family pack, adult pack. Each pack consists of short education videos and handouts (including maps and activities). The packs for individuals are only $AU19.99 and the therapist/family packs are $AU49.95. (Prices as of 21st July 2020). There are also a phone app (the emoji app) and the SMS messaging service.

You can find Dr Foster:
Email: jane@mytern.com.au
Website: https://mytern.com.au
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myterncity/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myterncity/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/myterncity

Wow, this episode is a doozy!

We think EVERYONE should listen to this episode, whether you are a medical /fitness professional or general public….this information is so important.

After 23 years of misdiagnosis, Sallie embraced her struggles with endometriosis to forge a new pathway for all who suffer from the disease and its associated conditions. She is a practicing pelvic physical therapist specialising in endometriosis and subsequently occult hernia who has gone on to found The Endometriosis Summit – the largest patient and practitioner gathering for endometriosis in the United States with Dr Andrea Vidali and is a driving force behind iCareBetter, a new endometriosis education portal and video vetting system for endometriosis excisionists in North and South America. Sallie is currently weathering the USA’s Covid life with her two poodles, and parents while doing telehealth to the endometriosis world.

In this interview we discuss:

• what endometriosis is and how common it is (one in ten women!!).
• how those lesions make their own oestrogen (and progesterone) and nerve/blood supply.
• why hysterectomies don’t cure endometriosis
• the history of diagnosis of endometriosis and some of the theories that have existed over time
• how in endometriosis, the tissue can extend as far as the lungs and pericardium. The only organ in the body that hasn’t been shown to have endo is the spleen!
• how birth control can modulate the period but not the disease
• how you can get endo in the skin – typically iatrogenic such as being dragged by a surgical scalpel
• how diagnosis is made. Typically imaging is not helpful. Gold standard = laparoscopy.
• Staging of the disease is not well correlated with pain experienced
• the common symptoms associated with endo – including cramps, painful periods, IBS-like symptoms, pain with deep penetration, back pain, leg pain, tailbone pain, rib pain, leaking for no reason, increased urinary frequency, issues with fertility, nose bleeds with periods, neck pain and reflux, symptoms at ovulation (bowel problems worse with periods and ovulation)
• how girls/women are often taught to be warriors and put up with pain. The message is often that period pain is normal and needs to be put up with.
• some of the changes that are happening around the world to educate high school girls about periods (see resources below)
• that symptoms may be there early in life such as inflammatory issues in the gut, but not diagnosed until older age when having fertility issues.
• how early menstruation is associated with higher risk of endometriosis
• teens don’t always need to rush in for surgery. Birth control can modulate symptoms in some people. It does not treat the disease.
• some of the conversations to be had around providing contraceptive pills in children.
• how endometriosis itself can impact ovarian reserve
• the receptor site sensitivity for progesterone can be down-regulated in some women with endo. Some docs will throw more progesterone into the system, which may not do anything. So different pills need to be considered
• how the type of surgery is important – ablation just burns off the top, you need excision surgery to remove the roots
• the current limitations in the medical system – in terms of education of doctors and gynaecologists.
• how health and fitness professionals can help women with endo – by being aware of the different symptoms that can be related to endo and screen further. How exercise can help improve mobility around the scar. Try and meet your clients where they are at and tap into the activities that they enjoy.
• some of the questions that you can ask if you suspect a client has endometriosis
• how every woman deserves treatment and some of the gaslighting that still goes on within the medical system
• how as physiotherapists we can support our clients with endometriosis – through connecting with our clients and teaching them that they will need to advocate for themselves. Educate re: central nervous system sensitisation and teach the client tips to help them regulate this such as meditation/ breathing exercises and some cardiovascular exercise.
• the Endometriosis Summit – usually every March. This year was over 700 people! In October there will be an Endometriosis Reproductive Immunology conference online.
• how iCareBetter is putting together a list of excisionists and doing blinded studies on the surgeons

Resources:
https://www.theendometriosissummit.com/
https://www.endowhat.org/
https://nzendo.org.nz/education-in-schools/

You can find Sallie here:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sallie.sarrel
Website: https://salliesarrel.com
Email: salliesarrel@yahoo.com