BY KAREN BOSSICK
Erica Spiegelman is in the business of rewiring brains.
There’s no habit, no trauma too deep set that you can’t rewire your brain to have a more fulfilled life, she says.
She’s written about it in her book “Rewired: A Bold New Approach to Addiction & Recovery,” which shows how people can rewire their brains and change their behavior to create positive change in their lives.
And she’s followed that up with “The Rewired Life,” a “Rewired Workbook” and “Rewired Coloring Book,” a meditative tool that can help people relax while tapping into their creativity and getting in touch with their emotions.
Spiegelman will offer a free presentation on establishing new habits and pathways for personal growth at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 15, at Ketchum’s Community Library. To RSVP go to https://thecommunitylibrary.libcal.com/event/9021490
Spiegelman will discuss self-care strategies, patterns of healthy communication, conflict management stress management, time management, cognitive awareness and healthy technology habits.
The program is being presented by Men’s Second Chance Living in Hailey as part of National Recovery Month. But Spiegelman stresses that what she will talk about is applicable to anyone who wants to change habits to better their lives.
“My presentation resonates with everyone, as it shows new ways of creating healthier routines, thought habits, new ways of self-care. We’ll talk about nutrition, sleep and movement, dealing with stress in healthy ways and how to develop better coping skills. Everyone in life needs to do that.”
Spiegelman has been there, done that when it comes to recovery. She began drinking every day during college in order to relax. Eventually, she began isolating and her personality changed as she began moving away from her tight-knit family.
She discovered she needed to learn new skills to help her recover. And, once recovered, she decided to become a certified drug and alcohol counselor in California so she could help others.
The foundation of recovery is self-love, Spiegelman said. In that vein, she teaches clients about positive self-talk, affirmations and how not to tear themselves down anymore.
“Some people don’t know what self-care is. I show them how to reframe their thoughts, set boundaries with people, be assertive. I teach them about the pathways of brain and how it works. We have different pathways and we create those pathways by habits and ways of thinking. Our brains can rewire. We can create new patterns by repetition and changing the narrative.”
Often, traditional recovery treatment centers don’t explain how the brain can be rewired, Spiegelman said.
“People ask, ‘Why can’t I stop?’ It really comes down to your brain. Do something over and over again and it creates new synapses. It takes 60 to 90 days to rewire the brain. I tell my clients to say, ‘I am strong. I can recover. I am able to find joy,’ every day. They may not feel it at first. But keep going—even if you don’t feel strong or joyful--and it will become ingrained.”
The presentation will be livestreamed and recorded at https://vimeo.com/742471359. Viewers will be able to watch it up to 24 hours following the event.