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When Everyday Life Began to Shrink

In her twenties, Reina developed chronic acne rosacea. As she searched for answers, food became a growing source of concern. She tried detoxes and eliminated entire food groups, but the list of foods she believed were causing problems continued to grow. Eventually, even foods she considered healthy felt threatening.

At the same time, she began experiencing obsessive checking and rechecking. Leaving home meant spending 15 to 20 minutes checking the oven and stove, unable to feel certain they were off. Later, while working in a prison during her 17-year career in mental health, she developed urinary urgency. Anxiety and panic became increasingly difficult to live with, sometimes persisting for months.

“It was like getting very small,” she recalls. She felt comfortable eating fewer foods, doing fewer things, and more symptoms demanding her attention.

A Friend’s Experience Opened a Door

The introduction to DNRS came through a friend Reina had not spoken with in years. Her friend shared how much her own health had changed after using the program and described recovering in nine months. After years of feeling progressively worse, Reina was eager for the possibility of change.

She did not enroll immediately. By then, she described being frequently ill, feeling dizzy whenever she stood up, and moving less. As her activity became more limited, she reached a point where she knew she wanted to try something different.

One of the first changes she noticed after starting DNRS was in her temperature regulation. Being outside in winter with her coat open and feeling comfortable was a small but meaningful surprise. Other changes followed, including improvements in regularity and the absence of the ear clogging she had experienced.

These early shifts gave her something concrete to notice while the larger changes were still unfolding.

The Turning Point at One Year

For Reina, the most significant shift came around the one-year mark, when she says the chronic anxiety she had lived with went away.

“It was literally like flipping a channel,” she says. After spending so long feeling caught in fight-or-flight, the difference was striking.

Along the way, Reina used group coaching, individual coaching, and Share a Laugh classes. Laughter practice initially felt unfamiliar, but she kept attending. Within a couple of weeks, she began to feel that it was helping.

Her appreciation grew into a new interest: she became a certified laughing coach herself. She still attends classes because she enjoys how she feels afterward, even on days when she already feels good.

Confidence Beyond Symptom Changes

As Reina began feeling better physically, she noticed changes she had not expected. She was happier, more confident, and increasingly able to question old beliefs about her own worth.

“I didn’t grow up feeling like I mattered,” she shares. Through her experience with brain rewiring, she began seeing beliefs that had held her back differently.

That confidence showed up in practical ways. She developed trainings to present at colleges and began pursuing teaching opportunities. After she and her husband started doing a movie podcast, an unexpected invitation led to interviewing celebrities on a red carpet. She mentally rehearsed the experience beforehand, then surprised herself with how comfortably she connected with people.

Her everyday relationships changed, too. Reina describes communicating more clearly, setting better boundaries, and having more energy to give others. Food no longer feels like a threat. Making and selling empanadas has become one way she shares something she enjoys with her community.

Making Room for Her Own Timeline

Looking back, Reina encourages others to be patient with their individual experience. Her friend’s nine-month recovery initially became a benchmark. When Reina reached that point and was not fully recovered, the comparison was difficult.

She came to recognize that different experiences and resources meant her path would have its own timeline. Her advice is to make room for that difference while continuing to notice change.

Today, Reina hosts karaoke events, sells homemade empanadas, and pursues opportunities to teach psychology. She has moved to a country where she has no family and found the confidence to build a different life. For years, however, much of her energy went toward managing symptoms and trying to keep herself safe.

For Reina, those changes mean more than any single symptom. She now feels able to pursue interests, connect with people, and take on challenges that excite her.

“DNRS gave me a key to my freedom.”