As a Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern one of the things I do is to use talk therapies to help people dealing with emotional and mental problems such as depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder, substance abuse problems, etc. Mental Health Counselors treat these problems with many therapies that involve changes in thinking and behavior that can not necessarily be 'seen'. What is fascinating in regards to this book is that Dr. Amen, a clinical neuroscientist and psychiatrist, gives an explanation of these problems as 'brain disorders' that can actually be scientifically detected with imaging tools. His work gives a window into the metaphysical reality that is the age old mind-brain problem philosophers and scientists have wondered over for centuries. Dr. Amen writes, "I always believed there was a strong connection between spiritual health and mental health (Amen, 4)."
I work from a spiritual, rational, and physical perspective that is holistic and based in a philosophy that includes all three metaphysical (aspects of being) and epistemological (aspects of knowing) planes. We cannot discount the importance of the spiritual and intuitions of the heart where we talk about and experience such things as trust, faith, hope, and love. I draw my philosophical understanding from my studies of intellectual history. I particularly draw from one of my favorite philosophers, Blaise Pascal, who gave me a good argument for a spiritual, rational, and physical perspective for my practice that includes a strong theological and scientific base.
There's increasing evidence that training attention with the right kind of attitude has many benefits. Much of the scientific work has been done on depression. People who attend a course for eight weeks, going to a weekly two hour class and doing around half an hour each day over the duration of the course, works at least as well as taking antidepressants. The effects are long lasting and can be seen in changes in the brain and continuing the habit has even greater benefits.
Dr. Amen here explains how science can empirically detect and measure activities in the mind-brain connection. This book has a lot of information regarding mental health problems drawn from Brain SPECT imaging, an empirical tool that Dr. Amen uses to detect 'brain disorders', or diagnosed mental health problems that meet DSM criteria. These are Nuclear medicine studies that measure blood flow and activity levels in the brain (Amen, 5). Dr. Amen also discusses use of PET (positron emission tomography), MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), CAT (computerized axial tomography), and EEG (electroencephalograms). Seeing that many mental health problems can be empirically detected in brain function using these tools can be helpful in dispelling stigma and false guilt when there is a medical problem and brain disorder. Without some evidence of the medical issue, people may think that it is 'all in their head' and they just need to get it together, or that they are just a 'bad person'.
Researchers have found that mindfulness has a number of effects on the brain. When we focus our attention on anything, this tends to reduce the amount of thinking going on. Then the mind and the body calm a little and we get the opportunity to begin to see our patterns of thinking and feeling. After a little practice we begin to be able to uncouple our thinking from feeding back onto the way we feel. This happens as we get into the habit of paying more attention to what's going on for us in the present moment. We begin to feel things more. We're more aware of what's actually going on for us. We're better able to take a step back from situations rather than get carried away by our habits of thought. This help us to be less reactive and take things more lightly. We're able to let go of unhelpful thinking and behavior and follow a more useful course of action.
This can have a profound effect on all kinds of different areas of our life because so many of our problems result from the way we get trapped in patterns of thinking and behavior. Developing a regular practice of mindfulness exercises helps us to see the patterns that drive us more clearly and enables us to pay more attention to what is actually going on for us. This makes changing things much easier. We're not using our will power to change the way we behave; with mindfulness we can discover what it is we really want to do and do it naturally. Mindfulness exercises help us to really get to know ourselves better, as if we were an old friend and that makes it much easier to do what's in our own best interests without being self critical.Most people nowadays are always in a depressed state of mind due to the pressures of life. Doctors and counselors constantly advise you to think positively in order to set back depression. However, it is tougher to do than to say.Studies show that people who accept defeat sportingly are the happier type of people and they have an optimistic attitude towards life.
Dr. Amen has an entire chapter on enhancing positive thought patterns. Dr. Amen's prescription to heal these limbic problems includes, "... accurate thinking, the proper management of memories, the connection between pleasant smells and moods, and building positive bonds with oneself and others (p. 55)." It is common knowledge that research shows Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (a talk therapy) to be highly effective in dealing with depression, but it is effective in dealing with a wide range of psychological problems (Corey, 288, Beck, 2). Cognitive Behavioral Therapy deals with changing distorted thinking and core beliefs about the self and the world such as that one is unlovable or helpless. Bonding also happens in talk therapy between a client and therapist and can enhance relationships and bonding with others.
The outlook and approach towards a task should be from a positive point. The thought in your head must enlighten the positive aspects instead of the negative, discouraging thoughts. Once you change your attitude from a pessimist to an optimist, you will find feel all the good vibes.All good things will surround you and give you more energy to move forward in times of depression.Nevertheless, how do you suddenly change from being a pessimist to an optimist? Well, it is not a matter of sudden change or changing your thinking process within a day. It all depends on time, your practice and willingness. You have to learn to identify your inner voice. This is the first step to make the changes.Some people perform an act suddenly without thinking for a second time. They do not think what they really want to do or not. Therefore, first you have to learn to identify your inner voice.After that, always speak in a positive manner. For instance, if you are asking yourself a question, then instead of asking,"Am I not capable of doing this work?" ask, "Am I capable of doing this work?" It reflects a positive attitude. You can find several such examples in your daily life if you put a little attention to what you do.
I work from a spiritual, rational, and physical perspective that is holistic and based in a philosophy that includes all three metaphysical (aspects of being) and epistemological (aspects of knowing) planes. We cannot discount the importance of the spiritual and intuitions of the heart where we talk about and experience such things as trust, faith, hope, and love. I draw my philosophical understanding from my studies of intellectual history. I particularly draw from one of my favorite philosophers, Blaise Pascal, who gave me a good argument for a spiritual, rational, and physical perspective for my practice that includes a strong theological and scientific base.
There's increasing evidence that training attention with the right kind of attitude has many benefits. Much of the scientific work has been done on depression. People who attend a course for eight weeks, going to a weekly two hour class and doing around half an hour each day over the duration of the course, works at least as well as taking antidepressants. The effects are long lasting and can be seen in changes in the brain and continuing the habit has even greater benefits.
Dr. Amen here explains how science can empirically detect and measure activities in the mind-brain connection. This book has a lot of information regarding mental health problems drawn from Brain SPECT imaging, an empirical tool that Dr. Amen uses to detect 'brain disorders', or diagnosed mental health problems that meet DSM criteria. These are Nuclear medicine studies that measure blood flow and activity levels in the brain (Amen, 5). Dr. Amen also discusses use of PET (positron emission tomography), MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), CAT (computerized axial tomography), and EEG (electroencephalograms). Seeing that many mental health problems can be empirically detected in brain function using these tools can be helpful in dispelling stigma and false guilt when there is a medical problem and brain disorder. Without some evidence of the medical issue, people may think that it is 'all in their head' and they just need to get it together, or that they are just a 'bad person'.
Researchers have found that mindfulness has a number of effects on the brain. When we focus our attention on anything, this tends to reduce the amount of thinking going on. Then the mind and the body calm a little and we get the opportunity to begin to see our patterns of thinking and feeling. After a little practice we begin to be able to uncouple our thinking from feeding back onto the way we feel. This happens as we get into the habit of paying more attention to what's going on for us in the present moment. We begin to feel things more. We're more aware of what's actually going on for us. We're better able to take a step back from situations rather than get carried away by our habits of thought. This help us to be less reactive and take things more lightly. We're able to let go of unhelpful thinking and behavior and follow a more useful course of action.
This can have a profound effect on all kinds of different areas of our life because so many of our problems result from the way we get trapped in patterns of thinking and behavior. Developing a regular practice of mindfulness exercises helps us to see the patterns that drive us more clearly and enables us to pay more attention to what is actually going on for us. This makes changing things much easier. We're not using our will power to change the way we behave; with mindfulness we can discover what it is we really want to do and do it naturally. Mindfulness exercises help us to really get to know ourselves better, as if we were an old friend and that makes it much easier to do what's in our own best interests without being self critical.Most people nowadays are always in a depressed state of mind due to the pressures of life. Doctors and counselors constantly advise you to think positively in order to set back depression. However, it is tougher to do than to say.Studies show that people who accept defeat sportingly are the happier type of people and they have an optimistic attitude towards life.
Dr. Amen has an entire chapter on enhancing positive thought patterns. Dr. Amen's prescription to heal these limbic problems includes, "... accurate thinking, the proper management of memories, the connection between pleasant smells and moods, and building positive bonds with oneself and others (p. 55)." It is common knowledge that research shows Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (a talk therapy) to be highly effective in dealing with depression, but it is effective in dealing with a wide range of psychological problems (Corey, 288, Beck, 2). Cognitive Behavioral Therapy deals with changing distorted thinking and core beliefs about the self and the world such as that one is unlovable or helpless. Bonding also happens in talk therapy between a client and therapist and can enhance relationships and bonding with others.
The outlook and approach towards a task should be from a positive point. The thought in your head must enlighten the positive aspects instead of the negative, discouraging thoughts. Once you change your attitude from a pessimist to an optimist, you will find feel all the good vibes.All good things will surround you and give you more energy to move forward in times of depression.Nevertheless, how do you suddenly change from being a pessimist to an optimist? Well, it is not a matter of sudden change or changing your thinking process within a day. It all depends on time, your practice and willingness. You have to learn to identify your inner voice. This is the first step to make the changes.Some people perform an act suddenly without thinking for a second time. They do not think what they really want to do or not. Therefore, first you have to learn to identify your inner voice.After that, always speak in a positive manner. For instance, if you are asking yourself a question, then instead of asking,"Am I not capable of doing this work?" ask, "Am I capable of doing this work?" It reflects a positive attitude. You can find several such examples in your daily life if you put a little attention to what you do.
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