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Focusing on negative thoughts effectively saps your brain of its positive forcefulness, slows it down, and can go as far as dimming your brain’s ability to function, even creating depression. Thinking happy, optimistic thoughts decreases cortisol and produces serotonin, which creates a sense of well-being and helps your brain function at peak capacity. Read More
The problem with articles
The problem with articles like this one is that it does not address biochemical imbalances in the brain, such as bi-polar disorder or schizophrenia.
Thinking "happy thoughts" is not an option for someone caught up in the depths of a clinical depression or someone being bombarded with demeaning auditory hallucinations.
It's a simplistic, one size fits all answer to a complex problem. And it unintentionally adds to the stigma of mental health by leading people to believe that anyone can pull themselves out of mental illness just by "looking on the bright side".
It leaves those with mental health issues blaming themselves for not being strong enough to pull it off and the general public with a false understanding of what mentally ill people can and cannot do.
The article isn't stating that you can just "think yourself" out of your disease
It is saying that positive thoughts and happy thoughts contribute to more positive thoughts. It's a reinforcing cycle.
In retrospect... this article will pretty much make those that are depressed more depressed, and those optimistic and happy, more so.
Hooray....
Ecstasy Comment
Thank you for your support. That's exactly the intention of the article, to inform our readers that there is scientific evidence that you can create new neuronal pathways in your brain that will help you break the habit of thinking negatively and retrain your brain to think more positively. We were not addressing biochemical imbalances that require medication. For those who occasionally experience depression, or tend to think pessimistically, we'll be discussing specific methods you can use to create a happier brain (and a happier life) in upcoming articles. Meanwhile, have a happy day!
I think your article is
I think your article is excellent, in the way it describes how we can retrain our brains, because even if we are optimistic in life - seeing the glass half full at least - we still need to negotiate difficulties along the way.
To me, it shows that however far we are along the mental health continuum at any point in time, we can progress right along it given time.
The problem with articles
I'm very sorry if you were offended. I suppose we should have included a disclaimer to the effect that we are not addressing biochemical imbalances, such as clinical depression, bipolar, schizophrenia, or any other brain chemistry imbalance that requires medication. This article was written for those multitudes who experience mild, situational depression, similar to a nagging case of the blues, or someone who tends to be pessimistic. Anyone who has been prescribed medication for biochemical imbalances needs medication and should not read this article as any sort of recommendation to "think on the bright side" to relieve their medical problems. That being said, retraining your brain to think more positively and optimistically has the ability to affect the way your brain functions, so a combination of medication and mindfulness meditation or other methods of thought intervention, for example, may help those with milder depression.
Basic Buddhism
"Your thoughts form your character, how you operate in the world, how far you travel mentally, physically, and spiritually. You are what you think you are, and all of your actions proceed from thought. Your inner thoughts will always be reflected in your outer circumstances, because self-generated changes in your life are always preceded by changes in the way you think about something."
This isn't psychology or neuro-psychology or even original. It's Buddhism.
"All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become." -Buddha
Basic Buddhism
Thank you for your comment. You are absolutely correct. In fact, studies have been conducted with Tibetan Buddhist monks who had logged 1,500 to 15,000 hours practicing mindfulness meditation. The results have shown that mindfulness meditation, in particular, has amazing benefits for the brain, including sustained changes in their baseline brain function, indicating that their meditation practice had changed the way their brains functioned, even when not meditating. We have a lot more information in the book on this, and we will be writing blogs about it, as well.
NEW SUPPORTER
Nice content! I'm linking here from my ADD-focused WordPress blog -- first article in a series on Reframing, Rewiring, Limbic System & Amygdala Hijack.
I *am* focusing on bio-chem "imbalances" - by the way - the entire spectrum, ALL from a brain-based perspective. So let me chime in to say there is impressive evidence (science-based, scan-verified, as well as "anecdotal") that these techniques WORK to help rebalance - and I promise I'm NOT a "woo-woo" on all of this. My blog will be exploring some of the non-pharm alternatives in considerable depth as time goes by.
As the ADD Poster Girl (who needs meds and has taken them for over 20 years now), I'm big on meds, big on nutri-ceuticals, big on neurofeedback, big on the memory/hippocampus building-benefits of aerobics, big on mindfulness, Irlen, EFT, EMDR, etc. - HUGE on Optimal Functioning™ - whatever it takes!
And yep! There's not much "new" under the sun (except, maybe, new ways to language and "prove" what's been said for eons) - but discounting individual perspectives on the tried and true because they aren't "original" makes little sense. Mind/body medicine may not be NEW, but it is newly rediscovered, and just in time, IMHO.
Gotta' disagree with ONE statement, though, Susan:
"retraining your brain to think more positively and optimistically has the ability to affect the way your brain functions, so a combination of medication and mindfulness meditation or other methods of thought intervention, for example, may - NOPE - DECIDEDLY WILL - help those with milder depression." Studies SERIOUSLY indicate that a combo of meds and cognitive retraining, even for Major Depressive Disorder, is more effective than either alone.
Madelyn Griffith-Haynie, SCAC, MCC - (blogging at ADDandSoMuchMore and ADDerWorld - dot com!) - co-founder of the ADD Coaching field & creator/developer of the world's first ADD-specific coaching curriculum
NEW SUPPORTER
Nice content! I'm linking here from my ADD-focused WordPress blog -- first article in a series on Reframing, Rewiring, Limbic System & Amygdala Hijack.
I *am* focusing on bio-chem "imbalances" - by the way - the entire spectrum, ALL from a brain-based perspective. So let me chime in to say there is impressive evidence (science-based, scan-verified, as well as "anecdotal") that these techniques WORK to help rebalance - and I promise I'm NOT a "woo-woo" on all of this. My blog will be exploring some of the non-pharm alternatives in considerable depth as time goes by.
As the ADD Poster Girl (who needs meds and has taken them for over 20 years now), I'm big on meds, big on nutri-ceuticals, big on neurofeedback, big on the memory/hippocampus building-benefits of aerobics, big on mindfulness, Irlen, EFT, EMDR, etc. - HUGE on Optimal Functioning™ - whatever it takes!
And yep! There's not much "new" under the sun (except, maybe, new ways to language and "prove" what's been said for eons) - but discounting individual perspectives on the tried and true because they aren't "original" makes little sense. Mind/body medicine may not be NEW, but it is newly rediscovered, and just in time, IMHO.
Gotta' disagree with ONE statement, though, Susan:
"retraining your brain to think more positively and optimistically has the ability to affect the way your brain functions, so a combination of medication and mindfulness meditation or other methods of thought intervention, for example, may - NOPE - DECIDEDLY WILL - help those with milder depression." Studies SERIOUSLY indicate that a combo of meds and cognitive retraining, even for Major Depressive Disorder, is more effective than either alone.
Madelyn Griffith-Haynie, SCAC, MCC - (blogging at ADDandSoMuchMore and ADDerWorld - dot com!) - co-founder of the ADD Coaching field & creator/developer of the world's first ADD-specific coaching curriculum
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