(Photo credit: Good Morning America interview)

(NOTE from Blog Publisher)

We covered a news story last year, October 19th 2022, in which Matthew Perry admits to almost dying due to his addiction of opioids. The title was “Matthew Perry Reveals He Nearly Died After Opioid Abuse Burst His Colon” and within this story he discusses his struggles with addiction and how he overcame adversity. Mr. Perry has worked very hard to help people overcome addiction and the news of his passing is very sad and he will be missed. Matthew Perry was more than Chandler from Friends, he was a hard-working advocate for recovery and should be remember as such. Thank you.

Matthew Perry may be widely remembered for his role as the sweetly acerbic Chandler Bing on “Friends,” but for the millions of Americans who have struggled with addiction and sought recovery, the actor’s 2022 memoir might be his most impactful work.

Perry’s memoir, “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing,” published to great acclaim last fall, recounted his decades-long struggles with substances and his herculean recovery efforts. Within hours of the news of Perry’s death Saturday at age 54, readers flooded social media with tributes about the bravery of his book. Among the revelations: Perry estimated that he had spent more than $7 million over 15 rehab stays treating his addictions to drugs and alcohol.

The cause of death has not been determined. Responding officers found no illicit drugs at the Pacific Palisades home where Perry died. (A toxicology report is pending, and prescription medications recovered at the home will be part of the investigation, which is common practice.) At the time of the book’s release, Perry said that he’d been 18 months sober.

His memoir was an uncommonly candid, bracing look at how addiction can devastate even beloved cultural figures at the height of their fame. But it also emphasized how Perry found continued hope to push his recovery work forward through the very end.

“His life showed the worst of this illness, and the best hopes for our ability to overcome it,” said William C. Moyers, vice president of public affairs for Hazelden Betty Ford, the national addiction treatment center with facilities in Rancho Mirage and Los Angeles.

Moyers said he’d met Perry through the actor’s recovery advocacy and had praised him for his fearlessness in writing the book and in speaking so frankly about his struggles.

”His willingness to share his story so publicly captured the reality that hope is real,” Moyers said. “Regardless of what his cause of death is, he kept fighting and fell and got back up, and was never ashamed to share that truth.”

Amid the outpouring of grief from “Friends” castmates and fans, world leaders and others, many in addiction treatment said Perry’s death was a deep loss. They empathized with his commitment to keep seeking treatment even after setbacks in his recovery.

“Yes, he was Chandler,” actor Eric Lange wrote on X. “But, I hope what Matthew Perry will be remembered for most is that he used his platform to openly share his struggles with the world in the hopes it might help others. It helped me.”

Another memoir reader wrote on the platform formerly known as Twitter: “As a person in active recovery this stings. His book was the first one I read this year and proof that having endless resources are never a cure for addiction.”

And still another person wrote: “Went through a super low point where I regretfully thought long and hard about picking up late last year, didn’t thank heavens, and Matthew Perry’s recent memoir helped keep me sober. To say I’m gutted is an understatement.”

Even pop singer Adele paused her Las Vegas concert Saturday to share what Perry’s vulnerability about addiction had meant to her.

“He was so open with his struggles with addiction and sobriety, which I think is incredibly, incredibly brave,” she said onstage.

Perry shared painful details in his book, recounting his arc from “Friends” ultra-stardom in the ‘90s to a period in 2019 where, in large part because of his drug use, he spent two weeks in a coma with an exploded colon and endured a dozen stomach surgeries.

Even after one his proudest moments onscreen, he wrote, “I married Monica and got driven back to the treatment center — at the height of my highest point in ‘Friends,’ the highest point in my career, the iconic moment on the iconic show — in a pickup truck helmed by a sober technician.”

As recently as 2020, he wrote, after doctors administered propofol that interacted dangerously with hydrocodone already in his bloodstream, paramedics broke eight ribs administering CPR to save his life.

“The kind of message that I guess I give out with this book is don’t give up,” Perry said in an interview in November. “There’s help out there. I’ve been helped on a daily basis. If I didn’t get help, I wouldn’t be sitting here.”

Perry’s book earned comparisons to searing, intimate addiction memoirs by writers like David Carr and Leslie Jamison. Yet celebrity addiction memoirs can be a double-edged sword when it comes to inspiring recovery efforts, Moyers said. The resources that wealthy people can put toward sobriety are vast compared to what typical working people have to get effective care.

“There’s always a“There’s always a risk in having famous people share struggles with addiction, because most of us don’t live in that rare air,” Moyers said. “But all of us can relate to the struggles families have, and we know this illness that does not discriminate whether you’re Matthew Perry or a homeless person seeking treatment at the Salvation Army. We all relate to the brutality of this illness, and that like the rest of us, he kept picking himself up, and he was a better man for it.”

Readers of Perry’s memoir know that he barely avoided death on many occasions, as his illness proved formidable even after years of recovery work.

The book’s lessons in resilience and community support, and the example Perry set in his recovery and bravery in documenting it for all to read, should still hold true regardless of the circumstances of his death, Moyers said.

“Betty Ford told me back in the ‘90s that the most important reason we tell these stories is to reach other people,” Moyers said. “Matthew Perry told that story. We should celebrate that he had the life he did for 54 years, because he never gave up. This illness strips us of hope, but reading how supportive his colleagues were, and how he wouldn’t have made it if not for his friends and family, we should find great meaning in that and never give up on our loved ones.”

Times staff writerTimes staff writer Jen Yamato contributed to this report.

The post Matthew Perry starred in a hit show. But for those fighting addiction, his greatest legacy is his memoir appeared first on My Blog.

• Cold-water swimming can be beneficial to the immune system and the endocrine system.
• Cold-water swimming can also lead to hypothermia, cardiac arrhythmia, and unconsciousness.
• The psychological benefits may also be achieved through running, hiking, or climbing in the cold.

Watching the Baltimore

Watching the Baltimore Ravens play the Tennessee Titans in an NFL game in London recently in temperatures close to freezing, fans in the stadium must have felt cold, but the players must have felt even colder at the start of the game when they arrived on the pitch in t-shirts. NFL players, footballers, rugby players, and people in other team sports regularly brave the snow and freezing weather. It made me wonder about the impact of exercising in cold temperatures. Although professional sportspeople don’t have a choice about whether to skip a game until the weather is warmer, the idea of exercising in cold weather is becoming more popular among the general population.

Why is cold-water swimming becoming popular?

One popular trend is for cold-water swimming. As someone who once lived on a cold beach along the North Sea, where the wind used to howl for most of the winter and blow people across the street to the point where it was common to see people holding onto railings, I used to marvel at people who went sea kayaking or swimming in the middle of winter. I wondered why they tortured themselves by going into the icy sea, but recent research shows that many people enjoy and benefit from exercising in the cold. The reasons are twofold: psychological and physiological.

The physiological and psychological benefits and risks

Researchers define cold-water swimming as that which involves temperatures below 15 degrees Celsius or 59 degrees Fahrenheit, but some people go further and engage in ice-water swimming, which involves temperatures below 5°C/41°F, such as in “ice mile” competitions.¹ Cold-water swimming can be dangerous because such temperatures can lead to hypothermia, cardiac arrhythmia, and unconsciousness; therefore, it should not be attempted without adequate knowledge, training, and safety precautions. People need to be aware that long-term exposure to low temperatures is particularly dangerous; therefore, ice water swimming should not be attempted for more than a very short time. The narrative review reported incidences of death after cold-water swimming and the finding that it can be dangerous for people with certain cardiovascular conditions.¹

The review, however, also found evidence that cold-water swimming is beneficial to the immune system because it increases leucocytes, monocytes, and the body’s resistance to respiratory-tract infections. Studies suggest that cold-water swimming benefits the endocrine system by decreasing triglycerides and norepinephrine as well as increasing insulin sensitivity. It can also lower blood pressure and have an antidepressant effect.¹ The reasons why it improves mood are unclear. They might be physiological, but it might also be because of social aspects of cold-water swimming or the sense of achievement that people feel when they overcome the cold and swim a distance.² It might also be because of rewards that people associate with the activity such as wrapping up warmly afterward, enjoying a hot cup of tea, or feeling gratitude about indoor comforts after being in severely cold water. A study asked people what they experienced when open-water swimming, and many mentioned cold-water immersion and the temperature aspect as giving them feelings of achievement, closeness to nature, and exhilaration.²

Benefits of other cold-weather exercising

The psychological benefits of cold-water swimming are unlikely to be unique to this type of exercise; you might also get them through running, hiking, climbing, or other types of exercise. I recall once going on a 10-mile hike with some friends in the English countryside on a cold wintry day soon after it had been snowing. It then started raining with wind that blew horizontally, making holding an umbrella pointless, so we braved the rain as it came. Our hike then turned to a hilly field that had been recently dredged up by a tractor because the farmer was preparing to sow some seeds. The field was comprised entirely of soil, which, in that weather, felt like navigating quicksand. As we walked uphill in the cold, wind, and rain, our shoes started getting stuck in the mud, and it took lots of effort to make it through. At the time, I was new to hiking, so I was wearing ordinary trainers rather than proper waterproof hiking boots typically worn by seasoned hikers. The field went on for what felt like miles but when we finally reached the end, we burst out laughing and said it was a fantastic workout. I imagine that was similar to the enjoyment that people get going trail running in the winter and could also explain why cold water swimming is so popular.

Thinking back to the NFL athletes braving the cold in London, it seems clear that more research is needed about the effects of non-swimming exercise in cold weather. If you don’t like the idea of swimming in a cold lake, sea, or ocean, consider runs or long walks in the winter to get a similar psychological boost.

References

Knechtle B, Waśkiewicz Z, Sousa CV, Hill L, Nikolaidis PT. Cold Water Swimming-Benefits and Risks: A Narrative Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Dec 2;17(23):8984.

Christie, M., & Elliott, D. (2023). ‘I get headspace here… you forget everything when in open water’: motives for participation and perceived benefits derived from open water swimming: a rapid ethnographic study. Sport in Society, 1–24.

The post Cold-Water Swimming and Winter Exercise Can Make You Happy appeared first on My Blog.

In the battle against addiction, the road to recovery is often a complex and challenging journey. Addiction is a deeply personal experience, and what works for one person may not be effective for another.

This is where this is where addiction counseling, specifically individualized treatment plans, plays a pivotal role. Explore the benefits of an individualized treatment plan for addiction counseling and why it’s a game-changer on the path to recovery.

Understanding Addiction Counseling

Before delving into the advantages of individualized treatment plans, let’s first understand the essence of addiction counseling. Addiction is a multifaceted issue that doesn’t discriminate based on age, gender, or background.

It can encompass substance abuse, such as alcohol or drugs, and behavioral addictions like gambling or compulsive behaviors like overeating.

Addiction counseling is a therapeutic approach that addresses these issues, providing individuals with the tools and strategies needed to overcome their addiction. It involves a combination of evidence-based therapies, support systems, and coping mechanisms to help individuals regain control of their lives.

The Pitfall of One-Size-Fits-All Approaches

One of the biggest drawbacks of traditional addiction treatment methods is their one-size-fits-all approach. These programs often employ a standardized treatment model that may not adequately address each patient’s unique needs and circumstances.

Imagine two individuals struggling with alcohol addiction. While they share a common struggle, their paths to addiction, underlying causes, and personal triggers could vastly differ. Therefore, providing them with identical treatment plans may lead to limited success.

Tailoring Treatment to the Individual

The right addiction counseling focuses on creating personalized strategies that consider these aspects of the individual:

1. Unique History and Background

Understanding the individual’s history and background is crucial in developing an effective treatment plan. Family dynamics, trauma, and life experiences play a role in addiction. By delving into these aspects, counselors can identify triggers and develop coping mechanisms that resonate with the individual.

2. Specific Substance or Behavior

Different substances or behaviors can lead to addiction, and each requires a specialized approach. What works for someone addicted to opioids may not suit someone struggling with a gambling addiction. An individualized treatment plan ensures that the treatment aligns with the specific addiction, maximizing the chances of success.

3. Co-occurring Mental Health Disorders

Many individuals with addiction also suffer from co-occurring mental health disorders such as depression or anxiety. An individualized treatment plan considers these underlying issues, addressing them alongside the addiction to promote holistic healing.

4. Personal Goals and Motivations

Recovery is a highly personal journey; what motivates one person may not resonate with another. By tailoring treatment plans to align with the individual’s goals and motivations, addiction counseling becomes a more empowering and effective process.

The Benefits of Individualized Treatment Plans

Now that we’ve highlighted the importance of individualized treatment plans let’s delve into their specific benefits:

1. Enhanced Effectiveness

By addressing the unique factors contributing to addiction, individualized treatment plans are more likely to be effective. They target the root causes, making it easier for individuals to overcome their addiction and maintain lasting sobriety.

2. Greater Engagement

Individuals are more likely to engage in treatment when tailored to their needs fully. They feel heard, understood, and valued, fostering trust and commitment to the recovery process.

3. Reduced Relapse Rates

The personalized nature of these plans equips individuals with a toolkit of strategies that specifically address their triggers and vulnerabilities. This reduces the risk of relapse and equips individuals with the skills needed to maintain sobriety.

4. Improved Mental Health

Addressing co-occurring mental health issues alongside addiction leads to improved overall well-being. Individuals experience better mental health, greater emotional stability, and an increased quality of life.

The Development of an Individualized Addiction Treatment Plan

Creating a treatment plan for someone entering an addiction treatment facility is a collaborative endeavor involving not only the individual seeking treatment but also their loved ones and a team of dedicated healthcare professionals, including therapists, counselors, clinical experts, and medical professionals. Developing an individualized addiction treatment plan typically follows a series of well-defined steps.

Step 1: Comprehensive Assessment

The journey toward recovery begins with a comprehensive assessment. This in-depth evaluation encompasses a detailed analysis of the individual’s addiction, mental health condition, medical history, and other pertinent information. This evaluation serves as the cornerstone for understanding the individual’s unique needs and challenges, forming the bedrock upon which an effective treatment plan is constructed.

Step 2: Goal Setting

A collaborative effort between the individual and their treatment team follows the assessment. Together, they identify specific, measurable, and attainable treatment goals.

These goals are carefully tailored to align with the person’s values, preferences, and readiness for change. Treatment goals may include eradicating substance use, enhancing mental well-being, repairing strained relationships, reintegrating into the workforce, and cultivating healthy coping mechanisms.

Step 3: Treatment and Action

With a clear understanding of the individual’s needs and established goals, the treatment team determines the most suitable evidence-based programs and strategies. These approaches are selected to maximize the person’s likelihood of achieving recovery objectives.

Depending on the individual’s unique needs, this may involve a combination of therapeutic modalities, medications, and support services. This marks the commencement of the individual’s journey towards healing and recovery from their substance use disorder.

Step 4: MonitoringStep 4: Monitoring and Adjustment

Throughout treatment, the individual’s progress is closely monitored. This ongoing assessment serves as the foundation for potential adjustments to the treatment plan.

The flexibility to modify the plan as necessary ensures its continued effectiveness and relevance to the individual’s evolving needs and circumstances. This dynamic process of evaluation and adaptation is instrumental in ensuring the best possible outcomes for the individual on their path to recovery.

Conclusion

Addiction is a formidable adversary, but with the right approach, recovery is possible. Don’t settle for a one-size-fits-all solution if you or a loved one is struggling with addiction.

Contact an addiction counselor who offers an individual approach to embark on a personalized journey toward recovery. Together, you can turn the page on addiction and write a new, healthier chapter in your life.

The post Addiction Counseling: One Size Doesn’t Fit All appeared first on My Blog.

Group therapy is a cornerstone of substance abuse treatment.

Substance abuse treatment is a complex and multifaceted journey, and one of the most effective tools in this process is group therapy. Whether you or a loved one is seeking help, learning a few group therapy topics can help you know what it can do for you; it can be the first step towards a healthier and happier life.

The Power of Group Therapy

Group therapy is a cornerstone of substance abuse treatment for several compelling reasons. It provides a supportive and empathetic environment where individuals can share their experiences, challenges, and triumphs with others on a similar path.

Here’s why group therapy is so powerful:

1. Peer Support: One of the most significant advantages of group therapy is the sense of belonging it fosters. Participants in group therapy understand the struggles faced by their peers, creating a nonjudgmental and compassionate atmosphere.
2. Learning from Others: Group therapy allows individuals to learn from the experiences of others. Listening to stories of recovery and relapse can provide valuable insights and strategies for coping with cravings and triggers.
3. Social Skills Development: Substance abuse often damages interpersonal relationships. Group therapy provides a safe space to rebuild and practice healthy social skills while receiving constructive feedback from peers.
4. Accountability: Knowing that others are invested in your recovery can be a strong motivator. Group therapy members hold each other accountable for their actions and commitments, reducing the chances of relapse.

Now, let’s delve into some essential group therapy topics for adults in substance abuse treatment:

1. Understanding Addiction

Education is a crucial component of recovery. Group therapy sessions focusing on understanding addiction help individuals understand the science behind their condition.

Topics could include the neurological aspects of addiction, the cycle of addiction, and the long-term effects on physical and mental health. With knowledge, individuals can better comprehend the need for treatment and strategies to overcome addiction.

2. Identifying Triggers

Recognizing triggers is pivotal in preventing relapse. Group therapy provides a platform for individuals to share their personal triggers and learn from the triggers of others. Discussing coping strategies and creating an individualized plan for avoiding or dealing with triggers is essential in group therapy.

3. Relapse Prevention

Relapse is a common hurdle in the recovery journey. Group therapy sessions focusing on relapse prevention equip individuals with the skills and mindset needed to overcome setbacks.

Topics may includeTopics may include identifying warning signs, seeking help during a crisis, and developing a strong support system. More information is below about understanding relapse and preventing relapse after substance abuse treatment.

4. Building Resilience

Resilience is the ability to bounce back from adversity, and it’s a vital trait for those in recovery. Group therapy topics related to resilience can encompass stress management, emotional regulation, and self-care strategies. These discussions empower individuals to face life’s challenges without turning to substances for solace.

5. Communication Skills

Substance abuse often leads to strained relationships with loved ones. Group therapy can address this issue by focusing on communication skills. Topics include active listening, assertiveness, conflict resolution, and rebuilding trust. Improved communication can help individuals mend relationships damaged by addiction.

6. Setting and Achieving Goals

Recovery is a journey filled with milestones. Group therapy sessions dedicated to goal setting help individuals define their aspirations, both in the short-term and long-term. Setting achievable goals and celebrating successes, no matter how small, can be incredibly motivating.

7. Self-Reflection and Mindfulness

Exploring one’s thoughts and emotions is an integral part of recovery. Group therapy topics centered around self-reflection and mindfulness teach individuals to stay in the present moment, understand their feelings, and develop healthier ways of coping with stress and anxiety.

Relapse Rates After Completing Treatment

Relapse rates for drug and alcohol use are comparable to those of other chronic diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes. It is estimated that approximately 40 to 60 percent of individuals experience relapse during their recovery journey. This statistic highlights the persistent nature of addiction as a chronic condition.

The Challenge of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)

For those grappling with alcohol use disorder (AUD), characterized by the uncontrollable consumption of alcohol despite harmful consequences, the path to recovery can be particularly demanding. National surveys reveal that only about one-third of individuals with AUD attempt to quit drinking each year. Of those who do attempt, merely 25 percent achieve success in reducing their alcohol intake for more than a year.

A Chronic Condition Demands Ongoing Care

Recognizing addiction as a chronic condition akin to other enduring health issues is essential. Consequently, relapse, or a return to drug and alcohol use, can be an inherent part of the recovery process. However, it’s crucial to understand that relapse should not be viewed as a treatment failure.

The Role of Modern Treatments

Modern addiction treatmentsModern addiction treatments are designed to address the immediate cessation of substance use and mitigate the risk of relapse. These treatments consider the chronic nature of addiction, emphasizing the need for ongoing care and support.

The Value of Aftercare Plans

After completing a treatment program, individuals benefit from a well-structured aftercare plan. This plan serves as a roadmap to help them maintain their recovery progress. By adhering to an aftercare plan, individuals can better navigate the challenges they may encounter post-treatment.

Positive Outcomes of Treatment

Research indicates thatResearch indicates that individuals who engage in treatment and remain committed to recovery often experience positive outcomes. These outcomes include significantly reduced drug and alcohol misuse, decreased criminal activity, and improved overall social and psychological well-being.

A New Perspective on Relapse

It’s important to shift our perspective on relapse. Instead of viewing it as a failure, it should be seen as a signal that additional support or adjustments to the treatment approach are needed. Relapse does not indicate a lack of effort or dedication; rather, it underscores addiction’s chronic and challenging nature.

Seeking Help After Relapse

If an individual experiences a relapse, it is not a reason to lose hope. On the contrary, it should serve as a prompt to reach out to their physician or healthcare provider promptly. These professionals can help individuals resume treatment, explore different treatment modalities, or adjust their rehabilitation approach.

Conclusion: A Journey to Healing Together

Substance abuse treatment is challenging, but recovery is possible with the right support and guidance. Group therapy provides a nurturing environment where individuals can share their struggles, learn from each other, and build the skills needed to overcome addiction.

The post 7 Topics Covered in Group Therapy for Substance Abuse appeared first on My Blog.

• So many people are feeling emotionally overwhelmed in the face of world events.
• Finding ways to regulate our nervous systems can be an important first step.
• From there we can more effectively process our emotions and find some sense of personal agency.

If you are struggling deeply with recent world events, you are certainly not alone. I have been alive on this planet for over five decades and somehow these last recent years have felt like some of the most challenging — collectively and on a global scale — that I can remember in my lifetime. As a psychologist I am privy to the inner emotions of many, and with recent world events I know that many people are suffering greatly, trying to grapple with how to cope with fear, helplessness, anger, outrage, and deep loss, among other inner experiences. In the face of all that is around us, I find myself wondering:

• How do we grapple with the enormity of emotions that so many of us are experiencing right now — and that so many have experienced in recent years given world events?
• How do we find a way to keep our hearts open and not be overwhelmed or stuck in grief, outrage, sadness, anger or other emotions?
• How do we not retreat, bury our heads in the sand, or disconnect entirely from what is happening around us, and yet still find a way to move forward and show up most effectively in our lives?

I don’t purport to have all the answers to these big questions, but I can share a few things that have been helpful for me both personally and in my work with patients.

How to keep anchored in the face of difficult world events and our own painful emotions

1. One of the things I try to remind myself of frequently is that a nervous system out of balance and in a state of protection (e.g., “fight, flight or freeze”) does not have access to the same inner resources as a nervous system that is more regulated.

When our bodies (via our autonomic nervous system) become thrown out of balance, it is common to experience anxiety, worry, stress, overwhelm, anger, and outrage, especially in the face of so much personal and collective stress and heartache that so many of us feel. This is not a problem in and of itself to feel this. It is an adaptive and evolutionary response of our bodies to try and fight, flee, or shut down in the service of “protection from threat.” Sometimes this is an inevitable or even necessary response, but when we get stuck there and can’t find our way back to regulation, this can become more problematic and pose challenges for us. When our nervous system is dysregulated, we don’t have as much access to our “social engagement system” and we tend to feel more isolated, experience tunnel vision, feel scattered, stuck, helpless or alone. In contrast, when our nervous system is regulated and in balance, it is easier to experience a sense of connection with others, compassion, care, curiosity, clarity, perspective, and the ability to think more expansively.

What can we do?

As meditation teacher Susan Morgan says often, once we become aware that our nervous system has been thrown off balance, we can “ground, breathe, calm, settle and soothe.” We can steady and stabilize our nervous system, like a ship at harbor dropping its anchor to keep it from being swept away by the storms.

Last night in the middle of the night, when I woke up with so much heartache and feeling overwhelmed, I found myself instinctually putting one hand on my heart and one hand on my abdomen. I started taking long slow breaths and extending my exhalation. I brought awareness to the sense of support underneath me. I reminded myself that taking time to soothe and steady myself would help me be more effective in my choices and give my body the energy it needs to act in ways consistent with my values.

Sometimes self-soothing might be more active, such as listening to music, taking a warm bath, reaching out to a friend, or going for a walk in nature.

Sometimes, especially for those who may suffer from anxiety or trauma, working with a skilled therapist can be very helpful in learning how to help regulate the nervous system.

2. Once we feel steadier within, we can make some space for our difficult emotions.

This is not always so easy and needs to be done with care, awareness, and some titration (touching into painful emotions only if/when we feel steady enough to handle them and making sure to go back to step one as often as needed). Suppressing or avoiding our unpleasant emotions can have negative physical and psychological effects on our well-being, but being flooded by our emotions is also not helpful. So there is a delicate balance to pay attention to here.

What can we do?

Some ways to make space for our difficult emotions include practicing mindfulness, journaling, reaching out to a friend, or seeking social support in a community setting of some kind. Acknowledging your feelings, meeting yourself where you are (not trying to feel different than you do), and giving your emotions some space to be felt and processed from a grounded nervous system can be helpful.

Additionally, we can invite more expansive emotions (e.g., care, self-compassion, self-kindness, a sense of caring from others) to sit side-by-side with our more difficult emotions, to make them easier to bear (something I write about in my forthcoming book).

3. Find some sense of personal agency, however small.

I am reminded of the quote by Edward Everett Hale: “I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.”

What can we do?

While small acts might feel insignificant, doing something matters. And it may matter more than you realize. Some people find personal agency in donating to others in need, volunteering for something they care about, or joining a committee aimed at positive change.

One of the things that we can all do is to commit to spreading compassion in the world on a small scale, (e.g., whether to our family, friends, neighbors, community, or the strangers we meet in our day-to-day interactions). In the face of hatred, heartache and anger, compassion (the desire to, and intention to act to relieve the suffering of another) can help counter a feeling of helplessness and can bring some positive energy into the lives of others and in turn the world.

The post How to Keep Anchored During Difficult World Events appeared first on My Blog.

We are often inundated by fear. Fear is doled out by politicians to influence people. Advertisers peddle fear to keep people buying their products and services. Some media outlets lead with it to build audiences and sell more ad space. Doomsayers, prognosticators, and conspiracy theorists spread it to gather followers and create audiences for their products and services.

Every day in the media we are exposed to negative news and scary stories that make us anxious or worse including:

Political Fear: government corruption, political division, civil unrest, political violence.

War Fear: nuclear war, biological war, EMP attack (electromagnetic pulse), terrorism, WWIII.

Health Fear: disease, injury, inadequate healthcare, poor access to healthcare, high costs.

Financial Fear: economic collapse, inflation, recession, stock market crash, high-interest rates.

Environmental Fear: air and water pollution, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, droughts, wildfires.

Employment Fear: layoffs, job loss to automation, not having enough money to pay bills, debt.

Crime Fear: scams, identity theft, home invasion, mugging, carjacking, mass shooting.

The simplest solution is to tune out the fear by turning off your TV and avoiding the news. When you can’t avoid negative news, creativity can help you deal with fear. When you develop your creative thinking skills you may begin to see things in different ways including new paths away from that which is scaring you.

There are six keys to developing your creativity. Each of them is necessary in order to solve problems and generate new ideas. Maybe you will create a new plan to end corruption, a new technique to clean the environment, a new method for increasing prosperity, or a new strategy to keep people safe. Some of these keys are skills while others are habits, but all of them contribute to a creative mind.

6 Keys to Creativity

1. Using curiosity creatively is when your inquisitiveness guides you to look for new connections or when you combine two or more existing concepts into a new idea. Curiosity is wondering what a different world might look like and then thinking about how you might achieve it. Perhaps it’s a world that doesn’t have so many alarming issues in it; where people unite in peaceful consensual exchange instead of engaging in force or fraud.

2. Questioning authority is all about challenging the status quo. Critical thinking is one of the first steps in creativity because it encourages you to question the way things are done. You might ask questions like: “Why do we do things this way?” “Wouldn’t it be better if we tried doing it another way?” Creativity develops your critical thinking skills, so you are less likely to be troubled and bamboozled by charlatans.

3. Trying new things such as exposing yourself to new experiences and different viewpoints. By opening your mind to new stimuli, you literally lay down new neural pathways in your brain. It’s called neuroplasticity, and when you learn or experience something new you create new connections between brain cells and open new channels of thought. Then, when you are confronted by problems (scary or not), you have that extra brainpower and data ready to assist you.

4. Taking risks along with a willingness to break rules can reveal less daunting or more positive probabilities. The people on Maui who were willing to break the rules and drive around the police roadblocks survived the 2023 fire. There is an old proverb that says, “No risk — no reward.” It’s true; the biggest risk is never taking one, because without risk you won’t find alternative options and opportunities.

5. Getting a different perspective by learning to look at things in different ways will enable you to see new ways of doing things. It can take some practice to develop a habit of viewing things from a different perspective. However, until you do, there are dozens of techniques for stimulating it artificially. My favorite is to identify a problem and then ask, “What would I do if the opposite were true?” By changing the paradigm, you abandon old assumptions and methodologies, which then forces you to consider new models and frameworks.

6. Using imagination is the heart of creativity. It is natural to imagine that something can be nicer, faster, stronger, cleaner, tastier, and safer. Imagination enables us to create a better world to live in (or help us solve the problems we are dealing with). It’s also a great way to stop worrying and overcome fear. The trick is to replace negative thinking with positive thinking. Visualize a better outcome and focus on it daily (meditate on it or daydream about it) and then observe what your creative mind does with it.

Developing these skills and habits can liberate you from fear because they empower you to do more and be more.

Creativity Helps You Recognize Alternatives

I’ve noticed lately that news stories of food shortages and other products becoming unavailable have been making people nervous and causing some to start hoarding. Creativity is the best cure for fear of scarcity. Your ingenuity helps you see alternatives. There are always substitutes available if you are open-minded. When you engage your creative brain and look for other options you will be amazed at how resourceful you can be and what you will discover.

I have found that the excitement of getting into the creative process, in and of itself, tends to erase fear. Change doesn’t seem so scary when you realize that it is enhancing your adaptability skills which are extremely important in the digital age. Embracing creativity makes you more mindful; it enables you to live in the present and focus on what you can do right now so that you don’t freak out about the future.

Creativity Builds Self-Confidence

Finally, when you begin to successfully use your creative thinking skills, it will increase your self-confidence. You will know that when a difficult or frightening situation occurs, you will be able to handle it.

References

2023 Chapman University Survey of American Fears https://www.chapman.edu/wilkinson/research-centers/babbie-center/survey…

How Novel Activities Support Neuroplasticity:

1. Vemuri P, Lesnick TG, Przybelski SA, et al. Association of lifetime intellectual enrichment with cognitive decline in the older population. JAMA Neurol. 2014;71(8):1017-24. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2014.963

2. Kaczmarek B. Current views on neuroplasticity: What is new and what is old?. Acta Neuropsychologica. 2020;18(1):1-14. doi:10.5604/01.3001.0013.8808

3. Association of Lifetime Intellectual Enrichment with Cognitive Decline in the Older Population. Prashanthi Vemuri, PhD1; Timothy G. Lesnick, MS2; Scott A. Przybelski, BS2; et al Mary Machulda, PhD, LP3; David S. Knopman, MD4; Michelle M. Mielke, PhD2; Rosebud O. Roberts, MB, ChB2,4; Yonas E. Geda, MD3,5,6; Walter A. Rocca, MD, MPH2,4; Ronald C. Petersen, PhD, MD4; Clifford R. Jack Jr, MD1 JAMA Neurol. 2014;71(8):1017-1024. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2014.963, August 2014

4. C. Lappe, S.C. Herholz, L.J. Trainor, C. Pantev, J. Neurosci. 28 (2008) 9632–9639.

5. C. Pantev, C. Lappe, S.C. Herholz, L. Trainor, Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 1169 (2009) 143–150.

6. Q. Li, X. Wang, S. Wang, Y. Xie, X. Li, Y. Xie, S. Li, Hum. Brain Mapp. 39 (2018) 2098–2110.

7. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/neuroplasticity

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Starting a new job entails dealing with much uncertainty regarding the job itself, the people and the culture, so it’s not surprising that in a recent survey, a whopping 87% reported suffering from ‘new job jitters’.

Yet, the term ‘jitters’ doesn’t really convey how anxiety-provoking, stressful, scary, and rife with challenges starting a new job actually is, and right from the start:

• Everyone on the team knows how to go about their job better than you.
• Everyone on the team knows each other to various degrees — you don’t know anyone.
• Everyone on the team shares common history — you share none.
• Everyone on the team is familiar with their direct manager’s style, preferences, and pet peeves — you are not.
• Everyone on the team is senior to you regarding performing the job itself — professionally, you start at the bottom.

In fact, it seems that for most people, starting a new job is one of the scarier things they could do. According to 53% of workers in the survey, it’s scarier than a trip to the dentist, it’s scarier than holding a spider or a snake and it’s even scarier than skydiving. Imagine, sitting in an open door, feet dangling, looking down from 10,000 feet, and then actually jumping out of a perfectly good plane, is less scary than starting a new job!

My company (CY), employs people who have been chronically unemployed for many years, and because unemployment impairs mental health, the emotional challenges our new employees face are even more anxiety-provoking and stressful.

Fortunately, we find that veteran team members can provide significant help to all new employees, by reducing their anxiety and hastening the departure of their initial ‘new job jitters’.

5 ways to help new employees feel at home and part of the team quickly

• Empathy warm-up: Think back to a group you joined (not necessarily work related) that initially made you feel unwanted or like an outsider. What behaviors of theirs created those feelings? Then think back to a group you joined that made you feel welcome and wanted from the beginning. Make the first group of behaviors your “to avoid” list and the second group of behaviors your “to do” list.
• Names: the new employee has to remember a lot of new faces and names. Make sure to remember their name and with a smile, remind them of your name every time you interact during the first few days.
• Social inclusion: Make a point of inviting the new employee to sit with you, or join them if they are sitting alone during their first few weeks.
• Pace of learning and expectations: Ask how they are feeling, and feel free to share that when you started it took you a while to reach targets and develop a sense of competency (but only if true). If you happen to notice clear improvement, encourage it — while making sure to not come across as condescending — a simple smile and thumbs up will often suffice.
• Basic Human Caring: Just inquiring every now and then how things are going, and a friendly “let me know if there’s anything I can help with” can go a long way towards helping people feel at home and part of the family.

For the veterans themselves, the effort is well worth their while and can reward them in many ways: It reduces the amount of time needed for the new employee to pull their own weight, making things easier for the rest of the team. It promotes a bottom-up culture of caring which positively affects everyone by creating an improved workplace culture. It enhances team cohesiveness and productivity. And maybe most of all, kindness to others enhances our own well-being and general happiness.

References

Karsten I. Paul, Klaus Moser, Unemployment impairs mental health: Meta-analyses, Journal of Vocational Behavior, Volume 74, Issue 3, 2009, Pages 264-282,

https://learnmore.monster.com/poll-results-new-year-new-career

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If you practice mindfulness meditation, you probably know that it can lower your stress level, reduce anxiety, and improve low moods. You might also be aware of its health-improving properties. According to the National Institutes of Health, mindfulness meditation may be able to reduce your blood pressure, help you cope with chronic pain, and even make it easier to fall asleep at night. But did you also know that by meditating, you’re also developing cognitive skills that can enhance the benefits of psychotherapy?

When you meditate — and by “meditate” I’m referring to mindfulness meditation, with no disrespect intended toward other forms of meditation — you probably focus on an ongoing, present stimulus such as your breathing. You might choose some other consistent sound in your environment, like street noise, wind through tree branches, or even the hum of an air conditioner. hat these stimuli have in common is that their presence continues from the immediate past into the present moment, and can help you draw your attention to the now. No matter what has distracted you, when you’re meditating and you catch your attention drifting away, you can always return to that ongoing, current stimulus because it’s always there to come back to.

And when you redirect your attention this way, you’ve probably learned to do it nonjudgmentally, with no particular frustration or sense of burden. No matter how many times you get distracted — no matter how often you need to bring your attention back to the present — you’ll need to do it without punishing yourself. This is part of the job of meditation: choosing not to be frustrated with minor diversions, but just catching your thoughts if they’ve wandered, and bringing them back to your focal point once again.

Learning to do this can take patience. It also requires the ability to stand back from your own thoughts and feelings, lest they overcome your intentions and sweep you away from your meditative focus. Perhaps the best analogy might be sitting on the bank of a river as boats and other objects float by. You’re not in the river; you’re watching it flow, just as you can watch your thoughts and feelings drift into, and then out of, your awareness. You know, even as you notice these items coming into view, that the river will soon carry them away again, and that you don’t need to take action at this moment. This sense of distance from your thoughts and feelings, no matter how strong they are, can help you avoid being swept up in the current of emotion caused by a passion or a frustration, or distracted by the thought of a pressing problem. When you notice that your meditative state has been disrupted by one of these ostensibly urgent thoughts or feelings, you simply recognize it and let it float away, down the river.

These skills and abilities — the ability to stay present, to gain distance on your thoughts and feelings, and to correct yourself non-judgmentally — can also accelerate the benefits of psychotherapy. For example, in therapy you may be confronted with difficult memories, turbulent feelings, or perspectives that challenge your outlook. You may be told you’re struggling with chronic, intrusive thoughts or critical self-judgments — possibly the introjected relics of a significant relationship in your past. You might even come to realize that you are contributing more to your own problems than you’ve previously understood. Challenging moments like this can be hard to accept, and difficult to comfortably sit through. But if you’ve developed your ability to stay present, and to tolerate the stimuli that intrude upon the present moment, you may be better at hearing your therapist’s interpretations without rejecting them. This meditation-therapy connection was identified in a 2007 study by Daniel Siegel, who found that the self-observation developed in meditation could change the brain, loosening the connections established by prior learning and allowing new input — that of the present moment — to be integrated in a new way. In other words, as Siegel sees it, being present gives you new tools to understand yourself and helps you to unlearn your prior, potentially mistaken assumptions.

Similarly, meditation skills can help you cope with the intrusive comments or interruptions posed in therapy by a person other than your therapist: yourself. People who habitually criticize themselves can have trouble hearing alternative interpretations, or thinking about themselves in ways other than the harsh ones they’ve learned. Now consider how much easier it might be to cope with this kind of regular self-criticism if you’ve developed the ability to gain distance on your own thoughts, as you do when you meditate. You’ll have learned to view these habitual, critical “voices” as something separate from yourself, and you’d be better able to protect your own self-esteem by recognizing the intruding thoughts as alien and unwanted, and responding to them in an appropriate, nonjudgmental way. In a 2012 article, Davis & Hayes referred to this process as “metacognitive awareness,” and linked it to improvements in emotion regulation and reductions in perseveration cognition. These changes, Davis & Hayes concluded, can help you build better emotion regulation skills.

I’ve often heard it said that there are three main goals of psychotherapy: to develop insights into yourself, to accept what you learn, and to regulate the emotions that you feel in response. If that’s true, then the skill-building inherent in regular mindfulness meditation practice can help your therapy succeed in all three ways.

References

Davis, D. M. & Hayes, J. A. (2012). What are the benefits of mindfulness. Monitor on Psychology, 43(7), 64-76.

Farb NA, Anderson AK, Mayberg H, Bean J, McKeon D, Segal ZV. (2010). Minding one’s emotions: mindfulness training alters the neural expression of sadness. Emotion. 10(1):25-33.

Ortner, C.N.M., Kilner, S.J. & Zelazo, P.D. (2007). Mindfulness meditation and reduced emotional interference on a cognitive task. Motivation and Emotion, 31, 271–283

Siegel, D. J. (2007). Mindfulness training and neural integration: differentiation of distinct streams of awareness and the cultivation of well-being. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience. 2(4): 259–263.

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There are many good reasons to complain about human foresight. For one thing, we are often lousy at taking a longer view, being guided instead by the prospects of a quick buck, the whims of the daily news cycle, or likes on social media. We persistently predict our projects will be finished within budget and on time, even if our rosy forecasts have often been wrong before. And we tend to expect that negative events, say, falling off a ladder, are less likely to happen to us than they actually are. Much of what comes to pass we do not foresee, and much of what we foresee does not come to pass.

Throughout history, humans have conjured up audacious strategies to help them peek ahead in time. An entire alphabet’s worth of fortune-telling methods abounds, from abacomancy—reading the future in the dirt, sand, smoke, or ashes—to zoomancy—reading it from the behavior of birds, ants, goats, or donkeys. What these “-mancies” have in common, of course, is that they do not work as advertised.

Examples of our failures to foresee remain all around us, and they can have tragic consequences for us individually and also for our planet more broadly. When the inventor Thomas Midgley Jr., for instance, introduced lead to gasoline and chlorofluorocarbon to refrigerators, he failed to foresee that within a few decades, these would turn out to be two of the worst pollutants in history.

We are not clairvoyants, but…

You may well be left wondering how our shoddy forecasting capacities could have possibly evolved. What’s the point of so much miscalculation? In our recent book—The Invention of Tomorrow: A Natural History of Foresight—Jon Redshaw, Adam Bulley, and I argue that—paradoxically—much of the strength of foresight comes from our very awareness of its limits.

Because we know we don’t know exactly what the future holds, this drives us to make contingency plans and to innovate ways to tip fortune in our favor. Though we may all have a Plan A, say for our careers, we also understand that events may turn out differently from what we imagined: Our company could go bust, we might get bored, or we could be hit by a bus. So, we put money aside for a rainy day, keep an eye on other opportunities, and purchase comprehensive life insurance packages. People sign prenups and set up fire extinguishers for when they might be needed, all the while hoping they never will be.

Hedging her bets, Nina holds out two hands to make sure she catches the dropping prize.

Source: Thomas Suddendorf

Considering multiple possibilities is essential to effective foresight

Take a simple psychology experiment from our research group where we drop a marble into a vertical tube with two exits at the bottom, like an upside-down Y, and ask a participant to catch it. To prepare for the drop, 2-year-old children tend to cover only one or the other exit, which means they catch the marble only some of the time. But by age 4, children instantly cover their bases and hold one hand under each of the exits, ensuring they will catch the prize regardless of where it falls. Even preschoolers know that the future is uncertain and prepare for more than one possibility.

When we giveWhen we give this task to chimpanzees, orangutans, and various monkeys, dropping a grape into the forked tube, they act like young toddlers and tend to cover just one exit. They don’t seem to know that their prediction could be wrong. There is as yet no compelling evidence that nonhuman animals, even our closest living great ape relatives, can foresee mutually exclusive possibilities and prepare accordingly.

Because humans can conceive of multiple versions of the future branching from the present, we can compare our options to select the best one. This capacity has far-reaching implications, not just in enabling contingency planning. It gives us our intuitive sense of “free will”—our (some would say fanciful) impression that we are the masters of our destiny. People tend to treasure this notion. Although it’s not always obvious which path is best, it is empowering to think we are the ones behind the wheel.

Foresight has changed the world

Since we realize that our predictions might be wrong, we can also set out to test them—a process that scientists exploit to a powerful effect. Experiments and observations give rise to theories, which lead to predictions that are then tested with further experiments and observations. If the predictions turn out to be wrong, scientists try to devise a better theory to explain the unexpected observations, which then leads to new predictions and tests. And so on. With this simple cycle—essentially an error-correction mechanism—the collaborative scientific endeavor has resulted in giant strides in our understanding of the world and our capacity to predict what lies ahead.

Today, many scientific forecasts indicate that we are facing dramatic challenges—pollution, climate change, and mass extinctions, to name but a few—that will require complex plans and concerted efforts to address.

As presumably the only animal on the planet capable of foreseeing alternative long-term consequences of their actions, we have choices faced by no other creature. Our farsightedness burdens us, and us alone, with responsibility. And unless we want to go the way of the dodo, it will pay to cover our bases.

This article was adapted from The Invention of Tomorrow: A Natural History of Foresight by Thomas Suddendorf, Jonathan Redshaw, and Adam Bulley.

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As of 2023, the United States has almost 250 million social media users. That number climbs to nearly 5 billion people worldwide and is expected to reach 6 billion by 2027. The average person spends an astonishing two and half hours of their time on social media each day. To put that into perspective, if you started using social media at age 10 and continued till age 80, you’d have spent over seven years of your life on these apps.

With statistics like these, we all need to be asking about the long-term risks to our health, including our mental health. But what does the science actually tell us about the links between mental health and social media use? Here’s the latest science, and steps we should all consider taking today.

Google “social media” and “mental health,” and you’re sure to get a lot of hits. Prominent themes in news stories include higher rates of depression, anxiety, and stress especially in younger people. Yet the actual scientific research tends to be more split on the topic. So what does the research say? Let’s review some of the largest analyses looking at the links between social media use and mental health published in the last few years:

• Problematic social media use in youth is linked to higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress (2022 systematic review and meta-analysis)
• Problematic social media use is correlated with worse well-being and higher distress, as well as more loneliness and depression (2020 meta-analysis)
• Screen time does not appear to be linked to worse mental health outcomes including smartphones and social media time (2022 meta-analysis)
• Social media can create community, but when used excessively, it’s linked to depression and other mental health disorders (2022 meta-analysis of countries across the world)
• Social media use correlations with worse mental health in youth are described by some studies as “small to moderate,” while others looking at the same data reported the associations as “serious, substantial or detrimental,” suggesting disagreement in the interpretation of the data (2022 umbrella review of data)
• Young adults with higher social media use may feel more socially isolated (observational data, 2017)
• Older adults who use social media may experience “enhanced communication with family and friends, greater independence and self-efficacy, creation of online communities, positive associations with well-being and life satisfaction and decreased depressive symptoms.” (2021 scoping review)

As you can probably tell, even the most comprehensive journal articles on this topic have rather conflicting messages. Yet there are some key stable themes that we can extract from all this work that can help guide us towards safer social media use for our brain health.

1. Our digital devices, especially our smartphones, are packed with technology and apps designed to capture our attention. Companies behind these products are largely incentivized to keep us looking at the screen, not necessarily happy.
2. Children and youth may be at higher risk for negative mental health outcomes from social media use than adults.
3. Problematic (unhealthy) social media use is emerging as a clear risk factor for worse mental health, but the definition of this term is unclear. Usually, it’s something similar to characteristics of addiction (e.g., preoccupation, compulsion, withdrawal).
4. Social comparison that occurs due to social media exposure may increase the risk for worse mental health outcomes, and this may be more of an issue for young women.
5. Social media can provide meaningful connections to people who might not have access to strong in-person networks specific to their interests or needs.

What does this mean for how we might approach social media use?

With most people on Earth participating in at least one social media platform, it’s unlikely that the social media genie is headed back into the bottle anytime soon. Some have argued for large-scale restrictions on social media use for children and adolescents while others propose an outright ban. How and when a person engages with social media will always be unique to the individual, but when looking at a personal approach to use, most will benefit from asking if their use passes the test of T.I.M.E. (adapted from Brain Wash).

T: Time-restricted

Is your time spent on social media time restricted? If not, can you set a time limit that you feel comfortable dedicating to social media?

I: Intentional

Is your social media use intentional, or are you falling prey to doomscrolling, social comparison, or the plans of the app developer that’s trying to steal your attention?

M: Mindful

Is your social media time mindful or mindless? Do you find yourself losing large chunks of your day to scrolling? If so, consider reevaluating your use.

E: Enriching

Does your social media use enrich your life? Does it educate you? Connect you with others? Provide an opportunity to grow your business. If it’s hard to answer yes, it’s likely that your apps are extracting more from you than you’re getting in return.

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