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How to Recognize & Respond to Passive-Aggressive Behavior

AHA Publisher — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 08:00:29 +0000

Dr. Caroline Leaf – In this podcast (episode #339) and blog, I talk about passive-aggressive behavior: what it is, how it can affect us, and how to manage it. Passive aggressiveness is a form of indirect, hostile communication. People who are passive-aggressive generally mask their anger or frustration instead of being honest about their emotions. This kind of behavior is characterized by hidden antagonism and avoidance. Almost everyone displays passive-aggressive behavior at some point in their lives—it can be challenging to be open about how we feel. However, there are people who mostly, if not always, express feelings of hurt, anger, frustration, pain, or sadness through passive-aggressive behaviors. If they are asked to do something, for example, they may respond through procrastination and sometimes make intentional mistakes. Someone who acts in a passive-aggressive way usually communicates more enthusiasm than they express in their bodies. Essentially, their feelings are expressed through small remarks or actions rather than directly. This can cause a lot of conflict in relationships, and can be quite destructive. Here are some signs that someone is being passive-aggressive: They are often cynical, pessimistic, or aggressive They complain about feeling underappreciated They display bitterness and hostility They are often irritable and frequently disagree They give backhanded compliments They often refuse to move past an issue while insisting everything is resolved They get quiet and distant the moment they perceive conflict, especially when someone gives the silent treatment They shut people down and do not talk to them or try to address the issue Usually, if they are confronted about their behaviors, they will insist the other person doesn’t understand or is making unfair assumptions They assume others should know how they feel without telling someone Below are some examples of passive-aggressive behavior: Passive-aggressive behavior usually entails backhanded compliments. An example of a backhanded compliment that I am sure many parents have heard is: “You’re amazing for going back to work. I could never let a stranger watch my kids!”. Embedded within this compliment is a judgement on your chosen career as a parent. Another example of passive-aggressive behavior is often seen in the workplace: if someone proposes a new plan, a passive-aggressive person may agree with the plan openly but then intentionally miss deadlines, procrastinate, or try to undermine the plan. Another common example that displays passive-aggressive behavior is shortness in language that contradicts the speaker’s body language. So, for example, a person might say “fine…whatever” in response to a disagreement, but completely withdraw afterwards. Sarcasm can also be a common sign of passive-aggressive behavior, especially in people who are often sarcastic. When they receive backlash, they will usually say things like “can’t you take a joke?” or “I’m just being sarcastic, don’t you have a sense of humor?”. There are many different reasons that may have lead someone to display passive-aggressivebehavior. If someone in your life is being passive-aggressive, it is important to first recognize that no human being is flawless, and we need to show compassion without enabling negative behaviors. Second, we need to understand how to deal with people who are passive-aggressive, so that we can protect ourselves from being hurt. Some causes of passive-aggressive behavior are: The behavior began in childhood. The person could have been influenced by their parents or those around them, or learned passive-aggressive behaviors from their environment. They may not have been allowed to directly express their emotions growing up, so they found other ways to channel their emotions. Some people may not even realize that they are being passive-aggressive if they grew up in a household where this type of communication was common. Some people may be passive-aggressive because they experienced abuse and/or neglect as a child. These incidents can affect someone’s self-esteem and cause them to have an aversion to outright confrontation. Some people may act in a passive-aggressive manner because they are in an environment where open expression of emotion is not socially acceptable, such as in the workplace or at public events. Some people struggle with being vulnerable, or fear rejection and anger. They may have some social anxiety or struggle with low self-esteem. These people may find being passive-aggressive is easier than confronting others directly. This is why it is so important to have compassion for people who resort to passive-aggressive behaviors. We all have our flaws, and the more we try to understand others, the better we become at communicating with each other and accepting one another. If you know someone who acts passive aggressively and you have found that it is affecting you in negative ways, there are steps you can work through to manage how you react to them (from my mind management technique, which is called the Neurocycle): GATHER: Before dealing with someone you know who’s passive-aggressive, try to make sure you’re not coming from a place of anger, fear or frustration. Gather awareness of how you are feeling physically and mentally. Try to calm yourself down by doing something like breath work or yoga before trying to talk with the person in question. REFLECT: If you realize that you feel uneasy when you are about to see someone, or if any of the above descriptions and examples of passive-aggressive behavior triggered you, then explore these feelings. Do you know someone that displays these behaviors? When? How? What do you do when you are triggered? Reflect on how and why you feel the way you do. This will help you identify patterns in their behaviors and how you react to their behaviors. WRITE: Write down your reflections to help organize your thinking and look for patterns. RECHECK: Work out your “antidotes”. How can you reconceptualize the situation? How can you get yourself in the right space to deal with this? Here are some examples: Try to communicate to the person that this is an open environment and they are safe to share their emotions Try to not become reactive, as this is exactly the thing that passive-aggressive people will try to avoid, which may exacerbate the situation Try to avoid name calling Try to avoid calling them passive-aggressive Try to show them grace in the same way you would want someone to show you grace ACTIVE REACH: Practice your thought antidotes so they become a habit! These can include: Practicing assertive communication. Be open and honest and direct, and be specific about the ways in which you have been negatively impacted by their behaviors, but remind them that this issue won’t change how you feel about them and that you want to address it because you care about the relationship. Recognize that sometimes these attempts don’t work because passive-aggressive people have formed a very hard shell for protection. In these cases, try to validate and empathize with them, insofar as you can. Listen to their reasons or excuses (even if it’s frustrating to hear) and try to understand why they are acting in a passive-aggressive way. But, also set clear boundaries that there are certain behaviors that are hurting you. You may find that after this type of conversation they will start working on changing their behaviors to improve your relationship. If you have tried many times and the person is unwilling to listen or continues to harm you through their passive-aggressive behavior, you need create space and set firmer boundaries to protect your mental wellbeing. But what if you are the one acting passive aggressively? Here are some signs to look out for and questions to can ask yourself if you think you may be have passive-aggressive tendencies: Do you feel confused or conflicted about your emotions? Do you feel shame, embarrassed or scared about how you feel? Do you fear conflict and avoid open confrontation, especially if “heavy” emotions are involved? Do you feel like other people won’t care about you or your emotions? Do you often keep quiet if you have a different view or opinion because you fear you will lose another person’s approval? Do you ever feel frustrated or angry at someone but don’t feel prepared to talk to them about it? Do you struggle to talk about how you feel when someone has hurt you? As mentioned above, passive-aggressive behavior stems from a type of self-protection and fear of vulnerability. However, it can be very damaging, especially when it comes to your mental health and relationships. If this is something you need to work on, below are some simple mind management steps you can take: GATHER AWARENESS of how you are being passive-aggressive. What does this behavior look like in your life? REFLECT. The best way to begin to work on this behavior is to try and understand why you communicate like this. Where does your passive-aggressive behavior stem from? Is this the way you grew up? Is this how you learned to express your emotions as a child? Is there a past trauma that you can tie this behavior to? Do certain situations trigger your passive-aggressive tendencies more than others? Have you tried communicating to people in an open way? If not, why? These questions can help you recognize your own passive-aggressive behavior in different situations, so you can take the first steps towards changing how you manage your feelings and act on them. WRITE down your reflections to help organize your thinking. This is also a great step to do with a therapist or counselor, where you can also practice open and honest communication. RECHECK: Think about what you have reflected on and written down. What are your thought “antidotes”? This includes: Recognizing that it is normal to have feelings of anger and frustration with family and friends and still have a healthy relationship with them. Being open to confrontations. All relationships have tough moments, and avoiding them can be more detrimental than working through them. ACTIVE REACH: Try practicing your antidotes to develop new ways of thinking and acting in tough situations. Some ways you can do this is: Practice expressing how you feel. When you do this, use assertive communication, which is a way of clearly expressing your thoughts and feelings without harsh language and without putting down the other person’s thoughts and feelings. Don’t just assume that they know what you want or need. This also involves treating the person you are in conflict with as a part of a team, where you both need to figure out how to resolve the issue—don’t see them as the “enemy”. Give yourself time and grace as you work through this behavior. Remember, nothing can be achieved overnight. Don’t get frustrated at yourself if you find yourself reverting to these old behaviors again; the very fact that you are willing to work on yourself is amazing! To read the original article click here.

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Healing Trauma: Research Links PTSD, Emotion Regulation and Quality of Life

AHA Publisher — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 07:00:28 +0000

Binghamton University via EurekAlert – We often talk about the coronavirus pandemic in terms of health or economic impacts: the numbers of cases and deaths, the persistence of long-haul COVID, lost jobs and toilet paper shortages. But there is another crisis, too… [t]he pandemic is a type of mass trauma, explained Binghamton University doctoral candidate in psychology Craig Polizzi. And trauma can and does give rise to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and potentially problematic behaviors and a lower quality of life. Recent research from Polizzi, fellow graduate student Damla Aksen and Distinguished Professor of Psychology Steven Jay Lynn provides insight into the impact PTSD has on emotional regulation and quality of life, and points to ways to improve both. Their article, “Quality of Life, Emotion Regulation Dissociation: Evaluating Unique Relations in an Undergraduate Sample and Probable PTSD Subsample,” was published in a recent issue of the journal Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice and Policy. Their research fills some of the gaps left by previous studies into PTSD, emotion regulation and quality of life. Previous studies mainly focused on older adults and individuals with medical problems, and tested emotion regulation strategies or difficulties separately; they also didn’t account for important variables that may explain the relation between emotion regulation and quality of life. Polizzi, Aksen and Lynn instead take a more comprehensive approach and include such critical variables as dissociation, neuroticism and PTSD symptoms in addition to dimensions of emotion regulation. Using questionnaires and personal narratives, the researchers identified participating college students who potentially met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD. The traumatic events these students experienced ranged from physical or sexual assault to car accidents, abuse, severe illness and witnessing suffering. The researchers then used a series of self-report surveys to measure difficulties in emotional regulation, positive and negative coping strategies and dissociative experiences with the participants. It’s eye-opening to see how much trauma college students — and the U.S. population in general — are exposed to, Polizzi acknowledged. “The positive side to these statistics, though, is how remarkably resilient people can be following traumatic events, especially during this pandemic,” he said. What Is Quality of Life? “Quality of life” isn’t an amorphous concept, although researchers can have different definitions, including improved function related to physical health and psychological well-being. It can actually be measured in many ways, such as through self-report surveys, physician ratings or direct observation, Polizzi explained. In the study, the researchers relied on a broad definition informed by the World Health Organization (WHO), which defines quality of life as healthy functioning across mental processing, life activities, physical mobility, participating in society, self-care and social skills. In particular, they administered a questionnaire, the WHO Disability Assessment Schedule, based on the organization’s definition of this concept. Closely associated with quality of life is emotion regulation, or the ability to alter your emotional state to better cope with the situation at hand. People with enhanced emotion regulation tend to have greater psychological health, whereas problems in this area are associated with psychological difficulties, Polizzi explained. During and following traumatic events, many people dissociate — or distance themselves from their emotions, body, mind and even personal identity — to escape overwhelming feelings such as shame, fear and anger. People who experience dissociation may lose focus, forget people and events, have out-of-body experiences or extreme daydreaming, and feel a sense of unreality and detachment from their immediate surroundings. While some researchers have argued that dissociation is an emotion regulation strategy, it typically has negative effects, including interfering with emotional awareness, sense of self, social bonds and engagement in daily activities. In fact, it was surprising how strongly dissociation was related to quality of life, Polizzi acknowledged. Rather than just a part of other unhealthy emotion regulation strategies, it appears to play a disruptive role in daily activities and everyday behaviors. Overall, their research suggests that decreased emotion regulation is related to a lower quality of life, although not necessarily a sole cause. People may experience a lowered quality of life for many reasons, one of which could be the inability to effectively regulate their emotions; conversely, the lack of psychological resources — for example, from stress, pain or physical health issues — could also limit a person’s ability to emotionally regulate. “These variables could exist in a vicious cycle, in which lack of emotion regulation contributes to lowering quality of life, which in turn reduces emotion regulation skills,” said Polizzi, adding that further research is needed to confirm this idea. On the plus side, emotion regulation is something that people can learn. “Many techniques used in psychological treatments are designed to help individuals enhance their emotion regulation. For example, learning to accept and re-interpret emotions in realistic ways rather than avoiding emotions and blaming them on others can improve people’s psychological functioning and their quality of life,” Polizzi said. Three Main Symptoms In their research, Polizzi, Aksen and Lynn provide information that could refine the current evidence-based practices for treating PTSD by focusing on a trio of symptoms that have a strong impact on an individual’s quality of life: namely, dissociation, impulsivity and blaming others. Used as a coping strategy for negative emotions, impulsive behaviors can lead to physical injury, substance abuse and other health concerns, while dissociation may make it even more difficult for people with PTSD to be emotionally engaged, cope with stress, set goals and have a healthy sense of self. Individuals with PTSD also tend to mistrust others, which could lead to blame in interpersonal interactions and the further erosion of social bonds. That doesn’t mean, however, that trauma is a one-way street to a diminished life. Many individuals can learn how to successfully cope with such experiences, and treatment can lead to a greatly improved quality of life. For those diagnosed with PTSD, focusing on these three factors would be especially helpful during the later phases of treatment, when the individual has improved their coping skills and stability, Polizzi said. If the pandemic’s aftermath has you feeling not quite yourself, it might be helpful to take an honest look at how you’re really feeling and the strategies — good and bad — that you’re using to cope. “People experiencing increased psychological stress during this pandemic may look to improve their quality of life by focusing on ways to enhance their emotion regulation skills via reducing dissociation, impulsivity and blaming others, such as increasing emotional engagement, planning goal-directed behaviors and fostering compassion toward others, respectively,” Polizzi said. To read the original article click here.

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Could Harmful Emotions Be Caused By Poor Organ Function?

AHA Publisher — Thu, 08 Jul 2021 07:00:14 +0000

Edit Lang via NaturalHealth365 – According to statistics published by the Mental Health Foundation, one in five Americans struggles with mental health issues each year. Shockingly, fifty percent of chronic mental health problems start before age 14. Not surprisingly, during the COVID pandemic, the percentage of adults with anxiety or depression symptoms rose from 36.4% to 41.5%. Considering the magnitude of the problem, one would expect that Western medicine has many effective treatment options to offer to those suffering. But in reality, medical doctors have limited options available to treat these conditions, aside from the multitude of prescription anxiolytics and antidepressants. Although there is increasing awareness in the scientific community of the connection between our psychological and physical health, the intricacies of this link are still not well understood. In a recent video, Jonathan Landsman of NaturalHealth365 interviewed America’s Drugless Doctor, Dr. Robert DeMaria, to reveal how our organs’ functioning and our emotional health can affect each other. Are You Listening? Understanding Your Body’s Language Is Critical to Achieving Optimum Health In the video, Jonathan and Dr. Bob focus on discussing how changing the vitality of specific organs in the body can affect our mental and emotional health. During the conversation, Dr. Bob points out how Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) recognizes that emotions affect the physical health of the body and vice versa. For instance, according to TCM theory, anger and irritability can affect the liver’s health and result in various ailments, including an enlarged or fatty liver. Many people don’t know, but the liver performs hundreds of critical functions and plays a vital role in digestion and nutrient processing. Anything we put into our body – whether non-productive, unhealthy foods, or the highest quality organic fruits and vegetables – will go through the liver and either weaken or strengthen its vitality. Toxic emotions can also undermine the liver’s functioning. TCM practitioners believe that feelings of resentment, anger, frustration, and irritability are key emotions detrimental to this organ’s wellbeing. Suppose, for instance, that you are one of the 100 million Americans living with fatty liver disease. If at the same time, you are also known for your hot temper, your dysfunctional liver may be to blame for your intense emotional outbursts and anger issues. Interesting concept, isn’t it? Your Lungs Speak Too: Here Is What May Be Behind Chronic Lung Issues So while the dominant emotion associated with the liver is anger, unprocessed and persistent feelings of sadness appear to manifest ailments in the lungs. To illustrate the connection between lung issues and sorrow or grief, Dr. Bob shared a story about his wife, who developed a chronic lung problem due to the profound sadness she experienced when her younger son was going off to college. Once they uncovered that the root of her chronic lung issue was not a physical dysfunction but rather the consequence of her harmful emotions, they could successfully address the condition. Whether this is the first time you hear about the relationship between mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing, or you are quite familiar with the concept, you don’t want to miss watching this video. Learn the Five Basic Feelings Associated with Specific Organs in the Body, According to TCM Traditional Chinese Medicine narrows human emotions to five basic feelings and links each of them with a corresponding organ in the body: Anger with the liver Sadness and grief with the lung Worry and anxiety with the spleen Fear with the kidney Joy with the heart Take note of these emotion-organ relationships, as this information may come in handy next time you feel overwhelmed by negative emotions or receive a diagnosis of a physical ailment. Even a basic understanding of these concepts can be incredibly empowering and may open the door to various treatment modalities previously unavailable to you. What’s the Bottom Line? It’s time to expand our horizon and consider TCM’s 2,000-year-old pearls of wisdom and recognize how intricate the connection is between our emotional and physical health. Understanding that emotional imbalances can act as both symptoms and causes for physical issues can be life-changing to millions of people seeking an alternative to the “pill for every ill” medical approach. Find a qualified healthcare provider to guide you on your journey towards improved health. And, of course – above all, stay positive (confident) that you can make a change for the better with simple lifestyle adjustments. Sources used for this article: MentalHealthFolundation.org NIH.gov CDC.gov To read the original article click here. For more articles from NaturalHealth365 click here.

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Benefits of Laughing + How to Laugh More Often

AHA Publisher — Fri, 05 Feb 2021 08:00:00 +0000

Jillian Levy, CHHC via Dr. Axe – What’s one way you can hack your brain chemicals to boost your happiness? It’s as simple as laughing more. Not only does it feel good to laugh out loud, but it also makes you more attractive, can lead to stronger friendships, and is even considered “natural medicine” for both your physical and mental health. Why do we laugh, and what does a laugh mean biologically? Let’s dive in to the science of laughter below, including why having a sense of humor might help you live a longer, more fulfilling life. Benefits of Laughing How do you describe laughter? Laughing is defined as “showing emotion (such as mirth, joy or scorn) with a chuckle or explosive vocal sound.” Is laughter an emotion? Most experts consider it to be. In fact, it’s often called a “contagious emotion” because it tends to spread from person to person. In terms of what takes place in our bodies when we laugh, there’s actually still a lot of unknowns. According to Psychology Today, “Although laughter is one of the distinguishing features of human beings, little is known about the mechanisms behind it.” We know that people tend to laugh in several scenarios, including: To communicate to others we think something is funny Due to embarrassment and social discomfort To facilitate bonding and understanding across groups of people Is laughing a sign of happiness? Laughing tends to occur more among people who are already happy, and it can also make you feel happier too. In humans and primates, laughing releases endorphins and other “feel good” chemicals that help strengthen social bonds, reduce pain and increase motivation, all of which contribute to overall mental/emotional well-being. Laughing even burns calories, although not as much as most types of moderate exercise. When you laugh, you naturally buffer yourself against some of the damaging effects of stress, since laughing puts the brakes on your defensive stress responses, including our “fight or flight” response. Laughing also draws others closer to you, since the happier you appear, the more those around you feel happy too. What are the benefits of laughing? Laughter has been shown in studies to contribute to dozens of health benefits. In fact, laughing more often may even help you live longer. One study done in 2016 found that people with a strong sense of humor had a longer life expectancy than those who didn’t laugh often due to reduced risk for issues like heart disease and infections. Laughing is associated with some of the following health benefits: Improves your mood, reducing anxiety symptoms, anger, resentment, depression and sadness Boosts your immune system by decreasing circulating stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies Relaxes muscles and relieves tension Increases blood flow/circulation and can help protect against heart disease Improves mental and physical resilience (some even compare it to exercise in this regard!) Decreases pain Boosts social bonds between friends and attraction between men and women; in fact, women are sometimes called greater “laughter appreciators” because they tend to laugh over 120 percent more on average than men do Helps you to forgive sooner and gives you new perspective when dealing with challenges Improves alertness, productivity and memory, including in the workplace Gives you a generally more positive, optimistic outlook, which you bring to new and challenging situations How to Bring More Laughter Into Life Robert Provine, Ph.D. at the University of Maryland, believes that laughter isn’t necessarily just about humor, but also highly tied to communication and relationships. His research has shown that people actually laugh more in conversation and through interactions, rather than when watching or reading something funny while alone. Some studies have even shown that we’re about 30 times more likely to laugh at something when we are with other people! As HelpGuide.org puts its: Sharing humor is half the fun—in fact, most laughter doesn’t come from hearing jokes, but rather simply from spending time with friends and family. And it’s this social aspect that plays such an important role in the health benefits of laughter. Drawing upon what we know about how laughing usually occurs and how it benefits us, here are some ways to bring more laughs into your everyday life: Pay attention to what other people in your social circle think is funny. Laughing together is a great way to build stronger relationships, which is powerful at reducing loneliness-related stress. While socializing, put your phone away and try to avoid distractions. The more present you are with others, the more you’ll relish in other people’s jokes and senses of humor. When you hear laughter, seek out the source and feel free to ask about what others find to be funny. Spend more time with funny, playful, happy people. Some simple ways to increase opportunities for laughing with others include hosting game nights, going to comedy shows together, sharing jokes and stories, or making time for fun activities like playing board games or non-competitive sports. Seek out funny shows, books, podcasts, etc. Purposefully making an effort to bring more humorous content into your life is a great way to lift your mood. Attend comedy shows or watch them online. Try using humor to manage conflicts, in a respectful way of course. When you have a disagreement with someone, you can bring some humor to the situation to reduce tension, decrease defensiveness and anger, and put things into perspective. Make an effort to smile more often. Smiling is “the beginning of laughter” and is usually equally as contagious as laughing is. You’re more likely to smile more often if you pay attention to people while in face-to-face situations, so try making better eye contact and avoiding looking away or other distractions. Practice gratitude to boost your mood. The more grateful you feel, the higher the chances are that you’ll feel happy and in a good enough mood to laugh often. You can boost gratitude by keeping a journal/list or writing other people letters of appreciation. If you’re religious, you may be wondering, “What does the Bible says about laughter?” Laughter has been said to be a “gift from God” and a great way to cope with sadness — plus it can help you “count your blessings” by shining the light on joys in your life. Try “simulated laughter” by taking a laugh yoga or laugh therapy class. Developing a Sense of Humor Maybe you hold the belief that you’re not naturally a very humorous person. If you want to work on bringing more laughter into your life, here are tips from comedians and researchers who study laughter on boosting your sense of humor: Be more silly and spontaneous. You’ll find more opportunities to laugh when you take yourself less seriously. Build your self-esteem, and let go of judgment. If you tend to be insecure, defensive and critical of others and yourself, it’ll be hard to laugh at different situations, including at yourself. The more you can approach life with a non-judgmental, self-assured attitude, the more humor you’ll be able to find. Become emotionally intelligent and self-aware. People who are in tune with their feelings, who can manage stress and who are empathetic to others’ feelings are better able to connect and laugh together. Look for the humor in different situations, even those that seem bleak or frustrating at first. Risks and Side Effects Is laughing a lot a bad thing? For example, have you ever wondered: Can too much laughing kill you? Overall, laughing is completely natural and a healthy thing to do. It poses very minimal risks and benefits your well-being in numerous ways — such as by improving blood vessel function and reducing stiffness of the arteries. If you laugh hysterically for a long period of time, you may potentially become winded, and some people even tear up or pee themselves when they laugh very hard. For most people, however, adding more laughs to their days is a very wise thing to do. Conclusion Laughter is capable of supporting both physical and emotional health, as well as enhancing your relationships. Studies have found that people who laugh often benefit from stronger immune systems, more social support, boosts in their happiness and mood, diminished pain, protection against many diseases tied to stress, and even a longer life expectancy. People who incorporate humor and play into their daily lives tend to be more attractive to others, have higher self-esteem and have better coping skills when faced with challenges. You can bring more laughter into your life by seeking out funny people, consuming humorous content, socializing more in groups, becoming more self-assured and less judgmental, and practicing more gratitude. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Dr. Axe click here.

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5 Simple & Scientific Steps to Detox Trauma and Toxic Thinking

AHA Publisher — Thu, 17 Dec 2020 08:00:56 +0000

Dr. Caroline Leaf – Anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress are all ways of describing natural human responses to adversity. As I discuss in this podcast and blog, we all face adversity in many different ways; challenging events and circumstances are as much a part of modern existence as they were a part of human history. Simply calling these mental and emotional responses neuropsychiatric brain diseases can create a lot of confusion and suffering. Anxiety, depression, burnout, frustration, angst, anger and grief are emotional and physical warning signals, telling us we need to face and deal with something that’s happened or is happening in our lives. They are not a sign of a broken or defective brain. The mental pain, which is very real, is a sign that something is wrong: you are in a state of disequilibrium. It’s not a sign of a defective brain. The brain is going through a process of reordering and reorganizing in response to your experience(s), which are processed through the mind (your thinking, feeling and choosing). The brain and mind are separate. The brain does not produce the mind; the brain responds to the mind. Emotional pain doesn’t need to be validated by a medical label. Mental health struggles are not your identity. These struggles are normal and need to be addressed, not suppressed, or things will get worse. Indeed, how you view your negative feelings (such as sadness, nervousness or hopelessness) will either protect you against some of the harmful health consequences of these emotions, or make you feel worse. Research, including my most recent clinical trials, demonstrates that viewing negative emotions as fluctuating, momentary parts of a natural cycle of life increases our mental and physical resilience. On the other hand, when you ruminate on the negative and see your feelings as stressful and harmful, they can dramatically impact your mental and physical health. In our research, we demonstrated that embracing negative emotions as warning signals, finding the underlying cause(s), AND then managing this by processing and reconceptualizing our thinking results in a significant improvement in bodily inflammation, cellular health and biological aging. It also empowers us to feel in control of our minds, which can increase our feelings of control over our mental health struggles by up to 81%! Feeling bad is not unhealthy if you learn how to manage your thinking! However, in today’s world, many of us are taught from youth that negative emotions are undesirable and even dangerous. To manage these undesirable emotions, modern psychological and psychiatric approaches to mental health mainly focus on the use of drugs like antidepressants and antipsychotics and treatments that numb the pain, rather than addressing the complexity of the human mind. It is thus unsurprising that this biomedical approach hasn’t reduced the prevalence of mental health issues. In fact, things seem to have gotten worse! For example, major depression, which has remained at around 4 percent between 1990–2010, is now on the rise, while population studies indicate that people between the ages twenty-four to sixty-five are dying eight to fifteen years younger than previous generations from preventable lifestyle diseases. Clearly, what we are doing is not working. The system needs to change. We must shift our focus from a symptom-centered biological approach to one that focuses on each person’s complex story and unique experiences IN CONTEXT. You are uniquely, wonderfully you—your quest for optimal health and well-being should be just as singular as you are! This is the approach I’ve taken in my newest book, Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess. After many years of clinical practice and research, I developed my Switch On Your Brain 5-Step Learning Process©. In the years since, I have continued to research and refine these steps, helping people harness the power of mind-management to find healing and fulfillment: Gathering awareness of your physical and emotional warning signals. Reflecting on why you are feeling these things in your body and mind. Writing down your reflections to organize your thinking. Rechecking what you have written and how your thoughts and feelings have changed. Active Reach: taking action to reconceptualize your thinking and find sustainable healing. In my latest book, I teach you how to apply these simple, scientifically-researched and clinically-applied mind management steps to issues such as anxiety, stress and toxic thinking. This 5-Step process will help you define and refine your unique needs and mental self-care regimen. As you go through this process, you’ll find that these steps are sustainable because they are customized to your unique way of thinking, feeling, and choosing—your brilliant mind-in-action! I truly believe that mental mess is something we all experience. It isn’t something we should be ashamed of. This is my profession, and I still have to clean up my mind daily! We need to realize that the events and circumstances of life aren’t going anywhere; people make a lot of decisions every day that affect us all, and suffering on some level is inevitable. That being said, I wholeheartedly believe that although many events and circumstances cannot be controlled, we can control our reactions to these events and circumstances. This is mind-management in action! Managing the mind is more than a lifestyle—it’s a necessity. We can spend lots of money and time on self-help books and seminars, wellness fads, great teachings, and podcasts, but all of this will simply become nice-to-know information if we can’t apply it—more notches on our belt, more knowledge gathering dust. Mind-management, on the other hand, can transform all this great information into applied information. When we learn how to manage our thinking, we’ll learn how to actually use the advice and information we gather as we go through life. When we learn how to manage our mind, we can go from posting inspiring quotes on social media to inspiring others through the way we live. Part 1 of Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess discusses what mind-management is, what happens when we don’t use our minds properly, and how the results of my recent clinical trials show why mind-management is the solution to cleaning up your mental mess. Part 2 of Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess provides my clinically applied and scientifically researched 5-Step mind-management plan. To make this process as easy to apply as possible, I have grouped important lifestyle choices into nine main areas, and given you a 5-Step mind-management strategy for each of these areas. These lifestyle choices include dealing with sudden acute stressors, overcoming toxic habits and trauma, dealing with identity issues, developing deeper connections, the power of brain-building, and how to sleep, eat and exercise mindfully. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Dr. Leaf click here.

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My Clinical Trial Results: Anxiety and Depression Reduced By Up To 81%!

AHA Publisher — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 08:00:24 +0000

Dr. Caroline Leaf – We can no longer ignore the rise of anxiety, depression, anger, frustration, toxic stress and burnout in people of all ages in our society. We need to address this head on. Stressors and changes in life situations trigger responses and changes in our biochemistry, brain function and genetics, which not only affects our health, but can also be passed on through generations, which is known as epigenetics. This is both a question of how we want to live today and how we want our children to live in the future. Many current mental health strategies, including pharmaceuticals and interventions with medical devices, have not helped us fully manage or eradicate the devastating mental health conditions that plague our society. Nearly 800,000 people die by suicide in the world each year, which is roughly one death every 40 seconds. Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death in the world for those aged 15-24 years. Unmanaged depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide! The availability of simple mind-management tools for personal use, to address and ameliorate such warning signals as anxiety, depression, toxic thinking, inability to concentrate, irritability, exhaustion, burnout, before they take over someone’s mind and life could potentially help innumerable persons of all ages to experience improved mental and physical health and well-being. Why is mind-management so important? Stressors and changes in life situations trigger responses and changes in our biochemistry, brain function and genetics, which not only affects our health, but can also be passed on through generations, which is known as epigenetics. There is a significant amount of research indicating that the suppression of thoughts, which causes mental distress, is related to telomere shortening and biological aging-our life experiences are reflected in our biology. In our recent research, we proposed a randomized clinical trial with the primary aim of investigating the psychological and neurophysiological effects of a non-pharmacological intervention in subjects with mental health and neurological symptoms. The results showed that the subjects in the experimental group improved their mental health, brain health, blood physiology and cellular health by using the 5 steps of mind-management in the SWITCH app, and so can you! We found that when we learn to manage our thinking, the entire state of the brain and our cellular structure shifts and establishes a new and healthy level of balance in the mind, brain and body! Indeed, preliminary results from our trial demonstrated a significant reduction in depression and anxiety, through mind-management, by up to 81%, in the experimental group compared with the control group. The experimental subjects were learning how to embrace and make the anxiety and depression work for them and not against them, which is a much more sustainable approach than simply trying to numb or remove emotions and feelings completely. These exciting results indicate that, as we gain increased autonomy by taking control of our mental health, we become more aware of both our issues and our capacity to deal with the toxic thoughts and control toxic stress. When we change our perspective, we see opportunities instead of barriers. This process leads us to become more empowered so we can control our lives by controlling our minds! This clinical trial, along with an increasing number of studies in the neuroimaging and mind-brain literature, indicate that with appropriate mind-management training and self-regulation, which is what “cleaning up the mental mess” is all about, people can systematically use their mind to take advantage of the neuroplasticity of their brain to rework and rewire the their thoughts. By doing this, they can transform their neural circuitry, which will enable them to manage and improve a variety of mental and physical states. This means that we can literally take dysfunctional brain networks and physiology and alter them with our minds! We can manage our thinking and clean up the mental mess with habit forming cycles of 63 days, which gives a new thought pattern enough energy to become a habit that influences our behavior and communication. And if this is done continually as a lifestyle, overall wellbeing, peace and wisdom are the reward! The path to empowerment is not only attainable, it is within you! You can guide and direct changes in your brain. Your mind is something you can learn to optimize, with my scientific, 5-step mind-management process. These 5 steps will not only empower you to push through the pain that may come from the healing work, but also give you a structured scientifically researched plan that works and a defined time period for the process, which will further reduce your pain, uncertainty, and make the process more effective and sustainable! To read the original article click here. For more articles from Dr. Leaf click here.

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Mental Stress and Anger May Worsen Heart Failure

AHA Publisher — Fri, 14 Aug 2020 07:00:18 +0000

Yale University via News-Medical Net – Mental stress and anger may have clinical implications for patients with heart failure according to a new report published in the Journal of Cardiac Failure. Heart failure is a life-threatening cardiovascular disease in which the heart is damaged or weakened. This can lead to a reduced ejection fraction, in which the heart muscle pumps out a lower amount of blood than is typical with each contraction. In this study of patients who had heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, the authors — including researchers at Yale — evaluated the effects of stress and anger on diastolic function. Diastolic function describes the ability of the heart to relax and refill between muscle contractions and is predictive of mortality risk. For one week, participants completed daily questionnaires about their experiences of stress, anger, and negative emotions during the previous 24 hours. Participants then completed a standardized “mental stress” protocol in which they solved challenging arithmetic problems and described a recent stressful experience. Echocardiograms were performed to assess diastolic function at rest and during the stress task. Patients who reported experiencing anger in the week prior to the laboratory mental stress protocol exhibited worse baseline resting diastolic pressure, the researchers said. Furthermore, most patients demonstrated stress-provoked changes in diastolic function, including decreased early relaxation and increased diastolic pressure. “Mental stress is common in patients with heart failure due in part to the complexities of disease self-management, progressively worsening functional limitations, and frequent symptom exacerbations and hospitalizations,” said the lead author Kristie Harris, a postdoctoral associate in cardiovascular medicine at Yale. “We have evidence that patients who experience chronically elevated levels of stress experience a more burdensome disease course with diminished quality of life and increased risk for adverse events. Clarifying the relevant behavioral and physiological pathways is especially important in the era of COVID-19 when the typical stressors of heart failure may be further compounded by pandemic-related stressors,” Harris said. “Factors such as mental stress and anger often go unrecognized and are under-addressed. This study contributes to the extensive literature showing that stress and anger affect clinical outcomes for patients with heart disease, adding chronic heart failure to the list that includes ischemic heart disease (narrowed arteries) and arrhythmic disease.” (Matthew Burg, Yale clinical psychologist and senior author of the study) Burg said that while stress management and related techniques have been shown to reduce risk for adverse events among patients with ischemic heart disease (narrowed arteries), further work is needed to identify factors that increase vulnerability to the effects of stress in heart failure, and to determine whether stress management can improve outcomes for these patients. To read the original article click here.

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Depression and Anxiety May Be Side Effects as Nation Grapples with COVID

AHA Publisher — Fri, 17 Apr 2020 07:00:25 +0000

UT Southwestern Medical Center via Newswise – Millions of Americans are being impacted by the psychological fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic aftermath, and large numbers may experience emotional distress and be at increased risk of developing psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety, according to a new article published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine. Newswise — DALLAS – April 15, 2020 – The Perspective article, co-authored by Carol North, M.D., a UT Southwestern crisis psychiatrist who has studied survivors of disasters including the 9/11 terrorist attacks and Hurricane Katrina, calls on already stretched health care providers to monitor the psychosocial needs of their patients as well as themselves and fellow health care workers during this time. “Almost everyone may experience some distress – some more than others,” says North, a member of UT Southwestern’s Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute who wrote the article with first author Betty Pfefferbaum, M.D., a psychiatrist at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine. While conditions arising from a naturally occurring pandemic do not meet the criteria for trauma required to diagnose post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety may result from this pandemic, according to the article, and some people may even become suicidal. Shortages of resources needed to treat patients, uncertain prognoses, and public health measures such as shelter-in-place orders – along with the resulting financial upheaval – are among the “major stressors that undoubtedly will contribute to widespread emotional distress and increased risk for psychiatric illness associated with COVID-19,” the article says. Certain groups will be more highly affected, according to the paper. That includes people who contract the disease, those at heightened risk including the elderly and people living with underlying health conditions, and those with preexisting psychiatric or substance abuse problems. Health care providers are also especially vulnerable to emotional distress during the pandemic, the paper continues, given their risk of exposure amid shortages of personal protective equipment, long work hours, and involvement in the “emotionally and ethically fraught” need to allocate scarce resources when treating patients. A recent review of the effects on quarantined people and health care providers in earlier disease outbreaks found stress, depression, insomnia, fear, anger, and boredom, among other problems, the article says. While not directly comparable, many who went through other catastrophic events such as 9/11 or 1995’s Oklahoma City bombings developed depression as well as PTSD, says North. After 9/11, 26 percent of the attack’s survivors developed a new episode of major depression, according to an earlier study she co-authored. But COVID-19 is new territory, she emphasizes. “We haven’t studied depression in pandemics.” The pandemic is creating a multilayered disaster, North says. “There is the fear of being exposed and getting sick and dying, as well as loss of the lives of friends and relatives. Then there are secondary effects – lost paychecks and the economic woes. Rates of suicide go up in populations when economic times get bad. People get stressed more in general when times are bad,” she says. First responders and health care professionals should be trained to evaluate the psychosocial issues surrounding COVID-19, the report says, and health care systems need to pay attention to the stress level of their workers and alter assignments and schedules if needed. Health care workers should ask patients about COVID-19-related stress factors, such as an infected family member and any depression or anxiety, and also check for vulnerabilities like a preexisting psychological condition. While some patients will need a referral for mental health care, others may benefit simply from support to improve their ability to cope. Providers can offer suggestions for stress management. Because parents often underestimate their children’s distress, they should be encouraged to have open discussions to address their children’s reactions and concerns, the report adds. People in quarantine or sheltering at home should try to reach out to loved ones electronically, North says. “People are now communicating more with loved ones and friends than they did before this crisis. For example, I did a Zoom meeting with my siblings recently for the first time. It was very nice.” Maintaining a schedule helps as well, she says: “Get up. Have breakfast. Get dressed.” And avoid following the COVID-19 news if that adds to stress, North says. “Most people are resilient. Most people don’t develop psychiatric illness after even horrible things, and most people who develop psychiatric illness can recover,” she says. “After 9/11, only a third of the people directly exposed developed PTSD (35 percent in her study).” This article has been modified. To read the original article click here.

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