Tag Archives: STRESS

Good Mental Health is a Human Right

Good Mental Health is a Human Right

In order to empathize with society, it is crucial to understand how the brain works. Understanding how the brain works gives you a better insight into our mental health. Obviously, mental health needs to be a fundamental human right. There should be no debate on whether one deserves access to mental health care and support. Now more than ever, individuals in the United States need to break the stigma of mental health aka brain health. 

According to the World Health Organization, one in four people across the globe will experience a mental or neurological condition that requires care in their lifetime.

 

Misconceptions

There are many misconceptions when it comes to mental health. Those who have not yet been educated on the stigma of mental health are under the impression that those struggling can simply just “snap out of it”, and that is absolutely not the case. Individuals who are struggling with mental health concerns may feel as if they will be mislabeled if they seek help or often they truly genuinely feel that no one can help them. As a society, it is important for all of us to participate in breaking the stigma, and teach individuals that depression is not just sadness, anxiety is not just an overthinker, and OCD is not just a neat “freak.” Some people may look at talk therapy and see it as paying for someone to talk to, which is very inaccurate. Psychotherapy is much more than paying someone to listen. A therapist is trained with years of graduate school to help a person look at unconscious motives that play into their lives and how to reach an optimum state of functioning. It allows one to work through these problems with an objective well trained professional, which can provide one with a lot of clarity. While there are many benefits to talk therapy and we highly recommend that,  there are also other alternative methods that rebalance the brain, such as Neurofeedback. 

 

What is neurofeedback? 

Neurofeedback analyses and re-trains dysregulated brain wave patterns thereby giving way to a much better-regulated brain. A well-regulated brain brings about a calm focus, where reactive emotions are not the drivers of behavior. When one troubleshoots problems from a calm, emotionally focused state, the decisions made will be mature and not emerge from an over-aroused hyper-reactive brain. Neurofeedback is individually tailored in that each protocol is specifically designed for each client with the purpose being to retrain the brainwave patterns toward normal. The result of rebalancing these brainwaves restores health, healing, and functionality for lasting emotional and cerebral results. Sensors are placed on the scalp to detect physical changes in the brain.  Precisely detecting brainwave activity allows it to be immediately analyzed by a computer that then presents sound and video information based on the brain’s performance. Using this feedback, the individual learns to regulate or control his or her brain states. This is helpful because the state of the brain strongly influences how the person thinks, acts, and feels, emotionally and physically. Neurofeedback allows a person to recreate their old ways of reacting to a calmer state that comes from a neutral state. The calm, clarity, enhanced focus, and nonreactivity at the emotional level all create health and restoration for the brain. The brain is not working against itself and it can be in harmony with the world too.

 

Why does neurofeedback work? 

Neuroplasticity is the brain’s natural ability to reorganize itself by creating new neural networks and correcting already existing connections. Neurofeedback takes advantage of the brain’s ability to change itself through neuroplasticity. It utilizes the same learning process that occurs whenever we acquire a new skill. The brain learns by forming better, more enhanced connections between nerves so that the entire nervous system can be better regulated. When we need the fight/flight response the brain can deliver and when we need the calm parasympathetic nervous system to be present the brain can deliver that too..

 

How other countries treat mental health

Each country tends to treat mental health issues based on the reduction of stigmatization of mental health. Australia is unique in that it has created a National Mental Health Strategy. The strategy is put in place in order to improve the lives of individuals and care for them, promote the mental health of Australians as a whole, attempt to prevent or reduce the impact of mental health disorders, and secure their rights. This prevention model can be very successful since we address lifestyle and can touch on mental health issues at the outset of a syndrome versus putting fires out all the time.

 

They have the mentality that community-based care brings more benefits than institutional-level care. With Australia steering away from institutional-level care, the number of individuals in inpatient care has dropped to nearly zero. The standpoint of treating mental health conditions in Australia comes from an approach of finding the root of the problem and trying to treat it, whereas in the United States there seems to be a trend of a “quick fix.” With the quick fix, individuals are often directed toward medicine, which can sometimes do more harm than good in the long run. There is a lot we can learn here in the US with the prevention of global health strategies that Australia, New Zealand, and other northern European countries tend to have. Health promotion can certainly play a huge role in prevention and community-based mental health programs which make the brain a healthier organ.

 

It is important to steer away from quick fixes since it is short-term, temporary and a person’s tendency to relapse can be very high. Mental health conditions have dramatically increased globally after the advent of the smartphone. Social media contagion has become a huge factor in the rapidly rising rates of suicide and anxiety in the US especially post-pandemic. TikTok has been solely responsible for a huge increase in tic disorders among young teens.  Imitation can be very insidious and teen brains are very prone to wanting to be like others. The environment we expose ourselves to is just as important as the care we seek for mental health conditions. 

In terms of becoming well with mental health concerns, oftentimes individuals need a combination of treatments ranging from psychotherapy to lunch with a friend and being honest and vulnerable with what is going on for you. Taking care of your mental/brain health also involves working out, catching up with loved ones, and/or taking a stroll on the beach. Nature is known to be one of the most healing environments for human beings. Anything that you can involve yourself in that makes you present in the moment, and brings you to a state of mindfulness is always encouraged in order to improve your mental health. 

 

At Healthy Within, we do not diagnose or medicate our patients but instead, curate individualized protocols for our patients.

Contact us for more information about how we can help you get your mind and brain back to functioning at its calm, confident self.

 

 

 

References

 

https://www.verywellmind.com/depression-statistics-everyone-should-know-4159056

https:/ synergyhealthprograms.com/a-look-at-mental-health-around-the-world

Give Thanks All Year

Give Thanks All Year

In today’s hectic world, it is so easy to get caught up in our busy lives. The closer it gets to the end of the year, the busier we seem to get,  and the easier it is to put gratitude on the back burner. With the holidays approaching, we can take a moment and ponder on what we may want to be thankful for. Additionally, it is important you remind yourself to be grateful for the blessings around you, not just around the holidays, but all year long. 

We can practice gratitude by being mindful of our privileges, volunteering, donating, and/or hugging our loved ones. Hugs release “feel good” endorphins, which make the body and mind happier. 

Gratitude is a state of thankfulness and appreciation for what is meaningful to you personally. It is the ability to acknowledge the amazing aspects of life that bring you joy and a feeling of abundance. Gratitude also connects you to something larger than yourself and can thus give you a perspective on what is important and what is unimportant. It is cliche to say “begin focusing on what you have, rather than what you don’t have”. The power of this state is actually quite impressive as we see with neuroscience research. All of us know those individuals around us who may not have the same material luxuries that we have and they seem to exude a feeling of contentment, joy, and satisfaction with life. 

How gratitude alters the mind and body

Many research studies have found that people who count their blessings often tend to be much happier and less depressed. They present themselves as positive and their overall well-being is greater. The majority of studies conducted on gratitude have been conducted on individuals who are well-functioning. In a study conducted by (Brown & Wong, 2017), they followed participants who have current mental health concerns. 

Nearly 300 participants who were seeking mental health counseling at their University were selected to participate just before they began their first counseling session. These individuals reported on average clinically low levels of mental health. The participants were randomly assigned to three different groups. 

The three groups were:

1) “write one letter of gratitude to another person each week for three weeks”

 2) “write about their deepest thoughts and feelings about negative experiences” 

3) No writing activity was assigned. 

 

Those who were tasked with writing gratitude letters reported significantly better mental health after their writing exercise ended. It seems that those who wrote gratitude letters on top of receiving psychological counseling carried greater benefits than counseling alone. Here are the four conclusions that were drawn on how gratitude affects the mind and body: 

Those who used more positive emotions were not necessarily found to have better mental health. It was only when individuals used less negative emotions in their writing that it led to feelings of positivity. 

Shifting your brain from toxic emotions on a regular basis makes it harder for you to ruminate on the negative aspects of life. This in turn leads to being mindful of the positive moments in life. 

Only 23% of participants in the study actually decided to give their gratitude letters to whom they wrote them to. Increased mental health benefits are independent of whether you communicate feelings of gratitude to the individuals or not. The simple act of writing the letter allows you to appreciate the people in your life that matter to you most. Clearly, we are developing new neural pathways by just doing the exercise.

The results seen in the study did not emerge overnight, but rather gradually. Gratitude is not a one-step process. It takes time to cultivate and learn how to be present and thankful for your blessings. The exercise of changing your mode of thinking is not an easy task for the brain and the mind. Conscious cultivation of this new state is needed to achieve the benefits.

Three months later individuals who wrote gratitude letters were compared to those who didn’t do any writing. They were given a “pay it forward” task. On a regular basis, the “benefactor” gave a small amount of money to each individual. They were tasked with passing on the money and if that made them feel grateful. The participants were given the choice of how much money, if any, was passed on to charity. The goal was to differentiate whether they donated out of guilt or gratitude. With help from an FMRI machine, the brain activity for gratitude was distinct from those who did it out of guilt. The findings were that those who were more grateful showed “greater neural sensitivity in the medial prefrontal cortex” (Brown & Wong, 2017). In conclusion feelings of gratitude are linked to neural activation in the medial prefrontal cortex. We make lasting changes in the brain! This is very exciting for how a society can be changed.

 

In conclusion, practicing gratitude can lead to a happier state of life. It allows you to count your blessings, and be aware of how lucky you may be in your life. Whether you are facing mental health challenges or not, we still encourage you to write a letter of gratitude to a meaningful person in your life. Keep in mind you do not have to give it to them to derive the benefit from it. Not only may this make your day, and if you choose to give this letter, it can make their day very special too. This is called the positive contagion effect. The end of the year is approaching fast and the season of giving, love, and gratitude is all around us. Make sure to take time for yourself and those around you. Even in the midst of suffering there can be slivers of things we can be grateful for. Please be patient with yourself as you try new ways of rewiring your brain for better mental, emotional, physical, brain, and spiritual health.

 

At Healthy Within, we do not diagnose or medicate our patients but instead, curate individualized protocols for our patients. Contact us for more information about how we can help you get your mind and brain back to functioning at its calm, confident self.

 

Brown, J. B. J., & Wong, J. W. J. (2017, June 6). How gratitude changes you and your brain. Greater Good. Retrieved from 

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_gratitude_changes_you_and_your_brain

https://glampinghub.com/blog/show-gratitude-on-thanksgiving/

https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-gratitude-5206817

 

Gratitude Improves Your Mental Health

Gratitude Improves Your Mental Health

What is gratitude?  

 

As a concept “gratitude” can bring up many memories for people. We all have certain thoughts and feelings about gratitude. Some of us may have heard it being used in ways in which it could bring up positive or ambivalent feelings.  Ultimately, it is the positive feeling of being grateful and appreciative for your life and loved ones. Research has shown that being consciously aware of your blessings in life leads to increased physical and brain health benefits. Gratitude is also a social emotion that signals our recognition of the things others have done for us (Emmons and McNamara, 2006). Gratitude is an emotion that increases levels of serotonin and dopamine in our brain. 

 

How practicing gratitude decreases stress 

 

Positive psychology focuses on how gratitude is the human way to acknowledge life. There are many psychological, physical, and social benefits to being present and acknowledging the good that is present in your life. Some psychological benefits this process brings are positive feelings, a better mood, and an overall calm alertness. In its normal resting stage, the brain of humans is programmed to look for danger. Anticipating danger is how human beings have been able to come to the top of the food chain. Humans are built with a negativity bias which is why when we teach our brain to focus on gratitude and blessings, it is a rewiring of the brain that is occurring and has significant health benefits. Physically, you may begin to feel improvements in your sleep, immune system, and overall health. Socially, you will begin to feel more empathetic towards others, form stronger communication habits, and increase involvement in interpersonal relationships.  Emotionally, you will feel more connected in your community and with your loved ones.

 

Neuroscience of gratitude 

 

Those who practice gratitude often demonstrate enhanced brain health. Studies have shown feelings of gratitude are primarily evoked in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), and the anterior cingulate cortex. These are deep regions in the brain’s frontal lobes that play a role in our emotional responses, empathy, decision-making, and self-control.  As you can see these are critical functions for healthy brain functioning for us to live harmoniously in society. 

 

Fox et al., 2015 studied the neural pathways of gratitude and found them to be correlated with brain activity in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC). The ACC is connected to the emotional limbic system and the cognitive prefrontal cortex (Francis et al. 2011). The MPFC is in charge of regulating cognition, emotions, and behavior  (Xu et al., 2019). Their study looked at the impact of a gift that a person receives. In their study, the participants were immersed in surviving the Holocaust and what their reactions were when they were given the gift of receiving shelter, clothing, and freedom. A functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) machine was used to collect gratitude ratings through their brain activity.

 

The rating of gratitude was found to be correlated with the activity in the ACC and MPFC regions, which are linked to reward and cognitive processes such as morality. Both of these regions when activated provide the reward of relief by removing stressors (Fox et al., 2015). Philosophy and religion speak to gratitude as a way to balance morality, increase empathy and reduce stress.

 

Practicing gratitude can lead to improvements in brain health as it allows us to be more in tune with our empathic connections. The MPFC region of the brain plays a role in perspective taking hence when we practice gratitude we may be better able to relate to others’ experiences of distress and hence have empathic, compassionate responses which lead to a greater sense of connection with our community hence a feeling of well-being. 

 

 

Ways in which you can practice gratitude

 

  • Cultivate a daily gratitude practice: You can keep a gratitude journal and write in it each time you feel grateful. This will allow you to look back and read these memories of when you felt these positive feelings! We usually ask our clients here at Healthy Within to write 3 things they are grateful for every night before they go to bed. Even if it is the same 3 items for many nights it’s OK since you are creating new neural pathways in the brain.

 

  • Say I love you always and often: Reminding yourself to say I love you to those who matter instills positive feelings in yourself and allows others to know you are grateful for them. Appreciating your loved ones on a regular basis increases oxytocin levels in our brains. The hormone Oxytocin is our “love hormone” and this hormone reduces anxiety, increases a feeling of belonging, and makes us feel gratitude and bonding.

 

  • Write gratitude notes: Write meaningful messages on sticky notes and place them all around your house. The notes can say words such as, “ Be thankful for the little things”, “Don’t forget to say thank you”, “I am blessed”, and “There is a lot to be grateful for”. In your workplace, you could write gratitude notes for colleagues and co-workers, which can profoundly affect creating warmth and harmony in your workplace.

 

  • Practice Self-Compassion: The seeds of gratitude will bear beautiful fruit if you lay the groundwork of self-compassion. When you are gentle with yourself and kind to yourself you are more likely to be able to access feelings of gratitude. Take a gratitude quiz and see where you stand: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/quizzes/take_quiz/gratitude

 

Please keep in mind that the benefits of gratitude take time to be experienced and the good news is that they are long-lasting. Please be patient with yourself as you try new ways of rewiring your brain for better mental health.

 

 

At Healthy Within, we do not diagnose or medicate our patients but instead, curate individualized protocols for our patients.

 

Contact us for more information about how we can help you get your mind and brain back to functioning at its calm, confident self.

 

 

 

 

References

 

https://positivepsychology.com/neuroscience-of-gratitude/

 

https://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/40-simple-ways-practice-gratitude.html

 

https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-gratitude-5206817

 

Fox, G. R., Kaplan, J., Damasio, H., & Damasio, A. (2015). Neural correlates of gratitude. Frontiers in psychology, 6, 1491. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01491

 

Stevens, F. L., Hurley, R. A., & Taber, K. H. (2011). Anterior cingulate cortex: Unique role in cognition and Emotion. The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 23(2), 121–125. https://doi.org/10.1176/jnp.23.2.jnp121 

 

Xu P, Chen A, Li Y, Xing X, Lu H. Medial prefrontal cortex in neurological diseases. Physiol Genomics. 2019 Sep 1;51(9):432-442. doi: 10.1152/physiolgenomics.00006.2019. Epub 2019 Aug 2. PMID: 31373533; PMCID: PMC6766703.