(Part 3) Best books about mental health according to redditors
We found 3,683 Reddit comments discussing the best books about mental health. We ranked the 1,158 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 41-60. You can also go back to the previous section.
50. Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder
8 mentions
Guilford Publications
Hey Michio. Big fan of yours. Read all of your books and am currently reading your newest The Future of the Mind. I just got it a day ago.
Of all the things you have covered, what are you looking forward to the most that you expect to happen within the next 20 years?
My guess is The Birth Partner: Birth Partner 5th Edition: A Complete Guide to Childbirth for Dads, Partners, Doulas, and All Other Labor Companions https://www.amazon.com/dp/1558329102/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_pEAXDbDNWHMB4
Weirdly enough, all emotional states are survival techniques that can become learned, unconscious, repetitive algorithms just like brushing our teeth . Depression can be viewed as the wonderful "hero" that can put us in a hopeless/helpless mode of submission when we are in danger and fighting or fleeing are not viable. Recurring depression usually comes from early life experiences where the 4 things you just listed were actually helpful belief systems to hinder activity that could bring immense shame/harm to you.
For example, if trying to connect with my parent always leaves me feeling like I am annoying them, concluding that "no one cares" will help me from approaching others and potentially facing this feeling of being let down and being an annoyance. When we learn early on that approaching connection makes things worse, and one cannot control or escape their experience, submission is your best choice.
"You are a burden" is nothing more than a survival mechanism that helped you survive extremely difficult, perhaps traumatic experiences. Weird, huh?
If you'd like to read more, I recommend Janina Fischer's book https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Fragmented-Selves-Trauma-Survivors/dp/0415708230
For the birth process, I found Penny Simkin's The Birth Partner incredibly helpful.
During the first year, I also got a lot out of Baby 411.
Hi there! I was kinda where you are now, on the diagnosis part of the journey, last year. Thought it would be just PTSD. I remember being super freaked out by it, like, deeply unsettled, for quite a while. I couldn't stop thinking about the diagnosis (DID), what it meant about my past, and also my future, my relationships, my life. I'm sorry you're going through that now too. If it in any way helps, I'm okay. My marriage is good, career is great. My day to day amnesia is nowhere near as bad as it was in the past. My overall mental health continues to get better the longer I work on it. You are not incurable: the fact that you have a diagnosis is a HUGE first step towards recovery.
I won't lie to you and say it's easy. It's hard, especially at first. I recommend this book for noobs :) The "look inside" feature will give you access to the first 4 chapters, which includes understanding dissociation, the symptoms of each dissociative disorder, what dissociative parts really are (not the weird shit you see on youtube), and what having DID can do to complicate, mask and/or amplify PTSD symptoms.
Chapters include exercises like the one you already described doing with your therapist, as well as some homework exercises and thinks for you to think about. You don't have to rush into ANY of that. Maybe just check out the symptoms of the condition and think about how it maps to your own experiences.
Your therapist described the diagnostic bit pretty well: it's a scale, and the more severe your symptoms/the more criteria you meet, the further along it you go. If you have OSDD, it's assumed you may experience all of the symptoms of the others, so you only need the "last in line" diagnosis. (These are totes not the medical terms for this, sorry).
What are you most worried about? Is there anything I could share about my experience that might help?
Edit: and practice your safe place thing, it might not feel like much now, but it works if you stick with it
Where to begin?! Lol welcome.
At this point there’s quite a few ways to disbelieve the JW doctrine. Many people will fill you in I’m sure and debate over doubts here within the comment section. If you were really interested in knowing. I’d suggest:
John Cedars
Start from the very beginning if you’d like to view all the doubts via video format. There’s a lot of substance within that channel so I’d def start there. If your into podcasts I’d suggest:
This JW Life
Shunned
The Prodigal Boys
The Daily Dose
Book References:
Crisis Of Conscience
The Reluctant Apostate
Combating With Cult Mind Control
That's a bit misleading. There are indeed people born psychopaths based on genes and/or in utero development. I highly recommend Simon Baron-Cohen's book, The Science of Evil on this topic.
Another key factor in this kind of evil is our innate tendency toward in-group and out-group behaviour, something we all seem programmed with, and can be activated by putting people in groups and into conflict with each other. For most of us it is dormant when we tend to identify with each other, instead of "them" as an enemy, and when there's no basis for conflict.
In many ways it is our vile biology. Where the experiences and hatred come into play is typically the activation of that innate "us vs them" tendency. That can easily grow into violence even between otherwise "normal" people with no ultimate problem with "them".
Third exmo checking in!
I recommend the recovery boards at exmormon.org. There used to be some really great discussion at postmormon.org but it got shut down.
You could also read some of Luna Lindsey's work about coming out of the
churchcult, as well as Steve Hassan. Guilt is not productive in this case and he has to learn to own his choices and decisions and stop feeling guilty about not toeing the party line anymore.From the reflection and other visible letters, The Science of Evil
Anything from Oliver Sacks always worth reading imo.
not really neuroscience, but interesting imho:
*(hopes formatting works)
I wouldn't say its just some kid with a 'wild imagination.' I think its more than that. Many alien abduction cases report a face coming through a wall, and talking to the 'victim.' Others report small children inside the bedroom, or even a glowing orb or energy that moves around within the bedroom. It sounds nutty but I read into it and I do believe there is some unexplained phenomenon going on.
Please watch Dr. Karla Turner's lectures on this phenomenon. Sadly she died in 1996 of a fast acting cancer. She was 48.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32PIKN7eQhU
John Mack, Pulitzer Prize Winner and Harvard psychiatrist, stated that it was not the 'imagination of the victim' but a real phenomenon. Sadly he died in 2004 while walking alone by a drunk driver.
Interview with S. African children seeing UFO and alien beings
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3fR3jTiPc8
Interview with John E. Mack (from ThinkingAllowedTV)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U1WecFObQw
Also, the chemical DMT, which is naturally secreted in your brain, particularly your pineal gland, can give an onset of visions, transporting you to another dimension. Please look into Dr. Rick Strassman's work 'DMT: The Spirit Molecule.' Ancient cultures used to drink 'Ayahuasca,' a DMT based plant mixture that Amazonians used in order to be in an altered state of consciousness (ASC). While in this state of consciousness, people report meeting with 'alien entities,' elves, fairies, praying mantis, seeing alien worlds, as well as common visions.
For example, people totally unrelated, disconnected from each other, are seeing the same visions such as 'jaguars,' 'being in a hospital room with advanced machinery, accompanied by a tall Praying Mantis (8ft).' Other visions include black people dancing around a fire, as well as seeing a vision of a Roman era boat filled with slaves manning the oars.
Book recommendations on Psychonautics
Aldous Huxley's 'Heaven and Hell and Doors of Perception'
http://www.amazon.com/Doors-Perception-Heaven-Hell-P-S/dp/0061729078/
Benny Shannon's 'Antipodes of the Mind'
http://www.amazon.com/Antipodes-Mind-Phenomenology-Ayahuasca-Experience/dp/0199252939/
Dr. Rick Strassman's 'Inner Paths to Outer Space'
http://www.amazon.com/Inner-Paths-Outer-Space-Psychedelics/dp/159477224X/
I don't have a lot of advice, but just wanted to pop in to recommend a book called Smart but Scattered, which gives you a very clear, methodical approach to supporting and scaffolding executive function skills in kids. I've found it a really useful insight into my son (and myself!). Good luck!
Janina Fisher's Healing the Fragmented Selves of Trauma Survivors
Good question and I should qualify I’m not a physicist but Dr. Michio Kaku wrote a pretty good book outlining his reasons why that statement is true. The Future of the Mind Great read.
Edit: Name spelling
It depends on what you're drawn to. Are you more interested in interpretation of story for your own personal growth? Or interpretation of films? Or are you looking to create stories?
The best books I know on this subject at least on interpretive myth include:
In my experience, after Campbell people usually begin to drift toward what their personal myths are. So you have some people who get really into film and get caught on Vogler or Bonnet's work, others who want to go help returning veterans and end up getting really into Odysseus in America. Or people begin focusing on different cultures and religions and move from there.
Hello there! Stay with that hope, because the journey is long.
I suggest cognitive therapy. But aside from that I think you would benefit from learning about attachment psychology. I feel like many ACoNs had what is referred to as an "anxious" attachment in childhood; "preoccupied " as an adult. The feeling of being unlovable is a hallmark of this, and stood out to me! I do think change is possible, but it's challenging. On the off-chance you or another may want it, here are a couple of related resources:
The test of your adult attachment style is here if you want it. If you find yourself interested in the subject as well and the mechanisms behind it I would heavily recommend reading Becoming Attached
We have a 7 year old daughter who is very similar. We had this book recommended to us. https://www.amazon.com/Smart-but-Scattered-Revolutionary-Executive/dp/1593854455
Honestly, we haven't read it yet so I can't give you a first-hand review, but you literally used both of these words in your title, so it clearly has your son in mind...
I had a similar situation when I was in college, I dealt with panic / anxiety attacks for about a year. No supplement or drug really worked for me, plus I hated the idea of using them as a crutch.
The first step for me was to realize that the panic / anxiety attack wouldn't kill me and that no matter how shitty the felt, they wouldn't last for more than a few minutes to a half hour. The more I worried about the next panic attack, the more likely they seemed to happen.
For me they were completely random at first... Random places, random times. But then some subconscious part of my brain associated that panic with certain situations - If earlier I had one in a certain restaurant, I'd be freaked the fuck out whenever I went there again. Rationally, I knew it made no sense that I was feeling panicky, and it frustrated me to no end, but it's tough getting that animal part of the brain to STFU and settle down. So, back to what worked for me...
Regarding the meds, you might want to check this book out. I found it interesting:
http://www.amazon.com/Anatomy-Epidemic-Bullets-Psychiatric-Astonishing/dp/0307452417/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1301733513&sr=8-1
Good luck, try not to stress about those exams too much, and remember that it'll get better.
This is the book used in a support group I'm part of, which is dual-diagnosis for trauma/substance.
Recovery from Trauma, Addiction or Both (if you want to help yourself, the frogcabaret part)
Seeking Safety (therapists book, if you want to learn to help all your parts by also coaching them through these tough topics)
Both cover dissociation in detail, but neither go into dissociative disorders. For that, this book is best in class (IMO):
Coping with Trauma Related Dissociation
Gl,
Dee
Hi there! Lemme just say I'm happy to hear you're in a good place and looking to continue healing and learning. Congrats for getting to this point, and I hope your journey goes well from here!
As far as book recommendations go, several people here are reading Coping with Trauma-Related Dissociation and come together for a weekly book club thread (run by our very own u/puppydeathfarts .) If you're looking for a good book to dive into with people who can relate, I'd recommend joining!
This reading list is amazing:
https://www.reddit.com/r/CPTSD/comments/8dgaav/newcomer_resources_list/
In particular, I found this this book changed the way I relate to myself and my experiences: https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Fragmented-Selves-Trauma-Survivors/dp/0415708230
Mental health professionals can be helpful, but there is a lot you can do on your own!
Ditto checking out your local dept on aging. It might also be dept of elderly or eldercare or something like that. They may have info for you on website, in hardcopy, in person.. It varies by state. Some will have waitlists for help, some wont.
You can also find out if theres an Alzheimer's Association, Aarp, or similar near you, because they sometimes have free education seminars (sometimes to advertise services, but sometimes just info). Alz assoc also has support groups, which maybe you could use, for emotional support but also to find out about options near you. If there are care homes near you they sometimes host educational events there too. You could see if they have some kind of events calendar.
You might consider learning about elderlaw issues and getting an elderlaw lawyer. No doubt there will be free workshops featuring those. But theres a great deal of financial planning you may have to do, and sometimes you need stuff set up years in advance.
Finally, if there is a law school near you, they might have free information or downloadable publications to get you started. If you are really lucky maybe they have low cost options for law help bc they might have fresh students who need experience.
The classic text on Alzheimer's is the 36 Hour Day. https://www.amazon.com/36-Hour-Day-Alzheimer-Disease-Dementias/dp/1455521159
Tbh i never read it. But i know its like standard reading.
Get started on getting a lot of photos and videos and recordings of her. Its easy to not even think of this now. But id start now.
Ask her questions about what advice shed give you about stuff in your future, your life.. Ask about her past, her parents, her childhood.
If shes got old photos, find out about them. Its kind of a bummer to find an old album of people you don't know and have no one to ask. :p
Find out her favorite songs. Id be sure to get stuff from her teens to 30s. Try to compile at least 1 playlist. It may be helpful later, if shes in a bad mood.
If you wanna get really nuts you can look up clinical trials on trialmatch or clinicaltrials.gov and see if you feel like jumping in.
Don't beat yourself up if/when its time to make tough calls. This disease will put you guys in lose-lose situations, but you're not alone. It's going to suck, but you and dad and family can get through this.
Good luck.
Jonathan Shay has written two really excellent books on the topic, focusing specifically on how the depictions of the characters of the Iliad and Odyssey portray a then-unrealised form of PTSD: Achilles and Vietnam, and particularly Odysseus in America. I'd recommend them highly - both are very well written, and accessible even if you aren't a student of psychology/Classics.
uh it's not a phenomenon.
it's the result of complex-PTSD.. which is severe childhood trauma.. where he believed he was going to die, on the reg.
Pasting a reply from another sub instead of linking it.. for reasons
"I tried to find the chart my therapist showed me but it's not online. So imagine a numberline, 0-100: That the spectrum of dissociation. At 10, you'll find routine dissociatation, like day dreaming or getting sucked into a book and forgetting to eat. 25 is where survival type dissociation starts, like being out of it after shock or having an anxiety attack before a big test. Still normal but it only comes up under stronger stress.
Trauma disorder start at 50 with standard single event PTSD. CPTSD is about 70, the dissociative disorders start about 80 and DID is at 100. None of those numbers are indicators of how hopeless it is or anything like that. They are simply the degree to which the dissociation is the prevalent issue
In PTSD and CPTSD, dissociation is about equal with the other trauma sypmtoms in what one is dealing with. In the Dissociative Disorders, the dissociation is more pronounced and with a stronger impact on the daily living. This also means when treating a person, the focus needs to more on the dissociation and different tools have to be used to get the best response."
30 minute phone calls every day are triggering his CPTSD and re-traumatizing him.
He's dissociating every fucking day? For how many years?? And every time you mention his mother? Christ on a cracker.
This isn't "oh how cute he's vaguing out he doesn't listen" this is 4 alarm fire, "This bitch is so abusive he's well on his way to having a multiple personality disorder"
When he comes down from it and promises to talk to her.. as soon as he tries he'll just dissociate again. He literally can't. He doesn't actually like her, he basically has Stockholm Syndrome. He's confusing "relief that she didn't let him die today" with "love".
Do you want to save his sanity? No contact with her, and an excellent therapist.
This podcast should get you started https://safespaceradio.com/trauma-dissociation/
and this book
Have you read Janina Fisher's book, 'Healing the Fragmented Selves of Trauma Survivors'?
https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Fragmented-Selves-Trauma-Survivors/dp/0415708230
I have done parts work in my own therapy for DID, but didn't specifically do IFS. I've read this book after doing much of my healing and would have found it quite helpful at the time I was in therapy. I like how she uses the concept of structural dissociation to help describe how truama survivors may feel fragmented but not necessarily identify with having disociative identity disorder.
In the summer of 2007, I had causually mentioned the Stanford Prison Experiment to my wife Catherine because she was curious if there was a way to screen out assholes and prevent them from running for office or being appointed or promoted into management.
I think I had said something like, "We could re-enact the Stanford Prison Experiment as a test. Put the candidate in charge of a small cellblock housing professional actors pretending to be prisoners. See how the candidate treats people who are entirely under his authority and at his mercy."
Five days later I come home to find her laying face-down on my bed wearing nothing but little black cotton boyshort panties and reading Philip Zimbardo's The Lucifer Effect.
While I had given Catherine an executive summary of the experiment, she wanted to know more. I find that kind of intellectual curiosity extremely cool, and unbelievably sexy.
Np, unfortunately most therapists are not very educated about complex trauma, so I would advice you to do some research and see if you get along well before picking one (if you have the opportunity). Same guy has an article about finding a therapist, which could be helpful.
Yes, it's very validating seeing how your past and current problems are all interconnected. Makes you feel less of a freak. I'm posting some book recommendations in case you would like to know more. Just reading one of them will help you a long way in understanding why you are the way you are:
Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving by Pete Walker
The Drama of the Gifted Child by Alice Miller
Healing the Fragmented Selves of Trauma Survivors by Janina Fisher
This disease beats you down so hard that practically any acknowledgment of your hard work and dedication is received with pitiful gratitude. I found this book helpful while I was caring for my dads.
You ought to consider reading some books on psychopathy. Might connect a few more dots. Here are a few:
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) works but can be expensive. Seek out a psychologist with a PhD. Social phobia or anxiety is a common problem easily treated once therapy is started.
I worked in an anxiety clinic and Treatments that Work is an evidence-based, highly effective series for many forms of anxiety and fear (phobias).
While I like the care you give to the subject, I would just like to fill in some cracks with a few resources. I have a background in AbPsych and one of my mentors did a lot of interesting work with real life psychopaths.
The baseline for psychopathy was first and best (so far) laid out by Robert Hare. This site has a nice explanation.
Two great books on the subject (non-fiction) are: The Anatomy of Evil and The Science of Evil. Something more in the popsci vein would also be Jon Ronson’s The Psychopath Test, though I have some personal qualms with Ronson’s view.
For fiction, there’s of course any of the works mentioned in the original post, as well as American Psycho and We Need to Talk about Kevin.
Philip Zimbardo's "The Lucifer Effect" is a great book if anyone is interested in diving deep into this idea.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000OVLKFO/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
Edit: Here's his 20-minute TED talk if you are interested but don't want to read/buy a 600-page book (although I can't recommend it enough):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsFEV35tWsg
The book Becoming Attached is a fantastic primer on attachment theory (describing the work of Ainsworth, Bowlby, and others). It's not particularly focused on parenting or adoption, but would be good background reading if you wanted to pick it up from the library. This article written by the book's author is a good summary in the meantime.
Unfortunately I don't know any resources to recommend about treating attachment disorders, but you might try posting over on /r/adoption and see if they have any suggestions. Also worth asking your son's therapist. As groundhogcakeday noted, it can be a bit confusing since there's "attachment parenting" (somewhat based on the original attachment literature, but now it's own thing) and you also want to avoid "attachment therapy", which is a term that's been co-opted to justify some really horrible abusive interventions for kids with attachment issues.
I find it disappointing that medication for most people seems to be the only method of treatment that most people are aware of. Medication is a viable treatment but on it's own is somewhat limited. I can tell you first hand that medication isn't really a solution for me since it just changes the problems that I have.
I've spent a lot of time learning about the biological issues that surround ADD and let me share some of what I've discovered. ADD is generally caused by poor functionality, generally in the prefrontal cortex of the brainl. This area of the brain is related to planning, self control, attention and executing function among other things. When you look at a SPECT scan (shows cerebral blood flow) of an individual with this disorder you see that when the person trys to focus, there is actually a decrease in the blood flow to that part of the brain. On an EEG which measures the electrical signals produced by brain waves you will see that the ratio between theta waves (low frequency daydreaming waves) and beta waves (high frequency attentive waves) is lower particularily in the frontal region of the brain.
For a period of time I had the idea in my head that ADD was just a label and wasn't really based on anything medical related and had more to do with maladjustment of certain individuals such as myself to our increasingly unhealthy system in which we bring up children. I was mainly caught up on the term "attention" because for me, I didn't have too much trouble with maintaining attention so much. Learning about how this actually relates to the brain and how it actually affects individuals has been illuminating for me.
Since medication doesn't really solve my problems and really only shifts my problems from one to another, I've been trying to find alternatives. I've done a lot of experimentation with supplements. The two that I recommend are Omega-3 (well know as an ADD supplement) and Tyrosine. I take these daily. Excercise is one of the best treatments available. There are numerous neurological benefits that excercise will bestow. For one, it increases cerebral blood flow. I've heard that 20 - 40 minutes of intense aerobic excercise 5 times a week is recommened and I believe that's a good figure. Looking at diet should certainly be taken into consideration. High protein diets are good for people with ADD. Carbs are not. Getting proper nutrients is of course important too.
One book that I recommend for anyone looking for alternatives to drugs is by Daniel Amen. He does clinical spect scans so he can see objectively what treatments are working and what isn't working. He's found 6 different patterns in brain scans that he's broken down into different types of ADD and gives specific treatment options for each one. http://www.amazon.com/Healing-ADD-Breakthrough-Program-Allows/dp/0425183270
One radical treatment that I recently begun is neurofeedback. This is a means in which you can become aware of the brainwaves going on in your brain and through software you can strengthen the desired frequency bands. It is expensive, but it is worth investigating in. I purchased my own EEG unit to save on the long term costs and I'm also seeing a neurofeedback practioner to give me initial guidance so that I'm on the right track. I have encountered some skepticism from some people, but my impression was that any sort of radical medical treatment gets met with skepticism whether there's science behind it or not. Since I'm primary treating myself, I've read a few books on the subject and the main issue is not lack of solid science on the subject but lack of funding for things like double blind studies.
The class of antidepressants you're talking about are SSRIs (Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor). SSRIs increase the levels of serotonin in the brain by reducing it's reabsorption rate. Initially it was believed that depression may be a function of serotonin levels in the brain. While these two events may be linked, they're not causal of one another. As a result of this, SSRIs are largely ineffective at treating depression. So much so, that placebo is more effective than SSRIs in all but the most depressed individuals. Anyway, back to the suicide part - Large studies of depressed people show a marked spike in psychosis and suicide for people taking SSRIs as a whole. You can even dig through GlaxoSmithKline's short-term trial data and find that when giving paroxetine (an SSRI) to otherwise healthy volunteers, 3 of 271 had "hostile events" compared with 0 in 138 for placebo. One basic problem with linking suicide and psychotic behavior in SSRIs, is that pharmaceutical companies are quick to frame the behavior as a symptom of the disease and not as a side effect of the drug, for legal reasons, even though they list it as a side effect on the box. Robert Whitaker makes these points far more effectively than I could in his book, "Anatomy of an Epidemic" which I highly recommend.
tl;dr - There is no evidence to suggest that people kill themselves on SSRIs because they get less depressed. There is some evidence to suggest it's the drugs themselves, but it's still up in the air. What's not up in the air is that current generation antidepressants are not very effective at curing depression.
Every single "person with similar views as nolimitsoldier" I have encountered has always fallen into 1 of the following groups.
To learn more about feminism you can read or watch the following websites,books, or videos:
Youtube Videos or Channels:
Websites/Blogs:
Books:
No problem! The first book that kind of led me down the path to cognitive restructuring was "The Feeling Good Handbook" by Dr. Burns. This was really eye opening, and after reading about the 10 thinking fallacies and doing the 3 column technique that he describes (at my own discretion) I saw and felt noticeable changes.
Then I started seeing a professional, and they helped guide me and point me in the proper direction. The book we used in therapy was this one, and it was very good:
https://www.amazon.com/Managing-Social-Anxiety-Cognitive-Behavioral-Treatments/dp/0195336690
In general, the therapy is called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, CBT, and is the most effective form of treatment for social anxiety.
Here's a quick and dirty article about how it works:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/socratic-method-improve-depression_us_55ca2888e4b0f1cbf1e65731
Probably a lot of readers of /r/water have read Cadillac Desert.
I own a copy of, and have made two false starts reading, The King Of California as recommend by the anonymous author of the blog On The Public Record.
I highly recommend A Great Aridness, a worthy heir to Cadillac Desert.
Also on my to-read list is Rising Tide. I would like to find a book that does for the Great Lakes what Marc Reisner did for water in the American West with his book Cadillac Desert.
A few things I've read this year that have little to do with water:
EDIT: Oh, and Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt
Absolutely:
Living With Intensity: Understanding the Sensitivity, Excitability, and the Emotional Development of Gifted Children, Adolescents and Adults
Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students: Helping Kids Cope with Explosive Feelings
Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnoses of Gifted Children and Adults: ADHD, Bipolar, OCD, Asperger's, Depression, and Other Disorders
If your daughter also exhibits anxiety symptoms (mine sure does, and it's often tied in to giftedness because their little heads can think of things they're not emotionally ready to handle) there's also:
Freeing Your Child from Anxiety
Helping Your Anxious Child: A Step-by-Step Guide for Parents
And for executive function deficits, there's:
Coaching Students with Executive Skills Deficits
Smart but Scattered: The Revolutionary "Executive Skills" Approach to Helping Kids Reach Their Potential
I just wanted to add something that I felt would be fitting here. This is simply my perspective on the collective unconscious so take it as you will, but it seems relevant.
I see the collective unconscious as being a good basis for spiritual ideas, and I have my own beliefs based around it. The reason I see it as a good basis is 1.) much of it is empirically supported, and 2.) the idea of a collective unconscious itself to some extent implies a universal realm of existence.
First I would like to briefly cover relevant literature which substantiates the collective unconscious. The point of this is to show which aspects of this idea are supported enough to branch off of. The information I’m going to sum up is from the field of research called Affective Neuroscience, which was coined by Jakk Panksepp, who I believe is Jungian himself based on his reference to archetypes, and both Freud and Jung. I believe his book is a must read for all Jung enthusiasts and I’ll be linking it below. After this I’ll present my little theory of what this means from a spiritual perspective.
Summation of Relevant Literature
Affective Neuroscience is a field of study which combines three major disciplines of psychology: Cognitive, Behaviorial, and Neuroscience. What the study’s and experiments have generally shown is that there are distinct anatomical neural structures which illicit consistent patterns of behavior in animals when stimulated, and are shared to varying degrees by all species (the degree of variation becomes larger as species become farther apart on the phylogenetic tree, with the nervous system becoming more complex rostrally as it progresses through species). On top of this, due to the nature of the behavior patterns showing approach/avoidance tendencies, it’s reasonable to conclude that it is an emotional response which is evoked from stimulation that influences the corresponding pattern of behavior.
To simplify, this shows that organisms are preprogrammed with mechanisms to properly respond to environmental triggers. These systems were refined and passed down through millennia’s of adaptations. In a sense, these systems are an ancestral record or bank of knowledge, passed down through generations of offspring to better equip them for the obstacles presented by the physical world. These systems inspire organisms to hunt, forage, seek security, reproduce, as well as many other things.
To show an example of how it works in practice, one of these systems is responsible for dealing with danger; the fight or flight system (more broadly speaking, FEAR). This systems goal is to help organisms detect threats in the environment and react accordingly. Now imagine an archetypal situation: you are hiking through the woods when all of sudden you hear a suspicious crackle in the leaves not to far from you. Upon looking you notice your being stalked by a mountain lion. You freeze up and your heart beats faster as your body prepares to run or fight. What happened here? First, your perception was triggered by an environmental trigger, the mountain lion. Without you putting any effort, your body naturally prepares you to deal with this threat by altering your physiology to better facilitate active movement. On top of this, your phenomenologically struck by an overwhelming sense of fear, your body’s way of not letting you ignore the immediate threat your faced with; painting your perception with a relevant and meaningful narrative: the hunted.
The Parallels
I will now attempt to draw the connections between this information and Jung’s notion of the collective unconscious to show what aspects of it are empirically supported. First, you must understand the concept that brain and mind are intimately connected. Monism or dualism are not important here, just understand that when something occurs in the brain there is a reaction in the mind, and vice versa. Now for the connections:
1.) The neural systems detailed above are shared by all species to varying degrees. What this implies is that there is a template of mind, which is indeed true. All minds share these unconscious operating systems which interpret environmental events in a meaningful way, and evoke a proper response out of the organism. With these systems being homologous throughout species, we could reasonably conclude that these systems make up the neural/physical representation of the collective unconscious.
2.) These systems imbue our perception with meaning. The idea of meaning is almost indistinguishable from archetypes, with Jung describing how these unconscious contents are essentially the source of all meaning. And just as archetypes are all around us, the products of these neural systems are too. It seems these systems project archetypal narratives onto the world around us to allow us to move through the world in a meaningful way. This is seen in the mountain lion example, with the fight or flight system projecting the archetype of the beast onto the mountain lion. This could also be seen in the systems responsible for love projecting the archetype of the anima/animus onto the object of desire.
Spiritual Speculation (Creation Story)
Based on these parallels, the idea that the collective unconscious is universally shared and the source of all meaning is not at all unreasonable, and is empirically supported to a large degree. So we now have a base to branch off of: there exists and aspect of consciousness that is universal and home to all which is meaningful. On the other hand, we have physical reality which exists independent of this realm of consciousness.
From this we can form a sort of story. There exists two worlds: an objective reality, cold and void; and a subjective realm, deep and rich with meaning. Objective reality is finite and exists in certainty, while the subjective realm is amorphous and infinite, being simultaneously beautiful and horrid. Between this chasm of worlds exists a bridge: organisms. The organism is a part of the objective world existing as a sort of vessel for the subjective realm to inhabit. As the subjective realm inhabits this vessel it takes on all its finities by conforming to the structure of its biological limitations (for example, sensory organs). In doing so, the subjective realm takes on the form of an individual, in a sense becoming a soul. The soul walks its path through the objective world, experiencing it from the shoes of its vessel, in the process turning the once cold dead world into a place of meaning and potential, leaving behind it stories of good and bad. But in the end all vessels face the inevitable faith of reality: death. And all souls return to there source, the heavens and hells of the collective unconscious.
Link to Jakk Panksepps Affective Neuroscience:
https://www.amazon.com/Affective-Neuroscience-Foundations-Emotions-Science/dp/019517805X
I think this issue really falls onto what you consider to be "modern psychology". Researchers have much understanding via neuroscience, genetic behavior science, evolutionary psychology, and more traditional psychological research.
For example, Simon Baron-Cohen (Sasha's cousin) is a world renowned psychological researcher on behaviour, particularly related to children, autism, and empathy. His book, The Science of Evil and Origins of Cruelty does a great job of summarizing the understanding of various causes and effects related to empathy-related problems, including Borderline Personality Disorder, autism, narcissism, psychosis, and Asperger's, and includes multiple inputs from sources such as genetics, childhood abuse or neglect, injury, and intermediary descriptors such as the brain circuitry and chemistry. (You can get a summary from various videos as well.)
If you really want to get into the detailed subject, I highly recommend the video course Biology and the Human Behaviour: The Neurological Origin of Individuality, taught by Robert Sapolsky and produced by The Great Courses. Sapolsky is always brilliant and interesting, and you can get a lot of this info from free videos around the internet just by a Google Video search on "Robert Sapolsky".
One of the key things I like about Sapolsky's course is that he starts off talking about the different levels of what we mean by causation. What does even "root" cause mean? One level describes the stimulus that results in the response behaviour, another describes the brain activity, another describes the chemistry, another describes the brain structure and interactivity ("design"), another describes the evolutionary pressures that cause the brain to be that way, another describes the variations, mutations, injuries, and other causes that create differences from the statistical norms, and so forth. Much of it is incredibly well understood, both as described by Sapolsky and Baron-Cohen.
In this context, the "let's bleed out the excess blood with leeches" description is highly inaccurate. That sort of thing was due to a complete lack of understanding. We have the understanding to a great degree with much of psychological problems. Rather, it is more an issue of treatment technology and development. I think a simpler description is that it's the engineering that's lacking, not the physics.
This is an area Sapolsky goes into as well. He does a great job of describing, for example, of how a reduced amount of a chemicals and/or the number of receptors can cause a certain problem or behaviours (e.g., schizophrenia), and treating with that chemical and address the symptom. But then he'll refer back to an earlier part of the course where he also described the effect of that chemical in other areas of the brain, and you can easily understand how increasing it to solve a problem in one area can create a problem in the other. So the issue comes down to how do you either increase the chemical at only that location of the brain or how do you increase the sensitivity (receptors) in those neurons in that region, which may ultimately be the source of the problem. We don't really have the technology to do either. (I may be remembering some of the details incorrectly, and I am not a neuroscientist, but this is the gist of the message.)
That leaves us with no workable solution even though we fully understand the root cause, and means we have no choice but to treat using these imperfect methods like addressing symptoms and trading off one problem for another (side effects).
Of course this whole description I give does not necessarily apply for all psychological illnesses, but then to be fair the same is true for many physical ones as well, often not understanding the source and limited by technology. Cancer is a great example, where we apply treatments that create major side effects and don't really "cure" the cancer. (We even refer to remission, at best, rather than cure.)
TL;DR: I think a better description is that we have pretty good understanding but currently lack sufficient technology to treat much better than we do at the moment.
> aspects of my abuse required me to extinguish my empathy and do things very far away from my core beliefs
The alters who handled that for you had a critical role in your survival. People who aren't able to dissociate and who experience this kind of abuse get pretty permanently messed up - meaning, think about the fact that if you didn't have those alters to step in, YOU would probably have become what they are. I think a persecutor generally IS a protector, the mindf*ck being that they learned the best way to protect you/others is by becoming the abuser. What they went through was trauma in the form of psychological torture, and I guarantee none of them see it that way. But as far as healing goes, that's how it ought to be approached with them.
The empathy piece is tricky. I read this book a while ago that really helped me understand more about how and why it can get shut off. It's called The Science of Evil: On Empathy and the Origins of Cruelty. At the time I read it I was struggling with my own (lack of?) empathy but also trying to get a handle on how our abuser(s) could behave like a normal human being in one setting but then carry out unspeakable abuse in another.
Check out the book Smart But Scattered. It's directed towards those with ADHD, but focuses on the same executive function skills and really helps to assess which skills are affected most and offers practical suggestions on how to scaffold those weaknesses for greater success.
Have you read Blink by Malcolm Gladwell? I love his books and it sounds like it would be up your alley. Also, it's not exactly psychology, but I loved this book and it is non-fiction. Moonwalking with Einstein.
edit 2: Ok, just one more I thought of: Why We Lie was a quick, interesting non-fiction read I thought.
edit: another suggestion - this is definitely a psychology book that will make you think deeply - The Lucifer Effect by Philip Zimbardo.
Yup.
SPECT scans show remarkable differences in an ADD/ADHD brain versus non-ADD/ADHD brains.
I think gizzardgulpe is referring to the woman who wrote The Female Brain. I think she's been somewhat discredited in her research.
There is so much research on this, how anyone can look at that and condone letting infants cry is beyond me. Must be serious compartmentalization.
I recommend reading this
Don't mistake it for yet another how to parenting book, it gives a full history stretching over the last century of the development of attachment theory ( not to be mistaken with attachment parenting, NOT the same) and is full of research. It's not the easiest read, but readable nonetheless.
A lot of people believe that emotional self regulations happens if you simply let the child be on its own, waiting for the infant or child to figure it out. This is not true. Through the soothing of the parents, earlier on mostly through holding,touching, feeding, making sounds, mirroring the child's emotions, the child eventually will be able to internalize this model...and then start self soothing gradually. This is crucial for healthy development.
Just love your baby and hold it all the time, kiss it all the time, go crazy over it. It's all good, it's how it should be. Even when you're tired now, one day you won't be anymore and you will not ever regret having done it this way.
"Happiest Baby on the block" or " the no cry sleep solution" have some methods gently help babies sleep more. Might be worth a try.
I have been reading and really, really loving Bell Hooks - Feminist Theory from Margin to Center. And based on your past interests of the civil rights movement, I think you will especially love her perspective, because she is a black woman highlighting a lot of the problems with ways that feminism doesn't fully represent the interests of women of color, and has been dominated by upper class white women.
But more than that, it's a really great introduction to feminism and why feminist theory is a useful way to conceptualize of the problem and the solution, because she shows that really, feminism is about ALL social injustice. You can't work against sexism towards women without knocking down the structures that create oppression of all groups - you have to tackle the fundamental structure of society that says that "superior" groups should dominate over "inferior" groups, and this means tackling the root cause of racism, classism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, and every other similar cause for justice. If you only focus on women's issues to the exclusion of other inequalities, then you are treating the symptoms and not the underlying cause. This really resonated for me because I'm not convinced that women as a whole are the class most in need of activist support lately, and I like the idea of a movement that doesn't treat it as a zero-sum game but rather strives to create equality for all people.
The book is very slim, it's not an overwhelming amount of reading. With that said, the first chapter was verrrrry hard for me to get through, it was just so technical and full of jargon. I recommend skipping straight to chapter two, because the book gets MUCH better and more readable as you go on.
Please read "The Happiness Trap" - the emotional struggle you are enduring is something I have experienced and this book will help you quickly, it is very inexpensive. You can read the first 32 pages here to see if you are interested link
The other one you may really want is Becoming Attached by Price. My LPC is working with me on attachment issues and I just want to put this link in here as well book
There's a good book on how educated and intelligent people participated in despicable acts against other humans some with extreme zeal. Zimbardo also wrote an interesting book on the topic; particularly how regular people like you and I can even get sucked in.
Sure! Right now I like these Yoga With Adriene videos: Gentle Yoga, and Yoga for Loneliness (I like that this one is low to the ground and pretty much all done on your back). I also like these Somatic Exercises for neck and shoulders.
The book I like best for explaining dissociation is Sensorimotor Psychotherapy by Pat Ogden/ Janina Fisher. The book is huge and a little pricey, but that's because the format is supposed to be like a workbook for client and therapist. You don't have to go through the exercises (I don't) but my therapist utilizes a lot of sensorimotor psychotherapy ideas and techniques in our work and I bought the book because there's just so much great information in there about dissociation and how trauma gets stored in the body. There's also a workbook that I recently bought that's pretty good so far: Coping With Trauma Related Dissociation.
Depending on when you went to college, the guy might've stolen the idea a bit because Jonathan Shay wrote a pair of books published in the mid-90s to early-00s titled Achilles in Vietnam and Odysseus in America which are academic works about the Iliad and the Odyssey using them as a lens to understand psychological illnesses in veterans who saw combat.
> Simply stating you are something when you stand for the opposite does not magically make you the thing you state.
It makes you a self-identified member of a group. Groups are responsible for self-policing members who do not share "core ideology", and for their own public relations/public perception problems.
You might not really hate black people, but if I see you in a KKK robe, you will be considered a racist - it doesn't matter what your group thinks about it. Likewise, if you claim you are a feminist but behave misanthropically, you will be considered both a feminist and a misandrogynist.
Again, you don't speak for feminism as an ideology nor all feminists: no one does. It is not on you to define the group membership of another individual. It is on the group as a whole, and there isn't a cohesive view of this topic across all of the different feminist philosophies and schools of thought.
You don't know how "No True Scotsman" works. You are literally attempting to defend a generalized statement with an ad-hoc statement. It's about as clear an example as there can possibly be.
You: All feminists support gender equality.
Me: There are, demonstrably, some feminists who also hate men.
You: Well, they aren't real feminists then.
Definition from Wikipedia: "Feminism is a range of political movements, ideologies, and social movements that share a common goal: to define, establish, and achieve political, economic, personal, and social rights for women" [emphasis added, note the absence of the concept of gender equality in the encyclopedia definition.]
"Difference Feminism" - also from Wikipedia: "Taking for granted an equal moral status as persons, difference feminism asserts that there are differences between men and women that are not or should not be considered equally."
Wendy McElroy, an individualist feminist, wrote in 2001 that some feminists "have redefined the view of the movement of the opposite sex" as "a hot anger toward men [that] seems to have turned into a cold hatred." She argued it was a misandrist position to consider men, as a class, to be irreformable or rapists.
Paul Nathanson and Katherine K. Young argued that "ideological feminism" as opposed to "egalitarian feminism" has imposed misandry on culture. Their 2001 book, Spreading Misandry, analyzed "pop cultural artifacts and productions from the 1990s" from movies to greeting cards for what they considered to be pervasive messages of hatred toward men.
bell hooks (Gloria Jean Watkins), American author, feminist, and social activist: "[mainstream feminist] voices have been marginalized. To be in the margin is to be part of the whole but outside the main body." Hooks argues in her work that if feminism seeks to make women equal to men, then it is impossible because in Western society, not all men are equal. She further claims: "Women in lower class and poor groups, particularly those who are non-white, would not have defined women's liberation as women gaining social equality with men since they are continually reminded in their everyday lives that all women do not share a common social status."
So to reiterate from my original post:
>"Feminists" are not a cohesive group of people who share identical beliefs, nor does every feminist employ the same strategies toward the goal of dismantling patriarchy.
But please go tell a radical feminist, difference feminist, ecofeminist, etc. they aren't really feminists because they don't agree with your definition of what feminism is. Watching a gang of angry women educate you by tearing you a dozen new assholes would be hilarious.
I see, in reading the comments, that you aren't very motivated to seek counseling, which is fine. Frankly, it isn't for everybody.
I'm a strong proponent of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, due to the fact that it has completely turned my life around. This is something you can do WITHOUT professional help. There are many really awesome, step-by-step workbooks out there to walk yourself through CBT at your own pace. This one was the one I used primarily, and I think it's awesome. There are plenty out there, though, and I encourage finding what works for you. There is no one-size-fits-all thing for this kind of problem.
Look into your local Alzheimer's Association - they have meetings for family members, as well as activities for the person diagnosed, depending on how severe their condition is. Click on the "in my area" tab to find your local chapter.
I also always recommend The 36 Hour Day - it's a great primer on what to expect, and it gives some advice on different options for paying for care. Good luck, and we are here for you and your dad!
Thanks I have alwasy had my ears and eyes open to those folk you mention. I recently read Antipodes of the Mind as I have alwasy been interested in Ayahuasca worth a look maybe even a purchase?
Still yet to get to Food of the Gods and the Spirit Molecule both worthy reads Im sure. Cant get enough of Alex Grets art either.
So this doc looks perfect for me. I think someting is telling me to go hunting for mushrooms this year. There is still so much to learn, its wierd how this mind state or way of life runs alongside my normal 9-5. I wish I could devot more time to these studies!
During my SCID-D assessment, it was suggested to me that I have a 'reporter part' who has the job of watching things and keeping track of what is going on. I'm not that part, but I wanted to say that we love that part a lot and think they're really special and important. They feel unreal a lot but we wouldn't be here without them.
When I feel bad about dealing with it, I like to read some books on DID or lurk on this sub to remind myself I'm not alone. Child parts distract themselves with fantasy stories or young adult novels. Also, grounding techniques that use different senses can help too. Lately I've been getting a bar of chocolate and I'll do some colouring or listen to music. If that doesn't help, I'll play with the cat, call a friend or go to sleep. There's a book on coping with dissociation that has lots of things to try.
The part I mentioned doesn't find it easy to do any of these things because they don't really have any motivation or feel any enjoyment, but we have a rule that you just pick something and try it for ten minutes and if it doesn't work at least you tried. We're not actually very good at it, but that's the idea.
Psychiatric Interviewing by Shawn Shea, Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder by Marsha Linehan, and CFT Made Simple by Russell Kolts.
Plenty of others ... what sort of specific topics are you interested in?
I’m reading Becoming Attached on the recommendation of my therapist. When your primary caregiver(s) couldn’t/wouldn’t/didn’t help teach you how to self-regulate your emotions is re-wires you brain and your fight/flight/freeze/friend response gets messed up.
I’m hyper vigilant as a result. I’m doing neurofeedback to re-train my brain. During my first session my therapist could literally see the evidence of my trauma in my brainwaves and my hand temperature. When my brain adjusted during that first session to the rest and digest phase I felt panicked, not relaxed. I perceive relaxation as a threat. I love my neurofeedback sessions and look forward to them every week. They are really helping me. (I also found hot bikram-style yoga really helped me with my rage issues by learning to be comfortable being uncomfortable.)
I also wanted to pass along another resource (that someone on reddit pointed me to) that has been very helpful in unraveling my symptoms. 50+ Characteristics of Complex Trauma. It’s a long video series, but there are also slides to accompany the talks. I also really like the Shame Lies talk from that site as well.
Me too!
I think finding out why you like yourself is more powerful than identifying with a certain gender. Finding out who you are takes time and introspection, but I think that's where real self-confidence and self-love comes from.
But for some of the science of what being a woman means, I highly recommend this book, The Female Brain by Dr. Louann Brizendine. There are some things that characterize women, besides the boobs and uterus, and they're good to know.
How about The Explosive Child by Ross Greene? Focuses on the Collaborative Problem Solving approach (see also www.thinkkids.org), which views temper tantrums as a delay in the development of emotion regulation skills and works on building those skills. Jed Baker's No More Meltdowns is another great option with some similar ideas.
For general parenting -- including dealing with tantrums -- I love How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk by Faber and Mazlish. Dawson and Guare's Smart But Scattered helps with executive functioning skills-development of all types (emotional regulation is an executive function; others include things like organization and planning).
Oh, and I haven't made it all the way through it yet, but The Whole Brain Child has some good ideas on how to talk about distress tolerance with kids, e.g., "surfing the emotional waves."
Her Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center is pretty badass. It was the first feminism book I read, I'd definitely recommend it.
follow up question:
During my first ceremony, the first thing that happened to me was that I felt an extremely comfortable, mother-like vibe, and I knew I would be okay. After reading http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0199252939 , I learned that is extremely common for people to encounter (mama ayahuasca) their first time. Did you have a similar feeling? Just a comfortable, euphoria, a motherly vibe?
The future of the mind by michio kaku
I read it last year and it blew my mind. Your boyfriend will love it. Check out his other books also, i think your boyfriend will really like him
Here are some of my favorite popular books by academic researchers about consciousness:
And for more of an inside-out view, I'd recommend a book on meditation by a former neuroscientist: The Mind Illuminated by Robert Yates
I'm a psychotherapist who has zero training in DBT and who will soon be starting a job at a residential program for teens where DBT is one of the primary treatment modalities. I'll obviously be trained when I get there, but in the meantime I'd like to get as up-to-date as I can so that I don't have to start from scratch.
So, I'd like to buy some books. Specifically, I want books that focus on the practice and theory of DBT, so obviously not self-help books aimed at clients. I've found a few so far and I'll link them below (I'm happy to buy any or all of these books, and obviously any others that people recommend):
Thanks!
I have a bad habit of reading multiple books at once, so I'm currently on Women Behind Bars: The Crisis of Women in the US Prison System, Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center, and one day I'll finish Rules for Radicals. Women Behind Bars is a really great, easy read that has a lot of good information in it. The other two are a bit slower, but still good and I recommend them all.
Other than these books, I read a lot about dogs....so previously I've read Don't Shoot the Dog and On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals. If anyone is interested in positive reinforcement, Don't Shoot the Dog is really applicable to every situation - you can apply it to dogs, clients, spouses, children, any relationship really. I thought it was a good read as a social worker and dog...understander.... :)
Redeployment - Phil Klay
Odysseus in America - Jonathan Shay
I think this book should go precursory to the attachment relationship one. If anything, I would read this before reading that as well!
I know I'm late to this conversation, but I'd like to add that animals indeed do feel emotions. Dr. Jaak Panksepp has studied this in depth.
Thank you for looking after Tugboat. He's fortunate to have found his way to you. Raccoons are a very demanding animal so it takes a very dedicated individual to be able to have them in their life.
Well, I never said I believe that the songs actually communicate with the spirits or heal anyone. I can state however that shamanic singing can OBJECTIVELY modulate the experience of a group of people on Ayahuasca.
Over the course of a given ceremony, Icaros directly control the 'journey' of everyone participating. The shamans employ different Icaros at different times for different effects. Some of them bring you 'up' some of them bring you 'down'. Some of them them encourage introspection, some laughter, and still others intense visualization or body effects. They do this group modulation with intention and know exactly what they're doing.
If you don't see how something like that is possible, then yes, we do need to agree to disagree for now and I suggest you get some education. :)
I think this would be a good time to post these :)
NPR To The Best of Our Knowledge This episode is called Anxiety but is much broader than that. Very interesting info. Particularly pay attention the second segment.
Anatomy of an Epidemic by Robert Whitaker Very good book. Mirrors my experiences and my observations of others experiences.
"In 1998, he co-wrote a series on psychiatric research for the Boston Globe that was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service."
Robert Whitaker's info(from his website)
Thanks nice find, I just ordered it!
I also just got Michio Kaku's new book "The Future of the mind"
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Healing-Fragmented-Selves-Trauma-Survivors/dp/0415708230
This is also excellent for IFS and Richard Schwartz (who is the founder of IFS therapy)
That's the book!
Awesome, kind stranger. I appreciate it more than I can say.
Amazon shows another by Shay :
Odysseus in America: Combat Trauma and the Trials of Homecoming
So I looks as though my ever expanding pile of book to read will grow again.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/074321157X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_-0WDxbWZ3JXSH
Affective Neuroscience, by Jaak Panksepp is a very heavy treatment of the topic, but very good.
The Feeling of What Happens, by Antonio Damasio is a little more coffee table/pop sciencey, but he's a very accomplished neuroscientist who is drawing on his clinical experiences.
Put simply, though, "affect," or emotion, is a subconscious body state. Hunger, fear, desire, rage, sadness, happiness/satisfaction are all collections of biological functions which place our organism in a state appropriate to its environment. Emotion is a fairly primitive degree of control over the entire biological system. Right above reflex.
Feeling is the conscious appreciation of your body experiencing one of these states, and attributing it to a specific perceptual stimulus, or abstracting one from experience.
We as humans also have a further degree of abstraction, where we can imagine ourselves feeling an emotion, and precipitate the physical response as if we were experiencing the stimulus. This is the basis for the emotional weight of things like art, music, and empathy.
I'll second all of the suggestions to meditate, but given that this is /r/philosophy it might be a good idea to point you towards some literature.
In my experience, reading a bit of the meditations of Marcus Aurelius always puts me in a mood of calm and control, although Buddhist sutras are probably just as good.
If you want to actually read about the cognitive science behind mood and affect, I've heard good things about Antonio Damasio's older books. (Looking for Spinoza and The Feeling of What Happens.) His more recent books have had a less favorable reception. For a book specifically focused on meditation and the brain, you can't beat Zen and the Brain by James Austin.
If you believe your mind to be strong enough I would suggest shedding the first.
Anatomy of an Epidemic
>The lack of psychoactive influences makes for smoother sailing.
I would almost disagree. Once in a while, bending reality teaches you more about reality. If you dont want to jump into acid/mdma there is always ether. If you find ether, never talk about it, there is a social stigma.
I really enjoyed Odysseus in America. It's mostly about Vietnam Vets but a lot of it is pretty general.
There are also psychopathic ENTJs... ;-)
When I was looking for information about the "evil" psychological disorders, there was no way around “The Science of Evil”. It deals with empathy and what people with a lag of it are like. It's awesome!
https://www.amazon.com/Science-Evil-Empathy-Origins-Cruelty/dp/0465031420/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491643106&sr=8-1&keywords=the+science+of+evil
Besides that, I totally agree. Whenever I have a goal in mind, there is nothing I am not going to break through!
Sometimes, bpd is diagnosed where there is a better case to be made for dissociative issues caused by early life trauma. I would consult a trauma-informed psychotherapist, because psychiatrists may be quick with the (legal) drugs and i think you might agree that more drugs is not really what you need. Also, if you are the kind that likes to research things by yourself, try to have a look at this book or other theories dealing with disociation and trauma such as Sensorymotor therapy or Internal family systems theory.
This is a copy paste of an email I've sent a couple of friends. My child has dyslexia and I found these resources useful. The Amazon links are not affiliate links or anything, just links to the books. The first two books were especially intersting and useful, and will apply even as an adult!
Dyslexic Advantage - by Brock and Fernette Eide
Overcoming Dyslexia - by Sally Shaywitz - the first part of the book is the most interesting - it's the science of dyslexia - the second is strategies for teaching/learning
Some other books:
I read them all - at least mostly - but I can't separate the info in my memory to remember which was best at what
Some good websites:
Huh. There's a Kindle edition offered on the US version of Amazon's site.
Depends how much work you feel like putting into this. Read about what she might be going through, what treatments are effective, realize the limits of what you can do and you could conceivably create a very helpful adjudicative role in her recovery. By realize the limits of what you can do I mean try to get her a good doctor, don't expect to be her doctor.
https://www.amazon.com/Hate-You-Dont-Leave-Understanding-Personality/dp/0399536213
https://www.amazon.com/Rebuilding-Shattered-Lives-Post-Traumatic-Dissociative-ebook/dp/B000WCTLM4/
https://www.amazon.com/Cognitive-Behavioral-Treatment-Borderline-Personality-Disorder/dp/0898621836/
Currently working my way through The Science of Evil, although I haven't been much in the mood for it.
I also just grabbed the first two volumes of East of West as a Christmas gift for my nephew, so I'm going to read through those right away to make sure they're age appropriate.
What do you usually enjoy reading?
I'll just leave this here: Achilles in Vietnam: Combat Trauma and the Undoing of Character; Odysseus in America: Combat Trauma and the Trials of Homecoming.
ADD is where you need help. Here http://www.amazon.com/Healing-ADD-Breakthrough-Program-Allows/dp/0425183270. Read this. Have a long lasting and healthy relationship. Case closed.
We did a four night birthing class spread across a month, which our hospital offered. It was taught by a retired doula who had great anecdotes and wisdom to share. We got The Birth Partner (your local library probably has one), which has a lot of great information. A lot of doulas are trained from this book and you see it frequently recommended. It's a lot to read; jump to the yellow pages and then dive into sections you want to know more on.
Unfortunately you can do everything you can think of and she can still have PPD, but there are things that you can do to help. Knowing what's normal and expected by reading helpful books and evidence based research can help you both to know what to look for and feel more prepared which can help with postpartum stress. Making sure she has time and space to bond with the baby early and well can help her more connected to baby, more like a "good mum". Reassuring her in those early hours and days that she's doing well and that things are normal (normal is a pretty huge range of things). Sometimes having a few close people to help at home after birth is really beneficial to protect mum's space and time with the baby, but some people find that harder- feeling bad for not doing it on their own.
Don't feel like you or she have failed if either of you feel like you have no idea what you're doing or life is impossible or like you aren't as connected as you want to be. That first month is gonna be ridiculous and be overwhelming at times. It's OK. And get help from a professional if she needs it.
With my first I chose unmedicated and had a very poor support system. This time I have an amazing support system but still worry.
If you have a strong support system it will make all the difference in the world. Attend birthing classes with your partner and/or watch birthing class videos. Commit to practicing the comfort techniques shown in the classes with your partner. Research the hospitals available to you and what they allow. Some hospitals really want you to stay in bed, which makes it harder to perform many pain management techniques. Some encourage a more ambulatory labor approach. Also see what they have available, do they have a shower or tub (birthing centers often have the big birthing tubs that many women swear by if that is an option for you), do they have a birthing ball, will they allow you to dismantle the bed to facilitate a wider range of positions to ease and manage pain. Get your partner familiar with many counter-pressure and massage techniques. Create a soothing playlist for the big day and bring a speaker in your hospital bag to play it. If you have mood lighting that you’d prefer to the harsh hospital lights, bring along led candles or whatever you have that will create the ambiance you want. It’s as much about psychological calming measures as it is about physical comfort measures. Combine the two for your best possible unmedicated experience.
AAAAND...don’t feel ashamed if, even with all of the above measures, you cave and get the epidural. You may check with your insurance, but it may be partially or even fully covered. If not...oh well, you can worry about that later. You do what you need to do to have a calm, fulfilling birth experience. No one will judge you if you choose to manage your pain with technology.
Also a book I see recommended a lot is “The Birth Partner”. Having your partner read this, or reading it with them may give you a lot of insight as to how to manage an unmedicated birth as a team.
Good luck?
re: studies of animal emotions
>Jaak Panksepp (2004, 2005) has been conducting a research program that he calls “affective neuroscience” and that encompasses direct study of animal emotions (2004), exemplified for example in the experimental investigation of rats “laughing” and seeking further contact in response to tickling by humans (Panksepp & Burgdorf 2003). Over several decades, his work (reviewed in Panksepp 2005) has elucidated the neuro- and molecular-physiological bases of several ‘core emotional systems’ including ‘seeking’, ‘fear’, ‘rage’, ‘lust’, ‘care’, ‘play’, and ‘panic’. Panksepp argues that these are shared by all mammals, and may be more widely shared among vertebrates.
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/consciousness-animal/#currsci-emotion
Affective Neuroscience: The Foundations of Human and Animal Emotions
Affective consciousness: Core emotional feelings in animals and humans
'Laughing’ rats and the evolutionary antecedents of human joy? Physiology and Behavior
But yes, the subjective experiences of others, whether human or other kinds of animal are rather hidden from us, so we should withhold absolute credence concerning our beliefs about what's going upstairs in their minds. But, plausibly, morality obliges us to be careful in situations like these, not hazardous, so we shouldn't harm or kill these animals without good reason on the assumption that these animals lack what we may believe to be crucially morally relevant properties that we are actually barred from investigating fully at this time.
Becoming Attached for a book on the history of research in relationship attachment - as well as more current topics in relationships
How the Mind Works by Steven Pinker
Consciousness Explained by Daniel Dennet
Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
These are the first few that come to mind. I'll add more as I think of them.
> What makes you so sure we have completely eliminated that prejudice?
I specifically said I believe we have not completely eliminated that prejudice. See:
> the obvious social and institutional barriers that definitely do exist and need to be fought
Social/cultural/institutional barriers contribute to the difference between male and female success in STEM. I'm inclined to believe most or all of it is caused by that. We should break down those barriers.
I'm just saying it's plausible to me the difference can be partially explained by biological-cognitive differences and that we shouldn't assume ahead of time that it isn't just because we find the prospect distasteful.
So why am I spending time pointing out that something is plausible to me and shouldn't be ruled out even though I'm inclined to believe it's false? Because it's important in principle that we don't let what we would prefer to be the case rule out possible scientific explanations for things.
> which ones are we talking about here?
From a quick Google search...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091021125133.htm
http://psychcentral.com/news/2009/10/22/women-recognize-emotions-better/9100.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC125046/
http://www.amazon.com/Female-Brain-Louann-Brizendine-M-D/dp/0767920090
http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Advantages-Women-Michele-Miller/dp/1932226125
http://bigthink.com/women-and-power/the-female-and-extreme-female-brain
I'm not sure whether these ideas are agreed to by a wide majority of experts but they're certainly taken seriously by them. Isn't it convenient that the science on gender has shifted along with our cultural mores? In the early 20th century when it was acceptable among the cultured to say men were superior but not women, scientists found ways men were superior. Now that the reverse is acceptable, scientists found ways women were superior.
Maybe both were wrong. Maybe both were right. Maybe only one was. Maybe there's a lot of mix. I'm not in a position to say. But it's obvious cultural values have greatly affected how science looks at gender.
> Oh, you mean like the multitude of times I've asked people in this very thread to define what they think patriarchy is? Can I get you to follow me around and suggest I do things I've already done all the time?
no I literally meant what I said. when you say stuff like "patriarchy is a third wave feminist concept" it reveals that you don't have any idea what you're talking about and are either lying about taking a gender studies class or slept through the entire thing
> I wouldn't describe Sarkeesian that way, but you can if you want.
I was talking about this actually https://www.reddit.com/r/GGFreeForAll/comments/3yxs6x/is_the_patriarchy_the_ultimate_conspiracy_theory/cyhmafb
> For example, rather than bitch and moan about how bad you think my handle on third wave feminism or "the patriarchy" is, why not use what you perceive as my shortcoming to help educate myself and the wider audience on the subject.
here ya go buddy http://www.amazon.com/Feminist-Theory-From-Margin-Center/dp/0896086135
Unstuck and on target
https://www.amazon.com/Unstuck-Target-Executive-Curriculum-Flexibility/dp/1598572032
Smart but scattered
https://www.amazon.com/Smart-but-Scattered-Revolutionary-Executive/dp/1593854455
Flexible and focused (written by Adele Najowski, a behavior analyst)
https://www.amazon.com/Flexible-Focused-Individuals-Specialties-Behavioral/dp/0128098333
I'm currently working through this program.
http://www.amazon.com/Managing-Social-Anxiety-Workbook-Edition/dp/0195336690
My therapist suggested it, but she also says it's something that one could work through on their own. I looked at various medications, but all of them had potential side effects that I didn't want and no matter what, when you stop taking them, the anxiety comes back. This program teaches your brain to identify the triggers of anxiety, and to stop it before it spirals out of control.
The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin
Birth Partner 5th Edition: A Complete Guide to Childbirth for Dads, Partners, Doulas, and All Other Labor Companions https://www.amazon.com/dp/1558329102/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_OiKSCbG0B4CCY
The OP mentions this book further up,
Healing the Fragmented Selves of Trauma Survivors: Overcoming Internal Self-Alienation https://www.amazon.ca/dp/0415708230/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_-r2TCb0X0XP02
I've also read it and it was completely life changing
There is a really comprehensive book called The Female Brain by Louise Brizendine. Most of the information it contains is rather contemporary, since the female brain was not studied extensively until recently.
In this book was a lot of the anatomical differences, how they are cued by hormones in utero, about the forming of connections. It's a good read, despite the controversy surrounding it.
There may be a link, but I think its still a little controversial. I read a book describing 6 types of ADHD, (based on brain scans if I remeber correctly) and I believe type IV or VI could be caused by an injury. The 6 types were:
Type I: Classic ADD (hyperactive, restless, distractible, impulsive) treated with psychostimulants.
Type II: Inattentive ADD (Space cadets, daydreamers, couch potatoes) treated with stimulants and stimulating anti-depressants
Type III: Overfocused ADD (Trouble shifting attention, stuck, obsessive and argumentative) , treated with SSRI/SNRI
Type IV: Temporal Lobe ADD (Aggressive, memory problems, headaches): treated with anticonvulsants
Type V: Limbic ADD (Depression, negativity, negative internal filter), treated with stimulant anti depressants
Type VI: Ring of Fire ADD (Angry overal sensitive, moody, oppositional) use of bi-polar meds.
Link to book
Now officially available in e-book format for Kindle at Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Combating-Cult-Mind-Control-Best-Selling-ebook/dp/B00V9DU340/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1427482621&sr=1-2&keywords=Combating+Cult+Mind+Control
"The mind is, what the brain does"
"You" are just the sum of all the experiences and information processed by your brain. In theory, if you could do a brain transplant you could actually be in another persons body.
All the Information that makes you is encoded in your brain.
It is even hypothesized that you could, one day, extract all the information of you brain (called a connectum) and store it on something like a computer.
You could then use this connectum to re-create your brain, essentially restoring "you" from a backup. While this is all technology that's maybe centuries away, it does not contradict any of our scientific theories.
If you are interested in more information, check out this book:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Future-Mind-Scientific-Understand/dp/038553082X
So I think a natural progression to this topic is to ask "What makes human intelligence unique?"
Again, this is a very active area of research. By no means is there a single consensus. We are constantly learning new things about ourselves and animals.
Animals are complex beings, and scientists for the past few decades have come to understand that the divide between us and them is not black and white, but rather a continuum of shared abilities. Animals exhibit a lot of similar behaviours and can even do things that we can't do (even on a cognitive level). They have morals; they have emotions; they make and modify tools; they can solve multi-step problems; they have culture and traditions; they can lie and cheat; they know when they are being treated unfairly; they mourn the dead; they have complex communication systems; they feel empathy; and some recognized themselves in a mirror (e.g. mirror test) and are able to distinguish self from other. So these aspects of intelligence and cognition, and very likely many other aspects that we have not fully explored, are not unique to humans. Given the complexity of other animals, it is very likely were are not the only species to have consciousness, that is to say other animals also have theory of mind. It may be more akin to the consciousness of a 3-5 year old, but none the less, they still know themselves from others. So what does make us unique? What led to our unique kind of intelligence?
We know of some factors that contributed to our awareness and unique intelligence as compared to other living species. It is important to know that this is a very active area of study in many different disciplines (psychology, biology, animal behaviour, psychiatry, physiology, anthropology, neurology, linguistics, genetics, archeology...).
These two traits, shared intentionality and cumulative culture, led to the development of other aspects of our being which are unique (e.g language). Everything else that we can do is just a happy by-product of these two traits: being able to go to the moon, or build a super dam, or create art, or think in the abstract, maths, industrial agriculture...Those things are by-products of our level of cognition. Our uniqueness is derived from shared intentionality and cumulative culture plus a couple of random physical traits that we were lucky enough to inherit from our distant ancestors - a big brain, bipedalism, and opposable thumbs. We are not the only species with a large brain-to-body ratio, we are not the only bipedal species, and we are certainly not the only species with opposable thumbs - these are physical characteristics that we inherited from our distant primate ancestors. These traits built the foundation for what was to come.
Whatever the pressure around 40,000-50,000 years ago we notice a significant shift in the archeological record. All of a sudden humans are making cave art, our hunting tools are changing rapidly, we began to engage in long distant trade, we made jewellery and we even had symbolic figures - perhaps the seeds of language. This is known as the period of behavioural modernity. Not only did these humans look like us, they acted like us too. Its hypothesized that an infant from this time could be raised in a modern context with little to no intellectual deficit...we wouldn't be able to pick them out of a crowd. Humans haven't gotten more intelligent over time. It is hypothesized that a human from 50,000 years ago is anatomically and behaviourally modern.
So, if we aren't any smarter - why do we have cell phones and galaxy print jeggings and people didn't way back then? Increasing complexity - we know more than people in the past because we've built upon what they've learned. Humans have always been smart, and our great benefit is that we build on other people's discoveries. Someone figured out how to domesticate plants, someone figured out how to sew cloth, someone figured out how to weave materials, someone figured out synthetic materials and dyes, someone put it all together in those jeggings. We just build on what other people have found out. This is cumulative culture in action. Humans today are not more intelligent than humans living 50,000 years ago - we both have the same potential. The difference between us and them is we have a wealth of shared knowledge to draw upon, and they did not. Humans 5000 years from now could be asking the very same question..."Why didn't they invent warp travel, its so easy!"...well we don't have the wealth of another 5000 years of experience and scientific study to draw upon. We only have what our ancestors gave us. As more and more knowledge is accumulated we should in theory progress faster and faster (without consideration to other limitations to progress).
This actually sounds a lot like me. I always kind of had the feeling I was a little different than other people, and that socializing and forming relationships never came naturally to me. Turns out I have inattentive ADHD, hence the addictive personally, depression, and total lack of self awareness. I'm not trying to diagnose you or anything, I'm just putting the thought out there. Getting help seriously changed my life. This book is what really got me going on a road to recovery from all this. The specific kind of ADHD I have is called Limbic ADHD, which is inattentiveness, mixed with depression and the tendency to be socially isolated. I wish somebody had told me about it earlier in life, I got diagnosed at 19. Just something to think about...
If you enjoyed that talk, you'd likely enjoy books from Irving Kirsch and Robert Whitaker. If you don't have a dozen or more hours to read both of these books, the NYBOOKS writeup is pretty good (and might convince you to spend the dozen hours, as it did me). Lastly, if your schedule/lifestyle better accommodates listening to an mp3 rather than reading a book, I cannot recommend highly enough a talk from UW School of Public Health senior lecturer Dr. Stephen Bezruchka, "Is America Driving You Crazy?" [10mb mp3 or low quality YouTube video].
For those who are too lazy to click the NYBOOKS writeup above, here's a brief excerpt that gets at some of the good stuff:
>For obvious reasons, drug companies make very sure that their positive studies are published in medical journals and doctors know about them, while the negative ones often languish unseen within the FDA, which regards them as proprietary and therefore confidential. This practice greatly biases the medical literature, medical education, and treatment decisions.
>Kirsch and his colleagues used the Freedom of Information Act to obtain FDA reviews of all placebo-controlled clinical trials, whether positive or negative, submitted for the initial approval of the six most widely used antidepressant drugs approved between 1987 and 1999—Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Celexa, Serzone, and Effexor. This was a better data set than the one used in his previous study, not only because it included negative studies but because the FDA sets uniform quality standards for the trials it reviews and not all of the published research in Kirsch’s earlier study had been submitted to the FDA as part of a drug approval application.
>Altogether, there were forty-two trials of the six drugs. Most of them were negative. Overall, placebos were 82 percent as effective as the drugs, as measured by the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D), a widely used score of symptoms of depression. The average difference between drug and placebo was only 1.8 points on the HAM-D, a difference that, while statistically significant, was clinically meaningless. The results were much the same for all six drugs: they were all equally unimpressive. Yet because the positive studies were extensively publicized, while the negative ones were hidden, the public and the medical profession came to believe that these drugs were highly effective antidepressants.
>Kirsch was also struck by another unexpected finding. In his earlier study and in work by others, he observed that even treatments that were not considered to be antidepressants—such as synthetic thyroid hormone, opiates, sedatives, stimulants, and some herbal remedies—were as effective as antidepressants in alleviating the symptoms of depression. Kirsch writes, “When administered as antidepressants, drugs that increase, decrease or have no effect on serotonin all relieve depression to about the same degree.” What all these “effective” drugs had in common was that they produced side effects, which participating patients had been told they might experience.
>It is important that clinical trials, particularly those dealing with subjective conditions like depression, remain double-blind, with neither patients nor doctors knowing whether or not they are getting a placebo. That prevents both patients and doctors from imagining improvements that are not there, something that is more likely if they believe the agent being administered is an active drug instead of a placebo. Faced with his findings that nearly any pill with side effects was slightly more effective in treating depression than an inert placebo, Kirsch speculated that the presence of side effects in individuals receiving drugs enabled them to guess correctly that they were getting active treatment—and this was borne out by interviews with patients and doctors—which made them more likely to report improvement. He suggests that the reason antidepressants appear to work better in relieving severe depression than in less severe cases is that patients with severe symptoms are likely to be on higher doses and therefore experience more side effects.
Lucifer has me bound to him...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiTMtqHTGTQ
Good book.
Being an INFP is da bomb!
The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol. or swear by a false god.
I bought as many books as I could on DBT and ACT not all at once only when I could afford it.
I started by reading http://www.amazon.com/Cognitive-Behavioral-Treatment-Borderline-Personality-Disorder/dp/0898621836/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1408057792&sr=8-2&keywords=cognitive+behavioral+therapy+for+bpd
&
http://www.amazon.com/Doing-Dialectical-Behavior-Therapy-Individualized/dp/1462502326/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408057888&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=doing+dialectical+behavioural+therapy
to get a better understanding of BPD and DBT. and right now I am working with these workbooks:
http://www.amazon.com/Training-Treating-Borderline-Personality-Disorder/dp/0898620341/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1408057792&sr=8-3&keywords=cognitive+behavioral+therapy+for+bpd
and
http://www.amazon.com/Expanded-Dialectical-Behavior-Therapy-Training/dp/1936128128/ref=pd_sim_b_6?ie=UTF8&refRID=1H69WV6FGR18FCSQ5TSQ
and I have just ordered this one.
http://www.amazon.com/Dialectical-Behavior-Therapy-Skills-Workbook/dp/1572245131/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408057792&sr=8-1&keywords=cognitive+behavioral+therapy+for+bpd
the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy book I got is (I have yet to start this one):
http://www.amazon.com/Acceptance-Commitment-Therapy-Second-Practice/dp/1609189620/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1408058093&sr=1-1&keywords=acceptance+and+commitment+therapy
I do what is on the workbooks and I also do further research on the skills online so I can understand it better and see what works and what doesn't for me and I test them out forcing myself to do exposure sessions ( or try to get used to using them in the moment they are needed or helpful) and I write down everything so I don't forget and kind of monitor myself and my progress.
I am reading Michio Kaku's most recent book, The Future of the Mind
Hi!
When you say do you have a good read on anxiety symptoms? Do you mean do I have any good books to recommend on anxiety symptoms that are available worldwide?
A good resource would be the self-study, online course [Master Your Public Speaking Fear] (https://speakmeister.com/edu/product/master-your-public-speaking-fear/). I'm the author of this course, and it explains the symptoms in detail with video animations so you can see exactly how fear works and how to control it. You can take it at anytime from anywhere (it works like a Netflix movie where you can watch it immediately). I don't know of another resource that really explains the symptoms. That's why I created the course - I couldn't find much that gave a good explanation with animations. I'm happy to chat with anyone who takes the course for free (by chat, email or phone) to answer any questions and help you apply the material to your situation.
These books don't really go into the symptoms in detail, but they can be very helpful:
▪︎ [Books by Claire Weeks] (http://www.amazon.com/Claire-Weekes/e/B001HOT92I/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1)
▪︎ [Your phobia: Understanding your fears through contextual therapy] (https://www.amazon.com/Your-Phobia-Harry-Zane-Manuel/dp/0446346039/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1469118949&sr=1-2&keywords=manuel+zane+phobia)
▪︎ [Triumph Over Fear: A Book of Help and Hope for People with Anxiety, Panic Attacks and Phobias] (https://www.amazon.com/Triumph-Over-Fear-Anxiety-Attacks/dp/0553374443/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1469119054&sr=1-5&keywords=manuel+zane+phobia)
▪︎ [Managing Social Anxiety: A Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Approach] (https://www.amazon.com/Managing-Social-Anxiety-Cognitive-Behavioral-Treatments/dp/0195336690/ref=pd_sim_14_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=51%2B71pysxCL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL320_SR244%2C320_&psc=1&refRID=R91TS49Z6SX7TQYRDKRT)
Note: In the next week, I'll be publishing an ebook on Amazon that will contain much of the same material as the course with links to the video animations. When it's ready, I'll post the link here. If you want me to notify you, PM me here with your email or fill out the "Keep Me Informed" form on the bottom of the page at https://speakmeister.com/edu.
A MUST read: Anatomy of an Epidemic, by Robert Whitaker
Here's a good book on the topic: http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Attached-First-Relationships-Capacity/dp/0195115015
>Anti-psychotic medication? With out it good? or with it good? Well again it's deeper than that. With out any medication it's bad all around
http://www.amazon.com/Anatomy-Epidemic-Bullets-Psychiatric-Astonishing/dp/0307452417
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatomy_of_an_Epidemic
>If there were no financial motivations
Hippy dream world. And I like hippies.
>If they are meaningless then why not give every t-ball player a first place prize?
Why does XBox have Achievement points and PS3 trophies? STRAWMAN, why do you say first prize. If you get a prize for everything you finish, and there are 100 tasks, not everyone gets the same AMOUNT of prizes.
>I'd argue that the idea that consciousness is non-material is our basic intuition.
And that is all you have to go on. Intuition is not a terribly reliable source of information about the nature of real reality. By intuition the sun rises in the east, travels across the heavens, and sets in the west while the earth remains stationary.
I pointed to books in links above that show the material basis for consciousness. I'm not going to be able to reproduce it here. But if you want to credit intuition there seems to be enough information about the universe being material and none about it being non-material to intuit that consciousness is also material.
Some Books:
I Am a Strange Loop; Godel, Escher, Bach; Philosophy in the Flesh; The Feeling of What Happens; Descartes' Error; Self Comes to Mind
>Holy shit, how many times do I have to say that I think that the physical brain plays a vital role in consciousness before you stop trying to argue as if I was asserting something to the contrary?
How many times do I have to say that physical brain is the only thing in evidence? If it is the physical brain and something, produce the "and something". I can produce the physical brain. So it seems my task is done and yours has yet to begin.
Do you have to demonstrate the non-material scientifically? Well of course you do. You say you can't, yet at the same time want it to be the controlling stuff. How can it do that with no connection? And if it has a connection to the material, then you should be able to study it scientifically.
http://www.amazon.com/Antipodes-Mind-Phenomenology-Ayahuasca-Experience/dp/0199252939
and
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=4392361&page=1#.TrzoWUPiHqE
Hm. The website says it's from this book.
http://www.amazon.com/Affective-Neuroscience-Foundations-Emotions-Science/dp/019517805X?tag=quartz07-20
Jaak Panksepp
It was published in 2004. So that data is 2003 and earlier. This isn't new info at all.
Which made me wonder why it was posted, followed by an, "Oh..." I question whether rats are actually doing something like human seeking. On the human side, I think we're zapping ourselves because there's something there. We don't know what exactly but it does have some positive (and negative) effects. It's seeking something better, not just inflicting harm because there's nothing else left in the environment.
I second becoming familiar with alz.org. Also, The 36-Hour Day is a great book with lots of practical advice.
As for making your mom feel comfortable about it, it seems to me that everyone experiences Alzheimer's differently. My husband didn't realize that he had it and we never mentioned it. His decline was very slow so it was easy to gloss over his loss of abilities one by one in very small steps. What might at first seem horrifying — like having to shave him or take off his socks for him — turns out to feel like normal routine when there's a long transition and when you go about it matter-of-factly.
Help your mom to save face whenever possible. I remember telling my husband, "Gosh those new socks are so tight, a person needs help getting them off..." Don't draw attention to her forgetfulness, just go along with it. If she asks you the same question six times in a row, respond each time as though it were the first. You can get into a dreamy sort of rhythm that is actually pleasant instead of frustrating.
Healing ADD by Daniel Amen has a lot of great tips for using natural products. I haven't used them personally though.
Not pedophiles specifically, but here are a few about deviant behaviors in general that might interest you:
I believe this is the latest version: https://www.amazon.com/Birth-Partner-5th-Childbirth-Companions/dp/1558329102/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=the+birth+partner&qid=1562434106&s=gateway&sprefix=the+birth&sr=8-1
See if your local library has it.
If you find it you can read Benny Shannon’s The Antipodes of the Mind: charting the phenomenology of the ayahuasca experience
It deals exclusively with what you describe your post
I don't have experience with any. This is why your thread interested me. I need a better therapist. Stopped going to the last one after I eventually realized she wasn't able to even recognize the problems Mormonism caused me let alone help me recover from them.
These are books I have seen mentioned different places, but I haven't taken the time yet to delve into any of them. I often get caught up with choices and procrastinate making a move forward.
Recovering Agency: Lifting the Veil of Mormon Mind Control
When I Say No, I Feel Guilty
The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem
Combating Cult Mind Control
Sorry, I'm not willing to wade through another wall of text with so little punctuation.
But I got through this:
> I don't understand what other people mean by "feeling" in expressions such as "talking about feelings" and "talking about emotions" and "describing feelings" and "describing emotions." I just guess.
Which honestly doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me unless you're alexithymic. And even then, there's little mystery to what those things mean - even to someone who is.
Might try one of Damasio's books? Would probably start with this one: https://www.amazon.com/Feeling-What-Happens-Emotion-Consciousness/dp/0156010755
>Not sure if it's cool to put this here, if not I'm sorry.
Yup.
>I’ve been dating my boyfriend (33) for nearly six months.
Keep this in mind. You've only been -dating- for only -six months-. You're under no obligations, and there are a lot more guys out there. Don't get too attached to a bad idea.
>He is a devout Christian and a leader in his church.
Holy f'n red flags Batman.
>Before we began dating he never told me about his religion, or how involved he was in his church.
I'd make a quip about how transparently this relationship started, but I'll just assume he didn't know you were agnostic.
>He’s always known that I am agnostic.
Nevermind then. Motherf-
>I’ve always tried to be SO supportive and am always happy to talk with him about his beliefs.
It's one thing to be supportive about a hobby. But then there's delusions...
>Even if we disagree I’m happy he is so passionate about it.
I'm sure you are.. Doesn't make his actions right though.
>We got into an argument this weekend because I felt that he was avoiding speaking to me during his weekend church retreat. Originally, I was feeling that he just didn’t care enough to make time for me,
Wait for it...
>wanted to “avoid having to tell his pastor that he was dating a “non-believer.”
... wait ...
>He told me that if he tells his church, he will essentially no longer be permitted to be a leader in his church
... and Bingo. Don't be surprised that a theist may consider the church before you. You know how indoctrination works, it's beaten into their minds since the moment they can understand the language. He can't help it, but you can. Dodge the bullet, I say.
>because they are against Christians dating non-Christians.
Cult survival 101. Don't allow outsiders, those with a different perspective. Those with a differing perspective. They're a danger to the cult.
>He said they would never marry us,
Well boo hoo. Church marriages have no legal weight.
>and he would have to potentially leave his church and find another. He said he’s prepared to do it, but I have mixed feelings.
He's not prepared to do it. If he were, he wouldn't be avoiding “having to tell his pastor that he was dating a “non-believer.” That sounds so nasty, non-believer. Why not just a person? Anyway..
>If I had known before we started dating that he would have to eventually make these choices, I would have probably just made the choice for him and never started this relationship.
Well, this is all on him. He knew, he hid it, he can deal with it. Again, 6 months. Not a lot of time wasted. Move on.
>I personally can look past a difference in belief, but how am I supposed to ask him to leave his church?
You shouldn't. Just as he shouldn't ask you to join his church.
>I care very deeply about him.
It's only been nearly 6 months.
>I am hurt and think it is unfair that I was a secret, to begin with.
A secret kept for the sake of his faith and the church.
>As supportive as I am I find the notion that he has to leave his church for dating someone supportive of his beliefs to be legit insane.
I'd also have called it insane, once upon a time. But it's really down to cult survival. "Purge the disease", as it were.
>I’m here asking for any kind of insight into what I see as an insane situation that I suddenly found myself in. How is this even a thing?
Well now.. surprise surprise, this is all not that uncommon. A few things to note here, foremost he did not try to convince you to join the church? Or give you any grief about not believing? Now there's a miracle.
It may seem he's actually trying, for your sake, but apparently he's still very much under the heel of his church. My advice here is to not waste any more of your life.
Ask him point blank if he's ashamed or afraid of being in a relationship with you, then if he's going to stop screwing around and go public with it. You're adults, he's supposed to be even more mature than you at his age (no offense to you; I was 25 too, once), and he's supposed to realize you can't be a couple while hiding behind the barn so your parents don't catch you kissing.
It's been 6 months. He can either give you a straight answer or you can keep walking.
https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Fragmented-Selves-Trauma-Survivors/dp/0415708230
This is the book \^.
I found that at least two of my "emotional parts" experienced marked relief from their trauma when I applied the advice in the book.
Interestingly, "Tom" did not seem to respond to any of the advice in this book. It was another system that I introduced him to on Discord who recognised him as a "persecutor alter" and was able to help calm him down a bit.
The Future of the Mind: The Scientific Quest to Understand, Enhance, and Empower the Mind by Michio Kaku. Always been a big fan of Michio.
It's not a quip, really. This is not a venue for deep learning.
>patriarchy theory becomes meaningless
The above statement is not a good starting point to expand understanding, it's a conclusion.
If someone has a conclusion without reviewing the material, it would reason to believe that they have an agenda. I don't find that telling people explicitly what I think they're doing is particularly constructive (e.g. "you have an agenda"), so I just said what I think this style of argument looks like.
I ain't no bell hooks, so go with her!
http://www.amazon.com/Feminist-Theory-From-Margin-Center/dp/0896086135
Managing Social Anxiety: A Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Approach has helped me a lot and if you're in therapy I highly recommend integrating it into your treatment.
tl;dr click the link, that's a useful book and has all of this, plus some more.
My minor in college was gerontology, and I was going to specialize in dementia care once upon a time. There's plenty of folks with advice in here, but I thought I'd add my two cents from that currently otherwise useless degree. There is unfortunately no reversing dementia, and if you can slow it down at all it's often imperceptible.
This will be awful and hard. Know that she will not know it's awful and hard in the end, and that's okay. Also realize that when it's at it's worst, she's not suffering - she doesn't know this is going on around her.
This is the best book I've read, and it is written in smaller pieces so you can digest one bit at a time - theoretically while caregiving, but it's also extremely useful in general. Most of what I'm saying is in there, and my MIL found it indispensible when she cared for her mom.
"Please affix your oxygen mask before assisting others" is key. You can't help take care of mom if you're falling apart. Neither can your dad, or whomever is the primary caregiver. Take days off.
Don't argue with her about what is real and what isn't when her memory starts to fade more thoroughly. She may not remember who you are, but she will remember you made her feel bad and avoid you. This is a must. Just agree and deflect, if you can. Reassure her and validate her on whatever she's worried about, and then ask about something else important. Comfort is key - go ahead and lie. You'll know when it's time for this.
Let her do as much as she can, as long as she can. This will help hold things together longer, both physically and mentally.
Keep stable schedules and locations for her. The longer she can use familiar context clues (TV in the corner, sun in the window, bathroom's in that doorway) to figure out what's going on, the easier it is on both of you. There may be a point this isn't possible, and that's okay too.
Episodic memory (stories, names, etc) fades long before procedural (riding a bike, etc), and both of those long before emotional memory (how things make you feel). Old ladies who can't remember what their own name is can often still cut up carrots for dinner without cutting themselves; they've been doing it forever. And they know they like the nice nurse with the pretty smile, although that they realize why. (Hint: she doesn't argue)
There will be good days and bad days. Don't feel bad about this, none of it is your fault. It's okay to be sad.
Remove throw rugs from her house as soon as she'll let you (or doesn't notice) - people with Alzheimer's often forget that they're old, and will accidentally hurt themselves. Falls are the most dangerous, and throw rugs the most common way to do so.
Her personality may change. Often people become angry, or curse when they never did before, or any number of things. This is okay too. Don't argue, agree and deflect: "Yes, mom, that is a bad f*cking movie, how about we watch the birds today instead, I like the red ones especially." (and then lead her away to the birds)
Alzheimer's patients can sometimes exhibit odd behavioral patterns. They will sometimes pack bags constantly, wander off without adequate preparation, sit at bus stops forever, or other odd repetitive behaviors. This is normal and it's all okay. If this gets dangerous, she either needs someone home all the time or to be moved somewhere with security for this issue.
I can't tell you what it's like - I didn't know my Grandma-in-law until she was already halfway through, so I didn't know she was missing anything. You will do the best you can with what you have available, and that is all anyone can ever do. This may be 5 years or 30 years long, and you will probably want a therapist to help you through it. It will be okay, although it will suck to get there, no lie.
Please let me know if you have any questions about any of this and I"ll be glad to help, anytime. If you know the specific disease, I can try and help explain that too, if you'd like. Good luck. <3
Hey! My partner and I have a three week old. I'm definitely not qualified to offer advice yet (or caught up on sleep), but here are three books that I'm very thankful to have read.
Great advice on how to keep your relationship healthy:
And Baby Makes Three
How to be awesome during pregnancy/labor/delivery:
The Birth Partner
Evidence-based info on how to calm an infant--don't let the cheesy title fool you. I can't imagine what the last couple weeks would've been like without reading this:
The Happiest Baby on the Block
The same underlying physiological mechanisms that govern attachment in humans govern attachment in animals, even more so with mammals. That is to say we have the same hormonally driven attachment mechanisms. The way humans bond with our offspring is the same way that other mammals bond with theirs. The hormonal bonding can vary in intensity and duration of action. For some species once the weaning period is over that bonding process is broken as the hormones shift in the mother away from nurturing and towards mating. In these situations mothers will forget about their children because the stimulus is no longer there. These species live in the "here and now", and the adage "out of sight, out of mind" applies well. Once those babies grow up, or if they die, or are removed the mother the mother will go through a period of hormonal shifts. During this time she will be in distress looking for her infant because her hormones and experience tell her she should have a baby right now. But once that baby stops the cycle of stimulation, the mother (and her body) eventually forget and move on.
Animals that live in the same group their whole lives will end up forming life-long bonds with other group members. These attachments are driven by hormones but strengthened through shared experiences, like mutual grooming. So that a mother's relationship with their child will strengthened by hormones during the nurturing phase but will change as the baby goes through weaning into a relationship driven by experience. Because these species form longer bonds that last their whole lives its very likely that they never forget lost loved ones. A mother will remember her lost baby long after the stimulus of that baby is gone and long after her hormones have switched. This is because these species don't just live in the "here and now" but form long term memories and relationships of individuals within their social circle.
Please please get this book (Linked below) I have had too much experience with this. My uncle had Mad Cow disease, my grandfather had dementia now my mother in law has Alzheimer's. This book has been amazing, easy to read and very very helpful for every stage.
If you have children, dementia is the opposite. Instead of slowly gaining independence, they need to know it's okay to become dependent.
There's a really good Facebook group too, Memory Keepers Its private, but you just need to message them and they will add you. It's good to have a place to share, vent, find help etc.
It's been a great comfort to many of us in this situation. They would love this video.
And this is the best book to help you understand what is happening, will happen, and how you can help her and yourself feel better.
The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People Who Have Alzheimer Disease, Related Dementias, and Memory Loss https://www.amazon.com/dp/1455521159/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_MuAKybN8XTCM6
I used this one, her skills book and the videos (took a look, but not sure where the whole package is) Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder https://www.amazon.com/dp/0898621836/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_DI03wbY8QRFNJ
This one is I think more general DBT® Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets, Second Edition https://www.amazon.com/dp/1572307811/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_UJ03wb5V1P12Q
There's a lot of controversy here, I won't lie. People are pretty divided over her efficacy. All I know is that I was diagnosed at 17 with BPD, in recovery at 19 and missing most traces of the issue by 21.
> I thought the point was to test social norms
I think it was to see how people react in power imbalances. If randomly selected to be shoved into the role of prison guard or prisoner, how do people act? Does merely having power bring something dark out of some people, leading to abuse of their power? Everyone wants to dismiss Zimbardo, so they ignore Abu Ghraib, abuses in other prisons, and all the petty little tyrants we see in the workplace, tormenting people under them for pleasure.
His book The Lucifer Effect cited example after example of similar dynamics showing up in power imbalances. But this, along with the findings by Milgram and Asch run counter to the "people are inherently good" trope in our culture, so people will find every pretext to disregard the findings.
https://www.amazon.com/Lucifer-Effect-Understanding-Good-People-ebook/dp/B000OVLKFO
So preferential seating (sitting them in the front) may help. There are two books I would recommend looking at. I think its good to look at a book on ADHD for kids because it will put it in language they can understand and it will put it in language you can explain to them. Which is helpful. The first is The Survival Guide for Kids with ADHD
If you have kids with executive functioning problems (constantly lose stuff, can't organize stuff, forget to turn in homework, etc), I'd suggest getting Smart but Scattered
Copung with the same issue. I' ve found the following book extremely helpful, with tons of practical tips and exercises:
http://www.amazon.com/Coping-Trauma-Related-Dissociation-Training-Therapists/dp/039370646X/
I bought it on Kindle, which is half the price.
http://www.amazon.com/Coping-Trauma-Related-Dissociation-Training-Therapists-ebook/dp/B00O4RPUPU/
While this book is for parents with kids it has a lot of great info on exec skills and functioning, migh be helpful.
http://www.amazon.com/Smart-but-Scattered-Revolutionary-Executive/dp/1593854455/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1420913265&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=smart+but+scattered
There is this one too
http://www.amazon.com/Smart-but-Scattered-Teens-Executive/dp/1609182294/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_y
You might want to read more deeply into the notion that reason and emotion are "easily separated." See, e.g,
Robert Burton (neuroscientist), On Being Certain (see also this for a short intro to Burton's book)
Antonio Damasio (neuroscientist), Descartes’ Error: Emotion, Reason and the Human Brain and The Feeling of What Happens
This is a book about a large-scale scientific study that showed that about two-thirds of participants encountered alien higher intelligences and accessed other dimensions on ayahusaca:
https://www.amazon.com/Antipodes-Mind-Phenomenology-Ayahuasca-Experience/dp/0199252939
I too have had that experience, many many times. And again, I recommend that anyone interested in the truth breakthrough on DMT rather than listening to this internet troll. peace.
Affective Neuroscience.
Thanks in advance! I'm a voracious reader and could always use some quality recommendations.
As someone in a similar situation to you I doubt any of the people saying you are a bad daughter know what they are talking about.
I would advise picking up the book The 36 hour day it is a fantastic guide to caring for someone with alzheimers. If you do not wish to pay for it you may be able to pick it up at the library.
https://www.amazon.com/36-Hour-Day-Alzheimer-Disease-Dementias/dp/1455521159
Also as a stop gap measure her insurance should be able to provide for a home health aid through patterns in care, personal touch or various other agencies.
Please keep us all informed so we may help you on the journey.
http://www.amazon.com/Healing-ADD-Breakthrough-Program-Allows/dp/0425183270
Based upon this book, which has helped me tremendously there are 6 types. I am personally type 3, and I also have many of the symptoms that you do.
I am finding it very challenging. Even thinking about times that I've felt anxious can make me feel anxious, and this method pretty much requires you to look at anxiety and dissect it. There's also substantial 'homework' in the form of one or two page worksheets where you try to identify the individual thoughts, feelings, behaviors, physiological symptoms (heart racing, tingling in extremities, tightness in the chest, and such).
I found a therapist that had some pretty impressive credentials on the internets, met with her and chose her out of the other ones I was checking out. Her assessment was to work on the social anxiety first since it is looking like my largest issue and to see what's left - she claims that often other problems like depression go away when you can handle your social anxiety. I agree with her, and am so far still impressed.
She started me almost immediately on a workbook she's used before titled Managing Social Anxiety. There are a couple of other social anxiety workbooks I've seen, but I'm focusing on this one first. And maybe last! I'm sure it's possible for someone to go through these sorts of workbooks alone, though I find the therapist really helps keep me honest - as in presenting to me things that I hadn't even realized I was avoiding.
The general idea for CBT (as far as I can tell, I'm no expert) is that you learn how to catch these thoughts and feelings and try to cast them in a more objective light to see if your reaction is reasonable. CBT can be effective for many other disorders, too.
I am hoping it will help.
I'm impressed you've stuck with it as long as you have! I also have social anxiety, and I sure as hell would not be making myself leave the house and go to a group where everyone made fun of me for my ADHD tendencies.
If you feel up to working on this on your own, I would recommend getting a CBT workbook for anxiety. Something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Managing-Social-Anxiety-Workbook-Cognitive-Behavioral/dp/0195336690
My own treatment plan right now is an SSRI for three months. My psychiatrist explained that it will take the edge off my anxiety, making it easier for me to learn new, healthier habits. Frequently, the new habits and greater confidence continues after the medication is discontinued.
Oh shit is this the cavalry? Is it the phone a friend round of the retard olympics?
>refuses to read material when linked
I assure you I read all the material that was linked at this url
http://www.amazon.com/Feminist-Theory-From-Margin-Center/dp/0896086135
For example I read this review
>I was saddened to read how boring and uninterested the author made the topic of feminism to be. I rented this book for one of my college courses, which I'm so thankful I only rented it because its def not worth purchasing. I did not enjoy how scattered and uneasy the material is to understand while reading. I have requested my college to restrain from using this text as part of the class curriculum.
It certainly sounds similar to the criticisms alot of feminists have of Anita's work.
Good job being wrong "bro".
This will make the third feminist theory on the topic of patriarchy I'll have read and dissected within 24 hours, but I guess when I'm done with Sherlock I'll give it a squizz. I'll probably even make it it's own post.
>reading her is worth your time in any regard
I am highly dubious, but we'll see.
I hate Scientology and all they stand for, but I also hate how any position they hold has become strong evidence that the position is worthy of ridicule, and that all critics believe in aliens.
It's given the pharmaceutical and psychiatric industry the opportunity to deride criticism of drugs as nonsense that arose from members of a deeply unpopular cult, rather than criticism that arose from their own research.
Such as this study, in which researchers note that “in the era prior to pharmacotherapy, poor outcome in mania was considered a relatively rare occurrence . . . however, modern outcome studies have found that a majority of bipolar patients evidence high rates of functional impairment.” In their discussion of this deterioration in outcomes, they concluded that “medication-induced changes” may be at least partly responsible. Antidepressants may cause a “worsening of the course of illness,” (which is supported by many other studies) while the antipsychotics may lead to more “depressive episodes” and “lower functional recovery rates.” Drug side effects, they added, may “explain the cognitive deficits in bipolar disorder patients.” Or this study where Harvard researchers observe that “prognosis for bipolar disorder was once considered relatively favorable, but contemporary findings suggest that disability and poor outcomes are prevalent.” They note that “neuropharmacological-neurotoxic factors” might be causing “cognitive deficits in bipolar disorder patients.”
Scientologists also opposed lobotomies back when they were the standard and even if they did so for the wrong reasons I'm sure most people here would agree with that stance and would not volunteer to be lobotomized.
I highly recommend this book if you want to get a look at the 50 years of history and research that my doctor never informed me of when I was put on anti-depressants and anti-psychotics.
Excerpt from Marsha Linehan's, "Skills Training Manual for Treating Borderline Personality Disorder, First Edition" published 1993
DBT Skills Training Manual, Second Edition (most up to date)
I'm still pretty young, 27, but I've had social anxiety since as long as I can remember and I can say it has decreased significantly over time.
I don't attribute that to age though. I started educating myself about it in my late high school years and really started taking action on it college. Honestly, based on my understanding on anxiety, it probably won't go away if your constantly reinforcing it through your actions, such as avoiding social interactions to not have to experience the distress that comes with it. Not to mention, social ability comes with practice, children learn to socialize by doing it, so while it may seem awkward at first trying to jump back into it, it does get better with time if you persist.
If you haven't done so already, I'd highly recommend seeking therapy, specifically something like cognitive behavioral therapy, or at the very least something that includes an element of exposure. If something like that is cost prohibitive, I can suggest the book I followed when I went to therapy:
Managing Social Anxiety: A Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Approach (Treatments That Work) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0195336690/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_jqXVzbGGY7KGB
If you can go to therapy though, I'd still recommend that just because I feel like having someone there to hold you accountable really helps.
The ultimate practical guide, and on the note of being practical, buy and read it sooner rather than later: The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin.
https://www.amazon.com/Birth-Partner-5th-Childbirth-Companions/dp/1558329102/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+birth+partner&qid=1572410841&sr=8-1
It is laser-focused on what you need to know as the support person at a birth. Doesn't speak down to men. If anything,it is already ready for you/everyone else to get over yourselves and get down to it. Will enable you to be what your wife needs during an extremely stressful period in her life.
I suggest you pay particular attention to the section on postpartum. The doctors will drag your wife/baby through the birth no matter what the situation, but postpartum is where you can all get extremely screwed without prior preparation. Good luck.
I haven't read or otherwise studied Dr. Mate enough to say for certain, but he seems quite reasonable and well-informed in the interview I linked, and has excellent ratings on his books (including the one on ADD), which would seem unusual if he was as unreliable as you claim he is.
I would also note that there has come into being significant financial incentive for schools, doctors, and many scientists in the US (via a $40 billion annual psychotropic drug tab and additional money for schools if children are diagnosed/on ADHD drugs) to attribute ADD to biological causes instead of psychological ones, ones even though the biology of human children would not seem to have changed so much in the past 30 years or so to explain the huge upsurge in ADD/ADHD diagnoses in that time frame. I can only imagine it would be much more appealing for many parents to attribute the poor school performance and other problem behaviour of their children to biological factors instead of poor parenting as well.
When I said psychopaths were severely abused I actually meant serial killers (I mis-typed), though the amount of child abuse present in the world (see again http://board.freedomainradio.com/forums/t/23711.aspx ) would seem to cover the 4% of psychopaths quite well.
While I have heard intelligent people promote both sides of this topic, here is an interview with someone who has studied the topic in some depth (see his book here), and has come to the opinion that ADHD drugs are vastly over-prescribed, and are doing a lot of harm in the scope they are currently used in.
From the book description:
Robert Whitaker discusses his book 'Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America'
In this astonishing and startling book, award-winning science and history writer Robert Whitaker investigates a medical mystery: Why has the number of disabled mentally ill in the United States tripled over the past two decades? Every day, 1,100 adults and children are added to the government disability rolls because they have become newly disabled by mental illness, with this epidemic spreading most rapidly among our nation's children. What is going on?
Anatomy of an Epidemic challenges readers to think through that question themselves. First, Whitaker investigates what is known today about the biological causes of mental disorders. Do psychiatric medications fix "chemical imbalances" in the brain, or do they, in fact, create them? Researchers spent decades studying that question, and by the late 1980s, they had their answer. Readers will be startled—and dismayed—to discover what was reported in the scientific journals.
Then comes the scientific query at the heart of this book: During the past fifty years, when investigators looked at how psychiatric drugs affected long-term outcomes, what did they find? Did they discover that the drugs help people stay well? Function better? Enjoy good physical health? Or did they find that these medications, for some paradoxical reason, increase the likelihood that people will become chronically ill, less able to function well, more prone to physical illness?
This is the first book to look at the merits of psychiatric medications through the prism of long-term results. Are long-term recovery rates higher for medicated or unmedicated schizophrenia patients? Does taking an antidepressant decrease or increase the risk that a depressed person will become disabled by the disorder? Do bipolar patients fare better today than they did forty years ago, or much worse? When the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) studied the long-term outcomes of children with ADHD, did they determine that stimulants provide any benefit?
By the end of this review of the outcomes literature, readers are certain to have a haunting question of their own: Why have the results from these long-term studies—all of which point to the same startling conclusion—been kept from the public?
In this compelling history, Whitaker also tells the personal stories of children and adults swept up in this epidemic. Finally, he reports on innovative programs of psychiatric care in Europe and the United States that are producing good long-term outcomes. Our nation has been hit by an epidemic of disabling mental illness, and yet, as Anatomy of an Epidemic reveals, the medical blueprints for curbing that epidemic have already been drawn up.
Hey. It is not cool to downvote people for trying to have a discussion and for offering valid counter-points. Tom921992 raised an interesting and relevant question. If that makes you feel bad, perhaps examine why you felt that way? No need to be insecure. With, or without a definition of spirit, Aya is still Aya. Also, Happy Cake-Day, OP!
--------
I think it depends on what you define a 'spirit' as. Westerners love to anthropomorphize things. We want our spirits to be visible, coherent, and lucid -- like meeting another human being, only as spirit. If you detach from your axis and explore this school of thought, you realize how many pre-conceived filters and biases you have running on-top of your experience.
While aiding Ayahuasca ceremonies in Peru, many people pose these questions. It is often phrased as: "Is this really happening to me, or is this just my imagination?" The imagination is the container where these experiences take place. You are imagining what you are seeing. That does not invalidate or reduce your experience.
A spirit is a different being. A practitioner or an explorer might abstract these sensations into a form that is understandable and communicable. It is always a reductive process. But, if you want to meet a plant spirit, the imagination is the membrane in which a non-human entity converses with a human entity. Its form, approach, and discourse is going to be unique to the observer.
As a takeaway, I think it is important to realize that the best anyone can understand about Ayahuasca is Ayahuasca plus them. In no way can we explore and understand the medicine and the experiences without our own spirits present. In this way, a true objective scientific analysis is a major challenge. The debate will become epistemological in short order.
If you are interested in some deep reading, I would recommend The Antipodes of the Mind by Benny Shannon. This is a hard-science book. It is an rigorous phenomenological analysis of Ayahuasca experiences over many years, in many different contexts. Another way to philosophically approach Ayahuasca and its experiences is through that of Platonic epistomology.
Enjoy your journey!
According to psychiatrist Jonathan Shay, very much so. He is noted for the following books comparing Homeric myths with PTSD:
Achilles in Vietnam
Odysseus in America
Sounds like hormonal issues. Tell her to talk to her OBGYN, and read
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0767920090/ref=cm_rdp_product.
If you ever want to kill yourself, read The Female Brain. It will make you produce rage faces that you didn't know existed.
DISCLAIMER: THIS BOOK IS AWFUL, DO NOT READ THIS BOOK SERIOUSLY.
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress is about high school-age boys exiled to a remote village (essentially a prison) for reeducation during the Chinese Cultural Revolution.
The Lucifer Effect is nonfiction about the Stanford Prison Experiment.
Maus and Maus II are graphic novels about concentration camps during WWII.
Awesome! I take it you're not seeing clients yet. I'm applying to internship this year (ugh!). I'm going to give you a reading list because I'm super biased about all this stuff. You have no obligation to read anything I suggest. I'm a contemporary behavior therapy person myself. (ACT, DBT, BA, FAP, MI).
Randomized trial of behavioral activation, cognitive therapy, and antidepressant medication in the acute treatment of adults with major depression. Lead author is Sona Dimidjian (2006) That builds off a Jacobson study (http://tinyurl.com/lb82qhj).
http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Functional-Analytic-Psychotherapy-Behaviorism/dp/0387097864 (this form of therapy could use any uncomfortable situations about your hand to become a therapeutic tool.)
http://www.amazon.com/ACT-Made-Simple-Easy---Read/dp/1572247053/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1377316771&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=act+made+simple This is the biggest modern behavior therapy. It's based of relational frame theory (http://www.amazon.com/Learning-RFT-Introduction-Relational-Application/dp/1572249064/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1377316825&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=learning+rft)
Last book I'll recommend is the main DBT book. (http://www.amazon.com/Cognitive-Behavioral-Treatment-Borderline-Personality-Disorder/dp/0898621836)
For sure read the first two articles. They're super important. The rest is just the stuff I'm interested in because I'm biased. Let me know if you ever want to nerd out about the behavioral side of CBT.
"The Female Brain" by Brizendine touches on this at one point. Interesting read.
http://www.amazon.com/Female-Brain-Louann-Brizendine-M-D/dp/0767920090
This is what you are looking for
Here's a good start from academic perspective: http://www.amazon.com/Feminist-Theory-From-Margin-Center/dp/0896086135
Also if you do literally any research on it (which you can if you actually want to argue in good faith) you'll see feminist theory is pretty complex.
The cult is real. Better to get this, instead:
https://www.amazon.com/Combating-Cult-Mind-Control-Best-Selling-ebook/dp/B00V9DU340/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1518464669&amp;sr=1-3&amp;keywords=cult&amp;dpID=51Unk9OGoOL&amp;preST=_SY445_QL70_&amp;dpSrc=srch