Razzle
03-19-2012, 08:25 AM
Back in the 1950's psychologists would hook up a patient to a biofeedback device called a GSR machine and set the meter behind the patient so the could not see to reaction. Within a split second if the patient had a "hot" thought their skin conductance on the finger would change and the meter would register - in less than 2 seconds the thought has processed through the cortex to the limbic system and to the adrenals and the nerves in the hands. This it the basis of a lie detector - that a word or thought causes major changes in the physiology of the test subject.
I also read that exercise physiologists know that negative thoughts cause a person to become weaker - a squeeze dynometer was used to test hand strength. The test subject was given a card of negative statement to read and then one of positive statements and visual images. The test instrument showed a 23 to 38% decrease in hand strength with the negative thoughts.
I have also spoken with Dr. Daniel Amen who is famous for his work with brain SPEC scans. He can see the fear parts of the limbic system light up with a fear or self defeating thought.
The problem is that the vast majority of our thoughts and beliefs are not verbal or conscious. Just as we are not aware of how to walk or drive a car our negative thoughts can run below ground and cause anxiety. These neural pathways or negative biases start in childhood and I am finding them both enlightening and difficult to discover.
I had a call from a friend yesterday morning that was in a serious anxiety loop and as I listened to what he was saying my own anxiety went up. If I repeated back to him what he was telling himself it would have put him over the edge - you really wont ever get well - none of the anxiety treatments work for you - you must have some rare brain condition etc.
Because of my past educational contacts I have been able to speak with many prominent researchers in the area of neurophysiology and I studied it extensively post grad. Anxiety has long been called a disorder of thought and while I entertained that I was not convinced that it was the full story......I AM 99% CONVINCED NOW!!
Everyone of these researchers I have spoken with sees anxiety and most depression as a learned set of maladaptive coping skills and self scaring thoughts. In the whole history of psychology and psychiatry CBT is the first proven - evidenced based treatment we have had. And it has been studied extensively.
Once we have done the basic foundational work of diet - exercise and resetting the nervous system with skilled relaxation exercises the work becomes our changing our beliefs that generate our thoughts.
Changing a belief and then a thought actually lays down a new neural pathway in the brain - alters the chemical - electrical and physical structure of the brain and causes new neurons and nerve trees to be created - both negative and positive thoughts do this but the negative causes the fear response to become hair triggered.
Finally these researchers have been looking at how to extinguish the negative thought tracks and build positive neural networks. They are finding any drug that reduces anxiety and probably depression prevents the brain from laying down new positive neural tracks for recovery . This is why basic research has reached anxiety treatment experts and they no longer recommend medication for anxiety conditions...or if the do it is restricted to a couple of weeks.
The famous Stanford researcher - Dr. Robert Sapolsky said in a paper on this is that you can not teach a drunk or anesthetized brain new tricks.
I have a good friend who has had severe anxiety for 30 years and spent dozens of weeks inpatient in psyche wards - been drugged with every known anxiety medication and was totally dysfunctional. She had no resources for therapy and was hospitalized 14 months ago and then dumped in her home so sick with anxiety she could hardly feed herself. We had to call out the troops of all her friends to bring her prepared meals and sit with her so she did not jump off a bridge.
She had an epiphany and realized her thoughts were damaging - she started telling her thoughts she could not go there and keep herself alive. She worked on this day and night.
14 Months later She is now working on her doctorate in psychology - goes anywhere and says she has zero anxiety. I was privileged to witness the day by day transformation of this brave woman all because of her thoughts - she takes no medications and never thinks about anxiety anymore.
This has caused me to become a believer........I would love to compare notes with anyone seriously doing this work
I also read that exercise physiologists know that negative thoughts cause a person to become weaker - a squeeze dynometer was used to test hand strength. The test subject was given a card of negative statement to read and then one of positive statements and visual images. The test instrument showed a 23 to 38% decrease in hand strength with the negative thoughts.
I have also spoken with Dr. Daniel Amen who is famous for his work with brain SPEC scans. He can see the fear parts of the limbic system light up with a fear or self defeating thought.
The problem is that the vast majority of our thoughts and beliefs are not verbal or conscious. Just as we are not aware of how to walk or drive a car our negative thoughts can run below ground and cause anxiety. These neural pathways or negative biases start in childhood and I am finding them both enlightening and difficult to discover.
I had a call from a friend yesterday morning that was in a serious anxiety loop and as I listened to what he was saying my own anxiety went up. If I repeated back to him what he was telling himself it would have put him over the edge - you really wont ever get well - none of the anxiety treatments work for you - you must have some rare brain condition etc.
Because of my past educational contacts I have been able to speak with many prominent researchers in the area of neurophysiology and I studied it extensively post grad. Anxiety has long been called a disorder of thought and while I entertained that I was not convinced that it was the full story......I AM 99% CONVINCED NOW!!
Everyone of these researchers I have spoken with sees anxiety and most depression as a learned set of maladaptive coping skills and self scaring thoughts. In the whole history of psychology and psychiatry CBT is the first proven - evidenced based treatment we have had. And it has been studied extensively.
Once we have done the basic foundational work of diet - exercise and resetting the nervous system with skilled relaxation exercises the work becomes our changing our beliefs that generate our thoughts.
Changing a belief and then a thought actually lays down a new neural pathway in the brain - alters the chemical - electrical and physical structure of the brain and causes new neurons and nerve trees to be created - both negative and positive thoughts do this but the negative causes the fear response to become hair triggered.
Finally these researchers have been looking at how to extinguish the negative thought tracks and build positive neural networks. They are finding any drug that reduces anxiety and probably depression prevents the brain from laying down new positive neural tracks for recovery . This is why basic research has reached anxiety treatment experts and they no longer recommend medication for anxiety conditions...or if the do it is restricted to a couple of weeks.
The famous Stanford researcher - Dr. Robert Sapolsky said in a paper on this is that you can not teach a drunk or anesthetized brain new tricks.
I have a good friend who has had severe anxiety for 30 years and spent dozens of weeks inpatient in psyche wards - been drugged with every known anxiety medication and was totally dysfunctional. She had no resources for therapy and was hospitalized 14 months ago and then dumped in her home so sick with anxiety she could hardly feed herself. We had to call out the troops of all her friends to bring her prepared meals and sit with her so she did not jump off a bridge.
She had an epiphany and realized her thoughts were damaging - she started telling her thoughts she could not go there and keep herself alive. She worked on this day and night.
14 Months later She is now working on her doctorate in psychology - goes anywhere and says she has zero anxiety. I was privileged to witness the day by day transformation of this brave woman all because of her thoughts - she takes no medications and never thinks about anxiety anymore.
This has caused me to become a believer........I would love to compare notes with anyone seriously doing this work