Night Shift

[Mazarita]

Morning, @TAB 🙂

[Former-Member]

@Former-Member  very interesting thoughts.  Can I just add in one thing.  Cutting edge neuroscience is now proving, through scans and control experiments, that the neuroplasticity our brain undergoes, through changes in thoughts, intention and external stimuli, does extend into adulthood.  Basically it seems to be proving the old line of thought that it was only childhood based, could be incorrectlly assumed.

As you say, it appears to be more about understanding the nature of what is affecting us, then changing our attitudes towards it.  That's a simplistic version of course, but that's the crux of it.

[Faith-and-Hope]

And then, the same forces that produced a negative outcome can be manipulated to produce a positive over-write of the negative ..... I know it's cutting-edge research but there is a lot of hope in this to help stabilise and neutralise .... improving the future despite the past.

[Former-Member]

yes @Faith-and-Hope , scans prove that it actually changes not only chemical producion but that it seems to occur from changes in our brain activity.  That is even in adulthood our brains do change the way they work and can be changed through thoughts and beliefs alone.   Just one example, in as little as 4 weeks major changes have been measured in adults with deep phobias,  just by changing their perspective through higher level of understanding. 

[Mazarita]

@Former-Member, @Former-Member, @Faith-and-Hope,

Just from my own personal experience, I'm yet to experience a dramatic improvement to my mental health that hasn't been related to medications. The 'neuroplasticity' side of things has helped to a much smaller extent, I believe, and has been a much slower and more painful process to undergo. I still struggle with bipolar after a lifetime of mental health struggles. But at 54, I have accepted that it will probably be part of my life to the end, as it has been since childhood as far back as I can remember. My psychiatrist also encourages me to accept that I have chronic illness. It helps me now to accept my condition to a fair extent in this way. I no longer live what seemed to be a never ending cycle of hopes raised high and then smashed. Just sharing a personal perspective here though. I realise this wouldn't apply to all mental health conditions or all individuals.

[Former-Member]

I'm around the same age @Mazarita,  and for me it works.  Since I've been consciously employing it, I feel light years from where I was.  But I have  PTSD,  not Bipolar  So although there is an overlap in some symptoms, the cause and manifestation is very different. 

[TAB]

Morning @Mazarita 😀

[Faith-and-Hope]

I agree in that it can be supportive, and improve things .... but in and of itself it's not a cure-all .... I hope what I was saying didn't come across that way @Mazarita ....

❤️

[Mazarita]

@Former-Member, @Faith-and-Hope, hope my post didn't come across badly. I do see acceptance as a positive in my life. I also respect others experiences with things that work for them. I guess I just feel that the power of the mind to change itself may not be the great hope for everything. Sometimes it does come across that way in popular discussion of mental illness. So I like to state my personal experience and perceptions on these issues from time to time. 

@TAB, @Faith-and-Hope, @Former-Member, how's your day been so far. Mine started about 9am. I've mostly been on the computer since then. In between things doing some video editing. Haven't planned to do anything else today.

[TAB]

Hi @Mazarita I didn't wake too well, covers fell off was cold, need new mattress got waylaid with good txt exchange with friend had a bath, ate, discovered snowy river 2 on news may have to fix body and ride my horse there Would be a good retirement job .rivers of money etc lol