Showing posts with label Lifestyle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lifestyle. Show all posts

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Physical Warmth promotes Interpersonal Warmth

In an amusing study by LE Williams and JA Bargh, published in Science in 2008, subjects exposed to warm objects behaved in a manner which was more interpersonally warm. Here is the reference:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18948544

In the first experiment described by the authors, subjects in the elevator on the way to the study lab were asked to hold an experimenter's drink cup for a moment, while the experimenter wrote some identifying information down on a clipboard. The experimenter in the elevator did not have knowledge of the study's hypotheses. In the study lab afterward, the subjects were given a brief written description of a person (the same description given to all subjects), and were asked to rate that person in terms of a variety of personality dimensions. The subjects who briefly had held a cup of hot coffee gave personality ratings that were significantly "warmer," compared to the subjects who had held a cup of iced coffee. The ratings for warmth were 4.71 out of 7 for the "hot coffee" group, compared to 4.25 out of 7 for the "iced coffee" group; these differed with a p value of 0.05. "Warmth" in this sense refers to traits such as friendliness, helpfulness, and trustworthiness.

The second experiment was more blinded, in that the experimenters did not know whether the subjects were handling a warm or cold object. This time, subjects were offered a choice of two types of gifts after the experiment: the first type would be for personal use, the second would be a gift for a friend. Those who had handled a warm object were substantially more likely to choose a gift for a friend, rather than for themselves.
Those who had handled a cold object chose a "selfish" gift 75% of the time.
Those who had handled a warm object chose the "selfish" gift 46% of the time.

The authors discuss attachment theory, and suggest that one explanation for these findings, on a neurobiological level, is that the insular cortex in the brain is responsible for processing information about both physical and psychological warmth, therefore the two types of warmth perception may influence each other.

I find this type of cross-sectional social-psychological research fun and a bit lighthearted, but often containing kernels of wisdom.

It would be interesting to do similar studies of this sort, but with different groups of subjects who are stratified according to interpersonal style, depressive symptoms, etc. Perhaps there are subjects who are most sensitive to these environmental effects.

I'm amused and delighted, in any case, that figurative or "metaphorical" warmth seems to match up with literal or physical warmth. A nice meeting of the metaphorical with the literal. Perhaps this is typical of what the brain does.

In any case, this little piece of evidence further supports the recommendation to do sensually pleasing, "warmth-oriented" activities, as part of a regimen for maintaining psychosocial health. There may be something in particular about heat which could be therapeutic. Hot baths are anecdotally helpful for relaxation, pain relief, and to promote deeper sleep. I've encountered a few examples in which people found saunas quite helpful for seasonal depressive symptoms. Maybe a very warm, cozy sweater can be helpful for your mental health, and even have positive effects on others!

Here are references to a few studies showing improvement in insomnia following hot baths:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10566907 {a 1999 study from the journal Sleep, showing improvements in sleep continuity and more slow-wave sleep earlier in the night, in older females with insomnia who had 40-40.5 °C baths 1.5-2 hours before bedtime}
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15879585 {a 2005 study in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry showing improved sleep in elderly people with vascular dementia, following 30 minute baths in 40°C water, 2 hours before bedtime}

A precipitant of some seasonal depression, at least in Canada, may be not only the darkness but the cold. The cold may lead not only to a disinclination to go outside, but also to a less generous or a "colder" interpersonal stance, which would further perpetuate a depressive cycle. This is another reason to heed that advice mothers often give young children, to dress warmly in the winter.

Here is a link to the abstract of a study from Japan, published in Psychosomatic Medicine in 2005: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16046381

In this study, mildly depressed subjects were randomized to receive one of two treatments, 5 days per week, for 4 weeks, in addition to daily physical and occupational therapy:
1) "thermal therapy" in a 60 °C sauna for 15 minutes, followed by 30 minutes wrapped in a blanket, in a 28 °C room.
2) "non-thermal therapy" of 45 minutes in a 24°C room

The thermal therapy group had a 33% reduction in psychological symptoms, compared to a 14% reduction in the non-thermal therapy group.
The thermal group had a 42% reduction in somatic complaints, compared to an 8% reduction in the non-thermal group.

The research literature on this subject is quite limited, but there is some evidence that warmth--physical and psychological--is therapeutic!

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Healthy Eating

-lots of fresh vegetables & fruits (except for root vegetables), in amount and variety
-lots of high-fiber foods
-less meat, if any
-fish is healthy, especially fatty red fish such as salmon (an omega-3 source)
-but this has to be moderated due to the unfortunate risk of heavy metal contamination from eating a lot of fish, and due to the environmental problem of worldwide overfishing
-tea is good, in moderation (green & black), unless the caffeine is interfering with sleep
-dark chocolate is good for you; but it has to be in moderation, since it contains a lot of saturated fat
-carbohydrates (carbs) are probably important and necessary for mental health; low-carb ketotic diets are probably hard on the brain. But it is important to choose complex carbs that are released more gradually into your body. Sprouted whole grain breads are better. White bread or rice is almost like pure sugar, in terms of its rate of digestion into simple carbohydrates. Sugar itself should be cut down substantially (it has addictive properties; once you have gradually weaned sugar from cooking and baking, perhaps to 1/3 or 1/4 of what most recipes recommend, you will enjoy the intrinsic flavour of the baking more, and find the higher-sugar recipes unpleasantly sweet).
-components of the "Mediterranean" diet in which there is abundant use of olive oil, is probably healthy
-eliminate trans-fatty-acids from the diet (e.g. hydrogenated oils, often present in many packaged foods to prolong shelf life -- remember this may prolong the oil's "shelf life" on the inside of your arteries as well).
-there is some evidence that there is an excess of omega-6 fatty acids in the typical North American diet; this can be addressed by reducing use of omega-6 rich oils such as sunflower and corn oils, and instead using oils such as canola. Walnuts and flax are other natural sources of healthier omega-3 oils.
-1 to 2 glasses of wine (125-250 mL) per day may improve health compared to abstainers, and compared to those who drink more. But some individuals may have health problems as a result of drinking even small amounts of alcohol. In this case it is best to abstain.
-drinking water is great, but you really don't have to drink huge amounts. Keep yourself well-hydrated, but you only need to drink if you're thirsty.
-I do encourage people to leave all soft drinks behind -- the sugary ones are obviously bad for you. The ones with artificial sweeteners are probably not great for you either, and are also training you to expect sweetness while you hydrate yourself--this conditioning may exacerbate an unhealthy dependence upon simple carbohydrates and sweets, and cause you to be perceive the simple joy of drinking pure water to be unpleasantly mundane. Also do you really want to financially support the big soft-drink companies, with their expanding presence in children's schools, developing countries (many of whose people are dying from starvation), etc.?
-minimize the use of salt
-high-temperature cooking such as barbecuing adds flavour to food, but may result in higher levels of unhealthy chemicals, so it is probably best to reduce the intake of charred food.
-if you are a vegetarian or have other dietary restrictions, make sure you get an adequate intake of vitamins and minerals. A simple daily vitamin supplement should usually be sufficient. I do not see compelling evidence that "megadose" vitamins are beneficial.
-but there is some evidence that the RDA for vitamin D ought to be higher, perhaps up to 1000 IU per day or more.
-extra calcium supplementation may also be needed for many people on a long-term basis, to maintain bone health

While much of this advice is part of basic general health, I think that basic general health is also beneficial to mental health. And there may possibly be specific direct benefits to mental health from a very healthy diet.

I do qualify the above remarks, by saying that extremely clear, direct evidence linking healthy nutritional habits to improved mental health, is lacking. Much of the evidence is indirect or anecdotal. Many exaggerated claims are made in the advertising found in health-food stores. There are a few small studies looking at specific supplements, such as omega-3 supplements, which show some modest evidence that this can improve mood.

Some useful links:
1) the USDA nutrient database (detailed nutritional data about different foods):
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/

2) the Cornell University food psychology page:
http://www.foodpsychology.cornell.edu/

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition is a good academic journal to browse through, to get a good sense of what is going on in food & nutrition research. You can head to an academic library, and leaf through the past year's issues.

Addendum:

After reading the excellent comment on this entry, I feel compelled to add a few things to what I now recognize has been a very dry and pedantic set of comments:
I forgot to mention that I think food is one of the great joys and pleasures of life!
As with other joys, it is wonderful and healthy to develop and nurture a rich culinary experience.
Not only are food, cooking, and eating sources of sensual pleasure, they are also part of a rich and healthy culture (and a way to introduce oneself to new cultures), a part of a social and community life, and a part of an active intellectual life. It is a delight of human nature that we can start with something basic (e.g. an onion, or a grape), and keep refining it, transforming it, and using it in new ways, until we derive more and more art and pleasure from it. There is something very basic about the meaning of life itself in this kind of dynamic.

So I wholeheartedly endorse the idea of embracing and developing a rich culinary culture as part of healthy living. I do still maintain, however, that every culture ought to be informed by science and evidence, and perhaps adaptations can be made to certain cultural practices if we learn that they are harmful (to ourselves, to others, or to the environment). Sometimes the symbolic or esthetic value of a cultural practice can be preserved while the unhealthy aspects can be minimized.

Dietary Extremism

This is a sensitive topic, as many people feel badly about their weight, body image, and dietary habits. And many people have eating disorders, in which difficult relationships with food and with body image lead to a variety of behaviours that can do severe physical and emotional harm.
In this post, I wanted to address the specific phenomenon of what I call "dietary extremism". I consider the phenomenon to be similar to dogmatic religious belief.

Dietary extremism occurs as a result of people struggling to find some change in their lives that truly makes a difference for the better. They may have tried a wide variety of "standard routes" but continue to struggle with the same problems.

Extremism can often yield results for people, because it involves a radical change in lifestyle. It is something like joining a monastery. The lifestyle becomes more sustainable because of the community of fellow extremists (the other "monks in the monastery"), and because the community sets itself apart from the mainstream. The extremist beliefs are entrenched within the community, especially when members of the community are seeing significant changes within themselves for the first time.

Yet, the beliefs themselves are often extremely dogmatic and inaccurate. While I am a fan of permanent, positive life change, I believe that we must always stay attuned with the truth, always be open-minded to hear the facts, always be willing to question and challenge, always be wary of being told what to do by a guru-like figure (who, incidentally, may be making a lot of money and enjoying a lot of attention from fans, by selling books or running retreats).

A specific example that has come to my attention is the "raw food diet". Adherents have made substantial changes to their lifestyle. And, in my opinion, they are usually healthier for it. There is quite a bit of evidence that eating more fruits & vegetables, eating less meat, eating fewer animal products, etc. is part of good self-care. Furthermore, it is better for the environment, better to address world hunger (since raising animals instead of plants on agricultural land produces less nutritional energy per acre), and more humane (fewer sentient creatures need to be killed).

But most informational tracts about "raw food" are filled with claims that sound "scientific". The use of false or misleading pseudo-scientific claims is a typical tool used in charlatanism. This is one of the pathways that makes this potentially healthy dietary idea stultified by dogma. If you encounter statements about various types of nutritional degradation caused by heating, or about the miraculous virtues of some kind of oil (e.g. coconut oil), or about the advantages of choosing foods that are "less acidic", etc. I encourage you to be aware that there may be some dogmatic, charismatic salesmanship going on. The fact that these statements sound "scientific" may simply be fooling you. If you really want to know the truth, or what the evidence shows, then I think it is important to look closely yourself, at primary sources in reputable research journals.

The concern I have about the dogma doesn't necessarily mean that I think "raw food" (or some other diet) is a bad thing. I think it is a cultural practice, which has healthy aspects to it. Like other cultural practices, there may be a well-developed estheticism within it, leading, for example, to some really good recipes with raw food ingredients. The cultural practice crosses the line, though, into dogmatism, when it pronounces itself better than all other practices, and starts to support this claim using spurious or misleading information. All the while, many people are probably making quite a profit by marketing these ideas.

One of the phenomena often described in extremist groups is a collection of testimonial accounts from people whose lives have been radically changed for the better (e.g. cured of cancer, reached their ideal weight, felt healthy for the first time in their lives, etc.). While it may well be true that these individuals are genuinely thriving as a result of their new cultural practice, the mechanism of this change may be the result of very different factors than what they believe. Most any radical life change that leads to a sense of purpose, community, consistency, and meaning can have a transformative positive effect on an individual's health. I encourage such quests for purpose, community, and meaning -- but I encourage people to keep an open mind and to avoid dogma.

There are some good journals of scientific nutrition, such as the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, and others. Abstracts are available on-line for free, and you can search on medical databases for information. Once again I encourage you to explore the evidence first-hand. When you read a claim about the nutritional virtues about this or that food, or this or that diet, be aware that you may be reading an ad, or an "info-mercial", and be prepared to search further yourself to clarify this kind of information before you make a needless change in your health behaviours.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Some alternative ideas that can be worth a try

1) Learn to meditate. Mindfulness-based meditation has a growing evidence-base, showing benefits for psychiatric problems as well as other physical problems such as chronic pain. You may need to attend a course, or several courses, to find the best setting for you to learn (there might be variations in the quality of teaching offered, so you may need to try several different times). Some of my patients did not benefit immediately from meditation techniques, but after many months of practice are now finding the skills very useful in managing ongoing symptoms.
2) Have a pet. It can help to care for, and bond with, another living creature. But, of course, you do need to be well enough to handle the responsibility. If you can't have a pet, consider finding a place to be around animals -- e.g. volunteer to do some dog-walking; or take some horseback riding lessons. Or visit your friend's pet once in a while.
3) Exercise. Try different types. Weightlifting can be great for some, endurance training (running or cycling) could be best for another. Swimming is often uniquely therapeutic. It can help to try a different exercise activity than what you're used to. Consider hiring a personal trainer to get you going, if you can afford one.
4) Activity clubs. There are groups out there dedicated to various activities, such as hiking, cycling, chess, reading books, gourmet cooking, etc. This could be a good way to make new friends and get going with a healthy activity. Local community centres often have classes, groups, or programs of all sorts to attend. Some groups of this type now advertise on internet community discussion boards, etc. Remember that you may have to try several times to find a group that "clicks" with you; it can be disappointing if you work up the nerve to join a group, only to find that it doesn't feel right.
5) Toastmaster's. A place to practice public speaking. This is excellent "behavioural therapy" for the great many of us who have some social anxiety. Attending can build confidence, speaking skill, and other social skills.
6) Consider taking an acting or theatre class. The theory of theatre & acting technique reminds me of psychotherapeutic theory. And the practice is excellent behavioural therapy, in that you are communicating clearly in a group, conveying emotion deliberately, and opening yourself to a bit of vulnerability. Sometimes it can also be quite liberating for a shy person to discover that they can perform theatre with relative ease. You can find these at community centres, continuing education groups, as well as acting schools & colleges.

7) Art therapy: another wonderful resource, if you have the chance to try it out. I think art therapy is underutilized in the therapeutic community these days. At the very least it can be a helpful and enjoyable adjunct to other therapy.
8) Music therapy: music can be powerfully soothing and therapeutic. Consider music therapy, or take a music lesson, or join a choir (you don't have to have strong musical skills to benefit). Also there is a phenomenon called "drum circles" in which a percussionist/therapist leads a group in pounding African drums, creating rhythms. A wonderful experience, and there are good therapeutic results in a variety of different populations. Once again, no prior musical experience is necessary.

Here's a link to Vancouver community centres; you can find the various courses they offer:
http://vancouver.ca/parks/rec/programs/refunds.htm

Here's a link to other classes & programs through the Vancouver school board:
http://www.continuinged.ca/nr/vsb/cie/session.asp

Religion

Well, of course, here's another subject that most of us have strong feelings about, one way or another. I realize it's a dicey issue for me to wade into this one as a psychiatrist.

Here are my frank opinions:

There are many varieties of religious belief and practice. Many religions hold views that are quite opposite or contradictory to what other religions hold. Even subgroups of the same religious group can have vigorous differences in belief.

As far as the literal beliefs themselves go, I as a scientist would be closest in my view to Richard Dawkins, who boldly pronounces a belief in God to be a "delusion."

Yet I think there is a lot of wisdom, beauty, and truth that Dawkins misses with his pronouncement (accurate though it may be on one level) of delusiveness. Here, I think someone like Joseph Campbell is a wiser figure, in that his analysis of religious belief is anthropological, where religious stories are understood as metaphors, often with pearls of wisdom or insights about the human condition. His view is that most every religion or mythological system shares similar stories and insights.

This is my own view -- religious stories contain metaphorical insights and truths, which can teach, guide, warn, or comfort us. In a sense these insights and truths could be understood as part of what "God" is (literally). Interesting phrases such as "the Word made flesh" found in the Bible (John 1:14) exemplify the concept that the application or vivification of ideas or metaphors can be understood as the core of what "God" is.

Mind you, many religious stories may be very much coloured by the impressions or cultural values of the human authors of the stories--and perhaps of the subsequent editors over the years or centuries. Some of these values may in some cases be quite idiosyncratic or highly influenced by the conservatism or liberalism of the individuals in their time, and not very reflective of deep truths about humanity or life.

In any case, I do think that many religious stories contain valuable insights, also their familiarity to people over many centuries or even millenia, have caused the stories to become more richly ingrained in the culture. Perhaps the passage of time, of many generations, acts as a sort of "cultural filter" through which religious texts pass, allowing the texts to acquire more universal relevance. I encourage the interested reader to look at some of Northrop Frye's work: he was an important scholar who looked at the deep impact of religious texts on literature, with the keen eye of a literary critic.

Some of the richer psychiatric theory of the past century looks deeply at the human condition, at unconscious drives & motivations; art, literature, and religious mythology are important illuminations in this psychological exploration. The creative act of participating in the arts, literature, and in religious metaphor, can be a healing act--from a psychiatric point of view, or in a broader way-- provided the experience is not simply part of a neurotic defense (e.g. projection, suppression, distraction, rationalization, denial, etc.).

There are several advantages to "organized religion":
1) there is a community of people who care about each other, who care about the community itself, and hopefully who care about other external communities. This is healthy, and there are not enough such communities outside of religion in our culture today. So organized religion can be a source of friendship, social warmth, an antidote to loneliness.
2) Also, most religious groups are devoted to altruistic service in some way; there is absolutely no doubt that altruistic service is psychologically healthy. It can be hard to find satisfying altruistic opportunities outside of such an organized setting
3) Many religious groups celebrate a long cultural heritage of its members; this can add to a sense of meaningfulness and a connection to the past, and to family. Unfortunately, many individuals may feel excluded by, or that they do not fit in with, the group's cultural heritage. I think it is important to find a group that suits your own personal culture, and I think there are more choices in this regard nowadays. Many religious groups are trying harder to address this need.
4) Many religious groups have particular expressions of faith using media such as music and the other creative arts. This element alone can be comforting, enjoyable, and inspiring. (an example for me would be listening to the music of Bach, or to simple a cappella choral songs in an acoustically-perfect church building).
5) Religious buildings can be soothing, comforting, calming, safe, beautiful, and meditative. A physical place which helps calm the mind.
6) Certain religious practices and symbolism can become calming, meditative habits that teach one to relax the mind, be gently and quietly, reverently present. It is a form of relaxation therapy, yet imbued with a stronger sense of meaning in most cases, and therefore can be more appealing and effective.
7) Religious involvements can help frame major life events, such as births, marriages, and deaths. The community can come together in celebration or in grief. These events then can become accepted with greater meaning, and less loneliness.

There is one main disadvantage to "organized religion", in my opinion:
Dogma. When an inspired piece of wisdom or a metaphorical truth is understood as a literal fact, it becomes dogmatic. It would be like reading a fascinating, insightful, and enjoyable novel, but then starting to believe that the events in the novel are literally true, and acting accordingly. Many religious groups are quite dogmatic. The problem here is that dogmatism is an innate psychological tendency, which leads to different groups opposing and fighting with one another. It is understandable that most religions become dogmatic, because the founding of the religion and its texts is usually based on characters who really lived and stories which really happened -- it's just that the characters become idealized and the stories become more legendary and fictionalized over time.

The focus on dogma tends to distract attention away from whatever metaphorical truths may underlie the dogma. It would be like reading a fairy tale in a concrete or literal way, without considering whether there is a "moral to the story". Religious ideas can then also become judgmental and paternalistic, phenomena which can add to the already robust burden of self-judgment and self-criticism experienced by those going through a mental illness.

One can see in the world today a lot of religious dogma, leading to a lot of fighting about religion, all the while some of the core wisdom, such as "love one another", etc. falls by the wayside. Through history, a substantial portion of large-scale and small-scale human cruelty, catastrophe, political manipulation, and war, have been driven at least in part by religious dogmatism (even if seemingly well-meaning). We don't have to look far in today's news to find ongoing examples.

Dogmatism, from a psychiatric perspective, is fed by a variety of innate human personality traits, such as "obsessive-compulsiveness" (the tendency to require very clear, strict, or rigid pronouncements about what is right and what is wrong); also many dogmas are fed by narcissism (those who proclaim dogmatic statements are often doing so arrogantly, egotistically, forcefully, unempathically, in a grandiose way, or with an intent to control). Even without these two traits at play, it can be psychologically comforting to pronounce something as an absolute truth, because it may soothe the uncertainty and fear we may have about a variety of deep issues (such as dealing with death or mortality, finding meaning in life, explaining senseless tragedy, etc.). The difficulty is that the soothing effect may occur even if the "absolute truth" is an arbitrary--and fictional-- dogmatic pronouncement.

Ironically, some of the poignant themes in major religions such as Christianity, or Buddhism (others too, I suspect--though I do not feel well-enough informed to list them), encourage humility, gentleness, openness, acceptance, and encourage us to move away from obsessive-compulsiveness, narcissism, and absolutism in our thinking. Unfortunately, many self-proclaimed adherents of these belief systems may not actually embrace, perceive, or live out these themes. I suppose, within any set of beliefs, individuals may "pick out" selective elements which happen to suit them, while perhaps missing a broader perception of the whole. (I recognize I'm being a bit judgmental here, and I need to continue examining my thinking on this matter, to prevent my own dogmas from entrenching themselves)

So I think religion can be quite positive, with certain provisos. Nowadays, I do find that there are opportunities to participate in something religious without having to be dogmatic.

Here is a link to a recent Canadian Journal of Psychiatry article on religion, spirituality, and mental health:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19497160

While these articles are quite enthusiastic about the role of religion in mental health, I should point out several confounding variables:
1) Those who are more religious may also have more conservative beliefs, and a more conservative lifestyle. These traits are likely to be partially heritable, partially learned or chosen. This conservatism may protect individuals from various forms of life adversity. The problem is, many individuals do not fit into a conservative lifestyle paradigm, and may feel strongly excluded. Furthermore, the health of society as a whole would be strongly compromised by having such uniformity or constraint in lifestyle variables. We can look to nations with very strict moral or religious codes to observe the decrement in cultural and intellectual life that results.
2) Other lifestyle factors among the more religious may include a stronger focus on community, stable relationships, healthy diet, less substance abuse, etc. -- all these factors could mediate better mental health, rather than the religious faith per se. (From my own personal point of view about "God", though, I consider factors such as community, relationship, care for self & others, healthy lifestyle, etc. to be equivalent to "relationship with [or love for] God")
3) Those who already have better mental health may be more likely to form a stable, long-term relationship with religious (or other community or group) involvement. Thus, the relationship between mental health and religiosity may be associative, not causative.

Stepping out of this critique, though, I do genuinely believe that religious involvement is likely to benefit mental health directly in many cases, for the other reasons I've summarized above (e.g regarding community, meditation, friendship, support, having a setting to contemplate moral issues, etc.).

For some people, religion will not be "their thing", and in that case, I do think it will be important for them to find other sources of community, altruism, meditative calm, etc. Hopefully there will be more cultural development in this area in the coming generations.

As a recent addendum (today in April 2015), I have become a great fan of Richard Dawkins as a scientist and writer.  I had been hesitant to read or discuss some of his work which specifically addresses religion (such as The God Delusion) but having read this recently, I have to say that I don't find his work very controversial at all.   He summarizes a lot of reasoned discourse and insightful historical summary of quite convoluted, biased thinking that has influenced religious belief and practice for millenia.  Richard Dawkins' greatest gift, though, in my opinion, is that he is a wonderful storyteller.  In some ways I think he shares this talent in common with some thinkers about religion or mythology, such as C.S. Lewis or Joseph Campbell:  in Dawkins' case, his best stories are about the joy and wonder of the way life works, in terms of genetics, biology, and natural selection.  Dawkins is very passionate about science, and has become very passionate about challenging dogmatic belief systems which obscure the pursuit and joy of scientific understanding.   In fact, he as well as others such as Stephen Pinker, show that obscuration of knowledge through dogmatic or mystical belief systems is a major hindrance to the health and peacefulness of society, and a major unnecessary cause of strife and conflict in the world.    One element about religion, though, which Dawkins may not have attended to enough, is of the tendency for the brain to project idealizations or personifications of issues and desires, as a core element of religiosity, which then could be experienced in a psychologically healthy way, particularly if combined with a supportive community, tradition, and adornment from the creative arts.   It is a human psychological capacity to personify metaphors or ideas, and treat them as external characters.   I think it is easier to adapt existing religious cultures, to maintain positive elements of these traditions and possibly beneficial meditative practices and opportunities for ethical reflection in religious services, while moving away from a focus on dogmatic or fictional mystical beliefs.  In this way, religious practice could move away any sort of conflict with science.  Otherwise, there is very little at this point in atheistic culture which offers as much focused, organized opportunity for supportive community, meditative reflection, altruistic involvement, ethical discussions, infused by great art, music, and architecture.

Friday, July 11, 2008

A Rambling List of Helpful Ideas

This is just brainstorming now. Thinking of things that help with mental illness:
-find a good family physician
-have your overall health checked carefully
-have blood tests done to check thyroid, fasting glucose, ferritin (a measure of iron stores), B12 levels (a vitamin), and other basic bloodwork
-allow time in your daily life for rest, relaxation, hobbies, or other simple pleasures. It's particularly good to actually build this time right into your schedule
-have some structure in your day -- get up at roughly the same time, try to go to bed around the same time, eat meals consistently
-try to appreciate the simple pleasures of life -- the taste of your toast in the morning, the colour of the flowers, the texture of the sidewalk -- see, feel, experience, enjoy what you can
-do meditative things. For some this is a meditation class, for others it might be listening to music, a quiet evening walk, for others it could be a workout, for others it could be prayer or another religious activity
-examine your lifestyle...be willing to make changes, to let go of things (small and large) that are unhealthy for you, inconsistent with your personality or lifestyle; be willing to add things (small and large) that are healthy for you, consistent with your personality, values, and lifestyle. Be careful about these decisions though, because a depressive state can cause you to feel unhappy about every external thing, and your depressive symptoms may therefore prompt you to make changes that are not really helpful to you. Imagine that your mind is like the "senate", make sure all the different opinions are heard, from a depressed perspective, to an intellectual perspective, to a happy perspective, etc. Then decide & make changes if necessary. Some changes are hard to make -- e.g. letting go of the need to keep up with the mortgage by maintaining an extremely unpleasant job -- maybe you need to consider letting go of the house, simplifying your life, and doing something with your time that is more enjoyable or meaningful.
-do altruistic activities, in some way. Volunteer. Help others out. Do what you can.
Here's a link to search for volunteer opportunities in Vancouver:
http://www.volunteervancouver.ca/volunteering/search.asp
-exercise. every day. in moderation.
-eat healthy food. learn about nutrition. insist on the best quality your budget will allow. If you indulge once in a while in decadent foods, make it something REALLY GOOD. Not McDonalds.
-no more than 1 or 2 drinks of alcohol per day, ever. (it is possible that very light regular drinking is healthier than not drinking at all. But if you ever drink more than 2 per day, it is very bad for your emotional and physical health; also some people may not be able to healthily drink at all.
-don't smoke.
-don't use street drugs. There's a big marijuana lobby out there that makes claims about the health virtues of cannabis. Go examine the evidence for yourself. It's not good for you!
-reserve a little bit of energy, every day, or every week, for friendships. For many of us, this is an energy-consuming activity, and we neglect this. The energy could be spent in conversation, in doing an activity, or in expressing something positive about your friendship.
-be willing to move away from, or let go of, friendships that are not healthy for you.
-be willing to make new friends. This can be hard to do. You may need to try many different ways to meet new friends, such as joining recreational groups, clubs, churches (in my opinion, one need not have to espouse the literal belief system of a church to benefit from its social community, altruistic focus, and positive values), formal or informal educational classes (e.g. an acting class, or an art class, etc.), or internet sites (be careful of course!)
-be willing to try new things. a new activity. a new hobby. a new skill. a new language. a new place to travel. a new group.
Here's a link to Vancouver community centres; you can find the various programs & services they offer:
http://vancouver.ca/parks/rec/programs/refunds.htm
Here's a link to other classes & programs through the Vancouver school board:
http://www.continuinged.ca/nr/vsb/cie/session.asp

-some people change their lives for the better through months or years of slow, steady work...be open to this. Others can make a "radical life change", where improvements in life, meaning, and joy can happen almost immediately. Be open to this too.
-consider finding a therapist. you may need to give this time, just like any new experience. But be willing to change therapists, if the one you find doesn't feel right, or if you feel that you aren't getting anywhere after giving it a good chance.
-consider other types of therapy: if you have had only open-ended, "classical" psychotherapy, consider trying cognitive-behavioural therapy. And vice-versa.
-consider seeing a psychiatrist. You may need to give this time too, and may need to see a different one if the experience doesn't feel right to you.
-consider medications. Some patients I've seen have had life stories that sound like their problems would be solved by talking things through, by working things out in talking therapy. Sometimes they have given this years of effort, but have not improved. Then they try an antidepressant, or find a combination of medications, and feel truly well for the first time in their lives. For others, they have the opposite story: they may have tried one medication after another to treat their symptoms. Nothing works. Then they engage in a good psychotherapy experience, and this becomes the first treatment that helps; sometimes these patients may discontinue their medications. For the majority of patients I see with chronic or recurrent depression, though, what seems to help best is a mixture of psychotherapy, a medication combination, and healthy lifestyle changes.