Emotional Security: Do You Know What YOUR Emotions Are Trying to Tell You?

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Most Christians have a pretty ambivalent relationship with our emotions.  We just don’t know what to feel about our feelings.  Sometimes, emotions can be the source of a great deal of joy, satisfaction, and well-being.  Other times they can wreck us with anxiety, despair, anger, and angst.   Of course,  there are still other times when we get upset with ourselves for being upset, angry at ourselves for being angry, or depressed about how sad we feel.

Emotions are a part of our body, of course, and, as such, the Theology of the Body tells us that–just like the rest of our body–emotions are intended by God to work for our good and the good of others.  But what about the times they don’t?  What is the best way to think about our emotions and how can we do a better job managing them?

Emotion:  What is it…Really?

It is surprisingly difficult to get consensus on what an emotion actually is.  Biologists will tell you that emotions are just neurochemistry.  Psychologists will tell you that emotions are the results of the thoughts that run through your head.  Anthropologists will say that emotions are the way individuals know they are connected to some groups and disconnected from others.  All of these theories get at some aspect of emotions and some of these theories describe what emotions do, but none of those descriptions really do anything to tell us what emotions are.

The new science of interpersonal neurobiology (the study of how relationships affect the mind and brain) has proposed an interesting answer to the question, “What is an emotion” that cuts across all the different professional distinctions and gives the average person a simple but useful way of thinking about emotions so that they can get better control of them.

What is an emotion?

Emotions represent shifts in the degree of integration between or within the body, mind, and relationships.

Let me explain.

Warning…Warning…Disturbance on Level Three!

Think of your emotions as the security office in one of those caper movies, you know, like, say, Oceans 11.   In a sense, your emotions are like that room filled with cameras, indicator lights and buzzers that let you see how well (or not) everything is working–and working together (or not)–from moment to moment.   Only, instead of a bank vault, elevator shaft, and the boss’ office,  the security system represented by your emotions is the system that monitors how well your body, mind and relationships are working both on their own and with each other.   In other words, they “represent shifts in the degree of integration between or within the body, mind, and relationship.   Let me give a few examples…

Let’s say you feel “emotionally close” to someone.  What does that mean?   It means their thoughts and feelings are meshing well with your thoughts and feelings.  In other words, you are experiencing a high degree of integration between you and the other person and, as a result, you experience emotions that correspond with that integration, like happiness, affection, even love.

On the other hand, if you have a serious disagreement with that other person about something, your thoughts and feelings aren’t meshing well.   As a result of this lesser degree of integration between you, you might experience anger that they don’t see things the way you do or you might fear that the relationship is in jeopardy.

In both of the above instances,  your emotions are monitoring the degree of integration or disintegration you are feeling in your relationship with someone from moment to moment.

Let’s take another example.   What does it mean to be “emotionally healthy?”  Your degree of emotional health has to do with the degree of integration you experience between (and within) your body, mind and relationships.   It represents how much your mind consistently desires and motivates you to do things that are good for your body and your relationships.

For instance, if your mind produces strong urges to do things that would endanger your sense of bodily integrity (for example; drink too much or take drugs that impair your functioning or risks that endanger your well-being) you have poor integration between your mind and body.  As a result, the “security officer” played by your emotions may send out a warning sign in the form of sadness, desperation, or emptiness.

Similarly, if your mind produces a strong urge to lash out at others, there may be a poor degree of integration between what your mind wants and what your relationships need in order to function well.  As a result, your emotional security officer will send out warning sign in the form of feelings of estrangement, loneliness, or isolation.

As you can see, “emotional health” or “emotional illness” reflects the degree  of integration or disintegration, respectively,  that you are feeling between your mind, body, and relationships, from moment to moment.

The above represent examples of disintegration between your mind, body, and relationships.  But the Emotional Security Office also monitors how each of these systems are working on their own.

For instance, if you are rested, your body, itself, is more likely to feel a greater degree of integration than if you slept poorly.  Your emotions will probably reflect that degree of integration by making you feel content and peaceful.  But if you slept poorly, your emotions reflect that poor degree of bodily integration by making you grumpy and irritable.  In this case your emotions represent the degree of integration you are experiencing within your body from moment to moment.

In short, emotions are the vast monitoring network God gave you enabling you to oversee, at a glance, how much unity (integration) and well-being you are encountering between and within your mind, body and relationships from moment to moment.

So What?

Too often, especially when we feel negative emotions,  we think of the feeling as the problem.  “I wish I could just stop feeling so anxious/depressed/overwhelmed.    The feeling isn’t the problem.  The feeling is the warning light telling you to look for the problem–i.e., the disintegration that is causing the emotional alarm bells to ring.  Imagine if the Head of Security in our caper movie heard all the lights and buzzers going off that indicated a robbery in progress and instead of dispatching guards to the scene just said, “Ugh!   I’m so sick of listening to all these buzzers and seeing these flashing red lights!   Shut it all down!  I just need a nap!”  Or, alternatively, what if the same Head of Security said, “These lights and buzzers are freaking me out!  Let’s just torch the whole room.  You heard me!  Burn the place down!”

Obviously, those would be foolish choices.  But we try to do the same things with our emotions!  Because we tend to think of our feelings as the problems themselves, we try to ignore them or shut them down with rash decisions intended to make all the buzzing stop.  We often forget to listen to our emotions and, metaphorically speaking, send a guard to check out what’s going on at the vault, or on level four, or to the elevator (our mind, brain, or relationships) so that we can correct the problem.  We forget that the buzzing will stop when the problem is solved.

Just like the warning indicator doesn’t stop buzzing until the problem is resolved, your feelings won’t change until the disintegration they are pointing to is adequately addressed.

 

Emotions and the Quest for Original Unity

The Theology of the Body tells us that, before the Fall, man, woman, and God existed in a state of  Original Unity.  Presumably this unity didn’t just exist between them, but within them as well.  After all, you can’t be at peace with others if you are at war with yourself.  Before the Fall,   man and woman felt right (i.e., experienced a high degree of integration) within themselves, as well as between each other and God.  That “Original Unity” is what our emotions are pointing to; what they want us to get back to.  The thief has entered the building, and the alarms will not cease until we have expelled him from the premises (Matt 24:43).

Our emotions remind us of the need to strive for the Original Unity in which we were created to live.  Emotions are not the enemy.  In fact, they can serve us well as long as we don’t try to shut them down by rashly cutting people out of our lives, or by drinking, drugging, indulging our passions, or taking foolish risks in a desperate, reactionary attempt to plug our ears to the warning bells and blindfold ourselves so we can’t see the flashing red lights.

What Can I DO?

So the next time your emotions get the better of you, don’t beat yourself up for being weak.  Thank God that your emotions are doing exactly what he created them to do.  And instead of asking, “Why do I feel this way?”    Ask, “Where is the most acute imbalance in or between my body, mind or relationships right now and what can I do to begin addressing it?”

Correct the disintegration in or between your body, mind, and relationships and your feelings will follow suit.

If you would like additional help in achieving emotional health, contact me, Dr. Greg Popcak,  to learn more about the Pastoral Solutions Institute’s Catholic Tele-Counseling Services.  You can visit us online or call 740-266-6461 to make an appointment today.

 

Treating ADHD without Meds

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In response to yesterday’s post on the Pontifical Council for Healthcare Workers’ conference on the effectiveness and ethics of stimulant treatment for ADHD a number of readers asked, “if not meds, then what?”

I want to say up front that I don’t personally believe that medication treatment for ADHD is completely useless or should be avoided altogether.  I do think that people are being oversold on the effectiveness of ADHD meds for the reasons listed in the article I posted yesterday.  Ritalin, and its cousins are not a cure for ADHD.  They only control the symptoms for a limited period of time.  Likewise, in children, ADHD meds can stunt growth.  Most interestingly, research by SUNY Buffalo shows that even if they do initially bring on some improvement, ADHD meds stop working altogether within 3 years of beginning them.

So what’s a parent to do?

Fortunately, there are a ton of effective behavioral treatments for ADHD.  Think of behavior therapy–and similar psychosocial interventions–as physical therapy for the brain.   Psychotherapeutic exercises literally increase the connectivity, development, and healthy functioning of the brain, especially brain processes that control attention, awareness, focus, and impulse control–all skills lacking in persons with ADHD.   In fact, cognitive-behavioral and psychosocial interventions for ADHD have consistently been shown to be more effective than medication for ADHD.  Ultimately, cognitive-behavioral and psychosocial approaches to treating ADHD actually heal the brain imbalances that make it difficult for ADHD sufferers to focus, follow-through, and control impulses.

Here is a great resource that lists many of the available treatment options for both children with ADHD and adults.

In addition to the above, mindfulness training (where the client learns how to calm and focus the brain through various exercises that improve concentration and focus) has been shown to be very effective for treating both adults and children with ADHD.

Likewise, neurofeedback, (a therapy that uses computer assisted exercises to teach the client to have conscious control of various brain skills like attention and focus) has a great deal of research showing it to be an effective treatment for ADHD.

Take a look at the above links.  You might be surprised to find resources that are more effective than meds and could actually cure the ADHD instead of merely controlling it for a time.

If you or someone you love has ADHD contact the Pastoral Solutions Institute.  Through our tele-counseling practice, you can work with a faithful Catholic counselor to get the training and support you need to overcome ADHD…for good.   740-266-6461

 

“Am I Crazy?” The 9 Components of Mental Health and How You Get Them.

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Believe it or not, a mental health professional can make it through his or her bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs without having a single, significant discussion on what the term “mental health” actually means (or the term “mind” for that matter).

We tend to be trained to think that mental health is “not” something.  In other words, one becomes mentally healthy when they are “not depressed” or “not anxious” anymore.   At best, we receive a very functional definition of mental health.  That is, a person can be considered mentally healthy if they are able to function well at work and in relationships.  That’s a decent working definition, but it leaves a lot of territory unexplored.

Mental Health:  New Insights:

Within the last few years, thanks to the development of functional imaging (fPET, fMRI) and the brain research that these technologies make possible, mental health professionals have a clearer sense than ever of what “mental health” actually consists of.  Additionally, research is beginning to show what processes contribute to mental health.  We can now watch the brain at work and see the environmental conditions that enable the brain to function at its best.  We’ll look at that in a minute.  First, let’s examine the 9 factors that research shows constitutes good mental health.  (Note:  This article is largely based on the excellent book by Daniel J. Siegel. Pocket Guide to Interpersonal Neurobiology: An Integrative Handbook of the Mind (Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology.” W. W. Norton, 2012.   I highly recommend this work for additional information on this subject)

Mental Health:  The 9 Factors

When the human brain is working at its best, it is capable of doing 9 things that contribute to what we might commonly consider, “good mental health.”  They are:

1. Body Regulation—the ability to keep the organs of the body and the autonomic nervous system (e.g, heart rate, respiration, body temperature) coordinated and balanced.  Body regulation isn’t just about physical health.  Emotions begin as an embodied experience.  For example; a racing heart and shallow respiration often precipitate feelings of panic/anxiety.  Feelings of exhaustion or under-stimulation often precipitate depression.

2. Attuned Communication—the ability to pick up on the meaning of subtle, non-verbal, physical cues (facial expressions, tones of voice, posture) that indicate another person’s emotional states and degree of well-being.  People with Autism spectrum disorders especially have a difficult time with this.

3. Emotional Balance—the ability to maintain optimal emotional functioning.  That is, I know how to be emotionally stimulated enough to be aware and engaged in my circumstances and relationships but not so emotionally stimulated that I am regularly flooded by my feelings and carried away by them.

4. Response Flexibility—the ability to pause before acting on my impulses and willfully change the direction of my actions if doing so suits me better than my initial impulses.  People with ADHD, pathological anger, addictions, and other impulse control problems struggle with this skill.

5. Fear Modulation—reducing fear.  Self-explanatory.  People with anxiety and panic disorders, especially, have a difficult time modulating the brain’s fear responses.  They become easily flooded with anxiety where others might just experience nervousness or even excitement.

6. Insight—the ability to reflect on my life experiences in a way that links my past, present, and future in a coherent, cohesive, compassionate manner. In sight helps me make sense of both the things that have happened to me in the past and the things that are happening to me now.

7. Empathy—Essentially, empathy is the ability to have insight (as defined above) into other people.  Empathy is the ability to imagine what it is like to be another person, and to reflect on their experiences in a way that links their past, present, and future in coherent, cohesive. compassionate manner.  Empathy helps you make sense of other people’s lives, the way they think, and their feelings.

8. Morality—the ability to imagine, reason, and behave from the perspective of the greater good.  Includes the ability to delay gratification and find ways to get my needs met while understanding and accommodating the needs of others.

9. Intuition—having access to the input from the body and its non-rational ways of knowing that fuel wisdom.  One’s “gut sense” of things is actually based on a complex process by which  one’s right brain makes “quick and dirty” global assessments of one’s feelings and circumstances.

We have seen from decades of research that the human brain, when it is experiencing optimal functioning, is able to do all of these things.   The degree to which you can say you are “mentally healthy” is the degree to which you can say these things are true about you.  The exciting thing about this definition of mental health is that a person does not have to wait until their life, work, or relationships are suffering before they get help.  A person could reasonably look at this list and say, “I want to do a better job with this mental skill”  enabling them to seek professional help long before their marriage, work, or life begins to fall apart because of those deficits.

Ok, So, How Do I Get These Things?

There are really two versions of this question.  The first is, “How does a person come by these qualities in the first place?”  The second question is, “If I don’t have one or more of these qualities, how do I get them?” Let’s look at each question in turn.

–How does a person come by the 9 components of mental health in the first place?

Researchers such as Daniel Seigel (UCLA), Allan Schore (UCLA), Marco Iacoboni (UCLA), Louis Cozolino (Pepperdine), Stephen Porges (U of Illinois) and others point to decades of research showing that it is actually healthy attachment bonds between parent and child that enable the brain to develop at least 8 of the 9 components of mental health to their fullest potential (n.b., the 9th quality, intuition, has not been adequately studied to determine its origins).

If it seems odd that a parenting style could have so much impact on brain development and mental health, it shouldn’t.  Fully 90% of our brain develops after birth.  Although the brain research to support this assumption is fairly new, psychology has always looked at the impact of parenting and the structure of one’s family of origin as the cradle of mental health or mental disorder.   In the last 20 years, however, it is become possible to see that this assertion isn’t just a social, psychological, or characterological phenomenon. It is also, even primarily, physiological.   Both psychology and Catholic theology (especially the Theology of the Body) assert that the person is essentially and inherently a social/relational being.  As Genesis 2:18 says, “it is not good that man should be alone.”   We just never appreciated how deeply true this assertion was.  Two decades of brain research show us that, in fact, it is our relationships that provide the soil in which our brains grow.    Brain science now teaches that healthy, attached, parent-child relationships yield the healthiest, best integrated brain function and mental health outcomes.  The very parenting practices that lead to healthy attachment have been shown–by studies that are completely independent of one another–to be the parenting practices that brain researchers have identified as leading to the greatest degree healthy brain development.

—What Does Brain-Wise Parenting Look Like?

Specifically, these parenting practices include:

~consistent, sensitive, & prompt parental response to the child’s cues and needs.

~extravagant levels affection.

~gentle discipline approaches that focus more on teaching good behavior than punishing bad.

These parenting practice release chemicals in the child’s brain that promote nerve growth (allowing new connections to form), the inter-regional connectivity of the brain (allowing different parts of the brain to communicate more efficiently), and myelin formation (myelin is the insulation around the nerve cell.  A well-myelinated nerve carries information 3000 times faster than a poorly myelinated nerve).

—What Parenting Practices Inhibit Brain Development?

Likewise, research has shown that each of the opposite parenting practices (i.e, inconsistent, less-sensitive and prompt parental response to cues; lesser levels of affection; harsh discipline techniques that punish rather than teach) stress the brain and cause it to go into “lock down.”  This leads to poorer nerve growth, poorer inter-regional connectivity, and poorer levels of myelination. The authors I cited previously, and others like them, universally assert that the parenting practices promoted by attachment theorists for being the best practices for healthy parent-child attachment are the same practices that enable the brain to develop the skills (above) that are necessary for optimal brain functioning and, by extension, good mental health.

—But Isn’t It Just Genetic?

Many people believe that mental and emotional problems are genetic.  This is not strictly accurate.   We now know that the parenting environment (and indeed, the overall environment as well) in which a child grows up releases different chemicals in the brain that lead to certain genetic expressions. This is called “epigenetics”  (i.e., the study of how our environment impacts the development of genetic traits).  Different parenting environments literally release different chemical responses in the child’s brain leading to different genes being expressed and different traits being developed.  We no longer can meaningfully talk about nature vs. nurture.  The discussion has evolved from this to be more about how the dialog between nature and nurture  ultimately results in certain traits and behaviors being expressed.

–So, if I don’t have one or more of these qualities, how do I get them?

The techniques a therapist uses in counseling–including the therapeutic relationship itself–have been shown by neuroimaging studies to actually heal physical damage to the social brain and promote healthy brain functioning.   For instance, cognitive-behavioral techniques help the brain develop healthy top-down/left-right integration so that I can both understand and control my emotions more effectively.  Mindfulness-based approaches to therapy–which promote a person’s ability to observe themselves from a healthy, third person perspective–have been shown to enhance insight, emotional regulation, and whole-brain functioning.  Relationship-based therapies and spiritually-based therapies have been shown to promote empathy, moral functioning, and attuned communication especially.   The therapeutic relationship itself–rooted as it is in radical acceptance, affirmation and gentle correction–is a milieu that promotes healing of wounded attachment bonds.

Thanks to the development of empirically-based interventions (i.e., techniques rooted in research rather than philosophy), well-trained therapists have a clearer sense of what therapeutic techniques promote each of the nine components of mental health.  As research develops, mental health professionals will be able to make even clearer connections between the specific techniques in their toolbox and the specific mental skills a client needs to heal psychological wounds and promote optimal mental health.

What’s in Your Toolbox?  An Assessment: 

Take another look at the list of the 9 components that make up good mental health?  What are your strengths?  What are the areas that you could do better in?  Having a good sense of your strengths and weaknesses in reference to the 9 components of mental health can empower you to avoid more serious problems before they occur and give you important insights into why you struggle in the areas you do.

If you would like assistance in developing the skills that define good mental health or would like help in overcoming the challenges in your life, emotions,  or relationships that prevent you from being your best, contact the Pastoral Solutions Institute (740-266-6461) for more information on how you can work with a professional Catholic therapist via our tele-counseling practice.

The good news is that with new information and new developments in psychotherapy practice, you can learn the skills you need to cooperate with God’s grace to become the best version of yourself and live a more abundant psychological, emotional, and relational life

Be Not Afraid: A Christian Response to Anxiety

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            In any given year about 20% of adults in the US experience one type or another of anxiety disorder so if you do have an anxiety disorder, you’re in good company.  The good news is that up to 80% of people who seek treatment for anxiety disorders get better.  Anxiety disorders are highly treatable and new, more effective ways to help people are being developed every day.    If you are suffering with an anxiety disorder, the best thing to do is to seek help today.

Do God’s People get Anxiety Disorders?

People of faith often feel guilty for being anxious.  They wonder if perhaps they are not praying hard enough or not trusting God enough.  The truth is, Christians get anxiety disorders at roughly the same rate as everyone else.  This should not be a surprise.  After all, Christians catch cold as often as everyone else and get cancer or heart disease or high blood pressure at the same rate as everyone else.  No one thinks of these things as spiritual failings.   Anxiety disorders are what happen to a person when the brain’s fire-alarm center—the amygdala—gets a “chemical burn” from bathing too long in stress chemicals, making it hypersensitive and over-reactive to new problems.  Anxiety Disorders are not a failure of character or spiritual maturity.  They are what happen when the brain’s stress-warning systems become overwhelmed and hyper-activated.

How Are Anxiety Disorders Treated?

Research shows that the treatments that work best for anxiety disorders are psychotherapy and/or medication.  Most studies indicate that, especially for more serious anxiety disorders, recovery is quickest and strongest for those who receive both medication and psychotherapy.  Let’s take a brief look at each.

-Psychotherapy

            Many people are confused about psychotherapy.  How is it different than “just talking?”  Even more importantly, if anxiety is caused by the wearing out and overstimulation  of the body’s stress-warning systems, how can talking about your feelings help heal the body?

The truth is, just talking about your problems in any old way won’t necessarily help anything.  In fact, studies show that there are some ways of talking about your problems that can make them infinitely worse.  But mental health professionals have learned special ways to talk about problems–and teach clients techniques to work through problems–that have been shown to actually change the way the brain physically processes stress.  Recent studies employing electro-encephalogram (EEG) technology shows that in as little as 12 weeks, psychotherapy alone changed the electrical patterns in the brains of anxious patients and enabling their brains to process stress more like people who do not suffer from anxiety disorders.

Well trained mental health professionals do not only encourage you to talk about your problems, they teach you to deal with stress in new ways and use techniques that can improve functioning in the stress-management and problem-solving parts of your brain.

Just like going to physical therapy after an injury can teach you exercises that can restore physical functioning, psychotherapy teaches you mental exercises that can restore functioning to the stress-management and problem-solving areas of the brain that have been affected by anxiety.  In a very real sense, psychotherapy may be thought of as physical therapy for the brain.

There are many types of psychotherapy, but research has identified two types of therapy that are most effective in helping your brain recover from the wear and tear of anxiety; Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Mindfulness-Based Therapy (also known as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy).

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps you identify the unhealthy thinking patterns that make your brain work harder than it has to when faced with problems and stress.  The therapist will also recommend changes in the way you act in stressful situations (and around stressful people) so that your brain can bounce back from these situations quickly and efficiently.  Research shows that learning these mental and behavioral techniques may help both heal the damage stress has done to your brain and make your more stress-resistant in the future.

A second research-based therapy for anxiety disorders that is called Mindfulness-Based Therapy—MBT  (or Acceptance and Commitment Therapy–ACT).  Unlike Cognitive Behavior Therapy which teaches you techniques to take control of the anxiety and reduce it, MBT/ACT teaches you techniques that enable you to, essentially, step outside of the anxiety and consciously redirect your emotional energy into productive activities.  Where CBT is like boxing, in that it tries to confront and defeat anxious thoughts, ACT is more like Judo, which uses anxiety’s energy against itself, causing it to evaporate.  Both types of therapy have much clinical and brain-based research supporting their effectiveness at both decreasing anxiety and changing the way the brain processes stress.

Whichever type of therapy is best for you, psychotherapy is much more than “just talking” with someone about your problems.  It is a highly sophisticated process facilitated by a licensed professional that acts, in a sense, as physical therapy for the brain, restoring the brain’s ability to manage-stress, problem-solve, create emotional balance and a community of supportive relationships.

Medication    

In addition to psychotherapy, medication is another common way of responding to anxiety disorders.  In fact, most studies indicate that medication combined with psychotherapy is the most effective treatment.   You should think of anxiety medication in a similar way as you might think about medication for high blood pressure. Medication can control high blood pressure, but in most cases, only lifestyle changes can cure it.  In the same way, medication for anxiety disorders can control depressive symptoms, but in most cases, if not all, a person will also need to make lifestyle changes to heal from anxiety and keep it away.    There are several different types of medication for anxiety disorders including,  Anti-Anxieties (Benzodiazepines and Buspirone), and Anti-Depressants (SSRI’S and SNRI’s).

Anti-Anxiety Drugs come in two basic varieties; Benzodiazepines and Buspirone.  Benzodiazepines are fast-acting drugs (about 30 min from ingestion to effect) that boost the effectiveness of the body’s calm-down chemical, GABA.  Benzodiazepines supercharge GABA’s ability to soothe the irritated amygdala (sort of like applying numbing cream to that metaphorical chemical burn we discussed earlier).    The downside is that these drugs have side-effects that include tiredness, fuzzy thinking, dizziness, slurred speech and other similar problems.  You shouldn’t drive a car or operate machinery while on them. They can be habit forming.

By contrast, Buspirone, functions as a slower-acting anti-anxiety drug.  It is thought to work by decreasing the amount of brain-agitating chemicals produced under stress.  It can be about 2 weeks before the person taking Buspirone begins to feel better, and though it does have side effects like nausea, dry mouth, and dizziness,  it does not cause drowsiness or impaired thinking.  There is much less of a risk of dependency or withdrawal symptoms than with benzodiazepines.

Some Anti-Depressants are also used treat anxiety disorders, but it can take 4-6 weeks before the patient will notice any change.  These drugs (SSRI’s and SNRI’s like Paxil, Celexa, and Lexapro) are thought to work by boosting the level of the body’s stress-management and feel-good chemicals.  These drugs are not habit forming, but there can be serious withdrawal symptoms for people who quit cold-turkey.  Never stop taking any medication without consulting with your physician.

If you are struggling with anxiety, it is important to talk to a mental health professional to evaluate all your treatment options and design the best course of treatment for you.

Can prayer and the sacraments help?

                Taking advantage of psychotherapy or medication does not mean that a person should neglect spiritual remedies.  Our rich spiritual tradition as Catholics can be a great source of both comfort and healing.  Don’t ever hesitate to ask for the intercession of pastors and other mature Christians.  Dive into scripture, drawing encouragement from those versus that remind us of God’s providence and constant care (e.g., Mt 6:31-32; Phil 4:6-7; Phi 4:19, etc.).

Another source of great strength and healing are the Sacraments of Healing; Confession and Anointing of the Sick.  Some people might be surprised by the encouragement to us confession.  After all, anxiety is not a sin, nor are anxious people sinning by being anxious!  But when we are anxious it is easy to give into things that are sins such as bad habits related to self-comforting, lashing out at others, or becoming too self-focused.  As we receive the grace of confession to overcome anxiety’s negative influence in our lives and relationships, we can feel stronger and more confident in our ability to cooperate with God’s grace and achieve healing of body, mind and spirit.

Second, although anxiety disorders are an illness, most people don’t think of taking advantage of Anointing of the Sick to assist them in the healing process.  Receiving this sacrament as a person struggling with an anxiety disorder is an important way to encounter God’s healing grace in action.  A person may receive Anointing of the Sick as often as he or she feels the need for it.  Through all the sacraments, we encounter the saving and healing actions of Christ.  Let our Lord be a partner in your recovery.

Can’t I Just Talk to My Priest?

It is always good when a person suffering with anxiety receives support from his or her pastor, but people should never confuse talking with their priest with psychotherapy.  Both can be helpful, but they are not the same.  Remember, psychotherapy is, in essence, physical therapy for the brain.  Unless your pastor has been trained in those techniques that actually change the way your brain functions under stress, then you are not getting therapy by talking to your priest about your anxiety any more than you would be taking medicine by talking to your pastor about your flu.  Anxiety disorder sufferers should avail themselves of all the remedies available–including the spiritual remedies–but he or she should always be sure to speak to a mental health professional for treatment.

Who should I turn to? (What professionals do what?)

Many professionals treat anxiety, including General Practitioners, Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Clinical Social Workers, and Mental Health Counselors.  People are often confused about who can help best with their anxiety.  The following can help you decide where to start.

General Practitioners—General Practioners/Family Doctors are often the first responders to anxiety disorders. While your family doctor can be a first stop on your road to recovery, he or she should not usually be the person primarily responsible for treating your anxiety because they simply don’t have all the tools and training necessary to offer you the fullest array of treatment options.

Psychiatrists are medical doctors who use medication almost exclusively to treat mental health problems.  Psychiatrists, as a general rule do not do psychotherapy, nor do most have training in psychotherapy but they do refer patients to therapists.  After an initial consultation, most appointments with a psychiatrist consist of monthly medication checks to assess the effectiveness of what’s been prescribed and make any necessary adjustments to prescriptions.

Psychologists are Ph.D-level clinicians with state licenses to offer counseling and psychotherapy.  Generally speaking, they do not prescribe refer to physicians when medication is necessary.  While many other professionals provide psychotherapy to clients, psychologists are particularly known for their training in psychological testing and evaluation.

Clinical Social Workers, Mental Health Counselors, Marriage &Family Therapists—May be either Ph.D. or master’s level clinicians with state licenses to offer counseling and psychotherapy.  They do not prescribe medication but will refer to physicians if medication is necessary.  Each of these professionals may have slightly different specializations but for the most part, all are qualified to treat anxiety and related disorders.

Should I seek Christian Counseling?

Many Catholics wonder if they should seek Christian counseling/counselors for help.  The answer is, “it depends.”

While research shows that clients are generally more satisfied and treatment progresses more rapidly when the mental health professional and client share values, clients should be aware that many “Christian counselors” have no training or license to do psychotherapy, but merely give “biblically-based” advice of one sort or another.  In fact, many so-called Christian Counselors are hostile to psychotherapy and psychology in general.

That said, Pastoral Counselors are a type of Christian counselor who are licensed professionals and, in additional to their clinical training, have degrees or other specialized training in theology.  Ideally, a Catholic person suffering with anxiety might benefit most from counseling with a Catholic Pastoral Counselor, a licensed mental health professional who was also trained in Catholic theology/spirituality, but these can be difficult to find. (see Resources for options).

The bottom line is, when seeking treatment for anxiety, identify  the most competent professionals you can find.  From that short list, choose the one you believe will be most supportive of your faith and values.

Peace Be with You!

If you or something you love is dealing with an anxiety disorder, get help today.  God has great plans for your life. Bl. Pope John Paul II was fond of reminding us to “become what you are.”  You are God’s child.  You are loved.  You are precious in his eyes.  Don’t let anything, not even your own feelings, stand in the way of experiencing how much God cherishes you and wants to bless you with his healing, peace, and all the qualities that enable you to live life as a gift.

Resources

Books:

God Help Me!  This Stress is Driving Me Crazy!—Dr. Gregory Popcak offers practical techniques and insights from our Catholic faith for dealing more effectively with stress and the emotional struggles that result.

When Panic Attacks (David Burns)—A secular book that represents the gold standard for treating anxiety.  Extremely practical & research-based.  A great complement to treatment.

 

Counseling Resources:

CatholicTherapists.com—A national referral source for therapists whose values are consistent with the Catholic faith.

The Pastoral Solutions Institute  (www.CatholicCounselors.com ) –An organization dedicated to providing Catholic-integrated psychotherapy services to Catholics around the world via the telephone.  All pastoral counselors are licensed therapists with additional training in Catholic theology/spirituality.  Call for information 740-266-6461 (Disclosure:  Author is the clinical director of the Pastoral Solutions Institute.)

 

Dr. Gregory Popcak, author of over a dozen books integrating Catholic spirituality and psychology is the Executive Director of the Pastoral Solutions Institute, an organization dedicated to helping Catholics find faith-filled answers to life’s difficult questions.

Coming Wed on More2Life: Be Not Afraid.

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Coming Wed on More2Life–Be Not Afraid: Scripture reminds us that Christians have no need to fear, and Pope John Paul II often reminded us of the bible’s exhortation to, “Be not afraid.”  Despite all this, it is easy, when difficulties strike, to give into fear.

Today on M2L, we’ll look at fear and anxiety; where it comes from and how we can conquer it.

Call in at 877-573-7825 from Noon-1 Eastern (11-Noon Central) with your questions about overcoming the fears and anxieties that make life more difficult.

Can’t get M2L on a Catholic radio station near you? YOU CAN STILL HEAR US!
~ Listen via our FREE AveMariaRadio IPhone or Android App (Check your app store!),
~ Tune in live online at www.avemariaradio.net
~ or catch our archived shows via the M2L Podcast (also at avemariaradio.net)

Ignorance is…Just Plain Ignorance (Or, Why Catholics Need to Stop Promoting Scientology’s Stigmas About Mental Health)

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Earlier today, I posted a video that offered a cautionary view of medication.  The point of the video was that while medication can sometimes be helpful, it can also be problematic if it used to mask other relationship or personal problems that are actually causing the depression. In these cases, medication can actually keep a person depressed longer because the person may experience just enough relief to lose the motivation to solve their underlying problems.  They may get better, but never be well.

Sadly, two people took the opportunity to demonstrate their ignorance by making the following comments in response to the Facebook post I linked to the video.

“G”  wrote:  Not sure how a Catholic offering help to other Catholics can even suggest the anti-faith solution of drugging people with dangerous psychotropic meds. That makes no sense.   The psychiatric profession, with their drugs, is based on the assumption that there is no soul, only a biological entity, and all the thoughts, emotions, and beliefs of that biological entity are the sum total of brain chemicals. This stands in direct contradiction to the beliefs of the faith. How does one enter the diametric opposite of the faith into pastoral counseling and consider it okay?   Do we invite a little bit of the demonic into the Mass to make sure we are integrating all views? No. And we should not do so when we are counseling from a faith-based view.

and “E” wrote:  How about 3 Prayers of Humility, taken daily.  Add to that a large dose of the Grace of God.

First of all, both of these folks entirely missed the point of the post.   There was nothing about the post or the video that promoted “drugging people”  and nothing about the post the prevents someone from seeking God’s grace. Quite the contrary.  If anything, the was a way of asking people to think carefully before using psychiatric drugs. They can be helpful, but they are not the panacea some people view them as.

That said, even if the post was about passing out antidepressants like they were candy, these comments are still incredibly ignorant, off base, and completely inconsistent with the Catholic view of medicine in general and psychiatry in particular.  Worse, these are exactly the kind of comments that cause people who are suffering to refuse to seek treatment.  These are exactly the kind of comments that make people prefer suicide to seeking help.

What is the Catholic View of Psychiatry?

The problem with comments like these is that they are more consistent with a Christian Science (which believes that all illness, much less mental illness is purely a spiritual problem) or even Scientologist (which profits by offering its own phony “treatment.”) view of medicine than they are a Catholic view.  Catholics recognize that good can be found even in ritually impure places.  What did St. Paul say to the early Christians who wondered if it was OK to eat meat sacrificed to pagan gods?  In 1 Cor 8:4-6 he says, “So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world” and that “There is no God but one.” For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.”   In other words, God alone is God, what have we to fear of pagan sacrifices to nonexistent gods.  How can meat–which was made by the One True God–be defiled by ignorant people making pretent gestures to gods who don’t exist?

Catholics recognize that  truth and goodness remains true and good even when it is hiding in “ritually impure” (so to speak) places.   It remains so, because it was made–or at least made possible–by God.  If something is helpful, or true, or good (as evidenced by the fruit it bears) then it comes from God.  When Jesus was accused of using demonic power to cast out demons, he challenged his accuser by pointing out that actions, such as healing, can only come from a power stronger than that which caused the illness (c.f., Lk 11: 14-28).

In 1993, Pope John Paul II addressed a gathering of psychiatrists saying, “This meeting affords me a welcome opportunity to express the church’s esteem of the many physicians and health care professionals involved in the important and delicate area of psychiatric medicine…. By its very nature your work often brings you to the threshold of human mystery. It involves sensitivity to the tangled workings of the human mind and heart, and openness to the ultimate concerns that give meaning to people’s lives. These areas are of the utmost importance to the church, and they call to mind the urgent need for a constructive dialogue between science and religion for the sake of shedding greater light on the mystery of man in his fullness.”

In light of such comments by Pope JPII, every Catholic should have big problems with comments like those from G and E above.

No Catholic should ever feel afraid or ashamed of seeking professional mental health treatment of any sort. No Catholic should ever try to discourage a brother or sister in Christ from seeking such help.  And if some erstwhile Catholic does ever do anything to stop someone from getting the help they need, that person will have much to account to God for.

For more information on Catholic-integrated approaches to marriage, family, and emotional problems, visit the Pastoral Solutions Institute’s website or call 740-266-6461 to make an appointment with a professional, Catholic counselor.

What Dose of Antidepressant Do You Need to Tolerate a Miserable Marriage?

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[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0yGPEzGSoU[/youtube]

Antidepressants can be an important part of treatment, but people forget that there are many causes of depression.   If a depression is caused largely by relationship problems, for example, an antidepressant may not work, or may even cause more serious problems as the person is lulled into the position of accepting destructive relationships as “normal.”  This two minute video offers an important illustration of both the benefits and limitations of meds.

For information on Catholic-integrated counseling services, contact the Pastoral Solutions Institute to learn more about working with a Catholic counselor to resolve your marriage, family, or personal issues.  Visit our website or call 740-266-6461.

 

 

COMING TUES on More2Life Radio–Out of Control

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COMING TUES:  Out of Control–Whether we’re reacting to the headlines or unpleasant personal news, life is filled with challenges that make us feel anxious, confused, and out-of-control. Today on M2L, we’ll look at ways to regain our equil…ibrium as well as our sense of purpose and direction when life takes us off guard.
Call in from Noon-1pm at 877-573-7825 with your questions!
Can’t get M2L on a Catholic radio station near you? Tune in live online at www.avemariaradio.net, listen via our FREE AveMariaRadio IPhone or Android App (Check your app store!), or catch the M2L Podcast

Savior of the Week

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Pope Francis offers a helpful reality check to the self-help culture.

We need to “go out”, then, in order to experience our own anointing, its power and its redemptive efficacy: to the “outskirts” where there is suffering, bloodshed, blindness that longs for sight, and prisoners in thrall to many evil masters. It is not in soul-searching or constant introspection that we encounter the Lord: self-help courses can be useful in life, but to live by going from one course to another, from one method to another, leads us to become pelagians and to minimize the power of grace, which comes alive and flourishes to the extent that we, in faith, go out and give ourselves and the Gospel to others, giving what little ointment we have to those who have nothing, nothing at all.

Papa Pancho makes a good point.  There is a difference between seeking help for a problem and chasing after the savior-of-the-week.  The Holy Father is really speaking to the latter more tha the former.

Change requires work and grace.  There is no person or program alone that can save you.  If you need help, it is good to find a competent, trained professional to work with.  If you find a therapist you  basically get along with, who supports your faith journey, who is sensitive and responsive to the concerns you bring up about either your life or your therapy,  and who is giving you practical advice, techniques, or guidance (as opposed to just saying, “Hmm… tell me more.”)  then–barring some major offense or obstacle that presents itself in session– you should probably stick with that person until you’ve made the changes you want to make, even if it takes longer than you expected.    Fostering your spiritual life, looking for ways to serve others, and committing to the hard work and accountability serious change requires are really the best ways to make significant, long lasting improvements in your life.

But as Pope Francis points out, help-seeking can become problematic when it becomes a quest for the person or program that is going to save me.  If I go from person to person, retreat to retreat, therapist to therapist, training weekend to training weekend looking for that one person with the right words to make it all click for me, or,  if I think that I need to stay locked up inside myself or my house until I can get “fixed” and THEN I’ll make a gift of myself to others, I’m not really seeking help.  I’m looking for salvation through human works.

—If you are ready to make a change in your personal, marriage, or family life, contact the Pastoral Solutions Institute to learn how you can work with a faithful, professional, Catholic counselor through our tele-counseling practice. 

Long Term Help for Those in Recovery

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Recovering from addictions is a painful process.  It isn’t unusual for a serious addict to have to go through a treatment program 3 or more times before they can maintain sobriety.  One of the biggest challenges of recovery is changing your life and your social network after you get out of treatment.  If the addict keeps the same friends or stays in the same environment post recovery as he or she did before seeking help, there are just too many temptations.

Comunita Cenacolo (Community of the Cenacle) is a Catholic program designed to assist those who desire to live a life free of addictions.  It is not so much a treatment program as an opportunity to rebuild one’s life centered around God, service, and healthy friendships.  The Community requires a minimum 3 year commitment and offers support to both the addict and their parents.  They accept men 18-40 and women 18-30.  From their website:

…founded in Italy in 1983 by a dynamic, vibrant, and faith-filled religious sister named Elvira Petrozzi.  Mother Elvira felt certain that God was calling her to serve the poor of the modern world: disillusioned young men and women who live in desperation and hopelessness, convinced that life has no meaning or value. Unable to find peace or joy in their lives, they seek to fill the emptiness with the illusory pleasures of the world, only to find themselves steeped in an intense interior isolation.

Trusting unwaveringly in the direction of the Holy Spirit, Mother Elvira proclaims to all those who live in darkness that only Jesus Christ can heal and transform their shattered lives, changing despair into hope, sadness into joy, hatred into forgiveness, and death into life.

Our Way of Life

To everyone we welcome, we propose a simple, disciplined, family style of life, based on the rediscovery of the essential gifts of prayer and work (”ora et labora”), true friendship, sacrifice, and faith in Jesus.   The spirituality of the Community is profoundly Eucharistic and Marian.  The day is structured around times of prayer (Eucharistic Adoration, the Liturgy of the Hours, the Rosary), work, deep sharing about one’s own life in the light of the Word of God, recreation, and times of celebration.  We believe that the Christian life in its simplicity and fullness is the true answer to every restlessness in the human heart and that, in the living encounter with God’s Mercy, man is reborn into hope and is freed from the chains that have enslaved him, thus rediscovering the joy of loving.

If you or someone you love is struggling with addictions of any kind, check out Comunita Cenacolo. It’s a unique resource that can make a profound difference.