I only got through reading your first two paragraphs before I had to stop and come here to comment. I’ve spent a lot of time sharing weird stories with my boyfriend about a collection of overall insignificant experiences I had as an adolescent that have totally shaped who I am today as a 30 year old woman. The foundation of my insecurities and anxiety I face are based around things that NOW seem so silly and so normal to life as a young person, but at the time I thought were so unique and f***ed up. I guess I’m just here to say that it’s so wild you’re writing about this today because we sat at a small bar for a few hours last discussing this very same topic! Our adolescent years are so dang hard, weird, and messed up haha
Wild! If we could only fly back in time and tell our teen selves... (We could also warn them that whatever music they're listening to will be imprinted on their brains for life whether they like it or not.) Thanks so much for writing Jessica.
i know this to be true as i am still alive after being told i would be dead in days, many times. i am wondering how far this can be taken? for example if i expect that i can live and be healthy exclusively
on big macs and fries, will it work? or how about being shot with a gun? or maybe walking on water? recently i was once again told i was dying, and no medical procedure could help. i chose to see this a a transformation from my old body to something more. it worked, i am not only alive, but the transformation is happening as i expected.
Hi Art, And I love the idea of choosing to think about transformation not erosion. As to your question, I think it depends on the exact situation. Neither author suggests that you can positive think your way out of late-stage cancer, or to lose 100 pounds, or that a hundred big macs won't affect you. It's more about understanding how your physiology responds to your mind within reason. Like if you get a morphine shot from a doctor it takes less medicine to relieve the pain than if you receive it via a slow constant drip. It could be the mental effect of having a doctor treat you and say, hey this is going to help with pain. For things like the hunger response a lot of it is how you think about food and being mindful and feeling satisfied. And for other conditions, they're finding that anxiety and stress can trigger a cascade of physiological effects that can erode your immune response, etc. As Robson said: "Over the long term, this could lead to chronically high levels of the hormone cortisol and bodily inflammation, both of which can raise the risk of ill health." So it's not like you can skip the checkups., or wave a gun around etc. Thanks for the thoughtful comment! S
Hi Susanna, as my mom and aunt had dementia (& their sister had Alzheimer’s) I have my moments of panic as you, when I can’t find my keys or recall a name. think all our brains were affected by the past two years of Covid isolation. Years back, I had a client who would approve my color selections when I used unique names such as greige…I think this made his conservative nature feel “cool”!
Very interesting perspectives--how our perceptions of things can affect their actual effects/outcomes. Something I'd never really thought about!
Thanks Pete!
I only got through reading your first two paragraphs before I had to stop and come here to comment. I’ve spent a lot of time sharing weird stories with my boyfriend about a collection of overall insignificant experiences I had as an adolescent that have totally shaped who I am today as a 30 year old woman. The foundation of my insecurities and anxiety I face are based around things that NOW seem so silly and so normal to life as a young person, but at the time I thought were so unique and f***ed up. I guess I’m just here to say that it’s so wild you’re writing about this today because we sat at a small bar for a few hours last discussing this very same topic! Our adolescent years are so dang hard, weird, and messed up haha
Wild! If we could only fly back in time and tell our teen selves... (We could also warn them that whatever music they're listening to will be imprinted on their brains for life whether they like it or not.) Thanks so much for writing Jessica.
i know this to be true as i am still alive after being told i would be dead in days, many times. i am wondering how far this can be taken? for example if i expect that i can live and be healthy exclusively
on big macs and fries, will it work? or how about being shot with a gun? or maybe walking on water? recently i was once again told i was dying, and no medical procedure could help. i chose to see this a a transformation from my old body to something more. it worked, i am not only alive, but the transformation is happening as i expected.
Hi Art, And I love the idea of choosing to think about transformation not erosion. As to your question, I think it depends on the exact situation. Neither author suggests that you can positive think your way out of late-stage cancer, or to lose 100 pounds, or that a hundred big macs won't affect you. It's more about understanding how your physiology responds to your mind within reason. Like if you get a morphine shot from a doctor it takes less medicine to relieve the pain than if you receive it via a slow constant drip. It could be the mental effect of having a doctor treat you and say, hey this is going to help with pain. For things like the hunger response a lot of it is how you think about food and being mindful and feeling satisfied. And for other conditions, they're finding that anxiety and stress can trigger a cascade of physiological effects that can erode your immune response, etc. As Robson said: "Over the long term, this could lead to chronically high levels of the hormone cortisol and bodily inflammation, both of which can raise the risk of ill health." So it's not like you can skip the checkups., or wave a gun around etc. Thanks for the thoughtful comment! S
Hi Susanna, as my mom and aunt had dementia (& their sister had Alzheimer’s) I have my moments of panic as you, when I can’t find my keys or recall a name. think all our brains were affected by the past two years of Covid isolation. Years back, I had a client who would approve my color selections when I used unique names such as greige…I think this made his conservative nature feel “cool”!
I think I too am going to say to myself that the fog is temporary covid fog... ahem. And haha re. Greige... :)