We Walk Through LIfe With Unnecessary Baggage {Dr Caroline Leaf--brain-health researcher}

From:

drleaf.com...

18 Jun 2014 by Dr Caroline Leaf [Communication Pathologist, Cognitive Neuroscientist]

We often go through life with unnecessary baggage - literally and figuratively. The toxic thoughts in our minds become toxic physical baggage in our brain, and because our brain's are not designed for toxicity, this baggage causes brain damage. Wow, that sounds drastic ... But it's true.
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One of the first lines of defense to a virus or physical injury occurs in the liver, which secretes C-reactive protein which go to the site of injury to help create a temporary "tent" of inflammation. Research shows that we get this exact same reaction to a toxic thought, which is just as physical as the virus or injury! If, however, we don't get rid of the toxic thought, the inflammation stays, turns from something good into something bad, and we have negative toxic baggage that has dramatically increased our vulnerability to illness.

From JAMA Psychiatry

"Elevated C-Reactive Protein Leels, Psychological Distress, and Depression in 73 131 Individuals by Marie Kim Wium-Andersen, MD; David Dynnes Orsted, MD; Sune Fallgaard Nielsen, MScEE, PhD; Borge Gronne Nordestgaard, MD, DMSc

ABSTRACT:

Conclusions Elevated levels of CRP are associated with increased risk for psychological distress and depression in the general population.

Depression is one of the leading contributors to the global burden of disease and the leading cause of disability measured by years lived with disability.1 Although the pathogenesis still is not fully understood, previous studies suggest that low-grade systemic inflammation may contribute to the development of depression.2,3

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a commonly used marker of inflammatory disease when CRP levels exceed 10 mg/L.4,5 When used to study low-grade inflammation and future risk for disease, CRP levels are measured with a high-sensitivity assay. Elevated CRP levels have been associated with psychological distress and depression,6,7 but results are conflicting.8- 11 Cross-sectional population studies with 5000 to 7000 participants have reported an association between CRP levels and depression.12- 14 However, in a cross-sectional population-based study including 9300 participants, the association disappeared when estimates were adjusted for confounding factors, such as chronic illness and body mass index (BMI).15 This finding is supported by other studies,9,11 including a population-based study with 5500 participants.8 In longitudinal studies, a positive association between CRP and depression has been reported by some6,16 but not all10,17 studies. One population-based study with 8100 individuals showed an association between self-reported use of antidepressants and elevated CRP levels.18 Thus, researchers are unclear whether and to what extent elevated CRP levels are associated with psychological distress and depression in the general population.

We tested the hypothesis that elevated CRP levels are associated with symptoms of psychological distress and depression in the general population. For this purpose, we measured CRP levels in 73 131 individuals from 2 independent general population studies and examined the association between CRP levels stratified into 4 clinically relevant categories and symptoms of psychological distress and 3 categories of depression, correcting results for regression dilution bias.

To reduce the influence from confounding, we adjusted our analyses for age, sex, alcohol intake, smoking, physical activity, annual income, educational level, BMI, and register-based chronic disease.

I think Dr Leaf has done a great deal of wonderful work regarding the influence of our thinking and our brain on our general health.

She has also developed a program to overcome such habits of thought and habits of disease generation. Her methodology in that regard arises also out of her Biblical Christian cosmology and philosophy of life. I think her evidence is quite convincing of the effectiveness of her program and her findings regarding such factors and issues.

One of her TBN videos goes into some of the details of the baggage we carry in our brains from our past and overcoming that, shedding that baggage.

www.itbn.org...

It's good to see this sort of thing researched over the years. Our minds and bodies are definitely connected by more than skin and bone. What is it about us that makes us see the two as separate and independent from one another? Is it something recent or have humans always done this?

In any regard, the human tendency to separate the two can be difficult to overcome. For example, if a person has experienced trauma their unconscious thoughts may be reset, and are for sure altered to some degree to help deal with that trauma. Thus the unconscious and ability to survive, (continue to function day by day). Retraining the mind takes a conscious effort. We have a choice in how we assess incoming stimuli. Ideally we put a positive spin on things to keep stress low. However, the mind is programmed for survival first and ideal second, so its work.

I am going to look at her ideas and thank you for sharing.

Take it away Sir George…

a reply to: Dianec

ABSOLUTELY INDEED.

And, imho, it is MORE work for those of us who have significant ATTACHMENT DISORDER.

Yet, great progress CAN be made. I'm sooooo thankful for that.

PTL for His great help and design.

It takes a LOT of discipline initially, particularly.

The first 24 hours; the first 3 days; the first week; the first month . . . by the first 90 days, we have been changed significantly and the rest is not so hard, imho.

There are DNA studies [don't have a link handy] which have discovered that anything we SAY A LOT OR THINK A LOT can even CHANGE our DNA!

I think that's one of the ways that destructive stuff gets passed on to following generations.

Thanks for your kind reply. Please let me know what your impressions are as you study her material and findings.
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Sorry, TBN is nothing but a bunch of quacks out to use God as away for scamming people out of money so they can buy bigger and fancier homes and cars. They are criminals. I lost any interest in what she had to say the moment I saw she was affiliated with them. "Send money to us and we promise God will provide you with a miracle and if he doesn't there is something wrong with you that needs fixing so send us more money so we can help God fix you. (While we rape and molest our female employees in the name of God Shhhhh.)"

a reply to: intrptr


LOLOLOLOL TOOOOOOOOOOOO TRUE.

And the mental STUFF is even worse. LOL.

Thx.

a reply to: calstorm

I understand your feelings.

I knew that would tweak a lot of ATSers, even believers, before I included it.

I haven't watched TBN in years.

And, who knows what the absolute facts are. LOL.

However, I can also understand her going with them given their large audience.

I decided that Dr Leaf IS very much worth watching, even if one has to hold your nose about the host.

a reply to: BO XIAN

I will let you know after I study her material:-). I'm sure she speaks about this but to give me a bump personally I'm wondering if you have one or two concrete ideas for what a person should do when they are around others who are negative. It's an ongoing issue for me personally as I'm ultra sensitive to people's moods. Not in professional setting if I'm helping someone with their mood. Its everyday stuff.

I've started many days with wanting to see the world through rose colored glasses (or close to it in keeping my thoughts positive). It then seems as if something in the universe knows I'm doing this and I get slammed with one grouch after another - saturated with others' negatively. There are some positive attributes to being able to "feel" another's emotions (we empathize, understand, better able to help), but it can also be draining.

a reply to: Dianec

Tell me about it. LOL.

Been there with a container full of T-shirts.

1. I've had to minimize my time around truly negative people.

2. Sometimes I say things like:

A) "I don't understand how saying negative things about it helps your mood or your problem solving. It seems to me it just drags you down further and results in people avoiding you more."

B) "That's one possible perspective. I've discovered I have better problem solving results and a better mood and better health when I think of things--even negative things--in as positive a way as I possibly can."

C) "Sorry, but I'm not going to respond well to that kind of whining and negativity. So, I think I'll just be silent and go . . . "

D) "Please keep your negative words to yourself. They are not helping me and they are not helping the situation. I cannot see them helping you any, either."

E) "If the situation/person is overwhelming you so much that the only response you have is a negative one, maybe you need to detach yourself until you can get on top of your mood and offer a more constructive response."

F) "When you get tired of wallowing in all that mental/verbal poison, I hope you decide to focus more on the positive. I'm sure those around you will be very thankful should that time come."

G) "Sorry you're still having so many gas pains. I'll get you some Beano."

H) "Does wallowing in all that negativity help you sleep better at night?"

I) "Here's a trash can. You're welcome to throw all that whining in here. I'm not interested in bothering with it."

J) "If you have nothing constructive to offer the situation/person, then perhaps it's time for you to focus on something more useful and productive."

K) "I've found that there are 2 kinds of people in life--those who complain and those who do something productive about the source of their concerns. Sounds like you've decided to be one of those who uselessly whines and complains. But you could decide to shift sides."

L) "Life is too short for me to listen any further to such negativity. I'm going to [go do . . . ; tune you out and sing pleasantly to myself as I do my work here.]"
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a reply to: BO XIAN

Thank you. I thought of a scenario where it is pretty easy for me to not get bogged down by negativity.

Scenario:

Say your talking on the phone with your internet provider or cable company. They do little more than answer the phone to people who have problems. This customer service person may be miserable due to a day of verbally abusive people who could care less about him/her, and just want what they want, 5 minutes ago. They become detached and sound like a robot or may be outright rude to you, the customer. I'm sure we have all talked to this customer service rep.

I've found when I stay my course and remain pleasant and positive their attitude changes. If they are disconnected (robot phenomenon), I might try to engage them by asking how their day is. Or if they keep saying, "hold on, I'm still looking" I might say, "take your time...I do not mind waiting". That one has happened a lot recently...as if that person is stressed out and trying to rush.

In any case, by being positive in one way or another I am able to sense a lifting of their burden, a shift. It is quite gratifying. Words can be powerful.

Maybe it's time with some of my friends and family to let them know I'm going to be working on positive thinking "all the time", to see what happens and invite them to join me. I say this because I inadvertently invite the negativity by being the person they use to vent. While empathy can be a strength, in this case it has been my downfall. I'm going to print this ladies stuff out tonight and share it with those who are in a crisis all the time or who are struck in a general negative cycle. At minimum I'm front loading what they can expect from me. Ill report how it's working out on this level and personally, as I move through this little experiment.

a reply to: Dianec

AGREED. SOUNDS GREAT.

You could also say to your venting friends, something like:

"I'm honored that you trust me enough to vent to me. We all need sounding boards in our lives fairly often.

However, in order to help me and maybe for your good, too, WHEN YOU VENT, I'm going to ask you to also tell me something positive you see coming out of the situation or potentially coming out of the situation or that you'd like to pray for coming out of the situation.

AND

What you are willing to do in the situation to contribute to a positive shift.

I think we both need that kind of accountability to overcoming."

Thanks for sharing. I look forward to your updates.

Call me cynical, call me sceptical, in fact call me what you want.
But red flags are always raised when a doctor such as this promotes an apparently "new idea" on a blog and doesn't publish any robust research about it. In fact, a quick search on Pubmed shows she's published NO research on any subject at all. Ever.
But you can buy stuff via her blog, or book her for stuff.
And she's got a TV show...

'Nuff said!

a reply to: Dianec

I think this Doc's strategies for answering negative stuff toward one's self are top flight:

www.youtube.com...

HOW TO AVOID REJECTION & GET CONNECTION

How to answer when given a stinky pile of horse feathers of criticism, accusation or even abuse:

1. "THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT" [Just that. Nothing further. FULL STOP. End of discussion]
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2. "WOULD YOU REPEAT THAT SLOWLY?" [insist if they back track. Forces them to listen to the negative absurdity of their statement.]
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3. "Are you trying to make me feel bad about myself?"
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4. "That's not going to work because I am not going to let it in."
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5. . . . [see the link]

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Another great article about:

Why Complaining Is Literally Killing You & Making You Sick. (Here’s How To Stop)

is here:

www.collective-evolution.com...

In addition, misery loves company, so complainers tend to have friends who also complain, which further reinforces the pattern. Complainers also affect people around them. Ever find yourself sympathizing and sharing your own personal similar experience when someone complains to you about something specific? It can happen easily and unintentionally, even to the least complaining and most positive person. Sometimes this can lead to a long conversation comprising entirely of complaints, ie. focused on politics in a negative way or the fear and anger of what is going on in the world. Ask yourself, how do you feel afterwards?
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Prolonged complaining leads to stress, and it’s well documented that prolonged stress makes us sick: weakening the immune system, raising blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart disease, obesity, and diabetes, and causing a plethora of other ailments.
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Scientists have known for years that elevated cortisol levels (the stress hormone) interfere with learning and memory, lower immune function and bone density, promote weight gain and heart disease, and increase blood pressure and cholesterol. Chronic stress and elevated cortisol levels also increase risk for depression and mental illness, and lower life expectancy.

I think that the issue of avoiding undue and unnecessary negative 'carp' . . . is going to be a bigger and bigger problem beyond the epidemic it already is.

It will take TENACIOUS PERSONAL and social DISCIPLINE.

It may come down to totally 'blocking' someone(s) out of our lives.

Just think . . . let's assume . . . that a given individual or family or cluster of individuals . . . have been totally immersed . . even willfully 'given over' to the 'dark side.' Why allow them free wheeling air time in your head; in your conversations; in your social settings and social times???

Would you easily invite a cobra to afternoon tea or a drink at the pub?

Whether it is totally due to their horrendous levels of ATTACHMENT DISORDER . . . to their perverse, addicted-to-destructiveness--wallowing-in-poo-negativity for whatever perverse reasons . . . the bottom line is . . . there's no point in allowing abject human poison to pollute your life to your own destruction of whatever degree.

imho.