INTRODUCTION: Consider this your introduction to Hypnosis: Like the popular "Dummy" book series, the following article is a crash-course in Hypnosis: who can be Hypnotized, what it is and why it works:
I get this question ALL the time: "Can I be hypnotized?"
Or, "I can't be Hypnotized!"
Or, the clincher, "My mind's too strong to be Hypnotized."
Once and for all, let me explain what Hypnosis is, and answer the million-dollar question: Can everyone can be Hypnotized?
Yes, everyone can. Let me explain:
Since 2003 when I went into private practice as a Hypnotherapist, I have Hypnotized hundreds of people. Children, adults, skeptics and enthusiasts alike. Some were more easily relaxed while others had to work at it; some were so relaxed that they fell asleep and I had to wake them up repeatedly. But ALL of them, regardless of age or symptoms, could be hypnotized. How?
Hypnosis is not magic, it is not mysterious; it can be explained easily and scientifically. The only "un-fun" thing about science is that it can seem to "take the magic" out of what first seemed a miracle. Hypnosis is like a card trick; once you know the trick, it's childlike in simplicity. Hypnosis is simple and not complicated. Hypnosis is nothing more than a slower brain wave than the waking, conscious brain wave known as the Beta. The slower brain wave of Hypnosis fame is known as the Alpha, and occurs whenever we are "falling asleep," or awakening from a deeper sleep. We pass through a natural state of Hypnosis at least twice daily: once when falling asleep, and once upon wakening (and more if we take a nap). It is a deep state of relaxation, where your concentration is fixed upon the Hypnotherapists voice, and you are still considered conscious (awake), but are close to slipping into sleep (sleep being the Theta/Rapid Eye Movement brain wave, and the Delta/Dreamless Sleep brain wave). Now that I've de-mystified it, and you realize you've been experiencing hypnosis with regularity, why would you pay a therapist to use it?
In our conscious, waking state of the Beta brain wave, all of us have what Sigmund Freud first coined as, "Defense Mechanisms" unconsciously running. You might be thinking, wouldn't I know if I was defensive? How could I not be aware of that? Don't worry, it happens to everybody. Kind of like an unintended burp; once in awhile it bubbles to the surface when we are under stress, because we are human. Anna Freud named about a dozen of them for purposes of psychology, but for our purposes here, suffice to say we have these unconscious defense mechanisms which are "underground" that surface from time to time. However, when we are deeply relaxed, such as in the Alpha brain wave (or Hypnosis), our defense mechanisms are inhibited; they are being lulled into a peaceful state where they forget all about objecting and defending us, and "let their guard down." It is this state of acceptance that the Hypnotherapist is hoping for, and once deeply relaxed, makes suggestions to. The suggestions may be to stop smoking, to lose weight, to stop other unhealthy habits, or to cure a phobia. Hypnosis works because the therapist is speaking directly to the unconscious mind, and not to the conscious mind; this is important, because the conscious mind is armed with crafty defense mechanisms to "shoot down" conscious changes we would like to make. Why our conscious mind does this to us is a whole other story...just understand that the right brain, the seat of the unconscious mind, houses our childlike ability to create, to play, to imagine, to make music, to dream and to believe. Therefore, it is the accepting right brain, or the "unconscious mind," that the therapist is itching to work with, because it is the seat of change.
Because Hypnosis is a natural, slower brain wave than our waking brain wave, and we are accustomed to experiencing it on a daily basis when we enter and exit out of sleep, it is also a natural, comfortable and gentle means of changing habit patterns. It is utilizing the power of the right brain for change. It is a method of bypassing the old, stuck unconscious belief systems and defense mechanisms, and going for a new result. It is not a miracle, but a method of reprogramming our brains so that we allow the fresh, new energy of the right brain in to "reason" with our defensive conscious mind. It allows us to attain a balance between our old, stuck patterns and new information. Yes, you can be Hypnotized. The question is: will you?
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
What Makes People Gay? by The Boston Globe
I present this article, "What Makes People Gay?" authored and published by the Boston Globe in August 2005, because it discusses the etiology of "gayness." Science has found convincing neurological, hormonal and genetic evidence that indeed, some of us were, "Born This Way," as Lady GaGa has pointed out. Read on:
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/magazine/articles/2005/08/14/what_makes_people_gay/
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/magazine/articles/2005/08/14/what_makes_people_gay/
Monday, April 11, 2011
Gender Differences in Emotion and Communication by Nina Bingham
Gender Differences In Emotion and Communication
by Nina Bingham
INTRODUCTION: The role emotion plays in our lives cannot be overstated. We judge others based upon their emotional expressions or lack thereof, and may categorize them as overly-emotional or too cool. Others may judge us by our emotional behavior, and we early and quickly learn to control our emotions or they may get us into trouble. Emotions can be what saves a relationship, or what destroys it. Emotions serve as a thermometer, telling us how we feel when we look deep inside. Emotions can be lifesavers that motivate, such as fear or anger, and can save our lives. Despite all we know about neuroscience, psychologists and scientists who can explain the evolutionary reasons why we have certain emotions are at times themselves stymied by their own emotions, and are at a loss as to how to deal with them effectively. This article will show gender differences in emotion, and differentiate typical reactions from stereotypical roles. I will show how men and women’s emotional reactions differ, and how stereotypical labeling of the sexes is still occurring, and perpetuates the myth that men are emotionally removed, while women are emotionally sensitive.
Society expects women to be more emotionally expressive and show more sadness, fear, shame and guilt; to cry and withdraw at negatively charged events. Conversely, men are expected to “shrug it off,” to be nonchalant and even happy despite negative emotional situations. While there are statistically measurable emotional differences between the sexes, research reports agree that typical sex differences are smaller than stereotypical differences, and can “be taken as evidence of the strong influence that culture has on such differences” (Whissell, 15).
Society expects women to be more emotionally expressive and show more sadness, fear, shame and guilt; to cry and withdraw at negatively charged events. Conversely, men are expected to "shrug it off," to be nonchalant and even happy despite negative emotional situations. While there are statistically measurable emotional differences between the sexes, research reports agree that typical sex differences are smaller than stereotypical differences, and can "be taken as evidence of the strong influence that culture has on such differences" (Whissell, 15).
When understanding the topic of emotional development from the broader biopsychosocial perspective, the biological or organic factors are a fundamental starting place. There are biological differences between male and female that influence and contribute to emotional development as early as the womb. Not only does our anatomy develop differently, our glands and hormonal systems are different, and the sex hormones, testosterone and estrogen (among others) influence our brain development towards male or female gender identification. However, these studies both conclude that it is not one's genes, but socio-cultural influences that guide and shape gender roles the most powerfully. The family is the primary teacher and enforcer of gender stereotypes. These gender stereotypes appear to be socialized into children's belief systems as early as 3-5 years" (Blunbaum, 1983). In fact, "both mothers and fathers use more varied emotional terms, and more of them, when talking to daughters than when talking to sons. Some emotions, such as sadness, are mentioned more often to daughters than to sons" (Adams, Kuebli, Boyle, & Fivush, 1995; Fivush, 1989). If these patterns of behavior are established in early childhood development and reinforced by peers and authority figures such as parents and teachers, the stereotypes become entrenched. Are there other explanations for sex differences in emotion?
There are three theories of emotional development, which I will summarize here. Plutchik's psychoevolutionary theory of emotion (1980) points back in time to the evolution of our species, noting, as did Darwin, that reactions have an evolutionary value. They help us survive and adapt. Emotion also predicts what others are about to do. For example, smiles may predict safety. Next is Bern's Gender Schema Theory (1984) which is essentially a Social-learning theory. He suggested that gender is acquired as the child is forming a concept of self; what is "me" and "not me," and she forms this role identity based upon the role models she has. The third is Lazarus's Coping Theory (1993). His theory states that emotion is a coping strategy, which enables the individual to focus on the emotions instead of the problem (emotion-focused strategies). Whissell incorporated all three theories into a single model in an effort to explain emotional sex differences, and compare typical and stereotypical differences.
What are the typical sex differences? In coping with problems men were solution focused, while women tended to cope with emotions. Women scored higher than men on the Neuroticism scale and lower on the Extroversion scale. Men obtained higher scores for assertiveness and women were higher in gregariousness (Eysenck and Eysenck 1968). Studies that have observed emotional expressivity found that females tend to be slightly more expressive than males (Fischer, 1993). In reality, although stereotypes suggest a large difference in expressivity, observable differences were small to none (Kring & Gordon, 1998). However, consistently, women smile more often than men, and men have more aggressive anger reactions (Briton & Hall, 1995; Brody & Hall, 1993; Fischer, 1993). "For happiness and serenity men reported experiencing these emotions slightly more than women did. For sadness, fear, shame and guilt, women reported experiencing them slightly more than men. For anger, disgust, and contempt there were few significant differences, except men showed more contempt in an anger situation. Women report a higher probability of crying or isolating oneself in anger. Men reported they were more likely to hit, insult, and criticize than women and to "stare people down." Curiously, in disgust situations, men are more likely to laugh. When afraid, men are more likely to hit, insult, or criticize, as well as smile and contemplate than women. This may seem a strange reaction unless you understand it as putting on a cool demeanor in a threatening situation, stereotype masculine behavior. Conversely, women were more likely to freeze, cry or isolate in fear situations" (Hess, 631). We've seen the real differences between the emotional reactions of the sexes. What are the stereotypes?
They abound! There are greater differences in stereotyped behavior than in typical reactions. "In Western culture women are believed to be more emotionally expressive than men, to smile more often, to display more sadness, fear, and guilt. Men are believed to show physically aggressive anger (Brody & Hall, 1993; Fischer, 1993). Tests found that a higher percentage of men than women were expected to react with anger, happiness, and serenity. Men were judged to be likely to express anger in sadness, anger, shame, and fear situations. Men were judged to be likely to express happiness in guilt, shame, and sadness situations, and to express serenity in guilt. Women were judged to react with sadness, fear, guilt, disgust, and shame. Women were also judged to react with contempt in disgust, guilt, and shame situations. The participants expected men and women to feel happiness equally. Overall, participants expected women's emotional reactions to be more withdrawing (fear and sadness) and self-directed (shame and guilt), whereas men's emotional reactions are seen as more active and aggressive" (Hess, 622). In 1994 Whissell and Chellew conducted several experiments in which volunteers were asked to rate words based upon masculinity and femininity. They reported that "the personality traits sociable, helpful, cooperative, peaceful, submissive, timid, passive, and depressed were judged to represent a feminine stereotype" (1994, p 4). In contrast, the terms "stubborn, hostile, rebellious, aggressive, confident, and bold were perceived as describing masculine stereotypes" (Whissell, 9). The question is yet to be definitively answered as to whether the sexes' emotional differences are simply a reflection of our natural evolutionary, inherited biological adaptations, or if society molds a boy and a girl into what society has presubscribed for them, or perhaps, a combination of both. If a person rated himself or herself on the emotional scale, would a more accurate portrait be painted?
Ninety-three psychology students comprised of 63 women and 30 men rated themselves and found 12 significant differences between the sexes. Men rated themselves higher than women did on independence, being analytical, on taking a stand, on not getting upset or emotional under stress, on making a problem into a joke, and on being impulsive and daring. Women rated themselves more highly than men on gullibility, on seeking sympathy in times of trouble, on going to friends and family for help, on coping through fantasy, and on being confused (Whissell, p. 11). This experiment, as with others noted in this report, shows what we've suspected all along-that there are sizable differences between the way men and women express their emotions, and those differences seem to be stereotypically magnified by the mass media society in which we live. The statistical graphs presented with these studies substantiated these reports' claims, showing variance in emotion, but notably smaller variance than the participants' estimations. Based on these studies, I feel society overestimates emotional differences because we have been conditioned to; as early as preschool the differences between boys and girls are pointed out instead of our sameness. Our caregivers admonish us to "act like a girl" (or boy) in key social situations, and because we don't want to disappoint them, there is very little "wiggle room" to decide how emotionally expressive we truly want to be. If society would allow a spectrum of emotional expressiveness, regardless of gender, we'd have more men who were comfortable with their feelings, and more "level-headed" and assertive women, which I feel would be a healthier balance, narrowing the gender gap.
References
Whissell, Cynthia M., (Aug. 96). Predicting The Size And Direction Of Sex Differences In Measures Of Emotion And Personality. Retrieved February 5, 2008, From Web site: http://www.oweb.ebscohost.com.library.pcc.edu: from Genetic, Social & General Psychology Monographs, 87567547, Aug96, Vol.122, Issue 3 Hess, Ursula and Senecal, Sacha, Kirouac, Gilles, and Herrera, Pedro, Philippot, Pierre, and Kleck, Robert E., 2000.
Emotional Expressivity In Men And Women: Stereotypes And Self-Perceptions. Retrieved February 5, 2008, From Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/pp/02699931.html: from Psychology Press Ltd, Cognition And Emotion, 2000, 14 (5), p. 609-642.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nina_Bingham
http://ezinearticles.com/?Gender-Differences-in-Emotion-and-Communication&id=6169190
Society expects women to be more emotionally expressive and show more sadness, fear, shame and guilt; to cry and withdraw at negatively charged events. Conversely, men are expected to "shrug it off," to be nonchalant and even happy despite negative emotional situations. While there are statistically measurable emotional differences between the sexes, research reports agree that typical sex differences are smaller than stereotypical differences, and can "be taken as evidence of the strong influence that culture has on such differences" (Whissell, 15).
When understanding the topic of emotional development from the broader biopsychosocial perspective, the biological or organic factors are a fundamental starting place. There are biological differences between male and female that influence and contribute to emotional development as early as the womb. Not only does our anatomy develop differently, our glands and hormonal systems are different, and the sex hormones, testosterone and estrogen (among others) influence our brain development towards male or female gender identification. However, these studies both conclude that it is not one's genes, but socio-cultural influences that guide and shape gender roles the most powerfully. The family is the primary teacher and enforcer of gender stereotypes. These gender stereotypes appear to be socialized into children's belief systems as early as 3-5 years" (Blunbaum, 1983). In fact, "both mothers and fathers use more varied emotional terms, and more of them, when talking to daughters than when talking to sons. Some emotions, such as sadness, are mentioned more often to daughters than to sons" (Adams, Kuebli, Boyle, & Fivush, 1995; Fivush, 1989). If these patterns of behavior are established in early childhood development and reinforced by peers and authority figures such as parents and teachers, the stereotypes become entrenched. Are there other explanations for sex differences in emotion?
There are three theories of emotional development, which I will summarize here. Plutchik's psychoevolutionary theory of emotion (1980) points back in time to the evolution of our species, noting, as did Darwin, that reactions have an evolutionary value. They help us survive and adapt. Emotion also predicts what others are about to do. For example, smiles may predict safety. Next is Bern's Gender Schema Theory (1984) which is essentially a Social-learning theory. He suggested that gender is acquired as the child is forming a concept of self; what is "me" and "not me," and she forms this role identity based upon the role models she has. The third is Lazarus's Coping Theory (1993). His theory states that emotion is a coping strategy, which enables the individual to focus on the emotions instead of the problem (emotion-focused strategies). Whissell incorporated all three theories into a single model in an effort to explain emotional sex differences, and compare typical and stereotypical differences.
What are the typical sex differences? In coping with problems men were solution focused, while women tended to cope with emotions. Women scored higher than men on the Neuroticism scale and lower on the Extroversion scale. Men obtained higher scores for assertiveness and women were higher in gregariousness (Eysenck and Eysenck 1968). Studies that have observed emotional expressivity found that females tend to be slightly more expressive than males (Fischer, 1993). In reality, although stereotypes suggest a large difference in expressivity, observable differences were small to none (Kring & Gordon, 1998). However, consistently, women smile more often than men, and men have more aggressive anger reactions (Briton & Hall, 1995; Brody & Hall, 1993; Fischer, 1993). "For happiness and serenity men reported experiencing these emotions slightly more than women did. For sadness, fear, shame and guilt, women reported experiencing them slightly more than men. For anger, disgust, and contempt there were few significant differences, except men showed more contempt in an anger situation. Women report a higher probability of crying or isolating oneself in anger. Men reported they were more likely to hit, insult, and criticize than women and to "stare people down." Curiously, in disgust situations, men are more likely to laugh. When afraid, men are more likely to hit, insult, or criticize, as well as smile and contemplate than women. This may seem a strange reaction unless you understand it as putting on a cool demeanor in a threatening situation, stereotype masculine behavior. Conversely, women were more likely to freeze, cry or isolate in fear situations" (Hess, 631). We've seen the real differences between the emotional reactions of the sexes. What are the stereotypes?
They abound! There are greater differences in stereotyped behavior than in typical reactions. "In Western culture women are believed to be more emotionally expressive than men, to smile more often, to display more sadness, fear, and guilt. Men are believed to show physically aggressive anger (Brody & Hall, 1993; Fischer, 1993). Tests found that a higher percentage of men than women were expected to react with anger, happiness, and serenity. Men were judged to be likely to express anger in sadness, anger, shame, and fear situations. Men were judged to be likely to express happiness in guilt, shame, and sadness situations, and to express serenity in guilt. Women were judged to react with sadness, fear, guilt, disgust, and shame. Women were also judged to react with contempt in disgust, guilt, and shame situations. The participants expected men and women to feel happiness equally. Overall, participants expected women's emotional reactions to be more withdrawing (fear and sadness) and self-directed (shame and guilt), whereas men's emotional reactions are seen as more active and aggressive" (Hess, 622). In 1994 Whissell and Chellew conducted several experiments in which volunteers were asked to rate words based upon masculinity and femininity. They reported that "the personality traits sociable, helpful, cooperative, peaceful, submissive, timid, passive, and depressed were judged to represent a feminine stereotype" (1994, p 4). In contrast, the terms "stubborn, hostile, rebellious, aggressive, confident, and bold were perceived as describing masculine stereotypes" (Whissell, 9). The question is yet to be definitively answered as to whether the sexes' emotional differences are simply a reflection of our natural evolutionary, inherited biological adaptations, or if society molds a boy and a girl into what society has presubscribed for them, or perhaps, a combination of both. If a person rated himself or herself on the emotional scale, would a more accurate portrait be painted?
Ninety-three psychology students comprised of 63 women and 30 men rated themselves and found 12 significant differences between the sexes. Men rated themselves higher than women did on independence, being analytical, on taking a stand, on not getting upset or emotional under stress, on making a problem into a joke, and on being impulsive and daring. Women rated themselves more highly than men on gullibility, on seeking sympathy in times of trouble, on going to friends and family for help, on coping through fantasy, and on being confused (Whissell, p. 11). This experiment, as with others noted in this report, shows what we've suspected all along-that there are sizable differences between the way men and women express their emotions, and those differences seem to be stereotypically magnified by the mass media society in which we live. The statistical graphs presented with these studies substantiated these reports' claims, showing variance in emotion, but notably smaller variance than the participants' estimations. Based on these studies, I feel society overestimates emotional differences because we have been conditioned to; as early as preschool the differences between boys and girls are pointed out instead of our sameness. Our caregivers admonish us to "act like a girl" (or boy) in key social situations, and because we don't want to disappoint them, there is very little "wiggle room" to decide how emotionally expressive we truly want to be. If society would allow a spectrum of emotional expressiveness, regardless of gender, we'd have more men who were comfortable with their feelings, and more "level-headed" and assertive women, which I feel would be a healthier balance, narrowing the gender gap.
References
Whissell, Cynthia M., (Aug. 96). Predicting The Size And Direction Of Sex Differences In Measures Of Emotion And Personality. Retrieved February 5, 2008, From Web site: http://www.oweb.ebscohost.com.library.pcc.edu: from Genetic, Social & General Psychology Monographs, 87567547, Aug96, Vol.122, Issue 3 Hess, Ursula and Senecal, Sacha, Kirouac, Gilles, and Herrera, Pedro, Philippot, Pierre, and Kleck, Robert E., 2000.
Emotional Expressivity In Men And Women: Stereotypes And Self-Perceptions. Retrieved February 5, 2008, From Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/pp/02699931.html: from Psychology Press Ltd, Cognition And Emotion, 2000, 14 (5), p. 609-642.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nina_Bingham
http://ezinearticles.com/?Gender-Differences-in-Emotion-and-Communication&id=6169190
Personality Disorders by Dr. C. George Boeree
Personality Disorders
Dr. C. George Boeree
A personality disorder consists of inflexible and maladaptive personality traits which interfere with day-to-day functioning and may involve subjective unhappiness. There are several general criteria:
Psychologists and psychiatrists have divided them into three broad categories, based more on overall similarities than on our understanding of their causes:Cluster A -- People who appear "odd or eccentric."
Cluster A - The odd people
Paranoid Personality Disorder
A pervasive distrust and suspiciousness of others such that their motives are interpreted as malevolent, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by four (or more) of the following:
Note that paranoia is much more common in societies that are hierarchical (vs egalitarian) and egocentric (vs sociocentric), that is to say, societies that place a great deal of value on your position in the society, and in which everyone is basically interested in themselves and no-one else. Despite our lip-service to equality and caring for each other, our society leans in that direction. There are a few societies that are so competitive and individualistic that paranoia is not only normal, but valued!
Schizoid Personality DisorderA pervasive pattern of detachment from social relationships and a restricted range of expression of emotions in interpersonal settings, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by four (or more) of the following:
Schizotypal Personality DisorderA pervasive pattern of social and interpersonal deficits marked by acute discomfort with, and reduced capacity for, close relationships as well as by cognitive or perceptual distortions and eccentricities of behavior, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:
Cluster B - Egocentric people
Antisocial Personality Disorder A pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others occurring since age 15 years, as indicated by three (or more) of the following:
No one knows exactly where the antisocial personality disorder comes from, but we do know that many violent criminals have damage to the prefrontal lobes. Apparently, the prefrontal lobes play a big part in controlling the limbic system, including damping emotions. In some circumstances, the fear response of the amygdala is dampened, while the rage response is intensified. If you are very angry but afraid of nothing, you can do a great deal of damage! Of course the majority of antisocials have not had damage to the prefrontal lobes, and so we can only speculate that perhaps these areas are less well developed than they are in normal people.
Others view antisocial personality disorder as derived from poor upbringing, involving abuse or neglect. In particular, some believe that it is the result of a lack of love, especially from the mother, which prevents the child from developing the ability to love, or even the ability to recognize the personhood of others. As with most psychological disorders, it is quite likely that both the physical and the developmental explanations play a part. One unfortunate aspect of the disorder is that there seems to be no therapy that can touch it. These people are excellent liars and manipulators, quite capable of convincing their therapists and others that they have reformed, found Jesus, or otherwise bettered themselves. Many go on to form inspirational groups and write self-help manuals. But it's really just that they've found another way to use people.
On the other hand, one could also argue that desensitizing oneself to the pain of others and becoming arrogant and self-centered is a matter of survival in some societies. Like paranoia, it is more likely to develop in egocentric and hierarchical cultures.
Borderline Personality DisorderA pervasive pattern of instability of interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affects, and marked impulsivity beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:
But it also seems that much of their behavior is self-defeating. There are signs of dissociation that suggest that borderline personality disorder may be related to some degree to multiple personality or even schizophrenia. It is more common in people who have a history of neglect, abuse, and family conflict, so both a degree of dissociation and defensive manipulation would be expected.
Histrionic Personality DisorderA pervasive pattern of excessive emotionality and attention seeking, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:
Narcissistic Personality DisorderA pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:
Cluster C - The anxious people
Avoidant Personality DisorderA pervasive pattern of social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and hypersensitivity to negative evaluation, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by four (or more) of the following:
Dependent Personality DisorderA pervasive and excessive need to be taken care of that leads to submissive and clinging behavior and fears of separation, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:
Also like the avoidant personality, many cultures - especially sociocentric ones - encourage a degree of dependency. The fact that this disorder is the most commonly diagnosed personality disorder, and that it is predominantly diagnosed in women, supports the idea that this may be cultural.
One of the classic situations where we find dependent personalities is in marriages where one partner allows the other to completely dominate the relationship. Sadly, many people in abusive relationships get into them because of their desperation for someone to take over their lives for them.
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality DisorderA pervasive pattern of preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and mental and interpersonal control, at the expense or flexibility, openness, and efficiency, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by four (or more) of the following:
Obsessive-compulsive personality is more common among men than women, and is often found in fundamentalist groups of any religion, where strict rule-adherence is paramount. In some societies, especially hierarchical (vs egalitarian) and sociocentric (vs egocentric), this kind of behavior is considered normal, not pathological.
© Copyright 2006, 2007, C. George Boeree.
Dr. C. George Boeree
A personality disorder consists of inflexible and maladaptive personality traits which interfere with day-to-day functioning and may involve subjective unhappiness. There are several general criteria:
- Behavior that differs from cultural expectations in more than just one of the following areas: cognition, emotion, social functioning, and impulse control
- Problems that are spread across a broad range of situations;
- Significant problems in social or work life;
- Problems that are relatively stable and date back at least to adolescence or early adulthood.
Psychologists and psychiatrists have divided them into three broad categories, based more on overall similarities than on our understanding of their causes:Cluster A -- People who appear "odd or eccentric."
- Paranoid PD
- Schizoid PD
- Schizotypal PD
- Antisocial PD (I personaly believe this one is in a category of its own!)
- Borderline PD
- Histrionic PD and Narcissistic PD
- Avoidant PD and Dependent PD
- Obsessive-Compulsive PD
Cluster A - The odd people
Paranoid Personality Disorder
A pervasive distrust and suspiciousness of others such that their motives are interpreted as malevolent, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by four (or more) of the following:
- suspects, without sufficient basis, that others are exploiting, harming, or deceiving him or her;
- is preoccupied with unjustified doubts about the loyalty or trustworthiness of friends or associates;
- is reluctant to confide in others because of unwarranted fear that the information will be used maliciously against him or her;
- reads hidden demeaning or threatening meanings into benign remarks or events;
- persistently bears grudges, i.e., is unforgiving of insults , injuries, or slights
- perceives attacks on his or her character or reputation that are not apparent to others and is quick to react angrily or to counterattack;
- has recurrent suspicions, without justification, regarding fidelity or spouse or sexual partner.
Note that paranoia is much more common in societies that are hierarchical (vs egalitarian) and egocentric (vs sociocentric), that is to say, societies that place a great deal of value on your position in the society, and in which everyone is basically interested in themselves and no-one else. Despite our lip-service to equality and caring for each other, our society leans in that direction. There are a few societies that are so competitive and individualistic that paranoia is not only normal, but valued!
Schizoid Personality DisorderA pervasive pattern of detachment from social relationships and a restricted range of expression of emotions in interpersonal settings, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by four (or more) of the following:
- neither desires nor enjoys close relationships, including being part of a family;
- almost always chooses solitary activities;
- has little, if any, interest in having sexual experiences with another person;
- takes pleasure in few, if any, activities;
- lacks close friends or confidants other than first-degree relatives;
- appears indifferent to the praise or criticism of others;
- shows emotional coldness, detachment, or flattened affectivity.
Schizotypal Personality DisorderA pervasive pattern of social and interpersonal deficits marked by acute discomfort with, and reduced capacity for, close relationships as well as by cognitive or perceptual distortions and eccentricities of behavior, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:
- ideas of reference (excluding delusions of reference);
- odd beliefs or magical thinking that influences behavior and is inconsistent with subcultural norms (e.g., superstitiousness, belief in clairvoyance, telepathy, or "sixth sense"; in children and adolescents, bizarre fantasies or preoccupations);
- unusual perceptual experiences, including bodily illusions;
- odd thinking and speech (e.g., vague, circumstantial, metaphorical, overelaborate, or stereotyped);
- suspiciousness or paranoid ideation;
- inappropriate or constricted affect;
- behavior or appearance that is odd, eccentric, or peculiar;
- lack of close friends or confidants other than first-degree relatives;
- excessive social anxiety that does not diminish with familiarity and tends to be associated with paranoid fears rather than negative judgments about self.
Cluster B - Egocentric people
Antisocial Personality Disorder A pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others occurring since age 15 years, as indicated by three (or more) of the following:
- failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest;
- deceitfulness, as indicated by repeated lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure;
- impulsivity or failure to plan ahead;
- irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults;
- reckless disregard for safety of self or others; .
- consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain consistent work behavior or honor financial obligations;
- lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another.
No one knows exactly where the antisocial personality disorder comes from, but we do know that many violent criminals have damage to the prefrontal lobes. Apparently, the prefrontal lobes play a big part in controlling the limbic system, including damping emotions. In some circumstances, the fear response of the amygdala is dampened, while the rage response is intensified. If you are very angry but afraid of nothing, you can do a great deal of damage! Of course the majority of antisocials have not had damage to the prefrontal lobes, and so we can only speculate that perhaps these areas are less well developed than they are in normal people.
Others view antisocial personality disorder as derived from poor upbringing, involving abuse or neglect. In particular, some believe that it is the result of a lack of love, especially from the mother, which prevents the child from developing the ability to love, or even the ability to recognize the personhood of others. As with most psychological disorders, it is quite likely that both the physical and the developmental explanations play a part. One unfortunate aspect of the disorder is that there seems to be no therapy that can touch it. These people are excellent liars and manipulators, quite capable of convincing their therapists and others that they have reformed, found Jesus, or otherwise bettered themselves. Many go on to form inspirational groups and write self-help manuals. But it's really just that they've found another way to use people.
On the other hand, one could also argue that desensitizing oneself to the pain of others and becoming arrogant and self-centered is a matter of survival in some societies. Like paranoia, it is more likely to develop in egocentric and hierarchical cultures.
Borderline Personality DisorderA pervasive pattern of instability of interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affects, and marked impulsivity beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:
- frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment;
- a pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships characterized by alternating between extremes of idealization and devaluation;
- identity disturbance: markedly and persistently unstable self-image or sense of self;
- impulsivity in at least two areas that are potentially self-damaging (e.g., spending, sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, binge eating);
- recurrent suicidal behavior, gestures, or threats, or self-mutilating behavior;
- affective instability due to a marked reactivity of mood (e.g., intense episodic dysphoria, irritability, or anxiety usually lasting a few hours and only rarely more than a few days);
- chronic feelings of emptiness;
- inappropriate, intense anger or difficulty controlling anger (e.g., frequent displays of temper, constant anger, recurrent physical fights);
- transient, stress-related paranoid ideation or severe dissociative symptoms.
But it also seems that much of their behavior is self-defeating. There are signs of dissociation that suggest that borderline personality disorder may be related to some degree to multiple personality or even schizophrenia. It is more common in people who have a history of neglect, abuse, and family conflict, so both a degree of dissociation and defensive manipulation would be expected.
Histrionic Personality DisorderA pervasive pattern of excessive emotionality and attention seeking, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:
- is uncomfortable in situations in which he or she is not the center of attention;
- interaction with others is often characterized by inappropriate sexually seductive or provocative behavior;
- displays rapidly shifting and shallow expression of emotions;
- consistently uses physical appearance to draw attention to self;
- has a style of speech that is excessively impressionistic and lacking in detail;
- shows self-dramatization, theatricality, and exaggerated expression of emotion;
- is suggestible, i.e., easily influenced by others or circumstances;
- considers relationships to be more intimate than they actually are.
Narcissistic Personality DisorderA pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:
- has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements);
- is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love;
- believes that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions);
- requires excessive admiration;
- has a sense of entitlement, i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations;
- is interpersonally exploitive, i.e., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends;
- lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others;
- is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her;
- shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes.
Cluster C - The anxious people
Avoidant Personality DisorderA pervasive pattern of social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and hypersensitivity to negative evaluation, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by four (or more) of the following:
- avoids occupational activities that involve significant interpersonal contact, because of fears of criticism, disapproval, or rejection;
- is unwilling to get involved with people unless certain of being liked;
- shows restraint within intimate relationships because of the fear of being shamed or ridiculed;
- is preoccupied with being criticized or rejected in social situations;
- is inhibited in new interpersonal situations because of feelings of inadequacy;
- views self as socially inept, personally unappealing, or inferior to others;
- is unusually reluctant to take personal risks or to engage in any new activities because they may prove embarrassing.
Dependent Personality DisorderA pervasive and excessive need to be taken care of that leads to submissive and clinging behavior and fears of separation, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:
- has difficulty making everyday decisions without an excessive amount of advice and reassurance from others;
- needs others to assume responsibility for most major areas of his or her life;
- has difficulty expressing disagreement with others because of fear of loss of support or approval;
- has difficulty initiating projects or doing things on his or her own (because of a lack of self-confidence in judgment or abilities rather than a lack of motivation or energy);
- goes to excessive lengths to obtain nurturance and support from others to the point of volunteering to do things that are unpleasant;
- feels uncomfortable or helpless when alone because of exaggerated fears of being unable to care for himself or herself;
- urgently seeks another relationship as a source of care and support when a close relationship ends;
- is unrealistically preoccupied with fears of being left to take care of himself or herself.
Also like the avoidant personality, many cultures - especially sociocentric ones - encourage a degree of dependency. The fact that this disorder is the most commonly diagnosed personality disorder, and that it is predominantly diagnosed in women, supports the idea that this may be cultural.
One of the classic situations where we find dependent personalities is in marriages where one partner allows the other to completely dominate the relationship. Sadly, many people in abusive relationships get into them because of their desperation for someone to take over their lives for them.
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality DisorderA pervasive pattern of preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and mental and interpersonal control, at the expense or flexibility, openness, and efficiency, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by four (or more) of the following:
- is preoccupied with details, rules, lists, order, organization, or schedules to the extent that the major point of the activity is lost;
- shows perfectionism that interferes with task completion (e.g., is unable to complete a project because his or her own overly strict standards are not met);
- is excessively devoted to work and productivity to the exclusion of leisure activities and friendships (not accounted for by obvious economic necessity);
- is overconscientious, scrupulous, and inflexible about matters of morality, ethics, or values (not accounted for by cultural or religious identification);
- is unable to discard worn-out or worthless objects even when they have no sentimental value;
- is reluctant to delegate tasks or to work with others unless they submit to exactly his or her way or doing things;
- adopts a miserly spending style toward both self and others; money is viewed as something to be hoarded for future catastrophes;
- shows rigidity and stubbornness.
Obsessive-compulsive personality is more common among men than women, and is often found in fundamentalist groups of any religion, where strict rule-adherence is paramount. In some societies, especially hierarchical (vs egalitarian) and sociocentric (vs egocentric), this kind of behavior is considered normal, not pathological.
© Copyright 2006, 2007, C. George Boeree.
Hypnosis-STOP SMOKING with Hypnosis: Statistics Speak For Themselves by Nina Bingham
You may have wondered if you can quit smoking through hypnosis? Here are some scientific statistics on it. I'll let the facts speak for themselves:
"Here is a brief review of some of the medical research evidence on the effectiveness of hypnosis:
90.6% Success Rate for Smoking Cessation Using Hypnosis
Of 43 consecutive patients undergoing this treatment protocol, 39 reported remaining abstinent from tobacco use at follow-up (6 months to 3 years post-treatment). This represents a 90.6% success rate using hypnosis.
(University of Washington School of Medicine, Depts. of Anesthesiology and Rehabilitation Medicine, Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2001 Jul;49(3):257-66. Barber J. )
87% Reported Abstinence From Tobacco Use With Hypnosis
A field study of 93 male and 93 female CMHC outpatients examined the facilitation of smoking cessation by using hypnosis. At 3-month follow-up, 86% of the men and 87% of the women reported continued abstinence from the use of tobacco using hypnosis.
(Performance by gender in a stop-smoking program combining hypnosis and aversion. Johnson DL, Karkut RT. Adkar Associates, Inc., Bloomington, Indiana. Psychol Rep. 1994 Oct;75(2):851-7.
PMID: 7862796 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] )
81% Reported They Had Stopped Smoking After Hypnosis
Thirty smokers enrolled in an HMO were referred by their primary physician for treatment. Twenty-one patients returned after an initial consultation and received hypnosis for smoking cessation. At the end of treatment, 81% of those patients reported that they had stopped smoking, and 48% reported abstinence at 12 months post-treatment.
(Texas A&M University, System Health Science Center, College of Medicine, College Station, TX USA. Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2004 Jan;52(1):73-81. Clinical hypnosis for smoking cessation: preliminary results of a three-session intervention. Elkins GR, Rajab MH)
Hypnosis Patients Twice As Likely To Remain Smoke-Free After Two Years
Study of 71 smokers showed that after a two-year follow up, patients that quit with hypnosis were twice as likely to remain smoke-free than those who quit on their own.
Guided health imagery for smoking cessation and long-term abstinence.
(Wynd, CA. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 2005; 37:3, pages 245-250.)
Hypnosis More Effective Than Drug Interventions For Smoking Cessation
Group hypnosis sessions, evaluated at a less effective success rate (22% success) than individualized hypnosis sessions. However, group hypnosis sessions were still demonstrated here as being more effective than drug interventions.
(Ohio State University, College of Nursing, Columbus, OH 43210, USA Descriptive outcomes of the American Lung Association of Ohio hypnotherapy smoking cessation program. Ahijevych K, Yerardi R, Nedilsky N. )
Hypnosis Most Effective Says Largest Study Ever: 3 Times as Effective as Patch and 15 Times as Effective as Willpower.
Hypnosis is the most effective way of giving up smoking, according to the largest ever scientific comparison of ways of breaking the habit. A meta-analysis, statistically combining results of more than 600 studies of 72,000 people from America and Europe to compare various methods of quitting. On average, hypnosis was over three times as effective as nicotine replacement methods and 15 times as effective as trying to quit alone.
(University of Iowa, Journal of Applied Psychology, How One in Five Give Up Smoking. October 1992.)
(Also New Scientist, October 10, 1992.)"
References
(2011). What are the statistics on the effectiveness of hypnosis? By Answers.com. Taken from the World Wide Web on April 11, 2011 from: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_statistics_on_the_effectiveness_of_hypnosis
"Here is a brief review of some of the medical research evidence on the effectiveness of hypnosis:
90.6% Success Rate for Smoking Cessation Using Hypnosis
Of 43 consecutive patients undergoing this treatment protocol, 39 reported remaining abstinent from tobacco use at follow-up (6 months to 3 years post-treatment). This represents a 90.6% success rate using hypnosis.
(University of Washington School of Medicine, Depts. of Anesthesiology and Rehabilitation Medicine, Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2001 Jul;49(3):257-66. Barber J. )
87% Reported Abstinence From Tobacco Use With Hypnosis
A field study of 93 male and 93 female CMHC outpatients examined the facilitation of smoking cessation by using hypnosis. At 3-month follow-up, 86% of the men and 87% of the women reported continued abstinence from the use of tobacco using hypnosis.
(Performance by gender in a stop-smoking program combining hypnosis and aversion. Johnson DL, Karkut RT. Adkar Associates, Inc., Bloomington, Indiana. Psychol Rep. 1994 Oct;75(2):851-7.
PMID: 7862796 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] )
81% Reported They Had Stopped Smoking After Hypnosis
Thirty smokers enrolled in an HMO were referred by their primary physician for treatment. Twenty-one patients returned after an initial consultation and received hypnosis for smoking cessation. At the end of treatment, 81% of those patients reported that they had stopped smoking, and 48% reported abstinence at 12 months post-treatment.
(Texas A&M University, System Health Science Center, College of Medicine, College Station, TX USA. Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2004 Jan;52(1):73-81. Clinical hypnosis for smoking cessation: preliminary results of a three-session intervention. Elkins GR, Rajab MH)
Hypnosis Patients Twice As Likely To Remain Smoke-Free After Two Years
Study of 71 smokers showed that after a two-year follow up, patients that quit with hypnosis were twice as likely to remain smoke-free than those who quit on their own.
Guided health imagery for smoking cessation and long-term abstinence.
(Wynd, CA. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 2005; 37:3, pages 245-250.)
Hypnosis More Effective Than Drug Interventions For Smoking Cessation
Group hypnosis sessions, evaluated at a less effective success rate (22% success) than individualized hypnosis sessions. However, group hypnosis sessions were still demonstrated here as being more effective than drug interventions.
(Ohio State University, College of Nursing, Columbus, OH 43210, USA Descriptive outcomes of the American Lung Association of Ohio hypnotherapy smoking cessation program. Ahijevych K, Yerardi R, Nedilsky N. )
Hypnosis Most Effective Says Largest Study Ever: 3 Times as Effective as Patch and 15 Times as Effective as Willpower.
Hypnosis is the most effective way of giving up smoking, according to the largest ever scientific comparison of ways of breaking the habit. A meta-analysis, statistically combining results of more than 600 studies of 72,000 people from America and Europe to compare various methods of quitting. On average, hypnosis was over three times as effective as nicotine replacement methods and 15 times as effective as trying to quit alone.
(University of Iowa, Journal of Applied Psychology, How One in Five Give Up Smoking. October 1992.)
(Also New Scientist, October 10, 1992.)"
References
(2011). What are the statistics on the effectiveness of hypnosis? By Answers.com. Taken from the World Wide Web on April 11, 2011 from: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_statistics_on_the_effectiveness_of_hypnosis
What Kind Of Counseling Do I Practice? Gestalt Therapy Explained by All Health Secret and Nina Bingham
What Kind of Counseling Do I Practice?
Gestalt Therapy Explained
When I tell clients I am a Life Coach who was trained as a psychotherapist, and use the methods of Gestalt Therapy, they look at me like I have crabs crawling out of my ears. Since Gestalt Therapy is a specialty in mental health counseling, and since it's zenith was in the 1940-1980's, not many clients know what that means. While many of the techniques I use are popular cognitive-behavioral approaches (also known as talk therapy), I focus on using the Gestalt technique as my premier way of approaching mental health counseling. So what makes Gestalt Therapy unique and relevant for today's clients? Read on:
One of the techniques used by Gestalt therapists is allowing a patient to conduct a dialogue that allows two distinct feelings to be aired so that the patient can give a voice to the conflict within (also known as the Chair Technique). While traditional psychotherapists may try to control a person by telling them they are acting this way because of something that is inherent in them, the Gestalt therapist will give control to the patient. What this means is that by not trying to control the patient's behavior through advice that may or may not be appropriate to the underlying cause, the relationship between the Gestalt therapist and the patient is an open and honest discourse.
Let's face it; psychiatrists often tend to be rather distant. They may end a session just at the point where the patient is revealing something profound or needs to continue discussing the point they were trying to make. Gestalt therapy is just the opposite, and is one that can be more therapeutic and effective for the patient.
After a patient discloses his or her innermost thoughts to the Gestalt therapist, he or she is then able to receive feedback from the therapist. This includes how they can, together, resolve any given situation with care, kindness, and attention. The dialogue between the two is an interactive exchange. Gestalt therapy allows both therapist and patient to freely explore feelings and emotions in ways no other psychotherapists can. It is this freedom of expression that has allowed patients to become more aware and grow as individuals in a healthy and honest environment" (Gestalt Therapy Explained, by All Heath Secret, 2011).
References
(2011). Gestalt Therapy Explained. All Health Secret. Taken from the World Wide Web on April 11, 2011 from: http://hubpages.com/hub/Gestalt-Therapy-Explained
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
The Truth About Hypnosis and WEIGHT LOSS by Nina Bingham
With a combination of clinical hypnotherapy and counseling, you can achieve your weight goals.
This is how: compulsive or emotional eating accounts for the majority of our problems with food. If a physical problem isn't causing the weight gain or loss, then your own thoughts are sabotaging you. Once a medical doctor has ruled out physiological causes, then it may be time to see a therapist if you are over eating or under eating to the point where your health and happiness are in jeopardy.
My Weight Management Program combines both counseling and clinical hypnotherapy to address the conscious, and unconscious thoughts which are driving you to compulsively over, or under eat. We will uncover your feelings, triggers and behaviors to see the hidden patterns beneath your eating, which is compensatory. We will endeavor to set up new, healthier behaviors and support systems for you so that you are free from having to over eat, or having to under eat. The end goal will be for you to take control again; for you to be fully aware of the choices you are making in that crucial moment of choice, and to stay motivated in the long term to make better choices.
Because eating disorders are a process (we don't gain all that weight overnight), losing it is also a process. I recommend that clients schedule three appointments: one counseling, one hypnotherapy, and a final counseling session. Included is a personalized self-hypnosis tape for every client, so that they can take the progress home with them, and work independently, in between sessions.You might be wondering what the statistics are for weight loss through hypnosis? These research studies speak for themselves:
Hypnosis Over 30 Times as Effective for Weight Loss
Investigated the effects of hypnosis in weight loss for 60 females, at least 20% overweight. Treatment included group hypnosis with metaphors for ego-strengthening, decision making and motivation, ideomotor exploration in individual hypnosis, and group hypnosis with maintenance suggestions. Hypnosis was more effective than a control group: an average of 17 lbs lost by the hypnosis group vs. an average of 0.5 lbs lost by the control group, on follow-up. (Cochrane, Gordon; Friesen, J. (1986). Hypnotherapy in weight loss treatment. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 54, 489-492.)
Two Years Later: Hypnosis Subjects Continued To Lose Significant Weight
109 people completed a behavioral treatment for weight management either with or without the addition of hypnosis. At the end of the 9-week program, both interventions resulted in significant weight reduction. At 8-month and 2-year follow-ups, the hypnosis subjects were found to have continued to lose significant weight, while those in the behavioral-treatment-only group showed little further change. (Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (1985) )
Hypnosis Subjects Lost More Weight Than 90% of Others and Kept it Off
Researchers analyzed 18 studies comparing a cognitive behavioral therapy such as relaxation training, guided imagery, self monitoring, or goal setting with the same therapy supplemented by hypnosis.
Those who received the hypnosis lost more weight than 90 percent of those not receiving hypnosis and maintained the weight loss two years after treatment ended. (University of Connecticut, Storrs Allison DB, Faith MS. Hypnosis as an adjunct to cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy for obesity: a meta-analytic reappraisal. J Consult Clin Psychol. 1996;64(3):513-516.)
Hypnosis More Than Doubled Average Weight Loss
Study of the effect of adding hypnosis to cognitive-behavioral treatments for weight reduction, additional data were obtained from authors of two studies. Analyses indicated that the benefits of hypnosis increased substantially over time. (Kirsch, Irving (1996). Hypnotic enhancement of cognitive-behavioral weight loss treatments--Another meta-reanalysis. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64 (3), 517-519.)
Hypnosis Showed Significantly Lower Post-Treatment Weights
Two studies compared overweight smoking and non-smoking adult women in an hypnosis-based, weight-loss program. Both achieved significant weight losses and decreases in Body Mass Index. Follow-up study replicated significant weight losses and declines in Body Mass Index. The overt aversion and hypnosis program yielded significantly lower post-treatment weights and a greater average number of pounds lost.
(Weight loss for women: studies of smokers and nonsmokers using hypnosis and multi-component treatments with and without overt aversion. Johnson DL, Psychology Reprints. 1997 Jun;80(3 Pt 1) :931-3.)
Hypnotherapy group with stress reduction achieved significantly more weight loss than the other two treatments.
Randomised, controlled, parallel study of two forms of hypnotherapy (directed at stress reduction or energy intake reduction), vs dietary advice alone in 60 obese patients with obstructive sleep apnoea on nasal continuous positive airway pressure treatment. (J Stradling, D Roberts, A Wilson and F Lovelock, Chest Unit, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7LJ, UK )
Hypnosis can more than double the effects of traditional weight loss approaches
An analysis of five weight loss studies reported in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology in 1996 showed that the "… weight loss reported in the five studies indicates that hypnosis can more than double the effects" of traditional weight loss approaches. (University of Connecticut, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology in 1996 (Vol. 64, No. 3, pgs 517-519).
Weight loss is greater where hypnosis is utilized
Research into cognitive-behavioral weight loss treatments established that weight loss is greater where hypnosis is utilized. It was also established that the benefits of hypnosis increase over time. (Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (1996)
Showed Hypnosis As "An Effective Way To Lose Weight"
A study of 60 females who were at least 20% overweight and not involved in other treatment showed hypnosis is an effective way to lose weight. (Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (1986)
Getting motivated to eat right and exercise can be challenging. When the challenges become life-threatening or so overwhelming that we feel defeated, it's time to ask for support. A combination of conscious and unconscious therapy enables you to be more aware of the apparent behaviors at the surface, and the underlying causes beneath our conscious understanding. The truth about hypnosis and weight management is that changing your eating behaviors is a process, just as gaining the weight was. Hypnosis is not a magical wand that can erase years of stubborn habits. However, it is highly effective at helping you to discover the causation of the compulsive behaviors, and in becoming increasingly aware that you have the power to change. And that is the truth about hypnosis and weight loss.
http://www.booksie.com/Nina_Bingham
http://www.booksie.com/health_and_fitness/article/nina_bingham/the-truth-about-hypnosis-and-weight-loss/chapter/1
References
This is how: compulsive or emotional eating accounts for the majority of our problems with food. If a physical problem isn't causing the weight gain or loss, then your own thoughts are sabotaging you. Once a medical doctor has ruled out physiological causes, then it may be time to see a therapist if you are over eating or under eating to the point where your health and happiness are in jeopardy.
My Weight Management Program combines both counseling and clinical hypnotherapy to address the conscious, and unconscious thoughts which are driving you to compulsively over, or under eat. We will uncover your feelings, triggers and behaviors to see the hidden patterns beneath your eating, which is compensatory. We will endeavor to set up new, healthier behaviors and support systems for you so that you are free from having to over eat, or having to under eat. The end goal will be for you to take control again; for you to be fully aware of the choices you are making in that crucial moment of choice, and to stay motivated in the long term to make better choices.
Because eating disorders are a process (we don't gain all that weight overnight), losing it is also a process. I recommend that clients schedule three appointments: one counseling, one hypnotherapy, and a final counseling session. Included is a personalized self-hypnosis tape for every client, so that they can take the progress home with them, and work independently, in between sessions.You might be wondering what the statistics are for weight loss through hypnosis? These research studies speak for themselves:
Hypnosis Over 30 Times as Effective for Weight Loss
Investigated the effects of hypnosis in weight loss for 60 females, at least 20% overweight. Treatment included group hypnosis with metaphors for ego-strengthening, decision making and motivation, ideomotor exploration in individual hypnosis, and group hypnosis with maintenance suggestions. Hypnosis was more effective than a control group: an average of 17 lbs lost by the hypnosis group vs. an average of 0.5 lbs lost by the control group, on follow-up. (Cochrane, Gordon; Friesen, J. (1986). Hypnotherapy in weight loss treatment. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 54, 489-492.)
Two Years Later: Hypnosis Subjects Continued To Lose Significant Weight
109 people completed a behavioral treatment for weight management either with or without the addition of hypnosis. At the end of the 9-week program, both interventions resulted in significant weight reduction. At 8-month and 2-year follow-ups, the hypnosis subjects were found to have continued to lose significant weight, while those in the behavioral-treatment-only group showed little further change. (Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (1985) )
Hypnosis Subjects Lost More Weight Than 90% of Others and Kept it Off
Researchers analyzed 18 studies comparing a cognitive behavioral therapy such as relaxation training, guided imagery, self monitoring, or goal setting with the same therapy supplemented by hypnosis.
Those who received the hypnosis lost more weight than 90 percent of those not receiving hypnosis and maintained the weight loss two years after treatment ended. (University of Connecticut, Storrs Allison DB, Faith MS. Hypnosis as an adjunct to cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy for obesity: a meta-analytic reappraisal. J Consult Clin Psychol. 1996;64(3):513-516.)
Hypnosis More Than Doubled Average Weight Loss
Study of the effect of adding hypnosis to cognitive-behavioral treatments for weight reduction, additional data were obtained from authors of two studies. Analyses indicated that the benefits of hypnosis increased substantially over time. (Kirsch, Irving (1996). Hypnotic enhancement of cognitive-behavioral weight loss treatments--Another meta-reanalysis. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64 (3), 517-519.)
Hypnosis Showed Significantly Lower Post-Treatment Weights
Two studies compared overweight smoking and non-smoking adult women in an hypnosis-based, weight-loss program. Both achieved significant weight losses and decreases in Body Mass Index. Follow-up study replicated significant weight losses and declines in Body Mass Index. The overt aversion and hypnosis program yielded significantly lower post-treatment weights and a greater average number of pounds lost.
(Weight loss for women: studies of smokers and nonsmokers using hypnosis and multi-component treatments with and without overt aversion. Johnson DL, Psychology Reprints. 1997 Jun;80(3 Pt 1) :931-3.)
Hypnotherapy group with stress reduction achieved significantly more weight loss than the other two treatments.
Randomised, controlled, parallel study of two forms of hypnotherapy (directed at stress reduction or energy intake reduction), vs dietary advice alone in 60 obese patients with obstructive sleep apnoea on nasal continuous positive airway pressure treatment. (J Stradling, D Roberts, A Wilson and F Lovelock, Chest Unit, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7LJ, UK )
Hypnosis can more than double the effects of traditional weight loss approaches
An analysis of five weight loss studies reported in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology in 1996 showed that the "… weight loss reported in the five studies indicates that hypnosis can more than double the effects" of traditional weight loss approaches. (University of Connecticut, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology in 1996 (Vol. 64, No. 3, pgs 517-519).
Weight loss is greater where hypnosis is utilized
Research into cognitive-behavioral weight loss treatments established that weight loss is greater where hypnosis is utilized. It was also established that the benefits of hypnosis increase over time. (Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (1996)
Showed Hypnosis As "An Effective Way To Lose Weight"
A study of 60 females who were at least 20% overweight and not involved in other treatment showed hypnosis is an effective way to lose weight. (Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (1986)
Getting motivated to eat right and exercise can be challenging. When the challenges become life-threatening or so overwhelming that we feel defeated, it's time to ask for support. A combination of conscious and unconscious therapy enables you to be more aware of the apparent behaviors at the surface, and the underlying causes beneath our conscious understanding. The truth about hypnosis and weight management is that changing your eating behaviors is a process, just as gaining the weight was. Hypnosis is not a magical wand that can erase years of stubborn habits. However, it is highly effective at helping you to discover the causation of the compulsive behaviors, and in becoming increasingly aware that you have the power to change. And that is the truth about hypnosis and weight loss.
http://www.booksie.com/Nina_Bingham
http://www.booksie.com/health_and_fitness/article/nina_bingham/the-truth-about-hypnosis-and-weight-loss/chapter/1
References
Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_statistics_on_the_effectiveness_of_hypnosis#ixzz1JFPdIISc
Saturday, April 2, 2011
The Long Goodbye: What I Learned At A Last-Stage Alzheimers Unit by Nina Bingham
I picked an Alzheimer Residential facility in Portland, Oregon, from the internet, because they were close to home and looked like an "up-scale" facility. When I met with the Assistant Director of the last-stage Alzheimer unit known as "Expressions," I came with an industrious proposal in hand. After reviewing my ideas, she politely suggested that I focus on using Reminiscent Therapy with the unit's 15 residents.
She explained, "This is the end of the road for these folks. While their short-term memory is gone, they've retained their long-term memories. Allowing them to reminisce about their pasts would be the most therapeutic approach." I realized I knew nothing of last-stage dementia, so I conceded. The residents were all end-stage Alzheimer or Parkinson patients, who were between the ages of 80-100 years old, the average age being in the 90's.
Patients I spent time with ranged from bedridden, catatonic and non-verbal to mobile and cognitively impaired, on a spectrum. Implementing Reminiscent Therapy was as straightforward as interviewing the residents, armed with information about their age, diagnosis, and family histories. My objectives were clear: to encourage the residents to talk about past events, to improve word finding, attention and concentration, to increase communication among residents and staff, and to share thoughts and feelings.
I individually interviewed fifteen residents, spending between an hour to three hours collecting history, including: occupational, family, marital, military, and social. I also implemented Group Reminiscence Therapy in three sessions, for a period of 60-70 minutes, with the entire resident base (all mobile residents). This encouraged them to comment on one another's common past experiences. What did I learn from this experience?
This is where it becomes difficult to express all I learned in my short time at "Expressions." I thought, like any good social scientist, that I would objectively observe, collect and record the various dementia symptoms, and clinically apply a simple group cognitive therapy. The reality, however, was quite different. I found there was no way to objectively use a therapeutic arsenal of techniques on these people. No, these were fathers and mothers, grandpas and grandmas. These were people with rich lives and stories to tell with hard-won wisdom and wit. These were people like the tough school teacher who was convinced I was her daughter; who took me quietly by the hand as she let the tears slip down her face, and admitted, "Nobody comes to see me anymore except for you." People like the German gentleman who, after being in Hitler's army as a youth, escaped before being sent to a Russian concentration camp, and came to America where he converted to Christianity. As he draped his gangly arm around my shoulder, he spoke to me in his thick German accent in a fatherly voice, admonishing,"It's the hard times that make you into somebody." People like the oldest resident of the unit, a Centenarian, whose advice to me about life was: "Just keep busy, kid, and you'll keep outta trouble." And when asked how she was doing, quipped cryptically, "I've got one foot in the grave, and the other on a banana peel!"
Each of them, suffering from the debilitating effects of late stage dementia, all had this quality in common: they all had a particular, and sometimes peculiar beauty about them. Through the mask of their aging bodies, I could still see a glittering soul there, like a buried jewel, which was still vibrant and alive. During individual interviews, I watched sparks in their eyes as they reminisced about their childhoods, adult adventures, and deceased spouses.
These people had LIVED: they had parachuted out of planes, ridden in plane cockpits, traveled internationally, been successful business people, been teachers and homemakers. They had raised oodles of kids, and grand kids. The most extraordinary thing about them was this indomitable human spirit I was witness to. At the median age of 90, they were still mostly positive, and had a keen sense of humor. They still could smile and laugh at their own frailty. What did they teach me, you ask?
It is said that Alzheimer's is called "The Long Goodbye," as the median life expectancy from diagnosis to death is 8 years. These people proved to me it is not the amount of time we have left, but what we do with it that counts. Above the objective theoretics of psychology, they taught me that we create our own happiness (the German soldier told me that), and we can choose to be happy regardless of our failing bodies and brains. They reminded me it is the amazingly resilient human spirit that is most important. They reminded me that kindness, patience and respect are important qualities. They reminded me how to be childlike and to trust. Mostly, they reminded me how to love unconditionally. Because of all they taught me, I believe I received at least as much as they did from the time we spent together; time I'll always cherish.
She explained, "This is the end of the road for these folks. While their short-term memory is gone, they've retained their long-term memories. Allowing them to reminisce about their pasts would be the most therapeutic approach." I realized I knew nothing of last-stage dementia, so I conceded. The residents were all end-stage Alzheimer or Parkinson patients, who were between the ages of 80-100 years old, the average age being in the 90's.
Patients I spent time with ranged from bedridden, catatonic and non-verbal to mobile and cognitively impaired, on a spectrum. Implementing Reminiscent Therapy was as straightforward as interviewing the residents, armed with information about their age, diagnosis, and family histories. My objectives were clear: to encourage the residents to talk about past events, to improve word finding, attention and concentration, to increase communication among residents and staff, and to share thoughts and feelings.
I individually interviewed fifteen residents, spending between an hour to three hours collecting history, including: occupational, family, marital, military, and social. I also implemented Group Reminiscence Therapy in three sessions, for a period of 60-70 minutes, with the entire resident base (all mobile residents). This encouraged them to comment on one another's common past experiences. What did I learn from this experience?
This is where it becomes difficult to express all I learned in my short time at "Expressions." I thought, like any good social scientist, that I would objectively observe, collect and record the various dementia symptoms, and clinically apply a simple group cognitive therapy. The reality, however, was quite different. I found there was no way to objectively use a therapeutic arsenal of techniques on these people. No, these were fathers and mothers, grandpas and grandmas. These were people with rich lives and stories to tell with hard-won wisdom and wit. These were people like the tough school teacher who was convinced I was her daughter; who took me quietly by the hand as she let the tears slip down her face, and admitted, "Nobody comes to see me anymore except for you." People like the German gentleman who, after being in Hitler's army as a youth, escaped before being sent to a Russian concentration camp, and came to America where he converted to Christianity. As he draped his gangly arm around my shoulder, he spoke to me in his thick German accent in a fatherly voice, admonishing,"It's the hard times that make you into somebody." People like the oldest resident of the unit, a Centenarian, whose advice to me about life was: "Just keep busy, kid, and you'll keep outta trouble." And when asked how she was doing, quipped cryptically, "I've got one foot in the grave, and the other on a banana peel!"
Each of them, suffering from the debilitating effects of late stage dementia, all had this quality in common: they all had a particular, and sometimes peculiar beauty about them. Through the mask of their aging bodies, I could still see a glittering soul there, like a buried jewel, which was still vibrant and alive. During individual interviews, I watched sparks in their eyes as they reminisced about their childhoods, adult adventures, and deceased spouses.
These people had LIVED: they had parachuted out of planes, ridden in plane cockpits, traveled internationally, been successful business people, been teachers and homemakers. They had raised oodles of kids, and grand kids. The most extraordinary thing about them was this indomitable human spirit I was witness to. At the median age of 90, they were still mostly positive, and had a keen sense of humor. They still could smile and laugh at their own frailty. What did they teach me, you ask?
It is said that Alzheimer's is called "The Long Goodbye," as the median life expectancy from diagnosis to death is 8 years. These people proved to me it is not the amount of time we have left, but what we do with it that counts. Above the objective theoretics of psychology, they taught me that we create our own happiness (the German soldier told me that), and we can choose to be happy regardless of our failing bodies and brains. They reminded me it is the amazingly resilient human spirit that is most important. They reminded me that kindness, patience and respect are important qualities. They reminded me how to be childlike and to trust. Mostly, they reminded me how to love unconditionally. Because of all they taught me, I believe I received at least as much as they did from the time we spent together; time I'll always cherish.
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Beyond Words: Decoding Voice and Body Language by Nina Bingham
INTRODUCTION: This article will plumb the mysterious world of voice and body language. Body language examined will include: facial expressions, eye gaze, postures and gestures. The “Five C’s of Body Language” will be reviewed. Decoding of implicit communication will be discussed. Evolutionary theory, which proposes to explain voice and body language, will be considered. Finally, utilization of body language will be introduced as applied to the psychotherapeutic setting, specifically as utilized in Gestalt Therapy:
When someone speaks, we are not only hearing their words, but listening to multiple elements of their voice, also known as paralinguistics. If we can see them, we are hearing their words, listening to their voice, and watching their non-verbal communications, also known as body language. We may be simultaneously decoding three distinct messages, with both our ears and our eyes. What is most amazing about this decoding process is that the majority of our translations of these messages are implicit; we are not consciously aware of it. The process of receiving and interpreting another’s message is lightening fast, like a reflex; it just “happens.” The purpose of this paper is to slow this process down long enough to investigate what messages are being sent through voice and body language.
Non-verbal communication has been recognized by psychology as a critical factor in the counseling process (Tepper & Haase, 1978). Non-verbal communication is so relevant in therapy that psychiatrist Frederick S. Perls (Fritz Perls), creator of Gestalt Therapy, uses it as a premier method of bringing feelings and thoughts to the patient’s foreground consciousness. “We have blocked (repressed) one side, and then the self-expression comes out somewhere else, in our movements, in our posture, and most of all in our voice. A good therapist doesn’t listen to the content of the bullshit the patient produces, but to the sound, to the music, to the hesitations. Verbal communication is usually a lie. The real communication is beyond words” (Perls, Gestalt Therapy Verbatum, p. 53).
As much as 55% of communication is non-verbal (Mehrabian, 1968, Bird-Whistell, 1970, Argyle, Alkema and Gilmour, 1971). In one study on empathy, facial expression accounted for 26.1% of a show of empathy, followed by verbal message at 16.94%, followed by eye contact at 6.03%, and vocal intonation at 1.14% (Tepper & Haase, 1978). If non-verbal communication is such a significant part of communication, it is worth decoding.
Facial expressions account for the largest percentage of non-verbal communications. “Emotional faces communicate both the emotional state, and behavioral intentions of an individual. They also activate behavioral tendencies in the perceiver, namely approach or avoidance…Happiness was associated with approach, and anger with avoidance...Sadness produced automatic approach, then withdrawal, and disgust elicited withdrawal” (Seidel & Habel, Kirschner, Gur and Derntl, 2010). It seems our facial expressions trigger automatic, unconscious responses in others. Sometimes, our faces can say it all wrong: “We often use people’s faces to incorrectly judge people’s personality traits” (Hutson, Psychology Today, 2009). This judging of non-verbal communications is unconscious. “Interpersonal evaluations are often communicated implicitly through the use of various facial, vocal and postural cues” (Dorris & Wertheim, 1972). Because reactions to common facial gestures are implicit, evolutionary psychology points to genetics and evolution to explain their epistemology. “From an evolutionary point of view, it seems reasonable that sadness communicates a request for help, and elicits approach towards the sender. The expression of disgust serves an evolutionary advantage as an important signal in voiding noxious stimuli but can also be interpersonally related to the opponent, thereby eliciting avoidance” (Seidel & Habel, Kirschner, Gur and Derntl, 2010). It seems there are important reasons related to our survival why facial features are interpreted spontaneously and implicitly. What specifically do the eyes communicate?
As much as 55% of communication is non-verbal (Mehrabian, 1968, Bird-Whistell, 1970, Argyle, Alkema and Gilmour, 1971). In one study on empathy, facial expression accounted for 26.1% of a show of empathy, followed by verbal message at 16.94%, followed by eye contact at 6.03%, and vocal intonation at 1.14% (Tepper & Haase, 1978). If non-verbal communication is such a significant part of communication, it is worth decoding.
Facial expressions account for the largest percentage of non-verbal communications. “Emotional faces communicate both the emotional state, and behavioral intentions of an individual. They also activate behavioral tendencies in the perceiver, namely approach or avoidance…Happiness was associated with approach, and anger with avoidance...Sadness produced automatic approach, then withdrawal, and disgust elicited withdrawal” (Seidel & Habel, Kirschner, Gur and Derntl, 2010). It seems our facial expressions trigger automatic, unconscious responses in others. Sometimes, our faces can say it all wrong: “We often use people’s faces to incorrectly judge people’s personality traits” (Hutson, Psychology Today, 2009). This judging of non-verbal communications is unconscious. “Interpersonal evaluations are often communicated implicitly through the use of various facial, vocal and postural cues” (Dorris & Wertheim, 1972). Because reactions to common facial gestures are implicit, evolutionary psychology points to genetics and evolution to explain their epistemology. “From an evolutionary point of view, it seems reasonable that sadness communicates a request for help, and elicits approach towards the sender. The expression of disgust serves an evolutionary advantage as an important signal in voiding noxious stimuli but can also be interpersonally related to the opponent, thereby eliciting avoidance” (Seidel & Habel, Kirschner, Gur and Derntl, 2010). It seems there are important reasons related to our survival why facial features are interpreted spontaneously and implicitly. What specifically do the eyes communicate?
“Direct (eye) gaze increases the perception of anger (but not fear), whereas averted gaze enhances the perception of fear and not anger…facial expressions of emotion and direct eye gaze can combine to facilitate social communication in humans “ (Fox, Mathews, Calder & Yiend, 2007). This finding makes evolutionary sense, as combined eye gaze and facial emotion can provide an important cue for environmental threat. An angry face looking directly at us tells us the person may be dangerous to us, while a fearful face looking away suggests the threat may be in the direction that the fearful face is averted toward. “Our results strongly suggest that gaze direction does contribute to the perceived emotional relevance of facial expression, both behaviorally and neutrally as indexed by amygdale response, but particularly for mild-intensity expression where facial features alone may evoke relatively weak emotional signals” (N’Diaye, Sander & Vuilleumier, 2009). Not only do we decode facial emotions, but eye gaze allows us a second opportunity to judge body language. Is the voice as easily decoded as a facial expression?
The human voice is a rich and nuanced source of emotional signaling, as evident in studies of the varieties of laughter (Bachorowski, Smoski, and Owren, 2001), teasing (Keltner, Capps, Kring, Young & Heerey, 2001), and motherese (Fernald, 1992). Nearly half of Darwin’s descriptions of the non-verbal correlates of over 40 emotion-related states include references to specific paralinguistic vocalizations—“snorts” of contempt, “little coughs” of embarrassment, “air sucks” of high spirits, and “deep sighs” of grief (Darwin, 1872). In the largest study of its kind on the identification of vocalized emotions, "well-studied negative emotions such as: anger, disgust, fear, sadness and surprise ranged from 80%-96% accurate, corroborating existing findings" (Juslin & Laukka, 2003; Sauter and Scott, 2007; Scherer, 1994). Embarrassment, guilt and shame were identified with low, but above chance levels of accuracy. Awe and interest was readily identified. Compassion, gratitude, enthusiasm and triumph were identified with low to moderate levels of accuracy. Taken together, these studies suggest that the voice can communicate at least 14 distinct emotional states without explicit words of obvious word substitutes” (Simon-Thomas et. al., 2009). What of the rest of the body’s non-verbal communication: posture and gestures?
Evolutionary Psychology offers this explanation on why we use gestures when speaking: “Before the adaptation of languages by human beings, the communication was provided through body language because they (prehistorics) did not even have ability to speak. They depended on body language to complain and meet their needs. Even today during a speech, people benefit from gestures, mimics and whereas their facial muscles, shoulders and hands function as a tool for communication” (Çahşkan & Karadağ, 2006). Not only our gestures, but our postures can convey a clear message: “Gestures and nonverbal means of communication convey thoughts and feelings the speaker is not always able to put into words” (Yesil, 2008). Whether gesture and posture are employed as an emphasis to what we are saying, or saying for us what we cannot communicate in words, they communicate eloquently for us. As the saying goes, “Actions speak louder than words.” Four dimensions of nonverbal behavior; gesture, facial expression, intonation and physical appearance seem to work together to create perception, rather than a single factor (Yesil, 2008). Thus, paying attention to non-verbal cues when speaking and listening can enable us to be more effective communicators, and to avoid misunderstandings. How would a psychotherapist use these body-language principles when working with clients to gain greater insight and understanding?
Fritz Perls admonishes therapists on body language: “So don’t listen to the words, just listen to what the voice tells you, what the movements tell you, what the posture tells you, what the image tells you. You don’t have to listen to what the person says: listen to the sounds. Everything a person wants to express is all there-not in words. What we say is mostly either lies or bullshit. But the voice is there, the gesture, the posture, the facial expression, the psychosomatic language. It’s all there if you learn to, more or less, let the content of the sentences play second violin only. If you have eyes and ears, the world is open. Nobody can have any secrets, because the neurotic only fools himself, nobody else. The total personality as it expresses itself with movements, with posture, with sound, with pictures-there is so much invaluable material here…to bring this into the patient’s awareness” (Perls, 1969).
Fritz Perls admonishes therapists on body language: “So don’t listen to the words, just listen to what the voice tells you, what the movements tell you, what the posture tells you, what the image tells you. You don’t have to listen to what the person says: listen to the sounds. Everything a person wants to express is all there-not in words. What we say is mostly either lies or bullshit. But the voice is there, the gesture, the posture, the facial expression, the psychosomatic language. It’s all there if you learn to, more or less, let the content of the sentences play second violin only. If you have eyes and ears, the world is open. Nobody can have any secrets, because the neurotic only fools himself, nobody else. The total personality as it expresses itself with movements, with posture, with sound, with pictures-there is so much invaluable material here…to bring this into the patient’s awareness” (Perls, 1969).
Once the therapist becomes aware of the client’s body language, Perls believes the therapist is in a better position to interpret the client’s resistances, and to draw the client’s attention to them. Body language is implicit; try as we might, unless we are exceptionally skilled liars, and even then, eventually our implicit communication will speak louder than our words. Gestalt Therapy emphasizes helping the patient to become aware of how he or she behaves, rather than why. The therapist’s intent is to help the patient to begin to reclaim in immediate awareness his largely desensitized sensori-motor-affective modalities by making the patient attend to them. When the therapist becomes alerted to incongruences between the client’s words and body language, they can ask the client to bring their attention to the implicit physiological expression. For example, if a client is squeezing one hand with another, the therapist may draw the client’s attention to the hand which is squeezing, and ask the client to give that hand a “voice.” The therapist may ask the hands to talk to one another. This is done because neuromuscular tension belies psychic tension. To the Gestalt Therapist, body language is as important as the spoken word, and sometimes more so; the body is the entry point for accessing the mind. By making the client aware of their non-verbal behaviors, and asking the client to interpret them for the therapist, the implicit behaviors become explicit, and so does their meaning. The following is an excerpt from a Dreamwork Seminar facilitated by Fritz Perls:
Dr. Perls: “Now I am interested, what is your left foot doing to your right?”
Client: “Sort of exercising my knee.”
Dr. Perls: “Could you see whether your knee can be a train track?” (part of the client’s dream)
Client: “I am the tracks. I’m lying on my back, and life is running over me…”
Dr. Perls: “At least we have the (new) word “life” now for the first time. Now have a conversation between the track and the train.”
Client: “I’m the train, and my legs are the tracks. I ride straight ahead and follow where you lead-straight ahead to nowhere…but I’m the power. I’m the life. You’re dead. I just got people into it (the train).”
Dr. Perls: “Oh! That’s wonderful. So it’s not all dead. Now we’ve gotten people in. Well you’ve gotten your first existential message: we need people”(Perls, 1969).
Client: “Sort of exercising my knee.”
Dr. Perls: “Could you see whether your knee can be a train track?” (part of the client’s dream)
Client: “I am the tracks. I’m lying on my back, and life is running over me…”
Dr. Perls: “At least we have the (new) word “life” now for the first time. Now have a conversation between the track and the train.”
Client: “I’m the train, and my legs are the tracks. I ride straight ahead and follow where you lead-straight ahead to nowhere…but I’m the power. I’m the life. You’re dead. I just got people into it (the train).”
Dr. Perls: “Oh! That’s wonderful. So it’s not all dead. Now we’ve gotten people in. Well you’ve gotten your first existential message: we need people”(Perls, 1969).
In review, vocal and body language is an important alternate form of communication. When taken out of context, non-verbal communication can be misinterpreted. Of body language, facial expressions are the most significant communicators, followed by the voice (paralinguistics), eye contact or gaze, and posture and gesture. Body language is evolutionary; we have learned to decode it to ensure our survival. Body language is implicit, which means it is hard to hide from others. Because of the transparent quality of nonverbal communication, it can be used in psychotherapy as an indicator of internal, psychic resistances and used as a means of making the client aware of his unconscious needs. Body language, in some forms of psychotherapy such as Gestalt Therapy, may be more important to interpret than the spoken word. Communications which are implicit never lie; facial expression and body language are the litmus test of communication.
References
Tepper, Jr., D.T., Haase, R.F. (1978). Verbal and non verbal communication of facilitative conditions. Journal of Counseling Psychology, Vol. 25, No. 1, p. 35-44.
Perls, F. S. (1979).Gestalt Therapy Verbatim. Real People Press, Lafayette, California.
Mehrabian, A. (1968). Nonverbal Communication. Chicago: Aldine-Atherton, 1972.
Goman, C.K. (2008). The Nonverbal Advantage: Secrets and Science of Body Language at Work. Berrett-Koehler, San Francisco, California.
Seidel, E.M, Habel, U., Kirschner, M., Gur, R., & Derntl, B. (2010). The Impact of Facial Emotional Expressions on Behavioral Tendencies in Women and Men. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 0096-1523, 2010, Vol. 36, Issue 2. Hutson, M. (2009). Permexpressions. Psychology Today, Jul/Aug2009, Vol. 42 Issue 4, p24-24, 2/3p. Dorris, J.W., Wertheim, A. (1975). An attribution approach to investigating the perception of implicit communications of evaluation. Mt. Holyoke College, South Hadley, Massachusetts, 01075.
Fox, E., Mathews, A., Calder, A., Yiend, J. (2007). Anxiety and sensitivity to gaze direction in emotionally expressive faces. American Psychological Association, Emotion, Vol 7(3), Aug, 2007. pp. 478-486.
N’Diaye, K., Sander, D., Vuilleumier, P. (2009). Self-relevance processing in the human amygdala: Gaze direction, facial expression, and emotion intensity. American Psychological Association, Emotion, Vol 9(6), Dec, 2009. pp. 798-806.
Bachorowski, J. A., Smoski, M. J., & Owren, M. J. (2001). The acoustic features of human laughter. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 110, 1581–1597.
Keltner, D., Capps, L. M., Kring, A. M., Young, R. C., & Heerey, E. A. (2001). Just teasing: A conceptual analysis and empirical review. Psychological Bulletin, 127, 229–248.
Fernald, A. (1992). Human maternal vocalizations to infants as biologically relevant signals: An evolutionary perspective. In H.Barkow, L.Cosmides, & J.Tooby (Eds.), The adapted mind (pp. 391–428). New York: Oxford University Press.
Simon-Thomas, E.R., Keltner, D.J., Sauter, D., Sinicropi-Yao, L., Abramson, A. (2009). The voice conveys specific emotions : evidence from vocal burst displays. American Psychological Association, Emotion, 15283542, 20091201, Vol. 9, Issue 6.
Darwin, C. R. (1872). The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals (First ed. Ed.). London: John Murray. Juslin, P. N., & Laukka, P. (2003). Communication of emotions in vocal expression and music performance: Different channels, same code? Psychological Bulletin, 129, 770–814.
Sauter, D. A., & Scott, S. K. (2007). More than one kind of happiness: Can we recognize vocal expressions of different positive states? Motivation and Emotion, 31, 192–199.
Scherer, K. R. (1994). Affect bursts. In S. H. M.van Goozen, N. E.van de Poll, & J. A.Sergeant (Eds.), Emotions (pp. 161–193). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. Yesil, R. (2008). Evaluation of body language behavior in a class debate. Social Behavior and Personality, Vol 36(7), 2008. pp. 893-902.
Perls, F. S. (1979).Gestalt Therapy Verbatim. Real People Press, Lafayette, California.
Mehrabian, A. (1968). Nonverbal Communication. Chicago: Aldine-Atherton, 1972.
Goman, C.K. (2008). The Nonverbal Advantage: Secrets and Science of Body Language at Work. Berrett-Koehler, San Francisco, California.
Seidel, E.M, Habel, U., Kirschner, M., Gur, R., & Derntl, B. (2010). The Impact of Facial Emotional Expressions on Behavioral Tendencies in Women and Men. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 0096-1523, 2010, Vol. 36, Issue 2. Hutson, M. (2009). Permexpressions. Psychology Today, Jul/Aug2009, Vol. 42 Issue 4, p24-24, 2/3p. Dorris, J.W., Wertheim, A. (1975). An attribution approach to investigating the perception of implicit communications of evaluation. Mt. Holyoke College, South Hadley, Massachusetts, 01075.
Fox, E., Mathews, A., Calder, A., Yiend, J. (2007). Anxiety and sensitivity to gaze direction in emotionally expressive faces. American Psychological Association, Emotion, Vol 7(3), Aug, 2007. pp. 478-486.
N’Diaye, K., Sander, D., Vuilleumier, P. (2009). Self-relevance processing in the human amygdala: Gaze direction, facial expression, and emotion intensity. American Psychological Association, Emotion, Vol 9(6), Dec, 2009. pp. 798-806.
Bachorowski, J. A., Smoski, M. J., & Owren, M. J. (2001). The acoustic features of human laughter. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 110, 1581–1597.
Keltner, D., Capps, L. M., Kring, A. M., Young, R. C., & Heerey, E. A. (2001). Just teasing: A conceptual analysis and empirical review. Psychological Bulletin, 127, 229–248.
Fernald, A. (1992). Human maternal vocalizations to infants as biologically relevant signals: An evolutionary perspective. In H.Barkow, L.Cosmides, & J.Tooby (Eds.), The adapted mind (pp. 391–428). New York: Oxford University Press.
Simon-Thomas, E.R., Keltner, D.J., Sauter, D., Sinicropi-Yao, L., Abramson, A. (2009). The voice conveys specific emotions : evidence from vocal burst displays. American Psychological Association, Emotion, 15283542, 20091201, Vol. 9, Issue 6.
Darwin, C. R. (1872). The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals (First ed. Ed.). London: John Murray. Juslin, P. N., & Laukka, P. (2003). Communication of emotions in vocal expression and music performance: Different channels, same code? Psychological Bulletin, 129, 770–814.
Sauter, D. A., & Scott, S. K. (2007). More than one kind of happiness: Can we recognize vocal expressions of different positive states? Motivation and Emotion, 31, 192–199.
Scherer, K. R. (1994). Affect bursts. In S. H. M.van Goozen, N. E.van de Poll, & J. A.Sergeant (Eds.), Emotions (pp. 161–193). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. Yesil, R. (2008). Evaluation of body language behavior in a class debate. Social Behavior and Personality, Vol 36(7), 2008. pp. 893-902.
On Transformation and Becoming A Butterfly by Nina Bingham
Success, as our capitalistic society defines it, is limiting and exclusive, whereas significance is immaterial, spiritual, and like the saying goes about love, it can't be bought. A feeling of significance only comes after we have plundered the depths of materialism and found it to be lacking; when we have found that it is nothing more than a sham, a fraud, a lie."Things" do not add up to security because they can be taken away. Bank accounts have a mysterious propensity for shrinkage, and happiness which is purchased is fleeting and temporary, and leads to the thirst for the next material "fix." Once one has realized this truth about Capitalism; that it is "I" centered and not "we" oriented, the process of self-actualization, or, realizing one's unique potential can be fulfilled.
The acquiring of wealth and things is not evil or bad in and of itself; rather, we must see it for what it is: little more than a confining trap for the edification and stabilization of the "self." Success as Western society defines it is not the highest point of human development. The spiritual self, like the caterpillar, yearns to fly unhindered. We struggle through the bonds of materialism so we can break out into another dimension of the self; a wholly new and wondrous self previously unseen, which is exquisitely unique and full of possibility.
This final step in human development called self-actualization cannot precede the fulfillment of naturally selfish survival desires and drives, as Maslow pointed out. Unless we have a sense of survival, safety and belonging, we haven't the strength to transform ourselves into anything more; we are stuck in an endless wasteland of assuring the ego of its safety. However, the day dawns for many when they've had enough to eat. They realize they are full and can't get any fuller, and their spirit rises up and urges them on, driving them to break free of their safe environment, and to build a den of seclusion about themselves so they may develop into a fully realized individual.
In many ways this perceptual shift is like the miraculous metamorphosis of the butterfly. The "I" centered caterpillar spends its days feeding itself and knows to do little else. Instinctively the caterpillar is doing what it needs to do to metamorphose; it is gathering metabolic resources for its journey into the miraculous. One day, as if a circuit is switched on in its brain, the caterpillar begins its life's most important work, that of self-transformation. What it does next is quite striking. It builds around it a sturdy, hard-shelled cocoon to develop in. To the outside observer, the cocoon looks seemingly motionless, while it's really in turmoil. The process of becoming a butterfly is a struggle and lots of hard inner work. But what emerges from the cocoon is a delicate beauty, capable of flight; so delightful that French impressionist composers wrote songs in tribute to it.
I have illustrated this inner transformation using the metaphor of a butterfly when in reality this transformation happens in response to a crisis in our lives. A death, a bankruptcy, a divorce, an illness or another loss leaves us empty-handed, wondering where to turn next. In those desperate moments we come to understand that life is fleeting and fragile, and not as secure as we made it out to be. It is here, in points of crisis, that we can choose to respond the same old way and take the familiar road, or discover, as M. Scott Peck aptly named it, "The Road Less Traveled." Self-actualization is a fluid state where one is liberated from chasing elusive security and the accumulation of "things." Your thoughts are less defined by who you used to be, and more influenced and affected by who you're becoming.
Your behaviors will change, sometimes drastically in response to the spiritual, more significant, emerging self. For those in mid-life, it may appear to others as a "mid-life crisis" or transition. For those in their twenties, the turmoil of their lives will recede, and a path out of the confusion will appear before them, a path into the future. These metamorphoses will likely strike at middle-age or in the early twenties, as these are naturally occurring neurological change-points. However we find the door, it is suddenly open to us, and we are changing: our perspectives are improved, we are more confident and our beliefs about ourselves and our world are more compelling.
The hallmark of finding significance is not only to fulfill our unique potential, but having realized what our potentialities are, to find significance in helping others to self-actualize. When you have gone from being a caterpillar to a butterfly you are so elated at being able to fly and be free of the rigid, restrictive cocoon that you automatically want others to know this same freedom. Many self-actualized people have shifted their concentrations from the wants of the ego to the needs of others. Deeply spiritual and self-actualized individuals we have so much respect for have shown us the characteristics of the self-actualized person: a "we" orientation (opposed to the capitalistic maverick), empathy, a focused and tireless approach to their humanitarian efforts and the ability to see the butterfly within every caterpillar. Mother Teresa of Calcutta is an example of a deeply, profoundly self-actualized individual, tirelessly "giving wings" to others less fortunate.
We may not feel inspired to affect transformation on the grand scale that Mother Teresa did. Instead, we may touch lives one by one. Whatever methodology we use, the business of transformation belongs to all of us. Once we can say with confidence that we are realizing our full potential, we will be in the privileged position to help others reach theirs. Life is a journey, and the end of the road is not ourselves. The end of the road is seeing us in others.
A butterfly never knows quite where it is going to land. It may be flying in one direction until the wind comes along and hurries it in the opposite direction. This seeming haphazard method of flight is ultra-adaptive. Instead of resisting the wind, it harnesses its power and is propelled along at ever-increasing speed. When we feel the winds of change blowing in our lives, we would be wise to adopt an attitude of flexibility, openness, curiosity, and optimism. A negative attitude in the face of change is self-defeating and will only cause us to struggle against forces which are beyond our control.
A friend recently brought to my attention that finding significance is not always an event that happens suddenly, but rather, a life-long journey. In biopsychosocial human development we certainly see clear stages that a human moves through; from birth to childhood, from childhood to adolescence, from adolescence to adulthood, and from adulthood into old age. But as my friend pointed out, achieving self-actualization is often less clear-cut than that; it is less dramatic and more subtle for some. Some people just "grow into it." This realizing of one's full potential has also been called "wisdom" by the ancients. Wisdom is the meeting of age and insight.
As we mature and gain life experience, knowledge, and insight, wisdom should be a naturally occurring product of the well-examined life. As we move from one stage in life to the next, wisdom should be the expected outcome. As we gain insight, however it is gained, whether dramatically or more subtly, flaws in our thinking become obvious to us and behavior patterns of the past don't feel comfortable anymore. We begin to sense the advantages of flight over plodding along, inch by frustrating inch, as if we had blinders on. We begin to thirst for adventure, but not the self-serving kind. Instead, we develop an insatiable thirst for inclusion. We see that while previously we had conceived of ourselves as being apart from others, the real Truth is we are intrinsically linked to the human chain which stretches back eons, and will stretch ahead even after we're gone.
We begin to perceive ourselves as part of something bigger; a grand plan, a schema, or just part of the ever-expanding cosmos. When we realize we play a dramatic role in history, a key role, we begin to perceive our intrinsic value. As a result of comprehending our value we will be less apt to denigrate ourselves for weaknesses and shortcomings and inclined toward seeing ourselves in a positive light that is realistic. I mean to say that we will have accepted our natural, inherent "goodness" without having to prove it to anyone. Temperance, equanimity, tolerance and self-control will direct our steps so that we hurt others less, and are more mindful of the impact we are making.
To review, we must simply, naturally allow wisdom to arise if one wishes to find deep, lasting happiness and fulfillment. We must accept change and allow the organic, spiritual process of metamorphosis to burgeon. As we self-actualize we will rise above, or transcend our personal problems, and others will come more clearly into view. As we focus on others instead of only ourselves, we will have the feeling of expansion, experiencing ourselves as an invaluable, intricate part of the vast universe we inhabit. We will be able to say, like the butterfly, that because of much effort and struggle, we are ready to fly.
The acquiring of wealth and things is not evil or bad in and of itself; rather, we must see it for what it is: little more than a confining trap for the edification and stabilization of the "self." Success as Western society defines it is not the highest point of human development. The spiritual self, like the caterpillar, yearns to fly unhindered. We struggle through the bonds of materialism so we can break out into another dimension of the self; a wholly new and wondrous self previously unseen, which is exquisitely unique and full of possibility.
This final step in human development called self-actualization cannot precede the fulfillment of naturally selfish survival desires and drives, as Maslow pointed out. Unless we have a sense of survival, safety and belonging, we haven't the strength to transform ourselves into anything more; we are stuck in an endless wasteland of assuring the ego of its safety. However, the day dawns for many when they've had enough to eat. They realize they are full and can't get any fuller, and their spirit rises up and urges them on, driving them to break free of their safe environment, and to build a den of seclusion about themselves so they may develop into a fully realized individual.
In many ways this perceptual shift is like the miraculous metamorphosis of the butterfly. The "I" centered caterpillar spends its days feeding itself and knows to do little else. Instinctively the caterpillar is doing what it needs to do to metamorphose; it is gathering metabolic resources for its journey into the miraculous. One day, as if a circuit is switched on in its brain, the caterpillar begins its life's most important work, that of self-transformation. What it does next is quite striking. It builds around it a sturdy, hard-shelled cocoon to develop in. To the outside observer, the cocoon looks seemingly motionless, while it's really in turmoil. The process of becoming a butterfly is a struggle and lots of hard inner work. But what emerges from the cocoon is a delicate beauty, capable of flight; so delightful that French impressionist composers wrote songs in tribute to it.
I have illustrated this inner transformation using the metaphor of a butterfly when in reality this transformation happens in response to a crisis in our lives. A death, a bankruptcy, a divorce, an illness or another loss leaves us empty-handed, wondering where to turn next. In those desperate moments we come to understand that life is fleeting and fragile, and not as secure as we made it out to be. It is here, in points of crisis, that we can choose to respond the same old way and take the familiar road, or discover, as M. Scott Peck aptly named it, "The Road Less Traveled." Self-actualization is a fluid state where one is liberated from chasing elusive security and the accumulation of "things." Your thoughts are less defined by who you used to be, and more influenced and affected by who you're becoming.
Your behaviors will change, sometimes drastically in response to the spiritual, more significant, emerging self. For those in mid-life, it may appear to others as a "mid-life crisis" or transition. For those in their twenties, the turmoil of their lives will recede, and a path out of the confusion will appear before them, a path into the future. These metamorphoses will likely strike at middle-age or in the early twenties, as these are naturally occurring neurological change-points. However we find the door, it is suddenly open to us, and we are changing: our perspectives are improved, we are more confident and our beliefs about ourselves and our world are more compelling.
The hallmark of finding significance is not only to fulfill our unique potential, but having realized what our potentialities are, to find significance in helping others to self-actualize. When you have gone from being a caterpillar to a butterfly you are so elated at being able to fly and be free of the rigid, restrictive cocoon that you automatically want others to know this same freedom. Many self-actualized people have shifted their concentrations from the wants of the ego to the needs of others. Deeply spiritual and self-actualized individuals we have so much respect for have shown us the characteristics of the self-actualized person: a "we" orientation (opposed to the capitalistic maverick), empathy, a focused and tireless approach to their humanitarian efforts and the ability to see the butterfly within every caterpillar. Mother Teresa of Calcutta is an example of a deeply, profoundly self-actualized individual, tirelessly "giving wings" to others less fortunate.
We may not feel inspired to affect transformation on the grand scale that Mother Teresa did. Instead, we may touch lives one by one. Whatever methodology we use, the business of transformation belongs to all of us. Once we can say with confidence that we are realizing our full potential, we will be in the privileged position to help others reach theirs. Life is a journey, and the end of the road is not ourselves. The end of the road is seeing us in others.
A butterfly never knows quite where it is going to land. It may be flying in one direction until the wind comes along and hurries it in the opposite direction. This seeming haphazard method of flight is ultra-adaptive. Instead of resisting the wind, it harnesses its power and is propelled along at ever-increasing speed. When we feel the winds of change blowing in our lives, we would be wise to adopt an attitude of flexibility, openness, curiosity, and optimism. A negative attitude in the face of change is self-defeating and will only cause us to struggle against forces which are beyond our control.
A friend recently brought to my attention that finding significance is not always an event that happens suddenly, but rather, a life-long journey. In biopsychosocial human development we certainly see clear stages that a human moves through; from birth to childhood, from childhood to adolescence, from adolescence to adulthood, and from adulthood into old age. But as my friend pointed out, achieving self-actualization is often less clear-cut than that; it is less dramatic and more subtle for some. Some people just "grow into it." This realizing of one's full potential has also been called "wisdom" by the ancients. Wisdom is the meeting of age and insight.
As we mature and gain life experience, knowledge, and insight, wisdom should be a naturally occurring product of the well-examined life. As we move from one stage in life to the next, wisdom should be the expected outcome. As we gain insight, however it is gained, whether dramatically or more subtly, flaws in our thinking become obvious to us and behavior patterns of the past don't feel comfortable anymore. We begin to sense the advantages of flight over plodding along, inch by frustrating inch, as if we had blinders on. We begin to thirst for adventure, but not the self-serving kind. Instead, we develop an insatiable thirst for inclusion. We see that while previously we had conceived of ourselves as being apart from others, the real Truth is we are intrinsically linked to the human chain which stretches back eons, and will stretch ahead even after we're gone.
We begin to perceive ourselves as part of something bigger; a grand plan, a schema, or just part of the ever-expanding cosmos. When we realize we play a dramatic role in history, a key role, we begin to perceive our intrinsic value. As a result of comprehending our value we will be less apt to denigrate ourselves for weaknesses and shortcomings and inclined toward seeing ourselves in a positive light that is realistic. I mean to say that we will have accepted our natural, inherent "goodness" without having to prove it to anyone. Temperance, equanimity, tolerance and self-control will direct our steps so that we hurt others less, and are more mindful of the impact we are making.
To review, we must simply, naturally allow wisdom to arise if one wishes to find deep, lasting happiness and fulfillment. We must accept change and allow the organic, spiritual process of metamorphosis to burgeon. As we self-actualize we will rise above, or transcend our personal problems, and others will come more clearly into view. As we focus on others instead of only ourselves, we will have the feeling of expansion, experiencing ourselves as an invaluable, intricate part of the vast universe we inhabit. We will be able to say, like the butterfly, that because of much effort and struggle, we are ready to fly.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nina_Bingham
http://ezinearticles.com/?On-Becoming-A-Butterfly&id=6169335
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