Beware of mis-information about
thought stopping on the net!
How NOT to do thought stopping:
"Research shows that it isn't enough to
simply interrupt a thought chain. There is a
lot of advice to think, "STOP!", or to snap a
rubber band on your wrist in order to interrupt
the "bad thought" habit.
Without some other behavior or thought to replace
it with, it is highly likely that you will go
back to thinking your automatic thoughts
in short order. ...this type of technique
may actually prove HARMFUL to some...the
thoughts they are trying to suppress may
end up occurring more frequently."
(Adapted from mentalhelp.net, 2009)
and Dr. Jeffrey Schwartz, (an obsessive-compulsive disorder psychologist who proved that the mind can control the brain's chemistry) says: "Remember: You can't make the thought go away, but neither
do you need to pay attention to it. ...An obsessive thought
or compulsive urge is very strong, but also quite stupid.
If you stand right in front of it and take the full brunt
of its power, trying to drive it from your mind, it will
defeat you every time.
Hopefully, you are not dealing with OCD. Even so, the part of the brain responsible for repetitive thoughts can create a lot of problems.Does any of this apply to you? • Do thoughts (or music) ever go 'round and round in your head, like a catchy jingle stuck on "repeat"? • Are you a worrier? • Is hard to do new things? Do you dislike change, or tend to talk about how you used to do things? • Is it hard to shift your attention from one thing to another? • Do you dwell in the past? • Do you have perfectionist tendencies? Hold onto grudges or hurts? Need things done your way? • Can you be argumentative? Resistant? In what ways do you get stuck? Dr. Daniel G. Amen, M.D., explains that the part of the brain responsible for these types of issues is the cingulate gyrus.
"When it is dysfunctional, we have
a tendency to get locked into neg-
ative thoughts or behaviors; we
have trouble seeing the options in
situations."
Is there is any history of compulsive behavior, addiction, or rigid, controlling personalities in your family? If so, your brain may have inherited an over-active cingulate gyrus. The good news is...
Dr. Amen goes on to say, "It is important to remember, however, that your day-to-day thoughts and behaviors also have a powerful effect on your brain chemistry."
In Stillness Speaks, Eckart Tolle talks about the benefits of thought stopping from a different point of view: "When you lose touch with inner stillness, you
lose touch with yourself. When you lose touch
with yourself, you lose yourself in the world.
True intelligence operates silently. Stillness
is where creativity and solutions to problems
are found."
I've put together a collection of thought stopping techniques and diet recommendations to support your cingulate gyrus to function at its best.
Click for thought stopping techniques you can use right now.
Diet for your cingulate gyrus
More on brain science and alternative treatments.
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