I just worry that the road Hollytree is going down may not be beneficial for his spirit.
Well, I’m doing the best I have my entire life now that my focus is flowing outward and not inward. Here’s my diagnosis:
Schizoaffective (bipolar type)
Anxiety
Social Anxiety
Panic attacks
Alcohol and drug abuse
Drug of choice
Crack
Crank
Acid
Ecstasy
Mushrooms
Marijuanna
But no more. Unhealthy Self centered fear and shame is the root of all these disorders. I say unhealthy because I have changed and my fears and shame and guilt over my past now motivate me to stay sober. I hate my old sinful self. This keeps me clean and sober and in line. I’ve lost 100 pounds and no longer doing drugs and alcohol. I look people in the eye and communicate well. No longer have panic attacks. I’m balanced out right now. Here’s what has helped me. I let go of my old self. I despise my old self. Therefore, The old evil self is let go of. I don’t feed the ego. I feed the new self in Christ by praising and worshiping God. The focus is on Christ in meditation and praise and worship. I Starve the evil wolf by turning my focus and concentration off of self and on to God and others. When we lose ourselves we find ourselves. Old self dies new self emerges. It’s a balance of loving God and others as yourself. Focusing on Christ we become one with Him. Psychologists call it flow. Athletes call it being in the zone. Just as a musician becomes one with his instrument when getting in the zone or flow. They play their instrument so well in the present moment that they become one with it. Everything flows in this particular state. Everything is in harmony. Athletes rave about this state during competition. We let go and flow as we meditate on Christ. Beholding His glory (beauty of His worth and value) we are transformed from one degree of glory to another. We find our worth and value in Him. To learn more about flow here’s a book by J.P. Moreland where he talks of how he overcome anxiety and panic.
This book has a whole chapter on what psychologists call flow or being in the zone. Being in the zone is the ultimate in focus and concentration.
Here’s the book J.P. Moreland references and endorses called “You are not your Brain”. It’s on neuroplasticity and how we rewire or brain by refocusing. Written by two psychiatrists.
After steps one and two you refocus and restructure your brain. Here’s a list of some of the things that helped me get in the present moment:
Go for a walk noticing the scenery and environment
Exercise
Listen to music
Read
Write, blog
Play games like solitare
Work
Color
Worship and praise God
Watch a wholesome or educational T.V. show
A hobby that focuses your attention like painting, putting models together. Anything that gets the attention focused and flowing outside of self. Here’s an artcle on adult coloring:
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/3-reasons-adult-coloring-can-actually-relax-brain/?fbclid=IwAR2Q6kpFfPPNMvQ7eHq76SXzsRH2hqhV1eDmGITHhrivT0q7bZkQBBgbOkA
3 Reasons Adult Coloring Can Actually Relax Your Brain
Find out what’s behind the latest craze
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It’s the latest craze. Where you might expect to see children, you find adults: They sit with colored pencils in their hands, bent over the swirls and intricate patterns of coloring books. Yes, coloring books. They are losing themselves in patterns of mandalas, curved flowers and runaway stems. This is a world they create and escape into, and it’s become a popular form of relaxation.
But how does it work? What does this pastime do to our brains to elicit such pleasure and calm?
According to clinical psychologist Scott M. Bea, Psy.D., it has everything to do with refocusing our attention. “Adult coloring requires modest attention focused outside of self-awareness. It is a simple activity that takes us outside ourselves. In the same way, cutting the lawn, knitting, or taking a Sunday drive can all be relaxing.”
What does adult coloring do to relax people?
Dr. Bea cites three reasons adult coloring can be calming:
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Attention flows away from ourselves. A simple act, such as coloring, takes your attention away from yourself and onto the present-moment event. “In this way, it is very much like a meditative exercise,” Dr. Bea says.
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It relaxes the brain. When thoughts are focused on a simple activity, your brain tends to relax. “We are not disturbed by our own thoughts and appraisals,” he says. “The difficulties of life evaporate from our awareness, and both our bodies and our brains may find this rewarding.”
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Low stakes make it pleasurable. The fact that the outcome of coloring is predictable also can be relaxing. “It is hard to screw up coloring, and, even if you do, there is no real consequence. As result, adult coloring can be a wonderful lark, rather than an arduous test of our capacities,” he adds.
Why does it help some people but not others?
Adult coloring does not relax everyone. It depends on the individual and their prior experiences. Dr. Bea suspects that the more a person enjoyed coloring as a child, the more likely he or she is to respond to it positively as an adult. “It has been my impression that adults choose variants of activities they loved as children for their adult recreations,” he says.
Is there research to support it as a form of relaxation?
Research on adult coloring specifically is limited, as it has risen in popularity relatively recently. However art therapy has been used for many years with much success.
In a 2006 study, researchers found that mindfulness art therapy for women with cancer helped to significantly decrease the symptoms of physical and emotional distress during their treatment. Art therapy has also been helpful to people cope with other conditions, including depression, anxiety, addictions and trauma.
“While adult coloring may differ slightly from this mindfulness art therapy, I suspect the adult coloring would yield similar results. It is likely that its therapeutic benefits would be similar to listening to a person’s favorite music,” Dr. Bea says.
Why has this become popular now?
Having hobbies to help de-stress is nothing new, whether people like to golf, cook, build model airplanes or put together scrap books. People are also open to finding new ways to unwind. “We have a very stress-inducing culture, and I think individuals are always seeking new ways to reduce tension, restore feelings of well-being, and reduce the toll that our stressful lives take on our health,” Dr. Bea says.
