Becoming the judge in the court room

Imagine the scene of a court room with the judge evaluating all the evidence that two attorneys present on a case.  His/her job is to decide the truth of the two perspectives.  The judge hears both sides of the story and objectively draws a conclusion about the effective action that is needed. 

The truth of thoughts and feelings rely on your ability to discern the truth based on “hearing” both sides on the facts.  When we apply this to your mind, you will be able to evaluate the evidence with true objectivity.  If I have a thought “I can’t do this right,” it is your job as the judge to decide which side is supported by the facts.  Your thoughts and feelings are neither correct nor wrong unless you have facts that support the claim without a doubt.  If it is not 100% true…then it is not accurate.  Just as the court room will not prosecute a defendant without clear and convincing evidence, neither should you.  If you have a thought that is not 100% true, then you will want to rewrite it with accurate language. 

Example: I’m not ignorant due to having an education, but I did feel insecure in that situation due to it being a new environment….Now I can work on being more comfortable there.

 

Stress and Emotion in the Body

With the rate of increased anxiety in our country, it’s of no surprise that the need for medication has grown.  You can take medication for psychological symptoms like elevated moods, low moods, sex drive, poor appetite, etc.   What we understand about medication is truly remarkable.  What is still a question is the cause of such problems. 

Psychophysiology is the area of study of how the body and the mind interact together.  Traditional medicine in our country has attempted to treat these as very separate areas of study.  Emotions are just as connected to the body as other components.  This has been labeled a “Body Mind” perspective in the psychology field. 

When we constantly criticize ourselves, the Body Mind perspective would suggest that this creates a physiological response in the body.  Our emotions are a biological component in the body and reacts to many of the same things the body does.  When the body believes a threat is imminent, emotions will rise quickly so that you can react decisively for the crisis.  This message is created through a combination of the environment and our thoughts/beliefs.  

If you do not have underlying medical problems, the inner bully may be a source of many problems…including mood swings.  It is always recommended to treat medical problems before assuming it is purely psychological.  Once the medical problems are ruled out or treated, it is very possible to change this dynamic by learning more about how your body responds to stress.  Remember that your emotions are red flags and when you learn to listen to the message they can be very helpful.