Physiology and Change For The Better: Change Your Brain, Change Your Life
This is the 7th blog in a 10-blog series about Habits, doing New Things, and Change.
In the last 3 blogs, I presented introductions to Ideas about change, the Psychology around change, and Tools for change…and Habits, which are intimately linked to Change and whether or not it happens.
Blog 4: 5 Ideas about Change [John Oesch's ideas]
Blog 5: Psychology related to Change [Maxwell Maltz on self-image, habits, and change]
Blog 6: A Tool to aid Change [the MotivAider]
My goal in those blogs was to introduce the diversity of the facets - some of the pieces of the puzzle - of human behavior, habits, and Change. We need to understand these and other puzzle pieces if we are to optimize Change For The Better. More-specifically, we need to understand how to overcome resistance to Change.
Here are two more important facts about Change:
Some people cannot Change.
Some other people need targeted, professional help to Change.
Daniel Amen was very clear about this in his bestseller
Change Your Brain, Change Your Life. When I read his book, I came away with the opinion he categorized people into 3 groups: (1) people who could not change regardless of their desire or anyone else's, (2) people who had major problems but could change if they uncovered the right 'remedy' or mix of 'remedies', and (3) normal folks who struggled with certain problems and could , without help from others, change themselves to alleviate or remove their own problems.
- People who can not Change: Brain damage, through birth defect or head injury or stroke [etc], can alter the brain to the point remedies will have limited or no success. Some people brains are 'wired' or become 'wired' in a manner that defies remedy.
- People who need help to Change: Our knowledge of how brains work has escalated over recent decades. Dr Amen is emphatic when he draws a line between the psychology of the brain [like Maxwell Maltz studied] and the physiology of the brain…such as can be understood by SPECT tests [single photon emission computerized tomography]. Physiological problems can lead to anxiety, depression, inability to concentrate, and other problems. All of these problems can wreak havoc with one's life…including one's worklife and one's ability break habits and Change For The Better. Dr Amen recommends professionals consider 4 remedies to target the problems: medication, behavioural change techniques, nutrition, and exercise.
- People who can Change on their own: Most people, from time to time, suffer from 'brain problems'. A good example is anxiety around public speaking. Another common one is inability to concentrate. These people do not need medication. The other 3 remedies can be used to create Change For The Better.
Amen 'remedies' can be used for self-improvement whether or not there is major dysfunction.
The next blog in this series will contain an idea about when not to make Change…because it will not be For Better.