Advanced Nerve & Laser Center September 2017

PUT ‘POSITIVE THINKING’ TO BED Why ThisWay of Thought Isn’t What It’s Cracked Up to Be

Testimonial In reality, the biggest factor at play when it comes to positive or negative thinking may be stress. Stress comes with its fair share of negative consequences. Stress can influence overall health, both mentally and physically. If you are stressed, chances are Can the power of positive thinking change your life? Bookstores brim with self-help books written to guide readers toward positive thinking and countless websites claim to do the same. But what is positive thinking? Essentially, it’s shutting out negative thoughts. One website, tinybuddha.com, says, “Negative thoughts drain you of energy and keep you from being in the present moment. The more you give in to your negative thoughts, the stronger they become.” This sentiment is ironic considering the Buddhist philosophy of detachment (or non-attachment) suggests that one should let negative thoughts and emotions enter the mind, but not dwell on them, so they pass with the moment. Research into the subject agrees. In the 1960s, researchers studied grief — or the lack of it. When people attempted to suppress grief, it took them longer to recover from what caused the grief in the first place.

you are not in a good mood and, by extension, are thinking negative thoughts.

And this presents another problem with positive thinking. Anne Harrington, Franklin L. Ford Professor of the History of Science and director of undergraduate studies at Harvard, and author of “The Cure Within: A History of Mind-Body Medicine,” says, “It’s just as stressful to keep up a performance of positivity as it is to [keep up] a bad mood. It’s very stressful to be inauthentically upbeat all the time.” So, what can you do? Let yourself think negative and positive thoughts. Don’t dwell on the negative, and let it run its course. Then, turn your attention to your sources of stress and do what you can to minimize them.

“My name is Dave Pittman. I live in Garland, Texas, and I am a real estate broker. About six years ago, I had a double hernia surgery. A year after the surgery, I started experiencing numbness in my feet, which got progressively worse over the next five years. This peripheral neuropathy produced a lot of discomfort, and an MRI showed I also had a herniated disc. “My wife saw Dr. Thai on ‘Good Morning Texas’ and wanted me to go for a consult. He developed a treatment plan, which included a neuropathy diet. This gave me hope that I could be helped. I have been super pleased with my weight loss and pain reduction. Some say my attitude and disposition has improved. My humor and joke-telling are back! “Dr. Thai has a superb staff that is truly committed to helping patients. They are well-trained, friendly, and very encouraging. In other words, Dr. Thai and his staff do a GREAT job. As I talk to other patients in the office, I find common friends. Everyone is experiencing success! “Dr. Thai, Dr. Buckley, Sarah, and the staff, thank you for your professional expertise as well as your kindness to me.” – Dave Pittman

2 • www.nerveandlaser.com

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