Virtually all of us have felt anxious, depressed, traumatized, grief-stricken, or hopeless at some point in life. It’s perfectly normal to go through hard times or experience periods when we feel panicked or out of sorts, whether we have a diagnosable condition or not. How we respond to these challenges makes all the difference in how we feel – not just immediately, but in the long run.
Beware the Quick Fix
All of us want to stop the pain quickly. Plenty of things may help in the short-term but will make us feel worse in the long-term. For example, many people self-medicate with energy drinks, overeating, drugs, alcohol, risky sexual behavior, anger outbursts, or wasting time on mindless TV, video games, social media, or shopping.
Although these substances and behaviors may give us temporary relief from feeling bad, they usually only prolong and exacerbate the problems – or cause other more serious ones, such as energy crashes, obesity, addictions, sexually transmitted diseases, unhappiness, relationship problems, or financial ruin.
Is it Really Possible to Feel Better Fast?
The truth is, we live in an impatient society. When people seek help for mental health issues, the most common number of therapy sessions they receive is one. Either they find benefit from getting their worries and frustrations off their chests and learning simple strategies, or they determine that therapy won’t be helpful for them. Even when they commit to ongoing therapy, the average number of sessions a patient attends are six or seven, regardless of the psychotherapist’s theoretical orientation.
Many people, mental health professionals included, think therapy needs to be long, hard and painful. They believe that if you start medication for anxiety or depression, you’re making a lifelong commitment. Certainly, some people will experience a longer period of recovery than others, but many people can feel better fast if they engage in the right behaviors and strategies, which include knowing about and optimizing their brains.
Stop Waiting, Start Healing
You can make yourself feel worse almost immediately by dwelling on the worst possible outcome of a situation, spending time with highly toxic people, or sabotaging each of your senses with dreadful sounds, smells, tastes, touches, or sights. You can just as easily make yourself feel better through simple choices like practicing gratitude, surrounding yourself with caring people, and using many other brain healthy techniques.
You don’t have to wait for an epiphany to change your behavior. You don’t need to have a heart attack or get cancer to get serious about your health. Most people can change their environment (friends, workplace, church) or the people they surround themselves with, and all of us can make small changes that, over time, create amazing results.
To feel better fast AND make it last, use the simple mnemonic (memory aid) BRAIN-XL:
B is for Brain
Your brain likes to do what it’s always done, even when that isn’t in your best interest. Getting stuck in unhelpful behaviors, holding grudges, and engaging in unproductive worrying all cause immense suffering. Whenever you feel sad, mad, nervous, or out of control, it’s critical to have emotional-rescue techniques. The secret to feeling better fast now and for a lifetime is to immediately work on optimizing the physical functioning of your brain.
R is for Rational Mind
Once the physical functioning of your brain is healthy, it’s critical to know how to strengthen your rational mind. It’s important for you to develop the mental discipline necessary for feeling better fast, including eliminating the ANTs (automatic negative thoughts), quieting your mind, focusing on gratitude, and even welcoming failure. With the help of some basic techniques, it’s possible for you to master your rational mind.
A is for Attachments
Our attachments bring us the greatest joys and the most painful sorrows. When relationships are stressed or break apart, people become unhappy and vulnerable to acting in counterproductive ways. The way the brain functions is often the missing piece in understanding healthy or difficult relationships, trauma, and grief. Learning how to improve your relationships can help you save your job, your marriage, your
friendships, and all your relationships.
I is for Inspiration
True inspiration comes from knowing why you are on the planet and grasping the meaning and purpose underlying what you do. Knowing and acting on your “why” is critical to living each day with joy. Purposeful people are happier and healthier, and live longer. Protecting your brain’s pleasure centers can help you live with passion and purpose and avoid addictions and depression. This knowledge can help you feel joyful every day.
N is for Nourishment
Your brain needs a constant source of energy. Think of it as the battery that powers your life. Eating healthy foods can immediately boost your focus, memory and mood. Additionally, a personalized, targeted supplement regimen can help your brain get the nutrients it needs.
X is for X Factor
In any given situation, the X factor is the variable that has the most significant impact on the outcome. For people who have complex psychological or psychiatric problems or are treatment resistant, taking a look at the brain can be the difference between success and failure, healing and remaining ill, even life and death. Getting a
brain SPECT scan can literally change everything in your life.
L is for Love
Dong the right thing is the ultimate act of love for yourself and others. Love is the motivation that prompts us to put in the consistent effort and make the changes required to get healthy. The science of epigenetics has shown that caring for your brain and body can impact generations to come. Learning about the different types of love can improve your relationships and your ability to get and stay well.
If you want to learn more about how the BRAIN-XL principles can help you stop the pain quickly, we recommend reading Dr. Amen’s new book, “Feel Better Fast and Make It Last.”
You can order the book by clicking here.
For more information on how SPECT imaging can help provide a customized treatment plan to help heal your brain, call us today at 888-288-9834 or
visit us online to schedule a visit.
