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Hypnotherapy To Stop Smoking
Brain imaging and psychotherapy: methodological considerations and practical implications.
The development of psychotherapy has been based on psychological theories and clinical effects. However, an investigation of the neurobiological mechanisms of psychological interventions is also needed in order to improve indication and prognosis, inform the choice of parallel pharmacotherapy, provide outcome measures and potentially even aid the development of new treatment protocols. This neurobiological investigation can be informed by animal models, for example of learning and conditioning, but will essentially need the non-invasive techniques of functional neuroimaging in order to assess psychotherapy effects on patients' brains, which will be reviewed here. Most research so far has been conducted in obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety disorders and depression. Effects in OCD were particularly exciting in that both cognitive behavioural therapy and medication with a selective serotonin inhibitor led to a reduction in blood flow in the caudate nucleus. In phobia, brief courses of behavioural therapy produced marked reductions of paralimbic responses to offensive stimuli in line with the clinical improvement. Findings in depression are less consistent, with both increases and decreases in prefrontal metabolism being reported. However, they are important in pointing to different mechanisms for the clinical effects of pharmacotherapy (more "bottom up") and psychotherapy (more "top down"). For the future it would be desirable if the findings of psychotherapy changes to brain activation patterns were confirmed in larger groups with homogenous imaging protocols. Functional imaging has already made great contributions to the understanding of the neural correlates of psychopathology. For example, evidence converges to suggest that the subgenual cingulate is crucial for mood regulation. One current clinical application of these findings is deep brain stimulation in areas highlighted by such imaging studies. I will discuss their initial application in depression and OCD, and suggest potential alternative options based on recent developments in neurofeedback technology.
Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2008 Nov;258 Suppl 5:71-5. Linden DE. School of Psychology and North Wales Clinical School, Bangor University, Brigantia Building, Bangor, Wales, UK. d.linden@bangor.ac.uk
I vividly remember the time that I learned of my mortality. I was probably around four or five years old when I suddenly realized that I was not going to live forever. As I matured and grew older – and having survived a near fatal automobile accident – I decided that I wanted to focus on living rather than constantly working about my demise. Obviously, all of us are aware that life is going to end sometime. However, by choosing to live everyday to its fullest your life can become rich and rewarding.
If death is constantly on your mind, it is time to let these thoughts go....
Can certain rewards motivate a person to be more successful when attempting to achieve various goals? I work with people who come to me because they desire to reach many different goals such as financial, weight loss, stop smoking, etc. Also, I work with those who have health or behavioral-related goals such as reducing pain, getting relief from fibromyalgia symptoms, and overcoming anxieties and phobias.
At the risk of over simplification, I would suggest this issue can be view in two steps. First, the intention needs to be established. Second, the body needs to realize a corresponding...
If you are overly obsessed about what may or may not happen tomorrow, you are totally missing the enjoyment of living each day of your wonderful life and depriving yourself of the excitement that your future may bring. Worrying never solved anything. In fact, it is probably is responsible for making your worst fears a reality.
Having a superior human brain means that you possess the wonderful abilities to anticipate what may happen and simulate it in your mind thousands of times before it actually happens. By the way, clinical hypnotherapists call this suggestion and imagination. These...
