Today as I listened to news of the devastating effects of tornadoes touching down in Kentucky, I had a moment of pessimistic deflection, “What is the world coming to?” The crush of global warming suffocated me momentarily. Then I grabbed for a welcome CBT tool, “Thought switching.”* I thought about the warm bowl of oatmeal at my side, the cup of matcha I was about to consume, and the two friends I was on my way to visit. “Glass half full,” a voice in my head directed me.
It is important to feel the sting of reality from time to time, and to reflect upon the pain and suffering of others, but in this era of consuming/instantaneous news, escaping overwhelming pain by re-directing our thoughts, is a welcome gift.
The proverbial question, “Is the glass half full or half empty?” is of unknown etiology. It appears to be present in numerous countries, and dates back to at least the early 1900s:
“Delving a bit deeper, it seems the expression is even older: here is a version with a half full/empty bottle from 1933. I'm quoting the quote from the linguistlist bulletinboard:
“Two men were looking at a bottle of milk. Said one with a groan,
"The bottle is half empty." Said the other with a grin, "The bottle
is half full." The first belonged to the courters of disasters,
forever bemoaning their losses; the second to the invincibles who
win by counting their blessings.””
(Source: Los Angeles Times, Feb 26, 1933, p. 14)**
My mind turned to two of my clients this past week, both young teens. One is struggling with depression and anxiety. Her solution is to find solace in recreational drugs. Her outlook on life is, “It doesn’t matter, the world is coming to an end sometime soon anyway.” The second client also suffers from anxiety, but has a much more optimistic outlook: “The human species has always found a means of survival. Look, we just shot a rocket into space to break up an astroid, that’s amazing. If we can do that, we can do anything.” Both teens are of the same generation, facing the same global threats, and stressors inherent in attending high school. The teen with the optimistic outlook encased in hope, is faring much better than the other.
In her book, Brave New Medicine,*** author Cynthia Li, MD, discusses a patient she observed in her psychiatric rotation who was suffering from dissociative identity disorder [multiple personality disorder]. One of the personalities had a massive allergic reaction to cats, but as soon as this patient switched personalities the rashes and wheezing completely stopped, suggesting the powerful capacity of our brains to influence not only our thinking but our immune response.
If you are feeling overwhelmed this week by negative thoughts and/or news, find a time to meditate, exercise, or cognitively shift your thinking to what you have that gives you peace and joy. You have the power to change your thinking and your health.
Happy Holidays! See you in the New Year . . .
Disclaimer:
Neither the publisher nor the author are engaged in rendering advice or services to the individual reader. The ideas, procedures, and suggestions continued in this blog are not intended as a substitute for consulting with a licensed mental health and or child development advisor. All matters regarding the health and development of your child require professional supervision. Neither the author nor the publisher shall be liable or responsible for any loss or damage allegedly arising from any information or suggestions in this blog.
*“Thought Switching Techniques for Breaking Rumination Patterns.” https://allianceexperintial.com
***Li, Cynthia MD. “Brave New Medicine: A doctor’s unconventional path to healing her autoimmune illness.” 2019 Reveal Press, an imprint of New Harbinger Publications, Inc. www.newharbinger.com