Mental Health:
Understanding how to obtain mental health through the gospel, brain research and learning skills.

1.     We are children of God

2.   The brain—An incredibly powerful gift

3.   quieting the brain

4.   We are Free Agents  (Thoughts)

5.  Narrative integration—finding meaning and forgiveness from the past

6.  Habits and the power to use or change them.

7.    The Neurobiology of We--relationships

8.   Communication skills

Finding our  strengths and creativity

Mental Health Lesson 1:  Because we are children of Heavenly Father, who is God, we have unquestionable worth.  God loves each of us, which is not earned nor can it be lost.  Because we are spirit children of God, we have eternal potential.  Our earthly parents have faults and weaknesses, genetic issues and problems.  We are both divine and human. 

We are happiest when our lives and thoughts are most congruent with eternal truths. 

Hebrew 8

31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?  32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

35 Who shall separate us from the ^alove of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the ^blove of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 Nephi 8 Lehi’s dream

10  And it came to pass that I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy.

12.  And as I partook of the fruit [the love of God] thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit.

 www.deseretnews.com/article/705396578/Lehis-Dream-uses-both-art-scholarship-to-share-story.html?pg=all

The Brain

Our brains are miraculously complex!  There are more connections in each brain than known stars in the universe.  No one knows how many connections are possible.  The greatest news about the brain is that it is repairable, changeable and improvable! This is called neuroplasticity.

“The scientific findings about neuroplasticity. . .show that, although we have deeply ingrained ways of thinking and although the brain comes with some hardwiring, we also have the possibility of changing.” (Begley, p. 13)

I was exhilarated by the new realization that I could change the character of my life by changing my beliefs.  I was instantly energized because I realized that there was a science-based path that would take me from my job as a perennial “victim” to my new position as “co-creator” of my destiny...the character of our life is based upon how we perceive it. . .our perception of life shape our biology.”  (Lipton,  p. xv)

It is my sincerest hope that you will recognize that many of the beliefs propelling your life are false and self-limiting and you will be inspired to change those beliefs.  Understanding on a scientific level how cells respond to your thoughts and perceptions illuminates the path to personal empowerment. (Lipton,  p. xvi)

Using these cell communities as role models, I came to the conclusion that we are not victims of our genes, but masters of our fates, able to create lives overflowing with peace, happiness and love. (Lipton, xxv)

The human brain is the undisputed learning matter on the planet (DiSalvo  31)

Each brain interprets the world uniquely.  Many things contribute to each individual’s interpretation including nature (genetics), nurture (home environment), thought patterns, experiences, age, hormones, personality, talents and weaknesses, relationships and more. 

We now have brain scans that show different brains.

                      

 Bulimia Nervosa                                         ADHD

                 

                                       

Schizophrenia                                                                      Addictive brain

Most mental illnesses have a genetic basis to them.   Although some people choose actions (restricting food intake, drinking alcohol, doing drugs), they don’t understand the consequences and not everyone will have the same consequences.  It is not about ramping up the will power to overcome.  It’s about understanding how to change the brain and working wisely to bring more positive thoughts and feelings into life, getting support, perhaps getting on meds and learning mental health skills.

We are not our brains, we are not our genes, we are not our bodies.  In fact, we can learn how to change our brains (and hence some of our genes) to find greater happiness and peace.

“[We] put the control of our lives not in the genetic roll of the dice at conception but in our own hands.  We are the drivers of our own biology, just as I am the driver of this word processing program.  We have the ability to edit the data we enter into our biocomputers, just as surely as I can choose the words I type.  When we understand [this] we become masters of our fate, not victim of our genes. (Lipton)

Attention is very necessary for neuroplasticity (Begley, p. 159)

The fully conscious mind trumps both nature and nurture. (Lipton, p. xxvii)

Experience coupled with attention leads to physical changes in the structure and future functioning of the nervous system.

Cells are shaped by where they live.  In other words, it’s the environment, stupid. (Lipton, p. 43)

Our Brains

1.        Our brains have an “interpreter” that justifies ourselves and accepts the stories we tell ourselves.

2.       There are skills that help the brain be healthier.  Better brain integration may be a foundation for mental health (lateral, vertical, narrative, relational)

3.       Thoughts and feelings are electrical firing.  Positive thoughts bring positive feelings.  Negative thoughts bring negative feelings.  We can learn to have more and more positive thoughts which helps us have a happier life.  (CBT—Thoughts, Actions and Feelings)

4.       Although we accept and even believe our thoughts, they are not always based on truth.

5.       Thoughts repeated become brain patterns

6.       The brain flow follows the path of least resistance.

7.       So, depression (and other mental illnesses too) can become entrenched through our thinking negatively and our brains justifying our thoughts.

8.       When our thoughts are in alignment with truths, we are happier.

9.       We can learn to question and realign our thoughts to find greater peace and happiness.

Brain Integration

The brain constantly interacts vertically, horizontally, narratively and relationally etc.  Integration may be a key to mental health.

                                                                    

Vertical integration

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Brain stem:  Instinctual

Mammalian:  Emotion

Primate/neomammalian:  Rational

Horizontal integration

Left brain (linear) “L’s”:  Linguistic, Logical, Literal, Lists, Labels, Creates an “OR” Point of view—There is a “RIGHT” way.  Is It this OR that?

Right brain Holistic, Nonverbal, Images, Metaphors, Whole body sense,  raw emotion, stress  reduction, autobiographical memory, creates an “AND” stance

Narrative integration

Narrative Integration—the way we talk to ourselves about ourselves, our lives in the past, the present and our future.  How we find meaning and forgiveness.

Relational integration 

How we interact with others.  Communication skills, Mirror neurons and openness

Physical Activity and nutrition

Physical activity alone can generate new brain cells (Begley, p. 66)

There is also evidence that if you can get someone with depression to exercise, his depression lifts. (Begley, p. 70)

Methyl-group-rich supplements (folic acid, vitamin B12, betaine, and choline) “is involved with epigenetic (gene changing) modifications.” Lipton, p. 41