Tuesday, February 02, 2016

What is a bipolar personality and what leads to it?

First of all you need to keep in mind that the 'bi-polar' person has two different personality states: manic and depressed.
Second they may stay in these for weeks or months at a time. So if you are talking to someone you should not be able to tell if they are bi-polar unless they are in the manic stage. The manic stage is much more obvious than the depressive state.
In fact the person's 'normal' state and most frequent state is going to be depression. If they don't tell you about their 'manic' periods you should have no idea that they are bipolar in their normal depressive state.
Also remember that a lot of people can have a normal personality, yet have bi-polar characteristics, without it being a disorder. Their 'manic' state does not have the psychiatric aspects that make this a disorder.
A manic state can occur in much milder forms. The person breaks out of their normal routine and seem more energetic, be more creative, get more done, have more fun without clinical extremes.
However, this becomes problematic if the  person goes on a spending spree, goes gambling, goes wild sexually, impulsive and does not get routine tasks done. This is disruptive without the signs of mental illness and impaired thinking. 
The clinical disorder includes grandiose thinking, disconnecting from reality, paranoid delusions associated with mental disorders. Remember that you can have milder forms of bipolar that do not require drugs or psychiatry.
I have found an underlying personality pattern that is typically found underneath the bipolar pattern. This is a personality pattern of the super-responsible person who is always there for others, rescuing others, doing too much for others. These person can be the pillar of the family, church or social organization.
They are always there for others. What is wrong with this? They fail at self-care. They sacrifice themselves in taking care of others. They suppress their needs and oppress their inner child. It is this inner child that sometimes escapes the suppression and goes wild. That inner child breaking out is of course what gets called the 'manic' phase. So learn to take care of yourself!
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Follow-up
My observation is that all bipolar personalities or bipolar disorders have a common basic personality type. Not everyone with this type is bipolar but, in my humble opinion, everyone who is bipolar has this type in their history and background.
The type I am referencing is called 'Super-Responsible' in my writing and I learned that type from my mentors who called it 'Parental Inversion.' (John and Paula Sandford) This type is quite common and involves feeling responsible for taking care of others, for keeping things together, and rescuing people.
I have explained more about this type in my writings such as on Inner Healing > Spontaneity


More information at Life Transformation Group on psychotherapy:

George HartwellAnna Wolanczyk Psychotherapy Blog
 Registered Christian Psychotherapist in Mississauga
Registered Psychotherapist in Mississauga, Toronto Polish speaking
Anna Wolanczyk registered psychotherapist by Skype, in Mississauga, Toronto, Ontario
George Hartwell registered psychotherapist and Christian counsellor in Mississauga, Toronto by Skype or phone or in person
George Hartwell
ttps://www.lifetransformationgroup.com/george-hartwell.html
https://www.lifetransformationgroup.com/blog/in-depth-psychotherapy
Life Coaching by Registered Psychotherapist in Mississauga

posted by George C. Hartwell @ Tuesday, February 02, 2016   0 Comments

What is Energy Psychology such as EFT tapping and how valid is it?

EFT tapping is effective and makes use of the property of memories that they are malleable when recalled with emotion. Emotional memories - the ones of most importance to us - can be 'edited' when they are in active recall.
In psychotherapy we help our client discover contradictory memories and experiences that will induce the emotional brain to revise the memory. We present the two memories in an active state - with emotion - alternately several times. Change in the memory occurs.
Eye movements have been used in another form of psychotherapy to accomplish the same thing.
EFT is a form of energy psychology and uses tapping on different meridian points to  discharge the memory of its emotional charge. The theory is controversial, or unconventional, because it assumes the presence of the body's energy meridians. Western science has not accepted their presence although they are used in acupuncture.
The 'scientific validity' of EFT depends on a science that much of western medicine does not accept. However, true science depends on observation. If there are many observations (testimonies) of success then the method is valid. On that basis I would say it is valid. But only if you can accept 'there are more things true than are dreamt of in our philosophies.'

posted by George C. Hartwell @ Tuesday, February 02, 2016   0 Comments

Do we need alternatives to drug therapy for depression?

Several thing have happened since the initial glow of success of drug therapy for depression.

1. The initial success, especially over a short term of 6 weeks, resulted in putting emphasis on medication.

2. To promote the use of these medications medicine created a story about brain chemistry needing to be corrected. There was no evidence of this widely believed myth.

3. Researching on the long-term effectiveness of antidepressants, we began to discover they were not an effective cure for depression. They are minimally effective. See: Jeremy Lawrence. Antidepressant drugs don't work – official study. The Independent. 2008 February 26.

4. Then we became more aware of how the brain reacts to and adapts to chemicals that play with serotonin reuptake. Those adjustments can leave one in worse shape than those who did not make use of antidepressants. see: Page on sciencedaily.com. That is because the brain reacts to changes (homeostasis) and makes adjustments in its own neurology by reducing the circulation of  serotonin. 

5. Now we are in a that state of confusion that occurs when we trust one way and then find it is not that way. 

6. Meantime psychotherapy is learning how to be more effective in getting at root issues. Check out 'memory reconsolidation,' and 'Coherence Therapy.' 

7. Conclusion: Antidepressants have lost their initial appeal. 

8. Alternatives like exercise, fresh air,  sunshine, nutritional and herbal approaches and psychotherapy should be considered to maintaining yourself in an emotionally healthy state.

Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor. This information is not medical advice. Consult a health practitioner for support and wisdom in making any changes to your prescribed medications.

 Do not try to control your emotions by shutting down your emotions. How to control emotions.

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 More about Psychotherapy: 
George HartwellAnna Wolanczyk Psychotherapy Blog
 Registered Christian Psychotherapist in Mississauga
Registered Psychotherapist in Mississauga, Toronto Polish speaking
Anna Wolanczyk registered psychotherapist by Skype, in Mississauga, Toronto, Ontario
George Hartwell registered psychotherapist and Christian counsellor in Mississauga, Toronto by Skype or phone or in person
George Hartwell
ttps://www.lifetransformationgroup.com/george-hartwell.html
https://www.lifetransformationgroup.com/blog/in-depth-psychotherapy
Life Coaching by Registered Psychotherapist in Mississauga

posted by George C. Hartwell @ Tuesday, February 02, 2016   0 Comments

Simple free things you can do to help get work done when you are depressed.

I am hoping to give you some really quick free things to do. They may sound too trivial to work but they do. I hope these simple things can make a difference.
1. Sunlight or UV light are needed to overcome depression. Sunlight means being outside without glasses on. The reason for no glasses is that they often have strong UV blockers in the glass and the same is true of many modern windows. Plants will not grow behind such glass and we wilt too.
2. Exercise or fitness. we know that men in depression respond really well to exercise and getting more fit. It helps our self-image too. Whatever method works for you to have regular exercise. Do not overdo it or try to do too much the first day. Go for consistency.
3. Use a time management too - like pomodoro - where you work for 25 minutes and then take 5 minutes break. That will give you some structure for your work. Don't try to do so much or get it perfect.
4. Oh, I forgot to mention that you can bring UV light inside with full-spectrum lights or black lights and that will add the UV inside and can lift depression quite quickly.
5. For sleep try some Melatonin before bedtime. Shut off all lights and do not have electronics charging or active near your bed.
You might not of thought of these simple 'free' things but they are important. Treat these simple things like medicine and let me know how it goes.

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More About Psychotherapy at the Life Transformation Group website:


 Registered Christian Psychotherapist in Mississauga

Registered Psychotherapist in Mississauga, Toronto Polish speaking

Anna Wolanczyk registered psychotherapist by Skype, in Mississauga, Toronto, Ontario

George Hartwell registered psychotherapist and Christian counsellor in Mississauga, 

Toronto by Skype or phone or in person

George Hartwell

ttps://www.lifetransformationgroup.com/george-hartwell.html

https://www.lifetransformationgroup.com/blog/in-depth-psychotherapy

Life Coaching by Registered Psychotherapist in Mississauga

posted by George C. Hartwell @ Tuesday, February 02, 2016   0 Comments

How do know if you are depressed?

Depression is not always easy to discern, even for medical doctors, because not everyone has the problems with sleeping at night (associated with low melatonin) or trouble getting moving in the day. Some people do not show these classical signs because they are highly driven people with a strong will-power and they can just keep going.
At the core of depression is not so much mood and energy. Depression means that the core energy supply is low. Needed core energy is in short supply.
This life energy is used up by the will - 'making yourself' get up. This life energy is used up be many emotions. Depressed people even find being with people is draining. Life energy is needed for our days activities.
Depressed people may have to limit their goals for daily production because they do not have the energy to accomplish as much as they would like. It is like hoping to make a long trip but you only have so much gas in the car and you have no more resources to buy more.
You might compare it to have a flu or cold and the body is fighting with the virus. Meantime you have very little energy to do other things. That is why you advice sick people to go to bed - to conserve needed energy for the immune system.
So the main sign to look for in yourself is this lack of energy and the frustration it is causing you. You can't do what you want to do in a day. You need to budget your energy. You feel like staying in bed.


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More About Psychotherapy at the Life Transformation Group website:



posted by George C. Hartwell @ Tuesday, February 02, 2016   0 Comments