Mixing Pot and Tobacco Increases Dependence Risk

From MedlinePlus on 07/06/16:

TUESDAY, July 5, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- People who mix marijuana with tobacco are at greater risk for dependency and less motivated to find support to quit these drugs, researchers report.

One billion people around the globe use tobacco and 182 million people smoke pot, making these two of the world's most popular drugs, according to the World Health Organization and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

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When I have been asked by clients to help them quit pot and they also smoke cigarettes, i strongly suggest that they quit smoking tobacco also and help them figure out a way to do that that will work best for them. If the client is willing to make a tobacco quit attempt, they usually are more successful at also quitting pot.

Is faith the basis for good mental health?

"It's all about the bio-psycho-social-spiritual model," said Fred. "The functioning of human beings is not simple. It's not like there is a silver bullet or a magic key. It's more complicated and nuanced than that."

"What about God's grace?" said Martha.

"That too," said Fred. "That's the spiritual part. In a Course In Miracles it is called a 'miracle' which is simply a shift in perception from the world of the ego to the world of godliness, the Tao."

"Well, Jennifer is doing better," said Martha.

"Could it be the medication?" asked Fred.

" It may help a little with her anxiety so that she can focus more on other steps to manage things better," said Martha

"What does she say is the thing that has helped her the most," asked Fred.

"That I believed in her and that things would get better. It was my faith in the process which she claims has made the difference for her," said Martha.

"And where do you get such faith?" asked Fred.

"From my grandmother," said Martha. "I know it is expected that I say from my graduate studies, my internship, my experience, my supervision, what I've learned from my other patients, and these things are helpful, but the most important thing is what I've learned from my grandmother."

"What do you mean?" asked Fred.

"When things would be tough, she would say, 'don't fret about it. Things will be all right in the end, and if they're not all right, it's just that we're not at the end yet. I used to think she was crazy, but she was the one with faith in the basic goodness of life and I learned to be faithful from her."

If you are looking for God, look for God within loving relationships.

Good overview of current research on Borderline Personality Disorder

Published on Jun 15, 2016 The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation June Meet the Scientist Webinar featured Dr. Sarah Kathryn Fineberg, Instructor in the Department of Psychiatry at Yale University. She presented on "Social Learning in Borderline Personality Disorder."

Julia Galef gave an interesting talk at TED in February, 2016 entitled, "Why You Think You're Right - Even If You Are Wrong."

She describes what she calls the "Solider Mindset" and the "Scout Mindset."

The "Soldier Mindset" operates with what she describes as "motivated reasoning" which selectively perceives facts and ideas that increase the person's chance of winning and rewards their need to be right.

The "Scout Mindset" rather than needing to be right, is interested in the accurate picture of reality even when it is unpleasant or inconvenient.

The contributing factors to "scout mindset" are not intellectual and cognitive as much as emotional. People with "scout mindset" tend to be more grounded (secure), more curious, and more open. These traits of goundedness, openness, and curiosity predict good judgment.

Ms. Galef states that whether one engages in more of a "soldier" or a "scout" mindset is based on what a person yearns for. Is the person more invested in defending his/her beliefs or seeing the world as clearly as possible?

The ability to consider and reflect on how people process their thoughts and beliefs is what is called "meta cognition". "Meta cognition" simply means thinking about thinking. Meta cognition is what Piaget, the psychologist who mapped out cognitive development, calls "formal operations." Formal operations, or meta cognition, is considered to be a sign of maturity and wisdom.

People who engage in meta cognition tend to be more mentally healthy than people who have not grown to this stage of maturity.

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How good is your vagal tone? Do you tend to be reactive or responsive then faced with attack?

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Calming ourselves down when we are anxious and depressed has to do with the part of our nervous system called the smart vagus. This is the part of our brain which an override our sympatheic nervous system or the fight/flight response. The ability to manage our emotional responses well to the interactions with others is referred to by neuroscientists as "good vagal tone." In therapy I make a distinction about being "reactive" and being "responsive." "Reactive" is when the sympathetic nervous system has been triggered with a fight/flight response. "Responsive" is when we can back off, take emotional distance, get things into perspective, calm down, and then decide how to deal with things in a purposeful and deliberate way.

How does one develop good vagal tone? The suggestion in this short video is to imagine what is called "the pin" or the factor which might be motivating the annoying/hurtful person's behavior. In every day words, we shouldn't take what we perceive as annoying or attacking behavior by others "personally." The annoying or attacking behavior of others may be motivated by factors which have nothing to do with us. So we need not fight or flight we can simply observe or perhaps even try to soothe the other who is having a bad day.

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