Steps toward Health

One man, shown his brain image with damage from his addiction, responded that maybe the doctor was “fudging the picture.” In the grip of his unhealthy habit, he preferred to deceive himself. To change ourselves, then, requires enormous effort.

For several posts we’ve considered three common sources of difficulties: depression, addiction, and overeating. Let’s look at some steps we can take to pursue health: physical, mental, and spiritual.

Because we tend to repeat those habits with greatest rewards, we must actively engage with our mind to avoid bad habits. We must decide if health is a top priority. It may be, but before we can overcome our inner disposition (rewards from dopamine) combined with external temptations, we must decide. If we decide health is our top goal, we can begin with some mental strategies to redirect ourselves.

Our first step is to examine what we believe. Our beliefs can be accurate, or, as is often the case, very wrong. Like the man mentioned above, we believe the doctor fudged the brain scan. We may believe we’re not addicted, or that our dark mood is normal, or that we can eat as much as we want.  Perhaps we believe marijuana helps our creativity. To change, we start by checking out what we believe.

What beliefs hinder your health?

Source: Brian E. King, Ph.D. Presentation on “How the Brain Forms New Habits,” Institute for Brain Potential, Clackamas, OR 2/1/12.

 

About Grose

Gordon Grose loves most to write, speak, and preach on the message of hope from the book of Job. Using drama, video, and PowerPoint, he has preached and presented this message of hope to churches around the country. Grose pastored three congregations 25 years, then served 12 years as a pastoral counselor in a Portland, Oregon counseling clinic. He now serves with Good Samaritan Counseling Services, Beaverton, OR. A graduate of Wheaton College (IL), Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Brandeis University, and Boston University, he comes from a rich and varied background in theological and counseling training. In 2015, Gordon published Tragedy Transformed: How Job's Recovery Can Provide Hope For Yours, a book about turning to Job for hope after tragedy. If you have experienced life challenges or personal tragedy, visit his Transforming Tragedy (gordongrose.com) blog to learn more. TragedyTransformed.com provides a sample of Gordon's speaking as well as an opportunity to purchase copies of his book.
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