Posted by Jost on May 26, 2006, at 7:16:50
In reply to Re: Botox for depression? Bizarre..., posted by Iansf on May 26, 2006, at 2:12:16
I tried some cognitive/behavioral therapy and the therapist suggested (among other things) trying to smile artificially. When asked how, she said, just literally move your mouth mechanically into a slight smile. By raising the edges.
I'm not sure it works unless you get into the spirit of it, and try to actually smile a little mentally with the physical smile.
However, a lot of facial expressions' connections to emotions are either hard-wired or something close to that, which is why even newborns respond more and differently to some facial expressions. Plus, over time the muscle memory and association must be very strong.
There's also the feedback look of how people respond to you. If you look angry, people will react differently--if you don't, they might be more receptive, therefore engaging in more positively-toned interactions.
I could see a logic in the effect, although I'm not sure it would be such a strong one, because anger or frustrations use lots of facial muscles. If they could surgically implant a smile on your face, though, that might work--
Jost
poster:Jost
thread:648251
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060525/msgs/648729.html