Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 1096620

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Smile?

Posted by Tony P on January 17, 2018, at 18:40:13

A day of mixed feelings, acting out some of my self-destructive depressive behaviours -- procratsination (sic-rats!), avoiding and isolation...yet my mood is quite good. Maybe it's the meds, I've taken my proper Rx's plus a couple of "extras" my ex had a button reading "I'm not really happy it's just a chemical imbalance".

But also I spent quite a while on Facebook, reading humorous posts on Callahan's Cross-time Saloon, Science Humor & others, and even posting a bad pun myself. Reading humour - even bad puns - can have a cumulative effect. Also posted on PatientsLikeMe-DailyMe, which I'm new to, but starting to appreciate. And getting thumbs-ups from others has a self-validating effect on me.

There has been considerable scientific research to show that forcing your face into a smile (mouth AND eyes), however artificial, has a significant mood elevating effect. Many articles, here's one link: https://www.forbes.com/sites/rogerdooley/2013/02/26/fake-smile/#2d1521263676.

Cross-posted to Psycho-Babble Tips.

 

Re: Smile?

Posted by Tony P on January 17, 2018, at 18:58:52

In reply to Smile?, posted by Tony P on January 17, 2018, at 18:40:13

Oops, NOT cross-posted to Psychobabble Tips. I could log on & view posts, but I couldn't see how to start a new thread or add a new link. Can anyone help?

I'll try & cross-post THIS to Admin!

 

Re: Smile?

Posted by Hugh on January 19, 2018, at 13:45:38

In reply to Smile?, posted by Tony P on January 17, 2018, at 18:40:13

Your expression can have a profound effect on your mood. This is why Botox is being investigated as an antidepressant. Injecting it between the eyes prevents depressed people from frowning, which appears to prevent them from feeling negative emotions as strongly as they would otherwise.

 

Re: Smile? » Hugh

Posted by Tony P on January 19, 2018, at 23:14:24

In reply to Re: Smile?, posted by Hugh on January 19, 2018, at 13:45:38

I hadn't thought of that aspect of Botox! I was thinking negatively: it prevents people from smiling properly. But you're right, it works both ways. And I can always tell how deep-down, basically, low-serotonin depressed I am by that pair of pain lines between my eyes in the mirror! I'm an actor; maybe I should spend an hour in front of the mirror every day like old Coué or Stuart Smalley on SNL, who was "good enough, smart enough, and, doggone it, people LIKE me!" I can repeat my affirmations while practicing relaxing my brows and smiling with my lips and my purty blue eyes!

There's a group in town here called Laughter Yoga; I believe they just get together and LAUGH! Infectiously. It's probably a lot more fun than my Buddhist chanting, but don't tell any Buddhists you meet I said that ;-)

 

Re: Smile? » Tony P

Posted by Hugh on January 21, 2018, at 12:11:07

In reply to Re: Smile? » Hugh, posted by Tony P on January 19, 2018, at 23:14:24

And while you're at it, don't neglect your posture, since there's evidence that this can affect your mood. And people's postures keep getting worse and worse, since so many of us spend much of our days slumped over our computers. And smartphones have taken our postures to a new low, causing tens of millions to have iHunch. (I hold my smartphone at eye level, instead of touching my chin to my chest to look at it. At least, I hold it at eye level when I remember to.)

Your Stuart Smalley affirmations might do you a lot more good in a flotation tank than in front of your mirror. In this video, Jay Gunkelman describes an experiment he did involving the use of affirmations with subjects who were in a flotation tank:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYAtbLOoKU0


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