Publications
The Assumptive Worlds of Psychopathy VIII: Embracing Shame and Guilt - Unraveling The Stigma Surrounding Mental Illness
"The negative stigmas surrounding mental health in humans date back hundreds of centuries. Public stigma, which is the negative reaction of the general population about people with mental issues, is widespread. In turn, this public reaction can cause a self-inflicted stigma. This is a reaction that occurs inside an individual who has the “problem”. This troubled person will turn against themselves, believing that they have a deep and shameful flaw. Feelings of shame and guilt accompany this internal stigmatization. The stigma, in turn, causes and is reinforced by an unfortunate cascade of social stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination.
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In this essay we address both historical and modern perspectives of mental illness and how societies reject abnormal behavior, supply historical and personal examples of mental illness and stigma. We also provide a philosophical viewpoint about chronic mental illness and health. Finally, we offer a discussion about psychological perspectives and modern advancements in neuroscience. We consider how they enable us to find new ways in which to understand mental illness—in an effort to further destigmatize our beliefs about human abnormalities..."
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- Christy Lewis, PsyD. And Kendell Munzer, PsyD
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To Continue Reading Please Click The Link Below:
Is Hope The New Antibiotic For Physical Illness?
"What is hope exactly? It is certainly a term we use freely in our lives, and often daily. “Hope” you’re feeling better soon. “Hope” you do good on your exam. “Hope” you have a good trip. It is very much a part of our everyday vocabulary, yet even when brilliant scholars try and capture hope’s essence, the meaning is quite intangible. In fact, this rather elusive concept of hope has been written about across many civilizations and even dates back to about 485, to one of the oldest books ever written, the Bible. In the Bible, one of the most familiar quotes about hope is “hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life” (Proverbs 13:12, NLT). Thereby, the very essence of the Bible is built on the idea of hope and that Jesus died and took on people’s sins, judgements, condemnations, and shame, so they will be rewarded in heaven free of illness, pain, and suffering, and according to the gifts they have received from God.
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Building on the concept of hope and moving forward to modern times, there are many neuroscientists and psychologists, along with religious, spiritual, and political leaders, who have written notable views about hope and how our body responds to thoughts and emotions..."
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- Christy Lewis, PsyD. And Kendell Munzer, PsyD
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To Continue Reading Please Click The Link Below:
https://library.psychology.edu/is-hope-the-new-antibiotic-for-physical-illness/
Psychopharmacology And Mental Health
"Mental health wellness and innovative comprehensive approaches to treating brain health appear to be on a positive trajectory. So, why does there continue to be a rise in mental health issues, especially among adolescents and young adults? According to a study published in 2019 by the American Psychological Association (APA), mood disorders, including anxiety and depression, and suicide-related outcomes have increased over the last decade (Twenge, 2019). Moreover, the recent COVID-19 pandemic has caused an unprecedented psychosocial disturbance, triggering these numbers to rise even higher. One could describe these times as a global psychological crisis! These unfortunate findings suggest that cultural trends in the last 10 years may have had a larger effect on mood disorders and suicide-related outcomes among younger people compared with older people (Twenge, 2019), according to the researchers.
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The psychological consequences are scary, to say the least, and researchers explained “the increase in adolescent major depressive episodes began after 2011, concurrent with the increased ownership of smartphones and a concomitant increase in digital media time in the age group” (Twenge, 2019). These findings suggest the wide-spread usage of smart phones and digital media has played a major role in the rise of mental health issues. So, in conjunction with this cultural trend of digital media usage, complicated by living through a health-related pandemic, psychologists are voicing serious concerns for the mental health of people, especially for our children and adolescents. Keeping these frightening trends in mind, this article will describe the interaction of a Mental Health Model, offer a discussion regarding psychosis and psychotropic drug use, review several brain assessments, discuss both genetic and environmental components that affect mental health, take an in-depth look at psychosis and various brain regions affected, and review medications used to treat psychosis as well as their side effects..."
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- Christy Lewis, PsyD. And Brigitte Lewis, B.S. Neuroscience
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To Continue Reading Please Click The Link Below:
https://library.psychology.edu/psychopharmacology-and-mental-health/
NeuroRegulation- The Suisun Summit 2022: Emerging Themes Open Questions in qEEG and Neurotherapies
"The Suisun Summit was a gathering of nearly 70 clinicians, educators, and researchers in quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) and neurofeedback on October 12-16, 2022, in Suisun City, California. For most, this was the first in-person professional conference they attended since before the COVID pandemic. Twelve presentations and group discussions were organized as a 5-day, single-track event, that was flawlessly executed by Mary Tracy. Many participants commented that it was the best conference they have ever attended, both for the quality of the presentations and the inclusive sense of comradery they experienced.
International Society for Neuroregulation and Research (ISNR) President Mark Jones is on a mission that his term at the helm beknown for reinvigorating the "R stands for research" into the identity of ISNR. He and Ron Swatzyna set a tone for the event on the first day with an encouraging discussion on developing support for clinicians to design research projects and gather data in their private practices. The final discussion, led by Rogene Eichler West, organized attendees to co-author this conference review so that they might gain some experience with the process of publishing in a peer-reviewed journal."
To Continue Reading, click the link below:
https://www.neuroregulation.org/article/download/23346/14749/105401
