[Hellion]

So I've found another article I am not to pleased about on the main page of this site. Apparently if we all just convince ourselves stress is a good thing(black and white thinking included) then it wont have detrimental effects.

here is the article:
Three Things Mentally Strong People Will Never Tell You About Stress | Leveraging Adversity

Of course, what was I thinking all I have to do is ignore the negative effects stress has on me and believe it's good and my problems handling stress will vanish....I guess those mentally strong people knew this all along though.

Or I could take a more realistic approach and view stress as something that just is, and use my brain to know that there is both positive and negative stress, too much of either can overwhelm someone though which can cause burn out. So the best approach is to identify positive stress and maintain a healthy level of that(what is a healthy level varies depending on the individual) so you have to identify what is a healthy stress level and what is an unhealthy stress level that causes impairment in functioning.

[hamster-bamster]

Same thinking here on this article and stress in general. I also do not think that using the term "mentally strong" in the title is a good idea. So if somebody does not view all stress as positive, does it make them mentally weak? I am not sure this is a great message.

[Hellion]

Originally Posted by hamster-bamster

Same thinking here on this article and stress in general. I also do not think that using the term "mentally strong" in the title is a good idea. So if somebody does not view all stress as positive, does it make them mentally weak? I am not sure this is a great message.

Yes I also do not appreciate that particular implication.

[Nammu]

RIGHt! Did anyone notice they didn't seem to define whether those who saw stress was good were having stress-- say associated with getting married or starting a new better job vs stress associated poverty or having an illness?

[ChipperMonkey]

Wow. Horrible article! I feel like that was a b!tch-slap to anyone with a stress DISORDER, seeing as I have PTSD. Yes, the implication is that those who are stressed are mentally weak, but the truth is that PTSD doesn't just hit the weak, it can hit anyone.

My advice? Mentally throw the article in the burn pile. Its a bunch of crap. Well, definitely for those with stress disorders, and I'm suspecting for the rest of the population who doesn't deal with stress well, either (but I can't say as I don't know what its like to be a "normal" person who deals with stress).

[hamster-bamster]

Maybe this should be moved into the area of the site where the administration gets feedback on its publishing choices?

That's an irritating article for sure.

[Altered Moment]

Hellion did you post this somewhere before? Or was that a different article? I swear it was this one and I commented on it. maybe I'm dreaming.............or delusional......or just not mentally strong..lol

[possum220]

There are plenty of things we’ve been told about stress. Avoid it, reduce it, and find ways around it — or it might harm you.

I would focus on this little fact before the Author launches into her tirade. She is saying that stress can harm some of us.

[Slamjammer]

The article seemed to touch the subject with very light brush strokes....hardly an in-depth study. So what was the point? That some people use stress positively...like a tool...to motivate them into action? Well DUUHHH! I think everybody knows that some people work better under pressure. Sometimes I happen to be one of them. I put off a job or project I don't really want to do, and wait for my back to be against the wall. Then I'll get my butt moving and get it done. This is stress that can be controlled....that can be used in a way to produce positive results.

However, there is another kind of stress that generally comes from things we can't control. This stress is a byproduct of adversity of some sort. We can't control it directly, and it has the potential to become harmful or destructive. The best we can do is try to identify and resolve the underlying issue, which sometimes may not be so easy.

[brainhi]

What stress is and it's affect on the body is an important thing to know. But what to do about it is more important. Maybe her view is to learn to change your thinking...changing your thinking...over time does change your brain. You may not relate to her view or method but the bottom line is learn to change the brain's reaction to stress or what you have learned to view as stress related situations

My brain, regarding stress and depression, has changed for the better with a combination of approaches - and it takes time.

[Hellion]

Originally Posted by hamster-bamster

Maybe this should be moved into the area of the site where the administration gets feedback on its publishing choices?

Hmm not a terrible idea, though not sure if I can have it moved. But yeah this is the second time I've seen an article using the term mentally strong in that way with the implication of weakness on the part of people who have certain struggles. So I feel maybe they do need some feedback on some of the crap articles that end up on the home page.

[Hellion]

Originally Posted by zinco14532323

Hellion did you post this somewhere before? Or was that a different article? I swear it was this one and I commented on it. maybe I'm dreaming.............or delusional......or just not mentally strong..lol

Unfortunately that was a different article meaning it wasn't just a one time slip up of a crappy article they went on to put up another one...but yeah the other one had a similar message

[hamster-bamster]

I alerted the administration - just to give them feedback and input into future editorial decisions.

[Hellion]

Originally Posted by possum220

There are plenty of things we’ve been told about stress. Avoid it, reduce it, and find ways around it — or it might harm you.

I would focus on this little fact before the Author launches into her tirade. She is saying that stress can harm some of us.

Yeah, though there seems to be the implication that if stress harms you, than you are a weak person mentally(not the first part of your post but the article)...I do not think that is a positive messege. Everyone has weaknesses but the way the article generalizes really irks me.

[MoxieDoxie]

5 Ways to Stop Yourself from Eating When You?re not Hungry | World of Psychology

As a person with an eating disorder this article really upset me. As if talking to the food and ask it if it will love me, Will it hug me, actually works. If I could self soothe myself, deal with being alone and not feeling worthless then I would not have an eating disorder. If these tactics worked and after 2 years of therapy, I would not have an eating disorder. If these tactics worked then no one would be over weight.

Perhaps thses tactics work for those mentally strong people in the last article.

[Hellion]

Originally Posted by brainhi

What stress is and it's affect on the body is an important thing to know. But what to do about it is more important. Maybe her view is to learn to change your thinking...changing your thinking...over time does change your brain. You may not relate to her view or method but the bottom line is learn to change the brain's reaction to stress or what you have learned to view as stress related situations

My brain, regarding stress and depression, has changed for the better with a combination of approaches - and it takes time.

might as well just get a new and better brain.

See the thing is its not my thinking that is the problem much of the time...if I am under more stress than I can handle it has physical effects and can increase symptoms of my mental conditions...it has nothing to do with how I think.

A cardboard box for example can only handle so much weight on top of it before it collapses or breaks, a person can only handle so much stress or they 'break' so to speak. I have experienced this multiple times and quite certain all convincing myself 'stress is great' would do is make me delusional...since in reality stress can be a bad thing. As I said it really depends on the sort of stress and the level of it and the individuals capacity to handle it...its not a black and white thing that is either all good or all bad.

Anyways not saying its not possible to improve ones mental state or learn better ways of handling stress at all...but to imply people who have trouble handling stress are 'weak' and people who don't are 'strong' is kind of insulting and promotes elitist attitudes which is the main problem I have with the article. I mean I have PTSD, anxiety and aspergers syndrome all of which interfere with my ability to handle stress...I am in therapy and learning some skills but brain plasticity only goes so far so I probably am going to have problems with stress for the rest of my life but should I view myself as a 'weak' person just because I have trouble handling stress and will likely continue to?...I'll say that doesn't do much for my self esteem. I find it better to accept that as a weakness I have...rather than see myself as mentally weak compared to people that don't have as much trouble dealing with stress.

[Hellion]

I am just perplexed as to why these articles basically implying you are weak if you have a mental condition compared to people who handle stuff better/normally...are on a mental health support site.

[Ripose]

I have high tolerance level to stress and the article offended me by insinuating that I am somehow superior to other people. I do not even consider myself normal by any means and I am actually quite weird, so I would say almost everyone is mentally stronger than I am.
Having a tolerance to stress has actually resulted me placing myself in some incredibly dangerous situations. Is this what the "mentally strong" do?

[hamster-bamster]

Originally Posted by MoxieDoxie

5 Ways to Stop Yourself from Eating When You?re not Hungry | World of Psychology

As a person with an eating disorder this article really upset me. As if talking to the food and ask it if it will love me, Will it hug me, actually works. If I could self soothe myself, deal with being alone and not feeling worthless then I would not have an eating disorder. If these tactics worked and after 2 years of therapy, I would not have an eating disorder. If these tactics worked then no one would be over weight.

Oops... you have been in therapy for two years and you still believe that being overweight is caused solely by eating when you are not hungry? Or even primarily by it? I would disqualify your therapist if I were his or her licensing board.

But seriously - it might be that one of the reasons that your therapy has not been successful has nothing to do with your perceived failures or shortcomings. Maybe your therapist is simply not qualified to treat you, or anyone with an eating disorder for that matter.

[hamster-bamster]

Originally Posted by MoxieDoxie

5 Ways to Stop Yourself from Eating When You?re not Hungry | World of Psychology

As a person with an eating disorder this article really upset me. As if talking to the food and ask it if it will love me, Will it hug me, actually works. If I could self soothe myself, deal with being alone and not feeling worthless then I would not have an eating disorder. If these tactics worked and after 2 years of therapy, I would not have an eating disorder. If these tactics worked then no one would be over weight.

Perhaps thses tactics work for those mentally strong people in the last article.

I have skimmed the article. The idea of asking a cheesecake for a hug... the author must be nuts. It has been a while since I read something as stupid as this. Now, I have an idea - do not talk to the cheesecake - send an SMS to the fridge instead .

[hamster-bamster]

Originally Posted by MoxieDoxie

5 Ways to Stop Yourself from Eating When You?re not Hungry | World of Psychology

As a person with an eating disorder this article really upset me. As if talking to the food and ask it if it will love me, Will it hug me, actually works. If I could self soothe myself, deal with being alone and not feeling worthless then I would not have an eating disorder. If these tactics worked and after 2 years of therapy, I would not have an eating disorder. If these tactics worked then no one would be over weight.

Perhaps thses tactics work for those mentally strong people in the last article.

Please see this - a short and non-exhaustive list of odd things in this article (this is a post on the community feedback forum and not a link to the article itself) -

http://forums.psychcentral.com/commu...ml#post4082835

[MoxieDoxie]

Originally Posted by hamster-bamster

Oops... you have been in therapy for two years and you still believe that being overweight is caused solely by eating when you are not hungry? Or even primarily by it? I would disqualify your therapist if I were his or her licensing board.

But seriously - it might be that one of the reasons that your therapy has not been successful has nothing to do with your perceived failures or shortcomings. Maybe your therapist is simply not qualified to treat you, or anyone with an eating disorder for that matter.

I am not over weight nor do I think I am over weight. My Eating disorder as nothing to do with weight. I was just saying that if the tactics above worked and were the answer then no one would be over weight.

[brainhi]

Originally Posted by Hellion

might as well just get a new and better brain.

See the thing is its not my thinking that is the problem much of the time...if I am under more stress than I can handle it has physical effects and can increase symptoms of my mental conditions...it has nothing to do with how I think.

A cardboard box for example can only handle so much weight on top of it before it collapses or breaks, a person can only handle so much stress or they 'break' so to speak. I have experienced this multiple times and quite certain all convincing myself 'stress is great' would do is make me delusional...since in reality stress can be a bad thing. As I said it really depends on the sort of stress and the level of it and the individuals capacity to handle it...its not a black and white thing that is either all good or all bad.

Anyways not saying its not possible to improve ones mental state or learn better ways of handling stress at all...but to imply people who have trouble handling stress are 'weak' and people who don't are 'strong' is kind of insulting and promotes elitist attitudes which is the main problem I have with the article. I mean I have PTSD, anxiety and aspergers syndrome all of which interfere with my ability to handle stress...I am in therapy and learning some skills but brain plasticity only goes so far so I probably am going to have problems with stress for the rest of my life but should I view myself as a 'weak' person just because I have trouble handling stress and will likely continue to?...I'll say that doesn't do much for my self esteem. I find it better to accept that as a weakness I have...rather than see myself as mentally weak compared to people that don't have as much trouble dealing with stress.

It really is a combination of things that help - and still it's accepting and understanding things that might not improve as much as we would like to..but how to manage the things that do not get much better with time.

I hate labels..weak, strong, autism, hyper, bi-polar...and so on. Labels may help discuss symptoms and that is all they are good for IMO.

I agree weak and strong are not terms that motivate me. I do not need to be motivated thru intimidation (if you do not do these things you are not considered strong and so on).

I have worked over 3 years with individuals with a program that is based on neuroplasticity - targeting the "learning area of the brain". We work with high achieving brains and brains that struggle with learning. I have seen 1st hand brains change over and over again -permanently for the better.

I've been a teacher and have been a mental health advocate for years. I have not 1st hand seen research of professionals regarding the other areas of the brain/mental health and neuroplasticity. My mother was bi-polar and I learn very early good and bad about mental illness.
I refer to Dr. Norman Doidge a lot. For many it can be done. I personally do not know of therapists that use this approach - but many are trying to help retrain the brain without calling in neuroplasticity.

My brain did not change without the help of medication, yrs of support and learning and training my own brain - I have more hope than I ever did - based on 1st hand experiences.
In most cases I believe it can get better - according to realistic standards. Thanks for listening
.

[pachyderm]

Originally Posted by hamster-bamster

Please see this - a short and non-exhaustive list of odd things in this article (this is a post on the community feedback forum and not a link to the article itself) -

http://forums.psychcentral.com/commu...ml#post4082835

Hmmm. I seem not to have permission to access this area of the site.