Excerpts

Here are some excerpts of the book:

From: Part 1 – Mechanics of the Mind
The Fight, Flight or Freeze Response
The fight, flight or freeze response is your brain and body’s reaction to a threat or perceived threat. Your body has a number of responses in the Fight, Flight or Freeze response mode:

  • Pupils dilate to take in more visual information.
  • The production of saliva stops.
  • Makes the bronchi in the lungs bigger so that more oxygen can be inhaled.
  • Makes the heart beat faster to get more oxygen to where it is needed quicker.
  • Increases glucose levels in the blood so that cells have the extra energy required.
  • Decreases activity in the stomach, pancreas, intestines and bladder by reducing blood flow to these organs, as none of these organs or systems are required for the immediate in-the-moment survival.

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From: Part 1 – Mechanics of the Mind
The Brain in Depression
In someone with depression their brain will have low levels of serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin. They will have high levels of noradrenaline and cortisol. Knowing this helps the symptoms of depression make sense. Symptoms including:

  • Tiredness and exhaustion.
  • Difficulty in getting to sleep or staying asleep.
  • Loss of pleasure in life and in doing activities previously enjoyed.
  • Low motivation to do anything.
  • Reduced appetite with or without weight loss.
  • Weight gain caused by poor diet.
  • Slowed thinking, speaking or difficulty in concentrating.
  • Angry outbursts, feeling constantly frustrated or irritable.

Both anxiety and depression have the same effect on the brain. It isn’t no wonder that people often have mixed episodes containing symptoms of both anxiety and depression together.

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From: Part 2 – The End of the World
The End of the World
Catastrophic thinking is imagining the worst possible outcome of future events. It could be an upcoming social event, a meeting at work, anything really. Big or small events. Your mind whirls with all the possibilities of everything going completely wrong. You might start to get a feeling of dread in the pit of your stomach. Ultimately you think that it’s the end of the world.

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From: Part 2 – My Mental Health & Illness Playlist
My Mental Health & Illness Playlist
Music can have a huge influence on mental health. That written, music isn’t a cure for mental illness. If you want to find a ‘cure’ read the Treatments & Recovery chapter in Part 1 of this book.

Here is my playlist of brilliant songs that I associate with mental health & illness:

Under Pressure – Queen

I Miss You – Blink-182

A Change of Heart – The 1975

Obsessions – Marina And The Diamonds

Don’t Look Back In Anger – OASIS

True Colors – Eva Cassidy

Thank You – Alanis Morissette

Lights – Ellie Goulding

Heart Out – The 1975

7 Minutes In Heaven – Fall Out Boy

Wake Me Up When September Ends – Green Day

Message In A Bottle – The Police

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From: Part 3 – Tips for a Better Night’s Sleep
Tips for a Better Night’s Sleep
Sleep is essential for our body and mind. The functions of sleep and resulting benefits include:

  • Helps the body to restore and repair. Blood pressure drops, muscles become relaxed, tissue growth and repair occurs, improves the immune response and immune system.
  • Helps the brain to process information and store memory.
  • Helps the brain function normally when awake.
  • Increases concentration, decision making abilities and social skills when awake.
  • Enhances creativity when awake.
  • Reduces stress by lowing levels of cortisol.
  • Reduces likelihood of gaining weight.
  • Reduces likelihood of impulsive thoughts or behaviours when awake.
  • Reduces likelihood of requiring stimulants to keep you awake during the day (e.g. caffeine, nicotine).
  • Reduces likelihood of requiring sedatives to help you get to and stay a sleep (e.g. alcohol).
  • Makes waking up, ready to start the day much easier.

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From: Part 3 – How to Deal with Difficult Emotions
How to Deal with Difficult Emotions
There are lots of emotions that make us feel good, happy and content. These emotions make life an enjoyable experience and we often don’t struggle with these emotions. They make the world a wonderful place to be in. But in this chapter, we will focus on dealing with the more difficult emotions.

Triggers
Emotions can be triggered by: stimuli (a situation, event or experience) or a chemical imbalance in the brain. They vary in intensity and duration. Sometimes they are transient passing quickly, and other times they stick with us for days, weeks, months or even years.

Here are some negative emotions and different levels of intensity:

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