Directed by Robert Redford, this is an unusual tale of a champion golfer who comes back from WW I a broken man after all of his men were killed in one battle. Retreating into the bottle for over a decade, he is rescued by a golf exhibition, the support of Savannah (his hometown), and the life lessons from Will Smith. Smith plays Bagger Vance, who is the mystical caddy who helps Matt Damon's character get back his “authentic swing.” This is a movie of redemption and finding his place back in life. One of the lessons is that “Golf (life) is a game that can't be won. Only played.”
This is a very spiritual, yet entertaining movie that reminds us that we are all capable of being broken by circumstances, but that we Can get back our “authentic swing.” Inspiring and highly recommended. Movie Trailer.
Best wishes,
Mike
http://drmikemiller.com
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Saturday, October 10, 2009
INSPIRING Video
Watch this and then try to NOT count your blessings. I don't think that can be done.
To all of you who feel like giving up. Video
Best wishes,
Mike
http://drmikemiller.com
To all of you who feel like giving up. Video
Best wishes,
Mike
http://drmikemiller.com
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
eletter - Peace of Mind
If you get something from these posts, subscribe to my eletter "Peace of Mind." Send an email to drmike@drmikemiller.com.
Catch Yourself Being Good
The most powerful change strategy for children's behavior problems is the parents increasing the focus on positive behavior and reinforcing those behaviors. A powerful strategy of improving your mood and self-esteem is increasing positive self-talk. Human nature is such that most of us look for when we make mistakes and then be self-critical. Much of the time, that is automatic and under our awareness.
Begin NOW to monitor yourself for negative self-talk. Watch for negative things that others have repeatedly said to you, such as “You can't do ANYTHING right!” or “STUPID!” Throw those scripts away! Acknowledge that whoever said those things was WRONG, even if they may have had good intentions.
Awareness is the first step. The second is action.
Next, tell yourself things like “STOP calling yourself names!” and “STOP criticizing yourself!” Begin to replace the criticisms with statements like “Nobody's perfect,” “What have I learned so as to not make the same mistake again?,” etc.
Begin to monitor yourself for what you've done well, made progress, or completed. Become your own cheerleader and tell yourself things like “Good job!, “Great effort,” etc. As you work on a project that can't be completed in one setting, tell yourself that you made good progress for that episode.
If you find this to be difficult, consider starting by looking for positive things to say to others. (Even if this is easy for you, it is an excellent idea to increase compliments to others). As this gets easier with practice, as most things do, you will probably begin catching yourself doing some of the things that you are complementing others. Continue to compliment others and begin doing the same for yourself.
Making these changes will not give you a swelled head. Rather, doing so will decrease your stress, make you less susceptible to stress conditions (like headaches), and generally improve your mood.
Catch yourself being good! You'll be glad that you did.
Best wishes,
Mike
http://drmikemiller.com
Begin NOW to monitor yourself for negative self-talk. Watch for negative things that others have repeatedly said to you, such as “You can't do ANYTHING right!” or “STUPID!” Throw those scripts away! Acknowledge that whoever said those things was WRONG, even if they may have had good intentions.
Awareness is the first step. The second is action.
Next, tell yourself things like “STOP calling yourself names!” and “STOP criticizing yourself!” Begin to replace the criticisms with statements like “Nobody's perfect,” “What have I learned so as to not make the same mistake again?,” etc.
Begin to monitor yourself for what you've done well, made progress, or completed. Become your own cheerleader and tell yourself things like “Good job!, “Great effort,” etc. As you work on a project that can't be completed in one setting, tell yourself that you made good progress for that episode.
If you find this to be difficult, consider starting by looking for positive things to say to others. (Even if this is easy for you, it is an excellent idea to increase compliments to others). As this gets easier with practice, as most things do, you will probably begin catching yourself doing some of the things that you are complementing others. Continue to compliment others and begin doing the same for yourself.
Making these changes will not give you a swelled head. Rather, doing so will decrease your stress, make you less susceptible to stress conditions (like headaches), and generally improve your mood.
Catch yourself being good! You'll be glad that you did.
Best wishes,
Mike
http://drmikemiller.com
Monday, August 24, 2009
Online Cognitive Behavioral Therapy effective when delivered in real time by a therapist
Online therapy or “eTherapy” has been provided by some therapists in a number of different ways, ranging from email, to computerized therapeutic programs (one to be posted here soon), to real time video, for over 10 years. A brief history from 1972-2002 can be found at http://www.metanoia.org/imhs/history.htm
A number of questions remain fully unanswered. Probably the most critical question is how to ensure confidentiality. Additionally, there are questions of how effective these interventions are.
A study in England looked at 297 adults who were diagnosed with depression. Half of these people (149) received online cognitive-behavioral therapy and “usual care” (presumed to mean anti-depressant medication) and half (148) received “usual care” from their general practitioner while on an 8-month waiting list for online CBT. At fourth months, 113 in the CBT group and 97 in “usual treatment” completed a four month follow-up, where 38% of the CBT group were considered recovered from depression compared to 24% of the second group. There was a small increase at eight months to 42% for the CBT group and 26% of the second group.
The authors conclude: “The number of patients for whom online CBT is feasible and attractive will grow. It could be useful in areas where access to psychological treatment is scare, and for patients whose first language is not English. It could make access to psychotherapies more equitable by providing a service to patients in areas or even countries where psychological treatment is not readily available. Real-time online CBT offers the flexibility and responsiveness of face-to-face CBT and is appropriate for people with severe symptoms. It affords an opportunity for reflexion and review as part of the therapeutic process, which could enhance its effectiveness.”
There are some limitations to this study. There was no no-treatment control group. The summary did not report how much improvement there was or was not in the majority of people who were not considered “recovered.” It is also unclear whether online CBT would be as effective as in-person treatment. Many questions for further studies.
For a summary of the study http://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2009/6502.html.
Best wishes,
Mike
http://drmikemiller.com/depression.html
A number of questions remain fully unanswered. Probably the most critical question is how to ensure confidentiality. Additionally, there are questions of how effective these interventions are.
A study in England looked at 297 adults who were diagnosed with depression. Half of these people (149) received online cognitive-behavioral therapy and “usual care” (presumed to mean anti-depressant medication) and half (148) received “usual care” from their general practitioner while on an 8-month waiting list for online CBT. At fourth months, 113 in the CBT group and 97 in “usual treatment” completed a four month follow-up, where 38% of the CBT group were considered recovered from depression compared to 24% of the second group. There was a small increase at eight months to 42% for the CBT group and 26% of the second group.
The authors conclude: “The number of patients for whom online CBT is feasible and attractive will grow. It could be useful in areas where access to psychological treatment is scare, and for patients whose first language is not English. It could make access to psychotherapies more equitable by providing a service to patients in areas or even countries where psychological treatment is not readily available. Real-time online CBT offers the flexibility and responsiveness of face-to-face CBT and is appropriate for people with severe symptoms. It affords an opportunity for reflexion and review as part of the therapeutic process, which could enhance its effectiveness.”
There are some limitations to this study. There was no no-treatment control group. The summary did not report how much improvement there was or was not in the majority of people who were not considered “recovered.” It is also unclear whether online CBT would be as effective as in-person treatment. Many questions for further studies.
For a summary of the study http://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2009/6502.html.
Best wishes,
Mike
http://drmikemiller.com/depression.html
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