Et propter vitam vivendi perdere

Navigating through life's challenges is difficult, and when overwhelming feelings arise, some individuals may turn to self-harm as a coping mechanism. As a clinical psychiatrist, I have worked with many patients who struggle with self-harming thoughts. It is essential to recognize the danger of these thoughts and discover how to calm them down. This blog post will outline strategies to help manage self-harming thoughts. Understanding Self-Harm: The Basics Before we delve into methods for calming self-harming thoughts, it's crucial to understand what self-harm entails. Self-harm refers to intentionally causing physical pain or injury to one's body, usually as a way to cope with emotional pain or stress. While self-harm may temporarily alleviate emotional distress, the relief is short-lived and can lead to long-term physical harm and worsening mental health conditions. Accepting Your Thoughts: Compassion is Key One critical step in managing self-harming thoughts is acknowledg...

At the heart of all religions, ethics, and spiritual traditions lies a core principle of compassion. Compassion is the cornerstone of many spiritual teachings, and is the way we should always strive to treat each other. Compassion can be defined as the ability and willingness to understand another person’s suffering, and to respond with kindness, care, and love. Compassion is often linked with empathy and sympathy, and is often seen as an essential part of being a good person. It is the idea that we should treat others in the same way that we would like to be treated. This is why compassion is so important in all spiritual traditions and religions.  What Is Compassion? Compassion is the recognition of suffering in another and the willingness to help relieve that suffering. It is a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another person or creature, accompanied by a strong desire to help them. Compassion involves being aware of the suffering of another and making an effort to allevia...

The human brain is a complex organ that is responsible for regulating our emotions and behaviors. It is composed of various interconnected regions, each with its unique functions. One such region is the amygdala, which is responsible for processing emotions such as fear, anger, and pleasure. The medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), on the other hand, is responsible for regulating our thoughts and actions, including decision-making, planning, and self-control. While these two regions have different functions, they are structurally and functionally connected through frontal connections. When the amygdala is activated, the MPFC is deactivated, and when the amygdala stabilizes, the MPFC is activated and rises up. This connection plays a crucial role in regulating our emotions and behaviors, especially when it comes to controlling negative emotions. Controlling Negative Emotions Negative emotions such as anger, fear, and anxiety can be overwhelming and difficult to control. However, it is possi...