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>>John Bradshaw:
This is "It Is Written."
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I'm John Bradshaw.
Thanks for joining me.
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Depression and anxiety
continue to be major problems
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in first-world nations.
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Around the world, it appears--
in fact, it very much is--
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that depression
and rates of depression
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is getting worse and
worse. Is there a solution?
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The solutions that have
been proffered to the world
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over the last several decades
simply aren't making a dent
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in the problem. It's
not that no one is helped;
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it's just that the solutions
aren't really solutions.
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My guest today
is Dr. Neil Nedley,
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who for 25 years has been
successfully treating people
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whose lives have been upended
by depression and anxiety.
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Dr. Nedley,
thanks for joining me.
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>>Dr. Neil Nedley: Thank you.
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It's great to
be back here, John.
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>>John: You've been
doing this for a while now.
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>>Dr. Nedley: Yes.
>>John: And you've been
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treating depression,
as we've discussed before,
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I would say, naturally,
not with drug intervention.
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You're not against medication,
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but you have found
natural treatments.
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Let me go back 25 years.
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When you started
treating depression
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the way you're treating it now,
did you hear much criticism?
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Or did you hear any criticism
of your methods from a society
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that was predisposed
towards very different methods?
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>>Dr. Nedley: I did
hear some criticism.
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Now, it wasn't as
much as I thought I might
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because I went to the medical
literature and was looking
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at all of the 100-plus causes
of depression and anxiety,
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and I was working
on reversing those.
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So, those causes had
already been largely elucidated
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before I came to it, and now I
was just reversing those causes.
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But the fact that I was not a
board-certified psychiatrist--
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I was internal medicine,
which is adult diseases
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of the internal organs;
the brain is included in that.
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Uh, it just wasn't the
right type of professional
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I think they were thinking
that might revolutionize
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depression and
anxiety treatments.
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So, we did get
some criticism on,
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"What is this
internal medicine doctor doing
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treating severe forms
of depression and anxiety?"
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But they couldn't
argue with the results.
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>>John: Yeah, what are
they saying 25 years later?
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>>Dr. Nedley: Uh, actually
there's no controversy, [laughs]
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at this point.
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Uh, they are very
much, everyone, in fact, um,
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has seen our scientific results,
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seen our published studies
in the scientific literature,
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and, um, the evidence
is now overwhelming that
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what we are doing is, indeed,
the best therapeutic approach
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for depression and anxiety.
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>>John: Depression and
anxiety, of their very nature,
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are conditions of the mind.
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Therefore, I
want you to tell me--
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you wrote a book called
"The Lost Art of Thinking."
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>>Dr. Nedley: Yes.
>>John: What does thinking
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have to do with depression?
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And I guess my
question really is,
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what do thoughts have
to do with depression?
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>>Dr. Nedley: They have a
lot to do with depression.
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And, in fact, our
thoughts become like highways
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in the brain, particularly
if they're repetitive thoughts.
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And some studies have shown that
depressed and anxious people,
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80 percent of their
thoughts are negative,
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and 95 percent of their
thoughts are repetitive.
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And so, those
repetitive negative thoughts--
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we call them NATs,
negative automatic thoughts--
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become like
highways in the brain.
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And that's one of the reasons
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why simply biochemistry alone
can't, um, cure depression.
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Biochemistry is very important.
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We take a very
prominent role in helping
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the brain's biochemistry to be
able to change those thoughts.
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But then we actually have
to be intentional in analyzing
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our thoughts for distortions
and getting rid of thoughts
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that are not helpful
or simply not accurate.
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And that takes some work, and
it's why a, a combined approach
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of biochemistry plus a good
cognitive behavioral therapist
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is paramount in really producing
the results that we get.
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>>John: But one thing I think
I want to point and that is
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I think everybody can
relate to how some thoughts
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are just automatic.
>>Dr. Nedley: Right.
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>>John: When I see that
guy-- [Dr. Nedley laughs]
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>>John: ...when I see that guy,
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I, I just, you know, I
wanna-- >>Dr. Nedley: Yeah.
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>>John: ...when, when I get
in my car, I just think of--
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or when I find myself in
the shower, I, I think this way,
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or when I'm at my desk, there
are a lot of automatic thoughts.
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And I don't know
exactly why that is.
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I think it's
just years of practice
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and years of
repetition. >>Dr. Nedley: Yes.
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>>John: Is it true that people
find themselves on autopilot
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often when it
comes to their thoughts?
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>>Dr. Nedley: Oh, absolutely.
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You know, in fact, a lot of
people that come to our program,
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uh, you know, we don't deal with
the thoughts right off the bat,
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we're dealing with behavioral
and lifestyle issues first,
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but by about day three,
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we have to start
getting into the thoughts.
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And they say, "My problem
are not with my thoughts.
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My problem are
real." [laughs] You know,
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this is, uh--you know,
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they don't think thoughts
are necessarily real, per se.
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But, yes, their problem
is also with their thoughts,
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and on the surface they think
those thoughts are, you know,
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true and accurate.
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But as we dig deeper,
as we get to the core,
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they can start seeing
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that their thoughts
actually are irrational,
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unhelpful, and with that
negative aspect of things,
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it's actually
dragging them down,
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even in their ability
to flourish and function.
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>>John: What are some
of those typical thoughts
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or thought patterns
that the people you see
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in a, on a clinical basis
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are, uh, typically,
typically wrestling with?
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>>Dr. Nedley: Well, one of
the distorted areas of thinking
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is what we call
emotional reasoning.
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And an emotional
reasoner will say this:
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"I feel
overwhelmed and helpless.
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Therefore my problems
are impossible to solve."
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"I feel angry at you, and that
proves that you've been cruel
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and insensitive to me."
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So, emotional reasoning
is at an all-time high.
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We feel a certain way, and
thus we conclude those things
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are true in the
way we're feeling.
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>>John: And, and
why are they not true?
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>>Dr. Nedley:
"Feelings come and feelings go,
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and feelings are deceiving."
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Many thoughts--and--
that we have, uh,
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and many feelings that
we have are actually based
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on distortions in thinking.
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>>John: Okay, so I've
got a neighbor who plays
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his music loud, and his
dog runs all over my yard,
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and, uh, he's inconsiderate.
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And this is the
bane of my existence.
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Isn't that, isn't
that accurate thinking?
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I mean, he's a turkey,
and he's making my life hard.
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So, why would I,
why would I change
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the way I think about that?
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>>Dr. Nedley:
[laughs] Well, yeah, exactly.
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And so, you understand, uh,
very well the typical person,
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uh, coming into our program.
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And, of course, they will
have a tendency to blame others
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or things about themselves
that, that they cannot change
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and think that they
are actually victims.
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Now, in regards
to that neighbor,
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we would start
asking, uh, some questions.
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You know, has the
neighbor ever been nice to you?
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Has the neighbor ever
done anything for you?
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Uh, could it be that, uh,
he's not even really aware
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that he's doing
those things to you?
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And, uh, you know,
have you ever thought about
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maybe having the right
conversation in the right way,
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uh, to help mitigate
on some of those things
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that are really bothering you?
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>>John: Thoughts and how
they are related to depression,
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it's very real. Depression's
a really large problem.
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If it doesn't affect you,
no question it severely affects
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somebody that you care about,
somebody who is close to you.
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And how does God
want us to think?
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And how does
thinking God's way liberate us
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and prepare us for heaven?
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We'll discuss that and more
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when we come
back in just a moment.
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¤[upbeat music
swells and ends]¤¤
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>>Announcer: With
economic instability,
00:08:14.86\00:08:16.62
interpersonal challenges,
and the use of social media
00:08:16.66\00:08:19.49
on the rise, rates of depression
and anxiety have skyrocketed.
00:08:19.53\00:08:23.70
Call now for your free copy
00:08:23.73\00:08:26.13
of "Finding Lasting Healing
for Depression and Anxiety"
00:08:26.17\00:08:29.64
and learn helpful
and practical methods
00:08:29.67\00:08:31.81
that have been scientifically
proven to benefit mental health.
00:08:31.84\00:08:34.88
Call 800-253-3000.
00:08:34.91\00:08:37.55
That's 800-253-3000.
00:08:37.58\00:08:40.68
Or visit us
online at iiwoffer.com.
00:08:40.72\00:08:44.35
>>John Bradshaw:
Welcome back to "It Is Written."
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I'm John Bradshaw, and
my guest is Dr. Neil Nedley
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from Nedley Health.
For a quarter of a century,
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Dr. Nedley has been
treating people successfully,
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people suffering with
debilitating depression
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and anxiety.
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He's also the
author of several books.
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Dr. Nedley, one of them is
"The Lost Art of Thinking,"
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which I think is
a provocative title
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because it begs the question,
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has the art of
thinking been lost?
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You say yes. How'd we lose it?
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>>Dr. Neil Nedley: Well,
in a large part, we lost it
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because our
brains are not stocked
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with good factual statements
or good factual pieces
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to be able to think from.
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And that has largely
happened as a result of people
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not thinking but allowing
devices to think for them.
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And so, whenever they
want to be able to think
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about something, they actually
ask a device a question,
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and that device
may give you an answer
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that is not the right
answer or the complete answer.
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And so, the internet is filled
with things that are truthful
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but also very deceptive.
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And those deceptive
things are often unhelpful,
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and they actually cause us not
to feel the way we want to feel
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but far different than that.
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And it's actually
based on distorted thinking.
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>>John: When it
comes to mental health,
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distorted thinking creates
enormous amount of problems.
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I'm going to, I'm
going to put spiritual health
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right along with that because
I believe that many people
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suffer from negative spiritual
health for the same reasons.
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"God doesn't love me.
I've gone too far this time."
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Uh, "After what I've done,
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there's no way God
could possibly forgive me."
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None of those statements
are true. They're all distorted.
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Let's talk about
the characteristics
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of distorted thinking that the
people you see are dealing with
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and how you help people to
work through that challenge.
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>>Dr. Nedley: So, very
commonly we also have people
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who come with mental filters.
And with mental filters,
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they're only looking at
one side of the equation.
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One evidence would be that
when they come and they say,
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"There's nothing
good in my life,"
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and they have
all of these reasons
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why nothing is
good in their life.
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And, of course, I'm listening
for evidence of the other side,
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often don't hear it, but then
I start asking 'em questions,
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and I find out there
actually are some good things
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in their life that
they're totally ignoring
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or actually
disqualifying, uh, the positive,
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which is another distortion.
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And so, that actually
can lead you into a rut
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that is very unhelpful.
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>>John: Someone with,
with negative thinking that,
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that's, that's responsible
for huge problems in their life,
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you begin what you
said; you start asking,
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are there
positives, not just negatives?
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What are some of the other steps
that you walk people through
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to help clarify their thinking?
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>>Dr. Nedley: Well,
we look for evidence.
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And so, we want their
truth to be based on evidence.
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And so, in regards to
the mental filter aspect,
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we want them to be
intentional and forceful
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to look for evidence to support
a different way of thinking.
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And that takes some time, uh,
but it's well worth the effort.
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>>John: What are some
examples of distorted thinking?
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What are the
negative, self-destructive
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thinking patterns
that people get into?
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>>Dr. Nedley: Well,
also thinking that, uh,
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the always-or-never,
you know, over-generalizing,
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they'll use limited factual
evidence to support a belief
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that actually is not true.
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>>John: "No one ever
does anything to help me."
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>>Dr. Nedley: [laughs] Exactly.
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>>John: "My wife never
says anything supportive."
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>>Dr. Nedley: Right.
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>>John: "My kids
don't do anything to help."
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>>Dr. Nedley: Yes.
>>John: That's, that's,
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that's an example of
what you're suggesting?
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>>Dr. Nedley: That
would be an example.
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And also, uh, "No one
is ever going to love me,
00:12:33.72\00:12:38.79
that I will be endlessly
rejected the rest of my life."
00:12:38.82\00:12:41.69
>>John: So it's
a lonely future--
00:12:41.72\00:12:43.49
>>Dr. Nedley: Yes.
>>John: ...and the fact is
00:12:43.53\00:12:44.66
that whole
thinking process is broken.
00:12:44.69\00:12:46.66
>>Dr. Nedley:
Yes. And, of course,
00:12:46.70\00:12:47.60
it'll produce
self-fulfilling prophecies.
00:12:47.66\00:12:50.13
And so, that's why we
have to, uh, get at the core
00:12:50.17\00:12:53.70
of that belief system and, uh,
help them to see that there are,
00:12:53.74\00:12:58.24
are more accurate beliefs
that are far more helpful.
00:12:58.27\00:13:01.38
>>John: I've heard you talk
about all-or-nothing thinking.
00:13:01.41\00:13:04.15
>>Dr. Nedley: Yes,
all-or-nothing thinking,
00:13:04.18\00:13:05.48
that's another one.
00:13:05.51\00:13:06.95
Yeah, there's no person
that's completely all beautiful
00:13:06.98\00:13:10.82
or all ugly, but yet
an all-or-nothing thinker
00:13:10.85\00:13:13.92
will come in
thinking that they're all ugly
00:13:13.96\00:13:17.16
and that they're
not attractive at all.
00:13:17.19\00:13:19.43
And, you know, as
human beings, of course,
00:13:19.46\00:13:22.76
there is no perfect individual.
00:13:22.80\00:13:24.37
They look like it
on "People" magazine,
00:13:24.40\00:13:26.30
but they're been airbrushed
00:13:26.33\00:13:27.74
and the lighting and all
of those sorts of things.
00:13:27.77\00:13:30.14
There are no people
like that walking around.
00:13:30.17\00:13:32.14
[laughs] >>John: That's right.
00:13:32.17\00:13:33.74
>>Dr. Nedley: It's where
they get this distorted view.
00:13:33.78\00:13:35.58
And, of course,
social media has helped us
00:13:35.61\00:13:37.75
with that distorted
view because the individual's
00:13:37.78\00:13:39.98
taken 1,000 pictures of themself
00:13:40.02\00:13:41.82
before they uploaded the
one that looks least like them.
00:13:41.85\00:13:44.75
And so, uh, they end
up getting jealous over
00:13:44.79\00:13:48.96
actually a false picture
00:13:48.99\00:13:51.29
and a, and a, uh, a
false image of reality.
00:13:51.33\00:13:54.50
>>John: I am reminded of
Philippians 4 in verse 8,
00:13:54.56\00:13:58.37
which says, "Whatsoever things
are true,... honest,... just,...
00:13:58.40\00:14:01.64
"pure,... lovely,
[and]... of good report;
00:14:01.67\00:14:03.84
"if there be any virtue,...
00:14:03.87\00:14:05.07
if there be any
praise, think on these things."
00:14:05.11\00:14:08.38
Of course I believe
that. >>Dr. Nedley: Yeah.
00:14:08.41\00:14:10.55
>>John: I, I, I
practice that as--
00:14:10.58\00:14:12.55
I hope I'm growing in
that-- >>Dr. Nedley: Yes.
00:14:12.58\00:14:15.32
>>John: ...more and
more. >>Dr. Nedley: Yes.
00:14:15.35\00:14:16.55
>>John: Man, that sounds
like hard work. If you're a,
00:14:16.58\00:14:18.82
if you're a negative,
self-destructive person,
00:14:18.85\00:14:20.42
if you're depressed, if
you're clinically depressed,
00:14:20.46\00:14:22.82
how in the world do you
get yourself to that place
00:14:22.86\00:14:29.10
where you're
thinking those thoughts?
00:14:29.13\00:14:31.43
>>Dr. Nedley: It's kind
of like learning a new sport.
00:14:31.47\00:14:34.77
You know, when you
first, uh, start to play tennis,
00:14:34.80\00:14:37.87
it's like the ball's
going into the ground,
00:14:37.91\00:14:40.21
it's going into the air,
you're all arms and legs,
00:14:40.24\00:14:43.48
you can't do it, and
it seems so frustrating.
00:14:43.51\00:14:46.72
But if you have
the right coaches
00:14:46.75\00:14:49.35
and the right techniques,
pretty soon it'll actually
00:14:49.38\00:14:53.36
become enjoyable to
learn to play tennis better.
00:14:53.39\00:14:57.69
And so, that's the,
the struggle at first.
00:14:57.73\00:15:00.73
It does seem hard because
those highways in the brain
00:15:00.76\00:15:04.40
[laughs] have been
there for many years.
00:15:04.43\00:15:06.57
And those cars and
trucks have been going down
00:15:06.60\00:15:08.60
those negative thought
patterns for a long time.
00:15:08.64\00:15:11.54
But within a few
days, it actually becomes
00:15:11.57\00:15:13.81
fun for patients, and they're
actually starting to get it,
00:15:13.84\00:15:17.11
and they start replacing these,
uh, negative, distorted thoughts
00:15:17.15\00:15:21.82
with accurate and
very helpful thoughts
00:15:21.85\00:15:24.79
that help them to feel
the way they want to feel.
00:15:24.82\00:15:27.46
And when they start getting
it, although it's hard at first,
00:15:27.49\00:15:30.99
it then becomes
easier and easier.
00:15:31.03\00:15:34.00
And even within 10 days,
00:15:34.03\00:15:36.36
they've made a
significant difference
00:15:36.40\00:15:38.57
in changing the
highways of their brain.
00:15:38.60\00:15:40.44
>>John: I think it's really
important to, to point out
00:15:40.47\00:15:43.41
that what we're suggesting
isn't that somebody go off
00:15:43.44\00:15:46.04
and pull themselves
up by their bootstraps.
00:15:46.07\00:15:48.24
There is a God in heaven
who is able to remake the mind.
00:15:48.28\00:15:51.98
>>Dr. Nedley:
Yes. >>John: There's a,
00:15:52.01\00:15:53.15
a very challenging
but at the same time
00:15:53.18\00:15:55.48
an enormously hopeful verse
in 2 Corinthians, chapter 4:
00:15:55.52\00:15:59.59
"Casting down imaginations,
and every high thing
00:15:59.62\00:16:01.89
that [exalts] itself
against the knowledge of God"--
00:16:01.92\00:16:03.89
and here it comes--"and
bringing into captivity"--
00:16:03.93\00:16:07.13
and here's that next word--
00:16:07.13\00:16:08.30
"every thought"-- >>Dr.
Nedley: "Every thought,"
00:16:08.33\00:16:09.66
[chuckles] yeah.
00:16:09.70\00:16:10.60
>>John: ..."to the
obedience of Christ."
00:16:10.63\00:16:11.97
>>Dr. Nedley: Yes.
>>John: Now, if one wished,
00:16:12.00\00:16:14.00
that could be an overwhelming,
discouraging thought.
00:16:14.04\00:16:16.24
But let's flip
that. That's very hopeful.
00:16:16.27\00:16:18.34
"All of God's
biddings are enablings."
00:16:18.37\00:16:20.54
God didn't write that if
it, if it couldn't be true.
00:16:20.58\00:16:23.14
So the person whose thinking
is unhealthy can say that
00:16:23.18\00:16:27.78
by the grace of God their
mind can come to a, a brand new
00:16:27.82\00:16:31.29
entirely healthy place where
they're thinking God's thoughts.
00:16:31.32\00:16:34.82
>>Dr. Nedley: Yes. Yeah,
00:16:34.86\00:16:36.06
absolutely,
absolutely. >>John: Yeah.
00:16:36.09\00:16:38.23
>>Dr. Nedley: And
it's wonderful, uh,
00:16:38.26\00:16:39.73
when that happens, and, of
course, it's often a combination
00:16:39.76\00:16:43.20
of the cognitive
behavioral therapist
00:16:43.23\00:16:45.57
and the spiritual
therapist working together
00:16:45.60\00:16:48.30
on the overall purpose and
meaning and managing emotions
00:16:48.34\00:16:52.24
that brings about
that tremendous change.
00:16:52.27\00:16:55.38
>>John: And it might be that
you are wishing to experience,
00:16:55.41\00:16:58.01
needing to experience,
that change in your life.
00:16:58.05\00:17:00.65
Don't go away.
00:17:00.68\00:17:01.75
I'll have more with Dr.
Neil Nedley in just a moment.
00:17:01.78\00:17:05.05
¤[upbeat music
swells and ends]¤¤
00:17:05.09\00:17:12.09
>>John: Thank you for
remembering that It Is Written
00:17:14.10\00:17:15.96
exists because of the kindness
of people just like you.
00:17:16.00\00:17:19.40
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00:17:19.43\00:17:22.64
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00:17:22.67\00:17:26.91
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00:17:26.94\00:17:28.38
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00:17:28.41\00:17:29.84
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00:17:29.88\00:17:33.68
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00:17:33.72\00:17:36.52
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00:17:36.55\00:17:40.69
or you can visit us
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00:17:40.72\00:17:43.73
>>John: Welcome
back to "It Is Written."
00:17:45.09\00:17:46.63
My guest is Dr. Neil
Nedley from Nedley Health.
00:17:46.66\00:17:49.86
For 25 years he's been
successfully treating people
00:17:49.90\00:17:52.87
battling depression and
anxiety, and we are, today,
00:17:52.90\00:17:56.57
talking about
thoughts. >>Dr. Nedley: Yes.
00:17:56.60\00:17:58.47
>>John: Okay,
tell me some more about
00:17:58.51\00:17:59.57
the negative thought
patterns that people like me
00:17:59.61\00:18:01.51
and people watching can
say, "Oh, yeah, that's me"--
00:18:01.54\00:18:03.95
at least at times.
What are some of them?
00:18:03.98\00:18:05.65
>>Dr. Nedley: Well,
people with anxiety or panic
00:18:05.68\00:18:07.68
often have what's
called fortuneteller error.
00:18:07.72\00:18:10.99
And so, they're catastrophizing.
00:18:11.02\00:18:13.29
They're always thinking
the worst is going to happen,
00:18:13.32\00:18:15.89
even though there's
evidence that most of the time
00:18:15.92\00:18:18.33
the worst does not occur,
00:18:18.36\00:18:20.00
or even if the worst did happen,
00:18:20.03\00:18:21.73
there are things
that we can do about it.
00:18:21.76\00:18:24.10
And so, uh, they're
making decisions in daily life,
00:18:24.13\00:18:28.10
uh, based on this,
uh, fortuneteller error
00:18:28.14\00:18:32.61
and
catastrophizing that happens.
00:18:32.64\00:18:34.78
And so what shows
up? Worry and fear.
00:18:34.81\00:18:38.35
And so that worry and fear
can produce all sorts of issues,
00:18:38.38\00:18:42.12
from insomnia to tremors
to even physical disease,
00:18:42.15\00:18:47.62
stomach pain, chest pain,
00:18:47.66\00:18:50.19
showing up in the emergency room
00:18:50.23\00:18:52.43
thinking you're
having a heart attack.
00:18:52.46\00:18:54.13
Doctors are finding nothing
wrong at all with the heart,
00:18:54.20\00:18:57.27
it's all generated in the brain
that has come up with worry
00:18:57.30\00:19:01.30
and fear due to things like mind
reading and fortuneteller error.
00:19:01.34\00:19:06.21
>>John: Mind reading being,
"I know what you're thinking,
00:19:06.24\00:19:09.44
and it's not
good"? >>Dr. Nedley: Yeah.
00:19:09.48\00:19:10.78
>>John: "I, I feel
you feel this way"?
00:19:10.81\00:19:12.58
>>Dr. Nedley: Well, and,
and thinking that their friends
00:19:12.61\00:19:16.35
or their family
are judging them--
00:19:16.38\00:19:19.09
>>John: Yeah. >>Dr.
Nedley: ...in bad ways,
00:19:19.12\00:19:21.22
uh, or their work mates,
00:19:21.26\00:19:22.82
et cetera, and so
they're mind reading others, um,
00:19:22.86\00:19:26.96
in a, uh, paranoid,
uh, type of approach.
00:19:27.00\00:19:30.80
>>John: Okay, I'm gonna ask you
how to, how a person gets out
00:19:30.83\00:19:33.00
of that, but what you've, what
you've just given evidence of,
00:19:33.03\00:19:36.67
there's an
enormously strong connection
00:19:36.71\00:19:38.84
between what you
think and how that reacts
00:19:38.87\00:19:41.84
on you
physically. >>Dr. Nedley: Yes.
00:19:41.88\00:19:43.68
>>John: Your
body can break down--
00:19:43.71\00:19:45.75
>>Dr. Nedley: Yes.
>>John: ...simply based on
00:19:45.78\00:19:46.75
what you choose to
think. >>Dr. Nedley: Yes.
00:19:46.78\00:19:48.58
>>John: Meaning, it's really
very important to think healthy.
00:19:48.62\00:19:51.45
Okay, so, how do
you get out of that,
00:19:51.49\00:19:53.22
how do you get out
of that way of thinking
00:19:53.25\00:19:54.49
if you're an
anxious person who feels
00:19:54.52\00:19:56.32
those things you
were just describing?
00:19:56.36\00:19:58.59
>>Dr. Nedley:
Well, we have to go into
00:19:58.63\00:20:00.46
what they're
actually thinking and saying.
00:20:00.50\00:20:02.36
For instance, a person
with panic disorder will say,
00:20:02.40\00:20:05.17
"Well, when I feel this way,
00:20:05.20\00:20:06.37
I, I know I'm going to
either pass out or go crazy."
00:20:06.40\00:20:09.70
And I'll have to
ask the questions,
00:20:09.74\00:20:11.14
"How many times
have you passed out?"
00:20:11.17\00:20:13.14
"Well, I've never really passed
out when this has happened."
00:20:13.17\00:20:15.41
"How many times
have you gone crazy?"
00:20:15.44\00:20:16.98
"Well, I've never
really gone crazy."
00:20:17.01\00:20:18.61
"Okay, so let's
frame this differently
00:20:18.65\00:20:21.25
"and say it differently.
00:20:21.28\00:20:22.85
"When you're saying,
you're telling me that when
00:20:22.88\00:20:25.55
"you feel this way, you know
you're going to either pass out
00:20:25.59\00:20:28.22
"or go crazy, and that's never
happened. So, let's go back.
00:20:28.26\00:20:31.49
What, how can we accurately
describe what is happening?"
00:20:31.53\00:20:34.73
And when we describe
it in accurate terms,
00:20:34.76\00:20:36.67
it actually helps
prevent the panic episode,
00:20:36.70\00:20:38.97
uh, to begin with.
00:20:39.00\00:20:40.17
>>John: So, you're
asking people, coaching people,
00:20:40.20\00:20:42.80
teaching people to look
at things realistically.
00:20:42.84\00:20:45.31
>>Dr. Nedley: Exactly.
00:20:45.34\00:20:46.24
>>John: Uh, might
that be a little risky?
00:20:46.27\00:20:47.81
Some people's
reality might be, uh, shaky.
00:20:47.84\00:20:50.71
>>Dr. Nedley: That's why
we always have to base it
00:20:50.75\00:20:52.31
on evidence.
>>John: What do you see?
00:20:52.35\00:20:54.92
Describe the person
that you encounter, say,
00:20:54.95\00:20:58.72
where you conduct
your residential program
00:20:58.75\00:21:02.49
on the campus of
Weimar University
00:21:02.52\00:21:03.89
in northern California.
00:21:03.93\00:21:05.06
Someone comes to you, and
you're aware--or not aware--
00:21:05.09\00:21:09.66
what are you seeing in
their thoughts, and then after,
00:21:09.70\00:21:13.57
let's call it intervention,
treatment, therapy,
00:21:13.60\00:21:16.24
how those thoughts
change? Describe that change.
00:21:16.27\00:21:20.24
My guess is it's, it,
it's almost miraculous.
00:21:20.28\00:21:23.38
>>Dr. Nedley: It is. Yeah.
00:21:23.41\00:21:24.65
It actually works better than
taking a Xanax pill. [laughs]
00:21:24.68\00:21:28.82
And so, you know,
Xanax is often this drug
00:21:28.85\00:21:31.02
that's given for anxiety
and feeling out of control,
00:21:31.05\00:21:35.32
and it can calm you down
00:21:35.36\00:21:36.96
at the expense of
suppressing your frontal lobe.
00:21:36.99\00:21:39.63
But it's going to
take at least a few minutes
00:21:39.66\00:21:41.36
to get into your system.
00:21:41.40\00:21:43.06
When we correct the
thoughts, it's instantaneous.
00:21:43.10\00:21:46.23
And so, people will get excited:
"I was just able to do something
00:21:46.27\00:21:50.24
that instantly
made me feel better."
00:21:50.27\00:21:52.91
And that's empowering.
00:21:52.94\00:21:55.61
>>John: How is a person
able to do it that quickly?
00:21:55.64\00:21:57.61
Our thoughts are this
web, this tangled knot.
00:21:57.65\00:22:00.62
It's like a, you know,
a tangled-up fishing line.
00:22:00.65\00:22:03.95
But you're saying that in
moments things can smooth out.
00:22:03.99\00:22:07.22
>>Dr. Nedley: Yes, once
they start understanding
00:22:07.26\00:22:09.49
the distortions--we teach
them there's 10 different ways
00:22:09.52\00:22:11.93
of distorted thinking.
00:22:11.96\00:22:13.26
So we have to go into all of
those and all of those examples.
00:22:13.29\00:22:16.20
And then we teach them
how to reframe those thoughts.
00:22:16.23\00:22:19.33
Um, another text in the Bible
that comes, uh, to mind is,
00:22:19.37\00:22:23.30
"Be transformed by the
renewing of your mind."
00:22:23.34\00:22:26.51
>>John: Right.
>>Dr. Nedley: And so,
00:22:26.54\00:22:28.04
it's the renewing of their mind
00:22:28.08\00:22:29.84
that produces
that transformation
00:22:29.88\00:22:32.35
in not only their
thoughts but their feelings
00:22:32.38\00:22:35.82
because our feelings are based,
uh, of course, on our thoughts.
00:22:35.85\00:22:39.72
>>John: As a physician
you want people to be well.
00:22:39.75\00:22:42.39
You're a Christian
physician. >>Dr. Nedley: Mm-hmm.
00:22:42.42\00:22:44.23
>>John: So, while you're
interested in people being well
00:22:44.26\00:22:46.23
physically, emotionally,
you're also interested
00:22:46.26\00:22:48.30
in people being
well spiritually.
00:22:48.33\00:22:51.20
>>Dr. Nedley: Yes.
>>John: Um, look with me in the,
00:22:51.23\00:22:54.27
in the Bible for just a moment.
We don't have much more time,
00:22:54.30\00:22:57.91
but the, the great
spiritual importance
00:22:57.94\00:23:00.31
of having our
thoughts equaled out
00:23:00.34\00:23:03.78
to being where
God wants them to be,
00:23:03.81\00:23:07.15
how does that impact
a person spiritually?
00:23:07.18\00:23:09.12
Somebody goes home,
they're thinking better,
00:23:09.15\00:23:11.42
but now how does it impact
00:23:11.45\00:23:13.46
the potential for
their relationship with God?
00:23:13.49\00:23:15.29
>>Dr. Nedley: Oh, it
goes up astronomically.
00:23:15.32\00:23:17.79
You know, most people
that come to our program,
00:23:17.83\00:23:19.86
when I'll ask them--
00:23:19.89\00:23:21.03
uh, we do a spiritual inventory
on everyone that comes in:
00:23:21.06\00:23:24.30
"How do you feel as far as
your connectedness to God?"
00:23:24.33\00:23:27.34
We have some exceptions,
00:23:27.37\00:23:28.40
but most people
are rating themselves
00:23:28.44\00:23:30.31
somewhere between
zero and two out of 10
00:23:30.34\00:23:33.31
as far as their
connectedness to God.
00:23:33.34\00:23:35.61
And by the time they
leave, they're rating themselves
00:23:35.64\00:23:38.98
up there, uh, close to a nine
or maybe even a 10 out of 10.
00:23:39.01\00:23:43.22
And their spiritual
life is renewed as a result.
00:23:43.25\00:23:46.39
>>John: One of the
things I appreciate most
00:23:46.42\00:23:48.02
about this conversation is
that what you're demonstrating
00:23:48.06\00:23:51.03
is not only that there's
a way out, but it's simple,
00:23:51.06\00:23:56.33
and the results
are, are dramatic.
00:23:56.36\00:24:01.07
What's to stop a
person right now saying,
00:24:01.10\00:24:03.47
"Okay, I've got to,
I've got to give this a shot;
00:24:03.51\00:24:06.07
I'm gonna turn
my thinking around"?
00:24:06.11\00:24:07.41
What's to stop that person?
00:24:07.44\00:24:09.21
>>Dr. Nedley: Good question.
00:24:09.24\00:24:10.21
Really, it, it's
worth everything.
00:24:10.25\00:24:12.45
You know, who we are
is, is really our brain.
00:24:12.48\00:24:15.22
>>John: Right. >>Dr.
Nedley: If we can get
00:24:15.25\00:24:16.45
our brain working
well and be transformed,
00:24:16.48\00:24:19.62
it is worth whatever
investment [chuckles] that took.
00:24:19.65\00:24:23.86
And, uh, that may be one
of the inhibiting factors.
00:24:23.89\00:24:27.23
People think, oh,
you know, you know,
00:24:27.23\00:24:29.10
"I'm gonna have to
maybe buy a book to learn
00:24:29.13\00:24:31.63
how to think better,"
or, "I might have to"--
00:24:31.67\00:24:33.50
you know, money always
comes in the way of this.
00:24:33.54\00:24:36.91
But, uh, when we look at
the economic cost of depression,
00:24:36.94\00:24:40.88
you know, the average, uh,
individual that's depressed
00:24:40.91\00:24:44.81
throughout their life is going
to be $300,000 short in funds
00:24:44.85\00:24:49.82
in comparison to that same
person not being depressed.
00:24:49.85\00:24:54.16
Uh, and, and
that's just, you know,
00:24:54.19\00:24:57.06
a very conservative estimate.
00:24:57.09\00:24:59.33
Um, you know, a lot
of the economic problems
00:24:59.36\00:25:02.53
are actually induced
by what's in our mind,
00:25:02.56\00:25:04.87
and if we can get
our mind transformed,
00:25:04.90\00:25:07.30
our financial ability, our
success in so many other ways
00:25:07.34\00:25:11.57
goes up considerably. And
it's well worth the investment.
00:25:11.61\00:25:14.64
>>John: It's well
worth the investment.
00:25:14.68\00:25:17.35
Dr. Neil Nedley from
Nedley Health, thank you,
00:25:17.38\00:25:19.21
I appreciate it greatly.
>>Dr. Nedley: Thank you.
00:25:19.25\00:25:21.22
>>John: And I'd like you
to consider the way God thinks
00:25:21.25\00:25:24.19
and what God thinks about you.
00:25:24.22\00:25:27.32
First, we know the
Bible says that God is love.
00:25:27.36\00:25:30.53
We know that God gave
His Son Jesus for you,
00:25:30.56\00:25:35.30
so that should you believe,
you would have everlasting life.
00:25:35.33\00:25:39.13
And God spoke to
His own people once--
00:25:39.17\00:25:41.24
a rebellious people
they were, too--and He said,
00:25:41.27\00:25:43.27
"I know the thoughts
that I [have towards] you,"
00:25:43.30\00:25:45.27
He said, "thoughts of
peace, and not of evil,"
00:25:45.31\00:25:48.71
He said, "thoughts to
give you"--in one translation--
00:25:48.74\00:25:51.78
"a hope" and "a future."
00:25:51.81\00:25:53.72
Those are God's
thoughts towards you:
00:25:53.75\00:25:56.65
thoughts for hope and
thoughts for a future.
00:25:56.69\00:26:01.32
You take hold of
Jesus by the hand right now,
00:26:01.36\00:26:03.79
and your future is brighter
than it's ever been before.
00:26:03.83\00:26:06.70
>>Announcer: With
economic instability,
00:26:07.60\00:26:09.36
interpersonal challenges,
and the use of social media
00:26:09.40\00:26:12.23
on the rise, rates of depression
and anxiety have skyrocketed.
00:26:12.27\00:26:16.50
Call now for your free copy
00:26:16.54\00:26:18.91
of "Finding Lasting Healing
for Depression and Anxiety"
00:26:18.94\00:26:22.31
and learn helpful
and practical methods
00:26:22.34\00:26:24.58
that have been scientifically
proven to benefit mental health.
00:26:24.61\00:26:27.75
Call 800-253-3000.
00:26:27.78\00:26:30.42
That's 800-253-3000.
00:26:30.45\00:26:33.42
Or visit us
online at iiwoffer.com.
00:26:33.46\00:26:37.19
>>John: Let's pray together now.
00:26:38.53\00:26:40.33
Our Father in heaven, we
thank You today for Jesus.
00:26:40.36\00:26:43.30
We thank You for
Your thoughts towards us.
00:26:43.33\00:26:45.80
We thank You that in
Your mind we were worth enough
00:26:45.83\00:26:49.90
that Jesus would come to
this world and give His life.
00:26:49.94\00:26:52.61
We thank You for
the very blessed hope
00:26:52.64\00:26:55.64
that Jesus is soon to return.
00:26:55.68\00:26:57.51
Lord, would You renew our minds?
Would You put hope within us?
00:26:57.55\00:27:01.18
Would You guide us away from
destructive thought patterns?
00:27:01.22\00:27:04.32
To "think on these
things," as the Bible says,
00:27:04.35\00:27:07.46
to remember that God is love,
00:27:07.49\00:27:09.59
to remember that there is
nothing You would not give us,
00:27:09.62\00:27:13.63
evidenced by the fact that
You gave Jesus to die for us.
00:27:13.66\00:27:17.10
We live in hope today.
And I pray for that person
00:27:17.13\00:27:20.07
who is wrestling
with negative thoughts,
00:27:20.10\00:27:21.74
that person who's
battling depression,
00:27:21.77\00:27:24.04
that individual right now
who's dealing with anxiety
00:27:24.07\00:27:26.88
and maybe has been for years.
00:27:26.91\00:27:28.44
I pray, come close to
that person and guide him,
00:27:28.48\00:27:31.55
guide her out of
that place of difficulty
00:27:31.58\00:27:34.82
to a place of certainty
and hope and confidence.
00:27:34.85\00:27:38.25
We thank You that our hope
and confidence are in Jesus.
00:27:38.29\00:27:42.52
And we pray in Jesus' name.
00:27:42.56\00:27:44.79
Amen.
00:27:44.83\00:27:46.16
Thank you so
much for joining us.
00:27:46.19\00:27:47.66
I'm looking forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:27:47.66\00:27:49.96
Until then, remember:
00:27:50.00\00:27:51.60
"It is written, 'Man
shall not live by bread alone,
00:27:51.63\00:27:56.30
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
00:27:56.34\00:28:01.28
¤[dramatic,
triumphant theme music]¤
00:28:01.31\00:28:05.31
¤[music ends]¤¤
00:28:26.84\00:28:28.84