Brain Pain and Changing our Brains

Brain Pain - from Hoarders' Brains Overwhelmed By Decisions

In a study in Archives of General Psychiatry, brain images of specific regions of the brain - show that hoarders respond quite differently when making decisions about their possessions - than people with obsessive compulsive disorder and people without any mental disorder.

"That brain network goes into hyperdrive, starts freaking out," says researcher David Tolin, PhD, a psychologist at the Institute of Living in Hartford, Conn. "The task seems to overload the network."

When it comes to their own possessions, says Tolin, the decision-making process for hoarders becomes very difficult, even painful, so they avoid it. And so, stuff keeps piling up."

Shopping Addiction / Stop Bringing Stuff In
One of the most important (maybe the most important) rules of decluttering is to Stop Bringing Stuff In. If we have a slip, we can use the One-in-One-out rule, which is that for every item we bring into the house - we must donate/trash/sell an item of a similar function and/or size. Better yet, do it as One-in-Two-Out!!

Shopping Addiction - from Five Ways To Break A Shopping Addiction - And Five Ways To Help Someone Else With Their Addiction - The Simple Dollar

“To successfully deal with shopaholism, knowing what goes on in the mind of an affected individual is important. Contrary to popular belief, shopping addicts are not always easygoing young women who are only concerned about the latest shoes and handbags. Truth be told, the shopaholic often suffers from emotional problems, has low self-esteem, and desires the approval of other people. Positive encouragement is a great way to help the addict follow constructive advice. Let the person realize that self-worth is not related to the items that they buy.

A shopping addict also has trouble controlling impulsive behavior, which can be addressed by dealing with the underlying issues. Finally, the shopaholic often has a profound sense of materialism, with the assumption that affection and admiration can also be bought. A real social connection with other people helps to reduce this problem.”

Tips for breaking the addiction include:
 * “Shop” without any method of payment. (We used to call it "window shopping" back in the day.
 * Do a spring cleaning. Put like things together, and seeing how much stuff we have can be an eye-opener.
 * Chop up your credit cards. Spend only actual cash.
 * Avoid stores altogether. Do anything at all besides going to the stores where temptation abounds.
 * Change your routine. Change your commute paths if they take you past your favorite shopping spots.

Behavioral Change and Replacing Bad Habits with Good Habits
Behavioral Change - Whether it's to change our hoarding/cluttering habits - or maybe we have a problem with acquiring/shopping.

From The Habit Change Cheatsheet: 29 Ways to Successfully Ingrain a Behavior

Habit change is not that complicated. While the tips below will seem overwhelming, there’s really only a few things you need to know. Everything else is just helping these to become reality.

The simple steps of habit change:
 * 1) Write down your plan.
 * 2) Identify your triggers and replacement habits.
 * 3) Focus on doing the replacement habits every single time the triggers happen, for about 30 days.

More details and tips are included in The Habit Change Cheatsheet article.

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." – Aristotle

Coping Strategies
One thing we need to make those Behavioral Changes (Change our Habits) is coping mechanisms - things to do when you're trying to declutter or maybe to not shop - and you're maybe a little stressed or anxious.

From Why you need healthy coping mechanisms in recovery

"Coping strategies vary from person to person and depending on the situation. Here are some healthy coping strategies:


 * Meditation and relaxation – This can include deep breathing techniques, relaxation skills, and muscle relaxation meant to reduce stress and rid the mind of worry.
 * Alone time – Allowing yourself time alone to process the stress of life and hide away from it.
 * Exercise – Increasing your heart rate causes the body to release natural endorphins that make you feel good.
 * Spirituality – Believing in a higher power or deeper spiritual connection and practicing that faith can be beneficial to your coping and mental health.
 * Humor – Acknowledging the humorous aspects of a problem, or “positive reframing” can help you deal with small setbacks of failures.
 * Sleeping – When the human body is stressed it needs to rest and reset. Sleep can give you the rest you need to perform another day.
 * Eating healthy – Eating foods that are good for you improve your physical health and mental health. When your body receives the proper nutrients, it can function more efficiently."


 * Journaling - One other very important coping strategy is Journal Writing. It can be a key ingredient to making true behavioral changes. It has been said that, “If you can track it, you can change it." Journaling helps us clarify our thoughts and feelings, reduce stress, and to address bad feelings/emotions with others!

From The Profound Benefits of Keeping a Journal | Dr. Randy Kamen

The Ten Benefits of Journal Writing


 * 1) Helps to clarify your goals and dreams
 * 2) Fosters awareness about your personal life and the world around you
 * 3) Allows you to think through your actions and minimize impulsiveness
 * 4) Clarifies the roles of the important players in your life
 * 5) Improves the ability to control strong emotions, as you have already expressed them on paper
 * 6) Allows you to understand more clearly developments in your relationships
 * 7) Develops your writing skills which facilitates other writing projects
 * 8) Keeps you company wherever you go
 * 9) Creates an opportunity to settle down
 * 10) Reduces stress, improves coping abilities and feelings of happiness

Any day is a perfect day to begin writing in your journal.

Links

 * Hoarders' Brains Overwhelmed By Decisions
 * Five Ways To Break A Shopping Addiction - And Five Ways To Help Someone Else With Their Addiction - The Simple Dollar
 * The Habit Change Cheatsheet: 29 Ways to Successfully Ingrain a Behavior
 * Why you need healthy coping mechanisms in recovery
 * The Profound Benefits of Keeping a Journal | Dr. Randy Kamen

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