The Psychiatry of Stereotyping, Prejudice, and Resilience
“You cannot control the behavior of others, but you can always choose how you respond to it.” ― Roy T. Bennett (Zimbabwe)
One needs the skills and tools to be empowered to interact without being lured into an argument, getting judgemental, or criticizing others. The tools covered here are Mindfulness, Building Trust, and Motivational Interviewing.
Social interactions are governed by rules and standards, such as manners, crucial for maintaining civility and respect in both formal and informal settings. These protocols help prevent hostility, which can lead to feelings of impotence and mental health issues. Promoting civility involves respecting diverse viewpoints and avoiding demeaning behavior. Judith Martin's (Miss Manners) insights highlight the societal need for manners and personal restraint.
Wisdom is not solely about knowledge, but how it's utilized in one's actions, decisions, and problem-solving. Traits of wisdom, as reviewed by Meeks and Jeste, include prosocial behaviors, practical life knowledge, emotional stability, reflective self-understanding, tolerance, and dealing with uncertainty. To cultivate wisdom, daily mindfulness and reflective practices are recommended.
When learning new skills, such as Motivational Interviewing (MI), self-assessment is crucial in the absence of a supervisor. Here are beginners and comprehensive self-rating forms. Comparing self-ratings to the other person's resistance or openness is a guide to the accuracy of the self-rating.
Motivational Interviewing, developed by Miller and Rollnick for addiction patients, facilitates conversations on change. Emphasizing empathy and "Right Speech" (truthfulness, non-alienation, kindness), it uses principles to navigate the stages of change without resistance. Open-ended questions encourage self-commitment to change. Future content will introduce a self-rating tool derived from a NIDA study to assess how you are doing.
Transference involves projecting one's feelings onto an analyst, while countertransference is the reverse. These psychological phenomena stem from our unconscious efforts to find familiar patterns. Such biases can distort relationships, requiring awareness to address them. Upcoming blogs will explore techniques to mitigate these biases.
No one will listen if they don't trust you. The Trust Equation provides a framework to build trust through credibility, reliability, intimacy, and reducing self-orientation. You build trust through understanding, not coercion.
Culture has evolved from valuing character traits to prioritizing personality, heavily influenced by social media's focus on appearances and impressions. An example of Ageism have been undue negative comments about President Biden's abilities when elderly individuals retain wisdom and most cognitive functions. Wisdom can be defined by six subcomponents and can be nurtured. Postive psychiatry is a focus on developing traits that enhance psychological resilience and overall well-being.
Mindfulness, a state of heightened awareness, contrasts with mindlessness or "monkey brain." It extends beyond neocortical thought to encompass feelings, art, music, and intuition. Techniques like deep breathing refocus attention internally and fosters comfort with change. It improves emotional regulation. Meditation cultivates focused, experiential reflection, enhancing one's sense of control and presence.