iMIND
THE ART OF CHANGE AND SELF-THERAPY
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(Excerpt) Chapter 7. Our Ability to Change It has been stated that the only thing that welcomes a change is a wet baby. Previously, I stated that we are all resistant to change as a fundamental part of our very nature. We live in a world where there are so many opportunities for us to be swayed into accepting a particular perspective. With our ever shortening attention spans, we often prefer to live in fantasy than to see or deal with truth. It is a tragic process when people are either directly or indirectly indoctrinated with their expected “place” and “station” in life. When attempting to change your life, if you wish to see your greatest ally or to see your worst enemy: look in any mirror. If you wish to quit smoking, lose weight, get physically fit, excel in sports or academics, or to perfect your ability to play an instrument; you must first create an internal mental change. While our ability to change should never be underestimated, there are real obstacles to change. The following story will help to illustrate a very important concept. Imagine if you will, a person walking through a dark field at midnight. He has no flashlight and is unable to see anything around him. At that very moment a thunderstorm is occurring in the near distance. Occasionally, there is a flash of lightning and for a split second he is able to see the trees, the ground, the rocks and boulders that surround him in his immediate environment. For a split second he sees reality. The environment as it truly is, and not simply as he had imagined it to be. However, as the flash of lightning disappears he is again left in total darkness. He is again totally blind to the world around him. The picture he saw fades in his mind. He begins to question what he actually saw. However, with each successive flash of lightning he is able to see more images of his immediate environment. As he accumulates more images, he is able to fuse them together to form a more stable mental picture of his environment. That mental picture can then prove to be quite useful. He can begin to use it to navigate and negotiate his environment. It can prove to be protective by preventing him from stumbling over boulders, walking into trees, falling into pits or deep water, etc. The process of self-discovery, self-therapy, and inner change involves such a journey. Only through repeated exposures to reality can we see clearly and progress towards the desired end...
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About the Book
David Sinclair Arnold, M.D., was born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y. He is a Psychiatrist and serves as the Medical Director of the Acute Care Inpatient Psychiatry Unit for the Veterans Administration Hospital located in Baltimore. He is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Maryland, College of Medicine, and teaches medical students and residents. He completed his psychiatric residency training at the Albert Einstein Medical Center located in Philadelphia. He received his Board Certification in Psychiatry, and is a Fellow of the American Board of Forensic Medicine. He is also a member of the New York Academy of Sciences. Dr. Arnold was honored by former Baltimore Mayor, the Honorable Kurt L. Schmoke, with a citizen citation for “Your Outstanding Leadership and Provision of Excellent Mental Health Services to the Community.” Over the past twenty years, he has given multiple speaking engagements and lectures concerning mental health care and wellness at universities, local churches, synagogues, mosques, and schools. He has made several television appearances on programs such as the WBAL Local News and the “Café Be More” show with Frank Ski; discussing topics such as depression, children and violence, and the impact of mental illness on our families and our communities. He has had many radio appearances on 92Q FM, Spirit 1400 AM, Magic 95 FM, “Urban Health Beat” 1010 AM, and “The Journey towards Wholeness” WOLB. Dr. Arnold is an entertaining and gifted speaker. Dr. Arnold holds a third degree black belt in Kempo Karate. For many years he has served as a karate instructor for children and adults, and has taught women’s self defense classes. He has sat on school boards and has served as a mentor for school aged children. He currently lives in Baltimore, Maryland. He is an avid Ravens fan!
About the Author
David Sinclair Arnold, M.D., was born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y. He is a Psychiatrist and serves as the Medical Director of the Acute Care Inpatient Psychiatry Unit for the Veterans Administration Hospital located in Baltimore. He is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Maryland, College of Medicine, and teaches medical students and residents. He completed his psychiatric residency training at the Albert Einstein Medical Center located in Philadelphia. He received his Board Certification in Psychiatry, and is a Fellow of the American Board of Forensic Medicine. He is also a member of the New York Academy of Sciences. Dr. Arnold was honored by former Baltimore Mayor, the Honorable Kurt L. Schmoke, with a citizen citation for "Your Outstanding Leadership and Provision of Excellent Mental Health Services to the Community." Over the past twenty years, he has given multiple speaking engagements and lectures concerning mental health care and wellness at universities, local churches, synagogues, mosques, and schools. He has made several television appearances on programs such as the WBAL Local News and the "Café Be More" show with Frank Ski; discussing topics such as depression, children and violence, and the impact of mental illness on our families and our communities. He has had many radio appearances on 92Q FM, Spirit 1400 AM, Magic 95 FM, "Urban Health Beat" 1010 AM, and "The Journey towards Wholeness" WOLB. Dr. Arnold is an entertaining and gifted speaker. Dr. Arnold holds a third degree black belt in Kempo Karate. For many years he has served as a karate instructor for children and adults, and has taught women's self defense classes. He has sat on school boards and has served as a mentor for school aged children. He currently lives in Baltimore, Maryland. He is an avid Ravens fan!