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Learn how one program is helping patients cope with chronic illnesses by using the science behind positive psychology
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Yeah.
Hello welcome to help dog I'm Dr.
-- Did you ever think positivity could be use as a drug well.
When we have a positive a -- of life our brain becomes more engaged motivated and productive.
And this can help with our health.
Joining me today is -- there and -- researcher shown a court to tell us how he is helping people with chronic illnesses.
By using science behind positive psychology.
Act -- with Sean is Michel closed who is using national state and take weeks to overcome.
The challenges she's facing living with and that's welcome -- positive attitude -- -- I think is important.
-- -- two of you were brought together through a program called.
Every day matters right tell me about the program.
But it's an incredible program it's -- out partnership between the national MS society and Genzyme and what they are doing is.
They want to make positive psychology bit towards we've been learning about how we can raise people's almost happened as we want to find ways to make the more practical.
So I wrote a book out called the happiness -- -- and that I try to summarize some very simple -- and habits people do based upon the research.
So the everyday matters campaign as they took five -- -- 12100 people.
Applied to be part of this app program who have and that's we picked five of them based upon the different challenge is that they're experiencing.
And there reading -- happiness and it's they're practicing how that's with Michelle over a period of couple months.
And the end we're gonna tell their story back out and MS community and beyond because.
Carbo we want to show is happiness really is a choice it's.
So and when you mean -- -- being happy mean attitude positive attitude right.
Now.
You you'd done a lot of research on this end and how would you define.
Them -- the did the program how -- would you define the topic of you know being positive.
Well first off the way that -- find happiness is not just the pleasure that we normally feel it's the joy we feel striving towards our potential.
The reason that we love this definition is because our but it does it takes away from the momentary pleasure you can feel you can fill.
Ups and downs in your life based upon your work are based upon a chronic illness that doesn't necessarily mean it's not.
So because I want to make the distinction there because there's been a couple of papers relating to this.
You mean you're not talking about lying to yourself brick right here so -- not talking about.
No no no they tell me if I have a problem that I don't believe them I'm gonna be happy I'm -- ignored their advice and that's always said.
Now Michelle you've been using would you would -- on.
How has this been helping you because you suffered from a mess right.
Yeah I I have MS and I wouldn't have chosen to have MS but I feel fortunate to be working in this this program with -- and MS society and Genzyme.
Because I really live that principles of positive psychology -- had MS for about 21 years right and in the beginning.
I was afraid and every night I would go to sleep thinking am I going to be able to lock and that lasted like six months and I thought you know I'm not gonna live -- -- -- like this and that was the fear factor yes fear factor and I decided.
I'm not gonna take an inventory every day when I get up to see what's wrong I'm gonna take an inventory be grateful that -- that I can walk.
And then I'm then I'm gonna learn how to run.
And I'm gonna focus on the positive.
And and that really helped you a -- I believe it really helped me a -- increased my wellbeing I think it had an impact on my social.
Network which.
In effect in big -- my well being.
Because I think that -- view you know I you know as a doctor I deal with many people with chronic illnesses.
And yes they take that oh my god that that glass is always MP.
And I think that they compiled a lot of secondary symptoms due to the sadness due to the depression right which menu you know I said doctor sometimes I don't know what I'm chasing right.
-- chasing a symptom.
Or might chasing a ghost of -- -- breath right.
Com now you gotta teach me something this is what the show is about give me some techniques.
Of how people can develop a positive attitude.
What that there's a lot that we've been we've been trying to find ways that it make you very practical and as you might know.
The average scientific journal article is only read by seven people -- tell me about and I have resident yeah.
Which runs in a rowing crews -- researchers mothers and there's researches and getting out -- because we're so busy and so we try to do is -- things are short so one examples.
-- that things were giving -- a program as we had.
People for 21 days in a -- just trying to create a -- habit every morning when they woke up.
They're -- -- two minute you know praising or thinking somebody in their social support network family member friend coach a teacher.
Is amazing when he when you do this you don't have have a method to do that I let this.
New -- these states -- 21 days later you pack your brain actually realize yet incredibly robust social support now you've meaningfully activated 21 people and your social support network -- -- -- You know just three days you're absolutely -- think -- to spend all day long think about how amazing where for riding but he mountain right in the morning.
But what happens is you deepen social connection which based on Larry -- actually won the greatest predictor tally of happiness but it helped us -- Previous research has shown that if you could deepen social connection it can be.
As predictive of our long seventy as smoking high blood pressure and obesity which of course we know the the roles of those plays we've.
We sometimes forget about social connection.
We find some times with the masses of people -- connection with other people -- -- -- what we're trying to do is get them feel like that they can provide that back again simple -- -- -- can do that.
Must have people like Michelle is missing for 21 days in row just wake up each morning right down three things that they're grateful for.
And -- -- each day and have to be specific but 21 days -- you've got 63 things are grateful for which isn't the reason why we did at the reason we did it has.
Researchers had actually found that when you do this for 21 days but it takes some of these pessimist who always test pessimist who maybe has -- -- -- as people -- in the land that we not only need to be happy about -- exactly 21 days later those people are actually testing hasn't low to moderate level optimists right.
Six months later that pattern continues to -- these are small little tweaks you can make -- -- Long term change Michel of all the things -- -- amount ensure their other tips that we can find out about which when you like better.
What I've been doing for a long time is when I can't go to sleep -- make a lit I'm always worry about what I'm gonna do inside make a list and play this game if I can't control what I'm boring about I have to let -- go.
And if I can control it -- I can focus on what's the next task might have put myself to sleep that way as well as doing the gratitude list in my head.
That's great well that's great -- That.
So how can people you know people watching the program.
What's the bottom line here what's the message and where can people get more information.
I think the basic message -- searches scientifically happiness actually has the choice we oftentimes think it's just the external world the controls are happiness.
But they're very simple habits that we know we can actually rewire the brain for higher levels of optimism.
Very simply people wanna learn more about positive psychology that a great -- And it Indiana has nothing to do would be in sync at all and -- I think positive that is to use helps you.
In general health that's why help everybody else that there was a guy in the seventies when I was growing up in California -- inaudible -- godly.
He was a psychologist and he taught a course.
On love and and who if anybody ever listen to him you just what you would you leave the -- so happy with such a positive attitude.
And that was one of is they don't you know this is not as deep as you as you've got a new research but again -- -- love has been around.
The topic of positive thinking has been around for long time and it works -- all right so people can get more information where.
Get a -- every day and mass matters dot org you can find out everything that we've been doing in terms of the five people hear their stories be part of the community.
But -- get to do this research yourself because this is for.
Forever just not just for people -- -- -- thank you foods to have you for coming on the program thank you perhaps all think positive and -- having health questions you talk to me about.
Email me -- fox has got to many of functions -- gone.
Thanks for watching -- Fox News on documents.
