As a consumer/layperson myself, and NOT a scientist, I have always been under the impression that Psychology Today was not a trade journal but a popular and populist magazine for the average consumer/layperson. Apparently, this reviewer may think Psychology Today is JAMA, The Lancet, or something similar?
My own reading of your writing, Loretta, has been so incredibly helpful. I have a much better grasp of why I do seemingly senseless, cruel, silly, obsessive things and though I am kinda lax on taking action toward not doing the idiotic things, I feel you have been extremely generous about sharing the tools on how to do and feel better.
The reviewer, it seems, may have some personal feelings going on related to you. How can it be that there is such a massive buildup of stuff you've been doing wrong all this time and yet you have been a Psychology Today writer for some time now. Did they wait until now to dump this on your head for a good reason?
Speaking for myself, although I know there are others (I've read their posts), I'm glad you are on the planet. I am glad you are so interested in the brain and willing to pass on what you have learned.
Thanks for keeping us in the loop.
And BIG sorry for any unpleasant/uncomfortable (serotonin drop big time? cortisol spike? severe lack of oxytocin? and what else...?) feelings you may be experiencing. Ugh.
PT's loss! Neuroscience IS complex, and those who write in jargon and obscurities are often just protecting their own position, or trying to make themselves look cleverer. It is a far higher, greater skill to make the complexities simple to understand. Nobody has time to get a degree in neuroscience in order to read an article. We all just want it served up on a way that we can understand and DO something with it (IE: YOUR way! 😊)
Wow - how rude - PT could do with some training in “tact and diplomacy” - I obviously have brainpower of a 7 year old as I am loving your book and your podcasts Loretta - I look forward to interviewing you for the Tribe Sober podcast later this week - let’s help alcohol dependent people to build a more healthy neural pathway 🤓🎧💕
The thing is, I am a recent discoverer of your books and site. This has revolutionized my life. I truly believed that there was no answer for my ptsd from childhood. I am free for the first time in 76 years. Once I understood that my reactions were fake caused by chemicals, I could ignore them and get on with life. Such joy. Thank you.
You have summarized it perfectly: "Once I understood that my reactions were fake caused by chemicals, I could ignore them and get on with life." I hope more people understand that.
I struggle with PTSD. Is there something specific that Dr. Breuning wrote that you found especially helpful? My general takeaway is that our brains evolved not to make us happy but to see to it that we survive. It may be a hellacious ride but at least the vehicle is still running. So now, when I get hijacked to the flashback film festival, I thank my brain for doing its job, give myself about 20 minutes for the stress chemicals to get metabolized, then try to carry on. I am extremely grateful for Dr. Breuning’s work.
Thanks Susan. It doesn't have to be hellacious because you know those bad feelings are just old circuits getting activated, so you build an exit ramp and a new highway to your happy chemicals. Plan small healthy rewards often, and when you feel distressed, look for the pattern and notice how it's just an old pattern running on autopilot.
You zeroed in on what I’ve been neglecting: rewards. Since the pandemic began, I no longer even feel like a person. I’ve become the Household Ministry of Food, Finance, Logistics, Health and Safety. (I put the funk in “highly functional.”) So I asked my sulking self, what would you enjoy? Buy something pretty? No. Bubble bath? No. Play the piano? No. Watch some stand-up comedy? No. Ok then, chocolate? ice cream? booze? no, No, NO! Oh c’mon. Isn’t there something? I scanned Chapter 7 of “Tame Your Anxiety.” Bingo! There it was: “Free time may be the reward you want more than anything else, and you have the power to get it. But you may be absolutely convinced that you can’t have it because you are too busy for a break.” Whooosh! YES! A day off. With no cooking, no schedule, no spreadsheets, no to-do lists. I don’t yet know how I’m going to make it happen — and on a regular basis — but this is clearly the exit ramp I need to build. Note to fellow mammals: if you are too hard on yourself, your “symptoms” may increase until you pay attention. Thank you Loretta, for your intelligence and your kindness. Looking forward to your upcoming book on status games.
Yes! And if you can't get a whole day off, take ten minutes in the morning and ten at night. And work up from there. But to be honest, may people don't really like free time because bad thoughts come when you have it. That's why people are addicted to busy-ness. So it takes practice to allow the bad thoughts and redirect.
The PT response has reptile brain written all over it. This is someone who is fearful. If you continue to use simple language that people understand, the scientists will be needed less. The rudeness is the evidence imho.
I have already subscribed to your new Substack blog, it is outrageous to see the attitude that PsychologyToday has had with you, it is a sample of the economic and dark interests that for them and for many organizations in the world are more important than people.
You have my full support, Loretta, I have been researching human behavior for many years and knowing you and your message is the best thing that has happened to me, for me what you teach us has a huge scientific basis.
Do not worry the great geniuses, as you comment in your books, they had, have and will have the opposition of old-fashioned and closed-minded scientists who saw their "status" in danger.
A big hug from Spain and thanks for everything you share with us.
Hola, Loretta!!
Ya me he suscrito a tu nuevo blog de Substack, es indignante ver la actitud que ha tenido PsychologyToday contigo, es una muestra de los intereses económicos y oscuros que para ellos y para muchas organizaciones del mundo son más importantes que las personas.
Tienes mi total apoyo, Loretta, llevo muchos años investigando el comportamiento humano y conocerte a ti y a tu mensaje es lo mejor que me ha pasado, para mí lo que nos enseñas tiene una base científica enorme.
No te preocupes los grandes genios, tal y como comentas en tus libros, tuvieron, tienen y tendrán la oposición de los científicos anticuados y de mente cerrada que veían peligrar su “status”.
Un enorme abrazo desde España y gracias por todo lo que compartes con nosotros
All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident...Arthur Schopenhauer You're the Best Loretta! Thank you for your life's work.
I'd be delighted to change his quote to "vehemently' instead of violently to reflect our collective evolution toward more peaceful interaction with those we disagree with. Humanity IS evolving, just not fast enough for some of us 🥰
Dear Loretta, your books changed my life, my understanding of my self. I stopped complaining and got on with noticing how much I have and how blessed I am. And I got to work making my life even better. Your work helped me understand why people act the way they do, and how to navigate this world. To sum it up, your work had been invaluable to me. Thank you so much and please keep spreading the word. I am always looking for new insights from you!!!
Here's my initial impression. I know more about other types of science, aspects of Physics, which I believe you have close resources to help review my belief. I'm thinking about Psych Today living in a world of "Classical Mechanics", perhaps best described by Sir Isaac Newton, whose individual contribution stopped circa 1726. Other scientists added to the discussion, and as time passed, in 1905, Albert Einstein published several groundbreaking, scientific papers. These became the basis for Einstein's thought that the laws of "Classical Mechanics" could no longer be reconciled with those of the electromagnetic field. In short, given the "relativistic changes" in how Einstein reinterpreted the physical world, Newton would have been unable to easily comprehend what Einstein had discovered due to the "limited notions" of Classical Mechanics. People who have been used to looking at things in a certain way often find it difficult to quickly comprehend a fresh viewpoint . It is AWFULLY difficult to understand something when lack of "tact and diplomacy" do not allow for enlightening discussion to occur. Your work describes the brain using different language, perhaps concepts which require a reimagining of the science. This may or may not be analogous to classical vs advanced theories in physics and quantum mechanics, but I am confident that an editor at Psych Today would improve his Journal if he/she/it took the time to better comprehend the notion of "Happy Chemicals" described in an article dated circa Valentine's Day 2012, in Psych Today, about a book which he/she/it should read and not be afraid to ask questions. Quod erat demonstrandum? IMHO.
Sic. Each insight lays a foundation for future insights. That's why I'm grateful to Sigmund Freud even though he was wrong about a lot. I write about him in my new book Status Games: Why We Play and How to Stop https://www.amazon.com/dp/1538144190/
My thoughts: 1) The reviewer seemed unprofessional to me, and I was irritated by how they seemed to treat you. It felt like someone in my "tribe" was under attack. 2) I really admire your work and have found it helpful for self-improvement, but I do agree with some of the substance of the review. I think that your simplified presentation of neuroscience works well in a self-improvement setting, but I can see how it wouldn't be effective for all audiences/settings. 3) If I am being completely honest, I don't think this article was as clear/helpful to me as your other articles have been. 4) I think your strongest contribution is teaching people how to think about behavior and motivation through the lens of evolutionary psychology. I don't think the value of your work hinges on any of us being able to describe the exact mechanics in neuroscience.
Lastly, I'm just sorry that you received that review in the way it was written. That would raise my hackles and make me instantly feel defensive (which I did feel on your behalf).
I love your work, Loretta, keep it up! I've recently read Habits of A Happy Brain and the one on anxiety. They have been life-changing for me. Thank you.
"Dopamine for the chase, serotonin from the catch." I find professor's Bruening's blog: Your Neurochemical Self to be the most useful and helpful one. I've learned more it than another other one: www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/your-neurochemical-self
Thank you Dr Bruening,
Markus Youssef
Complier of the therapy quotes collections, 1001 Windmills of the Mind
I welcome your thoughts.
Jeeze-a-whizzers.
As a consumer/layperson myself, and NOT a scientist, I have always been under the impression that Psychology Today was not a trade journal but a popular and populist magazine for the average consumer/layperson. Apparently, this reviewer may think Psychology Today is JAMA, The Lancet, or something similar?
My own reading of your writing, Loretta, has been so incredibly helpful. I have a much better grasp of why I do seemingly senseless, cruel, silly, obsessive things and though I am kinda lax on taking action toward not doing the idiotic things, I feel you have been extremely generous about sharing the tools on how to do and feel better.
The reviewer, it seems, may have some personal feelings going on related to you. How can it be that there is such a massive buildup of stuff you've been doing wrong all this time and yet you have been a Psychology Today writer for some time now. Did they wait until now to dump this on your head for a good reason?
Speaking for myself, although I know there are others (I've read their posts), I'm glad you are on the planet. I am glad you are so interested in the brain and willing to pass on what you have learned.
Thanks for keeping us in the loop.
And BIG sorry for any unpleasant/uncomfortable (serotonin drop big time? cortisol spike? severe lack of oxytocin? and what else...?) feelings you may be experiencing. Ugh.
Warm regards to you,
-Brooke.
Thank you!!!
Yes indeed, it doesn't add up. That's why I decided to write this new series. Academics have always opposed my work, and people should know about it.
PT's loss! Neuroscience IS complex, and those who write in jargon and obscurities are often just protecting their own position, or trying to make themselves look cleverer. It is a far higher, greater skill to make the complexities simple to understand. Nobody has time to get a degree in neuroscience in order to read an article. We all just want it served up on a way that we can understand and DO something with it (IE: YOUR way! 😊)
Wow - how rude - PT could do with some training in “tact and diplomacy” - I obviously have brainpower of a 7 year old as I am loving your book and your podcasts Loretta - I look forward to interviewing you for the Tribe Sober podcast later this week - let’s help alcohol dependent people to build a more healthy neural pathway 🤓🎧💕
The thing is, I am a recent discoverer of your books and site. This has revolutionized my life. I truly believed that there was no answer for my ptsd from childhood. I am free for the first time in 76 years. Once I understood that my reactions were fake caused by chemicals, I could ignore them and get on with life. Such joy. Thank you.
You have summarized it perfectly: "Once I understood that my reactions were fake caused by chemicals, I could ignore them and get on with life." I hope more people understand that.
I struggle with PTSD. Is there something specific that Dr. Breuning wrote that you found especially helpful? My general takeaway is that our brains evolved not to make us happy but to see to it that we survive. It may be a hellacious ride but at least the vehicle is still running. So now, when I get hijacked to the flashback film festival, I thank my brain for doing its job, give myself about 20 minutes for the stress chemicals to get metabolized, then try to carry on. I am extremely grateful for Dr. Breuning’s work.
Thanks Susan. It doesn't have to be hellacious because you know those bad feelings are just old circuits getting activated, so you build an exit ramp and a new highway to your happy chemicals. Plan small healthy rewards often, and when you feel distressed, look for the pattern and notice how it's just an old pattern running on autopilot.
You zeroed in on what I’ve been neglecting: rewards. Since the pandemic began, I no longer even feel like a person. I’ve become the Household Ministry of Food, Finance, Logistics, Health and Safety. (I put the funk in “highly functional.”) So I asked my sulking self, what would you enjoy? Buy something pretty? No. Bubble bath? No. Play the piano? No. Watch some stand-up comedy? No. Ok then, chocolate? ice cream? booze? no, No, NO! Oh c’mon. Isn’t there something? I scanned Chapter 7 of “Tame Your Anxiety.” Bingo! There it was: “Free time may be the reward you want more than anything else, and you have the power to get it. But you may be absolutely convinced that you can’t have it because you are too busy for a break.” Whooosh! YES! A day off. With no cooking, no schedule, no spreadsheets, no to-do lists. I don’t yet know how I’m going to make it happen — and on a regular basis — but this is clearly the exit ramp I need to build. Note to fellow mammals: if you are too hard on yourself, your “symptoms” may increase until you pay attention. Thank you Loretta, for your intelligence and your kindness. Looking forward to your upcoming book on status games.
Yes! And if you can't get a whole day off, take ten minutes in the morning and ten at night. And work up from there. But to be honest, may people don't really like free time because bad thoughts come when you have it. That's why people are addicted to busy-ness. So it takes practice to allow the bad thoughts and redirect.
The PT response has reptile brain written all over it. This is someone who is fearful. If you continue to use simple language that people understand, the scientists will be needed less. The rudeness is the evidence imho.
Hi Loretta !!
I have already subscribed to your new Substack blog, it is outrageous to see the attitude that PsychologyToday has had with you, it is a sample of the economic and dark interests that for them and for many organizations in the world are more important than people.
You have my full support, Loretta, I have been researching human behavior for many years and knowing you and your message is the best thing that has happened to me, for me what you teach us has a huge scientific basis.
Do not worry the great geniuses, as you comment in your books, they had, have and will have the opposition of old-fashioned and closed-minded scientists who saw their "status" in danger.
A big hug from Spain and thanks for everything you share with us.
Hola, Loretta!!
Ya me he suscrito a tu nuevo blog de Substack, es indignante ver la actitud que ha tenido PsychologyToday contigo, es una muestra de los intereses económicos y oscuros que para ellos y para muchas organizaciones del mundo son más importantes que las personas.
Tienes mi total apoyo, Loretta, llevo muchos años investigando el comportamiento humano y conocerte a ti y a tu mensaje es lo mejor que me ha pasado, para mí lo que nos enseñas tiene una base científica enorme.
No te preocupes los grandes genios, tal y como comentas en tus libros, tuvieron, tienen y tendrán la oposición de los científicos anticuados y de mente cerrada que veían peligrar su “status”.
Un enorme abrazo desde España y gracias por todo lo que compartes con nosotros
Gracias como siempre por tu apoyo.
Keep going with your beautiful work. Your truth shines radiantly.
All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident...Arthur Schopenhauer You're the Best Loretta! Thank you for your life's work.
Thanks. I'll try not to think about the "violent" part.
I'd be delighted to change his quote to "vehemently' instead of violently to reflect our collective evolution toward more peaceful interaction with those we disagree with. Humanity IS evolving, just not fast enough for some of us 🥰
Dear Loretta, your books changed my life, my understanding of my self. I stopped complaining and got on with noticing how much I have and how blessed I am. And I got to work making my life even better. Your work helped me understand why people act the way they do, and how to navigate this world. To sum it up, your work had been invaluable to me. Thank you so much and please keep spreading the word. I am always looking for new insights from you!!!
Hi Nurse Betty, That is such a perfect summary of what I try to do.Thank you!
Here's my initial impression. I know more about other types of science, aspects of Physics, which I believe you have close resources to help review my belief. I'm thinking about Psych Today living in a world of "Classical Mechanics", perhaps best described by Sir Isaac Newton, whose individual contribution stopped circa 1726. Other scientists added to the discussion, and as time passed, in 1905, Albert Einstein published several groundbreaking, scientific papers. These became the basis for Einstein's thought that the laws of "Classical Mechanics" could no longer be reconciled with those of the electromagnetic field. In short, given the "relativistic changes" in how Einstein reinterpreted the physical world, Newton would have been unable to easily comprehend what Einstein had discovered due to the "limited notions" of Classical Mechanics. People who have been used to looking at things in a certain way often find it difficult to quickly comprehend a fresh viewpoint . It is AWFULLY difficult to understand something when lack of "tact and diplomacy" do not allow for enlightening discussion to occur. Your work describes the brain using different language, perhaps concepts which require a reimagining of the science. This may or may not be analogous to classical vs advanced theories in physics and quantum mechanics, but I am confident that an editor at Psych Today would improve his Journal if he/she/it took the time to better comprehend the notion of "Happy Chemicals" described in an article dated circa Valentine's Day 2012, in Psych Today, about a book which he/she/it should read and not be afraid to ask questions. Quod erat demonstrandum? IMHO.
Sic. Each insight lays a foundation for future insights. That's why I'm grateful to Sigmund Freud even though he was wrong about a lot. I write about him in my new book Status Games: Why We Play and How to Stop https://www.amazon.com/dp/1538144190/
My thoughts: 1) The reviewer seemed unprofessional to me, and I was irritated by how they seemed to treat you. It felt like someone in my "tribe" was under attack. 2) I really admire your work and have found it helpful for self-improvement, but I do agree with some of the substance of the review. I think that your simplified presentation of neuroscience works well in a self-improvement setting, but I can see how it wouldn't be effective for all audiences/settings. 3) If I am being completely honest, I don't think this article was as clear/helpful to me as your other articles have been. 4) I think your strongest contribution is teaching people how to think about behavior and motivation through the lens of evolutionary psychology. I don't think the value of your work hinges on any of us being able to describe the exact mechanics in neuroscience.
Lastly, I'm just sorry that you received that review in the way it was written. That would raise my hackles and make me instantly feel defensive (which I did feel on your behalf).
I love your work, Loretta, keep it up! I've recently read Habits of A Happy Brain and the one on anxiety. They have been life-changing for me. Thank you.
"Dopamine for the chase, serotonin from the catch." I find professor's Bruening's blog: Your Neurochemical Self to be the most useful and helpful one. I've learned more it than another other one: www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/your-neurochemical-self
Thank you Dr Bruening,
Markus Youssef
Complier of the therapy quotes collections, 1001 Windmills of the Mind
Loretta-Your work has been extremely helpful to me and I’m sure many others .
It’s unfortunate your research and observations of our nervous system and challenging chemical effects in our thinking process has been so challenged.
Not long ago many considered our world flat.
Our relationship with the invisible needs your voice.
Much gratitude.
Wow this is harsh. Take what’s valid and return/release the rest ( the petulant, personal and emotional belong to the reviewer).
Woke Psych Today doesn't deserve you!