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There is Some Crazy Stuff on TV

There is some crazy stuff on TV.
My daughter watches shows about animal control, wedding gown selections, women who didn’t know they were pregnant until they were in labor and infestations of buildings and bodies.  Some of it is so silly, some gruesome, some disturbing.
She works a lot, but has occasion to handle the remote.  There was a story on today about a woman who went into labor with her first pregnancy and did not know it prior to the doctor telling her they were headed in to labor and delivery.  She was horrified.  She was in crisis and had no time to process the information and deal with the situation.  This is unimaginable to most people. 
This kind of crisis is actually not all that rare. What I mean to say is that life changing events can happen in an instant.  Suddenly, everything we thought we knew is turned upside down.  It could be a car accident or sudden death or unexpected pregnancy.  It could be a natural disaster or a drastic change in financial status for better or worse. Instant dramatic change is a crisis.  For people with initial withdrawal, even minor change can be catastrophic, if only for a period of adjustment.  These people initially withdraw from any change and instantly find negative scenarios to new information.  They need time to process and may need help to appropriately evaluate a situation by talking through the implications.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD is a condition affecting many people.  From combat veterans to abuse victims and those who have come through natural disasters or great loss, some people have a really hard time processing events or navigating particular circumstances. 
There are a lot of tools available to help people rewire their brains and find new ways to cope.  Therapies may include medications and counseling or maybe training and virtual reality therapy with a trained psychiatrist.  There are also healing retreats and interventions involving animals: equine, canine and dolphins are just a few. 
In these days of crazy television shows and crazier reality, it is good to know that there is help available and that we are fearfully and wonderfully made.  We are able to heal and receive health and wellbeing for our bodies and our minds. 
Our Creator has made us resilient.  Our brains are able to change and reorganize, reorganize both information and pathways for interpretation .  Scientists call it neroplasticity.  It means that the nerves can reroute thoughts and we have the ability to change our own thought patterns on purpose. I usually say, “You need to train your brain.”
Scripture tells us to renew our minds by thinking the thoughts of God Himself.  By reading and speaking the Bible, we can change destructive patterns and build new pathways of thought and coping.  For many people this process requires a great deal of medical, physical and emotional intervention, but for some the simple act of deciding to recite the supernatural words of the Bible is enough to change lives. 
Next time you are thinking in negative terms, ask yourself, “How’s that working for you?” If it isn’t building you and those around you up, change your mind.
Have you experienced such a time?
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