#768 - Dr K HealthyGamer - How To Control Your Emotions & Become Mentally Strong
Apr 8, 2024
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Dr. K, a psychiatrist and Harvard Medical School instructor, co-founded Healthy Gamer GG to bridge mental health with technology. He discusses how social media and screens impact emotional health, driving anxiety and depression. The conversation reveals the importance of confronting emotions rather than avoiding them, and the pitfalls of therapy for men. Dr. K shares strategies for regaining control over attention, the connection between emotional awareness and healing, and the challenge of maintaining self-worth in a digital world.
Technology overload suppresses emotions, hindering personal growth.
Negative emotions offer guidance and motivation for corrective actions.
Technology worsens mental health issues like depression and anxiety.
Acknowledging and processing negative emotions leads to growth and self-discovery.
Content creators face burnout, toxic comments, and lack of mental health support.
Deep dives
Impact of Technology on our Brains
Constant exposure to social media, video games, and pornography can have suppressive effects on our emotional circuitry, providing short-term relief but long-term harm. Technology has made it easier to escape from facing negative emotions, leading to an emotional numbness that hinders problem-solving and personal growth.
The Role of Negative Emotions in Motivation
Negative emotions serve as powerful sources of information and motivation, guiding us toward corrective actions. Anxiety, for instance, helps us identify threats and directs us to overcome them. Suppressing negative emotions leads to a lack of motivation to address underlying issues, resulting in feeling stagnant and stuck in life.
Impact of Technology on Mental Health
Technology propagates mental health problems, exacerbating issues like depression and anxiety, especially among younger generations who use technology to escape real-life challenges. Unlike the virtual world, where failure has no consequences, real-world failures have lasting effects, perpetuating mental health crises.
Embracing Negative Emotions and Self-Reflection
Encouraging people to acknowledge and process negative emotions can lead to deep introspection and growth. Practices like fixed point gazing and perfect stillness help individuals focus their awareness, facilitating emotional release and self-discovery. Learning to sit with oneself and confront inner struggles can be uncomfortable but ultimately transformative.
Challenges Faced by Content Creators
Content creators face significant challenges, including the pressure of continuous work without breaks, the psychological toll of toxic comments overshadowing positive feedback, and the struggle to maintain inspiration amid burnout. The constant need for growth and the inability to experiment freely once established also contribute to the high levels of burnout and emotional strain experienced in the content creation industry.
The Importance of Mental Health Support for Content Creators
The mental health support for content creators is crucial, especially due to the isolation they face and the heightened scrutiny under which their lives and actions are placed. The lack of avenues to express vulnerability and seek help compounds the emotional difficulties they encounter. It is essential to acknowledge and address their emotional well-being, considering the impact of continuous judgment and lack of privacy on their mental health.
Understanding and Compassion in the Online Space
In the online realm, people, including content creators, face dehumanizing interactions and criticism that often lack empathy or context. The shallow slices of individuals presented online foster a culture of judgment without deeper understanding. There is a need for greater empathy and compassion towards individuals who are subject to public scrutiny and criticism online.
Navigating Online Criticism and Self-Identity
The pervasive nature of sharing aspects of life online exposes individuals to varying degrees of criticism and evaluation, affecting their sense of self and worth. Even outside the content creation realm, people are immersed in a culture of online judgment and comparison, influencing their personal identity and emotional well-being. It highlights the challenges of maintaining self-worth in an environment where validation often comes from external sources.
Celebrating Small Wins and Avoiding Comparisons
The episode emphasizes the importance of celebrating small wins and avoiding comparisons. It highlights that accomplishments, whether big or small, should be cherished equally. By focusing on wins like therapy progress or meditation consistency, individuals can find joy in personal growth. The narrative delves into the negative impact of self-comparisons, urging listeners to appreciate their unique journeys. By shedding the need to measure up to others, individuals can embrace their achievements and cultivate gratitude.
Separating Accomplishments from Self-Worth and Dissolving the Ego
The podcast delves into separating accomplishments from self-worth and the significance of dissolving the ego. It emphasizes that self-worth should not be tied to external achievements, as this can lead to perpetual dissatisfaction. The speaker underscores the importance of understanding personal agency in actions rather than outcomes. By relinquishing ego-driven identities and embracing compassion, individuals can navigate life without being anchored to societal judgments. The episode advocates for a shift towards compassionate self-reflection and disentangling value from material successes.
Dr K is a psychiatrist, Harvard Medical School instructor, co-founder of Healthy GamerGG, Twitch streamer and a YouTuber.
Humans face a predicament that has never been seen before, a massive overload of stimulation. The effect of constant exposure to social media, video games, and porn is not good, but thankfully Dr K has developed a ton of powerful ways to finally take back control of your attention.
Expect to learn what social media is doing to our brains, how much we can attribute the mental health crisis to screens, why anxiety and depression are so prevalent, how to let emotions into your life more, why therapy so often sucks for men, why high profile YouTubers are quitting, how to separate your self worth from your accomplishments and much more...
