Comments on: 18 Ways Attention Goes Wrong

By: arby

arby — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 18:13:37 +0000

I knew of someone who derailed a train because of automaticity. He had an automatic list of procedures in his mind, do this, then this, then throw switch, etc. Unfortunately the train hadn't cleared the switch when he threw it, in fact it was still rolling by just three feet away from him. rb

By: Kat

Kat — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:43:48 +0000

Moving on to PTSD: How to not pay attention -I consciously made choices to avoid triggers associated with my trauma until avoiding became so automatic (implicit memory) that I forgot. How did I get there: flip a page, turn the TVchannel, switch the radio station, and walk down a different isle in the store.

How about reliving? Often times reliving is described as well reliving the original trauma. Not so much for me. I noticed, once I stopped avoiding triggers, that my flashbacks were actually being updated. And yes what better way to collect negative stimuli than through the news media. Breaking news- a date rape drug called … Breaking news – a rapist is impersonating a police officer. I don’t just relive the past, I relive the emotions with new information.

How did I get unstuck? The same way that many prisoners of war did. You break the day down into hours and then into minutes then into seconds. Within each second you search for something positive or that you are thankful for. For example a prisoner of war who had to work the salt fields noticed he didn’t get burned by acid this particular day. He focused on that moment and became very thankful.

By: Jay

Jay — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:28:23 +0000

Chris,
Indeed, the article's focus was attention. Naturally, allusions to disorders that, in part, are due to attentional problems are thereby warranted; the author was not trying to thoroughly explain panic disorder, but merely highlight its relation to distortions in attention.

By: Kat

Kat — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 21:09:03 +0000

Chris,
What do you think society offers as part of the sole fix of somebody who lost lower skills associated with full blown PTSD? Pills? Mental institution? Now add sexual abuse to the equation. And remember doctors treat symptoms, not problems. What are the symptoms of panic attacks?

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 20:16:08 +0000

At the risk of becoming embroiled in debate, the statement as I read it says that, "Paying too much attention to bodily processes is a strong feature of those who experience panic attacks." The article is on attention and therefore it touches on a part of panic attacks that is related to attention. It does not claim that panic attacks are created solely by missapointed attention or that it is the sole fix.

By: Marc Reiss

Marc Reiss — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 19:22:36 +0000

This posting is great information, no matter how seriously your viewpoint. As a major in psychology and a sufferer of some attentional deficits, I can appreciate this article for what it is; I suggest people keep an open mind and simply do just that.

Nothing is set in stone, as the research and subsequent conclusions are all theories. There are no definitive answers for many of these topics; we all know each and every one of us reacts differently to the array of stimuli in our environment--varying not only because we're individual by nature, but also as a result of circumstantial factors.

For example, the remarks made by Diana are insightful. However, bear in mind that her input pertains exclusively to herself. I, too, had [supraventricular] tachycardia. This arrhythmic condition certainly has an impact on cognitive processes and may increase one's susceptibility to behavioral or mental disorders... Or it may not.

Each one of us has a different threshold against which our capacity to cope indicates the degree of trauma we experience. Panic disorder is not as simple as something that can be posted here. Similar to social anxiety or anything related to our locus of control, it is a combination of complex reactions in the mind-body cause-effect cycle that defines the everyday human condition.

By: Odj

Odj — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 05:36:25 +0000

"Positive thinking isn't going to help the person who eats at an empty table." But negative thinking can certainly get stuck in a feedback loop and spiral to dramatic proportions, causing us to react in ways that seem ridiculous in retrospect - or to others. Positive thinking can cause looping spirals as well, they just usually don't have such negative consequences (unless one convinces oneself of one's invincibility and does something stupid, or something like that). It's not a matter of positive or negative thinking, it's a matter of being able to break out of that thinking and think something else instead of being consumed by it.

By: pongba

pongba — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:06:50 +0000

Man your blog rocks!
I especially love those series. Thanks for bring us such great content!

By: Kat

Kat — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 14:01:54 +0000

Being on automatic pilot helps the child riding his bike to concentrate on the road rather than concentrate on the bike peddals. Driving a car really should be more of a conscious experience because traffic is never the same old same old. A police officer once told me that most accidents happen because we get lost in a routine and stop paying attention.

By: Robert Leslie Fielding

Robert Leslie Fielding — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 08:32:35 +0000

Whenever I drive my car, it takes me through the first few turns to my place of work, even when it's the weekend and I'm not going there. Being on automatic pilot is something we all do - it cuts down on using our mental machinery - I think it's our brain's way of helping us. It's just that it doesn't! Our brains aren't 'hard-wired' and this is evidence of it - everything is connected. Thanks Rob