Mental Health Documentary Film with Dr. Stuz and actor Jonah Hill
For anyone looking for a boost, I watched a great documentary (“Stutz”) last night where actor Jonah Hill discusses mental health issues with his therapist, world renowned psychiatrist, Phil Stutz, who offers real-world practical tools that anyone can apply for living a better, more centered life. I highly recommend it.
Here are my very rough notes on some of the concepts and tools the film covers:
WHAT DO YOU WANT? WHY ARE YOU HERE?
That’s the first question Stutz asks his patients, and it’s a good question to ask yourself.?
LIFE FORCE
Activate your life force through positive relationship with body, people and self. Take care of body (Exercise, Nutrition, Sleep) first, do something social with people like grabbing a coffee with a friend and being present, use writing as a mirror by nurturing your self through journaling.
PART X
Part X is the judgmental part of you that wants to block you and your potential. It’s the ‘voice of impossibility’. It will always be present, so be aware of it.
THREE ASPECTS TO REALITY
There are 3 aspects to reality: 1. Pain, 2. Uncertainty, 3. Constant work (as in constant work involved in dealing with the pain).
LOVE THE PROCESS
There are many therapeutic tools to help nullify negativity and create something new in the face of adversity. Instead of complaining and comparing, be present with the process. Love the process.
STRING OF PEARLS
Each action, no matter how small, has one value, a pearl on the string. Learn something, do something, place an action on the string one pearl at a time.
THE SHADOW
The shadow is the part of you that you are ashamed of and can’t get rid of. Talk to your shadow, ask: how does it feel about you? Listen. Pay attention. Then ask, what can I do to make up for it?
THE SNAPSHOT (Realm of Illusion)
Looking for a perfect experience stunts our growth. Let it go.
THE MAZE?
The maze is your quest for fairness (often in the form of revenge) that puts your life on hold.?
ACTIVE LOVE
One way to get out of ‘the maze’ is to feel love: close your eyes, imagine a world full of love, dense with loving energy. Gently place that energy into your heart, so that you become a leader of love. Then send the enemy, the person you hate, all the love. Feel your love enter the enemy. Become one with the enemy. Know that you can become One with anybody.?
RADICAL ACCEPTANCE?
When something goes wrong, treat it like squeezing juice out of a lemon and find something, anything positive about the situation. Find something meaningful and ask: what am I gonna do about it now?
THE SUN IS ALWAYS UP THERE
If you’re in a storm, surrounded by black clouds, remember that the sun is always up there, which you can conceptualize by imagining yourself in a plane that ascends through the stormy clouds to find the sun shining in tranquil skies.
GRATEFUL FLOW
You get out of the ‘black clouds' through grateful flow, reflecting on the positives: choose 3 things you are most grateful for now. Be nice and slow. Let yourself feel it. When you’re done, think of another thing you’re grateful for, but Stop right then and let all the energy flow into you and get taken over by it.
LOSS PROCESSING
The 'potency of non-attachment' is going after what you really want and still be willing to lose it. Imagine that one burning goal you really want (it could be career, love, health, education, money, whatever). Imagine grasping on to it like a branch on a tree and hanging on to it. Then let yourself go and imagine falling in slow motion. Say, “I’m willing to lose everything,” then imagine yourself hitting the surface of the sun as your body burns up. Then imagine yourself radiating out love. Imagine infinite suns radiating love outward. They are all saying: ‘we are everywhere.’ Realize: all you can do is Give.?