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Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW022253S
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00:19 >>John Bradshaw: This is "It Is Written." 00:21 I'm John Bradshaw. Thanks for joining me. 00:23 Depression and anxiety continue to be major problems 00:28 in first-world nations. 00:29 Around the world, it appears-- in fact, it very much is-- 00:33 that depression and rates of depression 00:35 is getting worse and worse. Is there a solution? 00:40 The solutions that have been proffered to the world 00:42 over the last several decades simply aren't making a dent 00:46 in the problem. It's not that no one is helped; 00:48 it's just that the solutions aren't really solutions. 00:52 My guest today is Dr. Neil Nedley, 00:54 who for 25 years has been successfully treating people 00:58 whose lives have been upended by depression and anxiety. 01:02 Dr. Nedley, thanks for joining me. 01:03 >>Dr. Neil Nedley: Thank you. 01:04 It's great to be back here, John. 01:05 >>John: You've been doing this for a while now. 01:07 >>Dr. Nedley: Yes. >>John: And you've been 01:08 treating depression, as we've discussed before, 01:12 I would say, naturally, not with drug intervention. 01:15 You're not against medication, 01:17 but you have found natural treatments. 01:20 Let me go back 25 years. 01:21 When you started treating depression 01:23 the way you're treating it now, did you hear much criticism? 01:26 Or did you hear any criticism of your methods from a society 01:29 that was predisposed towards very different methods? 01:33 >>Dr. Nedley: I did hear some criticism. 01:35 Now, it wasn't as much as I thought I might 01:37 because I went to the medical literature and was looking 01:41 at all of the 100-plus causes of depression and anxiety, 01:46 and I was working on reversing those. 01:48 So, those causes had already been largely elucidated 01:51 before I came to it, and now I was just reversing those causes. 01:56 But the fact that I was not a board-certified psychiatrist-- 02:00 I was internal medicine, which is adult diseases 02:03 of the internal organs; the brain is included in that. 02:06 Uh, it just wasn't the right type of professional 02:09 I think they were thinking that might revolutionize 02:13 depression and anxiety treatments. 02:15 So, we did get some criticism on, 02:17 "What is this internal medicine doctor doing 02:19 treating severe forms of depression and anxiety?" 02:23 But they couldn't argue with the results. 02:25 >>John: Yeah, what are they saying 25 years later? 02:27 >>Dr. Nedley: Uh, actually there's no controversy, [laughs] 02:29 at this point. 02:31 Uh, they are very much, everyone, in fact, um, 02:35 has seen our scientific results, 02:37 seen our published studies in the scientific literature, 02:41 and, um, the evidence is now overwhelming that 02:45 what we are doing is, indeed, the best therapeutic approach 02:49 for depression and anxiety. 02:51 >>John: Depression and anxiety, of their very nature, 02:54 are conditions of the mind. 02:55 Therefore, I want you to tell me-- 02:59 you wrote a book called "The Lost Art of Thinking." 03:01 >>Dr. Nedley: Yes. >>John: What does thinking 03:05 have to do with depression? 03:06 And I guess my question really is, 03:07 what do thoughts have to do with depression? 03:10 >>Dr. Nedley: They have a lot to do with depression. 03:12 And, in fact, our thoughts become like highways 03:15 in the brain, particularly if they're repetitive thoughts. 03:18 And some studies have shown that depressed and anxious people, 03:22 80 percent of their thoughts are negative, 03:24 and 95 percent of their thoughts are repetitive. 03:28 And so, those repetitive negative thoughts-- 03:31 we call them NATs, negative automatic thoughts-- 03:34 become like highways in the brain. 03:36 And that's one of the reasons 03:37 why simply biochemistry alone can't, um, cure depression. 03:43 Biochemistry is very important. 03:44 We take a very prominent role in helping 03:48 the brain's biochemistry to be able to change those thoughts. 03:52 But then we actually have to be intentional in analyzing 03:57 our thoughts for distortions and getting rid of thoughts 04:01 that are not helpful or simply not accurate. 04:05 And that takes some work, and it's why a, a combined approach 04:09 of biochemistry plus a good cognitive behavioral therapist 04:13 is paramount in really producing the results that we get. 04:17 >>John: But one thing I think I want to point and that is 04:20 I think everybody can relate to how some thoughts 04:23 are just automatic. >>Dr. Nedley: Right. 04:24 >>John: When I see that guy-- [Dr. Nedley laughs] 04:27 >>John: ...when I see that guy, 04:28 I, I just, you know, I wanna-- >>Dr. Nedley: Yeah. 04:29 >>John: ...when, when I get in my car, I just think of-- 04:32 or when I find myself in the shower, I, I think this way, 04:35 or when I'm at my desk, there are a lot of automatic thoughts. 04:39 And I don't know exactly why that is. 04:42 I think it's just years of practice 04:44 and years of repetition. >>Dr. Nedley: Yes. 04:46 >>John: Is it true that people find themselves on autopilot 04:50 often when it comes to their thoughts? 04:52 >>Dr. Nedley: Oh, absolutely. 04:53 You know, in fact, a lot of people that come to our program, 04:57 uh, you know, we don't deal with the thoughts right off the bat, 05:00 we're dealing with behavioral and lifestyle issues first, 05:03 but by about day three, 05:04 we have to start getting into the thoughts. 05:07 And they say, "My problem are not with my thoughts. 05:11 My problem are real." [laughs] You know, 05:14 this is, uh--you know, 05:15 they don't think thoughts are necessarily real, per se. 05:19 But, yes, their problem is also with their thoughts, 05:23 and on the surface they think those thoughts are, you know, 05:27 true and accurate. 05:29 But as we dig deeper, as we get to the core, 05:33 they can start seeing 05:34 that their thoughts actually are irrational, 05:37 unhelpful, and with that negative aspect of things, 05:41 it's actually dragging them down, 05:44 even in their ability to flourish and function. 05:46 >>John: What are some of those typical thoughts 05:48 or thought patterns that the people you see 05:51 in a, on a clinical basis 05:53 are, uh, typically, typically wrestling with? 05:56 >>Dr. Nedley: Well, one of the distorted areas of thinking 05:59 is what we call emotional reasoning. 06:01 And an emotional reasoner will say this: 06:04 "I feel overwhelmed and helpless. 06:08 Therefore my problems are impossible to solve." 06:12 "I feel angry at you, and that proves that you've been cruel 06:17 and insensitive to me." 06:20 So, emotional reasoning is at an all-time high. 06:22 We feel a certain way, and thus we conclude those things 06:26 are true in the way we're feeling. 06:28 >>John: And, and why are they not true? 06:30 >>Dr. Nedley: "Feelings come and feelings go, 06:32 and feelings are deceiving." 06:35 Many thoughts--and-- that we have, uh, 06:38 and many feelings that we have are actually based 06:41 on distortions in thinking. 06:43 >>John: Okay, so I've got a neighbor who plays 06:44 his music loud, and his dog runs all over my yard, 06:47 and, uh, he's inconsiderate. 06:50 And this is the bane of my existence. 06:52 Isn't that, isn't that accurate thinking? 06:54 I mean, he's a turkey, and he's making my life hard. 06:57 So, why would I, why would I change 06:59 the way I think about that? 07:00 >>Dr. Nedley: [laughs] Well, yeah, exactly. 07:02 And so, you understand, uh, very well the typical person, 07:06 uh, coming into our program. 07:07 And, of course, they will have a tendency to blame others 07:11 or things about themselves that, that they cannot change 07:14 and think that they are actually victims. 07:17 Now, in regards to that neighbor, 07:19 we would start asking, uh, some questions. 07:21 You know, has the neighbor ever been nice to you? 07:24 Has the neighbor ever done anything for you? 07:27 Uh, could it be that, uh, he's not even really aware 07:31 that he's doing those things to you? 07:34 And, uh, you know, have you ever thought about 07:36 maybe having the right conversation in the right way, 07:40 uh, to help mitigate on some of those things 07:42 that are really bothering you? 07:43 >>John: Thoughts and how they are related to depression, 07:46 it's very real. Depression's a really large problem. 07:49 If it doesn't affect you, no question it severely affects 07:53 somebody that you care about, somebody who is close to you. 07:57 And how does God want us to think? 07:59 And how does thinking God's way liberate us 08:01 and prepare us for heaven? 08:02 We'll discuss that and more 08:04 when we come back in just a moment. 08:06 ♪[upbeat music swells and ends]♪♪ 08:14 >>Announcer: With economic instability, 08:16 interpersonal challenges, and the use of social media 08:19 on the rise, rates of depression and anxiety have skyrocketed. 08:23 Call now for your free copy 08:26 of "Finding Lasting Healing for Depression and Anxiety" 08:29 and learn helpful and practical methods 08:31 that have been scientifically proven to benefit mental health. 08:34 Call 800-253-3000. 08:37 That's 800-253-3000. 08:40 Or visit us online at iiwoffer.com. 08:45 >>John Bradshaw: Welcome back to "It Is Written." 08:47 I'm John Bradshaw, and my guest is Dr. Neil Nedley 08:50 from Nedley Health. For a quarter of a century, 08:54 Dr. Nedley has been treating people successfully, 08:57 people suffering with debilitating depression 09:00 and anxiety. 09:01 He's also the author of several books. 09:04 Dr. Nedley, one of them is "The Lost Art of Thinking," 09:07 which I think is a provocative title 09:09 because it begs the question, 09:11 has the art of thinking been lost? 09:13 You say yes. How'd we lose it? 09:16 >>Dr. Neil Nedley: Well, in a large part, we lost it 09:18 because our brains are not stocked 09:21 with good factual statements or good factual pieces 09:26 to be able to think from. 09:28 And that has largely happened as a result of people 09:34 not thinking but allowing devices to think for them. 09:38 And so, whenever they want to be able to think 09:41 about something, they actually ask a device a question, 09:45 and that device may give you an answer 09:47 that is not the right answer or the complete answer. 09:51 And so, the internet is filled with things that are truthful 09:55 but also very deceptive. 09:57 And those deceptive things are often unhelpful, 10:01 and they actually cause us not to feel the way we want to feel 10:04 but far different than that. 10:06 And it's actually based on distorted thinking. 10:08 >>John: When it comes to mental health, 10:10 distorted thinking creates enormous amount of problems. 10:13 I'm going to, I'm going to put spiritual health 10:15 right along with that because I believe that many people 10:18 suffer from negative spiritual health for the same reasons. 10:21 "God doesn't love me. I've gone too far this time." 10:25 Uh, "After what I've done, 10:26 there's no way God could possibly forgive me." 10:28 None of those statements are true. They're all distorted. 10:31 Let's talk about the characteristics 10:33 of distorted thinking that the people you see are dealing with 10:37 and how you help people to work through that challenge. 10:41 >>Dr. Nedley: So, very commonly we also have people 10:44 who come with mental filters. And with mental filters, 10:48 they're only looking at one side of the equation. 10:51 One evidence would be that when they come and they say, 10:53 "There's nothing good in my life," 10:56 and they have all of these reasons 10:58 why nothing is good in their life. 11:00 And, of course, I'm listening for evidence of the other side, 11:04 often don't hear it, but then I start asking 'em questions, 11:07 and I find out there actually are some good things 11:09 in their life that they're totally ignoring 11:13 or actually disqualifying, uh, the positive, 11:16 which is another distortion. 11:18 And so, that actually can lead you into a rut 11:22 that is very unhelpful. 11:25 >>John: Someone with, with negative thinking that, 11:27 that's, that's responsible for huge problems in their life, 11:33 you begin what you said; you start asking, 11:36 are there positives, not just negatives? 11:38 What are some of the other steps that you walk people through 11:40 to help clarify their thinking? 11:44 >>Dr. Nedley: Well, we look for evidence. 11:45 And so, we want their truth to be based on evidence. 11:49 And so, in regards to the mental filter aspect, 11:52 we want them to be intentional and forceful 11:56 to look for evidence to support a different way of thinking. 12:00 And that takes some time, uh, but it's well worth the effort. 12:06 >>John: What are some examples of distorted thinking? 12:08 What are the negative, self-destructive 12:09 thinking patterns that people get into? 12:11 >>Dr. Nedley: Well, also thinking that, uh, 12:14 the always-or-never, you know, over-generalizing, 12:18 they'll use limited factual evidence to support a belief 12:21 that actually is not true. 12:22 >>John: "No one ever does anything to help me." 12:24 >>Dr. Nedley: [laughs] Exactly. 12:25 >>John: "My wife never says anything supportive." 12:27 >>Dr. Nedley: Right. 12:28 >>John: "My kids don't do anything to help." 12:29 >>Dr. Nedley: Yes. >>John: That's, that's, 12:30 that's an example of what you're suggesting? 12:32 >>Dr. Nedley: That would be an example. 12:33 And also, uh, "No one is ever going to love me, 12:38 that I will be endlessly rejected the rest of my life." 12:41 >>John: So it's a lonely future-- 12:43 >>Dr. Nedley: Yes. >>John: ...and the fact is 12:44 that whole thinking process is broken. 12:46 >>Dr. Nedley: Yes. And, of course, 12:47 it'll produce self-fulfilling prophecies. 12:50 And so, that's why we have to, uh, get at the core 12:53 of that belief system and, uh, help them to see that there are, 12:58 are more accurate beliefs that are far more helpful. 13:01 >>John: I've heard you talk about all-or-nothing thinking. 13:04 >>Dr. Nedley: Yes, all-or-nothing thinking, 13:05 that's another one. 13:06 Yeah, there's no person that's completely all beautiful 13:10 or all ugly, but yet an all-or-nothing thinker 13:13 will come in thinking that they're all ugly 13:17 and that they're not attractive at all. 13:19 And, you know, as human beings, of course, 13:22 there is no perfect individual. 13:24 They look like it on "People" magazine, 13:26 but they're been airbrushed 13:27 and the lighting and all of those sorts of things. 13:30 There are no people like that walking around. 13:32 [laughs] >>John: That's right. 13:33 >>Dr. Nedley: It's where they get this distorted view. 13:35 And, of course, social media has helped us 13:37 with that distorted view because the individual's 13:40 taken 1,000 pictures of themself 13:41 before they uploaded the one that looks least like them. 13:44 And so, uh, they end up getting jealous over 13:48 actually a false picture 13:51 and a, and a, uh, a false image of reality. 13:54 >>John: I am reminded of Philippians 4 in verse 8, 13:58 which says, "Whatsoever things are true,... honest,... just,... 14:01 "pure,... lovely, [and]... of good report; 14:03 "if there be any virtue,... 14:05 if there be any praise, think on these things." 14:08 Of course I believe that. >>Dr. Nedley: Yeah. 14:10 >>John: I, I, I practice that as-- 14:12 I hope I'm growing in that-- >>Dr. Nedley: Yes. 14:15 >>John: ...more and more. >>Dr. Nedley: Yes. 14:16 >>John: Man, that sounds like hard work. If you're a, 14:18 if you're a negative, self-destructive person, 14:20 if you're depressed, if you're clinically depressed, 14:22 how in the world do you get yourself to that place 14:29 where you're thinking those thoughts? 14:31 >>Dr. Nedley: It's kind of like learning a new sport. 14:34 You know, when you first, uh, start to play tennis, 14:37 it's like the ball's going into the ground, 14:40 it's going into the air, you're all arms and legs, 14:43 you can't do it, and it seems so frustrating. 14:46 But if you have the right coaches 14:49 and the right techniques, pretty soon it'll actually 14:53 become enjoyable to learn to play tennis better. 14:57 And so, that's the, the struggle at first. 15:00 It does seem hard because those highways in the brain 15:04 [laughs] have been there for many years. 15:06 And those cars and trucks have been going down 15:08 those negative thought patterns for a long time. 15:11 But within a few days, it actually becomes 15:13 fun for patients, and they're actually starting to get it, 15:17 and they start replacing these, uh, negative, distorted thoughts 15:21 with accurate and very helpful thoughts 15:24 that help them to feel the way they want to feel. 15:27 And when they start getting it, although it's hard at first, 15:31 it then becomes easier and easier. 15:34 And even within 10 days, 15:36 they've made a significant difference 15:38 in changing the highways of their brain. 15:40 >>John: I think it's really important to, to point out 15:43 that what we're suggesting isn't that somebody go off 15:46 and pull themselves up by their bootstraps. 15:48 There is a God in heaven who is able to remake the mind. 15:52 >>Dr. Nedley: Yes. >>John: There's a, 15:53 a very challenging but at the same time 15:55 an enormously hopeful verse in 2 Corinthians, chapter 4: 15:59 "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing 16:01 that [exalts] itself against the knowledge of God"-- 16:03 and here it comes--"and bringing into captivity"-- 16:07 and here's that next word-- 16:08 "every thought"-- >>Dr. Nedley: "Every thought," 16:09 [chuckles] yeah. 16:10 >>John: ..."to the obedience of Christ." 16:12 >>Dr. Nedley: Yes. >>John: Now, if one wished, 16:14 that could be an overwhelming, discouraging thought. 16:16 But let's flip that. That's very hopeful. 16:18 "All of God's biddings are enablings." 16:20 God didn't write that if it, if it couldn't be true. 16:23 So the person whose thinking is unhealthy can say that 16:27 by the grace of God their mind can come to a, a brand new 16:31 entirely healthy place where they're thinking God's thoughts. 16:34 >>Dr. Nedley: Yes. Yeah, 16:36 absolutely, absolutely. >>John: Yeah. 16:38 >>Dr. Nedley: And it's wonderful, uh, 16:39 when that happens, and, of course, it's often a combination 16:43 of the cognitive behavioral therapist 16:45 and the spiritual therapist working together 16:48 on the overall purpose and meaning and managing emotions 16:52 that brings about that tremendous change. 16:55 >>John: And it might be that you are wishing to experience, 16:58 needing to experience, that change in your life. 17:00 Don't go away. 17:01 I'll have more with Dr. Neil Nedley in just a moment. 17:05 ♪[upbeat music swells and ends]♪♪ 17:14 >>John: Thank you for remembering that It Is Written 17:16 exists because of the kindness of people just like you. 17:19 To support this international life-changing ministry, 17:22 please call us now at 800-253-3000. 17:26 You can send your tax-deductible gift 17:28 to the address on your screen, 17:29 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 17:33 Thank you for your prayers and for your financial support. 17:36 Our number again is 800-253-3000, 17:40 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 17:45 >>John: Welcome back to "It Is Written." 17:46 My guest is Dr. Neil Nedley from Nedley Health. 17:49 For 25 years he's been successfully treating people 17:52 battling depression and anxiety, and we are, today, 17:56 talking about thoughts. >>Dr. Nedley: Yes. 17:58 >>John: Okay, tell me some more about 17:59 the negative thought patterns that people like me 18:01 and people watching can say, "Oh, yeah, that's me"-- 18:03 at least at times. What are some of them? 18:05 >>Dr. Nedley: Well, people with anxiety or panic 18:07 often have what's called fortuneteller error. 18:11 And so, they're catastrophizing. 18:13 They're always thinking the worst is going to happen, 18:15 even though there's evidence that most of the time 18:18 the worst does not occur, 18:20 or even if the worst did happen, 18:21 there are things that we can do about it. 18:24 And so, uh, they're making decisions in daily life, 18:28 uh, based on this, uh, fortuneteller error 18:32 and catastrophizing that happens. 18:34 And so what shows up? Worry and fear. 18:38 And so that worry and fear can produce all sorts of issues, 18:42 from insomnia to tremors to even physical disease, 18:47 stomach pain, chest pain, 18:50 showing up in the emergency room 18:52 thinking you're having a heart attack. 18:54 Doctors are finding nothing wrong at all with the heart, 18:57 it's all generated in the brain that has come up with worry 19:01 and fear due to things like mind reading and fortuneteller error. 19:06 >>John: Mind reading being, "I know what you're thinking, 19:09 and it's not good"? >>Dr. Nedley: Yeah. 19:10 >>John: "I, I feel you feel this way"? 19:12 >>Dr. Nedley: Well, and, and thinking that their friends 19:16 or their family are judging them-- 19:19 >>John: Yeah. >>Dr. Nedley: ...in bad ways, 19:21 uh, or their work mates, 19:22 et cetera, and so they're mind reading others, um, 19:27 in a, uh, paranoid, uh, type of approach. 19:30 >>John: Okay, I'm gonna ask you how to, how a person gets out 19:33 of that, but what you've, what you've just given evidence of, 19:36 there's an enormously strong connection 19:38 between what you think and how that reacts 19:41 on you physically. >>Dr. Nedley: Yes. 19:43 >>John: Your body can break down-- 19:45 >>Dr. Nedley: Yes. >>John: ...simply based on 19:46 what you choose to think. >>Dr. Nedley: Yes. 19:48 >>John: Meaning, it's really very important to think healthy. 19:51 Okay, so, how do you get out of that, 19:53 how do you get out of that way of thinking 19:54 if you're an anxious person who feels 19:56 those things you were just describing? 19:58 >>Dr. Nedley: Well, we have to go into 20:00 what they're actually thinking and saying. 20:02 For instance, a person with panic disorder will say, 20:05 "Well, when I feel this way, 20:06 I, I know I'm going to either pass out or go crazy." 20:09 And I'll have to ask the questions, 20:11 "How many times have you passed out?" 20:13 "Well, I've never really passed out when this has happened." 20:15 "How many times have you gone crazy?" 20:17 "Well, I've never really gone crazy." 20:18 "Okay, so let's frame this differently 20:21 "and say it differently. 20:22 "When you're saying, you're telling me that when 20:25 "you feel this way, you know you're going to either pass out 20:28 "or go crazy, and that's never happened. So, let's go back. 20:31 What, how can we accurately describe what is happening?" 20:34 And when we describe it in accurate terms, 20:36 it actually helps prevent the panic episode, 20:39 uh, to begin with. 20:40 >>John: So, you're asking people, coaching people, 20:42 teaching people to look at things realistically. 20:45 >>Dr. Nedley: Exactly. 20:46 >>John: Uh, might that be a little risky? 20:47 Some people's reality might be, uh, shaky. 20:50 >>Dr. Nedley: That's why we always have to base it 20:52 on evidence. >>John: What do you see? 20:54 Describe the person that you encounter, say, 20:58 where you conduct your residential program 21:02 on the campus of Weimar University 21:03 in northern California. 21:05 Someone comes to you, and you're aware--or not aware-- 21:09 what are you seeing in their thoughts, and then after, 21:13 let's call it intervention, treatment, therapy, 21:16 how those thoughts change? Describe that change. 21:20 My guess is it's, it, it's almost miraculous. 21:23 >>Dr. Nedley: It is. Yeah. 21:24 It actually works better than taking a Xanax pill. [laughs] 21:28 And so, you know, Xanax is often this drug 21:31 that's given for anxiety and feeling out of control, 21:35 and it can calm you down 21:36 at the expense of suppressing your frontal lobe. 21:39 But it's going to take at least a few minutes 21:41 to get into your system. 21:43 When we correct the thoughts, it's instantaneous. 21:46 And so, people will get excited: "I was just able to do something 21:50 that instantly made me feel better." 21:52 And that's empowering. 21:55 >>John: How is a person able to do it that quickly? 21:57 Our thoughts are this web, this tangled knot. 22:00 It's like a, you know, a tangled-up fishing line. 22:03 But you're saying that in moments things can smooth out. 22:07 >>Dr. Nedley: Yes, once they start understanding 22:09 the distortions--we teach them there's 10 different ways 22:11 of distorted thinking. 22:13 So we have to go into all of those and all of those examples. 22:16 And then we teach them how to reframe those thoughts. 22:19 Um, another text in the Bible that comes, uh, to mind is, 22:23 "Be transformed by the renewing of your mind." 22:26 >>John: Right. >>Dr. Nedley: And so, 22:28 it's the renewing of their mind 22:29 that produces that transformation 22:32 in not only their thoughts but their feelings 22:35 because our feelings are based, uh, of course, on our thoughts. 22:39 >>John: As a physician you want people to be well. 22:42 You're a Christian physician. >>Dr. Nedley: Mm-hmm. 22:44 >>John: So, while you're interested in people being well 22:46 physically, emotionally, you're also interested 22:48 in people being well spiritually. 22:51 >>Dr. Nedley: Yes. >>John: Um, look with me in the, 22:54 in the Bible for just a moment. We don't have much more time, 22:57 but the, the great spiritual importance 23:00 of having our thoughts equaled out 23:03 to being where God wants them to be, 23:07 how does that impact a person spiritually? 23:09 Somebody goes home, they're thinking better, 23:11 but now how does it impact 23:13 the potential for their relationship with God? 23:15 >>Dr. Nedley: Oh, it goes up astronomically. 23:17 You know, most people that come to our program, 23:19 when I'll ask them-- 23:21 uh, we do a spiritual inventory on everyone that comes in: 23:24 "How do you feel as far as your connectedness to God?" 23:27 We have some exceptions, 23:28 but most people are rating themselves 23:30 somewhere between zero and two out of 10 23:33 as far as their connectedness to God. 23:35 And by the time they leave, they're rating themselves 23:39 up there, uh, close to a nine or maybe even a 10 out of 10. 23:43 And their spiritual life is renewed as a result. 23:46 >>John: One of the things I appreciate most 23:48 about this conversation is that what you're demonstrating 23:51 is not only that there's a way out, but it's simple, 23:56 and the results are, are dramatic. 24:01 What's to stop a person right now saying, 24:03 "Okay, I've got to, I've got to give this a shot; 24:06 I'm gonna turn my thinking around"? 24:07 What's to stop that person? 24:09 >>Dr. Nedley: Good question. 24:10 Really, it, it's worth everything. 24:12 You know, who we are is, is really our brain. 24:15 >>John: Right. >>Dr. Nedley: If we can get 24:16 our brain working well and be transformed, 24:19 it is worth whatever investment [chuckles] that took. 24:23 And, uh, that may be one of the inhibiting factors. 24:27 People think, oh, you know, you know, 24:29 "I'm gonna have to maybe buy a book to learn 24:31 how to think better," or, "I might have to"-- 24:33 you know, money always comes in the way of this. 24:36 But, uh, when we look at the economic cost of depression, 24:40 you know, the average, uh, individual that's depressed 24:44 throughout their life is going to be $300,000 short in funds 24:49 in comparison to that same person not being depressed. 24:54 Uh, and, and that's just, you know, 24:57 a very conservative estimate. 24:59 Um, you know, a lot of the economic problems 25:02 are actually induced by what's in our mind, 25:04 and if we can get our mind transformed, 25:07 our financial ability, our success in so many other ways 25:11 goes up considerably. And it's well worth the investment. 25:14 >>John: It's well worth the investment. 25:17 Dr. Neil Nedley from Nedley Health, thank you, 25:19 I appreciate it greatly. >>Dr. Nedley: Thank you. 25:21 >>John: And I'd like you to consider the way God thinks 25:24 and what God thinks about you. 25:27 First, we know the Bible says that God is love. 25:30 We know that God gave His Son Jesus for you, 25:35 so that should you believe, you would have everlasting life. 25:39 And God spoke to His own people once-- 25:41 a rebellious people they were, too--and He said, 25:43 "I know the thoughts that I [have towards] you," 25:45 He said, "thoughts of peace, and not of evil," 25:48 He said, "thoughts to give you"--in one translation-- 25:51 "a hope" and "a future." 25:53 Those are God's thoughts towards you: 25:56 thoughts for hope and thoughts for a future. 26:01 You take hold of Jesus by the hand right now, 26:03 and your future is brighter than it's ever been before. 26:07 >>Announcer: With economic instability, 26:09 interpersonal challenges, and the use of social media 26:12 on the rise, rates of depression and anxiety have skyrocketed. 26:16 Call now for your free copy 26:18 of "Finding Lasting Healing for Depression and Anxiety" 26:22 and learn helpful and practical methods 26:24 that have been scientifically proven to benefit mental health. 26:27 Call 800-253-3000. 26:30 That's 800-253-3000. 26:33 Or visit us online at iiwoffer.com. 26:38 >>John: Let's pray together now. 26:40 Our Father in heaven, we thank You today for Jesus. 26:43 We thank You for Your thoughts towards us. 26:45 We thank You that in Your mind we were worth enough 26:49 that Jesus would come to this world and give His life. 26:52 We thank You for the very blessed hope 26:55 that Jesus is soon to return. 26:57 Lord, would You renew our minds? Would You put hope within us? 27:01 Would You guide us away from destructive thought patterns? 27:04 To "think on these things," as the Bible says, 27:07 to remember that God is love, 27:09 to remember that there is nothing You would not give us, 27:13 evidenced by the fact that You gave Jesus to die for us. 27:17 We live in hope today. And I pray for that person 27:20 who is wrestling with negative thoughts, 27:21 that person who's battling depression, 27:24 that individual right now who's dealing with anxiety 27:26 and maybe has been for years. 27:28 I pray, come close to that person and guide him, 27:31 guide her out of that place of difficulty 27:34 to a place of certainty and hope and confidence. 27:38 We thank You that our hope and confidence are in Jesus. 27:42 And we pray in Jesus' name. 27:44 Amen. 27:46 Thank you so much for joining us. 27:47 I'm looking forward to seeing you again next time. 27:50 Until then, remember: 27:51 "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, 27:56 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" 28:01 ♪[dramatic, triumphant theme music]♪ 28:26 ♪[music ends]♪♪ |
Revised 2023-10-18