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Dr Michael Edelstein on Overcoming Addiction and Procrastination: PYP 162

As seen on a Sussex Directories Inc site

Michael R Edelstein is a clinical psychologist with a practice in San Francisco, and globally via Skype. As a teenager, he was depressed and anxious, and a chronic procrastinator. After a long, unsuccessful stint of psychoanalysis, Michael discovered the pioneering work of Albert Ellis, the founder of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT).

In fact, Ellis became his therapist, and showed him that the root of his problem was not childhood trauma or subconscious currents, but dysfunctions in his present-day thinking.

Michael was so inspired that he became a student and protegé of Ellis's, and is now one of the leader authorities of this form of quick, direct, and rational therapy (one of the cognitive/behavioral school).

Michael and I met via the book Proteinaholic, of which he is a fan and I am a contributing author. When I saw his email address (@threeminutetherapy.com), I was intrigued, and asked Michael about it.

In response, Michael sent me a copy of his book, Three Minute Therapy, which I devoured (disclaimer: it took closer to three hours than three minutes to read). It's based on a really simple and profound premise: our psychological and behavioral problems are all due to a single cause: mistaking our preferences for demands.

Demands on ourselves; on others; and on the universe.

When we examine the evidence, dispute our dysfunctional thinking, and adopt more realistic views, we can heal depression and anxiety, control our tendencies toward violence and abuse, and conquer procrastination and addiction.

[powerpress]

In our conversation, Michael and I discussed:

  • the problem of “musty” thinking
  • the single root cause of overeating (low frustration tolerance)
  • the genetic basis of most personality traits
  • the three types of demands, and the results of each
  • why even very strong preferences and desires aren't a problem
  • embracing discomfort, and the mathematics of procrastination
  • the ABCDEF exercise (three minute therapy)
  • how we can change our thinking and retool our minds
  • why three minute therapy is like learning Italian
  • the importance of changing our perspective if we want to solve persistent problems
  • the power of rewards and (especially) penalties
  • when it's a good idea not to brush your teeth before going to bed
  • the problem with the 12-step model of addressing addiction
  • is abstinence the only outcome of recovery from addiction?
  • how to increase your frustration tolerance
  • the similarities between stage fright and overeating
  • and much more…

Enjoy, add your voice to the conversation via the comment box below, and please share – that's how we spread our message and spread our roots.

Links

Michael's website: ThreeMinuteTherapy.com

Three Minute Therapy, by Micael R Edelstein, PhD, and David Ramsay Steele, PhD

A Guide to Rational Living, by Albert Ellis, PhD, and Ronald A Harper, PhD

Rational Drinking: How to Live Happily With or Without Alcohol, by Michael R Edelstein, PhD, and Will Ross

Stage Fright: 40 Stars Tell You How They Beat America's #1 Fear, by Michael R Edelstein, PhD and Mick Berry, MFA

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Dr Howie Jacobson

This podcast is a labor of love and a way to give back to the world that has given me so much. That's why there aren't any sponsors (except me :).

My day job is helping leaders and their teams master their mindsets to remove all obstacles to heart-centered high performance.

Here are three gigs that I do:

1. Executive and Senior Leadership Mentoring and Facilitation

I work with high performing executive teams in organizations — and executive teams that need to become high  performing. My focus is mindset mastery, because it’s our mindsets that either support high performance or get in the way.

At this level, everyone’s got the skills and experience to excel and contribute at the highest level. What holds people back is mindset stuff: specifically the triggers that get them out of creative engagement and into fight-or-flight defensiveness.

My practice is all about teaching people to respond differently to those triggers by updating old maps — essentially removing the glitches that the triggers grab onto.

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Discover our straightforward, replicable process here: You Can Change Other People.

 

Music

The Plant Yourself Podcast theme music, “Dance of Peace (Sabali Don),” is generously provided by Will Ridenour, a kora player from North Carolina who has trained with top Senegalese musicians.

It can be found on his first CD, titled Will Ridenour.

You can learn about Will, listen to more tracks, and buy music on his website, WillRidenour.com.

Gratitudes

Thanks to Plant Yourself podcast patrons – Kim Harrison – Lynn McLellan – Brittany Porter – Dominic Marro – Barbara Whitney – Tammy Black – Amy Good – Amanda Hatherly – Mary Jane Wheeler – Ellen Kennelly – Melissa Cobb – Rachel Behrens – Tina Scharf – Tina Ahern – Jen Vilkinofsky – David Byczek – Michele X – Elspeth Feldman – Leah Stolar – Allan Kristensen – Colleen Peck – Michele Landry – Jozina – Sara Durkacs – Kelly Cameron – Janet Selby – Claire Adams – Tom Fronczak – Jeannette Benham – Gila Lacerte – David Donohue – Blair Seibert – Doron Avizov – Gio and Carolyn Argentati – Jodi Friesner – Mischa Rosen – Michael Worobiec – AvIvA Lael – Alicia Lemus – Val Linnemann – Nick Harper – Bandana Chawla – Molly Levine – The Inscrutable Harry R – Susan Laverty the Panda Vegan – Craig Covic – Adam Scharf – Karen Bury – Heather Morgan – Nigel Davies – Marian Blum – Teresa Kopel – Julian Watkins – Brid O'Connell – Shannon Herschman – Linda Ayotte – Holm Hedegaard – Isa Tousignant – Connie Haneline – Erin Greer – Alicia Davis – Heather O'Connor – Carollynne Jensen – Sheri Orlekoski of Plant Powered for Health – Karen Smith – Scott Mirani – Karen and Joe Crabtree – Kirby Burton – Theresa Carrell – Kevin Macaulay – Elizabeth Rothschild – Ann Jesse – Sheryl Dwyer – Jenny Hazelton – Peter W Evans – Dennis Bird – Darby Kelly – Lori Fanney – Linnea Lundquist – Emily Iaconelli – Levi Wallach – Rosamonde McAtee – Dan Pokorney – Stephen Leinin – Patty DeMartino – Mike and Donna Kartz – Deanne Bishop – Bilberry Elf – Marjorie Lewis – Tricia Adams – Nancy Sheldon – Lindsey Bashore – Gunn Marit Hagen – Tracey Gulledge – Lara Hedin – Meg from Mamasezz – Stacey Stokes – Ben Savage – Michael K – David Hughes -Coni Rodgers – Claire England – Sally Robertson – Parham Ganchi – Amy Dailey – Brian Tourville – Mark Jeffrey Johnson – Josie Dempsey – Caryn Schmitt – Pamela Hayden – Emily Perryman – Allison Corbett – Richard Stone – Lauren Vaught of Edible Musings – Erin Hastey – Sean Owens – Sagar Naik – Erika Piedra – Danielle Roberts – Michael Leuchten – Sarah Johnson – Katharine Floyd – Meryl Fury – for your generous support of the podcast.

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3 comments on “Dr Michael Edelstein on Overcoming Addiction and Procrastination: PYP 162

  1. Rachel Behrens says:

    Hi Howard, thank you so much for the interview with Dr. Edelstein. I learned a ton from that and was able to start implementing some of the practices right away. I do tend to procrastinate on unpleasant things and started asking myself why I ‘must’ do that. It’s very interesting and I was able to get a few tasks done and over with yesterday.

    I think I’m actually going to buy his book. As always, you ask the greatest questions with the right mix of skepticism so that we feel the topic has been really addressed.

    1. Howard says:

      Hi Rachel,

      Thanks so much for your feedback. I’m so glad the interview was useful, and I’m delighted that you’ll be diving deeper into Dr Edelstein’s work.

  2. Thank You says:

    Thank You for another informative podcast.

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