Rewire: Change Your Brain to Break Bad Habits, Overcome Addictions, Conquer Self-Destructive Behavior

Rewire: Change Your Brain to Break Bad Habits, Overcome Addictions, Conquer Self-Destructive Behavior

by Richard O'Connor
Rewire: Change Your Brain to Break Bad Habits, Overcome Addictions, Conquer Self-Destructive Behavior

Rewire: Change Your Brain to Break Bad Habits, Overcome Addictions, Conquer Self-Destructive Behavior

by Richard O'Connor

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Overview

A refreshing guide to becoming a healthier, happier self.

We humans tend to get in our own way time and time again—whether it comes to not speaking up for ourselves, going back to bad romantic partners, dieting for the umpteenth try, or acting on any of a range of bad habits we just can’t seem to shake. In Rewire, renowned psychotherapist Richard O’Connor, PhD, reveals exactly why our bad habits die so hard. We have two brains—one a thoughtful, conscious, deliberative self, and the other an automatic self that makes most of our decisions without our attention. Using new research and knowledge about how the brain works, the book clears a path to lasting, effective change for behaviors that include:


   •  Procrastination
   •  Overeating
   •  Chronic disorganization
   •  Staying in bad situations
   •  Excessive worrying
   •  Risk taking
   •  Passive aggression
   •  Self-medication
Bringing together many different fields in psychology and brain science, Dr. O’Connor gives you a road map to overcoming whatever self-destructive habits are plaguing you, with exercises throughout the book. We can rewire our brains to develop healthier circuitry, training the automatic self to make wiser decisions without having to think about it; ignore distractions; withstand temptations; see ourselves and the world more clearly; and interrupt our reflexive responses before they get us in trouble. Meanwhile, our conscious minds will be freed to view ourselves with compassion at the same time as we practice self-discipline. By learning valuable skills and habits—including mindfulness, self-control, confronting fear, and freeing yourself from mindless guilt—we can open ourselves to vastly more successful, productive, and happy lives.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780698156968
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date: 07/31/2014
Sold by: Penguin Group
Format: eBook
Pages: 304
File size: 770 KB
Age Range: 18 Years

About the Author

RICHARD O’CONNOR, PHD, is a practicing psychotherapist with offices in New York and Connecticut, where he currently lives.

Read an Excerpt

Each time we engage in a bad habit, we make it more likely we'll do it again in the future. But in the same way, each time we engage in a good habit, we make it more likely that we’ll do it again. You can learn to program your own brain so that making the right choices and exercising willpower comes to seem easy and natural.

Table of Contents

Author's Note ix

Chapter 1 Two Brains, Not Working Together 1

Chapter 2 The Autodestruct Mechanism 19

Chapter 3 Fear Incognito 47

Chapter 4 Rebels Without Causes 75

Chapter 5 Because You're Special 97

Chapter 6 Waving the Red Flag 115

Chapter 7 The Enemy Is Us 133

Chapter 8 Trauma and Self-Destructive Behavior 155

Chapter 9 Watching the Parade Go By 177

Chapter 10 Brainwashed and Burnt Out 191

Chapter 11 You're Hooked: Addictions 209

Chapter 12 Gloom and Dread 221

Chapter 13 Facing the Undertow 239

Notes 261

References 271

Index 281

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Rewire gives readers the tools to understand their bad habits and change their lives for the better. This highly practical book offers compelling and measured advice on how to change behaviors and improve lives.”—Jeffrey M. Schwartz, MD, author of You Are Not Your Brain and Brain Lock

Rewire is essential reading for people and clinicians trying to improve their own life and the lives of everyone around them. Fascinating and powerful advice on ending negative thoughts and behaviors and improving your brain."—Andrew Newberg, MD, author of Words Can Change Your Brain

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