BrainWise Helps to Change Lives
Posted On: January 17, 2025Dr. Barry writes that her caseload as a public health nurse included victims of domestic violence, child abuse, families of individuals who died by suicide, and people with various treated and untreated mental health disorders. Home visits involved meeting with patients, parents, family members, caretakers, and contacting health professionals and ancillary support sources to help individuals and families get care. See the complete newsletter here: Issue-93-BrainWise-Newsletter-January.pdf
She found that even clients who wanted to improve their health and well-being did not follow up on recommendations or use available support and services. Providing information alone was not working — they continued making impulsive, unhealthy choices and passed the same behaviors to the next generation. Their behaviors were perplexing because they wanted to improve their lives and those of their children.
Research on brain development helped explain this contradiction. Scientists found that thinking is a learned behavior. We are born with survival instincts based on fear, and our brains are hard-wired to trigger behaviors that help us react to danger, like pulling a finger from a hot pot or spitting out spoiled food. However, these instincts harm us when we hit “send” on an angry email or blow up when something goes wrong. We now know that individuals who control harmful reactions have learned decision-making skills that help them stop and think before they react. BrainWise Program Method – Best Method to Teach Critical Thinking Skills
The research is complicated, but this simple explanation helps non-scientists understand how the brain and behaviors are related. The reptilian or Lizard Brain in the back of the head contains our survival instincts. Reacting without thinking happens when there are no connections to the thinking or Wizard Brain behind the forehead. We are not born with these connections, they are learned.
BrainWise teaches skills, called the 10 Wise Ways, that build these connections. Instead of reacting to the Lizard Brain’s survival instinct, participants gain skills that divert alarm signals or red flag warnings to their Wizard Brain. Even young children understand how learning thinking skills helps them prevent and manage problems. 10 Wise Ways – The BrainWise Program
Scientific Research. Two giants in public health policies and research, Dr. Robert Putnam and Dr. Thomas Insel, have reflected on their long careers and both observed that mental health outcomes have worsened, not improved over time. This disheartening observation belies the impact groundbreaking research conducted on their watch has had on programs like BrainWise.
BrainWise exists because of research conducted during their tenures and has been taught to thousands by education and health instructors as well as parents, peers, mentors, and advocates. BrainWise Program graduates show improved behaviors and significant increases in executive function skills and use the Wise Ways to stop and think to analyze situations and make better choices The BrainWise Program – Research and Results
