Why We Don’t Change (and what you can do about it) | Dr. Ross Ellenhorn, Being Well

Why does change feel so difficult, even when we desperately want it? Dr. Ross Ellenhorn joins the show to explore our resistance to change, and the many good reasons we might have to stay just as we are. We discuss the “fear of hope,” the allure of sameness, and what actually helps people develop the confidence to make meaningful changes in their lives. Topics include challenging conventional self-help wisdom, existential dread, dealing with disappointment, major issues in social work, psychedelics, and self-compassion.

About our Guest: Ross Ellenhorn is a psychotherapist and sociologist, the owner and CEO of Ellenhorn, a community-integration program offering services for individuals experiencing addictive behaviors or extreme and complex states of mind and mood, and the author of three books including How We Change (and Ten Reasons Why We Don’t).

Key Topics:
0:00 Introduction
1:20 How Dr. Ross’s background in social work influences his outlook on change
6:30 What makes people want to stay the same
18:50 Self-efficacy, faith, and making hope big
26:10 Seeing your problems as solutions
30:25 Grappling with existential anxiety
35:00 The shock of recognition, and connecting with motivations through dialog
41:45 Managing disappointment
45:05 Psychosocial rehab, and the changing definition of mental health
55:05 Psychedelics and direct action
1:07:35 Recap

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Who Am I: I'm Forrest, the co-author of Resilient (https://amzn.to/3iXLerD) and host of the Being Well Podcast (https://apple.co/38ufGG0). I'm making videos focused on simplifying psychology, mental health, and personal growth.

I'm not a clinician, and what I say on this channel should not be taken as medical advice.

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