“My son is a success.”
“My daughter is a success.”
“I am a success.”
“My son is a failure.”
“My daughter is a failure.”
“I am a failure.”
Perhaps one of the greatest difficulties we have as individuals and as parents or grandparents is measuring success. What is success? In the end, does it matter? By whose standard are we measuring, and what is the measure: money, happiness, health, love, intelligence or even eternal life? Can you really measure success?
In my opinion, you cannot measure success. However, you can measure the behavioral elements that predict success, and it all boils down to one thing: coherent brain function. You can’t make money, love, have good health, learn or even prepare for death without being coherent. You must think clearly and logically about whatever is important to you.
You might say, “Love is not logical, it makes no sense.” Perhaps you fell in love, or lust, illogically, but I am certain you do not stay in love illogically. It takes forethought, hindsight, insight and just plain work to stay with someone and grow your relationship over years, decades and even “until death do you part.”
The part of the brain that gives you insight, foresight, hindsight and the ability to “work” on anything is the frontal part of the brain called the frontal lobes. Without well-functioning frontal lobes, all proactive behavior is difficult.
Some of us are born without good frontal lobe activity. This condition is known as attention deficit disorder, or ADD. There are many other reasons for poor frontal lobe function as well: mood disorders such as anxiety, depression or bipolar disorder. Traumatic brain injury, or concussion, is more impairing than we realized, even long after it occurs. Then there are drugs that cause impairment like alcohol, marijuana, benzo and opiate pain medications. The frontal lobes are vulnerable to many things.
It is difficult to achieve success without well-functioning frontal lobes, whatever the cause. The good news is that frontal lobe functioning is measurable, and most of these problems are correctable. I developed a simple tool to measure treatment. For frontal lobe function, I use a scale measuring the ability to focus, task, and organize. The scale is a 0-10 spectrum, measuring the following attributes: never focused to perfect focus, never completes tasks to completes tasks perfectly and never organized to perfectly organized.
If you score below a five out of 10, you are probably impaired in your frontal lobe function. However, you can improve. I have many patients achieving eight, nine or even 10 of 10 after proper treatment. It changes their lives, and it changes their ability to succeed. Fewer things have given me more pleasure as a physician than helping people succeed when they, or their significant others, felt as though they were failing.
Dr. Stanford A. Owen is certified in internal medicine, nutrition and psychopharmacology. He practices in Gulfport. You may contact him for more information on this subject at (228) 864- 9669 or email him directly at drowenmd@drdiet.com.