Amygdalae

The amygdalae are a fascinating set of almond-shaped group of nuclei located deep within the  temporal lobes of the brain.  In a complex of, what we may describe in lay terms as “grey matter,” they have numerous functions which include sending signals to other brain areas and the nervous system, which ultimately result in the activation of  the hormones, norepinephrine, epinephrine and dopermine.

Now, since you’re still reading this, I mention these things in the hope of setting the stage for some insight to our behaviour patterns, which we think of as “normal” or perhaps, out of our control.  I hope to present a case for change, and in so doing, a little bit of technical stuff, to me, appears necessary.  Indeed, in my counselling and coaching practice, we concentrate on those tools that are available to us, in order to make simple changes to behaviour and understanding how our mind and body works, is an important feature of such change.

The amygdalae are indicated in the storage of memory involving emotion.  Our fear behaviours, flight or fight and even freezing, is imprinted in the neurons that supply electrical messaging to one part of the amygdalae.  These messages ultimately result in the production of increased perspiration, breathing and heart beat and the resultant release of cortisol and other hormones.  Damage to the amagdala can result in no indication of the fear response, poor learning ability and impaired emotional arousal.

Psychological Behaviours

Other psychological behaviours are impacted by this area of the brain, including facial recognition, reduced maternal behaviour, increased sexuality, anxiety disorders and anti-social behaviours.  Increased frightening situations have been shown to increase the activity of the amygdala, whereas some people with diagnosed bi-polar disorder have been shown to have smaller amygdala.  Neural connections of the amygdala seem to be indicated in our sexual orientation, emotional connectedness and even memory retention.

Memory retention is significant.  The inter-relationship between the “old brain” – (sometimes referred to as the reptilian brain) or that which supplies us with the flight or fight response and the emotional or “new brain” – regulates all of our thinking and responsive life.  Many people find joy and happiness to be elusive, particularly in these times of increased stress, where the press and media are filled with constant reports of terror, war and financial, impending ruin. The fear response, put in action through the amygdala, is constant, in these circumstances.  We create a learned fear response much the same as Pavlov’s dogs – a conditioned response if you like, every time we buy a paper, switch on the radio or the television.  We expect bad news and respond “as if,” even when the news is not bad.

But, help is at hand.  We can learn to be happy and joyful. It is possible to choose happiness rather than fear.  We can teach our brain to respond “as if” we were happy thus limiting our hormonal response to fear.  More importantly, we are able to look at life with a less limiting view.  It has been hypothesised for some years, that we are able to teach ourselves to be happy and now, scientists from the University of California, Santa Cruz, have published a paper, detailing how brain circuits are rewired, encoding memory through the formation of new synapses.  These new memory pathways even persist after training stops.

Learned Conditioning

So happiness, it would appear, is a learned and renewable condition, as much as is fear and un-happiness, but is happiness the condition that we continually want in our life?  Or is it simply the other side to continued un-happiness?  We are, after all, hard-wired to respond to situations and we evaluate all the time, determining whether or not we are threatened…..  “Is this a threat?” and “How should I respond?”  Fear, at some level, it would seem is to be an ever present option, our choice, however, is where do we want to live, mentally?

In his wonderful book, “Think And Grow Rich,” Napoleon Hill gave us the road map to riches. Throughout the time since the publication of this book in 1938, people have used his methods to amass their material wealth.  However, I believe it is certain that the rules he imparted can also figure in our emotional riches.  Many people simply exist.  They go about their daily business on remote control.  In a robotic state of emotional despondency, neither happy, nor unhappy, filling their days with those duties they have yoked themselves to throughout their life-time.  Many of the people I see in my coaching practice see a need to change.  They want to change, but have no idea how or what they really want.  They know what they do not want, but usually, cannot see what it is that they do want.

This is important.  The ship won’t leave the harbour and arrive at it’s destination without a crew.  We need direction.  We need to have a plan.  A plan for today, for tomorrow, next week, next month, next year and for the rest of our life.  Without a plan, we are a feather on the winds of change and will certainly arrive, but probably not at the destination we would want, had we put any real thought to the matter.  And so it is with happiness.  We need to plan for such an event, rather than arrive at the wreck of unhappiness which is the natural outcome of a fear based existence, just as the crew-less ship will surely, eventually arrive wrecked, on a beach.

We need to choose happiness.  We need to desire it and we need to create a definite, written and concise plan.  Once we have the written plan, we need to repeat it, aloud, to ourselves every day, morning and night.  The simple act of saying it gives our thoughts a new dimension.  A different modality reinforces the importance of the creation of our new desire.

Plan For Gratitude

Quite soon, the construction of our plan and the repeated spoken words of that plan, will create within us a new emotion – that of thankfulness or gratitude.  Gratitude will lead to a new relationship with yourself.  A relationship based on improvement, as such an outcome is one that is a natural implication of the emotion.  Someone who is grateful, has a natural desire to seek out their benefactor and to improve that relationship to give thanks for the outcome.  If that benefactor is the self, then it stands to reason that we think better of ourselves as a result of the repeated feelings of gratitude or gratefulness.

The results of gratitude are well known in the realm of sales where customers who are contacted and thanked at a later date, after their purchase and shown authentic gratitude, partake in a significant increase in repeat business, where customers who were shown no gratitude show no increase in their buying habit.

Gratitude works!

The Jewish faithful repeat hundreds of gratitudenal prayers or “berachot” every day.  Christian and Muslim religions believe that this emotion is the basis of their beliefs.  The ancients knew the benefits of being grateful.

The emotion built by the act of gratefulness, creates a state of happiness through the increased neural pathways in the brain that make it an easier state for us to access.  This is sometimes referred to as subjective well-being.  Grateful people, it appears, are happier and less prone to depression and experience better sleep patterns, perhaps because they are less likely to be focused on their own needs and wants and become less introspective as a result of their new found practices.

It is possible to choose happiness and now, science has proven what we knew all along – it can be a learned response to life’s challenges.

I am John Allan.  Good luck and may your God go with you.

Depression

I have heard depression being described as “the inability to see a future,” and “the negative side of happiness.” It is certainly these things, but is perhaps, as difficult to describe and define as is love.  Depression is the state where we exist in an emotional hole.  No way out and no way forward and yet, if this is true, then why are those  among us who are simply present in the moment, not depressed?  Is it because these people know there is a future and yet, are content to do those things necessary to ensure such a future is attainable?

Depression is often seen as that emotional state where all negativity takes hold, barring any view of the future and where the sufferer stays stuck in an emotional place of negativity.  Quite often such a state has as it’s requirement of constancy, a state of victim-hood.  The victim loves depression.  Where attention goes, then energy flows and the depressive’s attention is in the past.  “Why did that happen?”  “I can’t do anything more.  I’ve done everything possible” etc.  The depressive’s attention is in the past and his or her energy is stuck in the past also.  They have no power to propel themselves into the future.  For the depressed person, there is no future according to their judgement.  Their beliefs create their consequence.

Beliefs

The trigger or the event of a depressive episode, is usually taken as a personal insult, by the sufferer.  They believe that they are not worthy.  The consequences of the event become all pervasive.  This event and it’s consequences take over all aspects of the person’s life and such outcomes are seen as being permanent.  “I shall never be happy again.”  The belief of permanency leads to the depressed person to relive the event, which in turn allows them to re-affirm that they are indeed, unworthy.  These thoughts of unworthiness and other consequences of the triggering event, lead to the confirmation, in their view, that this pervasiveness is permanent.  They shall, indeed, feel this terrible, be this unworthy and shall never be happy, forever.  These thoughts, in turn, cause them to relive the event and so, the entire episode becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.  The depressed person, remains depressed – until they come to a point of dispute.

The disputation of permanence, allows the depressive to experience a new emotion.  Hope.  For the first time, in this episode, they experience a glimmer of what their future could be, or even, that there might indeed, be a future.  The depression is no longer all pervasive.  The depression is no longer permanent.  The results of the event and it’s consequences are no longer personal.  There is a new feeling.  New hope.  New possibilities.  Being able to see a future and making plans for the future creates a break in the cycle of depression.  Energy begins to flow forward rather than to the past.  Life becomes more balanced in it’s energy flows.  A healthy concentration on past and future events, allows for a balanced life and does not allow for depression.  A healthy concentration on present, past and future allows the person to be associated with those events.  They are no longer disassociated with their outer world and through that, it becomes more likely that such a person would no longer be disassociated with their oneness, their emotions.  They become able to live their life through the reasonable expression of their true self, being in touch with their inner and outer worlds.

Depression has been called “the common cold of mental illness,” because it occurs so frequently. In total, an estimated 70% of women and over 40% of men will experience some form of depression before age 65. (7.)

Depression was first proposed by Karl Abraham, a student of Freud.  Freud held that depression arises from feelings of anger toward a parent or other significant or attachment figure, who has died or otherwise abandoned the person.  Turned inward, this anger, Freud suggested, turns to guilt and self-loathing, which then brings about the depressive episode.  There is little evidence to support Freud’s theory.  Depression may, indeed, be a reaction to the loss of something or someone, deeply valued by a person whose need to be taken care of as an infant, was not adequately met.  Such people sometimes become fixated on the issue of dependency and the need for love.  Later in life, when something valued is taken from them, they may feel unbearably vulnerable and could be plunged into deep depression.

From Our Past?

Recent evidence suggests that poor parenting may pre-dispose people to depression. (1.) Specifically, depression appears more common in those whose parents were overly protective toward them while displaying little genuine love. This is sometimes referred to as affectionless control.

Depressive episodes are often triggered by critical losses in a person’s life.  Evidence shows that those who are dependant on others are particularly prone to becoming depressed over lost interpersonal relationships.  They are especially sensitive to rejection, abandonment etc and become easily depressed when such events occur.  When a person’s behaviour no longer elicits the rewards it once did, depression may occur.  Such change may be the result of the death of a loved one, the loss of a job or even retirement from long-term employment.  Without the rewards of love and the approval of others, the person may give up trying and become depressed and withdrawn.  Withdrawal worsens the effect of loss of approval and guarantees that the person will experience few pleasures and so, depression worsens.

Forced into social situations (made to go to a party for example), depressed people usually lack motivation and skills to interact with others and to enjoy themselves and thus, without assistance to become involved in rewarding social activities, the depression cycle may not be broken. (2).  Depressed people harbour negative schemes about themselves, the world, and their future.  (“I’m unlikeable, nothing ever goes right, tomorrow will be just as bad as today.”).

Depressed people confirm their negative views, by concentrating on irrelevant information.  Distorted thinking is a major factor in causing and maintaining depression.  To lift depression, people must be assisted to break free from negative outlooks and reasoning.  Mood disorders, such as depression, may have a biological underlay, and it is prudent to understand, that there could be a genetic link to these behaviours.

Brain Changes

Some researchers suspect that depression may be related to imbalances in the neurotransmitters, nor epinephrine and serotonin.  Anti-depressants (Tricycles & MAO inhibiters) increase the level of nor epinephrine and serotonin in the brain, some researchers believe that depression may occur when nor epinephrine and serotonin levels drop below a critical point, however, although most depressed patients were found to have low levels of serotonin, many did not have chronically low levels of nor epinephrine. (3.) It is now believed that depression may be the result of subtle changes in the way neurons in the brain respond to the transmitters nor epinephrine and serotonin. Hormones may also be implicated in depression.  One of the more common side effects of abnormal hormone production, is depression.  One intriguing possibility is that depression may result from disturbances in normal biological rhythms (4.).

The way in which people respond to a depressed person may also be a factor in the illness.  I have discovered, in my counselling and coaching practice, that depression may have it’s origins in inter-personal relationships.  Others may react to a person with depression in a negative manner, without empathy or with scant regard.  Their concern for the sufferer of this illness, may not be genuine and so, quite often, they display their true feelings through rejection and avoidance, causing the depressed person to react with deepening despair, which, in turn serves to heighten the reactions of others causing them to withdraw even more.  A vicious cycle develops.

People often report feeling depressed themselves, after spending time with a depressed person, as well as a feelings of increased hostility.  These people also express much less willingness to talk to depressed people again.  (5).  Depressed people with low self esteem are more likely to seek reassurance excessively, thus leading to a probability of rejection and so, again, setting up the cycle of depression.  In a study by Joiner, Alfando and Metalsky (1992), rejection occurred only among male room-mates; females did not become more rejecting of depressed room mates.

Depression probably has many causes, any number of which can work together to produce depressive symptoms (6).  One case might be triggered by biological factors and then made worse by negative thinking and negative social reactions, another with a distressing life event which sets in motion negative outlook and psychological reactions that intensify the problem.  When people feel powerless to eliminate a painful stimulus, they often become upset, feel hopeless and give up trying to cope.  Seligman called this “learned helplessness.”

I have stated that the attention of the depressed person is in the past.  More accurately perhaps, is the lack of attention to the future.  To attend to the future, it is necessary to have a focus on that time and to obtain a focus, one must have developed intention.  Intention is more than focus.  Intention is a deliberate choice to develop purpose.

Many of us, in an effort to avoid a depressed or low mood, fill our lives with entropic behaviour, involving people, hobbies, work and business.  We do this in order to “get on with living,” however, all we are doing is keeping busy.  Taking our mind off the problem.  Averting our attention.  The question then arises, “averting our attention from what?”  And the answer must be, “from the future.”  A life focus allows us to become settled in all aspects of our being.  Focus does not mean single minded attention, but the development of a “knowing” and in such knowing, we are able to pacify our lives, mentally, spiritually and physically.

I am a great fan of Anthony Robbins and I include here, a link to one of his ‘sites, where he demonstrates his way of helping someone who is depressed, to change states. It’s a fantastic result and, as usual, he does it so well.  Tony Robbins relies on our knowledge of the “six human needs” of certainty, uncertainty, significance, love & connection, growth, contribution beyond self.  Where these needs are not met, or where we “go to” only a couple of them habitually, we create a lack or addiction in our lives that could easily lead to depression.  For example we may use depresion, as demonstrated here, as a tool to gain love or significance.  Have a look, it’s worthwhile.  http://robbinsmadanescoachtraining.com

I am John Allan, good luck and may your God go with you.

References:

1 Kinder et al 1992, 1993

2 Peter Levinsohn .Behavioural approach to Depression.1974

3 McNeal & Cimbolic 1986, Anti Depressants & Biochemical Theories of depression. Psychological Bulletin, 99, 361-374

4 Ehlers, Frank & Kupfer, Archives Of General Psychiatry, 45, 948-952

5 Coyne 1976, Journal Of Abnormal Psychology, 39 14-27

6 Akiskal, 1979, The psychology Of The Depressive Disorders.  New York Academic Press

7 McGriffin, Bebbington, & Katz. 1989

Healing Mind Body and Soul

Ancient traditional medicines, all respect the body’s unique life force.  Qui, Ki, Prana, all show that traditionally, it was known that “life force’ was imperative for good health.  Life force, of course, comprises many things and would take into account the vitality of our “wholeness” in comprising the vessel that each of us  recognise as “me.”  From this perspective, many people see healing as a “wholistic” experience – a process that cannot be reduced to simply one aspect.  Holistic healing is more than excising a tumor, or adding chemotherapy, it must be a supporting experience for the whole body, including the mind, which some see as the spiritual side of holistic healing.  Healing according to the holistic path, becomes a journey toward whole health, through the interactions of all the dimensions of physicality and spiritual.  In my counselling and coaching practice, I find it useful to follow this holistic approach.

At it’s very essence, healing holistically, becomes a unique journey for each and every participant, involving many different and yet, intertwining perspectives.  In the microcosm of the family, there is a vivid demonstration of the interconnectedness of all.  The journey will encompass everyone associated with the experience, not only the person who has been diagnosed with cancer.  Everyone changes to some degree.  The process of the healing journey is intertwined among all family and friends, whether such process includes a simple awareness of diet or becoming an active participant in a supportive role, in activities such as yoga or meditation.  The journey eventually impinges on all concerned.  It is my belief that healing requires more than the physical activities of diet and supplements, of meditation and yoga, healing requires a psychological intent.  Some would say a spiritual intent to heal – not just the physical body, nor the psychological, but the soul as well.  We see the signs everywhere – “Mind Body and Soul”.  All the aspects that make me, me.  The whole me.

The gift of cancer

www.cancercauseandeffect.com

In the mid to late nineties we commenced a programme called “The Gift Of cancer.”  The name was an acknowledgement of the attempt to regain the wholeness of our humanity after a diagnosis of cancer.  The Mind, Body & Soul of our existence, brought to the forefront of life through the shock of a diagnosis of cancer and the realisation that healing requires the mediation of all aspects of our being, not just the physical.  Some people would not agree and that, of course, is their prerogative, I would simply remind those who are willing to investigate further truths, that it is our whole lifestyle that has brought us to this place and it can only be through our attention to our wholeness that healing can be affected. We are attempting to gain harmony in our life brought to our attention through the disharmony of illness.

I have spoken previously of our thinking, rational or cognitive mind and our pre-conscious (or subconscious) mind, but there is another aspect of our being that some may equate to soul, or our spirit, deeper still than our preconscious and yet influenced greatly by our concept of our uniqueness, which, in turn, impacts directly on our physical being.  How, then, can healing take place without our attention to our whole being, our , Mind Body and Soul (Spirit)?

www.cancercauseandeffect.com

I am John Allan and until next time, good luck and may your God watch over you.