Last week, I wrote exams in a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy course I've been taking. A big component of the course dealt with depression. In fact, I have a very thick text, written by Aaron T. Beck, which outlines everything there is to know about treating depression, utilizing the methods of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy which, I understand, tends to work very well for resolving depression.
One of the prime times for depression to strike both men and women is during mid-life (ages 40 - 55). I remember reading Dr. Christiane Northrup's book,"The Wisdom of Menopause" many years ago (not that I was there yet, but why not prepare!) and she wrote something which has stayed with me ever since and which in my own life I have found to be true. She stated that women tend to become more introspective during their mid-life years. This can lead to women questioning, among many other things, their choice of career and their choice of life partner. Thinking too hard, evaluating and analyzing life, or 'navelgazing', if you will, can lead some people to evaluate themselves (and where they are at in their lives) too harshly. Children leaving home, aging bodies and minds, and/or losing a life partner or a parent, can prompt us to question what has or not happened in our lives. Individuals are prompted by these and other life events to see their lives in a new light as they face the fact that their lives may not have turned out as planned, or as expected, or that life dreams and goals have been quelled due to some circumstance or another.
Women spend a lot of time at this juncture analyzing how they feel, and if they use what they are thinking and feeling in order to take positive action as a result of their dissatisfaction - great - it can really be an empowering time. If, instead, they ruminate or dwell on what they think is wrong with life, and on how they feel as a result of what they are thinking and experiencing, this can very well lead to anxiety and depression.
According to American psychologist, Dr. Dan Gottlieb, "for some, these thoughts inspire change, but for others they lead to hopelessness, which can turn into depression." (1)
Stress as a factor which leads to depression and anxiety needs to be highlighted here. It is more and more common now for women to still be raising children or teenagers during the mid-life years. The stress of doing so, coupled with unbalanced hormone levels and sleep deprivation, can increase stress tremendously. When a person is tense - and when estrogen is dominant - the level of the stress hormone, cortisol, rises. When cortisol remains chronically high, it affects the balance of mood chemicals in the brain in such a way that makes a person more susceptible to depression and anxiety. It is very important for women to be able to take some time to nurture themselves during these years - any type of activity that promotes health and aids physical and mental relaxation - like a run through a beautiful park, a walk along a river, playing a few tunes on the piano, or some time spent meditating or simply breathing deeply can go a long way towards preventing acute mental and physical stress. As well, reframing thoughts in a more positive direction can also cut stress and counter depression and anxiety.
Anxiety and depression, however, are multi-faceted disorders, with genetic, chemical, physiological, auto-immune, and circumstantial factors like upbringing and other personal events, feeding into both of them. Some women tend for any number of reasons to be more vulnerable to developing either or both of these disorders.
Mid-life, though, can also be a time for enhanced expression and creativity, as new drives are awakened and time is found to develop interests that schedules would not previously allow for. This can lead to an increased self-assurance/self-confidence, and a boldness or more of a 'laissez-faire' attitude where what others think doesn't matter so much anymore. A woman may find a new self-acceptance, a certain peace about who she is with a "I am who I am and if nobody likes it, so be it" attitude. For many women, if they can get the help they need to navigate successfully through mid-life, they can thrive and achieve things they never before thought were possible. And, some women find that the best years of their life began in their fifties.
D.
(1) "Understanding Depression at Midlife", Cheryl Platzman Weinstock, October 5, 2010, www.womansday.com
About Me
- Deborah K. Hanula
- Deborah K. Hanula has a year of Journalism training from Humber College, a Political Science degree from the University of Waterloo, and a Law degree from the University of British Columbia. In addition, she has Diplomas in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Child Psychology, and Psychotherapy and Counselling as well as a Family Life Educator and Coach Certificate and Certificates in Reflexology, Assertiveness Training, and Mindfulness Meditation. She is the author of five cookbooks, primarily concerned with gluten-free and dairy-free diets, although one pertains to chocolate. As an adult, in the past she worked primarily as a lawyer, but also as a university and college lecturer, a tutor, editor, writer, counsellor, researcher and piano teacher. She enjoys a multi-faceted approach when it comes to life, work and study, in order to keep things fresh and interesting. Check out her new book: A Murder of Crows & Other Poems (2023).
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Monday, November 21, 2011
Putting the Science into Romance
Helen Fisher is a very famous anthropologist from Rutgers Univeristy who loves to give talks on the science of romance. She has carried out a number of brain scans of people who are newly in love and during the scans, she found that the ventral tegmental areas of the brain are working particularly hard. This area near the base of the brain appears to be running like a little factory, sending dopamine to higher regions in the brain. This creates craving, motivation, goal-oriented behaviour, and an acute feeling of ecstasy.
The ventral tegmental area, however, doesn't work alone. The nucleus accumbens, located slightly higher and farther forward in the brain, converts the exhilaration of a new partner into something akin to an obsession. "Thrill signals that start in the lower brain are processed in the nucleus accumbens via not just dopamine but also serotonin and, importantly, oxytocin, which is one of the chemicals that floods new mothers and creates such a fierce sense of connection to their babies." (1) (In men who become parents, the 'bonding-to-baby chemical" is vasopressin.) When oxytocin is at play between new lovers, it can create an equally strong connection between them.
And, finally, we have the caudate nuclei, a pair of shrimp-size structures on either side of the head which have a seemingly indelible memory. They are the last major stop for love signals in the brain, but are also involved in storing patterns and mundane abilities such as knowing how to ride a bicycle or knowing how to swim - motor skills which tend to stay with us for life (provided no damage occurs to these nuclei.) Apply the same principle to connecting and patterning in love and one can see how passion can turn so quickly into commitment.
Having one part of the brain "involved in processing love would be enough to make the feeling powerful. The fact that three are at work makes that powerful feeling downright consuming." (2) Perhaps we are fooling ourselves to think that we, in fact, have any choice (or free will) in the matter when it comes to who we fall in love with.
D.
(1) and (2), "The Science of Romance", Jeffrey Kluger, Time magazine special edition, "Your Brain: A User's Guide", p. 37.
The ventral tegmental area, however, doesn't work alone. The nucleus accumbens, located slightly higher and farther forward in the brain, converts the exhilaration of a new partner into something akin to an obsession. "Thrill signals that start in the lower brain are processed in the nucleus accumbens via not just dopamine but also serotonin and, importantly, oxytocin, which is one of the chemicals that floods new mothers and creates such a fierce sense of connection to their babies." (1) (In men who become parents, the 'bonding-to-baby chemical" is vasopressin.) When oxytocin is at play between new lovers, it can create an equally strong connection between them.
And, finally, we have the caudate nuclei, a pair of shrimp-size structures on either side of the head which have a seemingly indelible memory. They are the last major stop for love signals in the brain, but are also involved in storing patterns and mundane abilities such as knowing how to ride a bicycle or knowing how to swim - motor skills which tend to stay with us for life (provided no damage occurs to these nuclei.) Apply the same principle to connecting and patterning in love and one can see how passion can turn so quickly into commitment.
Having one part of the brain "involved in processing love would be enough to make the feeling powerful. The fact that three are at work makes that powerful feeling downright consuming." (2) Perhaps we are fooling ourselves to think that we, in fact, have any choice (or free will) in the matter when it comes to who we fall in love with.
D.
(1) and (2), "The Science of Romance", Jeffrey Kluger, Time magazine special edition, "Your Brain: A User's Guide", p. 37.
Endocannabinoid System and THC Mimics
The endocannabinoid system is an elaborate network of receptors and proteins that operate within the brain, heart, gut, liver, and throughout the central nervous system. The system plays a powerful role in regulating cravings, mood, pain and memory. When bound by cannabinoids, they boost appetite and mood. (1) THC which is acronym for the active ingredient in marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol, binds to these receptors.
Three THC knock-offs are gaining popularity on the black market and are commonly found in illicit products marketed as "Spice". The first mimic is HU-210. It has a similar chemical composition to THC, but is 100 times more powerful. The second mimic is JWH-073. It is one of the easiest to produce. CP 47,497 is the third. It is highly potent and its long-lasting psychological effects make it highly addictive. (2)
D.
(1) and (2), "Tracking the Craving Killer", Discover (November 2011), pp. 12 - 13.
Three THC knock-offs are gaining popularity on the black market and are commonly found in illicit products marketed as "Spice". The first mimic is HU-210. It has a similar chemical composition to THC, but is 100 times more powerful. The second mimic is JWH-073. It is one of the easiest to produce. CP 47,497 is the third. It is highly potent and its long-lasting psychological effects make it highly addictive. (2)
D.
(1) and (2), "Tracking the Craving Killer", Discover (November 2011), pp. 12 - 13.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Notes on Boredom
Most days there are not enough hours in the day for me to pursue everything I would like to, so I seldom suffer from boredom. I can remember as a young child, though, staring out the window come mid-August, wondering what to do with myself, wishing that school was back in session already because I was feeling bored. I was back home from vacationing with my family and had run out of ideas as to how to keep myself busy and entertained after six weeks off of school!
You may find yourself suffering from boredom when you face any one of the following situations:
- when you are prevented from engaging in a wanted activity;
- when you are forced to engage in an unwanted activity; or
- when you are unable - for no apparent reason - to maintain interest in any activity or spectacle (or, I might add, when you can't think of anything interesting or engaging to do.)
Experts can't seem to agree as to whether boredom - a feeling - is a symptom of depression, or whether boredom can lead to depression. So, I won't try to solve that question here.
It is often the case that boredom is trivialized and people suffering from it are often told to "snap out of it" or to "find something to do" (the latter being a common refrain by parents everywhere to a bored child) or "you're bored, I'll give you something to do!" (another common refrain by a parent to a child which was quickly followed by the assigning of one 'boring' chore or another).
"The first laboratory testing of boredom occurred in the late 1930’s and was then deduced to be a form of fatigue which was dissipated through the use of stimulants. In 1951 a book was published claiming that boredom was actually due to the repression of an individual’s natural drives and desires. After this date the research into boredom fell from grace and it wasn’t until 1986 that a psychologist developed the first full psychometric scale called, the "Boredom Proneness Scale (BPS)", as a method to measure boredom as an individual trait." (1)
An ongoing feeling of boredom, however, can fuel a longing for thrills to drive away boredom and may lead people to indulge in destructive, sensation-seeking activities, which include some form of risky behaviour. "A 2005 study of 92 Scottish teenagers, for example, found that boredom was among the top reasons stated for taking drugs." (2) Suffering from any degree of Attention Deficit Disorder (a disorder in which a person has trouble focusing or concentrating on a task or subject) can make an individual feel bored due to the simple fact that it is hard to maintain interest in something that he or she cannot concentrate on.
The BPS tests people to see how likely their nature is to become bored across a range of different situations. Results have indicated - to no great surprise - that some people are more prone to boredom than others. People who find themselves feeling bored, may simply need more 'healthy' excitement in their lives, whether this is a set of new friends, some new activities or interests, or just a variation of normal routine. Others may need to dig a little deeper psychologically because they suffer from an existential 'ennui' due to a feeling of lack of purpose in life. Boredom that cannot be eradicated in a healthy manner can lead to destructive behaviours like gambling, recreational drug use, smoking, partying/drinking alcohol to excess, over-eating, and risky sexual and other behaviours - especially in teenagers whose brains haven't matured to full reasoning/decision-making/judgment capacity.
(And, here's to hoping that reading "Psyche and Mind" is NOT a contributing factor to any feelings of boredom you may currently be experiencing!)
D.
(1) and (2), "Overcoming Boredom", www.totallybored.co.uk
You may find yourself suffering from boredom when you face any one of the following situations:
- when you are prevented from engaging in a wanted activity;
- when you are forced to engage in an unwanted activity; or
- when you are unable - for no apparent reason - to maintain interest in any activity or spectacle (or, I might add, when you can't think of anything interesting or engaging to do.)
Experts can't seem to agree as to whether boredom - a feeling - is a symptom of depression, or whether boredom can lead to depression. So, I won't try to solve that question here.
It is often the case that boredom is trivialized and people suffering from it are often told to "snap out of it" or to "find something to do" (the latter being a common refrain by parents everywhere to a bored child) or "you're bored, I'll give you something to do!" (another common refrain by a parent to a child which was quickly followed by the assigning of one 'boring' chore or another).
"The first laboratory testing of boredom occurred in the late 1930’s and was then deduced to be a form of fatigue which was dissipated through the use of stimulants. In 1951 a book was published claiming that boredom was actually due to the repression of an individual’s natural drives and desires. After this date the research into boredom fell from grace and it wasn’t until 1986 that a psychologist developed the first full psychometric scale called, the "Boredom Proneness Scale (BPS)", as a method to measure boredom as an individual trait." (1)
An ongoing feeling of boredom, however, can fuel a longing for thrills to drive away boredom and may lead people to indulge in destructive, sensation-seeking activities, which include some form of risky behaviour. "A 2005 study of 92 Scottish teenagers, for example, found that boredom was among the top reasons stated for taking drugs." (2) Suffering from any degree of Attention Deficit Disorder (a disorder in which a person has trouble focusing or concentrating on a task or subject) can make an individual feel bored due to the simple fact that it is hard to maintain interest in something that he or she cannot concentrate on.
The BPS tests people to see how likely their nature is to become bored across a range of different situations. Results have indicated - to no great surprise - that some people are more prone to boredom than others. People who find themselves feeling bored, may simply need more 'healthy' excitement in their lives, whether this is a set of new friends, some new activities or interests, or just a variation of normal routine. Others may need to dig a little deeper psychologically because they suffer from an existential 'ennui' due to a feeling of lack of purpose in life. Boredom that cannot be eradicated in a healthy manner can lead to destructive behaviours like gambling, recreational drug use, smoking, partying/drinking alcohol to excess, over-eating, and risky sexual and other behaviours - especially in teenagers whose brains haven't matured to full reasoning/decision-making/judgment capacity.
(And, here's to hoping that reading "Psyche and Mind" is NOT a contributing factor to any feelings of boredom you may currently be experiencing!)
D.
(1) and (2), "Overcoming Boredom", www.totallybored.co.uk
Eye Strain
If you spend long periods of time looking at a computer screen, you may find that you suffer the following effects: headaches during or after; irritated or dry eyes; blurred vision; slow refocusing when looking from screen to distant objects; difficulty seeing clearly at a distance; double vision; changes in how colours look; and/or frequent changes in eyeglasses prescription.
D.
D.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Minty Energy Boost
According to Prevention: Outsmart Diabetes, minty aromas can help people exercise longer and complete tasks faster and with more accuracy. And, supposedly, mint is a stimulating herb that evokes a primordial response to odours "we can also feel". (1) According to Pamela Dalton, a senior research scientist at the Monell Chemical Senses Centre in Philadelphia, "such smells make us more vigilant, leading to greater energy". (2)
I sometimes chew spearmint gum after a meal, because I like the way it makes my teeth feel squeaky clean. I don't drink any type of mint tea, though, because it makes me cold and gives me a headache. I do put a few chopped mint leaves in my homemade turkey burgers, and many people use the leaves to garnish a drink or throw into a salad. I grow many different mint varieties in my garden, including chocolate and orange.
So, on the next dark and stormy night, or perhaps just on a day where you're feeling a little tired, try breathing in the heady aroma of mint. Brush a fresh leaf with your fingers to release the scent, breathe in a bit of mint aromatherapy, or wear a lotion fragranced with mint - "the cooling sensation it gives your skin coupled with the tingle it puts in your airways can be doubly invigorating." (3)
D.
(1), (2) and (3), Prevention: Outsmart Diabetes, "End Your Energy Shortage", Sarah Reistad-Long, p.156.
I sometimes chew spearmint gum after a meal, because I like the way it makes my teeth feel squeaky clean. I don't drink any type of mint tea, though, because it makes me cold and gives me a headache. I do put a few chopped mint leaves in my homemade turkey burgers, and many people use the leaves to garnish a drink or throw into a salad. I grow many different mint varieties in my garden, including chocolate and orange.
So, on the next dark and stormy night, or perhaps just on a day where you're feeling a little tired, try breathing in the heady aroma of mint. Brush a fresh leaf with your fingers to release the scent, breathe in a bit of mint aromatherapy, or wear a lotion fragranced with mint - "the cooling sensation it gives your skin coupled with the tingle it puts in your airways can be doubly invigorating." (3)
D.
(1), (2) and (3), Prevention: Outsmart Diabetes, "End Your Energy Shortage", Sarah Reistad-Long, p.156.
A Civil Society
Cyberbullying has been in the news a lot lately; so has sexual harassment. The former, I have never experienced; the latter, I have. In fact, when I was 20, I quit an internship with Key To Toronto magazine because my boss wouldn't take "no" for an answer. That turned out to be only the 'tip of the iceberg' of the sexual harassment yet to come during my early twenties, both at work and at university. I never dressed or acted provocatively at any of my jobs, but by the time I got to law school, and the male predators who wouldn't take "no" for an answer, I protected myself as best I could, by wearing baggy sweaters and jeans most of the time. (Didn't work and it wasn't about me or how I dressed anyhow...it was about power plays, and 'scoring', and aggression.)
Both cyberbullying and harassment - any kind of harassment - are about power. Sometimes they are about a sense of entitlement, too. (For example, I'm entitled to coerce you into sex because I hold more power than you; or, I am man, you are woman - you know - cave man stuff.) Some feel threatened by you and need to ensure that they hold the power, that's why they do it.
But, this article is not going to be about the effects of harassment and cyberbullying on those targeted; nor, is it going to address the traits/problems of the perpetrators. It's going to look at the question of how humans stay good. Until we make it clear through serious sanctions in our homes, in our organizations, in our communities, and in our societies as a whole that neither of these aggressions is acceptable and that they will not be tolerated, these types of behaviours will not cease. It's time to get beyond old ideas and notions about kids and about adults, about men and about women, and adopt a zero tolerance policy in society as a whole. After all, it is within society that our schools, workplaces, and communities operate. And, there is something else that's been seeping into articles lately - and that is language that essentially places at least some, if not all, of the blame on the target - on the victim. I don't care how different someone is, how disabled someone might be, how quiet, or small, or vulnerable, or gay, or coloured, or pale, or skinny, or overweight, or sexy, or attractive, or naive, or Jewish, or Christian, another human has no right to zero in on another simply because he or she doesn't ‘like’ them, or like what they stand for, or because they need to feel powerful and in control. Consider this: is it okay for you to attack/harass someone because you have decided that you don't like green eyes? (Yes, that's as absurd as it can get sometimes...)
Humans are wired for gentleness and for aggressiveness.. Throughout history, we have had to nurture (gentleness) and protect (aggressiveness) our young, both of which acts ensure that our species endures. Most of us have been equipped with moral programming, but this does not mean that we will always practice moral behaviour. Knowing right from wrong doesn't guarantee that we will always act accordingly. It is up to society to make it clear what is acceptable and what is not. If you live in a society where protection of vulnerable people is a value, then policies must be adopted which ensure that protection. It may be okay to be aggressive towards someone in order to protect our children, but to act aggressively just because we don't like how someone looks or acts, or because we want power and control over them, or because they threaten our psyche - well, that's not okay.
Some people don't have a moral compass, or at least, a good one that's fully operational. And, most people are very good at rationalization: at explaining to themselves and to others why their behaviour is justified. For example, "ya, but she's a slut so she deserves it" (translation: "I don't like how she acts or dresses, so heaven forbid I should have to tolerate someone who bothers me, so she deserves to be bullied"); or, "ya, but he looks like a rat" (translation: "he really bugs me because he's ugly and I don't enjoy looking at ugly people, so he deserves to be bullied!")
The human condition itself causes us to be grossly imperfect creatures. And, personality disorders/syndromes, immature brains, injured brains, sociopathic tendencies, self-centeredness, self-esteem issues, and the narrow-minded attitudes we glean from popular television shows, internet sites (like porn sites and other sites promoting hatred, persecution, or violence), and from our families, friends, and some religious teachings, fertilize the ground which foments these types of behaviours.
To truly live in a civil society, we have much more work to do. We may never achieve our full potential in that regard, but we can at least strive to go as far as we can along that developmental road. Because let's face it, people bully because they can, and people harass because they can.
D.
Both cyberbullying and harassment - any kind of harassment - are about power. Sometimes they are about a sense of entitlement, too. (For example, I'm entitled to coerce you into sex because I hold more power than you; or, I am man, you are woman - you know - cave man stuff.) Some feel threatened by you and need to ensure that they hold the power, that's why they do it.
But, this article is not going to be about the effects of harassment and cyberbullying on those targeted; nor, is it going to address the traits/problems of the perpetrators. It's going to look at the question of how humans stay good. Until we make it clear through serious sanctions in our homes, in our organizations, in our communities, and in our societies as a whole that neither of these aggressions is acceptable and that they will not be tolerated, these types of behaviours will not cease. It's time to get beyond old ideas and notions about kids and about adults, about men and about women, and adopt a zero tolerance policy in society as a whole. After all, it is within society that our schools, workplaces, and communities operate. And, there is something else that's been seeping into articles lately - and that is language that essentially places at least some, if not all, of the blame on the target - on the victim. I don't care how different someone is, how disabled someone might be, how quiet, or small, or vulnerable, or gay, or coloured, or pale, or skinny, or overweight, or sexy, or attractive, or naive, or Jewish, or Christian, another human has no right to zero in on another simply because he or she doesn't ‘like’ them, or like what they stand for, or because they need to feel powerful and in control. Consider this: is it okay for you to attack/harass someone because you have decided that you don't like green eyes? (Yes, that's as absurd as it can get sometimes...)
Humans are wired for gentleness and for aggressiveness.. Throughout history, we have had to nurture (gentleness) and protect (aggressiveness) our young, both of which acts ensure that our species endures. Most of us have been equipped with moral programming, but this does not mean that we will always practice moral behaviour. Knowing right from wrong doesn't guarantee that we will always act accordingly. It is up to society to make it clear what is acceptable and what is not. If you live in a society where protection of vulnerable people is a value, then policies must be adopted which ensure that protection. It may be okay to be aggressive towards someone in order to protect our children, but to act aggressively just because we don't like how someone looks or acts, or because we want power and control over them, or because they threaten our psyche - well, that's not okay.
Some people don't have a moral compass, or at least, a good one that's fully operational. And, most people are very good at rationalization: at explaining to themselves and to others why their behaviour is justified. For example, "ya, but she's a slut so she deserves it" (translation: "I don't like how she acts or dresses, so heaven forbid I should have to tolerate someone who bothers me, so she deserves to be bullied"); or, "ya, but he looks like a rat" (translation: "he really bugs me because he's ugly and I don't enjoy looking at ugly people, so he deserves to be bullied!")
The human condition itself causes us to be grossly imperfect creatures. And, personality disorders/syndromes, immature brains, injured brains, sociopathic tendencies, self-centeredness, self-esteem issues, and the narrow-minded attitudes we glean from popular television shows, internet sites (like porn sites and other sites promoting hatred, persecution, or violence), and from our families, friends, and some religious teachings, fertilize the ground which foments these types of behaviours.
To truly live in a civil society, we have much more work to do. We may never achieve our full potential in that regard, but we can at least strive to go as far as we can along that developmental road. Because let's face it, people bully because they can, and people harass because they can.
D.
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