Posted by Lindenblüte on September 25, 2006, at 22:16:39
In reply to Re: the brain » Phillipa, posted by Squiggles on September 25, 2006, at 6:52:49
Okay- Here's a brain condition:
PKU: phenylketoneuria (or something like that)
Basically, it's a very well-studied, well-understood genetic condition. Present from birth, babies are unable to metabolize a particular amino acid (phenylalanine), and so this ordinary amino acid basically acts as a poison in their baby brains, and can cause severe mental retardation and behavioral problems as the primary and most devastating consequences of having a particular gene.
Is it a brain disorder? you betcha!
How is it treated? Well, basically, it's treated through dietary modifications. Prenatal testing for the particular genetic defect will identify babies with PKU and their caregivers will be taught never to give their child phoods with phenylalanine (that's why aspartame has a warning, as do many diet phoods)
PKU is a brilliant example that flouts the traditional "biological illness merits biological treatment" approach. Actually, it's a behavioral change that is required instead. Parents must modify the diet they feed their newborn and learn how to recognize which foods are appropriate or inappropriate. By changing an environmental variable, such as parenting and nourishment, a genetic disease can be thwarted. Today PKU kids grow up with relatively intact health (even though their phood is probably not so tasty).
"Biological based" can mean so many different things
100% genetically determined (like Fragile X mental retardation: but even here there are individual differences!!)
100% genetically determined and <=100% avoidable (like PKU)
some combination of genetic & environmental factors (like Parkinson's Disease, or Stroke, or schizophrenia, or heart disease, cancer, or many other psychiatric/mental illnesses)
Isn't it funny how "stress relief" from social support and supportive relationships can influence positive outcomes for so many different illnesses, ranging from cancer and heart disease to depression?
SLS, I could never know your whole history, nor would I ever presume to know what's best for you- but sometimes a mental illness is a physiological response to something in the environment. If a trained professional can help you recognize what is contributing to this response, and perhaps help you rearrange your environment (or learn to react to it differently), isn't it possible that you may mitigate the severity or frequency of such reactions?
For instance- most people nowadays complain of "stress" but there seem to be so many ways of defining or interpreting or reacting to a stressor. Perhaps a particular combination of stressors in your current situation and your personal history are working together with some genetic or ontogenetic predisposition to push you towards the unhealthy end of the mental illness continuum?
If you cannot identify or realize the connections between the stressors, you may never have a chance to change your reaction to them. That was my perception, at least: *poof* out of nowhere this depression thing was kicking my *ss. I was losing! what the f*ck! well, now I get it. It wasn't a virus, it was a pretty well-learned coping technique that I have always used in traumatic situations. It's just a complete shut-down of emotion and motivation that comes from an overload of chronic anxiety. -- fine-- what causes my anxiety... hmm? difficult question. a lot of unconnected things... oh wait. maybe they're not so unconnected after all. hmm. Well these little insights brought to me courtesy of 5 months of therapy, which I most certainly would not have tolerated without a little help sleeping and eating and thinking provided by some cymbalta, seroquel and provigil.
SLS- I hope you don't take offense at me using you for an example? I sincerely believe that everyone responds differently to different treatments. BUT I also believe that at different stages in our lives we may be ready or receptive to therapy, even if it didn't seem to make any difference earlier. Really truly I just want the best for you, and I'm so sorry that you've been struggling on this end of the pole for so long. It's terrible. Do you like cyber hugs? I'll send you some? Or at the very least, a home-made chocolate cupcake with fudgy truffle frosting.
-Li
poster:Lindenblüte
thread:688931
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20060922/msgs/689248.html