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Dropping Knowledge Series 2019

Anxiety - Friend or Foe

Anxiety: Friend or Foe?

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Anxiety: Friend or Foe?

In our natural state, we are all anxious nearly all the time. We are hardwired for anxiety.

We evolved as high anxiety species. Anxiety is a naturally selected trait.

The anxious hunter gatherer survives. The “chilled out” hunter gatherer gets eaten.

Today, this fear response is not necessary b/c we are safe. RELATIVELY SPEAKING, in terms of physical threats/danger, we are much safer.

Back in the Day

Back in the day existence was brutal. Life expectancy was low.

We died from war, famine, and disease. Statistically speaking. In modern society, we are more likely to die from over consumption of sugar than pestilence, war or famine.

This physically safer “world” is brand new.

It’s only been a couple hundred years of safety. In evolutionary terms that does not even register.

Normal & Natural

Our brains have not evolved. We have not “adjusted” to this modern reality.

So, we scan the horizon for threats. And we search for danger.

If we can’t find immediate physical danger. Psychological threats will suffice.

If we can’t find an obvious threat, a manufactured one will do just fine.

This is our normal and natural state.

Forced Action

In addition, anxiety has an upside. It forces action.

The discomfort gets us moving. Imagine if we were just “chilled out” all the time. No worries.

It will all work out. Anxiety keeps tapping us on the shoulder. Telling us to do something, lest the beast find us.

Of course, a problem arises when anxiety becomes debilitating.

Overwhelming. Disabling. Paralyzing. Too much, too often.

The Real Problem

However, the real problem occurs when we act-out in self-defeating ways, in an effort to alleviate the anxiety.

This acting out is universal. Sometimes in big ways that are obvious.

Examples include, substance misuse, internet pornography, gambling, compulsive working, shopping/spending money we don’t have, emotional eating, and endless list of other serious behaviors.

Many times, the self-medicating is less obvious.

On & On

Picking a fight with your spouse to distract yourself (unconscious process).

  • Wasting time on the internet
  • Procrastination 
  • Irritability
  • Sleeping all day
  • Avoiding responsibilities
  • Or becoming overly responsible
  • Trying to control others

On and on ….

The Sweet Spot

There is a sweet spot with anxiety. Do not try to rid yourself of anxiety. You can’t. It’s not natural. Try to keep it in between the guardrails.

Maybe…Anxiety can become a “Superpower”.

I’m working on it.

Mental Health Crisis

“12 Steps” To A Mental Health Crisis

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Mental Health Crisis

I am very certain that the following modern realities contribute mightily to current mental health crisis, our stress, anxiety, fatigue, depression, angst, despair, substance use/other self destructive behaviors and on and on….

The Steps

  1. The “Look At Me” Peacock Culture
    The spectacle culture. Constant 24 hour a day comparisons magnified by filtered images and manufactured scenario. “Purchased” (literally) followers/“likes”, digital profiling, fear of being left out, status envy on steroids.
  2. Too Many Choices
    Way too much of everything. Too many types of everything. From cereal to cars to software. Ridiculous and overwhelming.
  3. Too Much
    Too much info and Too much toxic info.
    What do you read next?
    What do you binge watch next?
    Who do you spend your time with and where do you go eat tonight?
    Which website do you use to check restaurant reviews…. ?
    What source do you trust?

    Your argument defending your position on important matters is essentially a series of googled research articles that support your opinion. Stop doing that.
  4. Hysteria and Shark Shaming!
    Out of context reporting on tragic situations. Creating hysteria. Click bait journalism.
    If it bleeds it leads has gone to another level. Kid attacked by shark in Nebraska circulates the cable news. Moms around the nation immediately enroll children in shark awareness training. PETA gets involved and is pissed sharks are being “shamed”.
    CNN runs a town hall hosted by Anderson Cooper: titled – “Has America Jumped the Shark-Intolerance and Fish-Hate Hits the Heartland”.
  5. Tribalism
    Total tribalism on all political fronts. Trickling down to constant agenda pushing at all levels by all people in all parties. Always.
    People speak only in talking points. The call out culture runs the day. People troll online and in real life just waiting to call out other people when they violate a sacred principle of their identified tribe. Such bullshit. This circus is accessible all the time. Leads to a complete disregard for facts and a general feeling the world is falling apart. People have abandoned critical thinking.
  6. Constant Connection 24/7/365
    We are always on the hook with work and other responsibilities. Requires concentrated willpower to check out.
  7. The “Hurry Up & Get That Done” Vibe
    This seems to pervade every aspect of life. All sports are organized. All activities are organized.
    Vacations are a competition. They are organized and just splendid. And the results are broadcast over social media.
    For the record, my vacations are WORK. Kids wear my ass out.
  8. TV Remotes Have 8,974 Buttons
    Every freaking device is too cool for its own good. They can record a show while watching another show while transcribing another show while running a retina scan while teaching the baby math, while turning oven off, while monitoring the perimeter, while changing the oil in the van etc…,

    Question: HOW DO YOU CHANGE THE CHANNEL OR TURN UP THE VOLUME ON A TV?
    That’s all I want to do …. Same complexity exists for all software updates and app instillation etc….
  9. User Names & Passwords
    Too many user names and passwords to remember. The human brain is not designed for such things.
  10. Bank Cards
    Bank cards that get randomly shut down because of new upgraded protection. With no warning.
  11. The 10 Second Rule, Rules!
    The sense that my phone is “too slow” when I Google something.
    There was a time when I just wouldn’t have the answer to that question or the address to that business etc… it would not be “at my finger tips”.
    Now I get frustrated and lose my mind if I can’t get the answer within 10 seconds.
  12. The GPS Lady
    The GPS woman providing directions.
    When you get off an exit to use the bathroom and she frantically screams at you…”proceed to the route”……

When it comes to explaining our current mental health crisis…. this list is as good as any explanation I have ever seen.

If you don’t know…now you know. You know very well….. 😎

Youturn - Adolescent Behavioral Health

Constant Connection + Comparison = Constant Crisis

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Adolescent Behavioral Health

I have been a practicing clinician and clinical manager working in the substance use disorders and mental health treatment industries for over 20 years. 

For over 10 years, my work involved specialty practice with adolescents and young adults. 

I have always been drawn to helping younger people. Probably motivated by my own personal experience. 

I came through my dark days during the 1980’s when discussing adolescent mental health and addiction was off limits. Adolescent behavioral health issues simply did not exist. 

I’ve spent a bunch of therapy time with kids and their parents. Trying to help them figure out up from down.

We’ve always known there were many more young people in need; beyond those “showing up” for therapy. 

However, I never saw this coming. Record setting levels of anxiety, depression, overdose, and suicide.    

Overdoses are also climbing among this demographic.  

iGen 101

I got most my information on this topic from reading Jean M. Twenge, a professor of psychology at San Diego State University author of “Generation Me” and “iGen”. 

iGen represents the generation born between 1995 and 2012. Post millennials.

This generation represents an important transition in terms of human evolution.  

Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee called the internet explosion the 2nd Machine Age.  And just like the first machine age (the industrial revolution) we will need some time to negotiate this new landscape. 

iGen marks the first generation with the no “pre-internet” exposure. Perhaps even more significantly, iGen represents the generation of fully integrated mobile connection.  

Consider the following:   

• The smart phone came of age in 2007. Nearly all the iGen kids grew up with smartphone (3 out of 4 reported owning an iPhone).

• iGen kids have Instagram accounts before they start high school.

• The internet was always present for iGen. They don’t recall pre-internet life.  

“Millennials grew up with the web as well, but it wasn’t ever-present in their lives, at hand at all times, day and night. AND most can remember a time when the web was not part of their life”. (Jean Twenge) 

Helicopter & Bubble Wrap

  • Interesting when you study this generation you quickly see that traditional rites of passage are unimportant. For example, “leaving the home and seeing the world” is insignificant. I guess when you have connection and access to the entire world from your bedroom you are less interested in getting out to go see the world.
  • In general, they are less likely to leave the house (for any reason) without their parents. (NOTE: this is not entirely due to the cyber culture. This is also the result of helicopter parenting; creating a bubble wrapped generation).

According to Twenge: “The shift is stunning: 12th-graders in 2015 were going out less often than eighth-graders did as recently as 2009”. They have less sex, use less drugs, take less risks.
More from Twenge: “They’re markedly less likely to get into a car accident and, having less of a taste for alcohol than their predecessors, are less susceptible to drinking’s attendant ills”

However, they report record levels of “psychological” problems. Anxiety, depression, and suicide rates are climbing at any alarming level.

As Twenge says: “It’s not an exaggeration to describe iGen as being on the brink of the worst mental-health crisis in decades.”

Twenge also says: “Much of this deterioration can be traced to their phones”.

The Impact Is Brutal

The impact of constant connection AND CONSTANT COMPARISON cannot be over-stated.

Middle school is brutal under the best of conditions.

Kids realize that there is a status system. Kids realize they are different. Kids realize they are or the aren’t cool

Fear of mission out. Fear of being left out.

Can you imaging being a teenager, constantly reminded how cool (or not cool) you are 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

As a mature, sane (most days), successful, accomplished adult I find myself susceptible to social media. In my life the impact is work related. However, the impact is there.

Social media must be psychological terrorism for the average teenager.

All Our Problem

We have a problem on our hands. The solution is not attacking technology. 

Technology never regresses. Rather we will see continuous innovation and powerful new platforms.

More social cyber connection not less. That’s how technology works. We don’t go backward.

None of us are going to ride our horse home from work tomorrow. 

You probably won’t need to use a pay phone or type your next memo on a typewriter.

WE WILL NEED TO DEVELOP INTERVENTIONS AND PROVIDE SUPPORT THAT MEETS PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE….ON THEIR PHONES.

youturn.net

Check out www.youturn.net. We intend to do our part in solving this problem.  

Forget everything you’ve heard about traditional addiction and recovery. youturn is an innovative video platform for people who are being negatively affected by addiction.

We’re not A.A. We’re not rehab.

We’re just here to offer information. Provide perspective. And start the conversation. What you do from there is up to you.

youturn was created by people who overcame challenges related to substance use disorders.

People who found a way to make a comeback and lead a healthier, happier, more purposeful lifestyle.

We are living, breathing testimonies to the fact that hope and change are possible.

Watch Rich Jones on youturn.net

Click on the image too view! Rich shares with us the basics of Substance Use Disorder.

Richard Jones shares the basic on substance use disorder.
Recovery Cartel

Positive Psychology Lecture FAVOR Greenville

Positive Psychology Lecture Series

Join Rich Jones as he presents his newest Positive Psychology Lecture from FAVOR Greenville in South Carolina. Topics include: Tapping into your full potential. Living your life to the fullest.

Positive psychology is “the scientific study of what makes life most worth living. Another definition would be, “the scientific study of positive human functioning and flourishing.

Positive psychology began as a new domain of psychology in 1998 when Martin Seligman chose it as the theme for his term as president of the American Psychological Association.

The Good Life

Positive psychology is concerned with eudaimonia, “The good life”.

Rich talks and takes a look at what we hold as the greatest value in life, in addition to the factors that contribute the most to a well-lived and fulfilling life.

Positive psychologists have suggested a number of ways in which individual happiness may be fostered.

Social ties with a spouse, family, friends and wider networks through work, clubs or social organisations are of particular importance, while physical exercise and the practice of meditation may also contribute to happiness.

upfront apology. Terrible language at a couple points. I have poor impulse control. Positive psychology 7.13

Posted by Richard Jones on Saturday, 13 July 2019
Upfront Apology. Terrible language at a couple points. I have poor impulse control. – Rich
Depression

Is Depression As Bad As People Think?

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Depression Is Bad

Is depression as bad as people think? The short answer is, YES it is!

Yes depression is as bad as people think. However, it is a complicated issue and generally misunderstood.

Clinical depression or Major Depressive Disorder (as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5th edition: DSM-V) is very serious.

The reality we must face, however, is that diagnosis is intuitive rather than precise.

Many people will be labeled “depressed”, or will label themselves depressed, when in fact they are experience a normal range of human emotions. Affect within normal range (ie..you are sad because you should be sad).

Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-5

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition: DSM-5 outlines the following criterion to make a diagnosis of depression.

The individual must be experiencing five or more symptoms during the same 2-week period and at least one of the symptoms should be either – (1) depressed mood or (2) loss of interest or pleasure.

  • Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day.
  • Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities most of the day, nearly every day.
  • Significant weight loss when not dieting or weight gain, or decrease or increase in appetite nearly every day.
  • A slowing down of thought and a reduction of physical movement (observable by others, not merely subjective feelings of restlessness or being slowed down).
  • Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day.
  • Feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt nearly every day.
  • Diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness, nearly every day.
  • Recurrent thoughts of death, recurrent suicidal ideation without a specific plan, or a suicide attempt or a specific plan for committing suicide.

Distress or Impairment

To receive a diagnosis of depression, these symptoms must cause the individual clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

The symptoms must also. “not be a result of substance abuse or another medical condition”. (from PsyCom: Depression Definition and DSM-5 Diagnostic Criteria)

There are other conditions which reach clinically significant levels.

The most common being Persistent Depressive Disorder (used to be called Dysthymia). The condition is not as “deep” or “severe” as MDD. However, PDD has its own unique set of challenges.

Criteria From The DSM-V:

A. Depressed mood for most of the day, for more days than not, as indicated by either subjective account or observation by others, for at least 2 years. Note: In children and adolescents, mood can be irritable and duration must be at least 1 year.

B. Presence, while depressed, of two (or more) of the following:

  1. Poor appetite or overeating
  2. 2. Insomnia or hypersomnia
  3. 3. Low energy or fatigue
  4. 4. Low self-esteem
  5. 5. Poor concentration or difficulty making decisions
  6. 6. Feelings of hopelessness.

C. During the 2-year period (1 year for children or adolescents) of the disturbance, the individual has never been without the symptoms in Criteria A and B for more than 2 months at a time.

D. Criteria for a major depressive disorder may be continuously present for 2 years.

E. There has never been a manic episode or a hypomanic episode, and criteria have never been met for cyclothymic disorder.

F. The disturbance is not better explained by a persistent schizoaffective disorder, schizophrenia, delusional disorder, or other specified or unspecified schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorder.

G. The symptoms are not attributable to the physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication) or another medical condition (e.g., hypothyroidism).

H. The symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

Note: Because the criteria for a major depressive episode include four symptoms that are absent from the symptom list for persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia), a very limited number of individuals will have depressive symptoms that have persisted longer than 2 years but will not meet criteria for persistent depressive disorder.

Treatment Is Required

If full criteria for a major depressive episode have been met at some point during the current episode of illness, they should be given a diagnosis of major depressive disorder. Otherwise, a diagnosis of other specified depressive disorder or unspecified depressive disorder is warranted

Depression, when at the clinically significant/diagnostic level, is “that bad”.

It impacts people on a biological, psychological, and behavioral level.

Treatment of depression requires psychiatric support and talk therapy.

Medicine is available that can help. People should seek professional support as soon as possible.

However sadness is part of life, and the sooner we “jump on” the negative feelings the easier the fix. We need to be careful to not characterize all “low moods” as depression.

Therapist For 15 Plus Yrs

I have been in practice as therapist for 15 plus years. So clearly, I believe in therapy and I believe that depression is real.

As I said above, it is serious and it requires professional intervention and support. But people can also improve their lives without a therapist and feeling down does not automatically equal depression.

People have always struggled with emotional issues and mental health. This is not a modern phenomenon. It’s well documented.

Anxiety, depression, substance misuse have been part of the human condition across history. People found a way through.

Seeking the perfect therapist, or the perfect “program” or perfect treatment center or perfect combination of medication is an exercise in frustration. Don’t wait for that perfect solution.

Warning!!!

Stay away from incompetent therapists and providers that suck.

There are a fair number out there. But otherwise, accept support and try to take action. 

The action does not have to be perfect and you won’t immediately solve the problem. The “action” can be as simple as evaluating your current behavior in an honest and open manner.

Talk to someone about your struggle. But do so with full investment and vulnerability. Get more information on depression. Try on different ideas.

Maintain Perspective

Bearing the emotional pain of a seriously troubling circumstance can be “depressing”. This state may not be representative of depression in the diagnostic or clinical sense. However, it could be the catalyst for clinical depression.

Address this before it transitions to more serious stage.

Some Suggestions:

A) Get moving (or keep moving). Imperfectly execute on your life and responsibilities. Seek out the presence of other Homo sapiens. Preferably nice ones… with pleasant demeanor and positive attitudes.

B) Perspective taking. Write in your journal. Journal and write about a major difficulty/problem you have gone through in the past where the long term impact/result was not as bad as you anticipated (ie…it all worked out in the end) Write about the outcomes and how it worked out and how you made it through.

C) Engage the free three: 1) listen to upbeat music, 2) laugh, 3) go outside.

D) Identify your preferred thinking error. Mine is catastrophizing. Be on the look out for those type of thoughts (call them ants). Know the ants are coming. Act swiftly and decisively to crush these ants.

E) Have a “go to person”. One on one to talk it out. Obviously a therapist is one option. Also coach, mentor, appropriate family/friends.

F) Tell yourself: “It is possible that I will feel better in the future”… “It is possible that I can be happy again”… etc.

It is important to focus on light at the end of the tunnel. All things pass and if you can hold on you will likely feel better. Watch this video.

Tyson Fury Heavyweight Champion of the World:

Final Words

No matter what. Try to keep moving.

If you aren’t “feeling it” do it anyway.

Make yourself do life in an imperfect manner.

Go through the motions. Show up.

Thanks, Rich Jones

Recovery Cartel Blog - ANTI-SOCIAL MEDIA: THIS ONE GOES OUT TO THE KIDS!

ANTI-SOCIAL MEDIA: THIS ONE GOES OUT TO THE KIDS!

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SHARE THIS!

This #socialmedia stuff is getting real serious. Our kids are suffering from anxiety, depression and reporting record levels of suicidal thinking.

Our children are purposefully being hi-jacked, taken over and gravely affected. We can’t take our eyes off the screen.

The average age of kids using smartphones is just 10 years old. WHAT???

Social media giants are very aware of the control and influence they have over our kids. They spend millions polishing and perfecting their tactics and honing their craft.

RECOVERY CARTEL PSA

 STARTLING RESEARCH

Researchers believe this has caused, and will continue to give rise to, the staggering increase in teen-aged and young adult depression and suicidal thinking.

Can you even imagine a 11 year child committing or attempting suicide? Well, imagine the impact constant connection and comparison with other pre-teens may have on a young person. Imagine middle school 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

It is an absolute fact that, in large part, social media is the culprit.

Constant connection and constant comparison is not normal. Human being are not designed for this aspect of modern life.

Fear of missing out and fear of being left out are very difficult for teenagers and young adults to accept. These anxieties are taken to another level via social media.

WE MUST TALK ABOUT THIS!!!

Many of us do not understand the impact this has. We were taken by surprise with the smartphone. I did not address this issue with my older kids (now 26, 23, 20).

We must work to provide these kids with a better perspective.

100% SMOKE & MIRRORS

Social media, at its most fundamental level, capitalizes on the human desire to establish oneself in the tribe. It is a natural instinct. However, this instinct can backfire when it involves technology.

Stating the obvious. Our kids need to know that: a) Social media is not a reflection on real life. People do not always look that good. People do not put up bad news. The group that you envy is full of young people who are just as insecure and envious as you. b) Social media is essentially entertainment. Treat it as such. c) Social media is not going away. Each family and each person is going to need to figure out their relationship with social media. Do you engage at all? If so, how much? When and where? How old when you begin?

And perhaps most importantly: d) Social media doesn’t reflect real life achievement or a human being’s value. Anyone can look good, anyone can get a following, anyone can be an internet superstar. Literally, you can pay for likes, followers, and social media engagement.

It’s the matrix.

FACTS & INFO

Here’s the link to USA Today article – https://www.usatoday.com/…/depression-suicide-m…/3172743002/.

And here is the link to the actual American Psychological Association study. – https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/abn-abn0000410.pdf

Pleasure Requires An Effort

PLEASURE REQUIRES EFFORT?

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Pleasure and Effort

Seems counter-intuitive.

Pleasure or “fun” is part of happiness. To be clear, it is not the main part of happiness and pleasure alone can not bring happiness.

But it is necessary. All work and no play can become a problem.

Hedonic vs Eudaimonic

What can you do for fun? Some people have a hedonic orientation. Pursuing fun and pleasure at all costs.

Especially at younger ages.

Others have a eudaimonic orientation. Focusing on achievement, goal attainment, and altruism.

Fun Changes Over Time

Most have a “mix” but “lean” one way or the other. This is not a static state and it can change over time.

What qualifies as “fun” also changes over time.

As you get older and social circles change your orientation toward “fun” may change.

As age related social norms change you will be drawn toward new activities.

Or, at the very least, you will be driven away from “old” activities. It’s just not cool 45 years old and hanging out at the night club.

The Pleasure Dilemma

The pleasure dilemma is more pronounced with people in recovery.

Obviously, the substance provided pleasure and, at least early on, some level of “fun”.

For me, it provided a ton of fun early on. It was always central to the experience.

Pursuing pleasure and fun is something you may need to work on in recovery. It may not come natural.

Remember, we do better when we live intentionally and plan our days.

Manage life or it will manage you.

Reward Deficiency Syndrome

Throw in the issue of reward deficiency syndrome (RDS) and finding ways to “enjoy yourself/have fun” can be quite frustrating.

RDS is somewhat controversial.

I believe it is a true phenomenon. However, like many other issues related to addiction, it is over emphasized.

It is likely NOT the case for many people with an substance use disorder.

Severity and individual factors must be taken into consideration. There is great variety among people with substance use disorders.

RDS-theory (Dr. Kenneth Blum). Born with low D2 (dopamine):

The Thrill Is Gone

Some people have fewer D2 receptors than the general population, up to 40% fewer in some brain areas like the nucleus accumbens.

These people are not as excited about reaching their goals.

Their whole “reward system” is relatively flat.

Life is not as much of a buzz for them as it is for most people.

The thrill is gone. In fact, maybe it was never there at all.

The wrong allele of the DRD2 gene, and fewer D2 receptors = RDS.

How are you going to get the thrills those around you seem to get?

Hyper-Excite, What?

Drugs, gambling, and other super-fun stuff might be the most effective way.

These “rewards” are hyper-exciting for most people.

For you, who are chronically under-excited, they might be the only way to feel really engaged with life.

Addiction, then, is just an unfortunate side-effect.

Reward deficiency leads you to seek out the biggest bang for your buck. Which makes sense, because everyone wants to feel the thrills and pleasures of life.

Crossing The Line!

Chronic substance use exacerbates and produces more severe RDS-like condition.

Even if the person “started” at a normal baseline they can advance to RDS via chronic substance use.

The theory proceeds as follows: as the person progresses with substance misuse (regardless of RDS or chronic exposure) they “cross the line” into a permanent neurobiological change. Where the altered system is “more sensitive”.

Re-Activation

The cascade can be “re-activated” very easily. “One is too many”. “Complete abstinence”.

“The first one…” Again, everyone is different and we don’t need to walk around in fear that RDS will somehow “take us out”.

Keep in mind: stress, trauma (chronic exposure) can influence D2 and RDS. Very complex.

Thrill seeking does not automatically equal RDS RDS can manifest itself in all kinds of addictions. Negative and positive.

Some people with a substance use disorder and/or in recovery have RDS but it is not universal.

Manage Dopamine

There are many reasons that substance use disorders develop. Complex and individualized.

There is no one explanation and there is no one solution. I believe I fall into the RDS category.

In recovery the brain will eventually return to pre-addiction baseline levels (in regards to dopamine). However, this pre-addiction baseline will still fall below normal range.

This makes the pleasure issue more challenging.

We need to manage our dopamine.

Distracting

There are ways to do that. More to come on how to manage this deficiency.

I’ve struggled with pleasure and fun and risk using work as a distraction from this reality.

I’ve just started a 60 day fix. My own invention.

I will let you know how it goes. – Thanks, Rich

Child Development

Psychology Baby 101

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Infant/Child Development

This is me and my grand-daughter Mira.

Mira is beautiful as you can clearly see.

But that’s not why I posted this.

I want to discuss infant and child development. Specifically, memory and it’s relationship to strong emotions such as baseline fear response and love.

Babies generally can not “remember” things. They can track objects but have limited storage and recall of these things.

Limited Recall

Obviously, the people closet to them get priority in terms of storage and recall. Mom and dad for example. Object permanence starts around 4-7 months. This refers to the ability to remember something was there and it will come back even if it disappears.

However, they can’t remember much. Most of life is in the moment with no frame of reference to the past.

Fear, however, will trigger a much stronger memory.

Encoding

Encoding is the process of breaking the information down into a form we understand so that it can be more easily stored (and we later “decode” the information to recall it).

The process of getting into through the processing system into memory and later retrieval is natural and hard-wired. It is automatic. Again, we call this encoding.

If a baby had a jarring experience it can “encode” and remain in place.

This is for obvious reasons, human beings are wired to notice the dangers.

Hard-wired

Think about the implications of this process in trauma work. Our strongest memories during infancy are associated with LOVE and FEAR.

Love keeps us close to those who are “safe”.

Fear keeps us alive by avoiding perceived danger.

Hard-wired. From the start with long lasting impact.

The MIRA Event

About 4 weeks ago Mira was chillin’ and doing her thing. Observing the world.

I was interacting with her in normal adult to infant fashion.

All these other kids were around (my kids). Lots of activity. Lots of noise.

At some point, I get loud with one of these other rug-rats.

Fight or Flight

I’m not even sure what exactly happened, but I startled Mira and she got all quiver-lipped and sad.

She starts crying. She was all jammed up.

Interestingly, since that experience her “fight or flight” instinct will kick in when I’m with her.

You can see it escalate.

I pick her up. She starts to breath faster.

She starts to look for her mom or dad.

Interestingly again, if they are in the room she can use them for comfort and self-soothe (this is a very good sign and bodes well for her future success).

Crisis Escalation

If her parents are not in the room she continues on the “crisis escalation cycle”.

Today we were able to successfully implement an extinction protocol to get her over this.

Raise exposure with parents in the room.

Extinction Protocol

Level 1: Exposure in mom’s arms;

Level 2: Brief hold facing away looking at mom;

Level 3: Brief hold facing me and quick return to mom.

Level 4 : Casual hold for extended period of time. (see image above)

Intervention

Subjective units of distress steadily decreased and I am proud to say that I think we have a successful intervention.

Tonight we will attempt the protocol with parents out of the room.

Editors Note: I was born in 1958 to an unwed mum, and back then in Scotland, society did not look upon single mothers with much regard. Single mothers were instantly stigmatised and shamed.

This eventually led my mother to place me into a unwanted children’s home.

That happened in 1961 an to this very day I recall vividly the sound of her heels hitting the tile floor as she walked away from me leaving me with strangers.

I cried out – Mummy, Mummy, I am sorry Mummy.

It was only a few years ago in 2015 that I discovered and started to gather information on the damage done. 

Then I could take action to heal the “trauma of abandonment”.

Until that time I had suffered repeated distress over and over and over. My personal recovery from substance use disorder was never successful. 

All of 31 long and tedious years of struggling I was trying to fix the “symptom” instead of the original “root cause” of my difficulties..

Much of the foundational research in this area has been referred to as –Adverse Childhood Experiences,(ACEs).

ACEs can be prevented. – Thanks, Chris Freeman | SoberWorx

Recovery Cartel Blog - Intuitive Medicine

Intuitive Medicine – What’s That?

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I am certain that there is no certainty surrounding substance use disorders and their “cause”.

Despite popular opinion and what you hear out there in Expertville.

We are relatively clueless. SUD falls in a category of medicine called “intuitive medicine”.

Versus treating appendicitis, which is an example of precision medicine. (See below; SUD would fall similar to depression, since society doesn’t actually think it’s a disease it’s not listed on this chart).

Like any other disorder, SUD will manifest itself in a wide variety of ways.

The level of complexity with co-occurring mental health and underlying factors of trauma/adverse childhood events is an example.

I also believe their are vast differences in the neurobiological component.

We are not all physiologically identical. All who “cross the line” may experience a fundamental change in the brain, however, how we get there varies greatly from person to person.

Furthermore, many haven’t “crossed the line” but misuse is killing them anyway. Let’s be clear. You do not have to be an “addict” in order to destroy yourself with substances.

Therefore, restoration to health will vary greatly from person to person. The destination and the path will vary.

In addition, what you need early in your recovery will differ from what is needed down the road.

Other issues are likely to take center stage as you progress in your recovery.

Be creative and open to other wellness alternatives. Avoid getting stuck.

However, if it’s not broke don’t fix it. If you are feeling good keep on the same path.

Simple logic…. #droppinknowledge2019.