Re: OT but related: Stress and the vicious cycle

[Guest guest]

Mara & Carol,

I completely needed to read this - thank you for the reminder. It is a piece of

the puzzle for me.

Many, many kind thanks

Kim

>

> What an interesting article. This paragraph caught my attention:

>

> The truth is, Dr. Sapolsky said, " we're lousy at recognizing when our normal

> coping mechanisms aren't working. Our response is usually to do it five

> times more, instead of thinking, maybe it's time to try something new. "

>

> I think we are good at " thinking outside the box " when it comes to our

> (SCDers) health.

>

> Carol

>

> CD 21 yrs SCD 4.5 yrs

>

> From: BTVC-SCD [mailto:BTVC-SCD ] On Behalf

> Of Mara Schiffren

>

> This is OT, but interesting and related to the stresses that

> come with illness.

>

> The effects of stress on the (rat) brain is to make a vicious cycle of

> behavioral patterns, so that stress persists and its shrivels the

> neuro pathways for other kinds of decision making during this

> period, so you get into a rut of stress.

>

> http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/18/science/18angier.html?em

>

> " On the one hand, regions of the brain associated with executive

> decision-making and goal-directed behaviors had shriveled,

> while, conversely, brain sectors linked to habit formation had

> bloomed... "

>

> I think this is something to keep in mind as we begin our paths

> of recovery.

>

> Mara

>