Dear Nancy,
I'm considered the "biological reductionist" on the Board I guess. But many here have made some excellent points already.
There is a huge body of research that is out there indicating that mental illnesses are biological in origin. The symptoms express themselves in our feelings and our behavior. Just as you might have a clogged up heart, it will express its malfunction in a heart attack, or a pancreas that isn't working will express its malfunction in diabetes, so the brain expresses its malfunction in the normal everyday processes it regulates -- emotion, perception, cognition.
If you look at my website, I have done extensive research -- but I am FAR from an expert on this -- and have noted many articles and books that discuss mental illness at length. Some of these articles are very difficult to read, but one needs to be a researcher, a scientist, at least an M.D. to REALLY have some solid concept of the brain, and it is still so complex, who knows when we will fully understand it?
One thing before I forget. There is a growing consensus that mental illness comes on in the teen and adult years, most likely due to the following fact: in those years, the brain makes as many incredible changes as does the infant and toddler. There is a restructuring of synaptic pathways, etc. -- pruning of "redundant" pathways, and growth of others. It is a precarious time, as is the development of early childhood. Schizophrenia can even be recognized now in subtle signs in childhod.
Stress at that time can set off preexisting conditions, or actually be the result of "too much pruning" and a damage of critical pathways -- there is some indication that this is what happens in schizophrenia.
There is also a surge of hormones at this age. The human being's brain really isn't "finished growing" until about age 25. And the brain changes throughout life as well.
I HIGHLY suggest the following link to my hero (everyone sighs, :roll: ), V.S. Ramachandran, M.D., Ph.D. who has several great books out and has done extensive research on human perception. He is the modern day Oliver Sacks.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/reith2003/
If you go to this link, you will have fascinating reading which supports
"Neuroscience - The New Philosophy" -- have a look at that particular lecture as it talks about depresonalization and derealization.
I also recommend HIGHLY reading the recent Scientific American Mind on shelves right now. It talks about consciousness, perceptual distortions (for instance deja-vu), etc., etc. And it is far more layperson friendly in terms of explaining things.
I'm an old lady 8) , and have lived through essentially most of my life -- 46 years, with anxiety, depression, and chronic 24/7 DP/DR. It has prompted me to do a lot of research, and to become involved with volunteering for NAMI -- see links. I have also been in much therapy over the years, and have tried many meds. My current combo is the most successful, and DBT (dialectical behavioral therapy) in group recently has been very helpful. A variation of CBT.
This does not take away from the psychological factors that affect brain disorders -- they work together. Talk therapy, CBT, etc. are important and can help tremendously. Medication isn't the only answer.
Also, if you consider the failures of medication, think of people with severe arthritis who still want their Celebrex, Vioxx, etc. even though it is considered a dangerous drug. Psychotropic medications aren't the only ones with serious side effects. I HATE BEING ON MEDS but it is what as helped ME the most. I don't recommend them for everyone.
My website, with my story -- it's very detailed
http://www.dreamchild.net If you look at various links you'll find books and articles listed.
Nature/Nurture is almost impossible to separate in psychiatric illness. The brain is infinitely complex. Medicine does NOT understand the brain fully, and I don't know when it will.
And you need to understand the concept of homeostasis and the Stress-Diathesis model of all pathology, or allostasis or lack of homeostasis.
But there is much research. See the links on this site to the IoP in London, and Mt. Sinai in New York where there are units dedicated to studying DP/DR. And this can come with most if not all mental illness (not a guarantee.)
Ah, also have a look at the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill site.
Advocacy by parents, siblings, friends of the mentally ill, and the mentally ill themselves. I am a member and volunteer.
http://www.nami.org
End of lecture,
In Peace and in the Spirit of Healthy Debate
D 8)
EDITED: I always mess up my URLs these days
I'm considered the "biological reductionist" on the Board I guess. But many here have made some excellent points already.
There is a huge body of research that is out there indicating that mental illnesses are biological in origin. The symptoms express themselves in our feelings and our behavior. Just as you might have a clogged up heart, it will express its malfunction in a heart attack, or a pancreas that isn't working will express its malfunction in diabetes, so the brain expresses its malfunction in the normal everyday processes it regulates -- emotion, perception, cognition.
If you look at my website, I have done extensive research -- but I am FAR from an expert on this -- and have noted many articles and books that discuss mental illness at length. Some of these articles are very difficult to read, but one needs to be a researcher, a scientist, at least an M.D. to REALLY have some solid concept of the brain, and it is still so complex, who knows when we will fully understand it?
One thing before I forget. There is a growing consensus that mental illness comes on in the teen and adult years, most likely due to the following fact: in those years, the brain makes as many incredible changes as does the infant and toddler. There is a restructuring of synaptic pathways, etc. -- pruning of "redundant" pathways, and growth of others. It is a precarious time, as is the development of early childhood. Schizophrenia can even be recognized now in subtle signs in childhod.
Stress at that time can set off preexisting conditions, or actually be the result of "too much pruning" and a damage of critical pathways -- there is some indication that this is what happens in schizophrenia.
There is also a surge of hormones at this age. The human being's brain really isn't "finished growing" until about age 25. And the brain changes throughout life as well.
I HIGHLY suggest the following link to my hero (everyone sighs, :roll: ), V.S. Ramachandran, M.D., Ph.D. who has several great books out and has done extensive research on human perception. He is the modern day Oliver Sacks.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/reith2003/
If you go to this link, you will have fascinating reading which supports
"Neuroscience - The New Philosophy" -- have a look at that particular lecture as it talks about depresonalization and derealization.
I also recommend HIGHLY reading the recent Scientific American Mind on shelves right now. It talks about consciousness, perceptual distortions (for instance deja-vu), etc., etc. And it is far more layperson friendly in terms of explaining things.
I'm an old lady 8) , and have lived through essentially most of my life -- 46 years, with anxiety, depression, and chronic 24/7 DP/DR. It has prompted me to do a lot of research, and to become involved with volunteering for NAMI -- see links. I have also been in much therapy over the years, and have tried many meds. My current combo is the most successful, and DBT (dialectical behavioral therapy) in group recently has been very helpful. A variation of CBT.
This does not take away from the psychological factors that affect brain disorders -- they work together. Talk therapy, CBT, etc. are important and can help tremendously. Medication isn't the only answer.
Also, if you consider the failures of medication, think of people with severe arthritis who still want their Celebrex, Vioxx, etc. even though it is considered a dangerous drug. Psychotropic medications aren't the only ones with serious side effects. I HATE BEING ON MEDS but it is what as helped ME the most. I don't recommend them for everyone.
My website, with my story -- it's very detailed
http://www.dreamchild.net If you look at various links you'll find books and articles listed.
Nature/Nurture is almost impossible to separate in psychiatric illness. The brain is infinitely complex. Medicine does NOT understand the brain fully, and I don't know when it will.
And you need to understand the concept of homeostasis and the Stress-Diathesis model of all pathology, or allostasis or lack of homeostasis.
But there is much research. See the links on this site to the IoP in London, and Mt. Sinai in New York where there are units dedicated to studying DP/DR. And this can come with most if not all mental illness (not a guarantee.)
Ah, also have a look at the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill site.
Advocacy by parents, siblings, friends of the mentally ill, and the mentally ill themselves. I am a member and volunteer.
http://www.nami.org
End of lecture,
In Peace and in the Spirit of Healthy Debate
D 8)
EDITED: I always mess up my URLs these days
