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This ruffled my feathers, but I am combing them

Posted by Shadowplayers721 on August 11, 2004, at 0:38:39

I was reading a part of a book titled "Undoing Depression". This got my attention.

"...monkeys with a history of trauma in childhood are then subjected to stress--social isolation--as adults, they behave differently from normal monkeys. They act as if they are depressed--they are more passive, they cry, they rock themselves--and anxious--they engage in excessive self-grooming and other self-stimulating behaviors. If they are repeatedly subjected to the same stress annually, their behavior continues to deteriorate when compared to normal monkeys.

There are also changes in the brain. The deprieved monkeys, when isolated at six months, show changes in levels of cortisol and norepinephrine signifiantly different from those of normal monkeys under stress. At eighteen months, these changes are stronger, and serotonin levels are also significantly different.

These monkeys appear to be a good analogue for depression in human. Under normal circumstances, they look the same as other monkeys. When something goes wrong, however, they can't respond to the stress as well. With repeated stress, their ability to respond deteriorates. It's hard to escape the conclusion that it was the early childhood experience of deprivation that led to stereotypical troubled patterns of behavior in adult life that look like depression, and to the changes in brain functioning that are similiar to the brain functioning of depressed humans."

Note: These were Rhesus monkeys. There DNA is 95% similiar to human and they live in social groups similiar to humans as well.

Commentary from Shadowplayers....
(Read similiarities of myself in those paragraphs. I didn't like it one bit. No. No.)

It appears that abuse literally changes one's brain chemistry. This both angers me and then explains things. About the anger, it was a reaction to knowing I am changed. I didn't make my brain change-the abuse caused it. It explains that while I look like everyone else, that I have a very low tolerance for stress. However, in every day situations, others expect the same of me as anyone else. Why? Because, I look like other human beings. Now, why don't those people stop saying, "Snap out of it" or "Just let go of your past, Shadows". Well, if they look at this study, it appears that I am changed from it.

Okay, now, what about therapy? How much can I change from therapy? I can't change from a three headed dragon slayer into a butterfly internally. I am what I am and I intend on accepting the differences. Maybe, I am a just a bird with different feathering hmmmm

Thoughts or feelings about these paragraphs anyone?


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poster:Shadowplayers721 thread:376265
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20040805/msgs/376265.html