rumitoid

Just the opposite; violence very much effects the brain both physically and psychologically in a number of ways.

Serenity54321

###########
You and I are in agreement then. My question is only does violence contribute to mental illnesses like schizophrenia? Especially violence like child abuse?

I do take issue with doctors calling mental illness a "chemical imbalance" or a "bad genetic code". People are far more complicated than that, and those excuses only cause drug companies to shovel more pharmaceuticals down our throats.

Boo_Boo Loc: Jellystone

According to the CDC: "Genetics and family history

Scientists believe that many mental disorders result from the complex interplay of multiple genes with diverse environmental factors. Family studies, often with identical twins who share the same genes, have provided evidence of genetic contributions to depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, autism, and other mental disorders. Even for those with genetic risk, however, environmental factors can play a significant role in whether or not a person develops a disorder, or the severity of an illness."

Many answers can be found at http://schizophrenia.com/hypo.php# regarding schizophrenia and the causes. The opening paragraph may help: "Experts now agree that schizophrenia develops as a result of interplay between biological predisposition (for example, inheriting certain genes) and the kind of environment a person is exposed to. These lines of research are converging: brain development disruption is now known to be the result of genetic predisposition and environmental stressors early in development (during pregnancy or early childhood), leading to subtle alterations in the brain that make a person susceptible to developing schizophrenia. Environmental factors later in life (during early childhood and adolescence) can either damage the brain further and thereby increase the risk of schizophrenia, or lessen the expression of genetic or neurodevelopmental defects and decrease the risk of schizophrenia. In fact experts now say that schizophrenia (and all other mental illness) is caused by a combination of biological, psychological and social factors."

My opinion, for what it is worth, although people (children) may be predisposed to developing mental illness, many live stable and healthy lives. Even those that are abused as a child. I think that mental illness is about 80 percent genetic and 20 percent environmental. Most children that develop other types of mental illness, such as depression, is a direct result of repeated abuse as a child. I think it all depends on the child, how they learn to deal with problems, and the care or lack there of after the event. Allow me to give you an example, my adopted daughter was abused physically and emotionally before I adopted her. She is a lovely girl, that exhibits no sign of illness although her past, if mental illness is substantially more environmental than genetic, would indicate a predisposition to developing depression, bipolar....etc.

Dummy Boy Loc: Michigan

....what about your husband. Has she had an MRI. Bipolar is way over diagnosed.

Serenity54321

##########
I think people do have a "predisposition" to many things: alcoholism, high blood pressure, diabeties, etc. But just as if a person with a predisposition to alcoholism never takes the first drink, or as a person with a predisposition for diabeties chooses to always eat well, people with a predisposition to a certain mental illness never develop it if they are never abused or assaulted.

They did track children born to mothers who were schizophrenic and then were adopted out. The adopted children who had healthy childhoods never developed the disease, where as those adopted children who had trauma play into their young lives did.

Mental illness is not as simple as genetics. Nor is it a "chemical imbalance". Rather, it is a complicated interplay between a susceptibility and environment.

I get angry only when a person is simply given medication, and not therapy, like my mother was. Now she is relapsing because the root cause was never taken care of and the medication quit working.

Boo_Boo Loc: Jellystone

Thank you for the reply. Medication used as the only treatment for mental illness does the patient little good. It is my opinion, but I could be wrong, is therapy is the first line of defense or treatment. Medication should be added for those who therapy alone does not bring about results.

I would never in a billion years say that no one develops mental illness if the environment is right. I would say that they are less likely to develop symptoms of the disease. In early history of mental illness research, many people that were diagnosed as depressed actually suffered from more pronounced diseases such as bipolar. Therefore, while searching the history of a family, one has to look at those that exhibit depression. Mind you that many people just dealt with their problems without seeking professional help, so there may be one or more people in a tree that was never diagnosed. This was the case in many, in the past those with mental issues were given labels and those labels persist even today. So, people did not talk about their issues, hearing voices, or seeing things that are not visible to others. It was the stigma.

You are right, in my opinion, mental illness is not as simple as chemical imbalances. I do believe that stresses, such as abuse, can trigger a full blown event. I also believe that people build up a tolerance to medications and the only thing to do is try a different medication and couple it with therapy. Also the age of the person plays a role. If your mother is elderly, she may have a form of dementia along with her schizophrenia. This will make it harder to deal with using only therapy.

I wish you well, be patient with her and try to be reassuring. I know that this can not be easy for you, you must be overwhelmed at times. You too could use the help of a trained individual to help you through this crisis. Good luck my friend. I am not a trained therapist, but if you ever need someone just to talk to about it, send me a PM and I will give you my phone number. You know, we can never have too many friends.

Serenity54321

########
She went to Alexian Brothers when she had an emotional breakdown after the assault as an inpatient. They ran all the tests.

There is history of schizophrenia on my side and a history of alcoholism and autism on my husband's. That's it. I must assume the rape gave her the illness - even on medication she stays up 3 days in a row and then crashes for 2. But she had therapy as well handles the swings very well.

I do think genetics give someone a predisposition for mental illness - but only trauma activates it. Medication alone is not enough, as evidenced by my mother who is "relapsing".

Serenity54321

###########
Thank you :)

Boo_Boo Loc: Jellystone

My offer is an honest offer and do not hesitate to call if you decide that you want to just talk. I am a real good listener, and I find at times that being a friend is mostly the ability to listen without offering an opinion or solution.

Hang in there!



:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

no propaganda please Loc: moon orbiting the third rock from the sun

Human behavior is much too complicated to consider having only one root cause, with the exception of the sudden changes that can be brought on by brain damage. Most of the boys we work with have major behavior problems, depression, self m********n and suicide attempts. By the time we meet them, most have been in therapy with a psychologist for at least one year. We are just there to work with the psychologist and become a sounding board, someone to talk to, and a shoulder they can cry on, always under the direction of the psychologist. They have all been sexually abused, and many have been physically abused as well. Each reacts differently to abuse, that's the nature part, but for a long time they have major behavior problems, most have nightmares, accuse total strangers just walking past them of trying to hurt them, sometimes believing the stranger "gave them the evil eye". What ever behaviors they manifest the trigger was the abuse, the way they handled it may be different because of genetic influences. I really think some people are born with the ability to develop coping sk**ls better than other people. The ability has been tested in these kids, and some are able to learn to cope more easily. But every part of human behavior has both genetic and environmental factors, from our fear of snakes, to our appreciation of art, to our sexual preferences. When it comes to human behavior, I think to not recognize this is ruinous to the individual and limits treatment ability greatly.

aabbea

According to the book, "The Trance Formation of America", there's an underground of mind controlled s***es in the highest levels of the government. A mind controlled s***e has multiple personalities and exceptional abilities that can be triggered by uttering special words to them. Mind s***es are created by sexual abuse while they are still toddlers. The earliest memory of one of the dual authors was choking on her father's _____ at age 3. This is such a violation of basic human instinct that in order to deal with it, the victim splits into multiple, isolated personalities. Once their minds are split, they are are handed off to agents called "controllers" who train them to change personalities when they hear certain words or phrases called "keys". Once trained, these s***es can be controlled by anyone who knows a particular s***e's keys.

http://www.trance-formation.com/

no propaganda please Loc: moon orbiting the third rock from the sun

That is a new version of "the Manchurian Candidate" perhaps that explains Obama

Dummy Boy Loc: Michigan

...so you admit that it isn't just substance abuse alone: stunning retrenchment.

Dummy Boy Loc: Michigan

I can attest to that! Go Ginny.

no propaganda please Loc: moon orbiting the third rock from the sun

When did I ever say that we work with twelve year old substance abuse victims? My brother abused drugs and alcohol as a way of "coping " with having been sexually abused, he did that his whole life, off and on. the children we work with are victims of rape and molestation. Many have also used alcohol or drugs to blunt the pain but that isn't the main problem. Where did you get that idea anyhow?