The brain is the most complex organ in the body; it is the embodiment of our mind and who we are. It also controls all the functions of the body and interprets information from its surrounding environment. Thus, traumatic events, drug abuse and diseases affect the health of the brain. And if the brain is affected our mental and physical health would be too, because these two are intertwined, and in mental health the brain and mind are intertwined as well. For example, when I make time to go to the gym, even if it is for an hour, I feel distressed and more energized. Moreover, studies in Salk Institute for Biological Studies showed that running increases the birth of new hippocampal neurons in mice, and demonstrated that exercise-induced neurogenesis is associated with improvement of memory related tasks in mice (Raichlen & Alexander 2020). The article refers to exercising as a tool to decrease memory loss, especially with aging and people with neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s. As the brain and mind and body are intertwined in Ayurveda it is said that the mind spreads all over the body (Parla 2018). Thus an optimal brain health includes: good lifestyle and diet practices. A good habit is exercising, and as mentioned before this helps boost confidence and happiness, because when exercising the brain releases chemicals such as dopamine and endorphins that makes us feel happy (Penttila 2020). A good diet is important for good health, and it makes us feel happy as well. There have been so many times when eating a piece of chocolate makes my day. It is important to account for healthy diets and not junk food to help the brain’s health. The brain is not an isolated organ, but is the link connecting all the other systems of our bodies and the environment. That is why, when the brain has suffered traumas it takes long to heal and it can lead to physical and cognitive disabilities, and could potentially change someone's behavior.
If the brain is the embodiment of the mind and the control center in our bodies; we must take good care of it. But unfortunately a lot of people do not really see the effects on having a balance between body, mind and soul, and oversee the connection between the mind and brain. Also, some traumas to the brain cannot be avoidable, such as accidents and being born with certain diseases, but there are brain traumas we can avoid, such as drug abuse. Drugs have changed medicine and lifestyles, for instance imagine treating cavities without anesthesia (it makes my mouth hurt). They are so influential that they can improve someones’ life or make it worse, because these are chemical substances that change how the body, mind and brain work, and they can cause behavioral changes. For example, my grandma is a very independent, strong, caring and loving woman, and she does not cry for any little thing. But after three to five beer bottles she gets drunk, and is as if she is a completely different person. Usually when she visits us we all want to be with her, talking, hugging her and kissing her, but when she is drunk we run away from her, not in a bad way though. It is just that she becomes very annoying and much more sensitive than usual. The moment she sees one of her grandchildren, she will call them to the dance floor and dance with them, and start saying “ why don’t you call me?”, “ you don’t love me”, “you all will forget about me when you get married”, “you are so big I remember when you were born and I had you in my arms” And my favorite “I was right and your other grandmother wasn’t”. Or would make us sit on her lap, and of course start crying. In some cases she becomes mad and starts scolding her kids and her older grandkids, and that is what we dislike the most. And she would even swear more often than usual and make fun of us. Although, it is fun when she swears and makes fun of my older cousin. We love her, and we know when to stop giving her alcohol so she does not start fights with other drunk relatives. If drugs like alcohol can do stuff like these in a couple of hours or even minutes imagine long term effects of drugs. For instance, MDMA, found in ecstasy, produces a long-term depletion of brain serotonin which triggers a long-term increase in anxiety (Clemenses et al. 2004). On the other hand, drugs can help improve the quality of life especially when someone suffers conditions such as congestive heart failure, and they would need to use medicine for the rest of their lives. Drugs have life changing effects because they interfere with the way neurons send, receive and process signals via neurotransmitters. Some drugs, such as heroin, resemble the shape of a natural neurotransmitter in the body and bind in the active site of receptors, but these do not activate the neurotransmitters in the same way, and they lead to abnormal messages being sent (NIDA 2020). Thus changes in behavior and thinking as well, and this goes for over the counter or prescription medicine too. Like when some medicines can make you feel depressed or irritated.
Moreover, drugs are not the only ones that unbalanced the mind by injuring the brain. As mentioned before, the brain interprets the environment and produces responses, and when the environment is negative and unhealthy our thoughts and behavior would reflect our injured brain. This is why Southern Utah University has encouraged students to visit a counselor, and do something that makes you happy and distressed. Having a positive environment helps improve our mental health. When I have been to a counselor for stress related reasons they recommend that I change my study area. At first it did not make sense to me, but changing the visual stimuli that the brain is taking in can make a difference in our responses. Bedrooms are usually associated with relaxation, sleep and a safe place. And I noticed that every time I arrive home the first thing I do is to go to my room and lay on my bed. And it takes a while until I open my books and study or do homework. Moreover, an example of an injury of the mind and brain is PTSD, although this is not a physical trauma it produces same behavioral changes than a drug or another physical trauma would do. The amygdala is responsible for emotions, survival, instincts, and memory and detections of fear. When a person is constantly in a state of fear the amygdala becomes hyperactive. Thus, when affected with PTSD stimuli can trigger overactivity in the amygdala and it could connect to the traumatic event the person suffered. This would cause chronic stress, heightened fear, and increased irritation (Thatcher 2020). This unbalance in Ayurveda affects people with PTSD and in some cases this leads to depression and anxiety. With PTSD there has been a disruption in the mind’s health. These negative thoughts of fear even after the fear has passed makes the brain react to try to get out of it, and causes stress.
Furthermore, drugs can be used to treat mental diseases such as PTSD and they can be beneficial for the patient, but these drugs are chemical imbalancers (Whitaker 2007) and although these drugs are used for treatment, these can potentially change the biology of the brain. Thus, there is a more holistic approach on producing new plant based medicines. Moreover, Plants have medicinal and toxic properties that indigenous cultures from the Americas discovered long before European conquistadors arrived. For example, in Andean cultures, cocoa tree leaves were chewed to gain perceived benefits, and in 1860 Carl Koler isolated cocaine, and it was a revolutionary local anaesthetic. And on the island of Gaudeloupe American Indians used pineapple poultices to reduce inflammation, and in 1891 an enzyme that broke down blood clots was isolated from the juice of pineapple (Patwardhan et al. 2004). And by using ancient medicine there could be the probability to improve medicine and make it less harmful for the mind. Also, including holistic practices can help with treatments and improve the quality of life.
The brain and mind are part of who we are and they should not be excluded from each other. They both need a balanced body and soul to function for the well being of the person. We need to take care of what we get in our systems, like eating protein after exercise for the muscles, we need to consume healthy diets and have healthy lifestyles for the good of the brain and mind.
Resources
Clemens, K. J., van Nieuwenhuyzen, P. S., Kong M. Li, Cornish, J. L., Hunt, G. E., & McGregor, I. S. (2004). MDMA (“ecstasy”), methamphetamine and their combination: long-term changes in social interaction and neurochemistry in the rat. Psychopharmacology, 173(3/4), 318–325. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-004-1786-x.
NIDA. 2020, July 10. Drugs and the Brain. Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugs-brains-behavior-science-addiction/drugs-brain on 2020, October 24
Raichlen, D. A., & Alexander, G. E. (2020). Why Your Brain Needs Exercise: The evolutionary history of humans explains why physical activity is important for brain health. Chinese American Forum, 35(3), 1–3.
Parla, D. (2018, December 17). Ayurveda's Best Advice on Improving Brain Health. Retrieved October 18, 2020, from https://www.sonima.com/food/brain-health/
Patwardhan, B., Vaidya, A. D. B., & Chorghade M. (2004). Ayurveda and natural products drug discovery. Science, 86 (6), 789- 799.
Penttila, N. (2020, March 24). How Does Exercise Affect the Brain? Retrieved October 26, 2020, from https://www.dana.org/article/how-does-exercise-affect-the-brain/
Thatcher, D. (2020, April 30). Can Emotional Trauma Cause Brain Damage? Retrieved October 18, 2020, from https://highlandspringsclinic.org/blog/can-emotional-trauma-cause-brain-damage/
Whitaker, R. B. (2007). Reality Check: What Science Has to Tell Us about Psychiatric Drugs and Their Long-Term Effects. Journal of College Student Psychotherapy, 21(3–4), 97–123.
It is true that the brain and mind are one thing. There is a saying that "we are what we think" and that includes perception, which the brain plays a major role in. It was interesting how you included a personal story, often, we refuse to say "no" to people who are dependent on drugs and alcohol because we think that if they are happy its a good thing. We often neglect long term effects. Drugs and alcohol mess with the bodys internal environment.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your experience about the places that we dedicate to study. It made me remember about a couple of years ago when I used to study in my bed and fell asleep in a matter of minutes even when I thought I wasn't tired. It's interesting how our brain makes connections and label specific areas for resting or studying. Our brain realizes physical cues that indicates we are preparing to go to bed when in reality we want to study. This is why many people recommend dedicating our bed to only sleeping, and not even the place where we watch tv or do any other task.
ReplyDeleteOnce again, I like the self-care aspect of your approach, of how you said that we need to take care of our bodies and our minds in order to function the way we want to. I also liked that you included studies that proved that. The story with your grandma was especially pivotal in highlighting that just because something makes someone happy, it doesn't mean that it's a good thing. I've known some people who, when they're drunk, seem like the happiest people in the world, but underneath it, they're really not. It's a little disconcerting to see it so vividly, especially when they're laughing about their own sadness.
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