Brain and Drugs-Brianna Conners

    The brain is one of the most complex organs in our bodies. The brain controls every part of the body by using more than 100 billion nerve cells. Being made up by lobes and different specialized parts, each with a specific function. Controlling thought, memory, emotion, touch, motor and fine skills, hunger, and the vital processes that regulate our body, the brain has an important role and needs to stay balanced. The brain and spinal cord together control the central nervous system, which basically make up the whole body and keeps it functioning correctly. Ayurveda can play a big role in the brain because of the importance to keep the brain healthy and balanced. If the brain becomes imbalanced many things can go wrong. Keeping hormones, chemicals, and our vitals in normal ranges is important for health. That is why Ayurveda healing can be of high importance here, because of all these tiny parts affecting the whole body. I believe that many brain diseases, especially mental health disorders cold be helped by the Ayurveda ways of healing. Being grounded and connected to all parts of one person, may help connect and balance them. This has a huge effect on the brain and would be very beneficial. 

    An important concept is to understand the difference between the brain and the mind, and how they relate. The mind refers to concepts like environment, psychosocial, and psychotherapy. The brain is genes, biology, and medication. Many different psychological or brain diseases can cause changes in one or both of those, and they connect. Doctors and psychologist use a multiaxial system to assess each patient. There are five different axes, that they will go through to help identify all symptoms of the patient. Axis 1 is mental health and substance use disorders, this is most mental health disorders that are not personality or intellectual disorders. Axis 2 is personality disorders and mental retardation, this could be like schizophrenia, narcissism, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. Axis 3 is general medical conditions, this could be anything that is affecting the health of a person that could affect mental health but isn’t that specifically, this could be like if a person is diabetic and needs treatment, they may experience anxiety or depression. Their diabetes would be considered and axis 3 condition because the health issue they have, diabetes, is influencing mental health. Axis 4 is psychosocial and environmental problems, this would be issues in their family, education, job, or general life Axis 5 is global assessment of functioning, this is a scale that goes from 0-100, this is a way to summarize how adaptively a person is functioning. 100 means no symptoms and 10 is a persistent danger of severely hurting self or others, this would mean the person is having a hard time with personal hygiene or are suicidal and have plans to die. This system is used to helps diagnose patients and collect comprehensive data. This system allows for medical condition and mental health conditions to overlap, which is important. Understanding the connection between the two can allow for a full picture diagnosis and all patients to receive help in all areas of their health, not just physical.

    The last four years I have worked as a CNA, I have worked with brain disorders of all sorts but a huge one being dementia and Alzheimer’s. Dementia, is a deterioration of mental abilities, including memory, judgement, personality, and behavior. There are many different causes of dementia, and it is mostly unknown. One common disease that is classified under dementia is Alzheimer’s. This is genetic, but like most dementias the cause is unknown. A protein called beta amyloid makes plaques that form in the brain. Beta amyloid is in the neurons, which is normal. When there are small amounts, the neurons can get rid of it, but when there is too much, they clump together forming the plaques. This will cause the neuron to function abnormally and eventually die off. Another cause is from microtubules in the brain breaking apart, when this happens it will collapse and cause a big tangle. This also makes the neurons function abnormally, and eventually die off. Both cause many neurons to die, making the brain shrink in size. There is no current cure for dementia but there are some drugs that can help symptoms and stimulate neurons. One being acetylcholine inhibitors, which stimulates receptors on neurons in learning/memory areas. This basically just slows down the progression of the disease but won’t stop it completely. 

Dementia often changes the personality and mental abilities of a person. I have seen some patients when they act very childish, selfish, and rude, however, their families will tell stories of quite the opposite behaviors. It can also make people hyper fixate on certain things that happened in their life. I had a patient once who lived in the time period after her brother had passed away, and she would repeat day after day, “my brother died, and I don’t know what to do about it.” Dementia can also make people aggressive, I have seen a lot of elderly women try to fight or yell/swear aggressively, when they normal wouldn’t hurt a bug. This is often very devastating for a person and their family and can be really hard to deal with. This disease can also make people very sick, due to their brains abnormally functioning. It can change heart patterns, weight control, pain control, and can eventually lead to death. Many people use medications or more ayurvedic methods to help the whole body heal and connect. Ayurveda healing of dementia often uses music, food, herbs, and spices. These things people believe can affect the whole body, music is often used to bring a center or calmness to a person. Different foods and spices have different remedies but can be used to help heal either different parts or the whole body. 

In the first assisted living I worked at, I had a patient who was super sweet, and I just loved her. As the dementia got worse, she would become more and more aggressive, and sometimes would have panic attacks. Calm music or pet noises, like purring or small barks, would help calm her. She could match her breathing to the noise, and it would help her brain relax. I use this example because it shows how an alternative medicine can be the most beneficial things to someone’s health, even with a disease that is slowly killing them. 

    There are many terms used to describe someone’s health or body that could be used together or separate, a physician Glen Gabbard, wrote a paper on dichotomies and how they apply to personality disorders. They begin with studies on antisocial behaviors in relation to genetics and environment. They discuss different aspects of nature and behaviors that trend in lifetimes. They conclude by saying that “genes and environment are inextricably connected in the pathogenesis of antisocial behavior,” (Gabbard 3). This shows how related our genetics are to the way we are raised and what happens in our lives, environment affects genes. They go on to discuss childhood trauma and the effects that has on a developing brain. Many studies are showing how trauma can affect how the two lobes of the brain communicate, and how it can turn the right hemisphere into only memories of trauma. This is crazy that because of how someone is raised, there can be detrimental and lifetime effects on the brain. Another cause of issue is attachment and belonging, when a child does not receive that they can have a harder time understand their own mental state or mental states of others. This can make it more difficult to resolve previous trauma, and to move on from history. Neurons play a role in personal understandings and truths. Therapy and medication are often used to help combat many personality disorders, the use of both of these things may or may not help a person. Sometimes they help combat symptoms, but many psychological disorders are too hard to fight off and win completely. Psychotherapy should be used as a medically necessary treatment and should be seen as highly important because of the effects the brain has. The brain is way too important to ignore and not treat correctly. The language used in talking about the brain and personality disorders should be regarded as important and should be chosen carefully. Overall, I think this article is written well and has many examples we could learn from. I felt like it shows how different everyone’s brains are and how different circumstance can affect one’s brain. There is so much that goes into growth, learning, development, and mental health that it’s hard to say what is best. I think for anyone going to raise children should learn about the effects of childhood trauma on the brain and should be more aware what damage they are causing if they raise the child wrong. I also think that everyone should get therapy, just in case it could help resolve any older trauma. 

    When my significant other was growing up, their dad was highly abusive. Not just to them but also to their siblings. They all experienced different levels of physical and mental abuse from their dad. I have noticed many different affects this has caused but a huge one is feeling like their childhoods were only abuse, and they have a hard time remembering fun and happy times. Especially when thinking about their parents, all the siblings have struggled to find positive things to say and believe about their parents. While, their childhood was not all abuse and bad times, because it was so prominent, they have a hard time finding the good times. Even when thinking about good memories or holidays, it is often followed by memories of abuse and something traumatic that happened after. Other things that have been seen in all of the kids is depression, anxiety, feelings of being unworthy, not feeling good enough. A paper written by the Children’s Bureau on Brain Development in Traumatized children, shows many affects that trauma can have on the brain as a child. Many children who go through trauma will have delayed speech and not as developed reading ability. Smaller amounts of gray and white matter in the prefrontal cortex, has also been seen through brain scans, as well as a smaller hippocampus. Many children will have a harder time making friends, not focus as well, and have a harder times setting goals, planning, and problem solving. It is super important to support brain development both physically and mentally when a child is young and can change the child’s future. My significant other did begin college but often had a very difficult time setting goals and studying for longer periods of time. They also have had a hard time relearning about holidays and special occasions, because of the abuse that followed those times during their childhood. 

The brain is so important and can change throughout a lifetime. Disorders of the brain and mind can affect the whole body and increasingly important. Ayurveda believes in healing the whole person and trying to stay balanced and clean. Doing this could help the brain stay healthy and sharp, however, it may not stop the disease. Talking about treatments is very important, I think it would be most beneficial to use both western medicine and some sorts of Ayurveda to stay the healthiest. 

    Drugs are chemicals that are used to stimulate a certain feeling and they work because they resemble natural chemical found in the body. Drugs effect emotions, thoughts, and how the body acts. There is a correct dose, route of entry, and time that drugs should be used. Misuse is using a drug in a way that was not intended. Abuse is excessive use of drugs and addiction is reliance on a drug to induce a desired emotion. Factors that may increase a person’s risk for drug use is genetics or family history, parental behaviors, substance use is adolescent years, mental health issues, and sorority/fraternity membership.

Drugs effect physiological factors, mental dependence, interpersonal relationships, individual productivity, and physical health. Some of the physiologic effects of drugs depends on whether it is a stimulant or depressant. Stimulates increase heart rate, blood pressure, heart contraction strength, blood glucose levels, and muscle tension. Depressants relax the central nervous system in our brain and decrease functions. In our brain we have a reward system, which seeks natural rewards that increase survival. Drugs change the reward system, and how it works. When drugs are first introduced the brain will immediately increase dopamine, however, after a while of using drugs, than there will be less dopamine, which then allows the brain to believe drugs are good. That is why drug seeking behavior is vital, because it shows how that brain changes in response, it will believe that drugs are good. This is what causes addiction, because our brain is tricked and then will enforce cravings and daily dependence. Addiction to drugs is the compulsive use of any drug, despite the consequences they may have of health, social life, and family. Addiction is a disease that changes how the brain is structured and works.

    A new development that is being heavily researched is the use of natural medications. Traditional medication and therapies are an important part of medicine history and should still be used today. A personalized, holistic approach could be the next step for medicine and could be a positive change. Plants can be a significant source because they can fight diseases that are currently incurable, and they can fight tolerance. Using more plant-based medicine is a holistic approach that is being proven to work well on our bodies. Ayurveda used natural medications because they come from plants and living things, they are not made in labs. Natural medications can help us stay balanced and keep us more natural. This is very important, and we should strive to continue researching natural medications. Marijuana is a drug that is now often being used for medicinal reasons. It causes blood vessel dilation in the eyes, increased appetite, lowered blood pressure, and muscular weakness. Many people with severe anxiety, panic, paranoia, and psychosis use because it may help decrease symptoms. Marijuana is often used in Ayurveda because of where it comes from and the way it can be used. It is often considered a natural medication and if used correctly can be effective. This can also help the brain relax and remain balanced. 

            While drugs may be bad, they can often help in many ways. Finding a balance of medication and natural remedies is important for each person. Using things such as music, food, and therapy can be just as beneficial as medications. Learning about disorders and finding the correct ways of healing is specific to each person and should be a process of growth. Drugs can often cause many mental disorders or be abused when trying to treat a mental disorder. Understanding how and when to use drugs is important and can be vital when dealing with a brain or mental disease. 

Refrences

Gabbard, G. O. (2005). Mind, brain, and personality disorders. American Journal of Psychiatry, 162(4), 648–655. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.162.4.648 

Garofalo, S. (2017, June 29). How do drugs affect the brain? . TEDEducation. Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qK0hxuXOC8&feature=emb_title 

letstute. (2018, March 27). Human brain | parts & functions | cerebrum & cerebellum | biology | letstute. YouTube. Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HieUJTLaOZY 

Schimelpfening, N. (2022, September 2). What is the DSM-IV multi-axial system? Verywell Mind. Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://www.verywellmind.com/five-axes-of-the-dsm-iv-multi-axial-system-1067053 

Supporting brain development in traumatized children and Youth. (2011). PsycEXTRA Dataset. https://doi.org/10.1037/e552932013-001