Honesty in Mental Illness

A common stigma in Mental Health is that sufferers are Chronic Liars, a very offensive misconception.

It doesn’t take a lot of effort for educated people to discern that the mentally ill can’t lie.
Their ‘Distorted Reality’ is Shame, a desperate attempt at Protection.

The Neurotypical should be supportive towards Shame, rather than accusatory.
Still a long way to go.

The bad news is that Shame evolves with time. 
The last stage is Isolation.
Although it is never too late to reach-out, the more opportunities are lost both professionally and relationally.

I would also suggest sufferers to take action by self-educating.
I said multiple times that Masking is a short-lived failing technique.
You have nothing to lose by disclosing your mistakes asap. Even the toughest boss will be more sympathetic in the short run than in constantly hiding.
Easy said than done.

There are techniques to gather courage.

You’ll notice that I refrain from using the word “Lie” by referring to synonyms like Shame, Hiding, Protection, Mistakes, Masking, Disclosures, Timing… these unproductive Behaviors are not malicious Lies, despite perceived as such by most Neurotypical.

Buying Time is vicious and exacerbating.
Drop the Mask immediately.
Just think that the more you wait, the worse the consequences.

You have only to benefit from Honesty.
Honesty is always valued. It comes with Humility and Commitment, particularly in the workforce. 

Layoff is possible, although to your Wellness, typically good referenced for a more specific position supported by your employer, in this instance. 
It meant that job was detrimental to you and other more suitable doors will open.
It happened to me, with my Supervisor addressing me to my current satisfactory job directly and a warm shake-hand.
Job-centers have Disability departments offering Job-seeker s Allowances.

DON’T PANICK.

You’re never a failure as long as you try.
You know what medication works best for your disinhibitions, talk to your psychiatrist into adding a extra pill just to abate Shame for that new job-interview.
You’re not alone. You can do it.

And may God s love be with you 

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Internalizing vs Externalization in Autism

The connection between Mind and Body in Autism.

Autistic adults generally embody their feelings and are unable to externalize them, a condition called Alexithymia. 
The most recognizable sign of Alexithymia is Rumination, a form of anxiety characterized by body-language in the struggle to communicate internal discomfort.
Subjects may assume a Speaking Posture just to shutdown seconds later.
Rumination is more likely than Meltdown in autistic adults, if not more painful.

The Body/Mind connection 

The majority of adult autistics process emotions primarily physically.
Muscle spasms, hypertension, to mention some.

Alexithymia either prevents verbalization of emotions or conveys mismatched messages, causing friction towards the unaware neurotypical.
This is due to the high expectations for conformity conflicting with Masking.

The sufferer can’t recognize their internal emotions, a process referred to as Interoception. An example would be feeling hungry instead of thirsty.

This is possibly the darkest scenario in Autism, moreover the hardest to predict for humans.

AI Medicine 

AI has now entered every field of life, Medicine nevertheless.

Regardless of the different applications, the universal mantra is “AI will arrive wherever Humankind will not”, the greatest misconception to date, given the fact that humans created AI.

Current AI models can’t “synthesize” internal body-data.
AI models work perfectly in processing external data only.
To say, AI would describe a sequence of dots representing a man as a constellation.
In lay words, it can’t be used in recognizing emotions in Alexithymia.

We can compare AI lack of Internal Embodiment with Autistic Internal Embodiment, to conclude that AI poses serious danger in Autism as of today, by consolidating delusional External Embodiment.


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Sensory Processing Disorder in ASD/ADHD

Big Festivities like Christmas and Easter are as over-craved as overwhelmed in Autism and ADHD.

Holiday-overwhelm in Autism and ADHD is well documented, although new findings shed more in-depth details on general sensitivity towards major events.

Autistic/ADHD Meltdown is now included in Sensory Processing Disorder, an extremely complex, subjective pathology related to Senses.

SPD can affect anyone, in a specific way.
For this reason, I will explore the topic from an AuDHD perspective, particularly involving one of the eight senses, Proprioception.

Proprioception stands for Body Awareness, both mental and physical.
An autonomous system telling us where our body parts are in Motor Coordination and Memory, henceforth associated to Dopamine Circuits.

Sensory Responses define SPD.

The Sensory Responses of Autism/ADHD are:

  1. Over-responsivity
  2. Under-responsivity
  3. Sensory Craving 
  4. Sensory Avoiding 
  5. Sensory Overload 

Although ASD and ADHD are co-morbid, we can specifically select 1-4-5 to ASD, 2-3 to ADHD.

Over-responsivity subjects are overly sensitive and react aggressively to overwhelm.

Sensory Avoiding subjects kind of dissociate from external stimuli.

Sensory Overload coincides with Meltdown.

Under-responsivity/Sensory Craving are typical of ADHD and codependent. Subjects crave Stimulation for Reward, hence they are in a state of paralysis if not stimulated.

How to treat Proprioception.

Dopaminergic standard medication always helps however,  “meeting expectations” is fundamental to Proprioception.

Exercise plays a role in motor function only.

My expectation of going home is exacerbated by the Easter Season right now.
I’m still trapped in a non-Christian world in a Sensory Craving state.








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Lack of Sleep and Hormonal Imbalance on Emotions

Emotions are controlled by hormones.

Sleep disorders are gaining significant momentum in Mental Health.

Stay-at-home people affected by mental illness, tend to switch the day for the night, based on their delusional claim that the night has a calming influence.

Although there are professions requiring 24/7 coverage, our bodies are programmed to sleep at night.
Shift-workers normally compensate with Melatonin supplements.

Sleep is characterized by two main patterns: ‘Sleep pressure’ and  ‘Circadian Rhythm’: the former drawing us into deep sleep, NREM, the latter waking us up, REM.
In popular culture, these two independent reactions are erroneously referred to as “body-clock”.

Hormones’ production drops with darkness and peaks with light, therefore keeping us awake during the day.
People who don’t sleep during the night on a regular basis, are at high risk of cardiovascular and mental disease.
Melatonin and Cortisol are the most disrupted hormones, since they drop at night. As result, the adrenal glands go into overdrive, releasing them in excess during the day.

Adrenal hormones follow the Circadian Rhythm.

The Circadian Rhythm can’t be altered.

The outcome is gloomy: High stress-hormone Cortisol combined with forced suppression of Melatonin, resulting in Depression and Schizophrenia among additional physical conditions.
Low-energy is commonly associated with Anaemia, although it is a main symptom of depression and irregular sleep.
Oxygen deficiency is the main factor in anaemia-induced Fatigue.

The correlation is evident nevertheless, with Depression discovered to be of viral nature too, like some forms of Anaemia.

I believe Medicine is too selective, nowadays, especially Mental and Physical Medicine.

In countries like Japan, there is an hospital for each branch of Medicine.
Patients are ‘shipped’ through hospitals for every new emerging pathology.
The figure of GP is virtually disappearing.
Good Healthcare is the collaboration between specialists.

My take is that governments prefer to invest in disability benefits rather than research.
As a matter of fact, the disable is still seen as poor-economy.
Low-energy is synonym of low-productivity.

Quality Sleep is the first step to recovery.

I’ll never tire about stressing the importance of the collaboration between specialists. Selective Medicine has proven misleading and aggravating.

Worry affects most peoples to a varying degree.
It is often accompanied by Fear, the so-called ‘Fight or Flight’ effect, previously referred as a coherent defense mechanism.

Medical science is constantly evolving.

Worry and Fear are now included in Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
The ‘defense mechanism’ has been debunked: Worry and Fear turned out detrimental and purposeless. Diagnoses always overcome cures.
This results in an ever increasing number of peoples visiting Holistic ‘doctors’ and abusing substances.
In other words, ‘self-medicating’.

Several conditions are not listed in the DSM, despite taken into consideration by Holistic Mental Health practitioners. Inculturation is a major factor in the birth of new diagnoses.

I thought to elaborate these attitudes after finding out more mental-health implications in Projecting.
Before entering psychology field, Projection was synonym of Planning.

Just recently, Projection has taken a very different connotation: despite being not yet recognized as a diagnosis, most therapists treat it as delusional.

The condition first emerged from a revised linguistic model.
Projecting and Planning were used interchangeably, until theologians claimed a detrimental dimension to Projecting.

Anxious people in particular, kind of hallucinate over envisioning their future by deluding themselves into believing their dreams or nightmares will always become reality.
They don’t consider that circumstances change over time. 
They project.

Planning is realistic and motivating, in combination with Regular Sleep.

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Memories vs Learning in the Neurodivergent

Non-neural Support Astrocytes complement Neurons in Memory/Motor Function.

The generic belief is that all Brain cells are Neurons.
Too easy to be true.
There’s a bunch of non-neural Glial cells in the brain.
Astrocytes belong to this category and the most influential in removing old synapses obstructing the acquisition of new skills.
They have their specific individual structure linked to the MEGF 10 Receptor, where inactive synapses are discarded.
Once again, Dopamine is the precursor of the whole process, with Astrocytes translating dopamine’ signals into learning.

Learning is strongly dependent on Memories and Sleep.

There are two Sleep Patterns: the initial NREM, marking the gradual transition from Wakefulness to Deep Restorative Sleep, and the Rise-leading REM, gradually reconnecting us with neural activity.
The REM phase is crucial for Memory and Emotional Consolidation.
Based on this model, lack of sleep is a major contributor to Amnesia and Mental Illness, disrupting Learning.
In fact, “Learning” is being replaced by “Memory” in Neuroscience, with the Hippocampus as the primary source for Memory-organisation and consequential Reward, confirming the multifaceted nature of Dopamine, the Hippocampus main fuel. In turn, the Hippocampus would qualify for both Learning and Reward Systems within the Limbic Center.

Neuroanatomy is fully interconnected.

Motor skills consolidate during NREM phase.
They are associated to Memory skills, since both are pre-cursed by Dopamine which signals Astrocytes the Synapses to remove.

This is the fundamental principle of the finding: 
Motor Skills Learning requires Neural Circuits Restructure by removing inactive Synapses during  Deep Restorative NREM Sleep.
If Learning is a Memory, we can confidently predict the interactions between Motor and Memory skills’ performance.

Resources 

The study is being conducted by the Institute of Basic Sciences under the supervision of Associate Director CHUNG Won-Suk, noting: “Learning depends on a precise circuit rewiring process that involves not only forming new synapses but also removing unnecessary connections.”

Astrocytes are the most numerous Supporting Neuron’s Cells, highly involved in Memory, to the extent of bordering Neural Networks like the Hippocampus and Amyloid Cortex in modulating fearful memories.
The Hippocampus alone cannot select all kinds of happy memories from traumatic experiences, as just recently endorsed.

Neuroscience is extremely compartmentalised with hundreds scientific teams working independently, so that new information is shared on a daily basis.
New cerebral regions and associated subcategories are discovered daily. 
Journals of Neuroscience struggle to stay up to date, an example of how limited our Brain knowledge is to date.

Astrocytes are promising targets for PTSD on the upgrade to Neural Cells.

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Gut-Brain Axis

Nutrition has a major impact in mental health.

The distinction between psychiatric and neurological disorders is evermore unclear.

Psychotropic drugs can modify Cerebral metabolism, though can’t rewire brain-circuits.
Brain metabolism is controlled by blood and oxygen flow.
No psychotropics target these two basic vital elements.
Current medication still targets neurotransmission only.

My impression is that research always overlaps the basics.
Scientists know that essential enzymes regulating metabolism are produced by blood-cells, so that a new field of research is developing, GBA, the Gut-Brain Axis.

GBA

GBA is deemed as a virtual Communication Network connecting the Brain with Gut-bacteria and the Endocrine System.

The Gut and Adrenal Glands are major manufacturers of Serotonin, Adrenaline and Dopamine, the 3 main cerebral neurotransmitters, yet the brain produces these chemicals independently.
However, 90% of Serotonin is produced in the Gut and it’s responsible either for Mood and Intestinal Functions.

Based on this assumption, we deduce that Adrenal Neurotransmitters send Signals to the brain.

Henceforth, there are two lines of thought defining GBA:

  1. The Vagus Nerve connecting the brain with the gut directly.
  2. The connection between the Hippocampus and Hypothalamus.

Both models work on Signals and Memory.
The Hypothalamus is the Feeding center, the Hippocampus the Memory Center.
This connection would remind us when to eat by regulating Metabolism and Mood.
The Vagus Nerve would complement the process through Nerve Fibers.

This Communication Network would explain the codependency between Brain and Gut.

New developments are expected.



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Humoral Neurotransmitters

Motivation is indispensable for Achievement. It is associated with Success, Intelligence, Happiness.Depression and Anxiety deplete Humoral Neurotransmitters.

What differs Depression from Sadness.

The DSM defines Sadness as an average period of two weeks characterized by low-mood as result of transient disappointment.

Although the symptoms are equal to Depression, it is not treated pathologically.
It is thought that occasional Sadness empowers us towards inevitable life sorrows, an antidote to Depression, ironically.

Low-mood over two weeks is classified as Clinical Depression.
An overly simplistic model to me.

Is Neurotransmission compromised in Sadness?

Debatable dilemma if we see Sadness medically, either referred to as ‘Adjustment Disorder’ or ‘Situational Depression’.
Some Mental Health Professionals consider the condition as the precursor of Clinical Depression, henceforth starting patients on antidepressants.
Others support Counseling beforehand, both preventative measures.

The controversy is that antidepressants take at least 3/4 weeks to work, therefore they are not worth the effort for temporary Sadness.
Nonetheless, low-mood can deplete neurotransmitters for Compensation.
On the other hand, Clinical Depression is a post-synaptic disease.

It would look like Compensation occurs at pre-synaptic level, excluding Receptors’ activity. Given the assumption, SSRIs will downplay their performance.
The question is whether dormant neurotransmitters are pre-synaptically effective.

It is established that Sadness increases the amount of necessary neurotransmitters, in so doing, depriving neurons.
Insufficient neurotransmitters would prevent the ‘sending-receiving-reuptake s pattern,’ aka Neurotransmission.

Put it bluntly, neurotransmitters are disabled in the absence of intercellular connectivity.
SSRIs don’t enhance neurotransmitters production, they enhance neurotransmission.
In essence, they don’t help with depleted neurons.

It is paramount to understand where humoral neurotransmitters- Serotonin, Dopamine, Adrenaline- originate from.

Their hormonal nature leads to Adrenal Glands.

Adrenal glands release either deficient or excessive neurotransmitters in response to stress and lack of sleep.

It is unclear if antidepressants target the Endocrine System.
Adrenal glands are part of the Endocrine System however, the Brain produces its own Serotonin in the Brainstem, Dopamine in the Substantia Nigra, Adrenaline in the Medulla Oblongata.

The neurotransmitters produced in the Adrenal Glands don’t cross the Blood-Brain-Barrier.
Their interaction is not known.

Dopamine is the predominant cerebral neurotransmitter, with Serotonin and Adrenaline accounting for as little as 5%.
95% of Serotonin is synthesized in the gut, whereas Adrenaline would act as Neurohormone in the brain, kind of dopamine precursor. The large amount is synthesized in the Adrenal Glands and spread throughout the body by means of Circulation in the function of Modulator.
Brainstem Serotonin exerts Mood Stabilization through the Spinal Cord and Prefrontal Cortex.

The line between Hormones and Neurotransmitters is very thin and poorly defined.

A new branch of Neuroscience named the “Gut-Brain Axis” is being developed.

More research is needed.




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Procrastination in ADHD/ASD

Procrastination is not Laziness. It is typically associated with ADHD.

Talking about the labeling of every single human behavior, Procrastination is making the charts.

Nobody’s lazy anymore: the new vocabulary for ‘Laziness’ is ‘Procrastination’.

The most disturbing part is that Procrastination is being deemed as an emotional disorder and major feature of ADHD.
I can be easily distracted, though not lazy.
Procrastination is Distraction to me.

Distraction does slow-down productivity, although it’s not associated with Lethargy.
In fact, we are mostly hyperactive when distracted.

ADHD rarely manifests individually, it is a component of most Mental Disorders, last but not least, Autism.

Neurons are divided into Recipients and Receivers separated by Synapses, spaces where neurotransmitters temporarily pool up, before being absorbed by receiving Receptors.
This process is continuous and interchangeable.

In ADHD, the neurotransmitters are not re-absorbed in the recipient cells, accounting for deficiency of serotonin and dopamine, major players in Attention and Reward, resulting in impaired cognitive function.

ADHD treatment is gaining momentum in the cure of Autism and Clinical Resistant Depression.

Latest findings from Dopamine Transporter scans, show abnormalities in Young-Adult Autistics.
We know that Dopamine has an important role in motor-skills Memory.
Parkinson’s disease is the most common form of neurodegenerative illness characterized by loss of motor coordination.
Lack of dopamine is a general symptom.
The specific pathology of Parkinson’s is the inability to recycle unused dopamine clogged in Transporters.
The same pattern applies to autism. What was previously thought of autistic Stimming, could be early- onset Parkinson’s, with autistics having 6 times more chances of developing the disease later in life.
New dopaminergic medications are under study.

References 
NeuroscienceNews.com
Autism and Parkinson’s Share a Hidden Neural Defect






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Self-harm

There are hundreds of theories about Self-harm, although all speculative and individual. The most reliable evidence is provided by sufferers themselves as of late.

Self-harm is always an underlying condition, only fact we know for sure.
It is also extremely versatile.

In my experience, it’s a desperate attempt at self-control and discipline.
One must be aware to self-harm.
Self-harm is carried out dysfunctionally for a purpose.

In my case, the most common form of self-harm is face shaving.
I’m not talking aesthetics here, though true Obsession.
Shamefully, the Beauty Industry has found a multimillion business in ‘grooming’ with so-called ‘safety razors’, shaving tutorials, etc., to the point of replacing fully fledged dermatologists.

Shaving is an imposed societal rule.

Shaving is mandatory for public employees.
Clean-shaven is synonym of smartness, so that every man is indirectly compelled to shave.

Don’t believe to proud ‘bearded models’, they know deep inside that they have shaving phobia. They try to mask it by sporting ridiculous  ‘designer beards’.

Those who can’t afford to go unshaven, self-harm with painful razor cuts.
This becomes a compulsion, a punishment.

Females have other ways of self-harming, despite my take on the commonality: self-punishment in order to conform to a society that still shuns neurodiversity.

How OCD impacts Self-harm.

OCD is characterized by hurting repetitive physical and mental behaviors.
Repetition is always harmful for the body: overshaving, overwashing, overthinking, rituals…

Scientists identified the triggering Signal of OCD in the Orbitofrontal Cortex, part of the Reward System. Once again, dopamine is involved in OCD in addition to anxiety.

The OCD brain uses more timescales to carry on tasks, making every task more demanding. This extra energy causes the brain to dissociate from Sequences like dressing up, so that each step is processed individually and repeated several times. It takes double time for OCD people to start their day by stopping and thinking about the next step. Severe cases resort to Counting, e.g. 1- biological needs 2- wearing socks 3- shaving 4- choosing clothes, 5- coffee, etc…whereas the Neurotypical would follow an uninterrupted daily Sequence.

Can you see the correlation with ADHD Worry-paralysis?
Could OCD be Worry-paralysis?
From my ADHD perspective, it could.

SSRIs are weak in abating OCD.
Dopaminergic compounds prove more effective in combination with Brain-stimulation’s TMS treatment.
Nonetheless, OCD is rampant in ADHD and Autism.

TMS-Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation-is the safer noninvasive replacement of dirty old ECT, originally designed for MDD. Only recently, TMS has been introduced in the treatment of OCD.
MRI scans show decreased neural activity in Clinical Depression and OCD.
TMS delivers magnetic pulses to stimulate nerve cells.
The results are mostly successful within 4/6 weeks.

It is now evident that the brain functions on Stimuli and Interconnectivity between all regions.
The last frontier will be understanding what causes hypo-stimulation in the Neurodivergent Brain.
A lengthy study as the million components of Neuroanatomy.

The race has just started.





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Cognitive Distortions

‘Cognitive distortions’ is the definition of Irrational Thoughts in Psychology. Anxiety is the general perception, although the Labeling trend of these days attributes the perception to ADHD, Autism and OCD exclusively, wrongly so.

Medicine is being spoilt by the day, despicably switching from humanitarian Mission to openly downstream profiteering Business.

The predictable future of Healthcare is a fully private funded system with Medical Insurances drawn into bankruptcy.

Specialists are highly competitive and wary of Insurance, indulging in a real Fees-Campaign in order to get “clients”.
The implications are enormous in terms of reliability and co-operation between practitioners.

Mental Health is increasingly becoming individualistic.

The title “Psychologist” is being replaced with “Therapist, Coach, Counselor”, each offering their services to a specific mental condition, coincidentally shared by the therapist.

Nowadays, one can become a “Certified Coach” by taking countless Online-courses, mostly scams.
I don’t buy into that. I stick to psychoanalytic Psychiatrists, to be on the safe MD side.

“Clients” pay astronomical fees to share their feelings with private Therapists whom they refer to by first name.
The danger of these ‘self-proclaimed professionals’ is they’re trained to tell their  ‘friends’ what they want to hear.

Everybody, neurotypical or neurodivergent, have Cognitive Distortions, in my experience, a kind of Sympathetic Nervous System’ s defensive mechanism.
We all have what real psychologists call ‘Filter Neural Lens’, amplifying Paranoia.

In the Neurotypical, Cognitive Distortions are easily balanced by the Parasympathetic Nervous System. 
In the Neurodivergent, they are over amplified.

All it takes is scrolling the Medical Web, thus being bombarded with hundreds Ads these likes:

“Shyla, ADHD therapist on ADHD. Competitive pricing and compassionate approach. First session free.”
“Amy, I overcame OCD and want to hear from you. Regain control over your emotions.”
“Charlie, your Bipolar Disorder expert.”

Cognitive Distortions are dealt individually in every  ‘specific practice’.
Back in the day, they were addressed to any Clinical Psychologist.

Paranoia is the medical term for Persecution, to say that Cognitive Distortions are cursing thoughts about how we perceive judgment.

No one likes to be judged. Discerning wrong judgement is a distortion.

Right Discernment abates Judgment and enhances Self-esteem.




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