Taking Care of Your Brain: Things to Avoid
The Russian Roulette: Who's Next?
The Russian Roulette is a potentially lethal game of chance in which participants place a single round in a revolver, spin the cylinder, place the muzzle against their head and pull the trigger. In modern times, the term russian roulette can be generically used to describe risky behavior most likely ending with negative results.
• The Trouble With Antidepressants
An this is exactly the game you are in, wheter you know it or not, if you happen to be under prescribed antidepressant drugs.
These drugs belong to a class of drugs called SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and they work by affecting serotonin levels in the brain. Commonly prescribed SSRIs include fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), paroxetine (Paxil), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluvoxamine (Luvox), citalopram (Celexa) and many more.
But there is a problem: In some people, this drug could have a lethal side-effect: It can induce suicidal behavior in a part of the general population.
The more common -and not lethal- Side effects of SSRI’s (serotonin reuptake inhibitors) include sexual dysfunction, nausea, nervousness and insomnia, agitation, decreased sweating with increased body temperature.
BUT any of these side effects may be amplified when an SSRI is combined with other medications or herbs that affect serotonin (such as St. John’s Wort and SAM-e). In the most extreme cases, such a combination of medications (e.g., an SSRI and an MAOI) may result in a potentially serious or even fatal serotonin syndrome, characterized by fever, confusion, muscle rigidity, and cardiac, liver, or kidney problems.
Now, why in the movies and TV series where everybody seems to be in Prozac, there is no mention at all at these hazardous and even lethal side effects?
Well, big big big money is the answer.
• The Controversy Begins
The initial evidence for SSRI-induced suicide (antidepressants) was unexpected and controversial. It came from an article describing several case reports. Teicher, Glod, and Cole (1990) first reported on the possibility of SSRI-induced suicidal ideation among six cases.
Teicher was a well-respected biologically-oriented psychiatrist at Harvard. Glod was a nurse, and Cole worked in the McLean Hospital and was instrumental in studying the side effects of chlorpromazine in the 1950s, as he helped bring attention to the side effect of tardive dyskinesia. Although case studies are not overly persuasive in establishing scientific fact, because these researchers were fairly well-respected, their observations raised significant concern over the possibility of SSRI-induced suicidality. Among the six patients, some had never had suicidal thoughts prior to taking the SSRI.
Strikingly, they developed suicidal ideation approximately two weeks after starting the drug (Prozac). Teicher, Glod, and Cole had seen a lot of suicidal patients before, but these cases seemed categorically different. Some had suicidal preoccupations to the extreme, despite never having had thoughts of suicide before. One woman who had never thought about owning a gun was suddenly preoccupied with getting one. Their suicidal and aggressive thoughts were extremely violent. In all cases, suicidal ideation stopped within a few days or weeks after discontinuing the SSRI.
The Teicher, Glod, and Cole (1990) report was instrumental in raising awareness on the issue, and additional case studies were soon reported by other psychiatrists. For example, Wirshing et al. (1992) observed SSRIs to increase suicidality in five of their patients. None of the patients had a previous history of suicidality. All described an intense desire to pace, which was paralleled by a sense of restlessness and agitation. Insomnia and intense suicidal preoccupations were common. A couple weeks after starting the SSRI, one patient reported feeling "100 times worse than anything I've experienced before" (Wirshing et al., 1992, p. 580). Suicidal thoughts disappeared approximately two weeks after discontinuing the SSRI in each case.
• Suicide in the Course of Pharmacological Treatment of Depression
Prozac is prescribed for a huge variety of disorders: It is vastly used in the treatment of depression; Prozac is also prescribed to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder. The drug is also used in the treatment of bulimia (binge-eating followed by deliberate vomiting). It has also been used to treat other eating disorders and obesity. In addition, Prozac is prescribed to treat panic disorder, including panic associated with agoraphobia (a severe fear of being in crowds or public places). In children and adolescents, Prozac is used to treat major depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
• Potatoe, Potato
But the greed of the pharmaceutical corporations knows no limit: Under the brand name Sarafem, the active ingredient in Prozac is also prescribed for the treatment of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), formerly known as premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Symptoms of PMDD include mood problems such as anxiety, depression, irritability or persistent anger, mood swings, and tension. Physical problems that accompany PMDD include bloating, breast tenderness, headache, and joint and muscle pain. Symptoms typically begin 1 to 2 weeks before a woman's menstrual period and are severe enough to interfere with day-to-day activities and relationships.
Serious, sometimes fatal, reactions have been known to occur when Prozac is used in combination with other antidepressant drugs known as MAOI inhibitors, including Nardil and Parnate, as well as when Prozac is discontinued and an MAO inhibitor is started. Never take Prozac with one of these drugs or within at least 14 days of discontinuing therapy with one of them; and allow 5 weeks or more between stopping SSRI medications and starting an MAO inhibitor. Be especially cautious if you have been taking Prozac in high doses or for a long time
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Check the article here
• The Spin Doctors
Of course, the pharmaceutical complex moved immediately seeking damage control. Initiating a series of actions against researchers and senior figures in the psychopharmacology community who open the debate about the possibility that the SSRI group of antidepressants may have the potential to trigger suicidality or other serious effects in a subgroup of takers, actions that included threats of retiring of funds to universities, smear campaigns and many other unethical and maneuvers as stated in this
report published in The John Hopkins University Press
And of course, there is a bunch of misleading web pages and paid articles in health magazines, specially designed to diminish and hide the relevance of the real information about the side effects of these kind of antidepressants. Ordered by the big med corporations, this massive deceiving "information" is carefully tailored to vilify all those that dare to rise questions about the risks of taking such drugs, while at the same time, they serve as food for the good faith and unaware health professionals in the field.
• Informed Consent Means Having Enough Information to Make an Intelligent Choice
Unfortunately, most doctors don't understand that many problems with SSRIs are caused by standard doses that are excessive for substantial numbers of patients. And although Prozac, Zoloft, and other SSRIs now come in lower doses, many doctors still start patients on the stronger, standard doses.
To make the best informed decision, you first should do your homework. For starters, we strongly suggest not to believe everything is written here at first hand: Google the topic using the keywords "prozac ssri mao suicide" and see for yourself.
But beware: The gargantuan pharmaceutical corporations have in their payroll a bunch of people whose only job is to deviate public atention from the risks inherent to the drugs they make. So, it is not so unusual that, signed by "prestigious" M.D.s and Ph.D.s of dubious moral standards, armed with half truths mixed with blatant shameless lies, neutralize with every mean at their disposal -medical conventions and conferences, seminaries, TV interviews, etc.- all the publications and information of independent research teams and professionals. And do not get impressed by the glowing "aura" (obviously PR-made) of their "experts" and "medical authorities". With a little research you can find who these experts really are.
The sad side of all this is that the boards of prestigious universities, have been caving in crushed by the overhelming pressure of the money funds and patronages coming from the corporations, with all possible strings attached.
And remember, for them is all about the money, big big money. For you it is a sinister Russian Roulette, it is a matter of life and death.
SWEET POISON
You probably are aware of the severe risks to your health by consumming artificial sweeteners. If not, you can inform yourself by
googling it.
And recently, there is yet another major threat: High fructose or HFCS. Agressively promoted as some kind of natural sugars, fructose and its newest cousin HFCS, are today practically in most racks in your not so friendly supermarket or grocery store. And these artificial sweeteners ARE NOT FROM FRUITS... THEY ARE SIMPLY COMMERCIAL REFINED SUGARS. Read all about it here.
Using all of the resources available today, you can learn a lot, and when you do, tell your doctor -- doctors respect good, scientifically-based information -- so that your doctor can inform others following you.
Caffeine: Devil or Angel?
Caffeine per se is not bad. In the proper quantities improves your alertness and can burst your energy almost instantly, since works by blocking adenosine, which is a chemical in the body that tells it to shut down when we are tired; caffeine can also act as an antioxidant, which is not bad. BUT it could be very bad news if the intake exceeds your tolerance threshold.
Some Negative Side Effects of Caffeine
1. Anxiety/Panic attacks. Caffeine keeps us up in our toes because it triggers the fight-or-flight mechanism in our bodies, but after heavy doses of caffeine and after many hours of it being in our system, the fight-or-flight instinct that is one of the brain's protection devices, turns into anxiety or even panic attacks, which tend to make us irrational: You begin to feel nervous, your hands could become shaky and your skin pale and sweaty, and out of nowhere you expect bad things to happen to you.
2. Caffeine is higly addictive. If you fall into the habit of getting a caffeine fix, your body begins to crave the boost that you get from it. If you fail to get that dose of caffeine that your body has adapted to, you become irritable, tired, and even worse: depressed.
3. Dehydration. One would think that most of the intake of caffeine is by means of a cup of coffee and since coffee is mixed with water that is a liquid, it hydrates you. In fact, the caffeine in coffee, black tea and many other food stuff like chocolate and candies, is linked with dehydration. That is mainly because of caffeine's diuretic properties.
4. PMS. Women who drink a lot of coffee or eat a lot of chocolates tend to experience pre-menstrual syndrome more severe than women who do not. Headaches, the bloated feeling and the belly cramps become keener with the added consumption of caffeine, so it isn't a good thing either during the PMS or menstrual period.
5. Emotional fatigue. Caffeine is not a toggle switch; surely when turned on it wakes up the body, but it has no off function, so it fails to tell the body when to stop moving and simply rest. The body needs rest and when the body does not get it, it can lead not just to physical tiredness but also to emotional fatigue.
And a word of advice: Don't sweeten your cup of cofffe or chocolate with refined sugar or artificial sweeteners of any kind.
Beware of the Tube
Study after study have proved that watching television affects your neuronet activity.
The Effects Of Television On Your Brain
- 1 - Watching TV puts the viewer into a highly suggestible trance-like hypnotic state, which grants easy access to the subconscious mind.
- 2 - While watching television, your brain activity switches from the left side of the brain (responsible for logical thought and critical analysis) to the right side. This is of paramount relevance to you and your life, since the right side of the brain does not critically analyse incoming information, and instead it uses an emotional response. This means there is little or no analysis of incoming information, and people is almost defenseless against whatever content the media moguls decide to implant into them.
- 3 - Right brain activity triggers a body response that releases chemicals which make it feel good; these are called endorphins, a natural sedative with similar properties to heroin. It is therefore not only possible, but most likely to become physically addicted to TV. This generates a loop in the brain, a craving so to speak, that ensures the need for constant daily exposure, a critical factor needed to program the mind.
- 4 - Reduces higher brain activity, promoting activity in lower brain regions. In other words it makes you less intelligent and behave more like an animal.
5-6 Hours of TV Programming a Day: A Recipe for ADD in Children and Seniors
On average, people watch 5-6 hours of TV a day. This amount of TV watching makes it almost impossible to reprogramme your own mind, unless viewing is eliminated or drastically reduced.
This figure is only an average; many people,especially children, watch far more TV than the average.
Watching too much television has been implicated in increased violent behavior and obesity in young children, and now there is evidence that it may promote inattention. Researchers have found that television exposure in children ages 1 to 3 is associated with attention problems at age 7. Furthermore, the investigators concluded that each hour of television watched per day increases these children’s risk of attention problems, such as attention- deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), by almost 10% at age 7.
Based on these findings, lead investigator Carolyn A. McCarty, PhD, and colleagues advised that efforts to limit television viewing in early childhood may be warranted. “Using a nationally representative survey sample, we found a significant association between the amount of television watched between ages 1 and 3 and subsequent attentional problems at age 7,” - Dr. McCarty told the online magazine NEUROPSYCHIATRY REVIEWS. “These results held when controlling for other factors that might explain this association, such as the amount of cognitive stimulation in the home.” Dr. McCarty is currently a Research Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Adjunct Research Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Washington in Seattle.
These findings are consistent with the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendation that parents not allow their children younger than 2 to watch television because of concerns that it affects early brain growth and the development of social, emotional, and cognitive skills. The American Academy of Pediatrics also encourages parents to exert caution—such as setting limits on television viewing, helping children develop media literacy skills to question, analyze, and evaluate television messages, and taking an active role in their children’s television viewing—in children older than 2. Although previous cross-sectional research has suggested that television viewing may be associated with decreased attention spans in children, longitudinal data of early television exposure and subsequent attention problems have been lacking, according to Dr. McCarty and colleagues.
And in mature people and seniors, the consequences are devastating too: The short range memory keeps downsizing on and on; on TV addicted seniors, the trend in the rate of "cognitive impairment" -- the umbrella term for everything from significant memory loss to dementia and Alzheimer's disease -- skyrockets.
What Can You Do to Reduce Your Risk of Cognitive Impairment? Please read our "Things to Put Into Practice" article to gather valuable information regarding this.
Is TV Making You Slow?
If you happen to experience something like a mind fog after watching television, you are not alone. Studies have shown that watching television induces low alpha waves in the human brain. Alpha waves are brainwaves between 8 to 12 HZ. and are commonly associated with relaxed meditative states as well as brain states associated with suggestibility (a mild hypnotic trance).
While Alpha waves achieved through meditation are enormously beneficial since they promote relaxation and insight, if you spend a lot of time in the low Alpha wave state caused by the television programming you might end up having unfocussed daydreaming and inability to concentrate. Neuroscience researchs show that watching television is similar to staring at a blank wall for several hours.
So, it is very important for you to understand what happens to your brain each time it is exposed to television.
TV Induced Physiology Chances in the Brain
In an experiment in 1969, Herbert Krugman monitored a person through many trials and found that in less than one minute of television viewing, the person's brainwaves switched from Beta waves, the brainwaves associated with active, logical thought, to Alpha waves. And when the subject stopped watching television and began reading a magazine, the brainwaves reverted to Beta waves.
One thing this indicates is that most parts of the brain, parts responsible for logical thought, tune out during television viewing. Although the impact of television viewing on one person's brain state is not enough to conclude that the same consequences apply to everyone, however, research involving many people, completed in the years following Krugman's experiment, has repeatedly shown that watching television produces brainwaves in the low Alpha range.
When you watch TV, brain activity switches from the left to the right hemisphere. Studies showed that while viewers are watching television, the right hemisphere is twice as active as the left, a neurological anomaly.
This anomaly has profound impact on the physiology of the brain: The crossover from left to right releases a surge of the body's natural opiates: endorphins, which include beta-endorphins and enkephalins. Endorphins are structurally identical to opium and its derivatives (morphine, codeine, heroin, etc.).
Activities that release endorphins (also called opioid peptides) are usually habit-forming (we rarely call them addictive). External opiates (any tipe of drugs, cigarrete smoking, pain killers, etc.) act on the same receptor sites (opioid receptors) as endorphins, so for the brain there is little difference between the two.
PLEASE TAKE NOTE: Warning! Just as with other addictions, there is a withdrawal effect that sould be taken in account: DO NOT SUSPEND YOUR TV WATCHING AT ONCE. Instead, decrease your TV watching time gradually.
Rewiring Your Brain
Now that we have your undivided attention, we strongly suggest you to give a close look to our articles that include valuable tips to increase your brain activity in the most positive ways so you regain control of your mind.
