Deap Brain Stimulation

In the 1940's and 1950's, electric shock therapy was common for treating the mentally ill. A few had favorable outcomes while many didn't. Many came out with broken bones and worse mental health issues like memory loss.

Some theories were, Neurotransmitter theory: The shock works like antidepressants, changing brain receptors to allow chemicals to flow like serotonin.

Anti-convalescent. Inducing seizures in hopes they will dampen abnormal brain function and stabilizing mood.

Neuroendocrine theory: Seizures cause chemicals to release that regulate mood.

Brain Damage Theory: The shock causes memory loss and disorientation while giving the illusion the problems are gone.

This was a barbaric practice because I'm sure they ruined more minds than they saved. Looking back there was such little knowledge and treatment known, this seemed like the best option.

My Grandmother is bipolar and received electric shock therapy, as I understand, of her own requesting. She wanted to be better like at one time I would have drilled a hole in my skull if it had a chance to help me no feel what I did.

Now it is called, deep brain stimulation. Where the electricity travels in ones body is more controlled as well as the patients who receive it. Studies show improvement in a majority of percentage of patients. Tests still need to be done but improvements and understanding of electricity helping people with mental illness is improving.

Electricity for mentally ill patients feels barbaric but there are possibilities for future understanding. When they started they knew nothing about the consequences, only the faith it would help some. Now they only use it in extreme cases, the research is growing and will one day be practiced daily.

While I Wait

I sit waiting in line like everyone else. I look around at other people. The young guy in the corner is still accept for glancing at his phone and writing a text message about once every five minutes. A child plays and tried to get attention by jumping off and on the seats near to her parents. An adult women starts to talk to the child because she is reminded of her own. The child calms down after she is noticed.

It would be usual for people to be focused on there phones, reading emails, surfing the web or writing messages but this day like many others, they all seem to be at peace with just waiting.

I have looked at the man in the corner and studied his behavior, I was entertained by the child playing for a while, I stared at the old woman, making stories in my head about where she came from and now I count all others before me and imagine excuses why I should go before them. I can't sit still, my leg vibrates in a beat. My bum starts to hurt from the hard seat so I move into another position. My back gets sore and my leg falls asleep from the other one perching itself on it so I reverse. Within seconds I reverse back and slump myself into the chair in hopes of comfort.

I don't find comfort in the chair I'm sitting in so I try and think of other things that would occupy my mind but all I can think of is how I don't want to be here and how are they able to sit and wait so peacefully.

Lack Of Sleep Causes Depresion

It is so common for us to have 5, 6 hours of sleep or less. In our fast pace society, most people don't have the time to spend on rest and sleep. It's recommended that we need 8 - 9 hrs of sleep a night but on average we get less than 7. Prolonged sleep deprivation can cause depression.

When we don't have adequate sleep our central nervous system is affected, it becomes more active, inhibits the pancreas from producing enough insulin, the hormone needed to digest glucose.

Studies taken show that a lack of sleep within 2 years can change the chemicals in your brain and lead to depression. Not only that, it can cause high blood pressure, anxiety, heart problems and weight gain.

I know from experience how not sleeping made me crazy. Now that I'm getting back into life I have a challenge to balance expectations of productivity and my desire to keep up with all activities in life with the time to sleep as well as the time it takes me to wind down to be able to sleep.

We need to make sleep a priority. Simplify your life if needed. Learn techniques on how to shut out life and fall asleep. If you don't, you most likely will suffer the fate of depression and unnecessary anxiety.