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RE: Psychology Addict # 51 | Self-Harm – An Overview Through the Biopsychosocial Lens
Dear Abigail, I almost missed this! Good thing I checked out @samminator's blog--he resteemed the post. I will read tonight before I go to sleep ( in just a few moments). This is a topic that interests me very much. I'll be back and edit my comment with a more comprehensive response tomorrow.
Hope you are having a wonderful summer in sunny, breezy Portugal.
Affectionately,
AG❤
Hello my dear friend 😊
I am looking forward to your feedback then!
I will read it this evening with some tea after my busy day :)
I'm back! I reread the piece this morning, and will be reading it again. Though your writing is, as always, clear and evocative, the issue is complex.
As I believe you know, I worked with young people in a very particular setting (as a teacher). 50% of my students were residential. The residence and school were integrated, run by the same administrators. Functions overlapped seamlessly. One thing that was obvious was that a certain culture, a kind of self-reinforcing phenomenon, evolved among the students. Many of these children had to be in a safe, restricted environment, and yet being confined in that culture almost normalized pathological behavior.
Imagine this in a closed setting, where the child is surrounded by therapeutic personnel and reinforcing peers.
As for 'cues'...your discussion reminded me of the response that drug addicts have to paraphernalia, I believe neuroscience, in conjunction with talk therapy, may offer effective and targeted treatments for this kind of response.
Your reference to the sympathetic nervous system was particularly interesting. While this is not something I fully understand, I do know that tapping into the ANS through the vagus nerve has shown good results in treating pain and emotional issues. I went back to read up a bit and refresh my dim understanding of the hypothalamus and the central autonomic network.
You promised us this a couple of months ago. I waited and am so glad I caught it in time. Resteemed--although the article is almost beyond the seven-day window, people still will benefit from reading it.
Thanks, Abigail, for another really important piece.
Be happy and well.
Much love and appreciation,❤
AG
This is a very thorough feedback my friend :)
I was particularly interested in its first part. Yes, I do remember you were a teacher, and the observation you made about the normalization of pathological behaviour among the resident students is very similar to those seen, for example, in hospitals/clinics with units dedicated to treat anorexia nervosa patients. It reminded me of the whole "culture" as you put it, but mostly of the younger girls.
Thank you for sharing with me that paper on the Neuroscience of Drug Craving. I have an extra fascination and passion for the neuropsychology of addiction. Particularly all the mechanisms underlying the appettitive phase (well ... and the consumatory too). I saw that the paper you shared here looks into the former phase through a cognitive neuroscience perspective (😍). It cannot get any better than this! :D
Ok, I better go now....
Wishing you a night filled with sweet dreams!
Much love to you always.
Dear Abigail,
You do impress, as always. Very perceptive. My students were all girls, mostly 14 to 17. I don't like to talk about specific diagnoses, but certainly your insight applies.
Peace, and sweet dreams, also.
With Affection and respect,
AG