Summary: This podcast episode is based on Journey to Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide to Recovery from Mental Health and Addiction Issues by Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes Read it for free on Amazon Kindle Unlimited. Journey to Recovery Series Biopsychosocial Aspects of Emotions Presented by: Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes Executive Director, AllCEUs CEUs are available at https://www.allceus.com/member/cart/index/product/id/924/c/ Objectives ~ Learn how to help clients understand, identify and modify ~ Physiological causes and mitigators of emotions ~ Psychological/ Cognitive causes and mitigators of emotions ~ Social causes and mitigators of emotions Physiological ~ Neurotransmitter balance ~ Sleep & Circadian rhythms ~ Depressive disorders are associated with various neurobiological alterations like hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, altered neuroplasticity and altered circadian rhythms (Fortschr Neurol Psychiatr. 2018 May;86(5):308-318) ~ Circadian disruption is reliably associated with various adverse mental health and wellbeing outcomes, including major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. (Lancet Psychiatry. 2018 Jun;5(6):507-514) ~ Prefrontal cortex is particularly susceptible to the effects of sleep loss (Prog Brain Res. 2010;185:105-29) ~ Reduced quantity of sleep increases risk for major depression, which in turn increases risk for decreased sleep (Sleep. 2014 Feb 1;37(2):239-44. BMC Public Health. 2018 Jun 11;18(1):724) Physiological ~ Neurotransmitter balance ~ Sleep & Circadian rhythms ~ Balancing circadian rhythms ~ Improving sleep quality Physiological ~ Neurotransmitter balance ~ Nutrition ~ Proteins and vitamins (absorption) ~ Blood sugar ~ Anxiety is associated with low blood sugar ~ Nervousness and fatigue are associated with high blood sugar ~ Hydration ~ Nutritional Interventions (Under medical supervision) ~ Good nutrition ~ Improve absorption ~ Stabilize blood sugar Physiological ~ Neurotransmitter balance ~ PTSD/Hypocortisolism ~ Stress is associated with an increased activity of the HPA-axis, increased cortisol levels and a decreased downregulation. ~ Hypoactivity of the HPA-axis develops out of chronic stress, in stress-related disorders such as PTSD, chronic fatigue syndrome & burn out. PLoS One. 2014; 9(6): e98682 ~ Cushing’s and Addison’s disease are characterized by altered cortisol levels, and both exhibit high rates of depression which can be reversed when cortisol is normalized. ~ Organic dysregulation Physiological ~ Neurotransmitter balance ~ PTSD/Hypocortisolism & Organic dysregulation ~ Identify and address vulnerabilities ~ Stress and stress stimuli (emotional or physical (illness, over-exercise)) ~ Sleep deprivation ~ Pain ~ Sudden discontinuation of glucocorticoids after prolonged glucocorticoid therapy ~ Mindfulness to prevent or mitigate vulnerabilities ~ Address trauma Physiological ~ Neurotransmitter balance ~ Inflammatory Conditions (Autoimmune conditions: Chron’s, Rheumatoid Arthritis) ~ Fatigue, anhedonia, low mood, social isolation and irritability ~ Inflammation activates IDO (indolamine-2,3-dioxygenase) IDO is an enzyme which converts tryptophan into kynurenine, which competes for tryptophan with the serotonin pathway and produces neurotoxic byproducts. ~ Childhood trauma permanently upregulates proinflammatory molecules Physiological ~ Hyper or hypothyroid ~ Medications ~ Hormones ~ Beta-blockers (Depression) ~ Calcium channel blockers (Depression) ~ Statins (Depression ~ Opioids ~ Stimulants (decongestants, ADHD medications) ~ Antidepressants (esp. anxiety and mania) ~ Antianxiety (Benzodiazepines, barbiturates) ~ Steroids (anxiety and mania) ~ Herbs (Yohimbe, 5-HTP, St. Johns Wort, SAM-e, Valerian) Psychological/Cognitive ~ Schema and prior learning ~ Emotion = arousal + cognition ~ Updates pending… ~ Overriding the amygdala ~ Negativity bias ~ 5:1 ratio for happiness ~ Dialectics ~ Mindfulness and serenity ~ Attributional style ~ Internal/External (LOC) ~ Global/Specific
