Which came fisrt Chicken or the Egg???????????????????

   I guess I am hoping that by sharing things and information I have found it will help answer at least some of the questions that I not only ask myself but also get asked by others. The question that I have asked myself for years is, would I still have had a mental illness if it had not been for a traumatic childhood?  I don't think that I will ever have an answer to that question, but the information I found on the deep limbic system  though was interesting. In my group this week there was a lot of talk about the deep limbic system. So I did some digging around. This for me helped to explain a lot. I also understand better how my brain, my challenges and my childhood are tied together. I guess you could say that I am starting to figure out what came first the chicken or the egg. 
     The deep limbic system along with the deep temporal lobes have been reported to store highly charged emotional memories, both positive and negative. If you have been traumatized by a dramatic event, such as being in a car accident or watching your house burn down, or if you have been abused by a parent or a spouse, the emotional component of the memory is stored in the deep limbic system of the brain. On the other hand, if you have won the lottery, graduated magna cum laude, or watched your child’s birth, those emotional memories are stored here as well.
    The total experience of our emotional memories is responsible, in part, for the emotional tone of our mind. The more stable, positive experiences we have the more positive we are likely to feel. The more trauma in our lives the more emotionally set we become in a negative way. These emotional memories are intimately involved in the emotional tagging that occurs. 
   Traumatic stress is found in many competent, healthy, strong, good people. No one can completely protect themselves from traumatic experiences. It is a matter of how these events can and do impact ones life. Although many people may have long-lasting problems following a traumatic event. People who react to traumas are not going crazy. What is happening to them is part of a set of common symptoms and problems that are connected with being in a traumatic situation, and thus, is a normal reaction to abnormal events and experiences. Having symptoms after a traumatic event is NOT a sign of personal weakness.
    It has also been shown that the severity of abuse and age of abuse onset predicts many of the problematic behaviors that are common.
   The deep limbic system lies near the center of the brain. Considering it’s size — about the size of a walnut — it is power-packed with functions, all of which are critical for human behavior and survival.The deep limbic system adds the emotional spice, if you will, in both positive and negative ways. 

Limbic System Functions

• sets the emotional tone of the mind
• filters external events through internal states (emotional coloring)
• tags events as internally important
• stores highly charged emotional memories
• modulates motivation
• controls appetite and sleep cycles
• promotes bonding
• directly processes the sense of smell

Limbic System Associated Problems

• moodiness, irritability, clinical depression
• increased negative thinking
• perceive events in a negative way
• decreased motivation
• flood of negative emotions
• appetite and sleep problems
• social isolation

     By understanding trauma symptoms better, a person can become less fearful of them and better able to manage them.
 
I found much of this information at www.amenclinics.com