copyright, ed young, phd 1 the interaction between: neurotransmitters, brain, behavior, and sense of...

copyright, ed young, PhD

1

The Interaction Between: Neurotransmitters,

Brain, Behavior,and Sense of Well Being

Within Types of Environments

SECTION VII A

Adolescent or Parenting Workshop:

Sample slides taken at random

from selected

Section VII Lessons


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Brain Chemistry and Hemispheric Interaction

• Is brain chemistry controlled by genetics independent of environmental forces?

• Are there regions in hemispheres that are in control of brain chemistry?

• Are there configurations of regions, hemispheres, and brain chemistry that determine feelings, moods, and behavior?

• Are these configurations and their effects determined by the collaboration of environmental structures and inner intentional processes?

• Can the introduction of therapeutic techniques into the environmental structure alter these configurations?


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The Brain Has Two Hemispheres, Each Having Similar Specialized Divisions or Regions.

Each Region Is Also Host to Specific Types of Neurotransmitters or Brain Chemistry.

• It is said that people are left or right brained. As parents, do you wonder about your child’s brain and what these ‘types’ may have to do with your child’s learning style or ability?

• It is said that emotional, mental, and behavior problems are caused by brain chemistry. Does this hypothesis affect the way you go about trying to understand, guide, and help your child?


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THE HUMAN BRAIN AND THE INTERACTIONS AND TRANSITIONS BETWEEN HEMISPHERES, REGIONS, AND NEUROTRANSMITTERS

BRAINFRONTAL LOBE

Right Hemisphere

Parietal

BRAIN Occipital

Brain chemistryTemporal

FRONTAL LOBE

Left Hemisphere

Two hemispheres collaborate but both have similar neurochemistry by region and, yet, neurochemistry changes when the focus shifts across hemispheres. The critical issue is the configuration of hemisphere, region, neurochemistry, intentional process, and environmental structure.

What is happening in your child’s brain? Why is it happening? Is your child’s brain the problem?


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6


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Regions Have Their Own Kinds of Neurotransmitters.Neurotransmitters in a Region

Have Characteristic Ways of Changing.

• If the neurotransmitters in a region have natural ways of changing, are your child’s neurotransmitters behaving normally?

• What does this behavior of the neurotransmitters have to do with the quality and normality of your child’s life?


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Principle Neurotransmitters Involved In Interaction Between Brain, Behavior, And Sense Of Well Being

BRAIN andBRAIN CHEMISTRY

SEROTO

NI

N

DOPAMINE

AD

RE

NA

LIN

E*

AC

ET

YL

CH

OL

IN

E

EN

DO

RPH

INS

*adrenaline is a neurocrine or hormone influencing the brain


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Brain Chemistry, Neurotransmitters, and Their Effects

• What are the critical neurotransmitters in your brain’s chemistry?

• What feelings, moods, thought processes, and behaviors are causally connected to which neurotransmitters?

• How does each neurotransmitter function when it is functioning naturally?


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Function and Relations of Principle NeurotransmittersA

DR

EN

AL

INE

EN

DO

RP

HIN

S

Anger, Fear,

Excitement, Agitated Depression

Successful, Goal

Oriented, Mental and/or

Physical Activity

VigorousPhysicalExercise

orActivity

Sleep,Depressio

n,Boredom,Fatigue,Immo-

bilization

Awake, Active, Alert,

Excited, Angry,

Anxious

SER

OT

ON

IN

AC

ET

YL

CH

OL

INE

DO

PA

MIN

E

Neurotransmitters Below Are Related to Functions Listed Above


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What Neurotransmitters Is Primarily Concerned with Being

Awake, Awareness, and Mental Alertness?

• Acetylcholine is primarily concerned with being awake and aware.

• How does the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine behave in the brain?


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I. ACETYLCHOLINE and BEING AWAKE and ALERTACETYLCHOLINE and BEING AWAKE and ALERT: INTERACTIONS AND TRANSITIONS BETWEEN

NEUROTRANSMITTERS

I. ACETYLCHOLINE and BEING AWAKE and ALERTACETYLCHOLINE and BEING AWAKE and ALERT: INTERACTIONS AND TRANSITIONS BETWEEN

NEUROTRANSMITTERS

BRAINFRONTAL LOBE

ALERT

ACETYLCHOLINE

AC

ET

YL

CH

OL

IN

E ACETYLCHOLINE

AC

ET

YL

CH

OLI

NE

ACETYLCHOLINE

IN AWAKENING, THERE IS A FORWARD PROGRESSION OF ACETYLCHOLINE TOWARD INFUSION THROUGHOUT THE BRAIN.


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WHAT ARE THE ROLES OF DOPAMINE AND ADRENALINE?

• When does dopamine come into play and why?– What are its effects on feelings, mood, behavior, and

learning?

– What are its effects on health?

– Can its patterns be changed?

• When does adrenaline come into play and why?– What are its effects on feelings, mood, behavior, and

learning?

– What are its effects on health?

– Can its patterns be changed?


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II. DOPAMINE, SENSE OF WELL BEING andIII. ADRENALINE AND EMOTIONAL INTENSITY:

BRAINFRONTAL LOBE

ACETYLCHOLINE

ACETYLCHOLINE

ACETYLCHO

LINE

ACETYLCHOLINE

ACETYLCHOLINE

ALERT

ADRENALINE

Dopamine is released is released when an intentional mental or physical act is being and/or has been completed successfully. Its release tends to produce a sense of pleasure and a tendency for the act to be continued or repeated in similar situations in the future.

Adrenaline is released in challenging or threatening situations. Depending on the situation, intentional orientation, and interpretation of the situation, adrenaline may result in aggression, withdrawal, or paralysis. The feeling accompanying adrenaline can be pleasant exhilaration, painful fear or panic, anxious paralysis, or agitated depression. The negative feelings result in avoidance of that situation and positive outcomes and feelings result in similar reactions when that situation recurs.

Dopamine has a singular effect and is a result, whereas adrenaline is a propellant and, depending upon the direction of the behavior, has differential-polarized negative or positive feeling effects. Dopamine affects preferences, whereas adrenaline affects reactions.

Dopamine has a positive affect on health. Positiveadrenaline can be addictive and used to heighten performance.. Persistent adrenaline tends to have a negative affect on the immune system and health.

DO

PAM

INE


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What Is the Function of Endorphins?

• Under what conditions are endorphins released?

• Are there any benefits from inducing their release?

• Are there any dangers to health from inducing their release?


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IV. ENDORPHINS:OVERCOMING PAIN AND FATIGUE

FRONTAL LOBE BRAIN

BRAINFRONTAL LOBE

ACETYLCHOLINE

ALERT

DO

PAM

INE

ACETYLCHO

LINE

ACETYLCHOLINE

AC

ET

YL

CH

OL

INE

ADRENALINE

AC

ET

YL

CH

OL

INE ENDO

RPHINS

Endorphins function as a natural narcotic or anesthetic. After the body has been engaged in vigorous physical exertion for a while, the person begins to experience fatigue and aches and pains. If the person persists in the exertion, eventually the endorphins are released and the negative feelings are replaced with a sense of pleasure, ease, and euphoria. From this point on, the body can receive injuries that normally would be very painful but because of the endorphins not feel the pain until after the activity is ceased. For some people, the pain free, exhilarated experience becomes somewhat addictive.


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What is the role and function of serotonin?

• Serotonin naturally tends to rise and fall with sleep and wakefulness.

• What are the disturbances of serotonin release?– What are the feeling, mood, cognitive, and

behavioral effects of excess or insufficient serotonin?

– What life conditions, situations, or personality factors tend to provoke unnatural excess and insufficient serotonin?


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V. SEROTONIN: SLEEP, TRANQUILITY

BRAINFRONTAL LOBE

ACETYLCHOLIN

E

AC

ET

YL

CH

OL

IN

EALERT

DO

PA

MI

NE

ACETYLCHO

LINE

AC

ET

YL

CH

OL

IN

E

ACETYLCHOLINE

AD

RENA

LINE

Se

ro

to

ni

n

Serotonin

Se

ro

to

ni

n

Se

ro

to

ni

n

Serotonin tends to rise and fall with disengagement and engagement of frontal lobe, the goal oriented region of the left hemisphere. Excess during wakefulness reduces alertness, learning, thinking, and intelligent control of behavior. Insufficiency tends to produce impulsiveness and irritability. Serotonin is readily influenced by adrenaline, regardless of the orientation of the adrenaline related behavior. An insufficiency at night produces sleeplessness. Remaining goal oriented with goal of going to sleep prevents the natural overcast of serotonin necessary for sleep.


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What Are the Relationships Between Neurotransmitters?

• Neurotransmitters are designed to respond to naturally occurring situations in a way that insures survival.

• Neurotransmitters are designed to vary in relation to one another. They vary, however, in complex ways.

• There is an optimal combination of neurotransmitters for typical life conditions and situations.

• There is an optimal combination of neurotransmitters for atypical life conditions and situations.

• Deviating from optimal combinations works against survival.• Can people be trained to evoke these optimal combinations?• Can situations be structured to evoke optimal combinations?• Can people be trained to transfer learned optimal combinations

from the training and/or structured situations to naturally occurring typical and atypical situations?


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Interactions Between the Environment, Neurotransmitters, and Health and Wellbeing

A threat filled environment elicits adrenaline and reduces serotonin leading to hyperactivity, sleeplessness, suspiciousness, hostility, impulsiveness, ruminations, and eventually to extreme fatigue and illness.

LowSerotonin

SleeplessnessAgitation,Irritation,

ImpulsivenessSuspiciousnes

sLeading to exhaustion

HighAcetylcholine


Anxious, Angry

HighAdrenaline

Anxiety, Fear,

Panic,Hyper-

activity, Agitated

Depression, Anger

AdrenalineHigh

Anger, Fear,

Excitement, Agitated

Depression

DopamineHigh

Successful, Goal

Oriented, Mental and/or

Physical Activity

Adrenaline and Dopamine are elicited in environments such as: Competition, Adventure, Romance, or Positive-high-risk-goal seeking leads to exhilaration, ecstasy, lack of awareness of time, feeling no pain. Taken to excess, this can lead to illness.

AdrenalineHigh

Anger, Fear, Excitement,

Agitated Depression

Endorphins High

HighVigorousPhysical

Exercise orActivity, no pain.

An environment that generates adrenaline accompanied by vigorous physical activity results in a loss of feelings ofpain. Activity in excess can lead to illness. Immobilized, without activity, endorphins are lowand there is an acute awareness of pain.

EndorphinsLow

Lack of VigorousPhysical

Exercise orActivity, intense

pain.

HighDopamine

Goal Oriented,

Successful, Mental and/or

Physical Activity

High

Endorphins

Moderately VigorousPhysical

Exercise orActivityNo pain.

HighAcetylcholine


Involved, Moderately

Excited

An environment that promotes: Being awake, alert, and goal orientation toward positive mental activity leads to serenity, satisfaction, lack of awareness of time or pain, integration within and with the environment, and good health. When combined with physical activity, endorphins add freedom from pain.

LowDopamine

Un-Successful, Lack of Goal Orientation,

Lack of Controlled or

Directed Mental and/or

Physical Activity

LowAdrenaline

Lack of any of the

following: Anxiety,

Fear,Panic,Hyper-activity, Agitated

Depression, Anger


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Implications for Treatment• Given the model just presented, what do we treat?

– Do we treat the brain chemistry?– Do we treat the inner personality dynamics?– Do we treat the observable emotional and behavioral

symptoms?– Do we treat the people and social structures in the person’s

environment?• What happens if we treat only one or two of the above

factors?• What happens if we treat all factors in one

comprehensive approach?• The Natural Approach used by the Natural Systems

Institute is designed to treat all factors simultaneously.

Are There Components of the Structure of the Environment and Components of the Self That Can Be Altered to Cause the Brain’s Focus to Be in an Optimal Region and to Evoke

Optimal Combinations of Neurotransmitters?• What components of the structure of the environment have the

most immediate and direct affect on the brain’s regional focus and combination of neurotransmitters?

• What components of structure have the most enduring and pervasive effects on neurotransmitters?

• What components of the self have the most immediate and direct affect on regional focus and combinations of neurotransmitters?

• What components of the self have the most enduring and pervasive effects?

• What is the healthiest environmental structure?• What is the healthiest organization of the self?


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Environmental Structure and Systems in Interaction with Person Structures and SystemsEncompassing Environments

Institution or Organization

Setting within Institution

Situation

Dyadic

Interaction

Relationship

Physical/Verbal Behavior

Cognition

Emotion/Feelings

PerceptionBackground: Prior Schemata and Schemes

Environment A Environment B

Brain of Person A in Environment A Brain of Person A in Environment B

The structure of environment A encourages people to use their own judgment, make their own decisions, plan and execute future plans, cooperate with others, bond with others, be responsible for themselves, share a desire for mutual facilitation, share tasks and promote the good of the community.

The structure of environment B takes care of people, assesses their needs for them, makes decisions for them, plans and executes activities for them, makes cooperative efforts with others unnecessary , assumes responsibility for the welfare of the community, assumes responsibility for all aspects of their lives, health, and well being. Unwittingly, makes it impossible to form bonds with others.

Symptoms: Concern with others and tasks, time flying, unconcerned with body and health, active, healthy, happy.

Symptoms: Focused on self, dependent, depressed, time drags, aches and pains, fears, anger, health degenerates.

Right Front Right Back

Left Front Left Back

Brain HemispheresRight Front Right Back

Left Front Left Back

Brain Hemispheres

Role

TWIN PYRAMIDS


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Implications for Treatment Techniques and

Natural Environments

• Using the twin pyramids approach, no single level or factor dealt with independent of the other factors. The external, environmental structures as well as the internal processes are considered as an interactive whole.

• When it is recognized that neurotransmitters are highly responsive to the structure of environments, they can no longer be treated in isolation from environmental influences.

• Change the structure and the whole person changes, including neurotransmitters.


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In Minimally Structured Environments, the Predominant Influences Over Brain Regions and Neurotransmitters Comes From Intentional Processes

What do I do now?

Intentional Processes Include Schemata and Schemes That Are Tagged With Degrees of Preference. The Schemata of Implicit Others Exert a Predominant Influence Over Intentional Processes. In the absence of structure intentional processes are governed by preferences, tempered by recollection of consequences, and constrained by Implicit Others and incorporated cultural norms. In contrast to the structured environment, behavior in the unstructured environment can be very aimless and unconventional, depending upon the nature of the incorporated implicit others and cultural norms.


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In Minimally Structured Environments, To Treat Individuals With Personality Problems, They Must Volunteer for Help.

The Help Must Be Individualized and Focused on Intentional Processes.• The therapy should cover, as the client shows a readiness, disorders in the

following aspects of intentional processes:– Schemata of the world, cultural norms, and implicit others and their cause and effect relations.

Behavioral schemes and strategies for dealing with the world. The relations between the two.

– Ways of assessing the external and internal worlds.– Gaining a perspective on identification, use, and misuse of pleasure and pain.– Distortions in incorporation states.– Distortions in the envisioning process and content.– Distortions in criteria for fulfillment.– Distortions in tendencies to foreshadow future events.– Distortions in using judgment and decision making processes.– Distortions in cognitive and behavioral adventuring processes, and engagement and

disengagement processes.– Distortions in mirroring of the adventuring process.– Distortions in storage of experiences.

• Each of these distortions are reflected in distortions of regional focus and neurotransmitters in the brain.

copyright, ed young, phd 1 the interaction between: neurotransmitters, brain, behavior, and sense of...

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