Posted by Jakeo29 on December 8, 2008, at 10:00:53
Well everyone, I am giving it a "go" again in spring to finish my BA in Psychology-Neuroscience. This illness has caused tremendous adversity at the same time lots of knowledge. I dropped out 3 years ago with only two classes to go. Many years of college ups and downs, hospitalizations due to depression and autistic-like outbursts and medication adjustments caused this set back. I really enjoy this board because everyone here has so much knowledge and insight as if I am talking to my classmates here. However we have one thing in common, our illnesses. And I am starting to see as much as the illness slams you down, it sometimes is a "gift" Especially going into the field of Psychology we have a level of insight and knowledge of our mental health, during the good times and bad, that neurotypical people cannot even fathom. People often say since we are mentally ill, we do not know ourselves. This is proving untrue. Sure we have problems "fixing" ourselves, but we probably know more about ourselves and biological neurofunctioning that probably 98 % of the Neurotypicals out there don't know. We see and perceive things in a different way and I believe that can be seen as a "gift" Thinking that helps me feel better during the roughest times-knowing that medications are needed in order to restore proper neurochemical functioning, because if the brain is "mis firing" it's juices-How can psychotherapy be effective on it's own-especially if the problem is of neuromedical nature. Just because I am getting a degree in neuroscience does not mean I know more than anyone else on this board. It's all about learning, I am learning a lot here as if I am chatting with a bunch of neuroscientists (and I am sure some of you guys are perusing similar fields of interest. My grades are rather marginal for grad school(take a wild guess as to why), However I know in Psychology, you cannot research yourself, however with a deeper working understanding of my disorders, I can make and possible test hypothesis's relating to my condition abroad. I would like to do research about the dopamine theory and how much more intensive research needs to be done. I am almost convinced that the state of Dopamine function is one of (but not limited to in any way) the chief causes of many of our neuropsychiatric disorders. I believe pharmaceutical companies focus too much with serotonin and not enough with the Dopamine and Norepinephrine side. And remember for those who studied this already, Dopamine converts to Norepinephrine in the synapse-Thus one would argue if someone is taking an SNRI and Doing much better than just a SSRI, there may be correlation that the disorder also has to do with poor dopamine regulation. Consequently, the SNRI's may not be as effective as they "could" be. SSNDRI? (Selective Serotonin-Norepinephrine-Dopamine (D2) Reputake Inhibitor anyone :) Or if EMSAM could be reversible, that may be a huge hit for treating depression. Remember, I do not want to offend anyone with their own thinking's, I am glad to come to a place to babble a hypothesis where others are interested even more than classmates in school! Thanks, Jake.
poster:Jakeo29
thread:867452
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20081204/msgs/867452.html