![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 10 to 34 of 44. Go back in thread:
Posted by Johnturner77 on June 23, 2000, at 7:44:14
In reply to Techniques and alternative approachs..., posted by dj on June 22, 2000, at 20:50:26
I am not bipolar as far as I know. I had to try this though. Come to think of it I remember hearing about this somewhere sometime in the distant past.
I am left handed so I decided to put the ice water in my right ear. I used a baster which allowed me to controll the water flow nicely. Wow! This turned out to be rather psychoactive. It messed with my balance. I staggered around as if slightly drunk for quite awhile. It awakened the whole right side of my body...sort of made it tingle. Mood wise not much difference. I just felt rather strange.
I would put this as more psychoactive than Hemi-sync, strobe flash stimulation, dervish whirling, Biocircuits, and EEG biofeedback. HOwever is it useful to me? I don't know. I am curious about habituation. I suppose the the brain will get used to it after awhile and and start saying yeah yeah here comes the ice water again time to adjust the activity.
Posted by dj on June 24, 2000, at 9:48:54
In reply to Re: Some 2-brained theories a radical approach to..., posted by noa on June 22, 2000, at 12:28:46
> I could see this laterality approach fitting with my experience of different states. One state is definitely more akin to an immature, nonverbal, egocentric way of seeing things, while the other major state (there are variations of these two basic states) is more mature, verbal, logical, has more perspective taking ability, etc. The less mature state for me is associated with hopelessness and helplessness, while the more mature one is hopeful and in a more problem solving mode. It really affects cognitive skills, too, like looking at a concrete problem and reacting to it. In the less mature state, it is hard for me to differentiate the aspects, or parts of a problem, and to imagine a sequence of steps to take to solve it. In the more mature state, I can often automatically get into action by conceiving a problem solving sequence and just start on the first step and procede. In the immature state, I and the problem are not separate from each other. My difficulty approaching the problem BECOMES the problem, and then I lose all distinction--I am the problem, the problem is me. In the more mature state, I see the problem as outside myself with clear boundaries. In the immature state, I usually withdraw and try to avoid the problem. In the more mature state, I am more likely to just deal with the problem.
>
> Often I am in a state that is somewhere between these two polar ends of the continuum.
>Noa,
I just reread the above commentary from you. I'm curious if when you are in your more immature state you are feeling in pain or extremely vunerable? I notice that when I'm experiencing either and usually both is when I feel my most helpless and hopeless.
Sante!
dj
Posted by dj on June 24, 2000, at 10:05:58
In reply to Wow! I Basted my rt ear with a turkey baster...., posted by Johnturner77 on June 23, 2000, at 7:44:14
When I undergo a fair bit of stress and experience considerable anxiety my body tightens up, which relates to the release of internal stress related chemicals. A good discussion on this and the effects is in the book, "Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers: An Updated Guide to Stress, Stress-Related Diseases, and Coping" by Robert M. Sapolosky.
However, what he does not address (unless I missed it as I was very stressed and depressed when I originally read it and it is a hefty book) is what I particularly noted over the past 1.5 year how one side of my body would be tigher and more out of sync. than the other. Having just re-experienced this (as I'm dealing with a lot of potentially anxiety producing situations and overall relatively well) physical laterality split (and had an adjustment done by a chiropractor which helped) I'm curious if others have noticed the same in themselves.
Yoga, when done regularly but not obsessively can and does help me stay balanced and my tension down, though when I did it obsessively that became a source of tension and perfectionism...
I also noticed over the last year I've experienced a bitter taste in my mouth, which has been more saline at some times and has varied in intensity. Initially when I brough it to my MD's attention he gave me a subscription for Tagerol (or something like that) and claimed that it may have been the result of acidic backwash from my innards (I forget the technical name and descrition) but that didn't seem to work. Still experiencing a bit of that flat taste, though generally I'm in pretty good shape. Anyone else ever experience that and have any insights into it?
A friend told me that from a Chinese medicine perspecive it had something to do with being out of balance and I believe she indicated (almost a year ago) that the tigtness on the one side (left I think) indicated that I was suppressing my feminine (vunerable?) side or something along those lines...
Anyone else any similar expriences or insights on this they'd care to share and if they have experienced any of the above how they've dealt with it??
Posted by CarolAnn on June 24, 2000, at 10:10:20
In reply to Re: Lending an ear to science » CarolAnn, posted by Oddzilla on June 22, 2000, at 16:24:42
My experience: it hurt like heck and all it did was make me dizzy! Chalk it up to one more "quick fix" that doesn't work, I guess. It's still an interesting idea though. CarolAnn
Posted by Noa on June 24, 2000, at 11:06:39
In reply to Re: Some 2-brained theories - Noa, posted by dj on June 24, 2000, at 9:48:54
Yes, dj, immature state=vulnerable, helpless, in pain. This is usually the formula for me. I think my more mature state feels more power, because I am more in touch with some of my powers--thought, logic, problem solving, perspective, etc. All these are tools that make me feel I can survive in the world. Now, perhaps if one wants to wax philosophical, one could say that to a certain degree it is a false power, a healthy dose of denial of the truly formidable challenges to survival that we face, to believe that we can "problem-solve" our way through life and survive what may come our way. In a sense, the immature state is just missing some of the denail/filter that screens out the dangers to my existence. When I am in my more mature state, I have more faith in my self to cope, but this does depend on that denail/filter phenomenon. I often think that many people with anxiety disorders are not having qualitatively outrageously anxious thoughts. A lot of their fears are realistic. If I let myself be in touch with the real dangers of automobile travel all my waking hours, I would never get in a car. I might never cross a street. But to function, I have to use that denial/filter function. People who are anxious, who worry a lot, I think just are more open to those real dangers than most of us. To a certain degree, we need a continuum of types of people in the world from not at all anxious to very anxious, with the folks at the anxious end helping the rest of us from becoming too invulnerable to real risks. It is when being open to the fears starts to interfere with life, that the anxiety is a problem. Anyway, with me, it is my openness to the feelings of being small in a large lonely world, helpless in a huge universe, that I am painfully in touch with in my immature state of mind. But along with that comes the preverbal logic trying to explain my feelings, and what this young brain logic comes up with is that the feelings are my fault (egocentric thinking), I am the embodiment of badness, that is why I am all alone in my skin in this huge universe. When it is really bad, it feels like I am going to disintegrate myself or destroy the world with my neediness.
You get the picture--very primal stuff.
Posted by Noa on June 24, 2000, at 11:11:54
In reply to Re: ice water - OUCH!, posted by CarolAnn on June 24, 2000, at 10:10:20
Ok, I admit, I tried it, too. All that happened was my ear got clogged like it used to when I was a kid who stayed in the pool or lake or ocean all day long.
Seriously, though, I was wondering: Why the ear? If we are talking about targetting stimulation to one side of the body, why must it be water in the ear? Why not massage one side of the body? Or tap the nerves on the side of the face (near the ear, where the jaw connects), or reflexology of one foot, etc. etc.?
Posted by dj on June 24, 2000, at 15:42:09
In reply to Re: ice water - OUCH!, posted by Noa on June 24, 2000, at 11:11:54
> If we are talking about targetting stimulation Why not massage one side of the body? Or tap the nerves on the side of the face (near the ear, where the jaw connects), or reflexology >of one foot, etc. etc.?In the Disengaging Depression workshop before each morning session we went through a series of movements/stimulations of acupressure points around the skull, jaw, nasal area, forhead, upperchest, back of skull and ears which were all supposed to stimulate positive glandular balances. If nothing else it was somewhat amusing to watch, very primal and probably would do some good if reguarly practiced, as would and does stretching, good communications, nutritional and postural practices.
Sante!
dj
Posted by danf on June 24, 2000, at 16:21:54
In reply to Re: ice water - OUCH!, posted by Noa on June 24, 2000, at 11:11:54
I thought the start of this was cute. It is obvious that if it worked it would be widely used.
We have two brain halves but they are not connected in the same way.
Now to some observations. I am right handed. The autonomic dysfunction which showed in me at startup of zoloft was left sided. most effects were from mid thigh down. After the initial seritonin effects decreased, left side of body showed more tremor than the right.
When I recently changed over to celexa the quality of the surges changed from electric to hot /burning. still mainly left but by the time they dissapated were bilateral.
They have never affected my head or face.
If this were all brain mediated, we would expect body on one side & face on the other. It is obvious that the brain is integral as thoughts can trigger events.
There is a significant contribution from the autonomic system as well as the brain. There is an imbalance in some pathways & not others. There is not a consistant pathway error or everyone would have exactly the same distribution of symptoms.
no answers, just some observations.
Posted by shar on June 24, 2000, at 17:20:49
In reply to Mind-Body laterality...and effects...???, posted by dj on June 24, 2000, at 10:05:58
It's thought in some scientific communities that different sides of the body "hold" different functions due to cerebral organization. So, if one side of the body is noticeably different than the other, it could be due to dominance of the side (more likely to tense up the dominant arm or leg maybe) or due to the brain function the side is carrying out. (I did a paper on this many moons ago.)
There are areas of study of cerebral organization and mind-body connection, defined as side-dominance (operational definition). That is, how the dominant side of the body--which hand you write with, eat with, point with, the eye you wink with, the foot you kick with, ear you use on phone, etc.--shapes or is shaped by the the brain.
Most docs hypothesize that cerebral organization is contralateral. The right side of the brain controls the left side of the body. And, the left side of the brain controls the right side of the body. Thus the right/left functions of the brain will be expressed via the body. (Right handed writing, left brain holds language)
Some docs, however, believe that in some cases, there can be ipsilateral organization--that is, the right side of the brain controls the right side of the body, etc. And, more lefties were identified as having ipsilateral org, (and the left/right cerebral orgainzation would still translate "correctly").
But, problems were believed to stem from this feature. Left-handed people are significantly more likely than "people in general" to be found in psychiatric populations (hospitals). And, lefties tend to be overrepresented in certain occupations, such as architecture, and the arts. The docs cited the different cerebral organization as contributing to this.
However, to throw a wrench into things, docs have a hard time determining handedness because it is unusual to find "pure" lefties or "pure" righties (but moreso pure lefties). And that begs the question of ambidexterity and how that plays out.
Nobody had looked at ambidexies much when I turned in the paper.
Shar
Posted by SLS on June 24, 2000, at 17:35:16
In reply to Mind/Body/Dominance (Lefty Here), posted by shar on June 24, 2000, at 17:20:49
> Nobody had looked at ambidexies much when I turned in the paper.
I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous.- Yogi Berra
Posted by dj on June 26, 2000, at 7:21:19
In reply to Mind/Body/Dominance (Lefty Here), posted by shar on June 24, 2000, at 17:20:49
> It's thought in some scientific communities that different sides of the body "hold" different functions due to cerebral organization. So, if one side of the body is noticeably different than the other, it could be due to dominance of the side (more likely to tense up the dominant arm or leg maybe) or due to the brain function the side is carrying out. (I did a paper on this many moons ago.)
>So, Shar, way back then or since did or have you (or anyone else) come across any writings on how one balances out these patterns so that one side does not dominate and distort hence knocking the balance out of whack?
Posted by shar on June 26, 2000, at 20:52:23
In reply to Re: Mind/Body/Dominance , posted by dj on June 26, 2000, at 7:21:19
> So, Shar, way back then or since did or have you (or anyone else) come across any writings on how one balances out these patterns so that one side does not dominate and distort hence knocking the balance out of whack?DJ
Hmmmm. I wonder if dominance necessarily equals distortion? For example, we know that the two sides of our bodies are not perfect mirror images of each other. Thus, if we tried to do an asana in which we were standing balanced on one foot, we would probably not be perfectly straight up and down. We would have to be a few mm's to the left or right, probably, in order to balance.So, it's anybody's guess if the brain balances in a similar way. It does a little more on the right to compensate for an absence on the left? I don't know, but that would seem fairly likely. The researchers had a very hard time calling anyone pure lefty or pure righty; most of us are in between somewhere. That's probably where our balance is.
And, it's hard to separate mind/body/spirit if we are talking about total balance (as in yin and yang). We don't see a lot in the universe or nature that is perfectly balanced (right=left), we see more right>left or left>right; so maybe the whole thing is a process rather than a phenomenon?
I didn't get the answer because I don't think anyone had asked that question. You are unique!
Namaste--
S
Posted by dj on June 26, 2000, at 22:54:38
In reply to Dominance and Distortion » dj, posted by shar on June 26, 2000, at 20:52:23
> I didn't get the answer because I don't think anyone had asked that question. You are unique!
>Ahhhh, but are we not all in our balances, similar yet different, the same yet not? Methinks yes!
Very good thoughtful answer on your behalf, regardless. I imagine that if one side gets too distinct from the other that our systems go out of whack in attempting to correct course as they counterbalance from one extreme to another.
However,a small adjustment here and there and we stay on course generally, I believe. Though if we don't make those small adjustments conistently we can gradually tend toward imbalance, just like water coursing over a rock and wearing it down invariably, day by day, molecule by molecule.
I've been re-reading "Zen and the Art of Motorcylce Maintenance for about the 10th time in over the past 25 years or so. And I'm still learning and understanding more and more from my heavily annotated copy, which informs, delights and startles me consistently and thoughtfully. Zap!
Namaste!
dj
Posted by KarenB on June 26, 2000, at 23:38:42
In reply to Re: ice water - OUCH!, posted by CarolAnn on June 24, 2000, at 10:10:20
> My experience: it hurt like heck and all it did was make me dizzy! Chalk it up to one more "quick fix" that doesn't work, I guess. It's still an interesting idea though. CarolAnn
Wrong ear, CarolAnn.:)
Karen
Posted by Sara T on June 27, 2000, at 9:20:58
In reply to Mind/Body/Dominance (Lefty Here), posted by shar on June 24, 2000, at 17:20:49
> But, problems were believed to stem from this feature. Left-handed people are significantly more likely than "people in general" to be found in psychiatric populations (hospitals). And, lefties tend to be overrepresented in certain occupations, such as architecture, and the arts. The docs cited the different cerebral organization as contributing to this.
>
> However, to throw a wrench into things, docs have a hard time determining handedness because it is unusual to find "pure" lefties or "pure" righties (but moreso pure lefties). And that begs the question of ambidexterity and how that plays out.
>
> Nobody had looked at ambidexies much when I turned in the paper.
>
> SharShar -
I'm a lefty too, and I have a degree in Art and Architecture, as well as having a rich history of depression, anxiety and ADD. Hmmm....Actually, the is a recent book out on handiness, I think it's called THE LEFT HANDED SYNDROME. I've also found a bunch of web sites for left handers and studies of handiness. Some have a test you can take to see just how left or right dominated you are. I turned out to be mildly left handed and close to ambidextrous.
My daughter is also left handed and very left dominant.
Sara T
Posted by shar on June 27, 2000, at 15:26:21
In reply to Re: Mind/Body/Dominance (Lefty Here), posted by Sara T on June 27, 2000, at 9:20:58
I turned out to be mildly left handed and close to ambidextrous.
>
> My daughter is also left handed and very left dominant.
>
> Sara TSara,
Well, your educational background and mental health sure back up what the docs said! Pretty unbelievable -- art and architecture!!
I wonder if kids now can be more left handed than when I was growing up (50's) and starting school. I was allowed to write with my left hand, but it was a right handed world. I wonder if your daughter has more lefty latitude that may allow her to choose her left hand more?
I am very ambidextrous, as is my mom who would have been a lefty but had to use her right hand in school, ...the bad old days.
I was married to a carpenter who was profoundly left-handed/footed/etc. It was so weird to see him cut with scissors and sharpen a pencil and stir things, etc. with his left hand! And, to use power tools, hammers, etc. I'm a righty for all of that!
Secretly, I like being a little different....
Shar
Posted by Sara T on June 27, 2000, at 18:32:08
In reply to Re: Mind/Body/Dominance (Lefty Here) » Sara T, posted by shar on June 27, 2000, at 15:26:21
> I turned out to be mildly left handed and close to ambidextrous.
> >
> > My daughter is also left handed and very left dominant.
> >
> > Sara T
>
> Sara,
>
> Well, your educational background and mental health sure back up what the docs said! Pretty unbelievable -- art and architecture!!
>
> I wonder if kids now can be more left handed than when I was growing up (50's) and starting school. I was allowed to write with my left hand, but it was a right handed world. I wonder if your daughter has more lefty latitude that may allow her to choose her left hand more?
>
> I am very ambidextrous, as is my mom who would have been a lefty but had to use her right hand in school, ...the bad old days.
>
> I was married to a carpenter who was profoundly left-handed/footed/etc. It was so weird to see him cut with scissors and sharpen a pencil and stir things, etc. with his left hand! And, to use power tools, hammers, etc. I'm a righty for all of that!
>
> Secretly, I like being a little different....
>
> SharShar,
I don't know how she'll be with writing, she likes to draw. She starts Kinder in the fall. I am hoping though that she doesn't have any learning disorders like dyslexia or ADD. I say this because she also had some mild dyspraxia (problems integrating bilateral large motor movement and motor planning, like pedaling a tricycle). So I have already had her in Occupational Therapy.
She's carrying on the family traditions too. She's got some real anxiety and phobias and will be entering a therapy treatment for it this summer.
My other child, a boy, is right dominant, and he's got Asperger's Syndrome (a mild form of autism). Is this from having a left-handed mother?
Sara T.
Posted by shar on June 27, 2000, at 20:19:13
In reply to Re: Mind/Body/Dominance (Lefty Here), posted by Sara T on June 27, 2000, at 18:32:08
Sara,
In my research there was never any link made about "passing along" cerebral organization. I would be quite surprised if there was a connection between mom's handedness and child's symptomology.There weren't any studies that I found that talked about that. Especially since the docs were still trying to figure out handedness in the originial person and what that might mean. The offspring will have to wait.
I would be more tempted to look in the direction of genetics, but that is also a fuzzy field. No one has ever come up with a good answer for the person who has all the genes but not the disease or problems one would expect. And, the person who doesn't have the genes but has the problem.
At any rate, I hope it is not something you are feeling guilty about. If so, don't! That won't do you or your kiddos any good, and there's no evidence for it!
Shar
Posted by shar on June 27, 2000, at 20:30:36
In reply to Re: Dominance, Distortion n Zen..., posted by dj on June 26, 2000, at 22:54:38
Yes, dj, I agree if we are always having to make corrections, never really in balance, we will eventually know beyond doubt that we are wacky and/or out of whack!
When I first read Zen, in my misspent youth, there were parts I got and others I didn't. One of the ones that I did not get was the writing an essay about the brick. Now, as age and time have weathered (ripened?) me and expanded my horizons, I think I could easily write that essay! There are so many perspectives now, that weren't there in my younger days.
It is a wonderful book!
One of my favorite books that is sort of Zen for the clueless is called "A Gradual Awakening" by Cohen (I believe) who was a student of Ram Dass. It was the first time I understood what was meant by Zen or Dao or whatever school of thought. Or what Being meant.
Namaste--
Shar
Posted by anita on June 28, 2000, at 17:37:51
In reply to Re: Some 2-brained theories a radical approach to..., posted by noa on June 22, 2000, at 12:28:46
Hi Noa,
I have a very similar problem with "different states" of being or identity. I seem to have distinct "Anitas", mostly based on mood and style of thinking, and ultimately in behavior (e.g., social or withdrawn). My psychiatrist actually thought I might have MPD, but I don't; despite the discreet states, I am always "Anita", and I have a strong sense of general identity.
I have, however, mild dissociative issues, mostly derealization and a general spacing out. Do you have these? Technically I've been diagnosed with DID, NOS. What's interesting to me is that when I go thru periods of _not_ experiencing these "state" shifts, I am rather dysfunctional, unemotional, and apathetic. SSRIs seem to do this to me. I'd be interested to hear more about your experience -- feel free to email me directly!
anita
> The theory of a more mature and less mature hemisphere in an individual is intriguing to me, as some of the work I do in therapy is trying to integrate different "states" I experience. They are not really true dissociative states, but in terms of how I experience myself and the world emotionally, they are fairly distinct. Over time, they are less separate from each other. Kind of like going from a tv that requires you to change the channel altogether to one that has a split screen, or at least a preview inset. Or at least maybe two sets on different channels in the same room.
>
> I could see this laterality approach fitting with my experience of different states. One state is definitely more akin to an immature, nonverbal, egocentric way of seeing things, while the other major state (there are variations of these two basic states) is more mature, verbal, logical, has more perspective taking ability, etc. The less mature state for me is associated with hopelessness and helplessness, while the more mature one is hopeful and in a more problem solving mode. It really affects cognitive skills, too, like looking at a concrete problem and reacting to it. In the less mature state, it is hard for me to differentiate the aspects, or parts of a problem, and to imagine a sequence of steps to take to solve it. In the more mature state, I can often automatically get into action by conceiving a problem solving sequence and just start on the first step and procede. In the immature state, I and the problem are not separate from each other. My difficulty approaching the problem BECOMES the problem, and then I lose all distinction--I am the problem, the problem is me. In the more mature state, I see the problem as outside myself with clear boundaries. In the immature state, I usually withdraw and try to avoid the problem. In the more mature state, I am more likely to just deal with the problem.
>
> Often I am in a state that is somewhere between these two polar ends of the continuum.
>
> I have heard of other techniques that attempt to cross over the hemispheres and sort of break patterns of behavior--I guess they fall into the category of occupational therapy or Alexander technique or Feldenkreis, perhaps? I really don't know. I only have a vague awareness of these approaches. Also, maybe even some of the Ericksonian hypnosis type of techniques--Cindy, any thoughts?
Posted by noa on June 28, 2000, at 18:42:28
In reply to To Noa re. different states, posted by anita on June 28, 2000, at 17:37:51
Like you, I don't feel my identity is fractured in any way, either. There is a dissociative quality to what I experience, but it is entirely in the emotional experience of myself.
When I was on Prozac, I noticed I was relatively unemotional. I couldn't cry even when it would have been appropriate, and it felt like a loss.
On the meds I use now, that is not the case, and I am able to experience the full range of emotions. But because I still struggle with getting lost in these "states" during some emotional experiences, it is a challenge to feel certain emotions without going into a downward spiral, a whirlwind of all the negative emotions. Similarly, the FEAR of getting lost in one of these states prevents me from allowing myself to experience my emotions more freely.
But I am getting much better at it.
I think true MPD, of the Sybil type, is quite rare, but I do think there are plenty of people who have some lack of integration of different experiences of themselves. To lump this into the category of DID is unfortunate, I think. I think there are many more types of dissociative experience besides identity disorders, and MPD or DID has too many controversial associations to it that it would be better to conceptualize a class of dissociative disorders differently than just under DID.
Posted by BBob on June 28, 2000, at 18:48:10
In reply to To Noa re. different states, posted by anita on June 28, 2000, at 17:37:51
Anita,Except for the diagnoses, your personality description fits me well. I enjoy a wide range of emotional conditions, which are not always that enjoyable. When I need to, I can engage almost anyone in dialogue sufficient to elicit otherwise guarded information, but if I don't discipline myself, as is required in a professional setting, I can be somewhat provacative. I tend toward both socialization and withdrawal. I attribute a lot of my makeup, especially low attachment and an ability to quickly attach and disengage, to my transient childhood. What little I know of my family history suggests those who taught me language and behavior at times practiced warlike behaviors and were often transient from one generation to the next, and within many specific generations.
The dissassociative state you mentioned is what caught my attention. To me, that is simply slipping into a sublinguistic category of thought. Some would say I am apathetic - perhaps based on my messy desk, piles of laundry and weeks worth of dishes. But socially, I tend to be concerned far beyond my apparent reach. Now, me, I consider that a positive trait, and one which I would instill in any responsible person. My hunch is we tend to focus more on our individuality and in dong so divest ourselves of the power to influence "the herd" and the direction of life in general.
In my thinking, dissassociative states tend to allow me to detach from ego and orient my behavior toward a far more broad set of human and life-oriented interests. The problem I sometimes suffer is that I will be thinking in my deeper brain and when I try to use language, I will slur or tangle words, which can cause loss of regard from some people.
My generalized social concern seems to have been instilled in me at an early age. I have at times found myself advocating the merits of non-verbal and non-logical thinking. I think maturity is a condition of our mid-brain and our cerebral cortex, though in various individuals, one or the other might be more poorly developed.
Anyway, that's my three cents on that.
....and a caviat, this is posted for consideration, not in an attempt to get advice about how to manage myself.
> Hi Noa,
>
> I have a very similar problem with "different states" of being or identity. I seem to have distinct "Anitas", mostly based on mood and style of thinking, and ultimately in behavior (e.g., social or withdrawn). My psychiatrist actually thought I might have MPD, but I don't; despite the discreet states, I am always "Anita", and I have a strong sense of general identity.
>
> I have, however, mild dissociative issues, mostly derealization and a general spacing out. Do you have these? Technically I've been diagnosed with DID, NOS. What's interesting to me is that when I go thru periods of _not_ experiencing these "state" shifts, I am rather dysfunctional, unemotional, and apathetic. SSRIs seem to do this to me. I'd be interested to hear more about your experience -- feel free to email me directly!
>
> anita
>
>
> > The theory of a more mature and less mature hemisphere in an individual is intriguing to me, as some of the work I do in therapy is trying to integrate different "states" I experience. They are not really true dissociative states, but in terms of how I experience myself and the world emotionally, they are fairly distinct. Over time, they are less separate from each other. Kind of like going from a tv that requires you to change the channel altogether to one that has a split screen, or at least a preview inset. Or at least maybe two sets on different channels in the same room.
> >
> > I could see this laterality approach fitting with my experience of different states. One state is definitely more akin to an immature, nonverbal, egocentric way of seeing things, while the other major state (there are variations of these two basic states) is more mature, verbal, logical, has more perspective taking ability, etc. The less mature state for me is associated with hopelessness and helplessness, while the more mature one is hopeful and in a more problem solving mode. It really affects cognitive skills, too, like looking at a concrete problem and reacting to it. In the less mature state, it is hard for me to differentiate the aspects, or parts of a problem, and to imagine a sequence of steps to take to solve it. In the more mature state, I can often automatically get into action by conceiving a problem solving sequence and just start on the first step and procede. In the immature state, I and the problem are not separate from each other. My difficulty approaching the problem BECOMES the problem, and then I lose all distinction--I am the problem, the problem is me. In the more mature state, I see the problem as outside myself with clear boundaries. In the immature state, I usually withdraw and try to avoid the problem. In the more mature state, I am more likely to just deal with the problem.
> >
> > Often I am in a state that is somewhere between these two polar ends of the continuum.
> >
> > I have heard of other techniques that attempt to cross over the hemispheres and sort of break patterns of behavior--I guess they fall into the category of occupational therapy or Alexander technique or Feldenkreis, perhaps? I really don't know. I only have a vague awareness of these approaches. Also, maybe even some of the Ericksonian hypnosis type of techniques--Cindy, any thoughts?
Posted by noa on June 28, 2000, at 18:58:05
In reply to Re: To Noa re. different states, posted by BBob on June 28, 2000, at 18:48:10
>
> ....and a caviat, this is posted for consideration, not in an attempt to get advice about how to manage myself.
Bobb, this is boundary setting elegantly executed. Well done.
Posted by dj on June 29, 2000, at 2:32:54
In reply to Re: Dominance, Distortion n Zen..., posted by shar on June 27, 2000, at 20:30:36
> When I first read Zen, in my misspent youth, there were parts I got and others I didn't. One of the ones that I did not get was the writing an >essay about the brick.
>
> It is a wonderful book!
>Tis a wonderful book and even more brilliant and insightful on each reading, though I have yet to connect with an essays on bricks in it...
Another equally wonderful book, in somewhat of the same vein is "Long Quiet Highway: Waking Up in America" by Natalie Goldberg. I saw her in a writing workshop a few years ago. Bang on! As she noted to someone who had lots of 'excuses' for not writing: "Just shutup and write!" As a link to "Zen and the Art..." Robert Pirsig's son who is featured in both books, though very briefly in the latter as he comes to a cruel and sad end.
I've been reading a bit of Krishnamurti lately. Now there's a brilliant man who writes like an insightful angel of elequence.
Posted by noa on June 29, 2000, at 8:33:19
In reply to Re: To Noa re. different states, posted by BBob on June 28, 2000, at 18:48:10
Bobb's post also reminded me that it is important to remember that dissociation does not always equal pathology. There are many ways that dissociation serves us well, both in everyday life and at times of stress or trauma.
I think that to be a good actor one probably needs to be able to dissociate somewhat, to become the character.
Many of us dissociate somewhat while driving--we go on autopilot and daydream and lose track of where we are, all the while we are getting to where we need to go.
Getting lost in thought is a form of dissociation.
Good writers probably need to do some form of dissociating to place themselves into scenes and to see things from the point of view of characters.
Same probably goes for people who need to visualize in order to create technological innovations--to be able to place oneself at different angles and see things not from ones own point of view, but as if one is part of the workings of a techological device or system.
I am sure there are many more examples.
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