That Old Black Magic...or is it just a biochemical reaction?

What's Love Got To Do With It?



      Well, if you were to ask famous musician Tina Turner, she'd tell you "love is just a second hand emotion".   What is love? Why does it make us act like complete baboons and like we've sniffed too much glue?  Seriously, is love a genuine "feeling" or just a series of chemical reactions to another individual's pheromones and body language? How can we determine if it's love, lust or infatuation? Will it last?

    

      Larry Young is a scientist at Yerkes National Primate Research Center in Atlanta. In January of 2009 he wrote an article that suggests scientists "may soon be able to tie the emotion 'love' to a biochemical chain of events." (PBS)  He further implies there may be a way to develop social enhancing drugs and compares it to the drugs used in depression and anxiety.  It's definitely not a love potion but could be very beneficial for patients who need help in social settings such as people who suffer from autism. (PBS)







My son Victor

     Let's take a look at what chemicals are being discussed.  Pheromones. Oxytocin, Vasopresson, Dopamine.  The FEEL GOOD chemicals.  Oxytocin is the chemical involved in bonding such as a mother bonding with her newborn child.  It increases our eye gaze and raises our awareness of other people's emotions. It is what gives us the "trusting" feeling.  An interesting fact is that in a recent study, women who were abused or neglected early in life have decreased levels of oxytocin.  This would explain why they may not be as nurturing or trusting. 

      Dr. Helen Fisher, PhD of Rutgers University published a study in 2002 about the chemical reactions on the brains of people in love. "Dr Fisher divides love into three categories involving different brain systems: 1) Lust (the craving for sexual gratification), driven by androgens and estrogens; 2) Attraction (or romantic or passionate love, characterized by euphoria when things are going well, terrible mood swings when they’re not, focused attention, obsessive thinking, and intense craving for the individual), driven by high dopamine and norepinephrine levels and low serotonin; and 3) Attachment (the sense of calm, peace, and stability one feels with a long-term partner) driven by the hormones oxytocin and vasopressin." (McNamany 2011).

     Scientists are looking into creating different drugs with these various chemicals.  To me this raises all types of concerns.  What if it was used to gain trust of young girls or used to seduce someone....there are many scenarios where this could be very detrimental.  I can sort of understand using oxytocin in cases of therapy for abused women to help them overcome their fears, but only under the supervision of a trusted physician.
   I will be researching this topic in much greater detail but now I really am wondering what love has to do with it???



Winerman, Lea. “Love is a Chemical Reaction, Scientists Find”. 2009. PBS Online NewsHour.

Retrieved on 17 April 2011 from: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/science/jan-june09/love_02-13.html

This is an article discussing the findings of a study by Dr. Larry Young, a neuroscientist. He studies at Yerkes National Primate Research Center at Emory University in Alabama.  Young did several studies using voles and the effects that injecting them with various chemicals such as oxytocin had. 

Ghosh, Pallab. “Is love just a chemical cocktail?” BBC News online. 2009. Retrieved

On 15 April 2011 from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7815095.stm

This link is to another story referencing the study by Dr. Young.  Also quoted is Professor Nick Bostrom of Oxford University.  The main discussion here is the ability to create a drug containing specific chemicals and pheromones to create the feeling of love.  Also discussed is the option of creating an antidote as well if you fall for the wrong person.

Fisher, Helen. “I get a kick out of you”. 2004. Oxycotin.org online. Retrieved on 17 April, 2011

            from: http://www.oxytocin.org/oxytoc/love-science.html

            This is a link with an excerpt from the Economist quoting from oxytocin.org. The researcher Helen Fisher is from Rutgers University.  Here she discusses three main stages of love: Lust, Romantic love and Long-term attachment.  Also discussed is the comparison of the “love” chemicals, oxytocin and vasopressin to that of addictive drugs such as cocaine.

Elsevier. "Oxytocin: Love Potion #1? Human Hormone Increases Positive

Communication Between Couples." ScienceDaily, 3 May 2009. Retrieved on 17

April 2011 from:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090429091232.htm

This is a link to sciencedaily.com that discusses the positive communication between couples when given amounts of oxytocin vs. placebo.  Information obtained from Swiss researchers published in Biological Psychiatry discusses the effects of the hormone on human couples.  Doctor’s do make sure to note however that there needs to be extensive research still and express concerns of the development of a drug that could lead to social enhancement abuse.

McManamy, John. “The Brain in Love and Lust: Your second-favorite Organ may be the key

player” 2011. Retrieved on 17 April 2011 from: http://www.mcmanweb.com/love_lust.html

This is a link to an article by John McManamy who is an ”award-winning mental health journalist and author”.  He reviews studies by Dr. Helen Fisher and several of her colleagues from a study on the biochemistry of love.  Discussed here are the effects not only of oxytocin and vasopressin as love stimulators but also how dopamine and norepinephrine can interfere with those as well, therefore causing the highs and lows of being in love.

Blum, Deborah. “The Plunge of Pleasure”. 1997. Retrieved on April 28, 2011 from:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200909/the-plunge-pleasure

            This is a link to an article in Psychology Today. It covers some of the facts found in Dr. Fisher’s research on the effects of dopamine in human emotions and feelings.  Here the author discusses the chemicals responsible for the feel-good feelings such as infatuation, new love, joy, self-confidence and motivation.

http://www.syr.edu/news/articles/2010/ortigue-neuroimaging-of-love-10-10.html

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/02/falling_in_love_its_all_about.html

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/what-the-wild-things-are/201008/dopamine-why-its-so-hard-just-say-no



Are we afraid to discipline our children?

Why are American parent’s today more afraid or less likely to discipline their children out in public than they were when I was a child?  I was born in 1970 and had a brother four years older than me. I remember when we were kids out in public at a store, if we acted up or if we were disobedient, we were punished for it right then and there.  My mother did not hesitate to scold us either verbally or give us a spanking no matter who was around.  Now being a mother of three children myself, I notice going out in the stores or somewhere, that children are running rampant, screaming and whining and the parents seem indifferent or anxious at their children’s behavior, some almost pleading with their toddler to maintain control.  I want to know why it is different now from the way it was then.  It is a big topic to cover in one post but I wanted to give some food for thought and discuss the route I would take to get some answers.

           I believe psychology would be a good place to start because first of all we have to understand the reason why parents do or do not react to their child’s undesirable behavior.  What motivates a parent to discipline a child?  Is it a natural instinct such as when they are about to do something harmful and we are trying to protect them?  Are we embarrassed because a child causes a scene and we feel others may think of us as a bad parent?  What is different about the views parents have today than they were thirty years ago?  Does sex of the parent play a vital role?   What is considered the norm?  It was normally the mother who took care of the child and the father went to work away from the home.  Today more fathers are staying at home while the mother goes to work?  I would look at history in the past thirty years.  What changes in life and environment have occurred in this time frame? 

The first way to approach the subject from a psychological point of view would be to start a collection of data from parents in the 1970’s to parents of today.  It would be necessary to perform interviews and questionnaires of great length to obtain necessary information.  One would need to look at studies already done on basic human reaction to emotional stimulus.  It would be necessary to study the educational system.  What are we learning in the social sciences about parenting that has taught us what was wrong and right from thirty years ago? 

We would also need to look at the economic factor and determine by research to find out if parent’s from the 1970’s had less of an education that parent’s from today because of lower income levels? 

            Looking back at the history from then to now would also give perspective on the question.  What has changed in the role of the parent and acceptable forms of discipline?  Today we see more cases of reported child abuse and stronger punishment for those committing these crimes?  Are parents now concerned that if they are seen disciplining their child in public that an observer may consider this a form of child abuse?  I know of a teenager who was not getting his way and threatened his mother that he was going to call the local authorities and say she was beating him.  This was something I observed first hand. 

There are many factors to be considered to finding out why American parents do not seem to control or discipline their children out in public as strongly as they did when I was a child thirty years ago.  It would take a look at a psychological perspective, to find out what makes us act the way we do.  We would need to look at what was considered socially acceptable then as compared to now.  What changes have happened in our economy and history to cause the decline in public scolding?  Are parents today more afraid of the reactions of others or are they more concerned with the long term effects stricter discipline will have on the child.

http://familyrightsassociation.com/info/spanking_laws.htm

http://www.redlasso.com/ClipPlayer.aspx?id=0a0e7299-0c55-4a69-b242-e0a510fcf191

Who's pushing our kids around at school?

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/video?id=7919608

There is a serious epidemic infecting our school age children and it’s called bullying.    This act of the stronger or more powerful intimidating the weaker has been increasing in severity and attention.  This literature will take a look at how bad the situation is and how we respond to it.   It is necessary to take a look at how the problem is dealt with and what it is doing to our youth today.   We will evaluate if the current procedures in place are effective and if there is any way to improve the way we handle it.

What is bullying exactly?  The act of intimidating a weaker person to make them do something blustery: noisily domineering; tending to browbeat others. (Princeton, 2010) Bullying is a form of abuse. It comprises repeated acts over time that involves a real or perceived imbalance of power with the more powerful individual or group abusing those who are less powerful. The power imbalance may be social power and/or physical power. (Wikipedia, 2010).

In recent surveys, 49% of public school principals have reported that bullying, name-calling, and harassment are extremely serious problems in their schools.  75% of junior high schools or middle schools report that bullying is a serious problem compared to only 43% in elementary and 45% in senior high schools.  It can be questioned whether or not the occurrence of bullying is actually increasing or if more victims are actually speaking up because of the increased support and awareness efforts.

Bullies are generally aggressive, loud and out-spoken.  They are commonly larger in size and use physical appearance as a threat.  They tend to brow-beat and belittle their victims verbally.  Usually a bully will pick on their victim in a large group or public atmosphere so as to gain attention.  They have a desire to put on a show for an audience, always trying to portray themselves as superior to their victims.

Research has proven that a person who is a bully is often trying to over-compensate for low self-esteem and feelings of inadequacy.  They desire to be socially accepted and dominant.  This behavior can start in the home especially if the bully is raised in an intimidating or aggressive atmosphere.  If the bully is mean at school, quite commonly they will be mean to their siblings at home.  On the other hand, if a child is raised in an environment where they see parents act insecure and show low self-esteem, then they are likely to be a victim.  (Bullying, 2010)

Most parents today do not know how to successfully handle it when their children tell them they are being bullied at school.  Other parents are completely unaware it is even happening.   Parents have a tendency to get upset and angry when they feel like their child is being taunted and mistreated.  Some common responses to this are getting mad at their own child for not sticking up for themselves. Many times the parent feels embarrassed or inadequate as if it is their own fault for not raising their child right, or not instilling enough self confidence in them.  Other times parents want to tell their kids to fight back or take a stand.  This is a very bad idea as it can lead to an escalation of the problem that could have serious repercussions.  (Lyness, 2010) Another reaction is for the parent to simply ignore it and hope it goes away or they hope the school will handle it. 

Most schools are becoming more aware of the bullying problem and recognize its increase in occurrence and need to be dealt with.  Ideally, if bullying is happening at school the victim should immediately talk with an adult there they trust.  This could be their teacher, counselor or school principal.  The school official should then discuss with the victim that it’s not their fault and give them praise for having courage to talk about it.  The bully should be given support as well, trying to focus on the reason why they did it.  Sometimes it is necessary to have group interventions and support meetings with the parties all together and sometimes individually.  If the occurrence does not stop, then appropriate measures need to be taken such as detention, not being able to attend school functions, expulsion or even calling the local authorities.  Some states actually have laws against bullying and the parents could face charges.

            It can be hard for the victim of bullying to go to those around them for help because they fear they will be judged or seen as inadequate.  Unfortunately many people in today’s society think of a victim of bullying as a weakling or  a wimp.  Other children and at times even adults make fun of and laugh at these abused children in these situations.  Awareness on the situation is growing though and people are recognizing it is a more serious problem to be dealt with.

            It is very important to become more aware of bullying among our children.  Looking at the mistreatment of these children can help us learn why it’s happening and how to help our children deal with it and prevent it.  The current processes for dealing with the behavior are to either tell an adult or hide it.  

            The main weapon we have against this abuse is education. Educating our parents, teachers and children on how to deal with it is necessary.  Offering support to the victims and the bullies is so important.  Show me a bully and I will show you someone who needs some type of counseling or support.  The effect this behavior can have on both parties is serious and can affect them for the rest of their lives.  The victim of bullying can get very nervous, withdrawn, lose interest in things that they normally enjoyed doing. They can go into a state of depression.  Children who are victims lose weight, score poorly in school, get mood swings and can often become violent themselves.  They can grow up feeling insecure and inadequate and never realizing their full potential because of a lack of self-esteem.

            There are many ways we can learn more about this issue.  We can get more detailed in our research, talk to parents and teachers, seek counseling from professionals.  We can join social networks and groups focusing on bullying.  There is extensive literature and text on the internet.  It is important to help our children as a community to deal with this problem so they can go on to achieve the greatest hopes and potential.

“Successfully dealing with bullying involves building a genuine community within the

school. Everyone accepts they have the right to be free from harassment and that they

have the responsibility to support their weaker and more vulnerable peers.” (Cleary)

Kenrigby.net. Bullying in school and what to do about it. Dr. Ken Rigby, 2010, retrieved on

            April 3, 2011 from: http://www.kenrigby.net/

Bullyinginschools.com.  Bullying prevention in school. 2010, retrieved on April 3, 2011 from:  http://www.bullyinginschools.com/

.

Cbsnews.com. Bullying: Do schools need a new approach?, Bianca Solorzano, 2010, retrieved

on April 6, 2011 from: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/04/04/eveningnews/main6363045.shtml

US Department of Justice online. Bullying in schools, Rana Sampson, 2002, retrieved on

 April 6, 2011 from: http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/e12011405.pdf

Education.com. Bullying at school and online, 2010, retrieved on April 6, 2011 from:

http://www.education.com/topic/school-bullying-teasing/

Princeton University online. Wordnet.com. Bullying, 2010. Retrieved on April 3, 2011  from: http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=bullying

Bullying, 2010. Parent Further online. Retrieved on APril 3, 2011 from:            http://www.parentfurther.com/high-risk-behaviors/bullying

      

Lyness, D’Arcy PhD., (2010) Helping Kids Deal with Bullies. Retrieved on April 12, 2011 from: http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/behavior/bullies.html

    

Cleary, Mark. A guide to bullying. Retrieved on April 3, 2011 from: 

            http://www.nobully.org.nz/images/guide.pdf

         

The debate over Physician Assisted Suicide

There is an unlimited supply of controversy and opinions on whether or not it is legal, moral or right to have a physician assist the terminally ill and suffering with their end of life by use of euthanasia.  There are so many different religious beliefs and lines that can be crossed in the ethics concerning the medical field, as well as legal implications too.  It seems almost impossible to get everybody to agree on anything.  This issue should be seen as a matter of personal choice with certain restrictions in place to prevent doctor privilege abuse and let the terminally ill and long suffering choose their own ending.

            What exactly is euthanasia?  As per the definition in Miriam Webster dictionary euthanasia is: the act or practice of killing or permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals (as persons or domestic animals) in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy. 

Physician assisted euthanasia or suicide is the act of a physician helping a patient follows through with the ending of their own life.

            There are many alternatives to physician assisted suicide.  For one, the patient could simply continue to exist in the current situation with no change. Another option would be for a patient to try to end their own life unassisted and hope the technique they choose does not cause undue pain or injury to others or not succeed and end up in a worse than before situation.  Patients can ask of their friends and family to assist with over medicating to smothering with a pillow or plastic bag etc. 

            Why would someone choose to end their own life?  There are too many reasons and issues that could be discussed by this question.  In this literary document the issue at hand is euthanasia in the circumstance or situation that the patient is terminally ill and or long suffering with pain that is unable to be controlled or relieved. So why would someone choose to do this to themselves? Perhaps the goal is to end the long term suffering and they just can’t handle the pain anymore.  If someone has no quality of life, basically being kept alive by machine and or medication and they are unable to participate in any way in society then questions arise such as: What quality of life is this?  Another reason is to end the burden it is placing on their family to have to take care of them.  A terminally ill patient may think that if they are unable to be treated or reverse their condition, then why bother?  A point could be made that the family’ time and money, as well as the physician’s time and money, may be better utilized in helping people who have a chance to get better. (Euthanasia 2011)

            All human being have certain human rights and freedoms. We all have the right to be alive and make our own decisions. We have the right to provide for ourselves and protect ourselves. Many people feel that euthanasia is a sin or immoral. Doctors all take the Hippocratic Oath, to help their patients.  Once a person decides to go through with euthanasia, they should be able to have the help of a physician so it can be controlled and monitored with no complication and made to be as pain free as possible. Many states feel euthanasia is a form of murder regardless of the issues or reasons behind it. (Death 2011)

            There are comparably pros and cons to this decision.  The positive aspects of it are the fact that it gives the person making the decision control in a terrible situation.  It gives them freedom to end their own suffering and not be a burden.  It also takes the responsibility of life support decisions off of the family.  The patient who knows they can make this decision freely may have more enjoyable time in their last days because the issue has been decided and planned giving a certain peace of mind.  Knowing when it is going to happen can also give the family time to get affairs in order say goodbyes.

            Some negative aspects to making this decision are the fact that doctors could in time abuse this power without proper regulation.  The families of the patient could disagree and pursue legal action.  Religious groups could rise up and cause potentially harmful protests.  The very people that say they are against this because of religious beliefs sometimes cause more harm than if the patient could have just fulfilled their own wishes. (Zimmerman)

            Regardless of a person’s religious, legal or medical background, choosing to end their own life because of long suffering pain or a fatal disease or condition, can be a very controversial and emotional decision.  Since the beginning of time, man has been on a never ending quest searching for answers to truth of life and creation.  There are immeasurable theories and opinions to this question.  In such a diverse culture, people should be allowed to make this personal decision for themselves with the assistance of their physician, with the provision all other methods or medications and therapies have been exhausted and there is no chance for cure or improvement in quality of life.

Death with Dignity National Center. 2011. Retrieved on April 1, 2011 from:

       http://www.deathwithdignity.org/

Euthanasia. 2011. Retrieved on April 1, 2011 from: http://www.euthanasia.com/index.html

Zimmerman, Sloan. Euthanasia: The right choice for some. Retrieved on March 27, 2011 from: 

          http://www.religioustolerance.org/zimm01.htm

First Blog Ever

Hello and welcome. This is my very first blog ever and I am excited about learning something new!