Earliest memories
Question:
Lachryma wrote: > Steven: > Only problem with knowing in advance (by knowing the genome of an > individual) who is at risk for developing a mental disorder is that some of > us may not have been born. I, for one, think that even mentally disordered > as I am, have made some contributions to the world. The possibility of > knowing in advance opens a whole HUGE can of worms.
Yes it does–but that is why the Human Genome Project includes investigations of the relevant ethical questions. We have already had to face some of these issues w.r.t. hemophilia and Huntington’s disease. It will still be FAR better to know, than to not know, what illnesses one is at risk of developing. Or what illnesses one’s children are at risk of developing. You don’t need to ACT on the knowledge, of course. — Steven D. Litvintchouk Email: s…@mitre.org Disclaimer: As far as I am aware, the opinions expressed herein are not those of my employer.
Response:
Steven: The problem is that we would feel compelled to act, or at least I would, and I think most people would. The ethical problems are enormous. Which is the morally correct choice? To bring a child into the world who is doomed to a life of immeasurable suffering (or to an extremely shortened lifespan) or to abort a fetus who could bring immeasurable joy into a parent’s life. These are not easy questions, and I don’t think we, as human beings, are equipped to make these kinds of decisions. I have to confess that I prefer the ostrich approach: what I don’t know, I don’t have to worry about – unless there is something that I can do about it in a meaningful way. Maybe that is immature or growth limiting, but I prefer it to playing God – I do not want that kind of responsibility (but, in a sense, not knowing if the knowledge is available, is making a choice as well). Who has decided that suffering is always bad? I have suffered tremendously with depression and OCD, but I feel that I have grown a great deal through that suffering in ways that I would not have grown otherwise. Maybe I’m looking for the silver lining in all I’ve been through, or maybe it is true what I’ve heard, "human beings define their lives through suffering." I think that there are those who, having suffered themselves, are more capable of reaching out to those who are currently suffering. I’m not one of them. Although I am very empathetic and compassionate, my mind takes over and then the editor takes over. I want to find the answers, even when there aren’t any, or if they are different for each individual. Feelings get lost on the wayside. I’m not attacking your views (I got off on a tangent anyway), truly I’m not, or trying to convince anyone to agree with my views. I respect what you said, but I am trying to clarify my own thoughts. Thanks for reading … Lachryma
Response:
Steven: Only problem with knowing in advance (by knowing the genome of an individual) who is at risk for developing a mental disorder is that some of us may not have been born. I, for one, think that even mentally disordered as I am, have made some contributions to the world. The possibility of knowing in advance opens a whole HUGE can of worms. I don’t think that it has been proven, yet, that OCD is caused by either faulty wiring or neurochemistry … which came first the obsessions or the screwed up chemistry? I do think that some people are born with a propensity (or maybe we all are, some of us just have stronger reactions or find the sensations of anxiety more unpleasant) towards anxiety disorders (sensitive nervous systems or to stress chemicals, for example) but these disorders don’t present themselves in a vacuum, they present themselves in reactions to the environment. We have a tremendous power over our neurochemistry – evidence the dramatic "neurochemical" changes that are seen in PET scans after CBT. Lachryma
Response:
I totally know what you mean!. I’m always looking back. When I was little I used to have to touch things with both hand for fear that if I didn’t, one of them would get lonely.
Response:
Gwwingo0220 wrote: > Can any of you guys recall any very early memories that you think might be > associated with your OCD? > …. > Does anyone else here seem to spend a lot of time trying to find that one cause > of the OCD?
I certainly have some early memories of obsessive checking. But those were SYMPTOMS of what ultimately became my OCD, not CAUSES of OCD. The cause of OCD is now known to be due to brain wiring and neurochemistry, not a "bad childhood." You and I were just born with a neurochemical tendency toward anxiety disorders. Some such folks end up with depression, some with OCD, some with both. My hope is that now that they have sequenced the human genome, there will eventually be a genetic test for this tendency toward mental disorder. So that we will know IN ADVANCE whether we are at risk for developing mental illness. — Steven D. Litvintchouk Email: s…@mitre.org Disclaimer: As far as I am aware, the opinions expressed herein are not those of my employer.
Response:
Can any of you guys recall any very early memories that you think might be associated with your OCD? I remember my mother teaching me to memorize things when I was about 41/2 or 5 years old and I distinctly remember that after I had learned to spell the word COWBOY I couldn’t stop repeating it in my mind, which seemed to be the process of memorization gone out of control. Could be I’m just ruminating, ie, thinking back and trying to come up with a cause for the pure obsessions form of OCD that I seem to have. Does anyone else here seem to spend a lot of time trying to find that one cause of the OCD? Thanks, and everyone take care. Jorge
Response:
The earliest memory I can think of is counting all the pimples on my face when I was a teenager. Abby
