I wanted to give everyone some background information about brain chemistry or neurochemistry. As you might remember from health class, amino acids are the building blocks of our bodies. Protein is composed of amino acids. So when you eat protein you are helping to restore your body. When I say amino acids are the building blocks of our bodies or more specifically our cells, this also translates to our brains. Our brains also need protein to function. Just like our bodies are composed of cells, so our brains. Our brain cells are called neurons. Our neurons are so important they need cells (glial cells) to support them. We have an estimated 100 billion neurons. All of these neurons need to communicate to one another, so our neurons are connected to one another through a synapse. Because our neurons need to talk to more than one neuron, we have an estimated 100-500 trillion synapses. When our neurons communicate with one another they do it through a neurotransmitter. Neurotransmitters are the chemical messengers in our brains. When we are thinking, feeling, or engaging in any behavior, even sleep, our brains are active. Our brains produce electrical activity. This electrical activity is our neurons firing and our neurotransmitters sending messages to other neurons. Have you seen the commercials talking about serotonin, dopamine, or norepinephrine? These are all different types of neurotransmitters and each different type of neurotransmitter has a different function. And guess what? These neurotransmitters are made from amino acids (among other things), too. The moral of the story is: MAKE SURE YOU EAT YOUR PROTEIN!!!
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ReplyDeleteHi Dr. Meyer,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this link and your clinical thoughts with us. I, too, am a avid proponent of a holistic approach toward therapy and healing, which includes taking into account one’s emotional, psychological, physical, and spiritual well-being via healthy living practices. In my opinion, far too many clinicians within the field of psychology and counseling are too dependent on the effectiveness of psychotropic medications as being the end all or answer to all our clients/patients needs and woes. With that said, a holistic model involving wholesome nutrition, proper and intentional sleep schedules, stress reduction and stress management, spiritual sensitivity and integration, consistent recreation and exercise, strong social networks, psycho-education and therapy, and the utilization of psychotropic’s as an acute care component and/or adjunct (not a life sentence) toward the therapeutic process is more balanced approach. Empirical evidence also purports that a holistic paradigm in treating psychopathology (multimodal approach) is far more effective than the utilization of either medication or psychotherapy independently.
Blessings,
Robert S. Pennello, Sr., BS
Masters in Counseling student 3rd year