wildaspie

German scientists have identified an area of the brain that undergoes a change during episodes of anxiety and depression.

The chemical known as “corticotropin releasing factor” is a neurotransmitter involved in the stress response, particularly in regard to loss, grief, and depression.

It appears to be possible to counteract the effect of the corticotropin with drug therapy, which might, perhaps, be recommended for one who has recently lost a loved one.

I wonder, however, the value of denying the effects of this apparently organic function.  Excepting the most extreme cases of bereavement, it seems better to allow the brain its control over its chemical balances.

As it has been demonstrated that chemical variances can affect mood and cognition, two elements of our human psychology, it can be seen to follow that the experience of the mood is integral to the psychological heath and growth of the individual.  To use drug therapy as a way to avoid grief is short-sighted at best.

Is empathy, earned through experience, something we really need less of?

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