Pyroluria History

Reportedly, Pyroluria was first identified in the 1950s and explained as a metabolic disorder. Under stressful conditions (and there may be a genetic link) individuals may become pyridoxine (better known as Vitamin B6) and zinc deficient (with perhaps abnormalities in the metabolism of other metals). As with many other disorders, Pyroluria can cause real symptoms in real people, can contribute to unexplained depression, and can be a serious problem. Interestingly, some say that individuals such as Emily Dickinson, Charles Dickens, and Charles Darwin all exhibited classic signs of pyroluria. Symptoms may include: ‘brain fog,’ severe mood swings, low libido, fluid retention, hormone imbalances, difficulty with effective stress control, extreme anxiety, poor short-term memory, absence of dream recall, sensitivity to light and noise, suppressed immune function, abnormal fat distribution, inability to tan, lack of hunger at breakfast … Bottom line: a potential contributor to depression.

Pyroluria Controversy

Many myths relate to depression including that it is a purely psychological condition that can be conquered with medication and mind-over-matter techniques. Indeed, psychological, emotional, and social factors can contribute to depression, but so can other factors.  As with many disorders that are relatively uncommon, there is often a great deal of controversy. For example, many think that pyroluria has genetic underpinnings; others say it may relate to epigenetic factors, the study of how environment can change how genes are turned on or off; and as with many other conditions, lifestyle including dietary issues may play a role; and some say it may be triggered by episodes of severe or prolonged stress. It may not be a new condition, either.

More tomorrow

Pyrrole Disorder or Kryptopyrrole

Pyrrole Disorder is one of those chemical abnormalities linked with depressive disorders. Reportedly it involves an abnormal synthesis of hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying molecule in the blood. During the synthesis of hemoglobin synthesis, individuals with this genetically-associated disorder produce huge amounts of waste products called pyrroles. While they appear to be relatively harmless in and of themselves, they tend to bind to B6 and to zinc (at least), which play a part in the regulation of a healthy emotional state. They are also important nutrients used for vital neurological functions such as the production of neurotransmitters. As the pyrroles are excreted from the body, they carry B6 or pyridoxine and zinc with them, which means there are insufficient levels in the body. That appears to contribute to the symptoms of depression. Reports are that nutritional and biochemical treatments may help the individual significantly in the management of depression. Bottom line? What happens “in your brain” can be impacted by chemical abnormalities. More tomorrow.

Potential Biochemical-Depression Links

Recently while on a lecture tour, I was introduced to the work of William J. Walsh, PhD, FACN, and the Walsh Research Institute. He specializes in researchering biochemical treatments for patients diagnosed with behavioral disorders. In a study of urine and blood samples from 3,000 patients, he reportedly identified five chemical abnormalities that were linked to depressive disorders.

These chemical abnormalities were:

• Undermethylation or elevated levels of the  neurotransmitter histamine in the blood
• Folate deficiency       
• High levels of copper
• Toxic metal overall
• Pyrrole disorder or kryptopyrrole

More tomorrow.

Depression and Biochemical Triggers

Recently I’ve received several questions about depression, especially from individuals who have “tried almost everything” to lift their depression and nothing seems to be working. Over the next few blogs I'll include some information on depression, including differences in common symptoms exhibited by males versus females. It’s important to understand that there are many types of depression. While some types of depression may be due to prolonged anxiety or years of very negative thinking, there can be physiological underpinnings and biochemical links, some of which may have genetic overtones. That’s the reason it is critically important to keep searching for a practitioner who can really listen to one’s symptoms, think outside the box and not just pat you on the head and say “it’s all in your head,” and be knowledgeable about the various types of depression and their symptoms. Because depression “runs” in my maternal line, I tend to keep my ear to the ground, so to speak, when I hear that word. More tomorrow.

Energy and Flow, 5

Have you learned to pay attention to your energy levels when you are around specific individuals? After spending a couple of hours with a person, how is your energy level? Do you come away from the encounter with a rewarding sense of connection or do you wish you could avoid having to interact with them at all? Do you feel energized and creative and happier with life or are you maintaining this relationship out of either inappropriate loyalty or just habit? Unfortunately, some people who had some assistance during a rough patch in life, tend to think they need to keep "paying back" to that individual for the rest of their life (a type of inappropriate loyalty). 

You might want to take the Relationship Evaluation Assessment, one way to help you assess relationships and what they are costing you in terms of vital energy. It is free and can be accessed at: https://arlenetaylor.org/assessments

Brain and Flow, 4

 Speaking of flow, do you pay attention to how your brain feels when you spend time with other people? Is there a brain that enhances or triggers a sense of flow when you are together? These are the brains you likely want to spend the most time with, around whom your brain is relaxed yet alert, comfortable and yet energized, genuinely happy and creative. Likely there will be only a few of these brains during your lifetime . . . some have said the biggest mistake they ever made in life was failing to nurture relationships where they had a strong brain connection and, instead, went for what was familiar or was touted as being indicative of a good relationship: sexual tension, for example. For many, what is familiar is neither healthy nor desirable, and may not promote “flow” in any way, shape, or form.

More tomorrow.

Brain and Flow, 3

Researcher Mihály Csikszentmihalyi and author of Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience has described the flow experience as one in which individuals perceive: 

• ·       Very little sense of the passing of time or it seems to be flying by
• ·       Whatever you are doing is clicking along almost effortlessly
• ·       The tasks or situation is rewarding and you’d like it to keep going
• ·       You have some control over the task
• ·       You are easily and pleasurably absorbed in the task—are in the zone or in the groove—and dislike interruptions

 Can you identify a time or times when this was true for you? What were you doing when this occurred? 

More tomorrow

Brain and Flow, 2

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is generally credited with recognizing and naming the psychological concept of flow: a highly focused mental state; the creative moment when a person is completely involved in an activity for its own sake. In a TED talk (2004) he referred to flow as being the secret of happiness. Some have described him as having contributed pioneering work to our understanding of happiness, creativity, human fulfillment and the notion of "flow" — a state of heightened focus and immersion in activities such as art, play and work. He has stated that creativity is a central source of meaning in one’s life and has devoted his life to studying what makes people truly happy: "When we are involved in [creativity], we feel that we are living more fully than during the rest of life."

https://www.ted.com/talks/mihaly_csikszentmihalyi_on_flow

Brain and Flow

Do you know how you feel when you are genuinely happy? Can you describe it, put it into words? Many people cannot. They equate happiness either with boisterous euphoria or over-the-top laughter, neither of which may represent genuine happiness. Descriptions of happiness are all over the map since each brain differs. Genuine happiness does have some things in common, however:

·       There is a sense of real pleasure in your brain, not a competitive, anxious pleasure, but a calm and joyful mindset

·       There is a sense of gratitude that you are alive and that you have been fortunate enough to connect with a brain or two (or several if you are truly fortunate) that enhances this perception.

Some describe happiness as “being in flow.” Being in flow is an interesting term. More tomorrow. 

Airline Travel, 4

• ·       “Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We have reached cruising altitude and will be turning down the cabin lights. This is for your comfort and to enhance the appearance of your flight attendants.”

• ·       On landing, the flight attendant said, "As you exit the plane, please be sure to gather all of your belongings and take them with you. If you insist on leaving something, please make sure it's something we'd like to have, as whatever is left behind will be distributed evenly among the flight attendants. Please, I beg of you, do not leave children or spouses!”

• ·       The airline had a policy requiring the first officer to stand at the door while the passengers exited, smile, and give them a ‘Thanks for flying our airline’ speech. On this particular flight the pilot had hammered his ship into the runway really hard and was having a hard time looking the passengers in the eye, thinking that there would be many smart comments. Finally all had disembarked except for a little old lady walking with a cane. She said, "Sir, do you mind if I ask you a question?" 

       "Why, no Ma'am," said the pilot. "What is it?" 

       She asked, "Did we land or were we shot down?"

Airline Travel, 3

• ·       After an extremely  hard landing, the flight attendant came on the intercom and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, that was quite a bump and I know what y’all are thinking. But I'm here to tell you it wasn't the airline's fault, it wasn't the pilot's fault, it wasn't the flight attendant's fault..... it was the asphalt.”

• ·       During the final approach on a particularly windy and bumpy day, the Captain really had to fight to keep the plane under control during the final approach into Capetown. After a rough landing, the Flight Attendant said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to—wherever we are at the moment. Please remain in your seats with your seat belts fastened while the Captain taxis what’s left of our plane to the gate!"

• ·       After a less than perfect landing in Australia, the Flight Attendant announced: “We ask you to please remain seated with your seat belts securely fastened as Captain Kangaroo bounces us into the terminal.”

Airline Travel, 2

• ·       On a flight that featured open seating, passengers were apparently having a hard time getting seated. Finally the flight attendant announced, "People, people we're not picking out furniture here, for heaven’s sake. Find a seat and get in it!"

•  ·       “Welcome aboard flight 271. To operate your seat belt, insert the metal tab into the buckle, and pull tight. Look, it works just like every other seat belt on the planet; and, if you don't know how to operate one, you probably shouldn't be out in public unsupervised.”

• ·       "In the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, masks will fall from the ceiling. Stop screaming, grab the mask, and pull it over your face. If you have a small child traveling with you, secure your mask before assisting with theirs. If you are traveling with more than one small child, pick your favorite."

Airline Travel

·       “Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your Captain speaking. Welcome to Flight 293, non-stop from London Heathrow to Toronto. The weather ahead is good, so we should have a smooth and uneventful flight. So sit back, relax, and… OH, MY GOODNESS!!!”  Silence for several minutes.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is your Captain speaking. I'm sorry if I scared you. While I was talking to you earlier, a flight attendant accidentally spilled a cup of hot coffee in my lap. You should see the front of my pants!"

A passenger yelled... “Well, you should see the back of mine!!!”

·       "Ladies and Gentlemen, that was a real crusher of a landing," said the flight attendant. "Please remain in your seats until Captain Crash and the Crew have brought the aircraft to a screeching halt against the gate. And, once the tire smoke has cleared and the warning bells are silenced, we will open the door and you can pick your way through the wreckage to the terminal."

• ·       This is your purser speaking," said the senior airline attendant. "I am pleased to announce that we have some of the best flight attendants in the industry. Unfortunately, none of them are on this flight!" 

·      

Internet and Blogging

Well, life is certainly interesting. I’ve been on several lecture tours lately, one very recently. There was Internet available. However, my computer kept giving me a message that the “internet strength” was insufficient to upload blogs. Hmmm. That was a first. If you signed up to have my weekday blogs sent to your email, I regret there was a gap of a week. As soon as I finish the Brain Health presentations on September 15 in Redondo Beach, I’ll get caught up on blogging. Having experienced more airline travel this year than usual, I’ve had the opportunity to read or hear some anecdotes, a few that really tickled my funny bone! I’ll fill in the missing days with some of them. Enjoy!

·       Passenger: I need an aisle seat on this flight. I certainly don’t want my hair to get messed up from being near a window.

Agent: Ma’am, we will get you an aisle seat as far from a window as possible.

·       Passenger: I want to book a flight to Canada. It’ll be my first visit. I  can see England from there, right?

Agent. See England from Canada? No, you can’t.

    Passenger: Why ever not? They look so close to each other on

    the map!

A Challenge

It can be a challenge to bring your biases, beliefs, bullying, and/or bigotry tendencies to conscious awareness. It really needs to be done, however, because what you don’t know you “don’t know” can be your Achilles’s heel.

Besides, studies have shown that you can only choose to manage effectively what you can identify, label or name, and describe

Fortunately the plasticity of the human brain can be helpful here: personal bias, beliefs, bullying behaviors, and bigotry perspectives can be relearned—Unity in Diversity is possible and it can be both fun and enriching.

Bigotry, 2

Bigotry, 2

Bigotry tends to involve underlying issues of fear, self-esteem levels, anger, and low levels of EQ. Note: Think of self-esteem issues as a circular continuum: abysmally low on the bottom; over-inflated on the top. Some individuals are stuck at one position; others flip-flop back and forth between the two positions.

Studies have shown that babies and children who are exposed to people of many different cultures early in childhood   likely to exhibit bigotry behaviors--UNLESS the families and cultures teach it to them. Similar research has shown that babes and children who are exposed ONLY to their own culture’s music are less able to understand and/or appreciate the music of other cultures in adulthood.

More tomorrow.

Bigotry

Bigotry can be described as an obstinate devotion to one’s own beliefs and values; stubborn and complete intolerance of any creed, belief, or opinion that differs from one’s own.

Bigotry can involve race, skin color, ethnicity, indigenous, culture, politics, religion, gender, genetics, health, education, finances, and pretty much anything a person feels “absolute” about  . . .

Sometimes people use the term zealot as a synonym with bigotry, defining zealot as a person who is fanatical and uncompromising in pursuit of their religious, political, or other ideals.

More Tomorrow.

Bullying Behaviors, 3

Typical targets include: race, skin color, or region of origin (indigenous);  facial appearance; body shape—fat, thin, big, small, malformed; sexual orientation; religion or religion of origin (some studies found no difference between Christian and nonChristian schools in terms of bullying behaviors.

Categories of bullying include: Verbal, Physical, Racial, Cultural, Region of origin, Skin color, Social, Mental, Emotional, Relational, Religious, Sexual, Cyberbullying, Sexting, Financial, Black mail . . . and you name it.

More tomorrow.

Bullying Behaviors, 2

Studies have shown that human beings who exhibit bullying behaviors are made, not born—it starts early, by the age two, if normal aggression is mishandled—although some seem to have a genetically higher tendency for aggression

The typical profile: 

• These individuals usually have a good level of self-esteem but tend to come from a background of bullying and abuse

• They possess a sense of entitlement and superiority over others

• They tend to lack compassion, impulse control, and good social skills

• Some are just mean and cruel and feel good only when they harm others or make them feel bad.

More tomorrow.

Pyrrole Disorder or Kryptopyrrole

Pyrrole Disorder is one of those chemical abnormalities linked with depressive disorders. Reportedly it involves an abnormal synthesis of hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying molecule in the blood. During the synthesis of hemoglobin synthesis, individuals with this genetically-associated disorder produce huge amounts of waste products called pyrroles. While they appear to be relatively harmless in and of themselves, they tend to bind to B6 and to zinc (at least), which play a part in the regulation of a healthy emotional state. They are also important nutrients used for vital neurological functions such as the production of neurotransmitters. As the pyrroles are excreted from the body, they carry B6 or pyridoxine and zinc with them, which means there are insufficient levels in the body. That appears to contribute to the symptoms of depression. Reports are that nutritional and biochemical treatments may help the individual significantly in the management of depression. Bottom line? What happens “in your brain” can be impacted by chemical abnormalities. More tomorrow.