Posted by Peter  on  03/05/2012  at  06:52 AM

On a website that does much to alert parents to the dangers of the toxins in the modern environment, this article comes as a welcome balance.
Although it is self-evidently true that much sickness is caused by environmental toxins, and for some people these are the greatest dangers that they and their children face, for most people it may be that internal processes, including stress, are actually more significant. The evidence is every day increasing that our own feelings about ourselves and others and the quality of our relationships have a profound influence on our health, both mental and physical. A major study published in The Lancet (the premiere medical journal in the UK) reported that more than 90% of heart disease, still the biggest killer in the western world, is caused by potentially modifiable factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity, etc, and that these are, in turn, strongly influenced by psych-social factors including our emotional state and our relationships.
I think that it is important for us, when considering the health of our children, to make our first priority the emotional aspects of their environment and, to the best of our ability love and care for them. In doing so, as Dr Greene points out, we should not allow ourselves to become overly fearful about things that may be - relatively speaking - less significant.

Posted by Lyelle Palmer, Ph.D.  on  12/30/2011  at  10:31 PM

Stress is a biochemical physical state of continuous threat that activates the autonomic nervous system’s sympathetic branch manifesting in fear(overbalance of adrenaline/epinephrine) and/or anger (overbalance of noradrenaline/nor-epinephrine).  Each of fear and anger perceptions ranges from unnoticeable to extreme.  For example, fear can be experienced or observed within a range of minor discomfort, slight intimidation, uneasiness, embarrassment, dread, mourning, etc all the way to the extreme of terror shock (observed in prey frozen in place as the attacker proceeds to kill).  Anger ranges from slight aggravated, annoyed, irritated all the way down to blind rage at which time the person can perform amazing feats of strength.  Almost all persons are afraid of anger and try to calm it because the actions of an enraged person can be unpredictably violent and dangerous to self and others. At the extreme ends of the ranges a huge amount of energy is expended in a flight or fight reaction.  These extreme states are almost always of short duration. Anxiety is more at the more moderate end of the range but is prolonged over a long period of time that is also wearing.  Properly trained therapists are trained to handle extreme states objectively or even to intensify the state to the point of rage.  More norepinephrine/anger production chemically neurtralizes the overproduction of epinephrine and the person is then in a calm and normal state.  The therapist must never get angry or show any irritation or threat to the angry subject (the anger is never personal).  The basic question of anxiety, fear or anger is this:  What am I afraid of?  Fear is the basis of sympathetic ANS biochemical production and it is wearing.  Naming the fear reveals the source of threat to the language reasoning brain so that the problem can be solved.  Emotions are physical and children live with high intensity emotions.  They are resilient, but need adults that can be trusted to be stable and basically positive and supportive.  Anxiety stress is fear-based and adults can demonstrate/model dealing with the uncertainties of live and the trust that situations can be worked out/solved.  These emotional states can be aroused in vulnerable children who at any given moment may experience low blood sugar/hunger, dehydration, unpleasant odors, dust and other environmental challenges.  Internally, allergies, fatigue,  weariness, boredom or sleepiness may produce reactions such as being short-tempered/impatience, resistance or feeling sorry for oneself/blaming others for the internal feelings.  External and internal environmental observation and control are important in establishing the homeostatic emotional state and physical endurance, flexibility, and trust.  Thus, proper foods are important as well as feeding schedules.  The book, “Biochemical Individuality,“by Roger Williams has been a classic for half a century for revealing how different children can be in the sizes of internal organs—liver size where glucose is stored has a HUGE range and you have to see the drawings to believe the differences.  Now, consider that compared to 50 years ago children have more than 100 new and different chemicals in their blood, and no or little research is done on the effects of these substances in combination, some of which are toxic.  Keep your liver healthy since it is the organ that cleans up the biochemical mess.  Some bodies are thus more vulnerable to toxins because smaller livers cannot maintain the cleansing when even a small dose of a toxin overloads the system.  For vaccinations, do not administer them all on a single day—two or more sessions assure that the body can handle the challenges.  Take care of yourself along the way, relax your mind and body:  relax, respire, and refresh mentally and physically—notice your states and relax tension, breathe naturally, picture a place where you can be comfortably calm.  Teach children to self-talk their way into this calm place within.
Lyelle L. Palmer, Ph.D., Minnesota Learning Resource Center, Minneapolis