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Different effects of stress on the brains of men and women related to empathy
originally posted at: http://www.psypost.org/2016/07/different-effects-stress-brains-men-women-related-empathy-43688
BY DANIEL REED ON JULY 6, 2016
The different effects of social stress on the brains of men and women are related to their response to empathy for pain, according to a study published this July in the International Journal of Psychophysiology. The study provides evidence that each sex may engage in distinct mechanisms to cope with stress.
Empathy is an essential aspect of social functioning. It allows people to build an understanding and mental representation of other peoples’ emotions and feelings. Research suggests that the brain mechanisms involved in how people empathize with others in painful circumstances involve two distinct responses. Firstly, there is an early emotional response seen in front-central regions of the brain; and secondly, there is a later cognitive evaluation, over the parietal area, where attention is either directed towards or away from stimuli.
As humans are a highly social species and face social stress on a regular basis, it can be expected that stress affects how people react to their environment. Therefore, the extent to which someone empathizes with another in pain is thought to be influenced by social stress.
Within this area, it has been proposed that men and women are distinctively affected by social stress. Men supposedly become more self-oriented, engaging in “fight or flight” behavior, whilst women react by creating and caring for social networks.
The study, led by Cristina Gonzalez-Liencres of Ruhr-University Bochum, involved 60 healthy participants (30 women and 30 men), half of which were exposed to short-term social stress. To measure empathy, researchers recorded the electroencephalography (EEG: which detects electrical brain activity) of the participants, while they observed photographs of hands in painful and neutral situations. Participants also had to fill in an assessment of their empathy in response to the photos and had their cortisol response to stress measured (via saliva samples).
Results revealed that different effects of social stress on the brains of men and women were related to their response to the pain empathy task. The late brain activity, associated with cognitive evaluation, was uniquely associated with a change in cortisol in stressed males. This was despite similar empathy ratings reported by all participants. This suggests that men used more cognitive processes in response to social stress and provides evidence that each sex may engage in distinct mechanisms to cope with stress.
The findings are useful to help understand the unique effects of social stress in men and women, as well as for the separate mechanisms that each sex undertakes to cope with socially stressful situations. This may be useful for understanding psychopathological conditions which are influenced by high levels of social stress.
5 Signs of True Repentance in an Addict
Originally posted at: http://www.careleader.org/5-signs-true-repentance-addict/
August 18, 2016 by
When I’m counseling and establishing goals for somebody who’s struggling with a drug addiction, or has in the past and is now clean, I really keep it simple. There are just five fruits of repentance that I look for. They’re based on Matthew 22:37–40 (ESV), which says: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
I want those people struggling with addiction to love God with all their heart, all their soul, and all their mind, because they have loved their idolatrous pleasure—the object of their addiction—with all their heart, with all their soul, and with all their mind. So now it’s all about transferring that great passion—that passionate commitment to the idolatrous pleasure—and transferring it to the Lord.
1. Is there humility?
The first thing I look for is humility, which shows they’re not feeling like they are entitled or that they deserve more. Instead, they need to think about what they have been given. They’ve been entrusted by God with the treasure of life and of living for Him. One of the problems with some of the current Christian addiction programs is that some of them really just foster living for self, even though the addicts have technically “recovered” or “achieved sobriety.” They might not be doing drugs anymore, but they are still just living for self.
I do want them clean and sober, but that’s not the ultimate goal. The ultimate goal is for them to live for the glory of God and to become more like Jesus Christ. We’ve got to get them to love God—and to love God with reckless abandon. Ironically, they did that very well with their idolatrous drug of choice. Now they’ve got to do it for Jesus. Many are sort of committed to God, but they’re not all the way committed. They don’t want to pour out all their alcohol. They keep a little stash somewhere. And so, you’re helping them to live in a humble way, in dependence upon God.
2. Is there a willingness to serve others?
The second part of that passage is “Love your neighbor as yourself.” The addicted person really does love him- or herself. It may not look like it. It may look like self-loathing. It may look like self-pity, but even that translates into, “I deserve better than what I’m getting.” And so, you’ve got to get addicted people out of themselves, loving their neighbors, by finding ways for them to serve.
I find that people who have struggled with addictions have great gifts. They might not be the most organized people. They might not be the people you would pick to be Bible study teachers. But they can greet people. They can serve on different projects, perhaps doing outreach or another aspect of service. If I can get them loving other people and serving other people, then that is a win. The focus is not turned inward where they’re looking at themselves morbidly, but they’re looking outward at, Whom can I serve? They will need to be forewarned, however: they’re going to have to fight that temptation to go back to pleasing self and living for self.
The last three fruits of repentance are from Ephesians 5:18–21 (ESV), one of the quintessential passages for addiction. That passage says,
- And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
3. Is there a growing sense of responsibility for oneself?
Out of those verses there are three fruits that I really want to see. One is that they’re responsible—that they’re taking ownership for their lives. Too often people who habitually get drunk with wine think like victims. They might have been victimized. But, beyond that, they’ve learned to think about life as though they’re just a pinball, bounced around in the pinball machine. They feel like everyone is hard on them; they’ve been dealt a bad hand, that kind of thing. Thinking change is beyond their control, they do not take steps to change what’s going on in their lives. I often see such a victim mentality, and I want to combat it with one of being responsible and obedient to Christ. When I see someone who’s taking responsibility and not blame-shifting, not trying to play a victim card, then I know that person is doing well. That person is being transformed and is living in a different way than when he or she was addicted and living in idolatry.
4. Is there an attitude of thankfulness?
The next fruit I look for is being grateful. I find that people caught in addictions tend to have a “woe is me” mentality. However, if all they see is themselves and what they want, then they miss all the blessings that God is giving them. I think that’s a big part of what trips up addicts. So I want to help them cultivate a grateful heart.
5. Is there a submissive spirit?
The final fruit I look for is submission. Fools and rebels may be very bright intellectually, but they’re living in a way that’s against God’s Word. It’s foolish to do that. On the flip side, wise people might not be the most intelligent, but they’re obedient and submissive. That’s what I’m looking for. I’m looking for someone who says, “I don’t have all the answers. I can’t do this myself. I need God. I need the church. I need the body of Christ to help me.” Those are the things I’m really pushing for and listening for.
Yoda’s Advice For Entering Recovery
Recovery is about changing our false beliefs not just stopping the unwanted activity. We must learn to live life on life’s terms.
A Declaration of Independence
A Declaration of Independence
Originally posted on July 4, 2012
Today, we celebrate Independence Day in the United
States of America. I am grateful for the freedoms we have been given in this country. Some of the freedoms I had, however, were very harmful to me. These freedoms included the freedom to view and use pornography, the freedom to pursue happiness in legal forms of sexual acting out, and the freedom to worship my own god; sex impurity. I have also been given new freedoms, the freedom choose a recovery program that satisfies my needs, the freedom to say “no” to sexual acting out, and the freedom to call Jesus Christ my highest power, and worship Him fully without fear of persecution or harm against me or my family.
Independence means a lot of things to different people. The definition is written below:
in·de·pend·ence /ˌɪndɪˈpɛndəns/ [in-di-pen-duhns] noun 1. Also, independency. the state or quality of being independent. 2. freedom from the control, influence, support, aid, or the like, of others.
In our case, it is freedom from the control of our sexual impurity and the behaviors associated with it. Every July 4th, we not only celebrate the independence of these United States of America, but we should also make the following declaration written below, as edited from the original Declaration of Independence.
I, __________, a man who struggles maintaining sexual purity, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of my intention, do, in the Name, and by Authority of Jesus Christ and my healthy being, solemnly publish and declare, That I am, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent of sexual compulsive behaviors, that I am Absolved from all Allegiance to demoralizing and incomprehensible compulsive sexual behaviors, and that all connection between me and my sexual impurity, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as a Free and Independent man, I have full Power to levy War against my sexual impurity, conclude Peace of mind, contract Alliances in my recovery, establish psychological therapy as needed to do all other Acts and Things which a healthy, sexually pure man may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Jesus Christ, I mutually pledge to my Life, my Fortunes, and my sacred Honor.
My declaration is short and to the point, definitely not as elegant as the one written by our Country’s founders. Also, I wish it was as simple as making the declaration! The United States had to fight a war, and subsequent wars against the British to gain their independence. Furthermore, the United States had to continue to battle against other foreign nations in order to gain full independence. And later, it had to fight a Civil War (a war against oneself) in order to maintain its independence! Even today, the United States continues to fight to maintain its independence, this fight may be against terrorists, against energy monopolies, against corruption, etc… The point is, the United States of American has continued to fight to maintain its independence and must continue to fight.
In this same way, we need to continue to fight against our sexual impurity. We can’t let our guard down. If we do, then we will have allowed our sexual impurity a foothold into our life and that makes the fall easier! We must be always vigilant in our struggle to maintain sexual purity. Sexual Purity is not a right, it is a privilege given to us, by God, on a daily basis, and we must always be grateful for that privilege and do whatever we can to maintain it. We have not been and are not perfect, however, we will continue to strive for progress, not perfection in our recovery.
So we not only declare independence from our sexual impurity but also that we will do whatever it takes to maintain my sobriety. One moment at a time, one second at a time, one minute at a time, one hour at a time, one day at a time!
Take what you like and leave the rest.
