Essay On Resilience

Traumatic events often threaten the effectiveness of the brain’s ability to function correctly in everyday life. Events of the sort can become harmful to the brain, which, in turn, negatively affects the body. Trauma can be defined as a deeply distressing, upsetting, or disturbing experience (Collins English Dictionary). At least 70 percent of Americans have suffered through a traumatic event in their lifetime, although, around only 20 percent of them have developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), in which a person suffers in response to a traumatic event for a prolonged period (“Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Fact Sheet”). This paper will address the longevity of these effects on the brain as well as the effects on the physical well-being of the body and seeking to which aspect proves to be more harmful overall.

These symptoms, sometimes referred to as ‘soldier’s heart’ were only defined as a disorder in 1980, when it was officially terms posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is a psychological condition that occurs following traumatic experiences that pose a real or apparent threat to life. The person may re-experience the trauma, avoid associated stimuli and be in a state of hyperarousal (Admon, Milad & Hendler, 2013). Considering that the condition was more recently classified, the etiology and optimal treatment of the disease have yet to be completely verified. However, considering that approximately half of the population will be exposed to a traumatic event within their lifetime, it is imperative that we appreciate the understanding and treatment of the disorder (Admon et al., 2013). There is a broad variability of data that implicates a variety of brain regions in the disorder. Recently, several biomarkers have been discovered concordant with the manifestation of the disorder. The purpose of this review is to focus on the neural correlates and biomarkers of PTSD and their use in facilitating interventional therapy. It will consider findings related to peripheral markers such as cortisol and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels and various neural pathways that may lead to the presentation of the disorder. A critical analysis of these recent findings will elucidate and aid

It is the goal of this paper to demonstrate that the phenomenon of PTSD, despite the fact that its multiple emotional and psychosocial effects are constantly being debated, is soundly rooted in neurobiology, and that this aspect of PTSD lends support to the notion that brain = behavior.

The research contributions of this project could greatly contribute to positive social change in the areas of clinical treatment and early intervention. By contributing to the knowledge and understanding of how types of stressors during certain periods of neuronal development create dysregulation in the hippocampus, the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions could significantly be improved. According to Dr. Perry (2009), when clinical interventions are linked specifically to the area where dysregulation originated, in this instance, to the injured area of the brain, treatment would be in alignment with the stages of neuronal development and interventions will become more precisely attuned with the innervating sources of dysfunction. Once

My story of resilience began on April 17th, 1981. My mother was 15 years old when I was born. When I was an infant, my father abandoned us. Still, I do not know his whereabouts. My mother didn’t finish high school, struggled with alcoholism and was often unemployed or underemployed when I was a child. You might imagine the difficulties I encountered throughout my childhood due to these circumstances. What you’re imagining is probably accurate. I’ll spare the details because I don’t allow those details to define my story. What defines my story is that I did not become a victim of the circumstances I was born into. I did not allow the struggles of growing up with an alcoholic parent in poverty and dysfunction to defeat me. As a result, these experiences ignited an inner spirit of resilience and provided me a vision of what I did not want my life to become. Consequently, I set my sights

combine new ideas, data and options enables us to reflect, assimilate, plan and imagine the future. When we do not take this time, we make quick decisions that may not be to our best improvement. These quick decisions can change us and affect our career, our fulfilment, and, ultimately, our resilience.

Traditionally, resilience research has focused on psychosocial correlates of this phenomenon; however, modern advancements in molecular genetics and neuroimaging have made the study of biological contributors to resilience possible. Within this field, variation on the serotonin transporter gene is repeatedly associated with vulnerability and resilience following stress or adversity. Specifically, carrying a short allele appears to be a vulnerability factor in the presence of stress, whereas long alleles may buffer against the detrimental effects of childhood adversity.

Upon opening for the online survey, the participants will be asked to answer 25 questions that measure psychological resilience (Connor

My body is able to maintain homeostasis when it’s disrupted, and I get enough sleep each night to keep my nervous system in good condition. I try not to get stressed out too much, which helps to keep my body in balance. Minimizing stress in the future leads to less health problems like muscle tension, which can damage nerve cells.

Exposure to chronic stress acts as a risk factor as well as a precipitating agent for mood and anxiety disorders, and such stress in early life manifests itself in common mental disorders in adults [1, 2]. Majority of studies focus on the manifestation of stressful experiences in young, but there are less reports on the immediate consequences of early-life stress. Such stress activates neuroendocrine adaptive responses to cope with consequent crisis. However, due to prolonged or chronic stress, these neuroendocrine responses turn maladaptive and contribute to a phenomenon known as allostatic load [3]. These stressful events act as predisposing factors in the development of psychiatric disorders and anxiety- and depression-associated behavioural alterations in susceptible individuals [3, 4].

The effects of stress various during the aging process, young children and the elderly are more prone to be sensitive to stress during these age periods of development. Individuals that are exposing to stress earlier in life have an increase reactivity to stress and demonstrate cognitive deficits in adulthood (Lupien et al, 2009). Production of glucocorticoids increases when stress activates the hypothalamus pituitary adrenal axis (HPA) (Lupien et al, 2009). Thus the receptors are than expressed throughout the brain; duties are to act as transcription factor in order to regulate gene expression. Whereas, glucocorticoids will than have a long term effect on the functioning of the brain. There have also been research in regards of prenatal stress that have affected the hippocampal MRs and GRs which resulted in an increase of glucocorticoid secretion in the brain (Lupien et al, 2009). There have been cases that have demonstrated when prenatal exposure to glucocorticoids can lead to an increase in adult corticotropin –releasing hormone which is located in the central nucleus of the amygdala (Lupien et al, 2009). The amygdala is an important

There is growing scientific evidence that when a child is exposed to fear and anxiety over and over it can cause unreasonably high levels of stress. This can impair early learning and negatively affect how the child performance in different situations for their entire life. Many studies have shown problems in cognitive control and learning in children as a result of toxic stress. Research evidence from primates and rodents supports these findings. The part of the brain that this phenomenon is located in is the prefrontal cortex. It is the critical area for regulating actions, thought and emotions and is also known for keeping information accessible during learning. Researchers have discovered that higher levels of the chemical noradrenaline, an important neurotransmitter in the brain can stop functions that are controlled by the prefrontal region, by altering the activity of neurons in that area of the brain. Children experiencing chronic stress typically lack the ability to control their emotions and do poorly on tasks related to their prefrontal

The cells of the hippocampal formation are very sensitive to the effects of stress and the serotonin neurotransmitter protects against stress and ultimately depression. An experiment was conducted to test if stress causes depression by the decreasing number of pyramidal cells of the hippocampus (Praag et al.; 2000). Removing a non-stressed rats’ adrenal glands resulted in an increase in neurogenesis in the hippocampus. This is due to the removal of cortisol, which is normally released from the adrenal glands based on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Glucocorticoids the stress hormones that are released from the adrenal glands; therefore, without the adrenal glands there is less cortisol acting at the hippocampus and preventing the neurogenesis. The

The concept resilience has been the interest of many disciplines over the years, and is utilized by all people at some point in their lives. Concepts are building blocks that construct theories. A concept analysis will clarify the meaning, theoretical and operational definitions of the concept, for use in theory or research (Walker & Avant, 2011). The research on resiliency has increased and today, policy and practice stakeholders have interest on its impact on health, well-being, and quality of life (Zimmerman, 2005). The purpose of this concept of analysis is to develop an operational definition of the theoretical concept of resilience. This will allow readers to understand or “get inside the

It is also worth noting a significant positive correlation between resilience and mindfulness [10]. Mindfulness is being aware of the present moment to one’s own experiences [11]. Being mindful helps to cope with stressors [12], and resilience is considered as a measure of stress coping ability. Thus, both resilience and mindfulness play an important role in combating stress. Consequently, stress causes detrimental effects and many studies have reported stress factor increases the risk of