Epidemics: Fear and the Dementia Connection: The Neural Consequences of Emotion Constriction

By Nancy Dawson

To capture the essence of the experience brought on by exposure to the epidemics and as part of the author's doctoral dissertation, Dr. Dawson interviewed people who have experienced the powerful effects of fear. The book provides the reader with evidenced based interventions on how they can halt emotion constriction of exposure to life threatening diseases such as the opiate and coronavirus epidemics. The book offers the reader with research based explanations of the neural consequences of fear and related cognitive decline such as dementia and other organic brain diseases.

"Epidemics: Fear and the Dementia Connection" is a unique academic look at the connection between the emotion of fear—more specifically, fear fueled by epidemics with serious neural consequences such as organic brain disease.

With more than 40 years' experience in education and mental health, this book addresses the powerful effects on fear on the human psyche and includes evidence-based interventions that immediately reduce the neural consequences of fear.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Nov 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9781098385804

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Epidemics: Fear and the Dementia Connection

The Neural Consequences of Emotion Constriction

©2021 Nancy Dawson

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

print ISBN: 978-1-09838-579-8

ebook ISBN: 978-1-09838-580-4

Preface

The primary purpose of this self-help book is to connect the emotion of fear to early onset dementia and address evidence-based interventions that immediately reduce the neural consequences. This book is a must read for those who are experiencing fear for themselves or someone close to them fueled by the opiate epidemic and, most recently, the coronavirus pandemic. To capture the essence of the experience brought on by exposure to the epidemics, and as part of my doctoral dissertation, I interviewed people who have experienced the powerful emotion of fear.

This book will provide evidence-based interventions on how we can halt these paralyzing emotional effects of exposure to life-threatening diseases by first understanding the neural consequences of fear.

Emotion constriction and the neural consequences of symptoms and how to halt the effects of fear will be revealed in this book. Many, who feared for their lives and the lives of others close to them, identified their somatic, emotional, and spiritual reactions to fear. Research suggests the changes in neural circuitry are associated with the degree of fear experienced and is a precursor to organic brain disease, such as dementia.

Why does this happen? Fear arouses the autonomic nervous system and begins the allostatic load, which is our natural defense against a life-threatening situation, such as what one may experience for themselves or someone close to them. What happens in the brain? The allostatic load is linked to a decrease in hippocampal and amygdala volumes, and a collapse of the atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) linear memory. Those who were asked about their emotional responses reported their fears escalated when they experienced a high degree of fear for their lives or the lives of someone close to them. When the load is perceived as life-threatening (as evidenced in the opiate epidemics and coronavirus pandemic), the load becomes too heavy for many of us to bear, and our brains literally shut down. How can we effectively alter this from happening? In this book, I will describe interventions, such as contemplative practices, neurochemical stimulation, mantra, and trust, which can all effectively halt further cognitive decline. Answers to the following questions will be addressed in this book.

How do I experience fear?

How do I recognize symptoms of fear?

How do I halt the symptoms of fear?

Contents

CHAPTER ONE: OVERVIEW

Background of the Problem

What is the Problem?

Framework for Answering the Questions

Significance of the Study

Limitations and Delimitations

Definitions and Key Terms

Organization

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

What Does the Research Tell Us?

Some history on the opiate epidemic

Coronavirus pandemic

How Do I Experience Fear?

Changes in Neural Circuitry

Dementia

How Does One Recognize Symptoms of Fear?

Somatic

Emotion and cognition

How Can I Halt the Paralyzing Effects of Emotion Constriction?

Access the Brain’s Joy Center

Mindfulness

Mantra

Believing

Hope.

Trust.

Theoretical Framework

Summary

CHAPTER THREE: METHOD

A Method of How to Answer the Questions

Research Method

Participants

Instruments and Data Collection

Data Analysis

CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS

Demographics Relevant to This Study

Participants

Results—Research Question One

How do I experience fear?

Theme 1: Neurobiology.

Theme 2: Meaning/Knowledge.

Results—Research Question Two

How do I recognize symptoms of fear?

Theme 1: Emotion Constriction.

Theme 2: Physical Effects.

Results—Research Question Three

How do I halt the effects of fear?

Theme 1: Halt the paralyzing effects of emotion constriction.

Theme 2: Powerlessness.

Theme 3: Believing/Hope/Trust.

Discussion—Research Question One

Discussion—Research Question Two

Discussion—Research Question Three

Summary

CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION OF THE FINDINGS

Discussion

Findings

Research Question One: How do I experience fear?

Research Question Two: How do I recognize symptoms of fear?

Research Question Three: How do I halt effects of emotion constriction?

Implications for professional practice for evaluative, diagnostic,

and treatment purposes, the following questions should be asked

by every clinician of their patients.

Recommendations for Research

Conclusion

In Defense of the Paralyzing Effects of Fear

References

APPENDIX A

Interview questions

APPENDIX B

Informed Consent

APPENDIX C

CHAPTER ONE:

OVERVIEW

Millions of people worldwide have been affected by the opiate epidemic and coronavirus pandemic. Most cases today, over 500,000 people in the United States have died from the effects of the deadly coronavirus. As the numbers of people affected by the opiate epidemic and the coronavirus pandemic continue to increase, the effects of fear for our lives or the lives of someone close to us are increasing at an alarming rate. This strong emotion is intricately connected to organic brain disease and fueled by the epidemics. This book will provide perspectives from several people, (who were interviewed, as part of my research) brought on by their perceived responses to fear.

This book will help those affected overcome fear for themselves or a loved one with biological, psychological, social, or spiritual illnesses, such as what one may experience when exposed to a life-threatening disease. Those who read this book will develop a better understanding of the ways in which they can immediately recognize and reduce symptoms that can lead to organic brain disease.

What are the warning signs of fear? Some symptoms to pay close attention to include excessive reliance on denial, constriction of emotion with or without dramatic outbursts, depression, hypervigilance, compulsions, anxiety, substance abuse, victim or recurrent physical or sexual abuse, and stress-related illnesses. Some folks may have remained in a primary relationship with an active substance abuser for at least two years without seeking help for themselves.

The World Health Organization has described those adversely affected by epidemics such as the chemical epidemic as a relative, close friend, or colleague of an alcohol or drug-dependent person, whose actions are defined by the term as tending to perpetuate that person’s dependence and thereby stimulate the progression of organic brain disease in themselves. This thinking, related to those exposed to their loved one’s dependence on chemicals, came about in the early 1950s initially referring to wives or close relatives of chemically addicted alcoholics. This group were women identified who care for their alcoholic husbands too much. This resulted in them becoming physically, emotionally, and cognitively affected by their loved ones’ addictions and has been attributed to a decline in their overall physical and mental health.

Several problems related to an unhealthy dependent relationship with their loved ones’ diseases have emerged such as family problems and personality disorders, and most recently, the literature has identified organic brain disorder. This unhealthy relationship continues to be of intense interest today, and some scholars are suggesting that the emotional reactions of those exposed to progressive diseases in themselves or their loved one are related to changes in the brain. One may ask, How can fear for our loved one’s well-being and safety cause changes in my brain?

Background of the Problem

The emotion of fear is "a complex disorder with discernable and measurable neural, genetic, and behavioral risk (Javanbakht, 2017). In many, the emotions exert a powerful reaction in the brain that drives us to uncontrollable reactions by releasing dopamine. To better understand the epidemics, heroin, for example, is powerfully addictive and releases more dopamine in the brain than what an individual would get from natural highs such as food or sex. Tolerance develops and, eventually, more and more of the substance is needed to experience the high. The progression leads to a life of dependency and, in recent cases, of opiate addiction, which has led to death by overdose, creating a national epidemic.

Why aren’t people getting the help they need? There are many reasons perhaps, such as people do not seek out the right help; doctors do not ask about what the patient is afraid of; or the effects of fear are unknown to the prescriber. The good news because of all the national attention to the opiate epidemic and most recent illnesses related to the coronavirus, a better understanding of organic brain disease is critical to halt the paralyzing effects of fear. The neuroscience studies have demonstrated through functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), computerized axial tomography or positron emission tomography (PET) scans