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CrazyCatLord
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24 Jan 2012, 10:56 am

emtyeye wrote:
... In particular it makes the amygdala (emotion center) bigger ...


Sorry for nitpicking, but the part of the brain that processes emotions is the limbic system, i.e. the reptilian and paleo-mammalian parts of the brain, also known as the subconscious brain.

The amygdalae (there are two of them) are part of the limbic system and mainly control fear and anxiety, so an enlarged amygdala probably results in stronger anxiety responses and increased avoidant behavior. Activity in the right amygdala has also been linked to post-traumatic stress and OCD (compulsive behaviors can ease feelings of anxiety).



Sarah81
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07 Mar 2012, 5:06 am

Sweetleaf wrote:
Well this is another theory I am considering besides that I have AS......I did have a lack of oxegen at birth for long enough to do some damage so maybe that accounts for some of the problems i have. But I am not sure how the two compare, is it possible to confuse AS from simple damage to the brain?



The developing nervous system is incredibly sensitive. If the mother drinks too much during the first trimester, for example, it can cause fetal alcohol system, resulting in wide-spaced eyes and mental retardation. Also, lack of oxygen at birth can result in cerebral palsy, mental retardation and other more subtle learning difficulties. The developing brain can also be affected in more subtle ways by the fetus' environment. The development does not stop there but continues throughout life. Parts of the brain are still developing into the early twenties. Development can be affected by physical and emotional experiences throughout the period.

Then there is the recently researched concept of 'neuroplasticity', where the brain can change itself. This is highest in early childhood enabling the development of language and motor skills, but continues throughout life.

Any individual's brain works the way it does for a good reason. You can adapt and change your brain by creating new pathways if you want to, but you do have to work with what you've got.

Many things can damage the brain - physical or psychological trauma, electrical or chemical changes, lack of use of the brain over a long period, anything that interfered with a critical period of development - such as using excessive amounts of alcohol or drugs in your teens or early twenties - the list goes on.

Also, stop kidding yourself - the drugs are causing you harm. I can understand the need for psychological pain relief, but use an estasblished and carefully monitored treatment protocol if you can. Although, I can't criticize - I've never used drugs but I did use food to numb the pain - also a bad choice, but I suppose it kept me alive for a while until the treatment kicked in.



lostgirl1986
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07 Mar 2012, 7:19 am

It's interesting that you mention it because I was born with a lack of oxygen in my brain as well. My mum always wondering if my developmental disabilities were due to that and it was a difficult birth as well. I was put into intensive care as soon as I was born.



Sweetleaf
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07 Mar 2012, 11:01 am

Sarah81 wrote:
Sweetleaf wrote:
Well this is another theory I am considering besides that I have AS......I did have a lack of oxegen at birth for long enough to do some damage so maybe that accounts for some of the problems i have. But I am not sure how the two compare, is it possible to confuse AS from simple damage to the brain?



The developing nervous system is incredibly sensitive. If the mother drinks too much during the first trimester, for example, it can cause fetal alcohol system, resulting in wide-spaced eyes and mental retardation. Also, lack of oxygen at birth can result in cerebral palsy, mental retardation and other more subtle learning difficulties. The developing brain can also be affected in more subtle ways by the fetus' environment. The development does not stop there but continues throughout life. Parts of the brain are still developing into the early twenties. Development can be affected by physical and emotional experiences throughout the period.

Then there is the recently researched concept of 'neuroplasticity', where the brain can change itself. This is highest in early childhood enabling the development of language and motor skills, but continues throughout life.

Any individual's brain works the way it does for a good reason. You can adapt and change your brain by creating new pathways if you want to, but you do have to work with what you've got.

Many things can damage the brain - physical or psychological trauma, electrical or chemical changes, lack of use of the brain over a long period, anything that interfered with a critical period of development - such as using excessive amounts of alcohol or drugs in your teens or early twenties - the list goes on.

Also, stop kidding yourself - the drugs are causing you harm. I can understand the need for psychological pain relief, but use an estasblished and carefully monitored treatment protocol if you can. Although, I can't criticize - I've never used drugs but I did use food to numb the pain - also a bad choice, but I suppose it kept me alive for a while until the treatment kicked in.


Of course drugs can cause harm especially the hard alcohol..if you think I've some how deluded myself into not being aware of that you're wrong. But I guess sometimes relief has a price so meh..and food simply does not do anything for me other then frustrate me because half the time I can't eat when I'm hungry because I'm too depressed, numb or on edge feeling to want to.

But yeah I was more referring to having brain damage at birth from the lack of oxegen, since that certainly could be a contributing factor to issues I have.....since then though I've had a couple minor concussion type injuries which probably aren't healthy but everyone bumps their head sometimes.


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Alexender
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07 Mar 2012, 11:11 am

I found this on a couple sites: 50% of people with aspergers had issues breathing when they were getting born


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07 Mar 2012, 11:59 am

CrazyCatLord wrote:
emtyeye wrote:
... In particular it makes the amygdala (emotion center) bigger ...


Sorry for nitpicking, but the part of the brain that processes emotions is the limbic system, i.e. the reptilian and paleo-mammalian parts of the brain, also known as the subconscious brain.

The amygdalae (there are two of them) are part of the limbic system and mainly control fear and anxiety, so an enlarged amygdala probably results in stronger anxiety responses and increased avoidant behavior. Activity in the right amygdala has also been linked to post-traumatic stress and OCD (compulsive behaviors can ease feelings of anxiety).


I've had anxiety issues about as long as I've had depression which seems like ever since I can remember...and I also ended up with PTSD, I mean as if I wasn't anxious and on edge enough already with the sensory issues and anxiety.


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07 Mar 2012, 7:30 pm

I had breathing problems too when I was born (I went my favourite colour....) and I've always wondered if it contributed to my autistic traits.

I believe there are multiple causes for autism, different triggers (eg. environment, genetics, toxins, trauma etc) for the same or at least very similar patterns of behaviour. So if brain damage was a factor, then maybe it is still autism, but triggered differently from, say, genetics?

I wouldn't be surprised at all if I found out my autistic traits are due to my difficulties and trauma shortly after birth, as no-one else in my family displays any form of autism and they all also had relatively normal births.


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Sarah81
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07 Mar 2012, 8:30 pm

Sweetleaf wrote:
Sarah81 wrote:
Sweetleaf wrote:
Well this is another theory I am considering besides that I have AS......I did have a lack of oxegen at birth for long enough to do some damage so maybe that accounts for some of the problems i have. But I am not sure how the two compare, is it possible to confuse AS from simple damage to the brain?



The developing nervous system is incredibly sensitive. If the mother drinks too much during the first trimester, for example, it can cause fetal alcohol system, resulting in wide-spaced eyes and mental retardation. Also, lack of oxygen at birth can result in cerebral palsy, mental retardation and other more subtle learning difficulties. The developing brain can also be affected in more subtle ways by the fetus' environment. The development does not stop there but continues throughout life. Parts of the brain are still developing into the early twenties. Development can be affected by physical and emotional experiences throughout the period.

Then there is the recently researched concept of 'neuroplasticity', where the brain can change itself. This is highest in early childhood enabling the development of language and motor skills, but continues throughout life.

Any individual's brain works the way it does for a good reason. You can adapt and change your brain by creating new pathways if you want to, but you do have to work with what you've got.

Many things can damage the brain - physical or psychological trauma, electrical or chemical changes, lack of use of the brain over a long period, anything that interfered with a critical period of development - such as using excessive amounts of alcohol or drugs in your teens or early twenties - the list goes on.

Also, stop kidding yourself - the drugs are causing you harm. I can understand the need for psychological pain relief, but use an estasblished and carefully monitored treatment protocol if you can. Although, I can't criticize - I've never used drugs but I did use food to numb the pain - also a bad choice, but I suppose it kept me alive for a while until the treatment kicked in.


Of course drugs can cause harm especially the hard alcohol..if you think I've some how deluded myself into not being aware of that you're wrong. But I guess sometimes relief has a price so meh..and food simply does not do anything for me other then frustrate me because half the time I can't eat when I'm hungry because I'm too depressed, numb or on edge feeling to want to.

But yeah I was more referring to having brain damage at birth from the lack of oxegen, since that certainly could be a contributing factor to issues I have.....since then though I've had a couple minor concussion type injuries which probably aren't healthy but everyone bumps their head sometimes.


Sorry I made an assumption there about the drug use - most drug users I know are deluded into thinking that the drugs are good for them, they use it to justify their addiction - and it makes me sad, angry and frustrated - but I don't know you at all so I shouldn't have assumed and taken the frustration out on you. People do the same kind of thing to me, they assume that because I've got bipolar I must be a crazy dangerous woman all the time and it simply isn't true, I look and act like a normal person most of the time.

I guess what I meant to say (about the lack of oxygen) is that it may well have caused the brain damage that caused the symptoms, but it's hard to know because the brain can be affected at any time and it can learn to heal itself. For the answer you would need to look at large studies into the relationship between oxygen deprivation at birth and later issues. Like the one another commenter mentioned about 50% being brain damaged at birth.



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07 Mar 2012, 8:51 pm

Sarah81 wrote:
I guess what I meant to say (about the lack of oxygen) is that it may well have caused the brain damage that caused the symptoms, but it's hard to know because the brain can be affected at any time and it can learn to heal itself. For the answer you would need to look at large studies into the relationship between oxygen deprivation at birth and later issues. Like the one another commenter mentioned about 50% being brain damaged at birth.


So autism is brain damage?


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Sweetleaf
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07 Mar 2012, 8:58 pm

Sarah81 wrote:
Sweetleaf wrote:
Sarah81 wrote:
Sweetleaf wrote:
Well this is another theory I am considering besides that I have AS......I did have a lack of oxegen at birth for long enough to do some damage so maybe that accounts for some of the problems i have. But I am not sure how the two compare, is it possible to confuse AS from simple damage to the brain?



The developing nervous system is incredibly sensitive. If the mother drinks too much during the first trimester, for example, it can cause fetal alcohol system, resulting in wide-spaced eyes and mental retardation. Also, lack of oxygen at birth can result in cerebral palsy, mental retardation and other more subtle learning difficulties. The developing brain can also be affected in more subtle ways by the fetus' environment. The development does not stop there but continues throughout life. Parts of the brain are still developing into the early twenties. Development can be affected by physical and emotional experiences throughout the period.

Then there is the recently researched concept of 'neuroplasticity', where the brain can change itself. This is highest in early childhood enabling the development of language and motor skills, but continues throughout life.

Any individual's brain works the way it does for a good reason. You can adapt and change your brain by creating new pathways if you want to, but you do have to work with what you've got.

Many things can damage the brain - physical or psychological trauma, electrical or chemical changes, lack of use of the brain over a long period, anything that interfered with a critical period of development - such as using excessive amounts of alcohol or drugs in your teens or early twenties - the list goes on.

Also, stop kidding yourself - the drugs are causing you harm. I can understand the need for psychological pain relief, but use an estasblished and carefully monitored treatment protocol if you can. Although, I can't criticize - I've never used drugs but I did use food to numb the pain - also a bad choice, but I suppose it kept me alive for a while until the treatment kicked in.


Of course drugs can cause harm especially the hard alcohol..if you think I've some how deluded myself into not being aware of that you're wrong. But I guess sometimes relief has a price so meh..and food simply does not do anything for me other then frustrate me because half the time I can't eat when I'm hungry because I'm too depressed, numb or on edge feeling to want to.

But yeah I was more referring to having brain damage at birth from the lack of oxegen, since that certainly could be a contributing factor to issues I have.....since then though I've had a couple minor concussion type injuries which probably aren't healthy but everyone bumps their head sometimes.


Sorry I made an assumption there about the drug use - most drug users I know are deluded into thinking that the drugs are good for them, they use it to justify their addiction - and it makes me sad, angry and frustrated - but I don't know you at all so I shouldn't have assumed and taken the frustration out on you. People do the same kind of thing to me, they assume that because I've got bipolar I must be a crazy dangerous woman all the time and it simply isn't true, I look and act like a normal person most of the time.

I guess what I meant to say (about the lack of oxygen) is that it may well have caused the brain damage that caused the symptoms, but it's hard to know because the brain can be affected at any time and it can learn to heal itself. For the answer you would need to look at large studies into the relationship between oxygen deprivation at birth and later issues. Like the one another commenter mentioned about 50% being brain damaged at birth.


Well I do self medicate, so I think drugs can have benefits....but obviously they come with risks and people can abuse them I've done that to. But I'm not going to go around defending it like its the best thing to do or something. But yeah I know lack of oxygen at birth is more or less linked to some disorders, so I figure that could be a factor since it was the case with me as well.


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