Thanks for the Memories. This was a song made famous by “Les Brown and his Band of Renown.” In the 1960’s and 70’s I recall Bob Hope specials on television with Les Brown conducting his signature song. I was of course a neonate at the time, so my recollection depends upon the generosity of my elders. Unfortunately, truth be told, I recall these TV specials from childhood and early adolescence. I was indifferent to his music at the time, yet I still recall Les Brown’s name and can hum his tune. What purpose could there be in retaining this trivial information?
Consider memory as a storage house of our five senses. Smell is strangely the most powerful initiator of old memories, with hearing, touch, taste and vision not far behind. The greater the interconnection of the senses, the greater the chance of the memory being retained and recalled. For example, reading about building a model airplane is easily forgotten. Reading then watching someone else build the plane solidifies the memory. Actually assisting someone else build the plane after reading and watching further enhances recall and subsequent successful performance. The auditory memory channel was strengthened by the visual, and locked into place by the motor/tactile. Each sensory channel leading into the storehouse is strengthened by repetition. It appears that repetition across days is better at storage than repetition across minutes, or even hours. Consolidation of memory during sleep may be a factor, but this has yet to be proven. Two hours of effort-full practice a day over ten years typically leads to mastering nearly any skill. Like a road or river, the greater flow produces a larger pathway.
Hence, the successful regulation of cell to cell communication by way of gap junction modulation represents a novel approach to the treatment of these two serious conditions and extending the life expectancy of the patient. order cheap viagra In this way, discount levitra Sildenafil boost the sexual stimulation in the central nervous system (brain). So, it is rightly called the viagra free sample . levitra cannot be afforded by all. However, the two weren’t united until relatively recently. viagra store usa “Les Brown & his Band of Renown” were televised every six months to a year; deepening this auditory and verbal memory pathway. These TV specials were viewed by the whole family, associating other auditory, tactile and visual information with the events. Not only did the TV specials reflect my personal history, but the unique time in history that served as a backdrop for these specials. The war in Vietnam took center stage at the time. Episodic memory refers to the storage and recall of personal events-laughing with the family. Semantic recall refers to the storage and recall of events that are outside of oneself-the Vietnam war. Writing an autobiography requires precise episodic recall, whereas playing Jeopardy requires excellent semantic recall. There is obviously some blurring between these two categories, yet people who suffer with deficits strictly in the episodic or semantic mode are well known. It is likely that my recall of the TV specials was enhanced by interconnected personal and historical memories of the events.
Perhaps retaining the memory of “Les Brown and his Band of Renown” was not so trivial after all. In order to commit any type of information to memory, the use of multiple senses over several days will increase the amount and strength of memory storage. Linking personal with extra-personal events further solidifies memories into long-term storage. Memories that remain strong over many years expose their importance. Many people want to forget strong memories. Perhaps listening to their call across the years is wiser than ignoring their pleas. Please leave comments in the space provided below.
Many people have a goal of reducing or eliminating anxiety in their lives. Through groundbreaking research in the 1950’s, the average person is aware that chronic stress may lead to unpleasant health effects. Heart disease to hair loss is ascribed to chronic stress. It begs the question as to how stress differs from anxiety, or does it? Perhaps it is best to begin with a definition of terms.
Chronic anticipation of the future is considered anxiety, and if one views this future as negative and unavoidable, then it is more apt to receive the label of stress. Anxiety is often viewed as a symptom of the mind, and stress is perceived as affecting both the mind and body in a negative fashion. Anxiety may have positive connotations; such as anticipation of a wedding or performing in front of an audience. The original conception of stress segregated it into the two poles entitled distress and eustress. Distress is obvious, but eustress is a term not likely to be encountered since it was first coined. Eustress refers to the type of anxiety experienced as relatively pleasant and stimulating. Rushing home from work to usher a child to band practice may have multiple interpretations. It may be experienced as an opportunity for personal time with the child. Band practice is an enriching and stimulating activity. The situation may also be perceived as a helpless madcap dash that always seems to end with a tardy and upset child. Stress research strongly emphasizes the role of a person’s evaluation of their situation. If someone feels caught and helpless in a situation, even if they have real control, they will experience the bodily effects of chronic stress.
There does not appear to be much difference between eustress and optimistic nervous anticipation. Perhaps anxiety commonly denotes short-term nervous anticipation and eustress tends to favor a longer experience of the pleasant anxiety. Unpleasant anxiety is experienced as stressful if the person becomes convinced that they are unable to help themselves or others in a meaningful way. A perceived lack of power to effect the unpleasant situation is the most direct route to physical decline. When rodents are punished in an arbitrary fashion, shocked on a random basis, they will uniformly give up and sit shaking in a corner. A reduced appetite, weight loss and a diminished lifespan result if this torture is continued. Sexual activity in the rodent disappears, and subsequent socialization is minimal and not helpful to their survival. The key cognitive factor initiating distress appears to be helplessness-a profound lack of control.
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Unfortunately, there is no research to support that a greater level of real control results in a less anxious person. If a person believes they have control over their environment, then they typically report less symptoms of anxiety than most people. Many of my patients over the years report chronic anxiety over the welfare of children and other close others. Most of these people do not classify themselves as anxious, nor do they meet the criteria of an anxiety disorder. Many of my patients worry about their jobs on a chronic basis, their health and the fidelity of their partners. Few of these patients meet the criteria of an anxiety disorder, nor are they experiencing stress-related illnesses. On the other hand, many people believe they are in control of their life, but they cannot consciously admit certain fears that conflict with their confident self-image. For example, a wealthy business owner came to be evaluated for his emotions and cognition, secondary to several stress-related symptoms. He was happy at work, which he controlled, but felt foolish and incompetent at home, which he did not control. This person did not meet the criteria for depressive or anxiety disorders, rather the chronic stress he experienced at home made him avoidant of his family. He doctor shopped to explain the hair loss, stomach troubles and irritable sadness he experienced in the presence of his family.
Perhaps the only way to avoid anxiety is to avoid living. Less anxiety is also equatable with less joy, less expectation and a diminished sense of being fully alive. The avoidance of stressful anxiety appears to balance on a person’s perception of control. The strange truth is that an easy-going homeless pauper may experience less stressful anxiety than the King of Araby! Maximizing the anxiety that enlivens and minimizing the stress that kills is a key challenge to constructing an ideal life. Please leave comments regarding this article in the space provided below.
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