Postcards from the Funny Farm

Like Woody Guthrie says: “Take it easy or take it hard but TAKE IT!”

This post is inspired by and dedicated to my cousin. A rider of coasters of parks and imagination.

I enjoy roller coasters. Tonight I’m writing about them. At the pizza place tonight, my 3 year old daughter, Isabella, wanted to ride a small contraption for 4 tokens that called itself a roller coaster. It was a moving seat in front of a video tape of a real coaster. As I looked over it to make my decision as a dad whether it was an appropriate ride for her age and size, I found myself recalling some of the clinkety clankety roller coasters I’ve loved throughout the years. I let her ride it and I think I loved it more than she did and I wasn’t even in the rumbly seat. Rides create happiness. Because I write here about inspiration, psychology, and offbeat blogging, I thought this quite appropriate.

Roller coasters have woven in and out of my childhood, career, parenthood, and of course I’m sure those with better halves will agree: my marriage. They give you adrenaline, fear, exhilaration, and even exhaustion. We wait in lines for hours sometimes to get our chance to ride and when we’re done were told abruptly to get off. There is a psychology to wanting to ride and a psychology to wanting to stay off. Either way, the roller coaster is there … whether we rant loud or soft, we all get on and we all get off.

When we get inspired to do things, it’s like we’re on a ride. It’s so wonderful and our bodies feel light and invigorated, we laugh until we’re hoarse. But if we’re not careful, the highs of roller coaster inspiration can cause a fall. At the end of the fall, we may find depression or worse than that: no more inspiration. Though our lives are roller coasters, we need to remember this adage: It’s not how fast the roller coaster goes but how straight you walk out the exit. Drugs, for example, can cause you to stumble … and fall. Also, they can destroy brain cells and you can buy more like you would buy computer memory

I would never tell another human to not go on a ride, but I would tell them to stay cool when their riding high because the ground comes inevitably and the high can make you or break you when you’re talking about life’s coaster. People are great, in all their walks. This is no dress rehearsal, we are all on this coaster together.

We’d do well to use the loop-de-loops of life to store up energy. We will need it before we know it.

More people were using Prozac in the 1990’s than aspirin. It was the pop drug of choice for millions of mental health caregivers. Was all that prescribing warranted? We found that Prozac caused suicides and a set of other mental health impairments that were just as bad as depression if not worse. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not saying Prozac is a bad drug or even a dangerous drug. What I am saying is that we were abusing it as a society and some might argue it’s even worse now in the 2000’s. You see these cure-alls all over the place and some of them are effective but not much as they say (like for example colon cleanser for weight loss.)

So what about our drug these days? What are we using as a cure-all? The answer is: Xanax. Xanax shows up in my spam box about 100 times a day along with the other spam. We all get them and if you’re like me, delete them in the bulk folder of your email program. So why is Xanax so alluring? Simple … it’s a powerful tranquilizer that knocks you out. If your doctor has prescribed you Xanax, I am sure he/she had good reason but before you start popping pills to chill yourself out, consider the fact that it IS habit forming and you could get addicted. It can be possible to find calm and happiness without medication (though at time meds are the only way).

While I am a proponent of medication to balance ones brain chemicals, I feel strongly these drugs are over prescribed. To protect yourself you need to learn what makes you happy and what you enjoy. Those should be the first line of defense against anxiety. Your doctor should tell you that, but most pdocs do not. Unfortunately you have to do your own research on how to quell your anxiety before you visit the pdoc. It wouldn’t hurt to give them the benefit of the doubt and see them before you explore natural ways of calm, but rest assured, Xanax is only a short term cure for anxiety. When your body builds up a tolerance, then what?

*caveat: J has reminded us that Xanax is likely not addictive when prescribed in the correct way and dosage. I was referring to people who abuse it with or without a prescription. Even pdocs make mistakes so do what is right for you after getting educaated on what you put into your delicate brain chemistry. Thanks J.

My friend Shelly wrote in a recent comment:

we don’t prepare for old age, because when we are young we think we are immortal.

This is so true. We see this in young men under 25 and the psychologists call it “young man’s syndrome.” It is near impossible for men in this age bracket to imagine their own death. So why does it come into clear focus later in life? What changes? Is there a certain quota of aches and pains that have to occur before we realize we are mortal? Maybe this syndrome is a survival mechanism. Maybe it once kept us at the top of the food chain before we became domesticated creatures. Whatever the reason for it, it shows a very important point:

Our brain has a lot to do with our notion of reality.

Phineas Gage, whose skull and brain injury is a pillar of brain study, emerged from his injury virtually unaffected. The thick metal rod shot directly through his cheek and up through his brain leaving fragments of of brain and bone on it yards away. Though everyone thought he would die, he lived another 15 years. His reason and inhibitions drastically changed in those 15 years, but he did indeed live.

I think we take for granted that our brain is like a knee or an elbow or any other external body part: It can get bruised, it can get scratched and upset. Birth defects are a given, but during our life, parts of our brain can be neglected, causing neuroses. It doesn’t have to be a metal rod through the skull to affect our brain chemistry. We tend to think that our brains are immortal. Just because they are there hidden and snug inside our skulls, we can trust they are feeding us a perception that is 100% “reality.” I challenge that common belief. I posit that for as many brains there are walking the Earth there are different notions of reality. We may share some of the basics, but after that brain chemistry differs and therefore so does perception.

So what does this mean to you? Do all you can to take care of your brain. The instrument is fine. The treasures you will find will be in your mind. If you are chronically upset, see a doctor. It could be a chemical problem. There are many out there untreated. Why suffer when drugs exist to bring you into balance? Short of drugs, make sure you eat right and get the vitamins you need. Sleep is also crucial to mental balance. The next time you think you are upset because of “real” things, remember that your imperfect and delicate brain interprets real. Until you’ve had the decent sleep, mediation, and diet, you should never assume that your brain is qualified to judge reality. Even then, it still can be wrong.

This blog is dedicated to addressing issues of inspiration and psychology in 2008. I hope you’ll be back as we explore more questions and issues in this niche.

Is your brain getting all it needs?