This collection is based on Daniel Amen, MD’s BRIGHT MINDS model:
G is for Genetics
H is for Head Trauma
T is for Toxins
M is for Mind Storms
I is for Immunity and Infections
N is for Neurohormone Issues
D is for Diabesity
S is for Sleep
Genes load the gun. Your behavior and environment pull the trigger.
Genetics matter for certain brain diseases. For example, in the general population depression affects 6% of people. If one person has depression, the chances that a sibling also has depression are 20%. With identical twins, if one twin has depression, there is a 44% chance that the other twin will have it.
Genes are not a death sentence. They should be a wake-up call for you to know your risks and work hard to prevent illness.
Did you know your anxiety may be from another time? Researchers performed an experiment with mice. Each time the smell of cherry blossoms was in the air, they shocked the mice to scare them. This created a classic fear response in which the mice associated the smell with the shock. The unexpected result was that the rodents’ offspring were also afraid of the scent of cherry blossoms despite never being shocked! I am shocked at that result. Emotions like fear, anxiety, and even hatred may have ancestral origins. It also means that when you make lifestyle choices, these choices not only affect you but also your children, grandchildren, and future generations.
My Action Steps
- Consider that if I have an emotion that seems irrational, it may have an origin somewhere in my ancestry.
- I took a genetic test for the ApoE gene to determine Alzheimer’s risk. I wrote about that in this post.
- I will continue addressing all the other BRIGHT MINDS risk factors to minimize brain decline and disease.