Emotions and effect on Body Chemicals and vice versa

Emotions/Thoughts Knowingly or unknowingly everyone here have experience the emotions in their daily life. In bookish term we will say Emotions are mental state that arises spontaneously rather than through conscious effort and is often accompanied by physiological changes. No one has control to stop the emotions. We can try to change them but we cannot stop themso before we learn how to change them lets get some more information about emotions.what kind of emotions are there? Happy- when we meet some good friend, do some activity which we enjoy that could be anything like eating good food, watching movie Anger- when something happen which is not as per your expectations..it could be any situation/person/thing Fear/anxiety- when something happened which you dont likeexample after exam waiting for result, feeling of getting caught by cop, fear from fight/height Sad/Depression- when we feel down, not able to concentrate and sometime we cry too

Interesting facts about emotions Emotions dont remain the same for a long time Have you ever notice when we get angry.. After few minutes/days we get normal..just like that if we are happy or sad that feeling also go away after some time. Another example is: when you are driving a car and some thing (could be animal) come in front of your car.and you have to put the brake with your full energy. Did you notice any change? Yesyour heart start pounding very fast.that is due to the feeling of fear and it takes few minutes or may be an hour to become normal. You were not in that emotional state for very long time and you start driving as you were doing before. So this all shows that emotions do not remain the same for long time and it keeps changing. Emotions come with intensityevery person will have different effect in same situation..for example horror moviefew people say they dont get sacred but some have to watch them with closed eyesso it is not the same for every person.

How emotions affects our body:

As everybody have read before sometime in school about our body that All the systems of the body (digestion, respiration, elimination etc.) are made up of glands (adrenal, mammary etc.), and organs (heart, liver, lungs, etc.). Glands and organs are comprised of tissues, (fat, bone, muscle etc.), and tissues are composed of cells. Cells, therefore, are the fundamental functional (physiological) and structural (anatomical) parts of the human body as well as all other living organisms. Here I would mention one body part that plays the most important part in controlling these body changes and that is our Brain. This is the one body part which is most complex structure and most important as well. Our five senses are controlled by brain and things beyond senses like our thoughts, memories, dreams, reasoningare all comes and process there. In our brain we have the limbic system which does all these functions and here is a quick refreshment to understand better (you might have read about this in school time below is the link where we can get more information)

Lymbic System
The Emotional Brain, known as the Limbic System,

Lymbic System is a grouping of related components surrounding the Brain-Stem and lying beneath the Neocortex. These ancillary artefacts include the Hypothalamus, the Amygdala, and the Hippocampus. Although certain activities and properties are centred in each part, it must be emphasised that although each of these artefacts are discrete constructions in themselves, they, as in all things in the natural world, act not in isolation but as part of an integrated system.

The Hypothalamus triggers the physical manifestations such as the pounding heart and dry mouth that come with fear. The Hippocampus is responsible for our memories of incidents that carry a strong emotional flavor. The Amygdala influences the manners in which we behave when emotionally aroused. For example, laughing when happy, and crying when distressed. It is particularly active in emotional reactions associated with fear, anger, flight and defense. These parts of the brain are the hardware, the chemicals that they use as communicators may be considered as being our software. So just like other body parts.our brain is also composed of cells. The number of cells in brain is in millions. Each cell has millions of receptors on the surface of the cell. Example could be golf ball/ satellite dish/ locks anything. Now what happens is; our body has chemicals (explained below and in scientific terms it is called Ligands) in our blood which run through all over body and few chemicals which communicate are in the form of amino acids (pearl shape) so when we get the emotions these chemicals or we can say these pearl shape substance get the vibration and become active and based on the formation they go to the selective receptor and that receptor accepts these chemicals and understand the reaction and tell it to the body part that I got the message to laugh/cry.

Ligands (general terms chemicals) which mean substance that bind selectively to a specific receptor site on the surface of a cell and can be natural or man-made substances. There are three kinds of ligands 1. Neurotransmitters- serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, GABA and acetylcholine.generally made in the brain to carry information across the gap, between one neuron and the next. 2. Steroids- harmones testosterone, progesterone and estrogen.

3. peptides- made up of strings of amino acids

It is the function of ligands (body chemical) to transmit a message to the cell that coordinate body functions such as metabolism, (digestion and elimination), and respiration on a cellular level. These cellular processes in turn bring about dramatic functional changes in tissues, glands, organs, and entire body systems. At the same time peptides not only coordinate almost all body functions on a physical level, but also on an emotional level. These powerful biochemicals are concentrated in the limbic system (see above), the seat of the emotions, and play an important role in governing our emotions as well. In nut shell: If the cell is the engine that drives all life, then the receptors are the buttons on the control panel of that engine and a specific peptide (ligand) is the finger that pushes that button and gets things started.

Here is the video which shows the better how it works http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tqqq5eme4X0 from 2:58 to 4:50

Peptides are made up of Amino acids and these amino acids are the letters that when combined in certain sequences, form the words and by that make up a language that forms and directs the function of every single cell, organ and system inside the body. More than 90 neuropeptides have been identified so far, associated with mood changes, nerve, hormone and immune regulation. Well known groups of neuropeptides include the neurotransmitters that carry messages across synapses in the nervous system, growth factors, gut peptides, immune system modulators (e.g. interleukins, cytokines, chemokines, growth inhibitors that tell cells when to stop growing*). A better term for the peptides might be informational substances. Other common peptides include the endorphins (our own happy hormones), insulin (responsible for blood sugar control), vasopressin (responsible for blood pressure), sex hormone releasing hormones, serotonin (the feel-good neurotransmitter) There are 20 essential amino acids found in the human body, meaning that we have to take it in from the food we eat, as theyre not manufactured inside the body, hence essential. The first peptide, secretin was discovered in the gut. These surprised scientists as they thought all physiological functions were controlled purely by electrical impulses from the brain and nerves. Then the endogenous endorphins, enkephalin peptides that bind to the bodys own opiate (morphine-like) receptors inside the brain, were found. This led to a mad search for receptors and their binding peptides inside the brain, hence the pronoun neuropeptides. It was only realised much later that every single peptide was made in many parts of the body, including of course, the brain. Now we know that the peptides are actually manufactured throughout the whole body, e.g. immune cells, bone marrow and gut cells have receptors for and produce neuropeptides. The T & B-cells of the immune system communicate with the brain and vice versa via the neuropeptides. Emotions can suppress lymphocyte function, others may enhance it.

Neuropeptides cause chemical changes in the body that can improve or weaken the immune system. Once immune cells receive the stress response alarm, they undergo changes and begin to produce powerful chemicals. These substances allow the cells to regulate their own growth and behavior, enlist the help of other immune cells, and direct these to the areas of invasion or other trouble spots. Studies show that the HIV virus interferes with a peptide associated with feelings of self-esteem. In one study, patients with full blown Aids, who had therapy to boost their sense of self and strengthen emotional bonds, survived statistically longer than expected.

Another example: Rheovirus, which causes common cold, uses receptors for norepinephrine. If an individual is happy, these receptors are filled with norepinephrine so happy person is less likely to get a cold.

What has changed in science after this research? BY CANDACE PERT- Emotions are neuropeptides attaching to receptors and stimulating an electrical change on neurons. The mind exists not only in the brain. Neuropeptides are also produced by the spleen, thymus, bone marrow, lymph glands, and the dorsal horn of the spine. Neuropeptides produced by the brain, arriving to open receptors in the intestines, are the root of the expression 'gut feeling

Few examples of Body Chemicals and their effects: Adrenanline- Bad Chemical- The human body responds to stressors by activating the nervous system and specific hormones. The hypothalamus signals the adrenal glands to produce more of the hormones adrenaline and cortisol and release them into the bloodstream. These hormones speed up heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, and metabolism Endorphins- The brain produces its own chemical. These chemicals are produced in the brain in response to a variety of stimuli. Endorphins were discovered in 1975. Stress & pain are the two most common triggers for release of the endorphins. Activation of the opiate receptors in the brain by the bodies own endorphins do not cause addiction or dependence, whereas exogenous opiates, such as morphine and codeine, do lead to addiction and dependence. Effect of natural endorphins: Decrease in pain sensation feelings of euphoria appetite modulation release of sex hormones enhanced immune response

fewer negative effects of stress

Our youth is the example of endorphins and when this chemical reduces then we start getting older Serotonin- feels good chemicals. Voilent behaviour is linked to lowered serotonin. We are all familiar with the increase in irritability that comes with hunger. Serotonin is a by product of tryptophan that has to reach the brain before production can commence. Insulin is a chemical that absorbs a range of these competitors. Insulin is secreted when it is called upon to digest food with high carbohydrate content. So to restore serotonin levels, eat a banana, or something of that nature. This will secrete insulin. Insulin will clear the channel for tryptophan to reach the brain. Serotonin will then produced from the tryptophan and that will improve the attitude. What Ayurveda says? Our ancient science of life which is called Ayurveda in Sanskrit says the same thing that depression/stress is the main cause of the physiological imbalances or, as the sages would say, Its ama. Stress puts blockages in our physiology, thereby impeding the flow of life energy, dampening the digestive fire and generating ama. Chronic stress affects what scientists call the hypothalamic-pituitary axis (HPA). The hypothalums(explained above) is the master controlling region in the brain and the pituitary gland is the master controlling gland of the endocrine system. Depressed individuals show this pattern of impairment in the HPA. During the depressive episode, the levels of adrennorcorticotroic harmone (HCTH) and cortisol secretion increase. The levels of serotonin, norepinenphrine, dopamine and other biochemicals fluctuate as an adaptive response to the changes in the HPA. Another affected biochemical is melatonin, a hormone associated with sleep. Also, when serotonin is substantially reduced by acute and chronic stress, there is an increase in the activity of the locus coeruleus, a part of the brain that affects anxiety, anger, fear and frustration. In simple terms- Any aggravation of the doshas affects agni (the digestive fire) and produces ama (toxins). Ama enters the blood stream and circulates throughout the body, clogging the channels and tissues. This accumulated toxicity will slowly affect the vital life energy (prana), the immunity (ojas) and the cellular metabolic energy (tejas), and

result in disease. So, ama is the basic internal cause of all ailments, and it is due to the aggravation of vata, pitta, or kapha. According to Ayurveda, the key to optimal health is to help the body eliminate toxins and reestablish the balance of the doshas. According to Ayurveda, food is one of the main reason which affects our emotions through the direct effect of taste, through the effect during digestive (virya), and the effect after digestion (vipaka). The resulting doshas and gunas stimulate the occurrence of particular Emotions. Thus all foods are moodfoods. Some food may have toxic effects on our emotional well-being. Meat is emotionally toxic because it contains large amounts of neurotransmitters created by the fear and pain of the dying animals. Therefore eating organic food is another way to avoid emotionally toxic sustances. How to control/change emotions? Positive thoughts- Nothing more important that our own thought process. For example: 1. Interpretation of an event or experience Most events outside us don't prompt emotions. It is the interpretation of the event that prompts the emotion.

Event

Interpretation

Emotion

Seeing my boyfriend with my They must have been talking Anger best friend about me

My car has a flat tire

Some neighborhood kid did this

Anger

It starts to thunder and

I have heard of people being Fear

lightning

killed by lightning

I see Mary at the concert with Betty after she promised to go Mary doesn't care about me with me

Sadness

I see Mary at the concert with Mary is trying to get back at Betty after she promised to go Anger me with me

Can you see that the emotion comes after the interpretation is made, after you have the thought about the reason something is happening? So always positive interpretation will bring positive thoughts.. Think of some examples of your own, and list the event, your interpretation of the events (what you think about it) and your emotion. Consider laughter- A genuine deep belly laugh floods our cells with happy brain chemicals. After a belly laugh, we feel purified, lighter. Yoga- Pranayamas (breathing techniques) are procedures used to enhance the flow and circulation of "prana" in the body, usually through regulation of the breathing pattern or rhythm. "Prana", or life force, is said to enter the body through food, sunlight and breath. It energizes and vitalizes the vital fluids in the body called "ojas", which include the blood, lymph, extracellular, sexual and cerebrospinal fluid. Breathing exercises has positive effect on the brain and the endocrine system. Studies suggest that the practice of these technique increases serotonin levels, more important, it also reduces cortisol levels. Hence we can reduce the stress and treats the depression. For example: Kapalbhati and Bastrika breathing excersises both stimulate the network of nerves in the abdominal cavity that regulates digestion and metabolism. These exercises trigger the release of two stimulating substances: epinerphrine and norepinephrine. The latter, is one of the brain chemical that is deficient in depression. Increasing the levels of this biochemical in the bloodstream uplifts mood and improves physiological performance in every way. These also increase resistance to stress through the probable release of feel good hormones such as oxytocin and prolactin.

Meditation - techniques such as "mantras", and "kirtan" (chanting) are also utilized to experience pure awareness without the interruption of thoughts or feelings. A "mantra" is a word, sound or word-phrase, which the mediator concentrates upon to keep attention from being involved with the external physical environment, physical feelings, moods, or thought processes. "Mantras" are mentally repeated and/or "listened to" in reiterated cadence, usually in coordination with, and simulating the audible sound of the in-going and out-going breath. As the "mantra" is coordinated with the in and out going breath, the practitioner's attention is focused on the cerebrospinal fluid going up and down the spine. The high and low pitch "tones" of the chant resonating within the body also enhance CSF flow. This occurs because the vibrational sound of the chant has a stimulating effect on the liquid medium of the CSF as it circulates around the brain and spinal cord. Lower pitch "tones" resonate in the chest and abdomen areas, and affect the CSF within the spinal column. Higher pitch tones resonates in the head, and therefore impact on the CSF as it circulates within the cranium. Medicines From tranquilizers and sleeping pills to alcohol and marijuana, many classes of drugs temporarily inhibit activity in the locus coeruleuse, thus reducing anxiety, anger, fear and frustration. Nevertheless, the effect of these substances is only transient at best and their side effects are negative. For example: The antipsychotic drugs Haldorl, Thorazine, Risperdal block receptors dopamine; this can cause GI & immune side effects; it releases prolactin in women which causes constant PMS. References: http://www.healthstresswellness.com/index.asp?pgid=72 http://www.healtouch.com/csft/bodywork.html http://www.healtouch.com/csft/yoga.html http://truthseekerjournal.com/1997archive/124_1/15_chemical.html http://al.turtlecounseling.com/blog/Relationships/Skills/FeelingsandEmotions/_archives/2 005/4/7/562962.html http://lipgravy.com/whitefeatherlibrary/emotionsandfeelings.html http://www.charisma.org.uk/chapt-8.htm http://www.rasas.info/body_mind_emotions.htm http://kr.buddhism.org/~skb/down/papers/152.pdf