Neuropsychological Effects on Peronality & the Soul

So, I was reading from one of my favorite books, "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat" by Oliver Sacks. And, if you've never read it, and you are interested in neuropsychology, I strongly recommend it. It can be dry and technical at times, but I consider it to be interesting and quite thought-provoking. But, enough of the book report...

I began to think about people who have suffered damage to the brain that altered their personality and behavior. Remember the story of Phineas Gage from Psych 101? He worked on the railroad. He was a responsible and dependable guy. Then, one fateful day, an accident caused a rod to shoot through his skull. He survived...or did he? His personality became so altered, one could say that Phineas Gage was no longer there. He became aggressive and irresponsible, emotional and impulsive. So, who now was the real Phineas Gage? Was his soul too altered by the accident? One would think not, or hope not. One would hope that his soul was unaltered and unharmed, but could no longer express itself in the damaged body.

I think of the soul as the essence of who we are. It's our motivations. I believe that neurological impairments can affect our ability to express ourselves and our behavior may become warped. The judgement that all suicides go to hell is faulty in my opinion. For if someone is deeply disturbed by depression or bipolar disorder, they may have a psychotic episode that cuts them off from all sense of reason. Even without the psychosis, a depressive episode may impair judgement to the extent that the person is no longer in touch with their own soul. Now, if a person has a depressive episode and is contemplating suicide, that is a whole other matter. For the very act of contemplation is judging the act against their beliefs and motivations. They are making a conscious decision, even if they are in a world of pain.

I hope this has given you some food for thought. I will post more on this topic soon. What are your thoughts on the subject?

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Living with Bipolar Disorder

Asthma Attack + Crazy Cat = Pitiful Sleep

As night arrives, I hope that this night will be uneventful, unlike last night. Both of my sons have asthma. Last night around 2:30 am, my 9 yo son, Ryan, entered my bedroom. I heard his wheezing before he had an opportunity to tell me what was wrong. He also had a barking cough, reminiscent of his many previous bouts of croup. I followed him to his nebulizer. He proceeded to set up the nebulizer and begin a breathing treatment. At the end of his nebulizer treatment, his breathing did not seem to have improved. At least, it was not markedly improved. I would expect more from a nebulizer. We returned to my bedroom, where I resolved to do some watchful waiting. I knew he could use his inhaler in a while if his asthma attack didn’t improve. Within the half hour, his breathing quieted down and he was able to sleep, which meant that I was able to sleep too..
That is, until my 7 yo son, Baby Bear, popped into my room. Whining and sniffling, my Baby Bear told me that apparently the cat was mistaking him for a scratching post. Hmmm.. I’m not sure what is going on there. The cat he was referring to is declawed. But, anyway, Baby Bear climbed into my bed between his brother and me. Now, if you have ever tried to get a decent night’s sleep while sharing a bed with two children, then you won’t be surprised to hear that I woke up about as exhausted as I was when I went to bed.

Introduction

Hello! Welcome to my blog.
Just a little bit about me--
I'm a divorced mother of three awesome children. My daughter, Roni, started high school this year. It's hard to believe that she's in high school already! I'm like, "Wasn't I just there?" Before attending high school, she was homeschooled for most of her academic life. This is due to the fact that our public schools fail to meet the needs of gifted children. My daughter loves anything Japanese. She's been studying the language for years. Roni is active in her Girl Scout troop.
My sons are 7 & 9 years old. My 9 y.o., Ryan, loves geography and meteorology. Ryan collects maps. My 7 y.o., Alex, hasn't really honed in on any specific interests yet. However, he is very creative and musically-inclined. He and I are the only left-handers in my family. Both boys are actively involved in Cub Scouts.
Me? I am a freelance writer and Realtor. I love to write and paint with acrylics. I enjoy movies and reading. My goal is to invest in real estate and find a home in the mountains. I always felt that mountains feed my soul. I'll get there, one step at a time.