Posted by spike4848 on January 6, 2002, at 1:05:26
In reply to Re: WHY are we all so 'chemically challenged'? » BarbaraCat, posted by CalvaryHill on January 6, 2002, at 0:22:19
I agree with two views concerning the origins of mood disorders:
(1) There is the "Sickle Cell" phenonema .... people with 1 sickle cell gene or "Sickle Trait" are protected against malaria ... which still is a huge killer in Africa. People with 2 sickle cell genes or "Sickle Disease" go on to have many complications. Too much of a good thing.
Same with mood disorders .... people with mild mood abnormalities, like high energy types tend to succeed in this fast paced world. People with severe mood abnormalities such as mania and depression tend to fair worse in the world. Too much of a good thing.
(2) Prior to this century, most humans lived into their late twenties and early thirties. I think our bodies were programed to live to about that age comfortably. Now that we are living to an average age of late 70's we are seeing an explosion of all types of diseases. I personally believe the brain was not meant to absorb all of modern societies stresses for 70 plus years.
Spike
You were probably looking for a simplier answer, sorry for the verbal diarrhea.
poster:spike4848
thread:88953
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020103/msgs/88973.html