Much of my research focused on physical and psychological needs for zombies to eat brains, as well as habitat needs.
One study found that the undead have a significant reduction in the pineal gland. Perhaps Zombies are compensating for a lack of this significant area of the brain, and by eating brains they feel they will make up for the lack of theirs.
Brains are also very high in protein/nutrients.
Recent studies have shown that glial cells, which make up the bulk of a brain, have the ability to act as stem cells, at least as far as being able to replicate other brain cells. Zombies are probably going after the glial cells to help restore some of their brain function.
Brains are also rich in cholesterol, which is essential for maintaining cell membrane pliability, which is a particular problem at the low body temperatures typical of zombies in non-tropical climates.
Psychologically, the act of eating brains can ease the pain of being dead (see movie "From Beyond")This would actually make more sense, when one considers some studies which note that zombies probably don't eat for nourishment, and perhaps the act of brain-eating represents an unholy, instinctive attempt on the undead's part to regain their lost minds.
Also we need to consider that by being dead, many zombies are missing teeth, and prefer eating something that's easy on the gums.
One last idea is that zombies eat brains as a matter of managing their habitat. As is well-known, a zombie's bite will infect a normal human and turn him or her into another zombie within a matter of minutes or hours. This, of course, assumes that the attacking zombie or its pack do not completely consume the victim. Now, you figure that a solo zombie or even one or two attacking in conjunction cannot eat all of the meat parts of a given victim in one sitting. This means that if a zombie just eats an arm, pretty soon it will be joined by a one-armed zombie that is also now on the hunt. Therefore it must now compete with the nub zombies in the pursuit of tasty human flesh. Eating the brain is both satisfying and prevents the rise of new zombies, so the zombie population does not increase to unsustainable levels.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Are you Addicted to Technology
Some people may be as addicted to computers and other personal electronics as junkies are to drugs, according to John O'Neill, director of addictions services for the Menninger Clinic in Houston.
These over-wired people are so focused on their gadgets, they neglect relationships with other people, O'Neill said. Communication aids such as texting and e-mail may actually hamper our abilities to have more important face-to-face conversations.
But some experts object to labeling the techno-savvy as addicts without verifying that they meet the precise psychological definition of addiction.
* In 2006, psychiatrists at Stanford University surveyed people over the phone to try to determine how compulsively they used the Internet. They found a sizable portion of respondents displayed troubling tendencies, but could not determine whether their use merited a medical diagnosis and said more research needed to be done.
* A 2006 article in the journal Perspectives in Psychiatric Care said the Internet can "promote addictive behaviors" and advocated formally recognizing its use as a possible addiction to improve treatment.
* Another research paper, published in 2007 in the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology by a psychiatrist at Tel Aviv University, recommended that Internet addiction be regarded as an extreme disorder on par with gambling, sex addiction and kleptomania.
O'Neill admitted that there is not enough research to establish whether excessive technology use qualifies as addiction, but cited people who can’t sit through a movie without checking their cell phones or make it through dinner without peeking at their Blackberries as potential addicts.
"Technology can become more than a passing problem and more like an addiction," he told LiveScience. He listed some danger signs: "You become irritable when you can't use it. The Internet goes down and you lose your mind. You start to hide your use."
He said he can see corollaries between drug and alcohol addiction and the way some people use technology.
But some experts object to calling any excessive behavior "addiction."
"People use the term 'addiction' pretty indiscriminately, without considering the formal criteria that need to be met," said Robert A. Zucker, director of the Addiction Research Center at the University of Michigan.
He said patients must display certain behaviors including craving, compulsive use, neglecting other responsibilities, withdrawal when the addictive object is not available, and other habits to be considered addicts.
"I am not aware of any work that has formally examined whether persons who make heavy use of cell phones, Blackberries and the like meet these criteria, but until that happens, I remain skeptical of the characterization," Zucker said. "It is trendy but not scientific."
Whether or not it qualifies as addiction, O'Neill said, our all-consuming relationships with technology are getting in the way of more important relationships — with people.
"I believe that technology has benefited us greatly," O'Neill said, "but my concern is that many of us have taken it too far, and it's become a substitute for those necessary face to face conversations."
Some experts agree that people who are over-wired may experience similar brain processes as people who are addicted to other things, such as drugs.
Eugene Samoza, director of the Addiction Research Center at the University of Cincinnati, said that addiction hijacks the brain's natural reward center, the nucleus accumbens. This center rewards humans for acquiring things they need biologically, such as sex and food, by releasing dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with happiness.
"If it causes a release of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens, it acts like addiction," Samoza said. "That’s true of lots of things that people end up liking to do. So basically I think probably one could become addicted to technology."
But even if you are a techno-junkie, it is possible to change, O'Neill said.
"The first thing to do is take a long, hard look at how you are using technologies, and then to start to set some limits," he said. "You have to take off a couple hours and make those hours important enough that you don't allow yourself to be interrupted. I think we should have certain rules. We don’t break up, fire people or break traumatic news to people via e-mail or text message."
http://www.livescience.com/9556-addicted-technology.html
These over-wired people are so focused on their gadgets, they neglect relationships with other people, O'Neill said. Communication aids such as texting and e-mail may actually hamper our abilities to have more important face-to-face conversations.
But some experts object to labeling the techno-savvy as addicts without verifying that they meet the precise psychological definition of addiction.
* In 2006, psychiatrists at Stanford University surveyed people over the phone to try to determine how compulsively they used the Internet. They found a sizable portion of respondents displayed troubling tendencies, but could not determine whether their use merited a medical diagnosis and said more research needed to be done.
* A 2006 article in the journal Perspectives in Psychiatric Care said the Internet can "promote addictive behaviors" and advocated formally recognizing its use as a possible addiction to improve treatment.
* Another research paper, published in 2007 in the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology by a psychiatrist at Tel Aviv University, recommended that Internet addiction be regarded as an extreme disorder on par with gambling, sex addiction and kleptomania.
O'Neill admitted that there is not enough research to establish whether excessive technology use qualifies as addiction, but cited people who can’t sit through a movie without checking their cell phones or make it through dinner without peeking at their Blackberries as potential addicts.
"Technology can become more than a passing problem and more like an addiction," he told LiveScience. He listed some danger signs: "You become irritable when you can't use it. The Internet goes down and you lose your mind. You start to hide your use."
He said he can see corollaries between drug and alcohol addiction and the way some people use technology.
But some experts object to calling any excessive behavior "addiction."
"People use the term 'addiction' pretty indiscriminately, without considering the formal criteria that need to be met," said Robert A. Zucker, director of the Addiction Research Center at the University of Michigan.
He said patients must display certain behaviors including craving, compulsive use, neglecting other responsibilities, withdrawal when the addictive object is not available, and other habits to be considered addicts.
"I am not aware of any work that has formally examined whether persons who make heavy use of cell phones, Blackberries and the like meet these criteria, but until that happens, I remain skeptical of the characterization," Zucker said. "It is trendy but not scientific."
Whether or not it qualifies as addiction, O'Neill said, our all-consuming relationships with technology are getting in the way of more important relationships — with people.
"I believe that technology has benefited us greatly," O'Neill said, "but my concern is that many of us have taken it too far, and it's become a substitute for those necessary face to face conversations."
Some experts agree that people who are over-wired may experience similar brain processes as people who are addicted to other things, such as drugs.
Eugene Samoza, director of the Addiction Research Center at the University of Cincinnati, said that addiction hijacks the brain's natural reward center, the nucleus accumbens. This center rewards humans for acquiring things they need biologically, such as sex and food, by releasing dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with happiness.
"If it causes a release of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens, it acts like addiction," Samoza said. "That’s true of lots of things that people end up liking to do. So basically I think probably one could become addicted to technology."
But even if you are a techno-junkie, it is possible to change, O'Neill said.
"The first thing to do is take a long, hard look at how you are using technologies, and then to start to set some limits," he said. "You have to take off a couple hours and make those hours important enough that you don't allow yourself to be interrupted. I think we should have certain rules. We don’t break up, fire people or break traumatic news to people via e-mail or text message."
http://www.livescience.com/9556-addicted-technology.html
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Groups
Here are the groups were are offering at AAIM Counseling:
AMAC (Adults Molested as Children) Men's Group. Cost: $35. This will be a 16 week male specific AMAC group, starting Oct 19th @ 7pm. Because of the intimate nature of this group, it will close after four weeks and will be restricted to 8 group members, so please refer soon. The group will be lead by Rick Frank PhD. You can contact him directly @ 801-425-5559
Marriage Growth Group. Cost: $35. This will be an ongoing open group to help build skills and resolve dysfunctional interpersonal problems in a marriage. Group begins November 17th @ 7pm. This group will be lead by Rick Frank PhD.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy - Skills Group. Cost $40 (two hour group). This will be an open DBT skills group, focusing on increasing interpersonal effectiveness skills, mindfulness skills, distress tolerance skills and emotional regulation. Group begins November 30th @ 7pm. This group will be lead by Danielle Schnieder. You can contact her directly @ 801-808-6626
If you have any questions for me, please contact me @ 801-808-6516.
AMAC (Adults Molested as Children) Men's Group. Cost: $35. This will be a 16 week male specific AMAC group, starting Oct 19th @ 7pm. Because of the intimate nature of this group, it will close after four weeks and will be restricted to 8 group members, so please refer soon. The group will be lead by Rick Frank PhD. You can contact him directly @ 801-425-5559
Marriage Growth Group. Cost: $35. This will be an ongoing open group to help build skills and resolve dysfunctional interpersonal problems in a marriage. Group begins November 17th @ 7pm. This group will be lead by Rick Frank PhD.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy - Skills Group. Cost $40 (two hour group). This will be an open DBT skills group, focusing on increasing interpersonal effectiveness skills, mindfulness skills, distress tolerance skills and emotional regulation. Group begins November 30th @ 7pm. This group will be lead by Danielle Schnieder. You can contact her directly @ 801-808-6626
If you have any questions for me, please contact me @ 801-808-6516.
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