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Fear: Lifesaver or Manipulator
Advanced Back and Neck Care • Apr 16, 2020

Fear is a powerful emotion that can be used for or against us.

I was shocked to see that I had to walk through a maze of stacked pallets in order to enter the store. Then I saw a man spraying the shopping carts with some chemical, and I felt a chill run down my spine. Once I got inside, I noticed that almost everyone was wearing surgical masks and rubber gloves. It was really creepy, and I felt like I was naked. Some of the people wore pins that read: Stay Back Six Feet, Thank you. I saw others that read: Keep Away from Me by 6 Feet. I noticed that people were avoiding eye contact and some even averted their faces when I looked toward them. I wondered if it was because I wasn’t wearing a mask and gloves. At one point, I cleared my throat and a woman near me jumped away.

Wearing no mask, my fear made me feel naked.Source: Wikimedia Commons Public Domain
The sight of all those masks and gloves was making me afraid. I found that I was only taking shallow breaths in the hopes that I wasn’t inhaling contaminants. I imagined toxic germs on every surface. I was scared to touch anything with my bare hands, and only selected goods that were further back on the shelves where hopefully no one had touched them. I hurried through the store, worked only from my list, looked at nothing extra, and left within minutes. In my car, I slathered my hands liberally with an alcohol-based sanitizer. On the drive home the radio blared warnings of virus deaths soaring, pandemic, body counts rising, hospitals overflowing, quarantine, essential business only, lockdown, worse than the plague, shelter-in-place, all parks and recreation areas closed. Stay Home.

When I got home I sprayed all my purchases with Lysol disinfectant and wiped them down thoroughly. Once that was done, I relaxed and felt the anxiety that had been building up inside me subside… a little. Then I turned the TV onto a news channel and watched: New York City seems like a war zone, Central Park turned into an emergency hospital, refrigerated trucks are storing heaps of dead bodies, mass graves being dug by bulldozers, and nurses quitting their jobs because of mask shortages. I started to feel a paralyzing panic set in.

As I recognized the fear taking over my mind, I paused and remembered that I am the one who ultimately controls my emotions. I thought, “Wow, if I’m feeling this much fear, then it could be that I’m being manipulated. It’s time to see what’s true and what’s not.” I started doing some research and thinking critically.

Fear is our most powerful emotion and the one that motivates us the most. It is a survival mechanism, that dates back to our caveman days, an instinctual reaction that helps us stay healthy and alive. If we survive a bad experience, we never forget how to avoid it in the future. Some of our oldest and most vivid memories are born in fear. It’s adrenaline that etches them into our brains. Nothing makes us more uncomfortable than fear. And, we have so many fears: pain, disease, injury, loss, failure, abandonment, crime, and so on.

According to Clifford Nass, a professor of communication at Stanford University, “We get scared because of what we imagine could happen. Some neuroscientists claim that humans are the most fearful creatures on the planet because of our ability to learn, think, and create fear in our minds.” Once you have become frightened, everything seems scarier, and your fear response becomes amplified. It’s called potentiation when your fear becomes intensified and you react more powerfully. For example, if you are already afraid of snakes, and you see one, you might jump back and scream – even if it’s a harmless garter snake.

Fear invokes the flight or fight syndrome, and our first reaction is to flee back to our comfort zone. And, if we don’t know the way back, we are likely to follow whoever shows us a path. The nature of fear makes us manipulable.

I have heard the media referred to as Fear Porn. Media must sell advertising in order to stay in business; to sell advertising it must attract an audience; to attract an audience it must offer interesting news. The type of news that attracts the most people is negative, and negative news that inspires fear attracts the largest audience. This is because human beings tend to have what’s known as a Negativity Bias.

We are more likely to remember negative experiences over positive ones. We dwell and ruminate more over insults, criticism, failure, loss, and abandonment than we do our successes. Again, this dates back to the evolution of our caveman ancestors because those that paid attention to threats, risks, and other lethal dangers were those who survived and passed on their genes. Bad news warns us that we may need to make a change.

John Cacioppo, a psychology professor at the University of Chicago, conducted studies where participants were shown pictures of either positive, negative, or neutral images, he then observed electrical activity in the brain. He noticed that negative images produced a much stronger cerebral cortex response than did positive or neutral images.

It is our Negativity Bias that cues us to notice bad news. Media companies know this and use it to their advantage. There is an old saying in television news: “If it bleeds; it leads.” The more a story scares you, the more likely you are to watch it and follow it.

“The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed – and hence clamorous to be led to safety – by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.” H. L. Mencken

Fear not only sells more advertising, but it also gets more votes. Politicians, successful ones at least, also understand our negativity bias and will exploit it to gain power. Fear is also how our governments get us to acquiesce to laws that take away our freedom, such as the intrusive search we endure at airports by the TSA. Michael Crichton, in his book State of Fear, said, “Social control is best managed through fear.”

“He who has overcome his fears will truly be free.”
-Aristotle

The first step in dealing with fear is to recognize that you are afraid before you act upon it. Step back and identify the exact cause of your fear. Once you know that you can research whether or not it is based on fact. When you have isolated the facts, you will know if someone is trying to manipulate you or not, and you can act mindfully and rationally.

By Robert Evans Wilson Jr,
originally published on Psychology Today

By Ronald Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O., DACBN, MS, CFMP 13 Mar, 2024
https://www.functionalmedicineuniversity.com/public/2000.cfm ** Feel free to use this article on your website. Compliments from Functional Medicine University . ** Read my past articles: http://www.functionalmedicineuniversity.com/public/department88.cfm ===================== View Rick Bramos Fitness YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_x4I27Z0DfYkfcroXxAhcA/videos Here is Rick's New Video of the Week: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W__EwtXJkyY Rick is now offering phone consultations for those wanting to lose weight or simply to improve their fitness. Rick can be reached at 2days2fitness@gmail.com for more details. ===================== ATTENTION DOCTORS AND ALL HEALTHCARE PRACTITIONERS Tell your friends and colleagues about Clinical Rounds. This is a great introduction to the field of functional medicine. Here is the webpage to subscribe: http://www.clinicalrounds.com Take care, Ron P.S. Please visit our facebook page and "Like It" Of course if you really like it. :) http://www.facebook.com/pages/Functional-Medicine-University/161486170671332
13 Mar, 2024
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Ronald Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O., DACBN, MS, CFMP Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia. Its symptoms vary but may start with mild memory loss or difficulty remembering words or names. As it progresses, Alzheimer's causes worsening confusion and memory loss, changes in personality, the inability to perform everyday tasks and more. Alzheimer's is caused by a slow build-up of protein plaques and tangles in the brain that eventually cause brain cells to stop working properly. This build-up usually starts years before a person experiences symptoms. Alzheimer's-related memory loss is caused by brain cells working improperly and dying-a process known as neurodegeneration. Alzheimer's is estimated to account for about 60% of dementia cases. Diagnosing Alzheimer's Until recently, it has been difficult to identify the biological changes that indicate Alzheimer's. The typical evaluation, which includes physical exam, blood and urine tests and cognitive testing may provide ambiguous or conflicting answers, which can result in delayed referrals until symptoms become clearer. That has changed with new technology and testing. Labcorp has developed a new test called the Amyloid-Tau-Neurodegeneration (ATN) Profile ( ATN Profile) to help doctors detect evidence of biological changes consistent with Alzheimer's. These tests are the first objective tools that doctors have to help evaluate Alzheimer's, meaning that with a simple blood test , doctors and other health professionals allowed to order labs can get a clearer answers on Alzheimer's and its progression and get patients on a care plan earlier. This will in fact give physicians a simple, objective test for Alzheimer's disease pathology that can help shorten the time to diagnosis. Labcorp is the first company to make a fully blood-based ATN Profile commercially available. What is ATN? The ATN framework establishes a means for classifying biomarkers based on the biological evidence of Alzheimer's disease that each marker provides These markers are divided into three categories to reflect the three primary biological changes associated with Alzheimer's: A for amyloid plaques: Accumulations of beta-amyloid 42 proteins begin to form plaques in the brain years before initial symptom onset T for tau tangles: The beta-amyloid 42 accumulation causes misfolding of tau proteins, which tangle into knots and disrupt normal brain cell function N for neurodegeneratio : Brain cell functional impairment causes the cells to die, which exacerbates the characteristic cognitive impairment symptoms observed in Alzheimer's patients
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Ronald Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O., DACBN, MS, CFMP Medical literature is very clear that oral dental health plays a significant role in your cardiovascular health. As odd as it sounds, regularly brushing and flossing your teeth could be what stands between you and a future heart attack. Research has linked bacteria from the Streptococcus genus to fatty plaque buildup in heart arteries. A new study published in the journal Circulation has pinpointed two specific oral microorganisms that play a role in whether we develop atherosclerosis (clogged arteries). In all people there should be a healthy balance of good and bad bacteria in our mouth (teeth). However when this balance is upset, it kicks off a chain of events that makes atherosclerosis far more likely to occur. The researchers used advanced technology for the study to reexamine the gut and oral bacteria assessments and cardiac imaging from 8,973 volunteers in the earlier SCAPIS study. Search in the medical literature has actually identified three bacteria associated with atherosclerosis when they were found in large numbers in the mouth. They include: Streptococcus anginosus Streptococcus oralis Streptococcus mutans The scientists who have published their research have two theories about why these bacteria might be a contributing factor for atherosclerosis. 1:These bacteria (streptococcus species) set off systemic low-grade inflammation that leads to plaque accumulation in heart arteries. 2: In an attempt to evade our immune system, the bacteria in our mouth enter our bloodstream and set up shop in our arteries. Steps to take to decrease the potential of Streptococcus genus compromising our cardiovascular health include: Regularly brushing your teeth Flossing Consider using a waterpik water flosser (this is my dentist strongest recommendations to clean out bacteria deep in the back molars.) This oral health appliance provides a stream of pulsating water to floss between your teeth and below the gumline. Don't forget the most important step of ideal dental health and that is regular dental cleanings. Here are some additional recommendations to be certain your oral health has the best opportunity to be bacteria free. Stop the Sugar Salt Water Rinse Tea Tree Oil and/or Oregano oil products. These essential oils have natural antibacterial qualities. If you battle gingivitis, look for mouthwash or toothpaste made with tea tree oil (never use straight oil) and/or Oregano oil. Olive Leaf Extract: Olive leaf extract is another natural antibacterial that can be used in mouthwash or toothpaste. One of my personal go to preventive measures to ensure optimal oral health is the Dentalcidin Oral Care System by Biocidin Botanicals. Clear here for more details on this dental care system. Start protecting your heart and reducing your risk of heart complications today by focusing on your oral care. You can find a qualified and certified functional medicine practitioner by going to: www.FunctionalMedicineDoctors.com References: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1882761608000045 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1043276015000454 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1594668/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3275337/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33825326/ https://journals.asm.org/doi/full/10.1128/iai.00897-19 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37435755/ The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Grisanti and his functional medicine community. Dr. Grisanti encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. Visit www.FunctionalMedicineUniversity.com for more information on our training in functional medicine. Look for practitioners who have successfully completed the Functional Medicine University's Certification Program (CFMP) www.functionalmedicinedoctors.com . This content may be copied in full, with copyright, contact, creation and information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Dr. Grisanti is required
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