BARBARA'S TCHATZKAHS

Researchers have uncovered new evidence in mice that may explain how emotionally charged situations can leave such a powerful mark on our memories. Surges of the stress hormone norepinephrine (also known as noradrenaline) that often accompany strong emotions spark a series of molecular events that ultimately strengthen the connections between neurons, the team reports in the October 5, 2007, issue of the journal Cell . “This phenomenon is something everyone can identify with,” said Roberto Malinow of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York. “You can probably remember where you were when you heard about 9/11, but you probably don’t know where you were on 9/10. We've identified one mechanism that may underlie this effect.” The parts of the brain where memories are stored need to distinguish between significant experiences and those that carry less importance, giving priority to the transformation of the former into long-term memory, the researchers explained. One factor th...

This is what happens when abuse victims (ANY kind of abuse, and any religious or cultural background) are silenced!: By SUSAN EDELMAN and KIRSTEN FLEMING A Brooklyn newlywed who jumped to his death from a hotel balcony the night after his wedding was tormented by memories of being sexually molested as a Jewish student, sources say. After joyfully singing and dancing at their lavish celebration in Williamsburg on Nov. 3, Motty Borger, 24, bared his secret anguish to his bride, Mali Gutman, the next day -- and the revelation caused a strain, a source close to the family told The Post. "That entire day he discussed it with her. He told her the story of his life, how he felt so awful and he couldn't go near her," the source said. The couple had met just last July, after a matchmaker set them up. "When he got married, he realized he couldn't face up to it, and he told his wife that he needed help." The stunned bride responded, "So, why did you m...

How to Help Others Relate to Your Chronic Illness by Ellinorianne One of the biggest challenges for those of us struggling with Chronic Illness is that we may not "look" sick and those around us may not get how we are forced to make compromise with our lives at every turn. For me, it has had a lot to do with work and trying to communicate to my coworkers how my Fibromyalgia affects my ability to deal with everyday tasks. The last few weeks have been rather difficult, just Tuesday I spent a good twenty minutes staring between my computer and my work trying to figure exactly what it was I needed to do. My brain fog was just kicking in, I hadn't been getting enough sleep and I was not fully functional. I probably LOOKED fine but I was not okay and had to leave early. I was almost in tears because I was so frustrated, tired and hurting. Symptoms of Fibro-fog The severity of Fibro-fog fluctuates from day to day, as well as from person to person. The following is ...

In June 2007 I wrote an article called PRISONERS OF THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT. Over that summer I was lucky enough to attend a number of conferences on Domestic Violence Advocacy, an area where awareness & advocacy is still desperately lacking. Aside from my speaking out about the lack of or insufficient responses from law enforcement, a lot of talk circled around faith-based abuse counseling. It seems priests, pastors, rabbis and so on are still trying to keep families together when there is clearly a cunning and remorseless abuser or exploiter in the home. Many don't get verbal, emotional or psychological abuse at all! And worst of all, they have little to no knowledge of what their "forgive & forget" speeches and minimization of the abuse's effects do to children. I made the following honest comments to one group: I grew up in a home where I was insidiously abused. To this day I deal with a profound lack of ego & self-esteem and seem to be a magnet f...

a definition of verbal abuse - You understand their feelings, but they never attempt to understand yours; - They dismiss your difficulties or issues as unimportant or an overreaction; - They do not listen to you; - They always put their needs before yours; - They expect you to perform tasks that you find unpleasant, uncomfortable or humiliating; - You "walk on eggshells" in an effort not to upset them; - They ignore logic and prefer amateur theatrics in order to remain the center of attention; - Instead they manipulate you into feeling guilty for things that have nothing to do with you; - They attempt to destroy any outside support you receive by belittling the people/ service/ practice in an attempt to retain exclusive control over your emotions; - They never take responsibility for hurting others; - They blame everyone and everything else for any unfortunate events in their lives; - They perceive themselves as martyrs or victims and constantly expect preferential treatment....