Comments on: Post-traumatic embitterment disorder? http://sciencenotes.wordpress.com/2009/07/03/post-traumatic-embitterment-disorder/ Science news and opinions, culture wars, humor, oddities, personal notes Sat, 19 Dec 2009 21:32:10 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Lynna http://sciencenotes.wordpress.com/2009/07/03/post-traumatic-embitterment-disorder/#comment-3521 Lynna Mon, 13 Jul 2009 03:22:29 +0000 http://sciencenotes.wordpress.com/?p=7145#comment-3521 "Post-traumatic embitterment disorder" is a good read. I sometimes wonder if the human brain is vulnerable to OCD. Feeling bitter or betrayed is one thing, but hanging onto that feeling and obsessing over it for years is another thing entirely. People who obsess over having been wronged often perform some sort of ritual as part of the obsession. (At least that's my experience, purely personal -- no data, no stats.) For example, the guy who rereads all the letters from the girlfriend who dumped him ten years ago. Maybe he also "celebrates" the anniversary of the dumping -- black moods, stay home from work. Listen to the Smiths. off topic: Back in March you left a comment on the 9/11 entry of my blog. I never could get that damned post to display properly, so I finally rebuilt the page today. I reposted your comment, but now the date of your post is wrong (all else preserved as you wrote it). Back on topic: I had a brief discussion with someone on Pharyngula about OCD and religion. All those prescriptions for washing hands, eating, praying; all those rituals and rules. I'd like to see Sam Harris compare MRIs of OCD-afflicted persons with highly religious persons. “Post-traumatic embitterment disorder” is a good read. I sometimes wonder if the human brain is vulnerable to OCD. Feeling bitter or betrayed is one thing, but hanging onto that feeling and obsessing over it for years is another thing entirely. People who obsess over having been wronged often perform some sort of ritual as part of the obsession. (At least that’s my experience, purely personal — no data, no stats.)

For example, the guy who rereads all the letters from the girlfriend who dumped him ten years ago. Maybe he also “celebrates” the anniversary of the dumping — black moods, stay home from work. Listen to the Smiths.

off topic: Back in March you left a comment on the 9/11 entry of my blog. I never could get that damned post to display properly, so I finally rebuilt the page today. I reposted your comment, but now the date of your post is wrong (all else preserved as you wrote it).

Back on topic: I had a brief discussion with someone on Pharyngula about OCD and religion. All those prescriptions for washing hands, eating, praying; all those rituals and rules. I’d like to see Sam Harris compare MRIs of OCD-afflicted persons with highly religious persons.

]]> By: Rev. Barky http://sciencenotes.wordpress.com/2009/07/03/post-traumatic-embitterment-disorder/#comment-3500 Rev. Barky Wed, 08 Jul 2009 02:31:51 +0000 http://sciencenotes.wordpress.com/?p=7145#comment-3500 The mind is a weird organ - it gets bored easily - that is it adapts so well that what is "normal" can shift dramatically from person to person and time to time. Since the brain is so malleable and prone to hallucinations and misconception it always amazes me that people accept the absurd over the probable. For example people swear that there are ghosts, but there can't be because, as Piggy in Lord of the Flies said, nothing would work. Often it is the mind that is in error. The mind is a weird organ – it gets bored easily – that is it adapts so well that what is “normal” can shift dramatically from person to person and time to time. Since the brain is so malleable and prone to hallucinations and misconception it always amazes me that people accept the absurd over the probable. For example people swear that there are ghosts, but there can’t be because, as Piggy in Lord of the Flies said, nothing would work. Often it is the mind that is in error.

]]> By: CriticalOfModernMedicine http://sciencenotes.wordpress.com/2009/07/03/post-traumatic-embitterment-disorder/#comment-3496 CriticalOfModernMedicine Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:45:48 +0000 http://sciencenotes.wordpress.com/?p=7145#comment-3496 It's strange that after reading that it makes me immediately think of Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World" and that soon everyone will be taking soma. It’s strange that after reading that it makes me immediately think of Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World” and that soon everyone will be taking soma.

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