vmPFC
Understanding Learned Helplessness with Dr. Brian King
Learned helplessness is the condition of a human or animal that has learned to behave helplessly, failing to respond even though there are opportunities for it to help itself by avoiding unpleasant circumstances or by gaining positive rewards. Learned helplessness theory is the view that clinical depression and related mental illnesses may result from a perceived absence of control over the outcome of a situation.[1] Organisms that have been ineffective and less sensitive in determining the consequences of their behavior are defined as having acquired learned helplessness.[2]
Listen Live Now!
Impact of Poverty on the Daddy Brain with Dr. Louann Brizendine
Listen Live Now!
Venus versus Mars, male versus female, and men versus women—since time immemorial these two human species need to battle for everything, whether they like it or not. In the process, it leads to a variety of biases and even misconceptions about the opposite sex. There may be no such thing as pure equality between us, but there can be understanding. When you know more about the other, you begin to learn how to communicate more effectively; tolerate or, better yet, accept each other’s differences; and learn to appreciate each other’s presence and contribution in society.
Bad Bedfellows – Stress and Poverty
Understanding Your vmPFC
Bad Bedfellows – Stress and Poverty
The vmPFC (Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex) controls and helps to reduce the impact of stressful situations. Stressors aren’t stressful in you think you can escape or solve them at will.
The brain has an entire system for turning off the stress systems known as the dorsal raphe nuclei. It’s located in the Prefrontal Cortex and when we think, then we have control over the stressful situation.
Control over a stressor activates the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). The vmPFC turns off the stress response and eliminates the effects of stress. After experiencing control, it extrapolates to other stressors. People with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), don’t activate this region under stress
Further explanation is provided as Philippe Matthews, the founder of the HOW Movement, interviews Psychologist, Dr. Brian King
Dr. Brian King:
The ventromedial prefrontal cortex is that area of the brain, located in the part of our brain that we would consider our conscious mind, the part of our brain where all conscious activity occurs. When we feel in control, what we’re doing is we’re activating areas in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and that has a connection to other parts of the brain that control our stress response. Feeling in control turns off our stress response. Not feeling in control, of course, is where all the effects of stress come from. Control is really the element there.
