Early life stress linked to heightened levels of mindful “nonreactivity” and “awareness” in adulthood

[ALS]

Early life stress linked to heightened levels of mindful "nonreactivity" and "awareness" in adulthood, study finds

Researchers in Brazil investigated the consequences of early life stress on trait mindfulness in adulthood and surprisingly found that those who experienced heightened stress in early life often had high scores on some aspects of trait mindfulness. The research, which appears in BMC Psychology...

www.psypost.org

Researchers in Brazil investigated the consequences of early life stress on trait mindfulness in adulthood and surprisingly found that those who experienced heightened stress in early life often had high scores on some aspects of trait mindfulness. The research, which appears in BMC Psychology, encourages further exploration into the consequences of early life trauma that results in mindful behaviors, possibly increasing resilience.

Numerous studies have explored the impact of early life stress on the development of brain structures related to the regulation of emotions. These studies have shown that exposure to early life stress can lead to mental and physical health disorders in adulthood. Adverse living conditions and low socioeconomic status are also linked to negative health outcomes that can impair cognitive and neurobiological development.

 

[Androsclerosis]

I don't know how accurate this is knowing that childhood trauma increase derealization/depersonalization, a state where you can't really control your mind, to be present or to wander. All the traumatized people I met were dissociated, far from mindful.

 

[TheSir]

I don't know how accurate this is knowing that childhood trauma increase derealization/depersonalization, a state where you can't really control your mind, to be present or to wander. All the traumatized people I met were dissociated, far from mindful.

I think it's worth noting the difference between stress that is internalized as trauma and stress that is withstood, processed and moved on from. In this sense I wonder which one is the cause and which one the effect. Do naturally mindful people get over stressors or do stressors facilitate mindfulness?

 

[LastingJoy]

Hi, a higher "nonreactivity to inner experience" in neglected people, this seems logical, stress specifically in men can lead to a much higher degree of stoicism and numbness in the brain, the third eye, the heart, and to less reactions to thoughts because the emotions aroused are less intense.

And it can also lead to being perceived as more mindfull and less "auto-pilot" because the person has less intense emotions and intuitions, and uses more "focus", more reasoning, which is not necessarily better, and can often be less effective

they are not detailed and explicit enough in the link you shared

 

[LastingJoy]

I don't know how accurate this is knowing that childhood trauma increase derealization/depersonalization, a state where you can't really control your mind, to be present or to wander. All the traumatized people I met were dissociated, far from mindful.

Hi traumas and depersonalization are probably the manifestation of the overcoming of a person's ability to either:

feel intense emotions that are mostly positive with few negative ones, and the ability to let go of negative emotions once the bad experience has passed.

Or:

To be stoic enough to no longer be able to feel this intensity and frequency of negative emotions.

Once these two abilities are exceeded, the person is prone to be overwhelmed by too many emotions, and too many negative emotions, with a low ability to let go of them even after the experience has passed, and trauma and depersonalization can result

 

[ALS]

They might be confusing that with hyper-vigilance.

 

[Androsclerosis]

I think it's worth noting the difference between stress that is internalized as trauma and stress that is withstood, processed and moved on from. In this sense I wonder which one is the cause and which one the effect. Do naturally mindful people get over stressors or do stressors facilitate mindfulness?

I think it all depends on how your brain reacts, not how you try to process the emotions. When you get into a high serotonin state from trauma, it doesn't matter how hard you try to change your thinking processing pattern or to be 'positive', it won't help.
When you control your chemistry of the brain, you control your emotions, reactions, not vice versa. That's why it's better to take pregnenolone when trauma happens than trying to find a way out. People who are trauma resistant, usually have a higher production of protective hormones, that's it.

 

[Androsclerosis]

Also, when a person is traumatized, memories are inhibited, dissociation appears, it's hard to stay focused and cognitive decline starts. No amount of mindfulness will help. Increasing brain energy is what is needed.
Also, I remember haidut saying that it's better to express your emotions than suppressing them. We know that estrogen makes us irritable, there is no other cure than to decrease it, but most people will suggest you to do anger management courses.

 

[TheSir]

I think it all depends on how your brain reacts, not how you try to process the emotions. When you get into a high serotonin state from trauma, it doesn't matter how hard you try to change your thinking processing pattern or to be 'positive', it won't help.
When you control your chemistry of the brain, you control your emotions, reactions, not vice versa. That's why it's better to take pregnenolone when trauma happens than trying to find a way out. People who are trauma resistant, usually have a higher production of protective hormones, that's it.

Yep, I recall reading that in the US navy soldiers are supplied with an emergency drug combo that is comparable to benzos and amphetamine, the purpose of which is to protect from PTSD in case the ship takes a hit and starts to sink, without compromising their ability to react fast and correctly in order to save themselves. No idea if this is true, but it would make sense.

I think the connection between reactions and chemistry is potentially more of a two-way street than what you're implying, however for an untrained main it no doubt is easier to start from the side of brain chemistry. A sufficiently trained mind can choose exactly what to pay attention to, even to the point of blocking sensory input altogether. This would make one virtually immune to trauma.

 

[Androsclerosis]

I think the connection between reactions and chemistry is potentially more of a two-way street than what you're implying, however for an untrained main it no doubt is easier to start from the side of brain chemistry. A sufficiently trained mind can choose exactly what to pay attention to, even to the point of blocking sensory input altogether. This would make one virtually immune to trauma.

That's true in some cases. A trained mind is like a trained body.
In a fighting match, the guy who took most shots in the training sessions would probably have stronger bones and less sensitivity to pain, but interestingly enough, even tough guys break at some point. Lots of incredible fighters went into a vegetative state. If the more you train, the tougher you are, then fighters over 40 would be the best, but that's not the case.
Even if you get your mind trained, if the stress is persistent, you will break at some point, there is no immunity to trauma. The only ones resistant to it may be the psychopathic serial killers that have no remorse upon their actions and they may see blood and pain as something pleasant and normal.