A recent Harvard study dovetails nicely into what Dr Gabor Mate has been asserting for years. In the words of the researchers themselves, “childhood abuse leads to permanent changes in a seahorse-shaped area of the brain that can cause adult depression and drug abuse.”
It also dovetails nicely into a recent surge of anecdotal evidence, namely that exercise can “reverse the damage by prompting the formation of new neurons in this part of the brain.”
The reason adults who come from abusive homes have similar symptoms to veterans returning from war is because of the similar effect of prolonged stress on human biology. In other words, there are events that we are not hardwired to live through, at least not without paying a heavy toll.
If you look at the symptoms of most modern disorders, they are identical to the symptoms of stress. This study proves that far from having a “disorder”, people suffering from depression and anxiety are having a completely natural response to having lived through events that have taken a toll on their bodies.
You can read the full article at Bloomberg.
