Talk:Psychic numbing

Article notes by main author
I am beginning to describe the neuroscience behind psychic numbing and how it relates to memory recall. Also, some more general background about psychic numbing is being completed before it is moved into the article itself - check out my sandbox if you'd like User:hickokc/sandbox Hickokc (talk) 03:14, 28 March 2012 (UTC)
 * References To Consider:

Role of Religious Values
Quality

very good and insightful. Interesting analysis of cancer vs. non-cancer/non-life threatening disease patients. Addresses personal/collective coping strategies and how they relate to religious values

Description/Key Points

Questions/areas of interest
 * Scoring of depersonalization
 * 1) differences of coping methods between cancer/non-life threatening illnesses given the variables of religion/psychological well being
 * 2) the relationship between one's beliefs and meanings of religious belief
 * 3) one's belief and church affiliation as it relates to coping with the disease/illness
 * 4) Does the illness experience regarded as out of one's control enhance one's psychological well being?
 * 5) the relationship between cancer/non-cancer in observation of transcendent meaning -- (healing process)

Middle Knowledge Religion
 * findings show that cancer patients are coping no worse than non-cancer patients
 * difference in coping styles
 * cancer patients
 * blunt the trauma as a means of handling a painful reality
 * report as "self-distancing"
 * take on a 3rd person perspective
 * fluctuating middle ground between denial and acceptance of the disease/illness
 * putting one's life with in the framework of religion as a "self-completion" plays a very important role in the coping process

Opinion

this is a very intuitive and moving article. I will use this because it does a very good job of breaking up more important theoretical concepts as they relate to cancer and psychic numbing. This is interesting because it shows, on an individual level that a cancer patient numbs him or herself to the trauma of the illness, however on a collective level - the majority of cancer patients were seen to have the same type of mentality. I like this because it complements the collective and individual arguments for psychic numbing.

Hickokc (talk) 02:11, 28 March 2012 (UTC)

Exploring the Roles of Emotional Numbing
Quality

Good, outlines the DSM (at the time DSM-3) definition of both psychic numbing and PTSD. Once again, linking PTSD with psychic numbing. mentions 3 valuable points.

Description/Key Points

PTSD an alteration between intrusive flashbacks and numbing of emotional responses Psychic Numbing
 * avoidance
 * 1) loss of interest in an activity
 * 2) detachment from others
 * 3) restricted range of affect


 * new hypothesis - there are 2 mechanisms that characterize psychic numbing


 * 1) avoidance: trauma related stimuli
 * 2) numbing: automatic/continuous hyper arousal
 * numbing vs. dissociation
 * Emotional Numbing: the inability to engage emotionally with traumatic memory, thus impairs the process of recovery

Opinion

This is a good reference for a more scientific/clinical psychological look into the evolution of the concept of psychic numbing as well as the definition of psychic numbing/categorical analysis. I will use this in the wikipedia page to show how the concept has been critically analyzed and manipulated recently. Hickokc (talk) 00:47, 28 March 2012 (UTC)

Venturing Past Psychic Numbing
Quality

Very good, gives some background information as well as origin of first use of Psychic Numbing (Lifton), which lead to another reference. Puts emphasis on the differences between Individual and Collectivist psychic numbing.

Description/Key Points Robert Jay Lifton first use of "psychic numbing" (see: Beyond Psychic Numbing) Remedies PTSD - as a need for control Individual vs. Collective Opinion
 * 1950-1960s (Nuclear age) withdrawn attention
 * Individual vs. collectivist
 * "what could happen" (regarding the USSR)
 * NOW Financial/Terrorism/Bio-terrorism/global warming
 * we live as if our problems are distanced
 * WE NEED A BALANCE
 * handle anxiety
 * 1) seek expertise
 * 2) seek a global education
 * 3) seek accurate information
 * 4) ACTION
 * Individual - stress leads to depression
 * Collective - Psychic numbing (one extreme) or hyper vigilance (the other extreme)

I like this reference a lot, it really does a nice job of explaining all the relevant hypotheses as well as introducing newer ones such as the individual vs. the collectivist mind-set in regards to psychic numbing. Gregory does a good job of explaining the differences and challenging past theories. This will be a main reference for the wikipedia page.Hickokc (talk) 00:48, 28 March 2012 (UTC)

Learning Global Issues
Quality

Good, it is an interesting approach to psychic numbing, this is a very existential analysis which is very self-driven (again, distancing itself from the formal collective conceptualization)

Description/Key Points

Psychic numbing - Denies the pain of the world/our part in producing it
 * decision about risks we know nothing about
 * "society as a laboratory" - we do not know if we have a responsibility or what we are responsible for
 * a lot of personal anecdotes, many say "ignorance is bliss"
 * emphasizes learning about Global futures helps student individually/collectively to analyze information/learn information
 * how not to fall victim to psychic numbing
 * different style of learning (5 aspects)
 * 1) cognitive
 * 2) affective
 * 3) existential
 * 4) empowerment
 * 5) action

Opinion

This is an interesting take on psychic numbing. It does not highlight the analysis of a painful/troublesome experience, rather it focuses on an academic/learning approach that will help students become more aware of everything that is possible. Although these personal anecdotes do state that the classes set up to teach this way are the "doom and gloom classes" the students also said how much more aware he or she has become to the possible negative events that can/will occur. I am struggling about how to put this into the wikipedia page, I would like to, however I'm not sure how much validity this existential type of analysis holds. Although, it is definitely an interesting analysis. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Hickokc (talk • contribs) 00:30, 28 March 2012 (UTC)

Beyond Psychic Numbing
Quality

Very good, the origin of Psychic Numbing in response to the Hiroshima bombing during WWII. Lifton considers nuclear war and the current psychological effects associated with it.

Description/Key Points


 * A way of "imagining the real" (ref: Buber)
 * Rational justification by our leaders
 * Illusions of control/limits (re: Hiroshima bombing)
 * preparation for what will happen
 * evacuation plans (still used today)
 * NOT a personal concept, psychic numbing is social - it focuses on the collective not the individual
 * addresses the mind's vulnerability during/after a traumatic experience
 * the brain's capacity to imagine the future, symbolize things, and create cultural identities
 * 2 extremes
 * 1) comfort
 * 2) anxiety
 * formed awareness as a collective group.

Opinion

Primary resource, I will definitely use this as an introductory reference for the wikipedia page, it does a good job of highlighting the initial concept and theoretical practices. It is interesting to compare this to the newer references because the newer references focus more on the individual whereas the person who coined the term (Lifton) made it a clear and obvious point psychic numbing is about the collective. This will be a major point of the wikipedia page. Hickokc (talk) 00:49, 28 March 2012 (UTC)

Childhood Sexual Assault
Quality

Decent, gives insight into childhood behavior in response to assault (mainly sexual)

Description/Key Points


 * Childhood sexual assault
 * leads to self destructive behavior as adults
 * dissociation
 * Psychic numbing in the form of dissociative behaviors/self destructive behavior

Opinion

A little too specific for this wikipedia page, I will use it as a reference as an example of a type of trauma where psychic numbing can be observed, however, not much more information than that.

Trauma Focus Groups
Quality

good, very interesting, clinical setting, focuses only on Vietnam vets

Description/Key Points

NO WAR STORIES ALLOWED
 * PTSD as well as psychic numbing
 * Vets turn to substance abuse/dependency
 * Therapy - how to integrate the Vietnam experiences into the vet's lives
 * 1) belongingness
 * 2) overcoming isolation
 * 3) building relationships with other members
 * 4) control/acceptance
 * HOW TO DO THIS IN THERAPY
 * 1) physical safety
 * 2) emotional safety
 * 3) honesty
 * 4) control
 * an alternative vantage point

Opinion

This was a very interesting article, it analyzes the importance of therapy sessions for overcoming psychic numbing after a traumatic event. I like this article a lot because it also emphasizes the importance of a structured program and guidelines for what is acceptable in the group sessions. Most importantly it highlights the importance of control/perceived control in the healing process. Very few, if any of the other references discuss this aspect of control to overcome traumatic events that leave victims in a state of psychic or emotional numbness. Hickokc (talk) 00:49, 28 March 2012 (UTC)

Psychic Numbing and Mass Atrocity
Quality

Very informative and very specific. Discusses the importance of moral obligations and their relationship to international law. Additionally, how to combat genocide.

Description/Key Points Psychophysical Numbing - diminished sensitivity to the value of a life International Law and how the avoidance of psychic numbing can help foster a new generation without genocide moral argument vs. international law
 * Introduces Weber's Law - in order for a change to become noticeable, a fixed percentage must be added
 * what about our ability to sensitize us to a small change in the environment?
 * value of human life/value of life lost
 * lack of emotional response/connection to a number
 * value of saving one life is high, however the value diminishes as the number of lives saved increases
 * proportion of lives saved is more important than the number of lives saved
 * additionally, considers the magnitude of the lives
 * there is a figure that helps explain this -- it will be added
 * 1) prevent psychic numbing in institutions
 * 2) remove any/all its influences
 * failure = more genocide

Opinion

this is a very intuitive article, I will use it for its interesting analysis and connection to Weber's law and human's tendency to elicit a small emotional response to a number. I also like how it considers the value's of individuals however applies them to the rest of the world in a collective sense. Also, how it challenges humans to be more vigilant towards the moral obligations we have as a human race. Hickokc (talk) 02:35, 28 March 2012 (UTC)

Monitoring and Blunting
Quality

Decent, more information regarding the DSM-III

Description/Key Points

avoidance
 * tendencies of psychic numbing
 * denial

Diagnostic reliability
 * DSM-III
 * explains psychic numbing as a part of PTSD

Opinion

this is an article that can be added as another reference for the articles that talk in greater detail about the DSM-III inclusion of psychic numbing; more support for the clinical aspect of psychic numbing.

Hickokc (talk) 02:40, 28 March 2012 (UTC)

The Body Keeps the Score
Quality

Good, gives background information regarding the social aspect as well as the biological aspect. Will use.

Description/Key Points

PTSD Symptoms Psychophysiology Neuroscience Neuroendicrine Memory Consolidation
 * 1889 Pierre Janet found a biological response
 * existing memories
 * victims can't learn from past/get over the trauma - fixation
 * behavioral shut down
 * avoidance (Psychosis, influences emotional numbing
 * 1) specific reminder
 * 2) intense neutral stimuli
 * Hormonal Stress Response
 * cortisol/norepinephrine/epinephrine release
 * hormonal changes such as increase glucose, which aids in immune function
 * Norepinephrine released from Locus coeruleus (LC) which leads to the central nervous system/limbic areas (responsible for emotional responses; this includes the amygdala and septo-hippocampal region
 * Serotonin
 * SSRI, treatment for PTSD (also for OCD, helps with the over-thinking component of PTSD)
 * decrease in serotonin results in bad behavior
 * traumatized organisms - over conditioned to access memory

Opinion

Very informative; new insight into biological/neuroscience aspect of emotional/psychic numbing. This will be a big component of the new wikipedia page.

Hickokc (talk) 00:50, 28 March 2012 (UTC)

Nuclear Denial Disorder

 * Wow, that's a lot. Feel free to add information yourself, if you want. Inverse Hypercube  01:29, 29 February 2012 (UTC)
 * thank you, I'm currently in an advanced Psychology class in college and I am working on psychic numbing as my topic. I will be adding to this page soon, I just want to let fellow wikipedians take a look at what I'm planning to do before I begin physically editing. — Hickokc (talk) 21:14, 7 March 2012 (UTC) (talk
 * Sounds great, thanks for the heads-up! I'm glad that this article will receive some attention. Inverse Hypercube  04:41, 8 March 2012 (UTC)

Some article comments
The tone is a little personal for Wikipedia. Also, the discussion in the article seems to completely ignore the fact (well-known to charities asking for donations, government propagandists, and successful writers) that people often become much more emotionally engaged by the well-presented narrative of one or two people whom they can come to personally care about, than they do over generic mass statistics on the deplorable fates of thousands or millions. This is pretty much human nature, and doesn't necessarily point to any larger social problems; if you call it "innumeracy", then it seems that human beings are inherently somewhat innumerate in this respect... AnonMoos (talk) 00:17, 19 April 2012 (UTC)

While I don't doubt the emotional connection to positive information, it has little to no long lasting effects.Psychic numbing is in response to something tragic and/or potentially tragic, these effects are long-term as well as sub-conscious. I find it difficult to add this to the article, however if you feel it can be woven in an intricate and meaningful connection, by all means make the addition. thank you Hickokc (talk) 00:32, 2 May 2012 (UTC)

Psychophysical numbing is not introduced by Slovic, but by Fetherstonhaugh et al, 1997. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 145.118.103.84 (talk) 15:37, 2 June 2013 (UTC)

Lead
The lead needs to be rewritten. It needs to be written in summary style. The sources used in it appear to pass WP:MEDRS but not entirely certain. --LauraHale (talk) 14:08, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

sorry, it was erased, it has been re-written and added back Hickokc (talk) 00:34, 1 May 2012 (UTC)