Maybe certain subcortical areas lack the means to modulate the limbic system. Maybe our rational brain is thinking irrationally to begin with. Our thoughts are not always as organized as we wish. Or maybe our rational brain lacks the necessary muscle to wrestle control back from the limbic system. Again, the brain and gene studies make fascinating reading.

We're talking about a system fault in the brain, maybe a series of system faults. While some of us are resilient to whatever life throws our way, a lot of us tend to be vulnerable.

Every day, researchers are turning up yet more evidence of how the interplay between the limbic and cortical regions - in response to the environment and life experience - accounts for just about all of our behavior, good and bad, including mental illness.

Reaction meets thought. Over-reaction meets irrational thinking. Worlds collide.

Fortunately, we're not hardwired for disaster. By knowing thyself, we can work on our recovery right now. Stress-reduction is an obvious start. To quote from a talk I will be giving at the DBSA conference in Orlando in ten days:

"We learn to avoid the stress we can avoid and learn to manage the stress we can't avoid. We choose our friends carefully. We structure our work carefully. We work to make our lives as regular and predictable as we can.

"If we get stressed out around people, we learn various people skills to reduce our stress. If our mind churns out erroneous thoughts, we learn new cognitive techniques.

"In addition, we may learn yoga, we learn meditation, breathing exercises."

I also have a lot to say about mindfulness. then I wrap it up:

"All this takes time and we're never going to be masters.

"But the payoff is that with practice, we can actually nudge our limbic and cortical systems into some kind of workable alignment. The brain is dynamic. It is always laying down new roadwork, and we have the brain studies to prove it.

"And what I really find fascinating about all this is that modern brain science is actually validating ancient recovery techniques. ...

"We are not helpless bystanders. We can literally shape our own recovery.

"Know thyself. Live well."

**

I will be speaking at two sessions at the DBSA conference in Orlando, being held Aug 10-12. I look forward to seeing you there, and to meeting as many of you as I can.

For registration and program details, please check out the DBSA website.