"I Am Here (see DIAGRAM) Or Am I...?"

III. GENERAL COMMENTS ABOUT NEUROTRANSMITTERS

The three major categories of substances that act as neurotransmitters are (1) amino acids (primarily glutamic acid, GABA, aspartic acid & glycine), (2) peptides (vasopressin, somatostatin, neurotensin, etc.) and (3) monoamines (norepinephrine, dopamine & serotonin) plus acetylcholine. The major "workhorse" neurotransmitters of the brain are glutamic acid (=glutamate) and GABA. The monoamines & acetylcholine perform specialized modulating functions, often confined to specific structures. The peptides perform specialized functions in the hypothalamus or act as co-factors elsewhere in the brain. [For a well-organized categorization of neurotransmitters, see Neurotransmitter (Wikipedia).]

Too late for the "AHA!" of an epiphany but just in time for the "DUH? I shoulda known that..." of slow realization, it dawned on me that the recent paucity (dearth, lack of, absence) of words in my Blog might have CHEMISTRY at its core! After all, we are ELECTROCHEMICAL beasties at heart. On Doctor's orders, I am currently tweaking, stroking and even agonising six or seven of the dozen recognized NEUROTRANSMITTERS. I noticed all of the behavioral changes (isolation, agitation, agravation, indignation) and thought sure that THIS TIME, it MUST be a lack of WILL POWER and indicative of WEAKMINDEDNESS! Now just because that disagrees with EVERYTHING I've learned about the BIOLOGY of DEPRESSION and ANXIETY, it didn't slow me down a bit as I hurtled toward my emotional ASSUMPTION about my NEW MOODS.

Even my Roommate had a go at diagnosing me. He was more worried that my absence from my Blog would upset those who had begun to read it. He figured that people would just assume that I was a "CREEPY computer GEEK with PSYCHOTIC TENDENCIES and an INABILITY to CONTROL my INTIMATE PERSONAL DISCLOSURES..." Just without the technical experrtise to be a true GEEK so the sum total is CREEPY with a side of TOO MUCH INFORMATION. (TIM = TMI, coincedence? I think not!)

But as it turns out, the whole strange, itchy, scratchy period I've enjoyed since the Ides of April may just be SIDE EFFECTS of some rather dramatic MED CHANGES and not EVIDENCE of deeper MADNESS or PURE EVIL (darn it, it's never PURE EVIL.) My time on the MOOD SWING (Do You Wanna Go Faster?) has a causal relationship to the BRAIN SOUP sloshing around in my SKULL (see DIAGRAM.)

What a Relief!

Yesterday's Music (actually Friday the 14th's): WE'RE HAVIN' A HEATWAVE heaved breathlessly by the Only Sex Godess That Really Matters - MARILYN MONROE.

Bless Me, I'm back online...