What you need to know

ANDYou can get away with your car: “I don’t care how the brakes work, just fix them.” But that won’t work with emotional and mental illnesses. It is important to try to understand how our brain works, especially the anatomy and physiology that generate our challenges.

That three-pound mass of tissue and fluid in our skulls: 86 billion neurons making a quadrillion neural connections at speeds of up to 270 miles per hour.

Much of the way we function is generated by ancestral anatomical and physiological networks. For those suffering from emotional and mental illnesses, the network in default mode needs to be understood.

Introduction

In an article I wrote several years ago, The Thoughts Keep Coming: 10 Ways to Manage Rumination, I pointed out that ruminating thoughts are associated with increased default mode network connectivity.

I hinted that there was going to be an article about default mode networking. Finally, here we go…

What is default mode network?

The default mode network (DMN) is a large-scale network that operates in several areas of the cerebral cortex:prefrontal and the parietal and temporal lobes.

How important is it? Some scientists have referred to the DMN as the neurological basis of the self.

The DMN is active when we are not focused on anything in particular, the brain is in a passive/awake state of rest. So the DMN is humming along in the background while we engage in introspective, non-demanding activities, such as daydreaming and mind wandering.

And the wonderful thing about all this is that the brain – the mind – handles the switch to the default mode and we don’t even know it.

Network functions in default mode

So what does the DMN do? When it’s active, here are some of the functions it’s involved with…

• Memories of events and facts related to oneself.
• Refer to descriptions and traits of oneself.
• Thinking about one’s emotional state
• Understanding the emotions of others and empathizing with their feelings.
• Determining whether an action was right or wrong
• Perceived lack of social interaction.
• Recalling past events from memory
• Imagining what the future may bring
• Understanding and remembering a narrative.
• Perception of beauty with a deep feeling of pleasure and personal identity.
• Creativity

Can you see why the DMN has been said to be the neurological basis of the self? And can you see why efficient operation is a must?

But things get interesting in the area of ​​emotional and mental illness when the DMN is overactive and when it clashes with other brain networks.

We’re going over there…

The default mode network and emotional and mental illnesses

The DMN is involved in numerous emotional and mental illnesses, including Alzheimer’s disease, autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, ADHD, post-traumatic stress disorder, Parkinson’s disease, and chronic pain.

For explanatory purposes, let’s use major depressive disorder (MDD). Rumination, a symptom and cause of MDD, is associated with increased DMN connectivity and dominance over other brain networks during rest.

In the article on rumination I noted that Dr. Chris Aiken believes that changing the habit of rumination can double your chances of recovery from depression.

And why not? Refer to the functions the DMN is involved in. It makes sense that altered DMN connectivity changes the way a person remembers past events, perceives themselves and their emotional state, and imagines what the future may bring. All of these factors can increase susceptibility to depression.

And let’s not forget the relationship between rumination and the manifestations of anxiety, OCD and bipolar mania. If it is rumination, it is associated with DMN.

Lastly, the DMN is more active in the brains of lonely people. After all, they probably think frequently about what happened in the past and what may happen in the future. So much worry, anxiety and fear.

How to manage the network in default mode

“It’s okay, we know what’s going on upstairs. With patience and perseverance we can achieve it.”

Before we get into how to manage the DMN, let’s lay the groundwork. The goal is to disconnect (silence) the DMN, making it less active. To clarify, allowing the DMN to be hyperactive means signing up for a lot of introspection.

Again, we need DMN involvement to have a sense of identity, but if we don’t disengage when told to, we’re in for a nasty ride.

Now, as we’ve discussed before, the brain activates the DMN without us even realizing it. However, if we learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of an overactive DMN, we can intervene and calm it down.

It may not happen overnight, but with practice and perseverance, change can occur.

Make it happens

Okay, how about some ways to manage the DMN…?

• Relaxation and mindfulness techniques, including deep breathing.
• Meditation
• Psychotherapy
• Antidepressant medications
• Physical activity and exercise
• Awesome experiences: walking to the top of a mountain, watching the moon rise, swimming in the ocean, etc.
• Using the DMN image above, visualize the colors fading as you ask your DMN to calm down.

And be sure to check out the management techniques mentioned in the article on rumination. Since DMN causes rumination, some of these are likely to apply to managing DMN.

Bottom line: This is all about stopping thinking about ourselves. I mean, enough is enough, right?

Long-lasting relief

Don’t we wish it were like a car: fix it without having to learn what went wrong? But when it comes to the mind, it’s not that easy.

Lasting relief from emotional and mental illnesses is achieved by understanding the anatomical and physiological mechanisms that cause them. The default neural network deserves our attention.

Again, be sure to read Thoughts Keep Coming: 10 Ways to Manage Rumination. And don’t forget Chipur’s informative and inspirational titles.

Information sources: Psychology TodayDr. Chris Aiken: Overthinking, worry and ruminationDefault mode network image: Wikimedia Commons: Public Domain

After a decades-long battle with panic, generalized anxiety, mood swings and alcohol dependency, Bill finally found his passion and life’s work: lending a helping hand to those in the same boat. At age 49, he entered graduate school and earned his counseling credentials. And he continues his service through Chipur and other projects.