Psychobiology and neuropsychology: fundamental concepts and relationships

¶ … Biology when Studying Psychology

It's all in your head!" This common phrase is often stated, to attribute an apparently psychological phenomenon to a physical cause -- as in "you don't have a cold; you're just dreading your upcoming psychology test, it's all in your head." But even apparently psychological disorders like drug addictions, behavioral disorders, sleep disturbances, and a lack of general mental health and wellness are reflected in the biology of the human body, as well as the human mind. A psychologist might very well say to a patient, "it's NOT just all in your head, it's in your body, too!" After all, the human brain is simply another organ, and subject to the same physiological influences as other organs of the body.

For example, in the case of drug addiction, although a patient may resort to the use of illegal drugs as a way of psychologically coping with life stressors, drug addiction fundamentally rewires the pleasure-seeking areas of the brain. "The brain survives addiction, but in the absence of the drug, the brain does not return to the base-line set point, and chronic dysphoria and anxiety are present." (Goldman & Barr, 2002) Thus, even if a therapist helps the client understand the negative impact drugs are having on his or her life, this does not mean that the client can easily use this insight to release him or herself from the grip of drugs. The drugs may be physically addictive, and even when dealing with a non-chemical addiction like gambling, the addictive behavior may have interfered with the reward center of the patient's brain. This alteration is shown through brain imaging, as well as anecdotal testimony of current and former addicts. Because the way that pleasure is experienced, is altered, the sensation of everyday experiences seem diminished, and the result is anxiety when the drug is withdrawn, motivating the desire to return to the drug. The addict's inability to deal with anxiety may have genetic as well as personal, psychological roots, which the therapist may need to consider, when prescribing a course of therapeutic treatment that not simply deals with the cause of the addiction, but also provides effective coping methods for dealing with the physical withdrawal and the subsequent anxiety. Drug treatment and behavior therapy may be useful, rather than analysis.

Also, psychological symptoms may produce biological phenomenon, like sleep disturbances. "Sleep disturbances and unipolar depression are such intransigent bedfellows that troubled sleep is considered a hallmark of the mood disorder," for example. (Marano, 2003) However, insomnia can also fundamentally unbalance the brain's natural state of homeostasis, causing the symptom of depression, as well as manifesting itself as a symptom of depression itself.