Abstract:
Resilience is the ability to recover from a traumatic event or chronic stressors. It is not the same as not being affected by major life adversities. Although previous history of trauma and stress, especially during childhood, may increase the vulnerability to stress-related psychiatric disorders, the great majority of individuals are resilient. Biological, social and psychological factors act in an interrelated way leading to Resilience. Among the biological factors, the best studied are neuropeptide Y, oxytocin and the 5-HT transporter polymorphism, whereas psychological factors include stress coping strategies and sense of coherence. At a first glance, Resilience may seem to be an inherent capacity, but it can be built and cultivated. I like to think of resilience as the training for a marathon (major stress). In order to run a marathon, one needs to run shorter distances (mild and manageable stress) to build the strength to face this major challenge. Other forms of training the brain and to build resilience include living in the present moment (mindfulness) and deep breathing to stimulate the vagus nerve (parasympathetic mechanism). Naturally, for social beings, supportive social networks have a most important influence in Resilience.
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DOI:
DOI not available
Published:
Journal: Abstract Book on 9th Annual Neuroscience Conference (ANC-23) August 12-13, 2023 , Volume: 0, Issue: 0, Year: 2023