Blog Posts

it's a mystery

10/14/2025

Val's Take/Conjecture: I'm referencing here the DETECTIVE STORY/MYSTERY of the Underlying Causes and Treatments of Neuro-Developmental and Psychiatric Disorders.

Certainly by 2013, Researchers knew the DSM was "INVALID" as a diagnostic manual.

In 2025, Neuro-Developmental and Psychiatric Disorders appear DEVELOPMENTAL, MULTI-SYSTEM and NEURO-IMMUNE. Immunological Dysregulation is a KEY FACTOR.

One of the great mysteries of Neuro-Developmental and Psychiatric Disorders is this association between Intelligence and or Talent and Executive Function Issues, including Emotional Dysregulation.

Sometimes it is obvious ---- other times, bias of many types can get in our way of picking it up. Further, if we're equating executive functioning with intelligence or talent --- we're going to miss it.

The Mitochondrial Bioenergetics of Synapses and Synapses of Greater Number are another KEY FACTOR in Neuro-Developmental and Psychiatric Disorders.

PBS
Professor T Trailer

Lorraine
Ben Miller Reveals How He Uses His OCD to Play Professor T

tinkerbell --- "Therapy Dog"

10/1/2025

Tinkerbell

Val's Take: Our 14-year-old dog Tinkerbell died at home Sunday.

We adopted her from Pet Smart with the idea that she could be an unofficial therapy dog and companion for our other Black Lab Buddy.

Most of that did not work out. We might have guessed when one of the workers at Pet Smart said, "Someone finally bought that crazy puppy."

There were training programs and some progress --- sort of. She was the most affectionate dog in the world and protective and aggressive. She was unlikely to bite anyone, but she probably would loudly bark, circle and lunge.

For those 14 years it was never easy. The neighbors said we must be saints [read idiots], but we loved Tinkerbell and she loved us.

On a bright September Colorado morning, Tinkerbell flew away.

SciShow
Pet Therapy

Robert Redford, a river runs through it and Mental Health

9/19/2025

Val's Take: I'm going to riff off Robert Redford's sentiment that sadness and contradictions are a part of life.

I'm an emotional person, I cry easily. On the other hand, I'm a logical person. If "Catch-22s" in life are Red Flags, so are "Pain" and "Contradictions."

There are "INACCURATE UNDERSTANDINGS" --- but there aren't any "TRUE CONTRADICTIONS."

One of the things that is slowly happening is the recognition that "INTELLIGENCE," "SENSORY PROCESSING," and "MATERNAL IMMUNE ACTIVATION" are more complicated than we thought. (High IQ and Psycho-Neuro-Immunology).

The ancient Greek myth of ICARUS --- and the Aristotelian Golden Mean come to mind.

Life is often not either or --- but some Goldie Locks "Just Right Range."

For many people with Neuro-Developmental, Psychiatric and/or Addiction Disorders --- they are absolutely coming with some GIFTS --- but it is quite a MIXED BAG.

And strangely, IMMUNOLOGICAL DYSREGULATION is a more significant factor than we previously knew.

Oftentimes Bi-Directional Relationships will be referenced in these dysregulations --- and that is important. BUT the University of Texas has made the point that INFLAMMATION occurring IN UTERO --- is generally a more significant factor than post-natal inflammation.

"A River Runs Through It" (1992)

This is going to the Developmental Origins of Health & Disease. The ramifications of IN UTERO INFLAMMATION and even transient IL-6 spikes are HUGE for the LIFESPAN.

This isn't the way most of us look at things right now, but the research is becoming more and more compelling.

In-Groups, Out-Groups and Horror

8/25/2025

Val's Take: After World War II --- there was a lot of soul-searching --- not just about how Germans could commit such atrocities --- but how could Human Beings commit such atrocities.

There was talk of the problem of "Following Orders" in a hierarchy, and the need for a SUPRA NORM.

Neuroscientist David Eagleman brings a different dimension to the problem of genocide and our split second defaults to in-groups and out-groups. He sees genocide as a neural phenomenon.

Big Think --- David Eagleman
How to Unbias Your Brain

PBS NewsHour
A Glimpse of Life in Gaza

PBS -- David Eagleman & the Brain
Massacre at Srebrenica

Tim Minchin
Not Perfect

Why is it so important to get a new label or at least an additional label?

8/23/2025

Val's Take/Conjecture

We've come a long way in reducing mental health stigma.

When we talk about why we aren't fully funding a Mental Health Continuum of Care, there are many reasons.
- Policymakers would say --- we are spending a lot on Mental Health.

Many people view "MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT" as "SUBJECTIVE" and a "FINANCIAL BOTTOMLESS PIT."

There is a big need to lean into PRECISION PSYCHIATRY and understanding Neuro-Developmental and Psychiatric Disorders as Complex Neuro-Immune Disorders.

PBS
The Brain with David Eagleman

A single one-word label is enough to change your brain's basic pre-conscious response to someone in pain.

Roger daltrey & the Chieftains -- Behind Blue Eyes

8/10/2025

Val's Take:  Who's the BAD MAN?

The moral issues when you have perfect understandings and perfect treatments are relatively simple.

It's when you have legitimate questions about current understandings and treatments that much energy is required for PARSING a tangled mess. It also requires MORAL HEAVY-LIFTING.

Our society has done some of that. Since beginning Orchid in 2013, the pace of research involving Neuro-Developmental, Psychiatric and Addiction Disorders has greatly quickened.

Arguably, the Moral Lift required in 2025 is less than it was in 2013. This is the result in part of new understandings among researchers around the world.

The society has done much.  We need to bring to SCALE that Public Health Approach to Criminal Justice in time for people living now.

Roger Daltrey &
The Chieftains
Behind Blue Eyes

See also riffs on Irish writer Oscar Wilde --- No Good Deed Goes Unpunished and "The Picture of Dorian Gray" and Recalibrating Morality.

Tradition, integration & new understandings

7/30/2025

The neurobiology of antisocial personality disorder (2024)

A neuroimmunological model of antisocial and borderline personality disorders (1999)

Faith, Criminal Justice and Bringing Religion in from the Cold

Conversation & Dialogue: Integrating Science, Reason & Faith/Religion

The Definitional Argument in Mental Health & Criminal Justice Policy

Fiddler on the Roof (1971)
Tradition!

John McCutcheon
Water from Another Time

Paradigm shifts: The Discovery is just the beginning

7/4/2025

The Copernican Revolution, the Darwinian revolution & the developmental origins of health and Disease

Val's Take/Conjecture

Things have "EVOLVED" a lot for PSYCHIATRY in the past 10 to 15 years on the RESEARCH LEVEL.
- It really started in 2013 with the National Institute of Mental Health saying the DSM 5 was scientifically invalid.
- Further Researchers around the world found problems with the DSM 5.

Part of the research was beginning to show that Bipolar Disorder was a MULTI-SYSTEM DISORDER.

Can bipolar disorder be viewed as a multi-system inflammatory disease? (2012)

According to Google AI, the roots of Immuno-Psychiatry could be traced to the late 19th Century and early 20th Century.

It is really in the 21st century that Immuno-Psychiatry and Neuro-Immunology have taken off.

The Immunology Podcast
Neuroimmunology & Behavior (2021)
Dr. Michael Burton, PhD -- Univ. of Texas

Big Think -- Robert Sapolsky
Why You Don't Have Free Will

With Stanford Professor Robert Sapolsky and "The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst" (2017)

Sapolsky did a master academic's documentation of his premise -- which is the Biological Basis of Behavior
Further, Sapolsky believes these concerns necessitate reform of the Criminal Justice System and I do too.
I haven't jumped on Sapolsky's "Anti-Free Will Bandwagon" mainly because it seems like John Bunyan's "Slough of Despond."

How Many Angels Can Dance on the Head of a Pin --
and the Free Will vs. Determinism Debate

TRYING TO GET --
THE "GIST OF IT"

The Grateful Dead
Touch of Grey

Val's Take:

A few things:

"We'll Get By, We'll Survive" --- or at least as Humanity --- we'll survive.
For those of us who have had a view of "mental health treatment" over the last 50 years---
- It's Concerning
There have been improvements.

Are current mental health professionals competent to handle Developmental Neuro-Immune Disorders affecting multiple systems of the body.

Well, not now. They could become competent.
Is this "EARLY DAYS" ---- yeah, but many researchers around the world are corroborating these new paradigms.
Further, my argument is really this is a lot more complicated than we're treating it.

On top of all this, we've got:

Maternal Immune Activation
The Neuro-Developmental / Psychiatric Continuum
The Developmental Basis of Health & Disease
Dysregulation of various glial cells, including microglia and astrocytes
Dysfunctional mitochondria
Epigenetic Changes
Etc.

We need Neuro-Immunologists and we need advances in Immuno-Modulatory Treatments.

We need that a lot more than we need the Status Quo.

With respect to the Copernican Revolution and the Darwinian Revolution, they greatly implicated religious beliefs.

Mental Health for various reasons often serves as a kind of SECULAR RELIGION.

When a PARADIGM SHIFT comes, there's a lot of work to both "DISMANTLE" and "RE-CONSTRUCT" the vast intellectual framework which will ultimately be "MODIFIED" by such a shift.

With regard to Neuro-Developmental and Psychiatric Disorders, there is irony that these PARADIGM SHIFTS will require considerable BRAIN ENERGY.

Frank Capra, "Manic Depression," and "It's a wonderful LIfe"

6/14/2025

Val's Take/Conjecture

I had generally viewed "It's A Wonderful Life" as a feel good, sweet movie --- and it is.
It was only after learning that Frank Capra had "Manic Depression" or Bipolar Disorder (or was thought to) --- that I started to appreciate how much "It's A Wonderful Life" is about mental illness.

One of the most affecting scenes is an out of control bullying George Bailey --- shaking the forgetful Uncle Billy.

Mr. Gower, Potter, Violet, Mary and even George's mother all have their issues.

Addressing lower level executive functioning issues (and fatigue) --- has the potential to make all of this a lot more manageable.

What we don't want is people defaulting to "AGGRESSION" to access the ENERGY they need.

Executive dysfunction, violence and aggression (2020)

Frank Capra --- 1897 - 1991

It's A Wonderful LIfe (1946)

One of the things that is so interesting about this portrayal of Uncle Billy --- he's not some wild and crazy guy --- he's a very nice guy with memory and executive functioning challenges.

One of the things we learn during the course of the movie --- if George hadn't been there, Uncle Billy would be in a mental institution.

Further, George has his problems and suicidality is one of them.

Executive Functioning Challenges as an Energy --- ATP Issue

Going from "I can't believe this" to "no wonder" ---The biological basis of behavior as a blessing

5/23/2025

Val's Take/Conjecture

Sapolsky's book "Behave: The Biology of our Best & Worst Selves" --- is really not just an argument for the Biological Basis of BAD Behavior --- but the Biological Basis of Behavior in both GOOD and BAD Behavior.

I think ultimately we will be able to accept as a GIVEN --- the biological basis of behavior.
- New Zealand in one government document appears to accept that.

The neurobiology of antisocial personality disorder (2024)

God of the Gaps, Criminal Liability of the Gaps

Moving On to the Biological Basis of Behavior as an Important Rationale for a public health approach to criminal justice

Robert Sapolsky
Free Will is Nothing but a Myth

I don't think "FREE WILL" is a myth -- BUT "FREE WILL" is not as all encompassing or absolute as we have often conceptualized it.

One of the problems that I have found with the "FREE WILL vs. Determinism" Debate is that IT IS RUNNING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.

We're not starting out with absolute free will --- but we are gradually gaining more and more control.

One of the things that is particularly disconcerting is that we are still DISCOVERING our own biology. Gee, I thought we already knew that --- didn't you guys figure that out in the 18th Century --- No, Huh. . .

Former Director of the National Institute of Mental Health Thomas Insel tried to break this to us by saying we don't have a parts list for the brain --- This is an Age of Discovery.

Now some of those parts have been discovered since Insel made those statements over a decade ago (including over 3,000 different cell types in the brain)--- but the point is --- even in the 21st Century we're still figuring this out.

How Many Angels Can Dance on the Head of a Pin and the Free Will vs. Determinism Debate

<<Previous

Forward>>

it's a mystery

tinkerbell --- "Therapy Dog"

Robert Redford, a river runs through it and Mental Health

In-Groups, Out-Groups and Horror

Why is it so important to get a new label or at least an additional label?

Roger daltrey & the Chieftains -- Behind Blue Eyes

Tradition, integration & new understandings

Paradigm shifts: The Discovery is just the beginning

The Copernican Revolution, the Darwinian revolution & the developmental origins of health and Disease

Frank Capra, "Manic Depression," and "It's a wonderful LIfe"

Going from "I can't believe this" to "no wonder" ---The biological basis of behavior as a blessing

VAL'S BLOG 2

Val Corzine

Archives

Categories

VAL'S BLOG 2​Val Corzine

Archives

Categories

VAL'S BLOG 2

Val Corzine