The mind has a psychological immune system much like the body. It has a whole host of tricks to keep you from feeling mental pain, which is why humans are capable of tolerating so much. Examples are denial, distorting reality to suit your ill-judged beliefs, ignoring things, procrastination, all adding up to the ever powerful inevitability of self-deception.
Which is why… if your job is mediocre but you know things could be better, you might still just tolerate it and let your potentially better life just pass you by. If a relationship is rubbish you might just tolerate it anyway. If you are putting on weight, you might choose to distract yourself onto other things and rationalise “oh well, at least I’m enjoying myself”. But when your job turns absolutely shit, or your partner starts being unfaithful or hurting you in more serious ways, or you can’t fit into any of your favourite clothes anymore, you may reach that breaking point. The psychological immune system can’t keep up. So you take action instead… something you then realise you should have done ages ago.
And then… you look back and think “well in some ways, I’m glad it happened like it did, because if it hadn’t, I might still be there now…”
Which is when really bad, is better than the seemingly not-so-bad.
Hi Will
Many thanks for your intresting blog.
I take the opportunity to attach a mini review on Immune system, Endocrine system and Nervous system interactions.
Immune system, Endocrine system and Nervous system Interactions
(A systemic view and review; to make it easier)
Many peptides and their receptors are expressed and common by Immune, Endocrine and Nervous systems.
This fact provides the vital interactions between these systems and has important role on; 1- inflammation 2- infectious and 3- tumor diseases.
Glycocorticostrieods mostly (but not all) are the major peptides (mediators) in these interactions.
There are three major ways that Immune, Endocrine and Nervous systems communicate:
1) Infections (mediated by cytokines): In this way signals go to the central nervous system (CNS), trough 1- Vague nerve 2-Hypothamus 3-or directly by immune system cells passing through the brain barrier.
For example; Macrophages after encountering bacteria secrete cytokines (IL-1, IL-6 and TNF) that have many effects including:
A) Increasing complement proteins secretion (to kill the bacteria).
B) Increasing fat breakdown (to produces energy).
C)) Increasing Leptin production, a hormone comes from fat tissue breakdown that enhances the immune system by mounting the activation of macrophages and ……
We may conclude here, immune system in the send signals to CNS and functions like a sensory system (pattern recognizing) and her sensory cells are macrophages!
2) Acute Stress (mediated by catecholamines): In this way signals come from CNS to immune system.
Acute stressors like very loud sounds, severe anxiety… going up stairs very fast and increase the number of T cells in blood. Why this happens and doses this danger the immune system?
Adrenaline (nor-epinephrine) and Glococorticiods is the answer. They are secreted from the sympathetic nerves and adrenals.
3) Chronic Stress (mediated by corticosteroids): In this way signals come from internal glands (and CNS) to immune system.
Endocrine glands are our slow communicative system. If stress lasts more than hours (affective disorder, sadness …) then the large accumulated cortocostreoides will influence the immune system.
The physiological levels of corticostreoides are high in the morning and low in evening. T helper cells (CD4+ and cytokines) are at their lowest numbers in the morning and highest numbers in the evening (reciprocal to the level of corticosteroids).
In Asthma and contact dermatitis the symptoms are better in the morning and worst in evening (In agree with the level of corticosteroids).
Corticosteroids inhibit both innate immune system (macrophages) and adaptive immune system (T cells).
Other hormones(neuro-hormones) also affect immune system:
1-Steroid hormones (Estrogens, Progestron, Androgens) are immunosuppressive.
Estrogens (Estrone, Estradiol and Estriol) increase autoimmunity (e.g. contraceptive pills). The levels of Estrogen elevates in autoimmune disease like Rheumatoid Arthritis.
prevents apoptosis of the immune cells).
2- Prolactin.
3- Thyroid hormones
4- Growth hormone.
5- Thymus hormones, have effects on T cells selection in thymus and their paracrine effect is immunosuppressive.
6-Enkephaline, Endorphine
7- Substance-P
8- Acetylcholine
9- Dopamine
This mini review was a systemic view of the interactions between Immune, Endocrine and Nervous systems.
Please look at the local views for details, for example; 1- the effects of these peptides on the immune cell 2- their receptors and the defects/deficiencies of these receptors.
KindRegards
Afshin