Comment by Noaidi

> Citation requested. Because, y'know, it's not like your leg muscles suddenly don't work from age 40-50 and then start working again and we say it's because of unstable "leg chemistry".

Ohhh, leg chemistry, good choice! You know that leg "chemistry" is control by neurotransmitter release, yes? So you must have never heard of Familial Periodic Paralysis then. Let me tell you what happens with that, because it happened to me while taking Seroquel. Familial Periodic Paralysis is also called Hyperkalemic periodic paralysis and is due to mutations in the gene that encodes the alpha-subunit of the skeletal muscle sodium channel (SCN4A).

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK1338/

"The paralytic attacks are characterized by decreased muscle tone (flaccidity) more marked proximally than distally with normal to decreased deep tendon reflexes. The episodes develop over minutes to hours and last several minutes to several days with spontaneous recovery.

Some individuals have only one episode in a lifetime; more commonly, crises occur repeatedly: daily, weekly, monthly, or less often. The major triggering factors are cessation of effort following strenuous exercise and carbohydrate-rich evening meals. "

Look at that! Their muscles stopped and stared working again!

And yes, this happened to me while taking seroquel because it lowered my potassium so much it affected my nervous system.

Any good psychiatrist will tell you that they have no idea what is going on. But that does not mean neurotransmitters cannot be changed and that they do not effect behavior.

> I will lump "genetics" in as another pet-hate unsatisfyingly crappy non-explanation that people tag onto whatever they want so they can stop thinking about it further.

As someone who, as an armature geneticist, helped design a genetic study for Stanford, can I say that I put more energy into thinking about these things over the last 45 years than you can even imagine?

>Or "I have this personality because my parents and grandparents had it, it's genetic" is an explanation.

I have my hair color, height, skin color, all the physical traits from my parents, so why do you think the brain is not physical as well? Or or adrenal system? The brain is effected by genetics, this is true as has been shown clearly as a risk for schizophrenia. I have no idea why people think our mood, which is dictated by our thoughts which are created and sensed by our brain, which is a physical organ, does not have anything to do with genetics and neurotransmitters.

and then you go on to talk about epigenetics, like that matters by genes don't? Do you know that genes control the epigentic response? Genes like DNMT1? So people with differences in DNMT1 will have different epigenetic responses?

> I agree with this. Society likes assuming everyone is the same.

So how are we different? nature AND nurture. Genes AND environment. I agree the solution to these problems are wrong, but your solution are just as bad as the ones your are prescribing.

Listen, there are times when our neurtranmitters are supposed to be different, like when we are in pain or when some one dies. But some people, like me, have these changes regardless of the situation and we can like them to other environmental factors like diet, sunlight, weather, etc.

I could tell you whey and why I think am so sensitive to the world but I doubt you would listen, because no one listens, because everyone knows.