Hecate Jones
Bio
I have a degree in psychology. I’m an author and an artist who has experienced trauma and I’m living with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. I have interest in numerous topics and enjoy research.
Stories (8/0)
The Ebola Virus vs. The Novel Coronavirus
I’ve seen a number of comparisons between Ebola outbreaks and the new coronavirus. Most notably, former Vice President Joe Biden brought up containment efforts of the 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak during the presidential primary debate on Sunday, March 15. Something I’ve seen a few times on social media is, “Ebola is much more deadly and it hasn’t caused a pandemic. Why should we be more concerned about coronavirus?”
By Hecate Jones4 years ago in Longevity
Cromolyn Sodium for Mast Cell Activation Syndrome
Cromolyn sodium oral (brand name Gastrocrom, but I’ll just refer to it as “cromolyn” for this article) is used to treat mast cell activation diseases, allergies, and asthma by reducing the release of mast cell mediators. It comes in other forms and can even be purchased as an over-the-counter nasal spray, but I’ll be discussing the oral suspension. It is classified as a mast cell stabilizer, although according to Dr. Theoharides, a pioneer in the study of mast cells and their role in inflammatory illnesses, this is a misclassification, as cromolyn does not inhibit the release of cytokines. Through an unknown mechanism, it inhibits the release of histamine and prostaglandin. People with mast cell activation disease can suffer from a number of symptoms due to being overwhelmed by mast cell mediators like histamine and prostaglandin, and cromolyn can provide relief. For some people, the relief is significant.
By Hecate Jones5 years ago in Longevity
Trauma Part Four
Please click this link to read preceding articles. Plateau For a while I felt stuck. I didn’t feel like I was getting better. The anxiety that lives in my chest is still ever-present. I was talking to Saya, my therapist, about a lot of things that were happening currently instead of digging into my past. I felt I made significant mistakes. I should have cut all ties with anyone connected to my ex, but I just couldn’t pull the trigger with some friends I’d made. They didn’t do anything wrong and I had relationships with them outside my ex. But realistically, I’ll never see them again. Maintaining any connection to my ex is distressing, but so is the thought of cutting ties.
By Hecate Jones5 years ago in Psyche
The Psychology of Abuse
I’ve recently encountered cyber-bullying targeting domestic violence survivors among people I considered friends. I read the sentence, “I have no sympathy for a grown adult who won’t walk away,” that an actual human person wrote, and worse things.
By Hecate Jones6 years ago in Humans
Trauma Part Three
Please follow this link to read preceding articles. Benzodiazepines In 2012, I had a severe reaction to Xanax. I’d developed severe anxiety after my hysterectomy when I was trying to get on a complete regimen of hormone replacement therapy. At age 28, I had menopausal levels of reproductive hormones, which can pose serious health risks. Starting hormones was a shock to my system and I had unrelenting insomnia. After not sleeping several nights in a row, the nurse practitioner who was prescribing my hormones prescribed Klonopin. It was only a matter of weeks before the dose I was on felt ineffectual. I switched to Xanax at a higher dose as I was also still trying to get on doses of hormones that felt right for me.
By Hecate Jones6 years ago in Psyche
Trauma Part Two
Please follow this link to read preceding articles. Breakthrough Something that all abuse victims experience is cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance is when you hold conflicting beliefs, such as, “This person is kind and generous and we have a good friendship,” and “this person mistreats me.” Abusers use a tactic called intermittent reinforcement, a type of operant conditioning. Through operant conditioning, a subject learns to associate punishment or reward with a particular behavior. A rat presses a lever and it gets a food pellet reward. Intermittent reinforcement is inconsistent. Sometimes the rat gets a pellet for pressing the lever, and sometimes it doesn’t. There is no more powerful means of altering a subject’s thoughts and behavior. When tested, intermittent reinforcement has been found consistently to be significantly more powerful than continuous reinforcement. It inspires obsessive, self-destructive behavior in favor of seeking the reward. The rat will forego other healthy behaviors, such as grooming or socializing, in favor of pressing the lever until it becomes physically ill.
By Hecate Jones6 years ago in Psyche
Trauma Part One
Diagnosis I was diagnosed with PTSD today. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I went to see a licensed psychologist after searching on Google and speaking to my former therapist because I knew I was dealing with something other than just anxiety and depression. I’ve dealt with anxiety and depression since age 13. I called a behavioral healthcare clinic and asked specifically to be evaluated because the treatments and interventions for PTSD are different and I felt I needed something more than psychotherapy.
By Hecate Jones6 years ago in Psyche
Toxic
Intro I recently extricated myself from a psychologically and emotionally abusive relationship. I had never been in any kind of abusive relationship before. I didn’t think that I ever could be. “I would never allow myself to be treated that way,” I had said to myself. I had a happy childhood with loving parents who helped me establish healthy boundaries. If you’ve been in an emotionally abusive relationship, or you are currently in one, you know how tricky and subtle the emotional abuser can be. Even strong, healthy people can find themselves manipulated and subdued.
By Hecate Jones6 years ago in Humans
