There’s an increasing evidence to suggest that the way a baby is cared for and how well his or her early needs are met will have a lifelong impact on them. This was once mere armchair theorizing. Recently, however, evidence has been produced from the field of neurochemistry that appears to back up the theory.
The principles involved in setting up our stress reactors are explained beautifully by psychologists Sue Gerhardt and Steve Biddulph, and I refer you to their respective books if you’d like to learn more about neurochemical development. But, to summarize here: it seems that for some individuals the ‘stress thermostat’ in the brain has been set permanently too high.
This appears to be the consequence of extremely inconsistent, highly negligent or frequently distressing responses to the need for care and nurturing during a child’s earliest years of life. When there’s such poor care, the brain appears to become set to overreact whenever that person encounters a stressful situation.
If you think this may apply to you, there is, however, no need to despair. Although scientists have no sure way as yet of resetting the thermostat, the fact that you’re aware of your vulnerability allows you to protect yourself. You’ll need to make it a priority to relax regularly, and to identify the stressors in your life.
