10A. When Behaviors Won't Change: From Genetics to Biochemistry to Beyond

Focus Areas: Integrative Approaches to Care, Supporting Behavioral Change, Mental Health With more than 75% of medical expenditures relating to lifestyle choices and chronic disease, shifting resistant behavior patterns is the great challenge of medicine and healing modalities. A potential operational approach to this problem addresses the underlying subclinical depression and/or anxiety as a root cause of impaired neuroplasticity. Understanding single nucleotide polymorphisms in the COMT, MOA, and serotonin receptor genes can provide justification for utilizing SAMe and 5-methylfolate as adjuvants to traditional mood medications. Early childhood trauma increases the likelihood that inflammation contributes to mood imbalances and provides reason to explore somatoemotional release techniques such as hypnotherapy and Native American healing modalities. Understanding neurotransmitter abundance dynamics allows focused replacement of specific neurotransmitter populations using key amino acids such as tryptophan, tyrosine, and taurine. Biofeedback provides the means to test the strength of positive relative to negative mental and emotional inputs and thus facilitates replacement of non-functional thought processes.