Now with regard to sleep deprivation…

What's In Your Brain? What's In Your Mind?: Communicating threats…

…enmeshing people who are stressed such as war veterans, those of color who have a tendency to be more alert due to brain and body chemicals, and those who are aggressive or violent with people who are less prone to violence will cause immeasurable stress reactions in the non-violent person and will also cause further lapses in sleep and possibly acting out behavior. 

The new jails are an improvement but the lack of adequate supervision when inmates are socializing is the biggest problem I observed, sometimes it was non-existent for hours or not at all as in the case in Pitt County and in that situation I kept myself in my cell, where I preferred to be most of the time when there wasn’t disturbing noise from fans and I suspect that is why they subjected me to those noises to get me out and mingling with other inmates, trying to create a snitch, rather than asking me, a request I would have refused.   I have no interest in being associated with the any prison system as an employee nor an inmate.

What happens in the cases of these enmeshments, stress reactions cause a release of stress hormones like cortisol and norepinephrine.  Growth hormone is believed to be released as well but in my case I only got fat.   While this may help one to lose weight, it can have disastrous affects on the brain, depleting brain chemicals and damaging vital organs, especially if one has been traumatized in the past.   Threats to safety will trigger other traumatic experiences that may send the traumatized person into a state of inaction or a state of more violence and sleep deprivation may result.   Not only can these things result, but one can develop an addiction to the need for the chemicals and viewing violent television may result, that can cause even more damage to the brain and body and cause a lack of sleep. 

What happens in the body is that levels of amino acids get reduced to form the chemicals that are required to make the neurotransmitters and stress hormones.  If one is not eating an adequate diet to continue producing these chemicals in the body, brain dysfunction will follow and an inability to make decisions in one’s own best interest are the result leaving one with the potential to get into more trouble and a cycle of addiction to violence, stress in the form of abuse or violent television results.   The only way to end the cycle is to stop whatever it is that is causing the stressors.