iii: Of Weeds & Weans
Weans’ brains: Teen edition Joseph Nolan Our brains have two great periods of development: babyhood and adolescence. During babyhood, we learn to use our senses and our brains adapt to the environments in which we are living. In adolescence, all the adult wiring is done; we learn about sex and adult society, and our brains finish their development. How old are you inside? 18? 20? 22? That’s when your brain finished developing. Of course, we mature— we add knowledge and experience —but our core selves, as defined by our brains, are fixed. Now, if we cast our minds back a few years to adolescence, most of us will recall that this was a challenging time, even if we were lucky enough to hit it before the rise of social media. And adolescence is particularly difficult now, in the time of COVID and social distancing. Standard academic testing is suspended, jeopardizing years of effort; lockdown means stifling house arrest with family; sports, events, and activities are cancelled; community life is suspended; and time with friends is limited. Stress is high, and it is hitting my teenaged patients hard. So, what can we do to help adolescents, preadolescents, and younger children, cope with normal and not-so-normal stress? How can we help their amazing, dynamic and adaptable brains to set themselves in healthy ways? Well, we can give them herbs. Herbal helpers for the head There are many herbs which have beneficial effects on the brain. Some improve nerve conduction, others work on the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS), some act on the pituitary or pineal glands inside the brain. There are anti-inflammatories and circulatory stimulants, and others that have no particular orthodox medical designation. One principle of traditional medicine systems, and something that I use often, are directional herbs. They have such a strong affinity for an organ or area
of the body that they direct or focus the medicine on that part. So, for the brain you might add Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary)— which improves circulation and memory —or Stachys betonica (Wood Betony) to a blend, concentrating the herbal actions on the head and brain. For the purposes of home herbalising, the brain problems you are going to deal with mainly fall under the ‘stress’ umbrella. So, to back up for a moment, the ANS regulates our fight-or-flight and rest-and-digest responses. These two responses encompass a constellation of regulatory functions affecting almost everything happening in our bodies; circulation, digestion, breathing, eliminating, thinking, perceiving, healing, sleeping, sexual function, and countless other processes that go on within our systems. The ANS has two modes: fight-or-flight, termed the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS); and rest-and-digest, called the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS). To try and make a long explanation shorter, when we are in an SNS dominant state, we are ‘stressed’. In a PNS dominant state, we are relaxed and at ease. And this is where the herbs come in. For stressed young people, or indeed any aged people, you cannot beat Melissa officinalis (Lemon Balm). For reasons which I hope are obvious, we want to be in a PSN state most of the time. Lemon Balm soothes an overexcited SNS, and supports the rest-and-digest function. Its wonderful, mild, ever-so-slightly floral scent and flavour makes the herb easy to take and appealing to young palates, even fussy or contrary ones. For anxiety and breaking the cycle of prolonged stress, Melissa is an excellent remedy. I give it to my patients during exam time, University admission time, and when competition at school becomes overwhelming. It is perfect, too, for hyperactive toddlers and children who struggle to calm down. Because Lemon Balm settles the ANS
