You are what you eat. It’s one of the most used adages from the time we’re born. Mama knows best, and she always pushes those fruits and veggies in large quantities because, “Kiddo, you are what you eat!” Everything – physical, emotional, cognitive – develops as we grow, and childhood is one of the most pivotal times for establishing good health. As substance abuse professions who offer cognitive behavioral intervention, we decided to ask, do CB issues stem from childhood?
Science Studies Childhood and Brain Development
According to ScienceDaily.com, a recent study conducted by a Massachusetts General Hospital pediatrician found that young child (ages 3 to 7) who didn’t get enough sleep are at greater risk of developing attention, emotional control, and peer relationship problems during mid-childhood. The study was able to show that preschool and early school-age children who received insufficient amounts of sleep were far more likely to display poor neurobehavioral function around the age of 7.
While external factors like environment and life events impact cognitive development in children, genetics also play a major role. According to a paper published by Elliot Tucker-Drob, Daniel Briley, and K. Paige Harden entitled, Genetic and Environmental Influences on Cognition Across Development and Context, “Genes account for…approximately 50 and 70 [percent] of the variation in cognition.” The evidence and analysis they present indicate that hereditary factors heavily influence cognition, which shows that brain development is influenced as early as gestation.
Cognition is mental action. It’s how we acquire and process knowledge, and how we understand the world around us and make decisions through thought, experience, and our senses. The culmination of cognition are the thoughts, feelings, and actions that we react to and act upon in a given situation. Everyone makes a bad choice now and again, but for some, cognitive behaviors issues (like shoplifting, trespassing, and defiance of authority) become an obstacle that impairs their very livelihoods in adulthood. This is where cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT comes in.
Can Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Help Poor Neurobehavioral Functions?
The idea behind CBT is that problems are not caused solely by situations, but also by how we interpret those situations in our thoughts. Mama may have told you, you are what you eat, but chances are, she also told you that attitude is everything. In those situations where you saw every negative thing possible, she would remind you that a positive attitude makes all the difference. And she was right. What we think about a situation can impact how we feel and how we act or react.
CBT helps break the negative cognitive cycle that’s become a person’s norm by identifying unhelpful thinking patterns and addressing them. The goal is to replace the negativity with more positive, useful, and realistic thinking.
Cognitive behavioral issues can stem from childhood. Their exact cause ranges from genetics to environmental and life event factors. In coming blogs, we’ll discuss how parents can lay the groundwork for positive cognitive function. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss a post!