Read on Twitter
thread
1. HOW THE SAGE NUDGING UNIT IS HARMING OUR HEALTH
There's no doubt the SAGE Nudging Unit has been very successful. After all, ~68m of us have been locked up in our homes for almost 12 months, losing our businesses, jobs & relationships & all we've done is complain
1. HOW THE SAGE NUDGING UNIT IS HARMING OUR HEALTH
There's no doubt the SAGE Nudging Unit has been very successful. After all, ~68m of us have been locked up in our homes for almost 12 months, losing our businesses, jobs & relationships & all we've done is complain
2. Achieving what an army can't, SAGE uses clever words/phrases to create a climate of anxiety/fear to make people comply with the prevailing rules. This is not just unethical of advising psychologists, the long term health consequences for the UK are profound, & SAGE knows it
3. Focussing on direct/indirect psychological impacts of SAGE's fear mongering & lockdown policy, we can expect the mental & physical health of the entire UK to deteriorate as a consequence of the prolonged period of chronic stress created by SAGE's approach. To what end?
4. All this for a virus with a fatality rate of 0.05%?
One of the way that SAGE is increasing the risk of chronic stress is by scaring the entire UK into a permanent state of high anxiety. This is a really bad idea because it causes adrenaline fatigue, burn-out, depression etc
One of the way that SAGE is increasing the risk of chronic stress is by scaring the entire UK into a permanent state of high anxiety. This is a really bad idea because it causes adrenaline fatigue, burn-out, depression etc
5. Our natural 'fight or flight' response isn't meant to be permanently ON. When it is we become chronically stressed, which results in prolonged activation of hormones like epinephrine & cortisol - OK when released in short bursts but toxic over long time periods
6. Epinephrine is associated with the growth & metastasis of breast cancer cells through the release of the enzyme lactate dehydrogenase - an energy source for muscles. However, the process produces lactate as a byproduct, an energy source for cancer - https://www.jci.org/articles/view/121685
7. So excessive amounts of lactate dehydrogenase in chronically stressed individuals results in the activation of cancer-causing genes resulting in cancer cells growing & metastasising via stem cells in bone structures
8. Chronic stress & prolonged exposure to cortisol also results in cellular ageing by decreasing the supply of the enzyme telomerase, shortening the telomere & starting the ageing process, with all its associated health risks - https://www.apa.org/monitor/2014/10/chronic-stress
9. Chronic stress also suppresses our immune system increasing susceptibility to disease - not ideal in a pandemic
It also alters how we metabolise fat through neuropeptide Y (NPY), a chemical that triggers intra-abdominal fat cells to mature & fill up with more fat
It also alters how we metabolise fat through neuropeptide Y (NPY), a chemical that triggers intra-abdominal fat cells to mature & fill up with more fat
10. The personality trait the SAGE Nudging Unit is specifically targeting with negative messaging is a key trait when it comes to negative life outcomes - Emotional Stability (antipode Neuroticism). Highly sensitive people are are prone to anxiety as they worry about everything
11. This makes such people an easy target. Those that are predisposed to being sensitive to uncertainty, conflicting messages & illusions of danger are prone to states of high anxiety. While this makes them docile & compliant, it also results in chronic stress
12. Keeping people in a near permanent state of anxiety can result in a 1SD change in their level of neuroticism, ie they become even more predisposed to extremes of worry & anxiety, making stress related chronic health outcomes even more likely
13. Obviously, humans are complex. We don't all respond to social isolation & lockdowns in the same way. How we respond depends entirely on the interaction between our 'situational environment' & our personality makeup. Here's an example
14. Everyone's circumstances are unique but people that are introverted will tend to tolerate social isolation better than those that are highly extraverted. Simplistically, Extraverts NEED social interaction. Depriving them of it for prolonged periods results in - chronic stress
15. Similarly, lock an introvert up for prolonged periods in a modest sized house/apartment with partner & young children where there is little opportunity to decompress & the result will be - chronic stress
16. The situation is dire. We are already experiencing an epidemic of mood disorders & declining mental health. Young adults are particularly susceptible with significant increases in suicide ideation & related outcomes https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2019/03/mental-health-adults?utm_campaign=press-release&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_content=1552573981
17. Conclusion, chronic stress has really negative long term health consequences so why would any Government deliberately create prolonged periods of chronic stress activation as a part of a health care strategy?
18. A key to breaking this negative cycle is awareness. All the SAGE nudging unit is doing is messaging us with clever words & phrases. We can tune it out. We can reframe our thoughts, decide for ourselves what risks are real & help those around us to do the same
19. Covid19 is infectious but it isn't life threatening for 99.95% of healthy adults <70. Look at the evidence
In contrast, prolonged exposure to chronic stress is life threatening for EVERYONE. Nothing they can jab into your arm will stop the long term impacts of chronic stress
In contrast, prolonged exposure to chronic stress is life threatening for EVERYONE. Nothing they can jab into your arm will stop the long term impacts of chronic stress
20. A sick population only helps drug manufacturers & undertakers.
Don't let clever words intended to make you anxious so you comply with the latest rules worry you into getting a more serious illness. They're just words
Don't let clever words intended to make you anxious so you comply with the latest rules worry you into getting a more serious illness. They're just words
