Uniquely Hari

EMPATHY

Towards a more Humane Society. Contemplating one line each day on it. #MentalHealth. This month is Empathy

Empathy

-Hari Srinivasan

Empathy doesn't just change the world, it changes us.
Empathy is the antidote to judgment.
Empathy is the fuel that powers kindness.
Empathy creates the space for true connection to happen.
Empathy is the ability to hear the unspoken and see the unseen.
Empathy is a muscle that grows stronger with use.
Empathy is not a feeling, it's a choice to listen with an open heart.
Empathy is not just a trait, it's a way of life.
Empathy is the foundation of all meaningful relationships.
Empathy is the art of putting yourself in someone else's shoes.
Empathy is a powerful tool that allows us to connect with others on a deeper level.
Empathy is the magic that turns strangers into friends.
Empathy is the ability to understand without judgment.
Empathy is the bridge that closes the gap between us and them.
Empathy is the light that shines in the darkness of misunderstanding.
Empathy is the heart's way of saying, 'I see you, I hear you, and I feel you'.
Empathy is the key to unlocking the door to compassion.
Empathy is the lens through which we see the world with a different perspective.
Empathy is the art of caring for someone else's feelings as if they were your own.
Empathy is the oxygen that breathes life into relationships.
Empathy is the secret ingredient that makes kindness so powerful.
Empathy is the currency of connection.
Empathy is the glue that holds us together in times of difficulty.
Empathy is not just a feeling, it's an action that can change lives.
Empathy is the foundation of true understanding and acceptance.
Empathy is the art of listening with your heart.
Empathy is the superpower that allows us to connect with people from all walks of life.
Empathy is the gift of truly seeing and being seen by others.
Empathy is the art of seeing with the heart and feeling with the soul.

See posts for other months.

Jan [JOY] Feb [EQUANIMITY] March [EMPATHY] April [KINDNESS]

Empathy is not a feeling, its a choice to listen with an open heart

Towards a more Humane Society. Contemplation, one line a day. This month Empathy

Propananol

Propanaol has come up in lectures in my Cell Neuroscience course this sem. Of personal interest to me, as its use has become prevalent in the autism population. My last set of docs at Stanford said they preferred its use as it has less side effects compared to other drugs. I have mixed feelings about it effectiveness in my case but I've heard its helping a number of other autistics.

The use of Propranolol (brand names - Inderal, Hemangeol, & InnoPran XL) in autism is actually off-label as some research has suggested that propranolol may be helpful with anxiety, social withdrawal and repetitive behaviors. More research is needed to fully understand its effectiveness in autism.

Some common side effects of propranolol include fatigue, dizziness, cold hands and feet, slow heartbeat, and trouble sleeping. More serious side effects include wheezing, depression, and liver problems.

One concerning side effect is memory impairment. So I have to wonder about its long term impact as we age, as many autistics are on it for many years and years. Are we looking at short term gains and compromising our long term health compounding health issues that already accompany old age.

Towards a more Humane Society. Contemplation, one line a day. This month Empathy

ASA Press Release

https://autismsociety.org/press-release-autism-society-of-america-is-calling-on-congress-to-address-national-issues-facing-the-autism-community/

I get quoted in this press release.

The Autism Society of America is taking direct action at a national level on multiple priority issues that impact Autistic individuals. In particular, the organization is highlighting the importance of passing legislation that provides additional funding for home and community-based services (HCBS) and addressing employment disparities. This includes the Better Care Better Jobs Act and the HCBS Access Act.

“The current system of supports and services are set up such that there can be a sudden stop in services for the most absurd of reasons. Such policies need to change,” states Hari Srinivasan, an Autistic student at Vanderbilt, and member of the Autism Society’s Council of Autistic Advisors. “I find myself in this strange situation where the PhD stipend makes me ineligible for SSI, which in turn is linked to all state-funded disability supports and disability health insurance that I have relied on all my life. My significant Autism challenges and required supports, did not magically go away in graduate school. It is like a financial penalty on the disabled person to want to aspire for higher education and the pursuit of the American Dream.”

I want to relate this back to what the late Judy Heumann said in her 2019 interview with me for the Daily Cal [post on unedited longer interview], [Daily Cal article]

"There is currently a huge legislative disincentive for people with more significant disabilities who depend on services — such as Medi-Cal health insurance, Social Security and personal attendant services — from being productively employed. She does not want to hear stories similar to that of her friend who had to turn down a job she was well qualified for because of the fear of losing these crucial services. She would also like to see legislative policy changes so that employers see disability as just another diversity category." - Daily Cal 11/26/19

Empathy is the fuel that powers kindness

Towards a more Humane Society. Contemplation, one line a day. This month Empathy

Benzodiazepines and Barbiturates

Benzodiazepines

In class today, we studied pharmacology of GABA-A receptors, specifically Benzodiazepine's. Of personal interest as I've been on lorazepam (fast acting for agitation, mood swings) and clonazepam (longer lasting). Unfortunately the body develops a tolerance and these don't work anymore.

Nashville next stop in Senseless School Shootings

This time a young white 28 year old female ex-student, walked into an elementary school with assault weapons and just shot 6 people, 3 staff and 3 kids aged 8-9. What a horrible tragedy.

Why is the US the ONLY country in the world where young kids are getting shot in their own schools every few months? That too with assault weapons.

This does not make sense. I wonder at the need to even own assault weapons when you live in a city. A gun makes remote sense maybe if you were living in the midst of the woods with a grizzly bear or packs or wolves on the loose.

Just last week our professor had mentioned how suicide rates dramatically increased amongst women who's partner/boyfriend owned a gun. Why is there such an obsessive need to hand out guns to just about anyone so easily in this country.

Vanderbilt University Medical Center, located just 4 miles from the school was where all the children were sent - already dead on arrival. How does a hospital emotionally prep for "emergencies" like this?

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/03/31/1167375561/nashville-school-shooting-vanderbilt-hospital

Empathy creates the space for true connection to happen

Towards a more Humane Society. Contemplation, one line a day. This month Empathy

Brain Blast

Every spring, the Vanderbilt Brain Institute puts on Brain Blast event at Nashville Public Library for high schoolers and younger children, with various booths educating children on the wonders of the brain in fun and creative ways. Oh and the screen in the background was showing various images, including some things about autism and neurodiversity.

Happy 150th Birthday, Vanderbilt

Vandy turned 150. Happy Birthday

Slow Burn

Usually you get to see the Cal-Stanford rivalry during the Big Game every year!

Stanford-Burn in the Night Agent series... Too funny,

Larkin: "I thought I could read my way to Stanford."

Sutherland: "...you went to Stanford?"

Larkin: "No. Those bastards rejected me. I went to a community college then transferred to Berkeley. When I started my company I hired a bunch of Stanford grads to grab me coffee."

Empathy is the ability to hear the unspoken and see the unseen

Towards a more Humane Society. Contemplation, one line a day. This month Empathy