Recent research has been pointing to another possible cause of mental illness that is viral in nature. Yes, you heard me well. Researchers are looking into a virus as the culprit of mental disorders such as Schizophrenia and Autism. The virus is called Human Endogenous Retrovirus (HERV-W) and it is actually entwined in everyone's DNA!
Apparently our body keeps the virus in "lockdown" but an environmental insult like influenza affecting a fetus during the critical period of brain development can unleash the virus, which then wreaks havoc in the brain of the unborn child. As a matter of fact, statistics show that people born in the winter are more likely to become schizophrenic, could it be related to the fact that a pregnant mother is at incresed risks of catching a virus in the winter?
Evidently, that is only one theory out of many more, but it is a new and promising perspective and we need to keep an open mind about it.
Now, I am wondering- if that theory can be proven, just imagine what repercussions it could have on mental health. Disorders like Anxiety could be CURED as opposed to being just "treated", wouldn't that be fantastic?
We can always hope for the best!
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