I am the youngest of three brothers. In the last few years it has become apparent to me that this is something of an issue in my family. Recently, I sent the mental health podcast that I’m listening to along to my brothers given the relevance it has for how things were when we were growing up and the subsequent impact on our adult lives. The key point is the development of a child’s nervous system. It seems that if too much time is spent in the sympathetic nervous system, the part that deals with stress, then this is what stays with you for the rest of your life unless you make a conscious effort to change things. Fight or flight becomes a standard reaction to situations I see this clearly now in myself and also in my brothers. Their response to me has been underwhelming. I can only speculate as to the reasons, however I believe that one of them is that they are not prepared to listen to their younger brother. Having spoken to a few people in a similar situation it seems I am not the only one with this theory. 

It’s a funny old world.