8 Brain Problems That Were Actually Useful For Humans In The Past

Mental disorders are not there without reason, and they aren’t there because something is wrong with the human brain.

It is surprising to know that many of these disorders have developed because we actually needed them in the past, back when we were apes. It is just that these “disorders” have no significant advantages in today’s lifestyle anymore and actually hamper our daily lives.

But, once upon a time, these mental disorders were very useful to us.

How?

1. Bipolar disorder helped humans to survive tough winters and hunt more in hot summers

In bipolar disorder, the sufferer goes through very drastic mood swings. For some time, he/she will be hopelessly happy for no reason and for another time, he/she will be sad and depressed for no reason.

Scientists think that this disorder may have evolved when humans were still hunters. The brain may have evolved to give us an extra burst of energy during the summers, so that we could hunt more and gather more food.

Similarly, for the winters, we can be depressed and concentrate on saving energy because hunting is difficult in the cold.

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2. Schizophrenia was a side effect of our brains developing at a very quick rate

Schizophrenia is also supposed to be a big obstacle in living our lives normally in the society we have built today. People who suffer from schizophrenia cannot really tell what is real and what is surreal. They hear voices and stimuli that are not present and hence their brain shows abnormally high activity.

Scientists think that this spike in brain activity may be a side-effect of the rapid evolution our brains underwent through when we were still apes. Because we were undergoing such a fast development, mentally, it may have overshot in some people and would have caused psychosis and symptoms of schizophrenia.

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3. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder may have helped humans develop the first need of basic hygiene

We all know how OCD works. Anyone suffering from it shows symptoms like washing their hands multiple times, checking if the door is locked or not multiple times, keeping everything clean and in order, etc.

Turns out, before humans invented agriculture, this “disorder” could have saved countless lives. Double checking food that was hunted if it is still safe to eat could have saved our ancestors from food poisoning.

Similarly, checking if the cave was properly barricaded from the animals, again and again, would have also saved lives.

OCD was the perfect companion for a prehistoric human.

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4. Dyslexia is not a brain disorder at all, actually.

As Taare Zameen Par showed us, the protagonist had to suffer in school, because he could not read and write properly, tie his shoelaces or do math as efficiently.

But back when we were still hunters and gatherers, we didn’t need math and writing, and nor did we need to tie shoelaces.

Dyslexics are actually very creative people. They see things from a perspective that normal people do not. That is why so many dyslexics have become successful people, for example, Albert Einstein.

These creative solutions during that time would have proven very useful to us, and if we still don’t count the shoe lace fiasco, it is still very useful.

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5. Autism made us better hunters and gatherers

Autistic people like to live away from a crowd. They lead solitary lives and our ancestors would have had an advantage with this disorder. Solitary hunters and gatherers would have been better with tracking animals and would have been better at getting mates, since there is no hassle of fighting with other men.

Autistic people would have also been good at storing food for the future, keeping them alive during the time when food is harder to come by. This would have made them more survivable during harsher times.

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6. Depression helped our ancestors conserve energy and kept them alive during harsh times

While a spike in energy and productivity would certainly be an advantage to our ancestors, scientists speculate that even depression could have helped us in other ways.

Depression causes us to become lazy and dull and makes us rest. It is the opposite of an active and productive day.

Lack of motivation and fearfulness can come very handy in situations like where there is no food available to hunt. So there is no need for the humans to expend energy.

Depression also had its advantages.

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7. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder has made humans create innovative solutions

People suffering from ADHD get bored very easily. It is very difficult for them to sit at one place and focus.

We think that this is a major disadvantage today, but when we were still evolving, it would have helped humans in many ways. ADHD people hate schedules and order in their lives. They want to do something new every day, and hence this disorder may have helped our ancestors explore new territory, instead of being stuck at one place forever.

ADHD may have made explorers out of ancient men, because as we know, it is only the adventurous humans that survived in the past.

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8. Panic disorders/anxiety disorders/anxiety kept us safe from the clutches of predators

Can you imagine all of us humans relaxed and chilling out when we were prehistoric apes? You cannot be chilled out when you live in the wild. Fear and anxiety are crucial tools for survival.

The fact that we were very anxious that a tiger could come out from nowhere and eat us kept us safe in the wild. We were wary of being dead and that is the reason we lived longer than the other species.

Anxiety and fear are essential for surviving even daily life today. It makes us achieve more in life.

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We may not need these disorders so extensively today, but we also need to keep in mind that these brain disorders developed in our bodies for a reason, and not because there is something wrong with the people who suffer from these disorders.

Also, they may be named as diseases, but they certainly are not.

It is just that some brains are wired differently. Doesn’t make them any less human or any less special than they actually are.

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