The Hypothalamus!!!
By: Shauntae Ashleigh Miller & Sasha Kay-ann Barrett
The Hypothalamus is a portion of the brain that contains a number of small nuclei with a variety of functions. One of the most important functions of the hypothalamus is to link the nervous system to the endocrine via the pituitary gland. The hypothalamus lies below the thalamus and forms the lower walls and floor of the third ventricle. It is an important link in the chain of command governing bodily maintenance. Some neural clusters in the hypothalamus influence hunger; others thirst, body temperature, and sexual behavior.
The Hypothalamus both monitors blood chemistry and takes orders from other parts of the brain. For example, thinking about sex can stimulate your hypothalamus to secrete hormones. These hormones in turn trigger the adjacent “Master Gland”, the pituitary to influence hormones released by other glands. There is interplay between the nervous and endocrine system. The brain influences the endocrine system, which in turn influences the brain.
The Hypothalamus exerts overall control over the sympathetic nervous system (part of the autonomic nervous system). In response to sudden excitement or alarm, signals are sent from the higher regions of the brain to the hypothalamus, which initiates sympathetic nervous system activity. This increases the heart rate, breathing rate, and blood flow to the muscles, and causes the pupils of the eye to widen (all together known as the "fight or flight" response).
The hypothalamus has many different hormones. Some hormones include
Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH)
TRH is a tripeptide (GluHisPro). When it reaches the anterior lobe of the pituitary it stimulates the release there of thyroid-stimulating hormone and prolactin.
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)
GnRH is a peptide of 10 amino acids. Its secretion at the onset of puberty triggers sexual development, and from then on it is essential for normal sexual physiology in both males and females. In both sexes, its secretion occurs in periodic pulses usually occurring every 1–2 hours.
Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH)
GHRH is a mixture of two peptides, one containing 40 amino acids, the other 44. As its name indicates, GHRH stimulates cells in the anterior lobe of the pituitary to secrete growth hormone (GH).
Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)
CRH is a peptide of 41 amino acids. As its name indicates, its acts on cells in the anterior lobe of the pituitary to release adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) CRH is also synthesized by the placenta and seems to determine the duration of pregnancy.
Somatostatin
Somatostatin is a mixture of two peptides, one of 14 amino acids, the other of 28. Somatostatin acts on the anterior lobe of the pituitary to inhibit the release of growth hormone (GH) inhibit the release of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) Somatostatin is also secreted by cells in the pancreas and in the intestine where it inhibits the secretion of a variety of other hormones.
Dopamine
Dopamine is a derivative of the amino acid tyrosine. Its principal function in the hypothalamus is to inhibit the release of prolactin (PRL) from the anterior lobe of the pituitary.
Vasopressin and Oxytocin
These peptides are released from the posterior lobe of the pituitary and are described in the page devoted to the pituitary. [Vasopressin] [Oxytocin]
Lobotomy
By Erika Fyfe
An eight-centimeter spike attached to a wooden handle was the preferred tool when it came to the psychosurgical procedure called a leucotomy. This operation was seen as a miracle cure for a range of mental illnesses. Holes used to be drilled into the skull to release evil spirits, but the idea of lobotomy was different. Lobotomy used the idea of drilled holes, but in the upper forehead instead of the top of the skull. It was also different in that the surgeon used a blade to cut the brain instead of a leucotome. A Portuguese neurologist, Egas Moniz, believed that patients with obsessive behavior were suffering from fixed circuits in the brain. Moniz believed he found a solution, “I decided to sever the connecting fibers of the neurons in activity.” His original technique was adopted later by others, but html]]the basic idea remained the same. To do this surgical procedure, surgeons would drill a pair of holes into the skull, either at the side or top, and push a sharp leucotome into the brain. Surgeons would sweep this instrument from side to side, cutting the connections between the frontal lobes and the rest of the brain.
For Moniz’s first twenty patients, dramatic improvements were reported, This operation was more than enthusiastically seized by an American neurologist, Walter Freeman. Freeman performed the first lobotomy in the United States in 1936. After the first one in the US, it spread across the globe. The infamous transorbital lobotomy was considered a “blind” operation because the surgeon would not know for certain if he had actually severed the nerves. A sharp, ice-pick like tool would be inserted through the eye socket between the upper lid and eye. When the doctor thought he was close to the right spot, he would hit the end of the instrument with a hammer.
Starting in the early 1940s, lobotomies were seen as a miracle in the United Kingdom. Surgeons were performing proportionately more lobotomies than in the US. Despite opposition, especially from psychoanalysts, lobotomies became a mainstream part of psychiatry with more than a thousand operations a year in the UK. This was used to treat illnesses from schizophrenia to depression and compulsive disorders. Despite the fact that there was extensive evidence that psychosurgery was not therapeutic, operations continued for decades. This was because it was considered unprofessional to criticize another physician in public, and even though many doctors who knew that psychosurgery was a joke did not make their opinions known. This allowed psychosurgeons to continue unchecked from the late 1930s through the 1970s.
Although, Egas Moniz was the first psychosurgeon, Walter Freeman is considered the Father of Lobotomy. Dr. Freeman of George Washington University and Dr. James Watts of Yale immediately began to select and experiment on humans. The two kept experiencing problems like the knife breaking off in people’s brains, unexplained seizures, and total disorientation. After experimenting on many people they finally formulated the “Freeman and Watts Standard Lobotomy” and began touting it in the medical community. It didn’t take long for Freeman to start perfoming this operation for any complaint imaginable no matter where he was. He would even do it in his own office, this did not make Watts happy. Watts said, “Stop doing brain surgery as an office procedure.” Since Freeman did not stop doing lobotomies as an office procedure, Watts eventually split up the partnership.
Freeman began traveling around the nation in his own personal van, which he called his “lobotomobile.” He would demonstrate transorbital lobotomy in any hospital that would accept him. Walter would even perform some in hotel rooms. Lobotomizing children as young as thirteen for what he considered “delinquent behavior” and housewives that lost their passion for domestic work. His sick and twisted fancy for performing lobotomies on anyone was eventually put to an end. He lost his medical license at the end of his career when he killed a patient who was seeing him for her third transorbital procedure. In the end, at least fifty thousand people were lobotomized by the psychosurgeons. The transorbital patients were often the most functional since there was a reasonable possibility that the doctor had missed their nerves all together. The less fortunate victims were warehoused in institutions, or they returned to families who were often unable to cope with such severely disabled people.
Night Terrors
By: Ashley Gooder and Kelsey Shields
You wake up to violent thrashing in the night. You run over to Timmy’s room and as hard as you try you can’t wake him up, he isn’t responding to your voice. You are unable to console him even though he appears to be wide-awake. He is screaming, his heart is racing, he is sweating profusely, and he appears to be disoriented. As you panic for your child he lays back into his bed. At last its over, your child is back to a peaceful sleep, but when he wakes up he doesn’t remember any of what happened. Your child has just become a victim of night terrors.
Night terrors are also known as sleep terrors or attacks of Pavor Nocturnus. Sleep terrors according to Mayo Clinic staff of mayoclinic.com are episodes of fear, flailing and screaming while asleep these are also known as night terrors. Night terrors are a sleep disorder that typically targets children aging anywhere from eighteen months to twelve years. These terrors can last up to thirty minutes and occur during non-REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. Which is normally happens within the first 2-3 hours of sleep and in stages 3 and 4 of non-REM sleep. Most people will not remember in the morning but the few that do, remember seeing dark shadow people and animals that appear to be dangerous. Sleep terrors are also paired with sleep walking due to the precautions parents and or people would want to take to protect the sleeper during either episode.
Night terrors differ from nightmares for many reasons. Nightmares occur during REM sleep where as terrors do not. Also night terrors are usually reoccurring, which the child cannot be awakened from and typically are not remembered. Nightmares occur for no reason and often because the child has seen or heard something that has upset them. Unlike night terrors, nightmares start at six months and go all the way through adulthood. Nightmares happen in the early morning instead of close to post bedtime. During a night terror the child is unable to respond or cannot be consoled.
The causes of this sleep disorder include: stress, anxiety, fever, lack of sleep, sleeping in a new place, lights or noises, and over-arousal of the central nervous system (CNS). Night terrors happen in children because the central nervous system is still maturing. Night terrors are commonly outgrown by adolescence, and on rare occasions adults suffer from them as well. According to “Attacks of Pavor Nocturnus (a.k.a. Sleep Terrors, Night Terrors, Incubus Attacks) Are They Affecting You or Your Children?” by Anthony Degani and Kevin Morton with contributions from the Stanford Sleep Book, adults that get night terrors usually are from post traumatic stress disorder or anxiety. The age range in adults that will suffer from sleep terrors is from around ages twenty to thirty. Mayoclinic.com enlightens us that “sleep terrors tend to run in families. Some adults who have sleep terrors may have a history of depressive or anxiety disorders, although most don’t have a mental health condition.” Sleep terrors only affect one to six percent of children and roughly one percent of adults says Degani and Morton.
[[http://www.suite101.com/view_image_articles.cfm/1353939]]
Timmy experienced sweating, rapid heartbeat; screaming, rapid breathing and thrashing which are some of the symptoms of sleep terrors. Sudden awakening from sleep, talking, screaming, confusion, and inability to remember are some more common symptoms that people experience. According to Dr. D’s Sleep Book, “Sleep terrors often involve individuals screaming in the middle of the night, ostensibly in a state of panic,” and that “Parents of young patients must be reassured that these dramatic episodes have no psychopathological implications and they seldom cause injury.”
Prevention from night terrors can include not waking the child, reduce stress, routing bed times, lots of rest, make sure there are no harmful objects that could harm the child, and avoid sleep disturbances. During a night terror turning on the lights helps the child to be less confused by shadows. Parent are recommended to see a physician if the child has more than two episodes a week, if the terrors disrupt other family members, if the child does something dangerous during an episode, if terrors exceed thirty minutes, or if the terrors occur in the 2nd half of the night. No medication has been found to help cure night terrors but some antidepressants can be used temporarily if the daily life is being affected. Writing down symptoms that your child experiences, a list of all medications or vitamins your child is taking, major stresses or life changes in child’s life, and sleep patterns if you plan to take your child to the doctor to help the doctor diagnose your child accurately.
During a night terror parents can make soothing comments, try to guide the child back to bed if they have gotten out of bed, and do not try to awaken the child, shaking or shouting at the child will make the situations worse by causing the child to become more upset.
Little Timmy’s parents were concerned about his episode so they kept a vivid sleep journal and tried reducing the stress in his life and he eventually out grew his sleep terrors.
In conclusion, night terrors, also known as sleep terrors, often target children, they happen during non REM sleep, and victims do not remember what happened. They differ from nightmares because the child cannot be waked up from a night terror. Causes of night terrors often include stress, anxiety, fever, lack of sleep, sleeping in a new place, lights or noises, and over arousal of the central nervous system. Night terrors are usually outgrown by adolescence but some adults do suffer from the disorder as well because of post traumatic stress disorder. The disorder does not mean the child has psychological problems. There is no medication known that will cure the disorder but there are precautions that can be followed to prevent night terrors. If you must console a doctor be sure to write a sleep diary until the appointment and write down any medications being taken and any changes in the child’s life. During a night terror do not try to awaken the child because it will make them more upset. Night terrors are not dangerous and should not be blown out of proportion.
People with split-brain will act as everyday people with perfect coordination and perfect everyday skills. When they react to a situation like people with non-split brain, they would react the same but their brain doesn’t react the same. After the surgery their brain will re train itself to know how to react to these situations. Instead of the brain taking the information in and deciding where it needs to go like us, their brain will know where the information needs to go a split second. This is a great achievement in history for people with Epilepsy and as researchers continue to find new information, the illness becomes less and less threatening.
Split-brain is the result when the corpus callosum connecting the two hemispheres of the brain is severed. It is a symptom produced by disruption of or interference with the connection between the hemispheres of the brain. The surgical operation to produce this condition is called corpus colostomy and is used as a last resort to treat otherwise intractable epilepsy. If this operation does not succeed, a complete colostomy is performed to mitigate the risk of accidental physical injury by reducing the severity and violence of epileptic seizures. Prior to colostomies, epilepsy is treated through pharmaceutical means.
A patient with a split brain, when shown an image in the left half of what both eyes take in, see optic tract, will be unable to say what they have seen. This is because the speech-control center is in the left side of the brain in most people, and the image from the left visual field is sent only to the right side of the brain .Since communication between the two sides of the brain is inhibited, the patient cannot name what the right side of the brain is seeing. The person can, however, pick up and show recognition of an object with their left hand, since that hand is controlled by the right side of the brain.
The same effect occurs for visual pairs and reasoning. For example, a patient with split brain is shown a picture of a chicken and a snowy field in separate visual fields and asked to choose from a list of words the best association with the pictures. The patient would choose a chicken foot to associate with the chicken and a shovel to associate with the snow; however, when asked to reason why the patient chose the shovel, the response would relate to the chicken and place the shovel to use to clean the chicken coop.
History
“The modern era of split-brain research began in the late 1950s. The pioneers of split-brain research, Michael Gazzaniga and Roger Sperry, worked together at Caltech testing the functioning of each hemisphere independently of the other in split-brain patients. The results revealed an overall pattern among patients that severing the entire corpus callosum blocks the interhemispheric transfer of perceptual, sensory, motor, gnostic and other forms of information in a dramatic way. This allowed Gazzaniga and Sperry to gain insights into hemispheric differences as well as the mechanisms through which the two hemispheres interact.” Quoted from, split-brain history on Google searches.
The Cerebellum
Whitney Schultz
The cerebellum or “little brain” is located at the back of the brain just above the brain stem. The cerebellum is relatively well protected from trauma and is the size of a baseball. The cerebellum makes up only 10% of our brain, but it holds up nearly half of the neurons that are in the entire brain, which is another reason of its importance to the human body. The cerebellum is involved in the coordination of voluntary motor movement, balance, equilibrium and even muscle tone. Although, recent studies have shown that the cerebellum plays an important part in other cognitive functions, like our attention and the way we focus and capture images. Breathing, sleeping, blood pressure and heart rate are also controlled by the cerebellum.
Injury to the cerebellum results in movements that are slow and uncoordinated. Damage to the cerebellum can lead to the loss of coordination of motor movement, the inability to judge distance and when to stop, the inability to perform rapid alternating movements, movement tremors, staggering, wide based walking, tendency toward falling, weak muscles, slurred speech, and abnormal eye movements. In fact, with having damage to my cerebellum, if I were ever pulled over when driving, I would fail the field sobriety test for attempting to walk in a straight line and also standing on one foot. I probably look like I am totally drunk to some of you, but I can thank my brain tumor for the “having-no-alcohol” alcohol side effects! Actually the doctor’s tell me all the time, “You know what alcohol does to a normal brain, and with the side effects of your brain tumor you cannot ever drink alcohol.” Here is an interesting fact about the cerebellum, when you are driving your car, for example, while the cerebrum will send signals to your hands and arms, ‘telling’ them how to move, the cerebellum is actually the one that will coordinate them for accuracy.
When I go for check-ups at Children’s Hospital, my doctor always does different tests on me like standing on one foot then the other, walking a straight line, running down the hall, standing in one spot with my eyes closed, moving my fingers, and touching my nose with the finger he tells me. The first time I tried doing these test, I completely failed. But, with a lot of practice, I can say they are getting easier and I have even accomplished some of the tests. Enough that when Dr. Foreman makes me stand with my eyes closed he doesn’t even have to stand behind me! Even when you are sitting comfortably, with your balance intact, it is all due to the cerebellum, the magnificent brain structure that controls how we perceive things through our senses.
The first picture you see is the very first MRI scan I received after being diagnosed with my Medulloblastoma Brain Tumor in September 2007. You can see the tumor the lighter spot in the lower middle of the brain. It was pushing on to my brain stem causing the headaches and nausea I was experiencing. The second photo is my MRI scan in May 2012 that shows there is an open space representing NO brain tumor!
Child abuse takes many different forms, as suggested by the statistics. This makes it difficult for people to recognize that abuse is taking place. This is a true story about a boy. Let's call himPeter. He was Australia’s own Baby Peter two decades before the little British boy was even born but his terrible plight – his suffering and his horrific death – changed the laws in Australia regarding the reporting of suspected child abuse. The tiny injured face of little Daniel Valerio impacts on your soul and conscience just as devastatingly as it did when this photograph, taken by police, was first published after his violent death at the hands of his mother’s boyfriend in 1990.
Now that we recognize the forms child abuse takes, we are prepared to have an awareness of child abuse in our own communities. Luckily, there is a way to prevent those horrible things from happening to the current and future generation. Bob Green says, "If you know in your heart, if you sense something is wrong, don't go away…You have to be as relentless as those children can't be. They have no voice at all. You have to follow your instinct and listen to the little voice in your head that says something is wrong, this isn't normal. Don't ignore that voice." As we found out today,child abuse isn't always life threatening, but even small things, such as tickling, can have a very profound emotional impact on a child. However, with so many cases being called in, they aren't always correct in saying that a child is safe in their household. If the child is in immediate danger, then call 911. If social services won't act, the police will. You may be thinking that if a close friend or family member is abusing a child, you don't want to report it out of fear of losing the friendship, or you don't want your friend to be put in jail, but think about it. If theabuse continues, there is a good chance that the child will suffer long term emotional problems, or in the worst case, die. In that case, the police would get involved and the parents would be caught on a murder charge, which provides a worse sentence than one of child abuse. Also, think of the welfare of the child. How would you sleep at night knowing that an innocent child could be suffering at the hands of who are supposed to be their protectors. Take the obligation upon yourself and save a life.
You'll feel better, and the child will get to experience what it's like living in a loving, supporting family environment. Victims of child abuse often grow up convinced that they can't do anything right, and they're not worth anything. Others harness the anger and are likely to explode at some point, continuing the cycle of abuse. Both scenarios turn out badly. If the abusive behavior is corrected quickly, they may not be as affected or are able to see that they are worth something and they are capable of being loved as all children should be. There are so many ways to help children live happy, well adjusted lives. Adoption. Last year 127,000 children were adopted after they were taken out of abused homes. To help you see how many children that really is, if you line up 127,000 pennies end to end in a straight line, it would reach over 2,000 miles long. Foster Care. 542,000 children are in foster care right now, in happier homes where they are taken care of. People may believe that foster care is a horrible system where children are worse off than in their abusive homes, but in actuality every foster parent is carefully checked out, and periodically examined, to make sure that the children are safe and being taken care of. Love. Four children, every day, are taken out of their abusive houses and put in homes where they are really, truly loved. This could not have been possible without the help of brave people that reported abuse in their community. Give those children a chance to live and have a childhood like other children do. They shouldn't be deprived of those Saturday morning cartoons and trips to the petting zoo. Personally, I'd rather see more of the good statistics than the bad, but that can only be made possible with the help of all of you.
What is the meaning of adolescence and the steps to take in order of reaching adulthood? Adolescence is known as the years spent growing from a child to an adult. It also is characterized by a conflict between identity and role confusion. This starts with the physical beginning of sexual maturity and will end with the independence of having an adult status. There are three main developmental steps in the process of transferring from a teen to an adult. These steps consist of physical development, cognitive development, and social development. During adolescence, young teenagers go through many changes as they move from childhood to adulthood. This begins with puberty which will pertain to the changes of having acne, hair growth in many regions of the body, perspiration, the growth of one’s reproductive organs and the voice starting to become pitchy. Growth spurts is also another widely known change to the body. Usually a young person will grow around four inches and gain eight to ten pounds per year when they hit their growth spurt. As young people become more capable of thinking about their thoughts, they will begin to imagine what other people are thinking about them in addition. They begin to develop a more abstract way of thinking, such as to deal with a more difficult math concept, while also considering more than one perspective. Adolescence also will be more interested in the present, while not thinking about their future or upcoming plans in life. Their intellectual interests will start to expand and become more important to them and develop a deeper way of moral thinking towards certain issues. Development socially amongst adolescence would involve with, the exploring of the different ideas and values that society has. In addition to the thoughts and principles of society, as adolescence mature, they will an increase influence of peer pressure on them. Young teens will start to struggle with their sense of identity, which could cause the teen to become more likely to take further risks than usual. Teens will start to become very awkward about themselves and their body and will worry about being “normal”. Their peer group may become a safe haven, in which the adolescent can test new ideas. Members of the peer group frequently try to act and dress the same, have secret codes or practices, and participate in the same activities. Teens depend more on what their peers will think is normal and what is accepted rather than that from their own family. Adolescence will challenge their parents’ authority which can be one of the leading causes for teenagers and their family to have conflicts. These conflicts between the young person and the family can make the teen to become more moody and have a childish behavior when stressed about certain issues. They will eventually start to have the desire for more independence for themselves, while growing several interests, most likely for yearning for more privacy for themselves. In the end the years spent emerging from a child to an adult involves physical, cognitive, and social development which are three progressive stages in reaching into adulthood.
Bullying what is act by a person when he or she keeps doing or cause harm to other or to have power over another person. ways they bully other people: calling them names, saying or writing nasty things about them, leaving them out of activities, not talking to them, threatening them, making them feel uncomfortable or scared, taking or damaging their things, hitting or kicking them, or making them do things they don't want to do. Has some one bullied you? Have you bullied someone else? Well either way bulling is wrong behavior. A person bullied makes them feel afraid or uncomfortable being there. What make people want to bully others? Well there are servile reasons why people do. First, people bully to attract attention from others. Because there acting out their problem and this is the only way their parent are paying any attention to,which this behavior leads to big fight. Family Issues have a lot to do with children that bully to.Families that do not have warming and loving, and cannot shared their feelings are more likely to have children who bully, either within the family home or in other locations. Different Cultural Causes Bullying. In some culture people have to fight to gain power and violence influences people to bully.
Some culture it’s a source of entertainment. Many young people grow up expecting that violence is an acceptable way to get what one wants. Another reason why people bully issocial bulling.Because he or she may think that they are much more superior to others. Become popular with his or her fiends/ school. Bullies also generally form groups to prove to his or her friends that he or she is the boss and control the group. Next reason is because they really want something they cannot have such as study notes or electronic and just go up and grab the object they want and keep it Also this reason could lead to Physical Abuse always turn violent. For some hapless children who are often pushed, shoved, punched and kicked around by senior or bigger students. A majority reason why people bully is their mental state. Either have some problem in their way of thinking or mindset, or have some social insecurity. They like to be rude and rebellious towards others. Also Jealousy one of the major reasons why people bully. They try to punish and hurt others whom they are jealous about for various or even a single reason.
How can we stop bulling? Well there needs to be commutation between parents and children. Strategieshow to stop bulling there ton of web site parent can go to get help on how to stop bulling if your children are getting bullied or if your child is the bully. Bullying is a behavioral issue that needs to be dealt with seriously. Continuous exposure to bullying can have extreme effects on a person's physical as well as mental health, and may even lead to suicide. I hope after reading this you might have got an idea of why people bully. Thereare several other reasons why people bully. Go tothese sites and find out more why people bully it might just save you or your child’s life.
Have you ever wondered why you get along with certain people but others get on your nerves? Or maybe you’ve been on a project team that fell apart at the seams and you wondered why? Research shows that each individual is born with unique personality traits but they suggest that our personalities can be defined through specific personality color models. Color has been used to shape and describe our lives, our habits, our values, and our feelings throughout the ages. Research into the physiological effects of color has shown that it truly has an impact on our lives, often in unconscious and mysterious ways. The theory behind personality colors can be traced back to when Hippocrates (460BC) identified four different temperaments of humans: Sanguine, Choleric, Phlegmatic, and the Melancholic and in Plato's (428BC) ideas about character and personality. Many great thinkers around the world have expounded upon this theory throughout the ages from the ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilizations to modern psychologists with relative consistency of these various interpretations.“True Colors is a model of personality identification that is easy to understand, remember and apply. With the colors of Blue, Gold, Green and Orange - True Colors distills the elaborate concepts of personality theory into a user-friendly, practical tool used to foster healthy productive relationships.
Blue is a color that has been shown to soothe the central nervous system. It fosters psychological contentment and physical tranquility. It can be said that when a person is feeling blue, they are experiencing emotional intensity and sensitivity to the dramas of life. The figure of speech referring to "True Blues" takes on the meaning of friendship, helpers, “there when you need them” individuals that will go the extra mile for others.
Gold is a color with numerous metaphors associated with it. Think of the common phrase, “Good as Gold”. It represents value, stability and strength. The expression “Solid Gold work ethic” conjures up an image of someone who is very responsible… on time, organized, fulfills their obligations with stellar dependability, efficiency and thoroughness. The classic expression “sets the Gold standard” is also a suitable fit.
Green is an expression of the logic - the system of existence and the abundance of this color in nature. Greens are concerned with the world's challenges, such as preserving the wisdom of mother earth for the future. Psychological research has shown the color Green to have a calming effect and many Greens demonstrate a composed demeanor using mind over emotion to orchestrate and solve the mysteries of life.
Orange is a color often used to promote action, motivation, excitement. Orange urges you to Pay Attention-wake up and seize the moment, make quick decisions…take advantage of the immediate opportunity available right now! Orange encourages a playful atmosphere of activity and movement. Think of the flash of fire, shimmer of sparklers on the fourth of July or the flame of a match – hot, dazzling, Orange energy.”
You can also explain personality to children by using the book “The Treasure Tree by Dr John Trent. Kids will love this creative and fun book in which 4 animals (an otter, beaver, golden retriever & lion) teach personality traits and how to respect and appreciate each individual for who they are. The otter represents the orange color or someone with happy go lucky personality. The beaver represents the green color or a person that is very calculating and mathematical. The lion represents the gold color or a person that takes charge in every situation. Lastly the golden retriever represents the blue color which is a person that is reliable understanding individual. You may have more than one of these colors that makes up your personality but we all have a predominant color that shines through. However, we all will have times in our lives when we must learn to adapt to another color personality for work or school, etc. What we must learn from this is that everyone is a unique individual with their own personality and if we have a better understanding of their personality then we will be more capable to work with that person and understand what makes them tick. We must remember what Mae West once said, “Personality is the glitter that sends your little gleam across the footlights and the orchestra pit into that big black space where the audience is.”
Alcoholism is defined as having sign of a physical addiction wherein the victim keeps drinking with disregard to physical health, mental health, family, social and job related responsibilities. Alcoholism may rule your life and responsibilities.
Alcoholism can be defined by four main characteristics:
1. Craving- a strong desire to drink.
2. Loss of Control- not being able to quit once you’ve started
3. Physical Dependence- symptoms of withdrawal: Shakiness, nausea or sweating after they’ve quit drinking
4. Tolerance- The need to drink more to get the desired effect.
Alcoholism may very well be considered an epidemic; affecting approximately 17.6 million adult Americans, the disease is spreading. The number of alcohol related deaths every year is increasing. In 2009, the CDC estimated that the rate for deaths related to diseased livers in alcoholics was 15,183, up from the 2001 number of just 12,201.
I’ve seen the effects of alcoholism firsthand. Alcoholism runs in my family. There are a good number of my family members that are alcoholics. By alcoholics, I mean that they wake up every morning and crack a beer or make a drink before they do even the basic things such as taking a shower or eating breakfast.
This is not to say that they are not good people or that they aren’t functioning members of society but I do believe it has some effect on even the smallest aspects of their daily lives. A lot of my elder relatives are all very shaky and they have trouble grasping and holding onto objects. My relatives that are older than me but are not elderly do not have so much in the way of weakness or shakiness but they are very quick tempered and belligerent.
Along with alcoholism, depression also runs in my family. I must suspect then since most of my relatives weren’t diagnosed as depressed before the age of 21 that alcohol may have played a key role in the appearance of their symptoms.
I have had family members become depressed and kill themselves and I believe that were it not for the alcohol clouding their judgment, they would still be here today. 75 percent of all suicides are depressed alcoholics.
Alcoholism is a widespread and life affecting illness that is extremely treatable and preventable and with the right publicity and awareness there is a good chance that all of these statistics could drop in the years to come.
An alcoholic can be described as a person who continues to use alcohol despite knowing the consumption will produce negative results. Other ways to describe alcoholism is:
• Substance dependence- one developing a need to drink excessively to get a desired effect.
• Substance abuse- failure to meet obligations, may it be school, work, or family.
Alcoholism currently affects 4-5% of the population. A son of an alcoholic has a 25% more chance of becoming an alcoholic. In 1956 alcoholism was officially recognized as a disease. However, many people struggle to accept the disease concept due to the stigma attached to addiction and the misconception that one chooses to use the substance and could quit if they wanted to. There are several factors considered in classifying alcoholism as a disease. Such as:
The illness can be described.
The disease is predictable and progressive.
The disease is primary, meaning that it's not just a symptom of another disease.
It is permanent.
It is terminal. If left untreated, alcoholism inevitably results in premature death.
Intro into Nature vs. Nurture: source]]
Nature vs. nurture is a debate which has been occurring for years. Addiction does not care if you have a large inheritance or if you grew up in a home where use was not a behavior displayed or accepted. Philosophers such as Plato Descartes said that certain things occur naturally, no matter what the environment is around. Others such as John Locke believed that you start with a blank slate and you see, act or learn through experiences.
Research has shown it can be both nature and nurture or it could not be a caused be either. It has been shown sons of alcoholic fathers have a 25% chance of having the same disease. Research also suggests that about 50-60% of the risk of developing alcoholism can be attributed to genetics. But studies of identical twins whom were separated at birth and raised by different families, supports that genetics are not the only contributing factor. Even though the genetics are identical addiction does not always develop.
As in Chris’s project, I too have alcoholics in my family. My biological dad has a drinking problem. My mom’s real dad also drinks excessively. So nature wise I have the “gene” to follow in their footsteps. Though, nurture wise, unlike my father and my grandfather I was raised in an environment where drinking doesn’t happen very often. My mom and step dad drink on rare occasions. They are very strict when it comes to drinking. I don’t drink but if I did there would be harsh consequences that I wouldn’t want to go through.
I believe alcoholism or addiction is genetically passed through parents to their children. However, simply having similar genetics does not guarantee you will suffer from addiction. I believe how you are raised and how you think can either contributing to or decrease your chance of developing an addiction.
Kayla Torres
Insomnia
Insomnia is defined as a sleeping disorder preventing someone from being able to sleep for parts of the night or even all night. Insomnia can be long lasting to some people or it can only last a few nights of the year. To people who suffer from insomnia every night it can begin to affect them mentally and physically. Some people may have a slight version of insomnia where they might just have trouble falling asleep. According to a statistic more men then women suffer from insomnia.
Circadian Rhythm is also known as the 24 hour sleep cycle. Insomnia messes with this cycle. Let's say you go to sleep at 9:00 p.m. every night for two weeks straight. Now your body is used to this and is ready to go to sleep at 9:00 p.m. every night. Now lets say after those two weeks you decide to stay up till 12:00 A.M., three hours later then usual. Your sleep cycle will now be messed up and you will have the feeling of jet lag or have a slow reaction time in everything you do. If your body gets too used to getting interrupted it will cause you to start having symptoms of insomnia. The next day you will feel exhausted and drained.
Some sources say that depression is a main factor of insomnia. When i conducted two interviews I came to find out that one person suffered from insomnia due to post-traumatic stress and the other one had chronic pain. They both said that in result to insomnia they suffered fatigue and short term memory loss. To fix insomnia they tried changing environments, beds, pillows, etc. One used anxiety pills while the other tried sleeping pills. Some people never stop having insomnia and others stop suffering completely.
Sources: Two interviews: Alberto Torres and Amanda Mathias. Also psych book. --
Types of drugs
By Sean Cherry and Tori Mackley
Why do people start using illegal drugs? -Some of the reasons why people want to try illegal drugs is because it is offered to them by someone, or a friend they trust and they want to enjoy the same experience they have had, out of curiosity, or rebelliousness, or the fact that drugs are easily available. The effects that drugs have on people varies greatly, depending on what type of drug, the amount they take, and the environment or social situation in which it’s taken.
There are four main groups of drugs. They are divided according to their major effect or the reason why people take them.
Stimulants- Stimulants affect the central nervous system, and increase brain activity. Most stimulants keep your mind more alert, less tired and lift the user’s mood. Some types of stimulants are: caffeine, tobacco, amphetamines, anabolic steroids, hallucinogenic amphetamines like ecstasy, cocaine and crack.
Ecstasy is popular among middle-class adolescents and young adults. It is known for its ‘trusting and opening’, and energizing effects. That’s why it is known as ‘the love drug’. Its effects last up to three to four hours. Its popularity grew in the late 1980s in the rave and club scenes. Most users say they have good experiences, unpleasant ones appear to be connected with taking repeated, high doses over a period of time, which produces anxiety, panic, confusion insomnia and psychosis. The hazards of using ecstasy are psychological problems, confusion, depression, sleeping problems, and drug craving.
Cocaine –In 2009, 4.8 million Americans age 12 and older had abused cocaine in any form at least once in the year prior to being surveyed. Cocaine is an addictive central nervous system stimulant that can be snorted, injected, or smoked. It is a more extreme drug, but short-lived, which means that people take them repeatedly over a number of hours. Most users tend to be nervous, excitable and paranoid. If you take a lot of these drugs on a long-term basis, you may lose weight, and feel uncomfortably restless, overexcited, nauseous and sleepless, but, those symptoms should stop once the user stops taking the drug.
Very similar to cocaine, Amphetamines are psychomotor drugs that are much like an adrenaline rush. Amphetamines stimulate the central nervous system and speed up normal body processes. These drugs often known as “speed,” create feelings of power, strength, focus, and energy; making the drug a serious upper. As a person taking the drug they feel as if they can take on the world and the need for food and sleep goes away.
Depressants are any drug that reduces the functioning of the central nervous system or any other part of the body. However, this doesn't just include the standard barbiturates or benzodiazepines. It includes things like opioids, alcohol and antipsychotic drugs. Depressants are usually taken into the body in pill form, because they are most often prescription drugs. But, one of the more common depressants is alcohol, which is, of course, drunk. And the opioid, heroin, is taken a lot among depressants.
Depressants can affect the body in many different ways. It gives you the feeling of relaxation and reduces tension. Most depressants tend to feel a bit drowsy most of the time.
Heroin- Short term effects of heroin are having a warm flushing of the skin, a dry mouth and the feeling of having ‘heavy’ arms and legs. After the initial rush users will go into an alternately wakeful and drowsy state sometimes called, “on the nod”. Heroin gives you a ‘cloudy’ mental function. You’ll begin to breathe slower, to where breathing can reach a point of respiratory failure.
Alcohol is probably the most commonly used depressant. Because alcohol is managed well by most users it is not thought to be very harmful. However, that is not the case; some users become tolerant and even become addicted alcoholics. Like Heroin, users use alcohol as an escape from life often times bringing out the inner feelings one has. Alcohol is the most toxic and poisonous commonly used drug that is very easy to come by compared to most drugs.
Hallucinogens are a form of recreational drugs which are usually found in plants or taken as extract. Most common types of hallucinogens are LSD, mushrooms, mescaline and PCP. These drugs disrupt the user’s nerve cells and neurotransmitters throughout the brain and spinal cord. Hallucinogens make you hallucinate, meaning that things you hear and see around you don’t exist. Taking hallucinogens can many times make the user experience anxiety, fear, and paranoia; sometimes the user can completely lose contact with reality. This makes it very hard to communicate and often gives the user mood swings.
The most common form of hallucinogen would be marijuana, which is a mild hallucinogen. Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal substance in the world. The main chemical in marijuana is THC. The THC from the marijuana acts on specific receptors in the brain known as cannabinoid receptors. Unlike many drugs varies depending on the situation, usually it just intensifies how the person is feeling. Although marijuana is nearly harmless, many believe that marijuana is the “gateway drug” meaning that it might lead the user to do harder drugs in the future.
All in all, there are many reasons people choose to do drugs. Whether it is just for pleasure, curiosity or even rebellious behavior something people should know is that drugs can be very dangerous. It does not matter if the drug is a stimulant, depressant or even a hallucinogen; if a person is not in the right state of mind the results can be lethal. Of course people are still going to do drugs it offers an escape, but safety is a key factor every user should take in consideration.
Work Cited:
www.drugs.com
Exploring psychology eighth edition in modules- David G. Myers
Lawrence Williams II
OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder)
Obsessive compulsive disorder is defined as an anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts that produce uneasiness, apprehension, fear, or worry, by repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing the associated anxiety, or by a combination of such obsessions and compulsions. It is estimated that 2 to 3 million adults and 500,000 kids in the United States of America suffer from obsessive compulsive disorder. A good way to put yourself in the shoes of somebody with OCD is to imagine a certain thought, image or scene in your head and it getting stuck there and you not wanting it there. In some cases it’s almost as if the OCD takes over people’s lives and prevents them from living a “normal” life. But I’m going to share with you some symptoms, behavior, and treatments of OCD. Just because someone has obsessive compulsive disorder doesn’t mean they can’t take control of their disorder.
The two main symptoms of someone with OCD they will have obsessive thoughts and compulsive thoughts. Obsessive thoughts that someone with OCD usually come across are thoughts of germs getting all over them, being scared you might harm yourself or someone else, losing something you really need, and violent thoughts just to name a few. On the other side of things compulsive thoughts differ heavily from obsessive thoughts. Compulsive thoughts are anything from washing your hands repeatedly to checking looks multiple times in a sequence. If you know someone with these traits it’s possible they might suffer from OCD.
Four Steps for Conquering Symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
RELABEL – Recognize that the intrusive obsessive thoughts and urges are the result of OCD. For example, train yourself to say, "I don't think or feel that my hands are dirty. I'm having an obsession that my hands are dirty." Or, "I don't feel that I have the need to wash my hands. I'm having a compulsive urge to perform the compulsion of washing my hands."
REATTRIBUTE – Realize that the intensity and intrusiveness of the thought or urge is caused by OCD; it is probably related to a biochemical imbalance in the brain. Tell yourself, "It's not me—it’s my OCD," to remind you that OCD thoughts and urges are not meaningful, but are false messages from the brain.
REFOCUS – Work around the OCD thoughts by focusing your attention on something else, at least for a few minutes. Do another behavior. Say to yourself, "I'm experiencing a symptom of OCD. I need to do another behavior."
REVALUE – Do not take the OCD thought at face value. It is not significant in itself. Tell yourself, "That's just my stupid obsession. It has no meaning. That's just my brain. There's no need to pay attention to it." Remember: You can't make the thought go away, but neither do you need to pay attention to it. You can learn to go on to the next behavior.
The best, most effective, and most efficient treatment for OCD is cognitive behavior therapy and antidepressants. Cognitive behavior therapy is a therapy form that focuses on the catastrophic thoughts and exaggerated sense of responsibility you feel. This usually consists of two parts exposure and response prevention and cognitive therapy. I personally like this method a lot and feel it’s so effective because it makes you get to the root of your problem and helps you address the issues you face daily. Also because someone with OCD gets taught an alternative to deal and cop with their OCD with healthy techniques.
In conclusion OCD is a serious disorder and if not treated it can take over someone’s life. On the plus they have trained professionals that specialize in working with people with OCD. They give you the right medicine and therapy needed. It’s not an easy road to break the strong cycle but if someone really tries it could be done.
Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD)
By: Tyler Jones
A personality disorder is a persistent pattern of thoughts, behaviors, and feelings that are significantly different from what is considered normal within the person’s individual culture. Antisocial Personality Disorder falls under the B Cluster of personality disorders which is characterized by symptoms of erratic and dramatic behaviors. ASPD occurs in approxomately one percent of women and three percent of men within the United States. Antisocial Personality Disorder is not diagnosed in children younger than 18 year of age; however, the individual must have shown symptoms since around the age of 15. Symptoms of ASPD include: The lack of guilty feelings about wrong-doings, the disregard for the safety of others and self, failure to plan or think ahead, a persistent lack of taking responsibility, a tendency towards anger irritability and aggression( repeatedly assaulting other and frequent fighting), and the lack of conforming to laws of society. In order to be diagnosed with ASPD, you must exhibit at least 2-3 of these symptoms. Like all personality disorders, and most mental disorders, ASPD tends to be the result of a combination of genetic/biologic and environmental factors. Although there are no clear biological causes for ASPD, research has indicated that individuals with ASPD tend to have a smaller amygdala(the part of the brain that is responsible for learning from ones mistakes and responding to sad and fearful facial expressions. Life events are believed to be the highest factor for individuals with ASPD usually being cause from such events as; physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, neglect, abandonment or deprivation, and having a parent who is either an alcoholic or antisocial. Other believed risk factors for ASPD include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), substance abuse, and a conduct or reading disorder diagnosed as a child.
Antisocial Personality Disorder does not have any definnative treatments or medications that could be considered a “cure”. It also has a tendency of making pretty much any other mood, anxiety, and personality condition more difficult to treat and problematic. Although therapy from a younger age has proven to be the most effective treatment, it does not work for all patients. Although there are no medications for ASPD, some can be useful in helping individuals help cope with co-occuring conditions such as depression, anxiety and other mood disorders. Many with ASPD will start to experience a remission of symptoms in/around the age of 50 years old, that is; as long as they are not already in an institution such as prisons or hospitals as a result of not seeking and receiving help or therapy. People who suffer from Antisocial Personality Disorder have a higher risk of abusing drugs and alcohol and repeatedly committing crimes; while ASPD also leaves individuals more open and vulnerable to anxiety, bipolar, major depression, mood problems, self-mutilation, borderline personality, and narcissistic personality disorders, many end up dying from either accident, homicide or suicide.
I hope this has been informational to you and that you now have a little bit of a better understanding of ASPD and how it effects individual people.
Sources cited:
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Treatment Revision. Washington, D.D.: American Psychiatric Association, 2000.
“Male Criminals With Organic Brain Syndrome: Two Distinct Types Based on Age at First Arrest.” American Journal of Psychiatry 158
“Treatment Response of Adolescent Offenders With Psychopathy Features.” Criminal Justice and Behavior 33.5 (2006): 571-596
“Reactions of Primary and Secondary Psychopaths to Anger Evoking Situations.” British Journal of Clinical Psychology 24.2 May 1985: 93-100
Anorexia
By: Anna Taylor, Sara Crawford, and Christina Burns
When I think of anorexia, I think of very thin, petit, unhealthy people; then I ask myself why people do this to themselves.
According to the website Eating Disorders Resources For Recovery Since 1980, one common misconception is that people become anorexic because they are self-absorbed, vain individuals who place too much importance on their looks. While the culture of thinness in which we live is certainly an influential factor in the development of anorexia, it is by no means the sole cause. In fact, there is no sole cause. Anorexia is a response to a complex mix of cultural, social, familial, psychological, and biological influences unique to each person. One widely-accepted theory is that people develop anorexia because they seek control over themselves and their lives. Food and weight can be controlled when other aspects of life cannot, and indeed significant events, such as leaving home for the first time, a divorce, or a serious illness are examples of out-of-control situations which can trigger anorexia. A high percentage of people struggling with anorexia have a history of abuse, neglect, or other traumatic experiences, and develop anorexia as a coping method. It is important to remember that different people develop anorexia for different reasons, and what may be true for one person may not be for another. Whatever the reasons, they deserve to be heard, respected, explored, and addressed.
According to the University of Maryland psychologically, certain personality traits increase the risk of anorexia. People with anorexia often have low self-esteem, and suffer from feelings of insufficiency. They may have rigid thought patterns, and have an almost compulsive need to control their lives. Externally, anorexics may appear as effective people going all-out in all areas of their lives, and striving to overachieve in careers, sports, or schoolwork as well as weight loss.
People with anorexia are often perfectionists, who are overly critical of themselves. Anorexics also tend to socially isolate themselves, and to avoid conflict when possible.
Anorexia often arises alongside other mental health disorders, including clinical depression, anxiety, and symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder. Whether depression and other mental health disorders trigger anorexia or not is difficult to determine. Starvation results in a number of psychological health complications, including depression, anxiety, social isolation, mood and personality changes, an obsessive thinking. Mental health disorders in anorexics may be a result of anorexia nervosa, rather than the cause of the eating disorder.
Once anorexia nervosa develops, the eating disorder tends to reinforce itself. Positive comments on weight loss by peers or family members in the initial stages of anorexia may reinforce the desire to continue losing weight. The eating disorder may give the anorexic a feeling of power, self-control, or virtue.
Today, you cannot read a magazine or newspaper, turn on the television, listen to the radio, or shop at the mall without being assaulted with the message that fat is bad. During adolescence, a particularly vulnerable time to the development of an eating disorder, the influence of peers becomes important.
Anorexia has extremely bad effects on the body. Aside from the obvious unhealthy loss of weight, there are many effects on the outside people may not consider. For instance, those who starve themselves slowly begin developing a thin layer of hair all over their bodies as they lose weight. This is due to the fact that their body temperature can no longer maintain itself, and the hair is the only method of warmth the body can produce. In addition, their skin goes through a few changes as well. Those with eating disorders bruise much easier than a normal person, and their skin also usually takes on a yellow tint. The skin also usually becomes extremely dry. Finally, their hair and nails slowly become extremely brittle.
In addition to the multitude of outer effects, there is also a lot that goes on inside the body. Due to the lack of electrolytes being taken in, many people see low health in areas like: teeth, joints, bones, and nerve and muscle impulses. Over time, the lack of nerve impulses in the spinal cord and brain may cause people to become paralyzed for short periods of time. The longer the anorexia lasts the longer the periods of paralysis last. Muscle in the body slowly begins wasting away as starvation continues, due to the fact that the body is now feeding off of itself. Along with muscles deteriorating, anorexics can develop osteoporosis, which means their bones are steadily thinning. Not only is an anorexic’s body not getting proper nutrients, it also is not receiving proper fluids. Many anorexics suffer from dehydration, which can lead to seizures. The lack of fluids and proper nutrients can have a particularly harsh result in women. Many women who suffer from anorexia become infertile, meaning they can’t have children. Anorexic’s hearts and brains go through a lot as well. They may suffer from low blood pressure, slow heart rate, or even palpitations. Their mental suffering can include bouts of severe insomnia or, on the other side of the spectrum; they may suffer from crippling fatigue and only be able to stay up hours at a time. One form of fatigue has been given a name, anemia, other side effects of anemia include: shortness of breath, and an increase in infections.
While all of the effects of anorexia listed above may sound bad, they are nothing compared to the worse result: death. There are a few major ways death can be caused. The problems they have in their heart may eventually lead to heart attack or heart failure. Their lungs may collapse, or they may suffer from internal bleeding. They could die of a stroke, or kidney or liver failure as well. In addition, many times those who suffer from eating disorders take their own lives.
All people with anorexia need treatment. Treatment for anorexia involves doctors, psychologists, counselors and dieticians. Family also plays a huge role in helping to get over anorexia. The three main steps in treating anorexia are getting back to a safe weight, starting to eat more food, and last but not least is changing the way you think about yourself and the foods you eat. Medical treatment involves addressing and stabilizing any serious health issues and in many cases hospitalization is necessary because of serious malnourishment. Some patients must stay until they reach a weight that is not putting them in medical danger. This can include treating medical problems it has caused, such as dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, or heart problems. If you can't eat, you are given your nutrition in fluid form. Another treatment is nutritional counseling. This requires a dietician or nutritionists and they can help you learn about eating healthy and proper nutrition. The medical team helps you work toward a healthier weight carefully and gradually, learn when your body is hungry and full, and start healthy eating patterns. People that have anorexia also must attend counseling. This helps to set important goals and get rid of all the negative thoughts and feeling that person has about themselves. This involves seeing a doctor and having regular counseling sessions. Weight gain can be achieved by using specific schedules for eating, decreasing physical activity and increasing social activity. Anorexia sufferers that have gone through several years need to be treated in a slower manner to prevent relapse from being overwhelmed. The goals of treatment are to restore a healthy weight and healthy eating habits. Most people with anorexia try to resist the treatment. They are very afraid of gaining weight, but with therapy they can learn that gaining weight will save their life. While no medications have been identified that can definitively reduce the urge to starve themselves, olanzapine (Zyprexa, Zydis), risperidone (Risperdal), and quetiapine (Seroquel) are medications that are also used as mood stabilizers and to treat schizophrenia that may be useful in treating anorexia. These medications may also help increase weight and manage some of the emotional symptoms like anxiety and depression that can accompany anorexia. Some of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant drugs have been shown to help in weight upkeep after weight has been gained, as well as having beneficial effects on the mood and anxiety symptoms that may be related with the condition.With help, people who suffer from anorexia can learn to eat well and keep their weight at a healthy level. For teenagers it is great to have family therapy and it helps the child see that their parents are there to support them and help them with whatever they need. Treatment teaches anorexia sufferers that they can cope with the stress and creates management skills to prevent relapses. Although many people that suffer relapse a few times a year.
Bulimia is one of the most common eating disorder. People with bulimia eat a large amount of food in a short period of time. They eat a large amount of food to give themselves a feeling of comfort. While eating they have an uncontrollable feeling that they can’t stop eating. Then after eating they will do something to get rid of the food. They feel as though they are fat or out of control so, they usually will make themselves vomit. Other things they will do are exercise too much or take a large amount of laxatives or other medications.
Some of the symptoms that signal someone may be bulimic are, bingeing on a regular basis. They eat large amounts of food in a short period of time. After eating they feel very low about themselves and will make themselves purge. They get rid of the food by either making themselves vomit or exercise very hard for a long period of time. Also they may talk about how fat they are all the time and never wanting to eat in front of anyone. Other noticeable sign are
• After eating goes to the bathroom
• Does not gain weight but overeats
• Exercises no matter what
• Always worried about their body size and shape
• Over uses laxatives
• Talks often about dieting
• Swollen cheeks or jaws due to making themselves vomit
• Scared of gaining weight
Has teeth marks or calluses on the back of her hands or swollen cheeks or jaws. These are caused by making herself vomit.
Bulimia along with all eating disorders are complex physical and psychological problems. Experts are not completely sure what causes them. Bulimia may be caused from a mix of family history, social value, and personality traits. One is at high risk of developing bulimia if family members are obese of have an eating disorder, their job or sport stresses body size, they try to be a perfectionist, or even dealing with stressful life events such as divorce or moving to a new town. Bulimia is most common in seen in teen but can start earlier or in adulthood. About 10 out of 11 people affected by bulimia are women. Many young women, such as those in college or high school have unhealthy attitudes toward eating and toward their bodies. Socially, they may encourage destructive behaviors like extreme dieting or binging and purging.
Bulimia has many negative effects on the body! And many people become so addicted to vomiting because it causes the body to release endorphins, which make you feel good. And sooner or later they start making themselves vomit even if they haven’t overeaten so that they “feel good.” After use of fasting, enemas, and laxatives it has many long-term health effects on the body. In which the body can not function normally without the use of them.
After being bulimic for many years it is hard for one to return to a normal lifestyle. Even after treatment one may not be back to normal for many years. If not treated bulimia can cause:
• Tooth decay
• Osteoporosis
• Heart problems such as arrhythmia
• Kidney damage
• Low Blood Pressure
Anorexia Nervosa:
Anorexia nervosa, also called anorexia, is a potentially life-threatening eating disorder that is characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss. The disorder is diagnosed when a person weighs at least 15% less than his or her normal/ideal body weight. Extreme weight loss in people with anorexia nervosa can lead to dangerous health problems and even death.
The term anorexia literally means "loss of appetite." However, this definition is misleading as people with anorexia nervosa are often hungry but refuse food anyway. People with anorexia nervosa have intense fears of becoming fat and see themselves as fat even when they are very slender. These individuals may try to correct this perceived "flaw" by strictly limiting food intake and exercising excessively in order to lose weight.
Eating disorders like anorexia are more common in females than in males. The risk of developing an eating disorder is greater in actors, models, dancers, and athletes in sports where appearance and/or weight are important, such as wrestling, boxing, gymnastics, and figure skating. People with anorexia tend to be very high achievers, performing very well in school, sports, work, and other activities. They tend to be perfectionists with obsessive, anxious, or depressive symptoms. Anorexia nervosa usually begins around the time of puberty, but it can develop at any time.
The exact cause of anorexia is not known, but research suggests that a combination of certain personality traits, emotions, and thinking patterns, as well as biological and environmental factors might be responsible. People with anorexia often use food and eating as a way to gain a sense of control when other areas of their lives are very stressful or when they feel overwhelmed. Feelings of inadequacy, low self-esteem, anxiety, anger, or loneliness also might contribute to the development of the disorder. In addition, people with eating disorders might have troubled relationships, or have a history of being teased about their size or weight. Pressure from peers and a society that equates thinness and physical appearance with beauty also can have an impact on the development of anorexia. Eating disorders also might have physical causes. Changes in hormones that control how the body and mind maintain mood, appetite, thinking, and memory might foster eating disorders. The fact that anorexia nervosa tends to run in families also suggests that a susceptibility to the disorder might be hereditary.
Bulimia:
Bulimia is a type of eating disorder. People with bulimia will eat a large amount of food in a short time. Then they will do something to get rid of the food, usually by purging or taking a type of laxative. Sometimes they will even over exercise to lose the pounds they had gained.
People who have bulimia may binge because food gives them a feeling of comfort. But eating too much makes them feel out of control. After they binge, they feel ashamed, guilty, and afraid of gaining weight. Without treatment, this "binge and purge" cycle can lead to serious, long-term health problems. Acid in the mouth from vomiting can cause tooth decay, gum disease, and loss of tooth enamel. Any type of purging can lead to bone thinning, kidney damage, heart problems, or even death.
All eating disorders are complex problems, and experts do not really know what causes them. But they may be caused by a mix of family history, social factors, and personality traits. You may be more likely to have bulimia if: other people in your family are obese or have an eating disorder, you have a job or do a sport that stresses body size, such as ballet, modeling, or gymnastics, you are the type of person who tries to be perfect all the time, never feels good enough, or worries a lot, you are dealing with stressful life events, such as divorce, moving to a new town or school, or losing a loved one.
Bulimia is most common in: teens, like other eating disorders, bulimia usually starts in the teen years. But it can start even earlier or in adulthood. It is also common in women. Almost 10 out of 11 people who have bulimia are female. But some boys and men have it too. While bulimia often starts in the teen years, it usually lasts into adulthood and is a long-term disorder.
Binge Eating Disorder:
Binge eating disorder which is also known as compulsive overeating, is a newly recognized eating disorder. Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses in which emotions and thinking patterns cause a person to adopt harmful eating habits, such as overeating or starving. Often, these habits are a way of coping with depression, stress, or anxiety. Binge eating disorder is a serious condition characterized by uncontrollable eating and a resulting weight gain. People with binge eating disorder frequently eat large amounts of food (beyond the point of feeling full) while feeling a loss of control over their eating. Although the bingeing behavior is similar to what occurs in bulimia nervosa, people with binge eating disorder usually do not engage in purging by vomiting or using laxatives.
Many people who have binge eating disorder use food as a way to cope with uncomfortable feelings and emotions. These are people who never learned how to properly deal with stress, and find it comforting and soothing to eat food. Unfortunately, they often end up feeling sad and guilty about not being able to control their eating, which increases the stress and fuels the cycle.
Most people overeat from time to time, and many people believe they frequently eat more than they should. Eating large amounts of food, however, does not mean that a person has binge eating disorder. Most people with serious binge eating problems have some of the following symptoms: Frequent episodes of eating what others would consider an abnormally large amount of food, frequent feelings of being unable to control what or how much is being eaten, eating much more rapidly than usual, eating until uncomfortably full, eating large amounts of food, even when not physically hungry, eating alone out of embarrassment at the quantity of food being eaten, and etc.
The exact cause of binge eating disorder is still unknown, and researchers are just beginning to understand the consequences of the disorder and the factors affecting its development. Like other eating disorders, binge eating disorder seems to result from a combination of psychological, biological, and environmental factors.
Binge eating disorder has been linked to other mental health disorders. Nearly half of all people with binge eating disorder have a history of depression, although the exact nature of the link is unclear. Many people report that anger, sadness, boredom, anxiety, or other negative emotions can trigger an episode of binge eating. Impulsive behavior and certain other psychological problems also seem to be more common in people with binge eating disorder.
Eating disorders, including binge eating disorder, tend to run in families, suggesting that a susceptibility to eating disorders might be inherited. Researchers also are looking into how brain chemicals and metabolism (the way the body burns calories) affect the development of binge eating disorder.
If you or any family member or friend have a eating disorder it is never to late to get help. These disorders can become very dangerous and I encourage anyone who has one or thinks they may have a disorder to seek help as soon as possible.
Stress
by Jared Nally and Grace Hankin
Stress is more than just finals, work, and any other huge deadlines you have to meet. Stress is stimuli you’re body has to react to. Watching TV can even be a slight bit stressful, but people don’t see that as stress because the body is dealing with it on its own and not making the person aware like when the body is dealing with large stressful situations like finals. Stress is taking the body out of homeostasis and the trauma the body has to deal with to regain the homeostatic balance. Homeostasis is the body’s ability to self regulate and maintain a constant condition.
There are two main types of stress. Complementary stress and, surprise, Uncomplimentary! Complementary stress, believe it or not, affects your body in a positive fashion and accounts for about 40 percent of an American’s daily stress. It could be listening to classical music or doing yoga, but the relaxing nature of these actions has a positive effect on the body. Uncomplimentary stress effects the body in a negatively. Because of the many scenarios that can contribute to bad stress, stress is often only associated with this negative side. Uncomplimentary stress accounts for about 60 percent of an American’s daily stress. Uncomplimentary stress can be good in small amounts because it actually helps the body, like exercise, but when the body can’t recover from the stress, it becomes harmful.
Good stress allows the body to stay strong. It is stress that comes in a manageable level that the body can handle fairly easily. The benefits of good stress can be seen in exercise. Exercise causes the body stress. The stressed muscle fibers tear slightly, and then the body repairs itself and makes the muscles stronger. Exercise exhibits good stress because the body benefits and becomes stronger after having been put through it. Good stress isn’t just exercise, it can be pushing your brain in a subject or having a lot going on at once that you can still handle. It’s your body’s way of being able to improve. That’s why stress is so important.
The body’s chemical response to stress is to release cortisol into the body from the adrenal gland. Cortisol is a primitive way for the body to gain a little more energy to be able to get out of the stressful situation, but you’re body pays for the price of this extra energy later though with a level of fatigue while the body repairs and starts working properly again, because during the time the blood moves for digestion to your muscles, your immune system slows down, and all that energy goes to your body to get you the heck out of there. Adversely infection can cause stress and all your bodies’ energy goes to fight the infection instead of to your muscles.
The body is amazingly adapt to dealing with stress, but in today’s society the majority of people never let their bodies return to the normal level of cortisol. When the body loses the energy levels and starts to fatigue, they introduce more stimulants that cause more stress to their body like caffeine. This can happen over and over again throughout the day starting with a cup of coffee, a pop at lunch, and tea at supper. That’s three times in one day that a stimulant was used, and over time the body can’t recover from that.
Instead of letting the body rest, people create a vicious cycle. People experience stress, they get natural adrenal stimulation, elevated cortisol levels, consequently fatigue, but they intern introduce self-imposed adrenal stimulation, experience greater fatigue, and then continue this cycle. The catch-22 of this situation is that without rest, the body won’t be able to return to its proper order. Ironically, one of the first symptoms of being caught in this cycle is difficulty sleeping. Therefore, people that have started this cycle often can’t recover from a night’s sleep and use more stimulants to stimulate their adrenal gland into producing cortisol, thus they climb the stress ladder that ultimately leads to an increased risk of disease. They signs start with an increased appetite, food cravings, difficulty sleeping, irritability, mental fog, lack of motivation, body fat gain, lean muscle loss, visible signs of premature aging in that order.
Many Americans experience many of these signs, which is ultimately due to their lifestyle. Amazingly, 70 percent of the uncomplimentary stress levels come from nutritional stress, 20 percent from self imposed psychological stress, and 10 percent from environmental stress for an average American.
People don’t really take into account that how much a body has to work as stress. Exercise is stressful, so why wouldn’t digestion be? The majority of an American’s diet is made up of processed foods which take a toll on the body. During processing enzymes and nutrients become damaged, and in the case of flower, removing the wheat germ leaves the flour nutritionally void. These incomplete foods cause the body to work extra hard to create the enzymes it needs to take what little nutrition is left. Processed foods are usually just empty calories anymore and have a very low net gain for energy. Food cooked over 118 degrees Fahrenheit start to have their nutrients destroyed. This is a reason why exercise alone can only help the body so much. If stress on the digestive system is taking all the energy and not giving much back, bones and muscles.
The negligence of signs of stress on the body can cause serious problems. Not only can they cause physical problems, but mental problems as well. In America the majority of mental disorders are anxiety disorders that could have been prevented if people managed their stress levels in their life. Anxiety disorders include: Generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and social anxiety disorder. While some of them aren’t totally preventable or alleviated by stress control practices, the role of stress can be seen on a body and how stress can negatively affect and take control over a person’s life.
Everyone has heard of the most common eating disorders know as anorexia and bulimia, also called anxiety disorders. But those aren’t the only eating disorders out there. One you may have not heard of is known as ‘Binge Eating’. Sounds kind of like bulimia at first and binge eating actually is very similar. However a binge eater does not purge nor use other forms of weight loss. Meaning they do not try to extract the food they have eaten from their body by vomiting or the use of laxatives. Nor do they fast or excessively exercise in order to compensate for over eating. Binge Eating is simply over eating with the inability to stop.
According to the website PsychCentral.com binge eating disorder is perhaps the most common, yet least studied, of the eating disorders. The website goes on, explaining symptoms one would look for if being diagnosed with Binge Eating Disorder. The site reads: “frequent episodes of eating what others would consider an abnormally large amount of food, frequent feelings of being unable to control what or how much is being eaten, eating much more rapidly than usual, eating until uncomfortably full, eating large amounts of food (even when not physically hungry), eating alone out of embarrassment at the quantity of food being eaten, and feelings of disgust, depression, or guilt after overeating.”
There are several factors to look at when questioning if you are at risk of having Binge Eating Disorder. Unfortunately for females, according to mayoclinic.com, women are slightly more likely than men to develop binge eating. In an article by Mayo Clinic Staff, it is explained that the disorder more often begins when people are in late adolescence or their early twenties. However people can have binge eating disorder at any age. And like any anxiety disorder, family history plays a role when it comes to risk factors. Just like anorexia, bulimia, and even mood disorders like depression, if your relatives have had binge eating disorder, you’re at more risk than those who don’t have the disorder in their family. The article continues explaining that people with binge eating disorder have a history of many different diets. We all know that when dieting and depriving yourself of those sweets you love, if you see a piece of cake your going to want the whole thing. So you can see why dieting can spark someone to binge eating once, and possible develop into something far worse.
Binge Eating is something that generally occurs due to other issues in ones life. It could be a depression problem, substance abuse, sexual abuse, relationship problems, or other personal issues. Therefore, it almost seems obvious that a very common method of treatment for binge eating is Psychotherapy. In psychotherapy, a patient is able to address every issue leading up to binge eating in order to, according to psychcentral.com, address the underlying emotional and cognitive issues that result in the disordered eating. Psychotherapy is a good way to go when seeking treatment, however it’s not the only way. Others forms of treatment could include medications like antidepressants, interpersonal therapy, or even behavioral weight-loss programs according to the website mayoclinic.com.
Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual mood changes, energy levels, a person’s activity levels, and their ability to do day-to-day tasks. Some of the symptoms of bipolar disorder are severe. They can result in damaged relationships, poor job or school performance, and even suicide. But bipolar disorder can be treated, and people with this illness can lead full and happy lives.
The symptoms of this disorder coming on are not easy to spot when it starts. Mostly because it can seem like there is a small problem, and people aren’t able to see that is only a part of a much larger problem. Unfortunately, people usually suffer for years before they are properly diagnosed and treated. And just like heart disease, or diabetes, bipolar disorder is a long-term illness that has to be managed for the rest of a person’s life.
The symptoms of a person faces bipolar disorder are categorized in two ways: manic (feelings of extreme highs), and depressive (feelings of extreme lows). And unfortunately for the person, these can be long term or very quickly.
Along with this disorder there are often co-existing disorders as well. Some of these disorders are substance abuse, alcohol abuse, anxiety disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), social phobias, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). There are also many other health issues that people with bipolar disorder may face such as thyroid disease, migraine headaches, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and other physical illnesses. So, all together these different illnesses can make it very hard to recognize
and to treat bipolar disorder because of all of the other symptoms that may be going on.
Bipolar disorder tends to be genetic and run in families. Scientists are trying to look for the genes that may increase a person’s chance of developing the illness. This type of research is now much quicker and more far-reaching than in the past. An example of this is the launch of the Bipolar Disorder Phenome Database. With this scientists will be able to like visible signs of the disorder with the genes that influence them. All of the research and study that is going on is making great leaps for the understanding and treatment for the disease.
Along with medication, psychotherapy can be an effective treatment for bipolar disorder. Not only does it provide support for the day-to-day problems that the person might be facing, but it can also provide an important support system for the person. Psychotherapy can also give the person education and guidance to the person with the disorder and also to their families and loved ones.
Bipolar disorder has no cure, but can be effectively treated over a long-term period. It is proven that the best results that a person will feel is when their treatment is continuous.
Studies also show that more than half of the people treated for this disorder recovered over one years time. They will never be cured, but the symptoms may diminish or become much more manageable for them.
Sources
www.nimh.nin.gov
Depression
By: Megan Dougherty and Kelsey Voss
Many people will describe themselves as being depressed at some time in their life. As humans we often use the word depression in place of “disappointed” or “sad”. For example; say you didn’t get the job you wanted, your last relationship didn’t work out as planned, or you got your test back with a score way lower than you expected. You might be upset that things didn’t go your way but is this really depression? In the field of psychology depression refers to a disorder marked especially by sadness, inactivity, difficulty in thinking and concentration, a significant increase or decrease in appetite and time spent sleeping, feelings of dejection and hopelessness, and sometimes suicidal tendencies. Most of these symptoms can all be related to having low serotonin levels.
If a person has a persistence cough with a high fever, he or she will very likely see a doctor. The doctor listens to the lungs with a stethoscope in search for a crackling sound. If these sounds are found in the chest, orders for an x-ray will be given. If a shadow appears on the x-ray the doctor immediately knows this is pneumonia and the patient will then be prescribed with the correct antibiotics. Equipment, lab tests, and x-rays that can be seen and measured are the building blocks upon which a diagnosis is made in most areas of medicine. However this is generally not the case with psychiatric disorders.
Patients’ reporting their symptoms is generally the first step of the process in diagnosing major depression. Also the doctor will observe their behavior and actions and research family history. These are more subjective than objective but they are the main tools the doctor has. A correct diagnosis is vital to a patient’s well-being because it guides the treatment for the patient and provides both the patient and their family with an idea of the outcome. Once a patient is possibly diagnosed with major depression the doctor further examines for other possible symptoms exhibited by the patient.
The main symptoms when being diagnosed with depression are a depressed mood experienced most of the time for a period of two weeks or a dramatic loss of interest in almost all regular activities. In addition to these symptoms a person may also experience the following: unexplained or unusual weight loss or weight gain, insomnia or hypersomnia, physical slowing down, fatigue and loss of energy every day, feelings of worthlessness and inappropriate guilt, difficulty concentrating, recurrent thoughts of death or suicide, lose track of people who love you most, or can be very sleepy all the time. As you can see from this list of symptoms depression not only affects you emotionally but also alters your physical being. Although all this may be overwhelming, thanks to doctors across the world we now have different treatments that can help manage these symptoms.
Treatments can include anything from different drugs to a variety of therapies. One of the most common prescribed medicines is antidepressants. For example the main types of antidepressants that are prescribed today include; Zoloft, Prozac, and Celexa. These are all kinds of selected Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors. A few more common antidepressants are, Nardil, Parnate, and Marplan. These are all types of Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors. Although these antidepressants help in many ways, there are multiple side effects that must be taken into consideration. Most side effects are generally mild but can bother some people. For instance: upset stomach, sexual problems, fatigue, dizziness, insomnia, weight change, and headaches. It’s important to understand that there are no instant solutions. Since medication is not that answer for everybody therapy can also be a source of treatment for many.
There are many types of therapy options such as cognitive behavioral therapy, electroconvulsive therapy, and psychotherapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy is an effective treatment for many patients. The goal of this type of therapy is to help the patient learn to recognize negative patterns of thought, evaluate their validity, and replace them with healthier ways of thinking. Electroconvulsive therapy is most commonly used to treat severe depression. It is most commonly used on people that are delusional, have hallucinations, or have suicidal thoughts. To start off the treatment the patient is given anesthesia to put them in a sleepy state, and then they are given medicines to relax their muscles. Next, electrodes are placed on the temples of the head and an electrical current is briefly sent to the brain. These currents are sent for eight seconds which causes a short seizure. Lastly, the most common type of therapy is psychotherapy. Psychotherapy is simply meeting with a psychologist and talking about your feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. While some patients require the use of both medication and therapy, it is only necessary for some to use one of these methods.
(1:30-3:05)
Society today tends to label depression as a women’s disease. More than six million men in the United States suffer from depression. The reason behind depression being labeled a women disease is because women are more apt to seek help and express their thoughts and feelings with others, while men tend to let their emotions build up until it is too late to seek treatment. Several reasons why symptoms of depression go undiagnosed in men are they tend to deny having problems because they are supposed to be the strong ones, and expressing emotion is largely a feminine trait. This causes men to focus more on the physical aspect of depression instead of the emotional side. The reason why depression is more common in women relates to the fact that with the onset of puberty, hormone levels change which causes the chance of depression to increase. Women are most likely to experience depression throughout puberty, pregnancy, menopause, after giving birth, or during experiencing a miscarriage.
Taking on depression is a task within itself. Although you might feel like you’re all alone there are fifteen million other people in the world suffering from depression also making it pretty common. With this being said doctors are conducting experiments and trying to find new and better ways of treating depression. If you can embrace the sense of relief that comes with being released from these outrageous demands then you will have found the gift of depression.
Depression is a psychiatric illnesses characterized by profound and persistent feelings of sadness, despair and/or worthlessness that interfere with daily functioning and personal relationships (Encyclopedia).
The difference between a mood swing and a depression disorder are quite profound. Mood swings come and go, but are typically not as long lasting. Depression disorder will affect sleeping, eating, and the way someone feels about themselves and their surroundings. A blue mood will allow the individual to "pull themselves" out of it, whereas depression will require medication and/or therapy to help the person (pamphlet).
The causes of depression are not completely known, but imbalances of neurotransmitters in the brain have been seen as a common symptom. The chemicals in the brain that maintain communication between nerves are called neurotransmitters. Serotonin is one of the major ones that are affected. Norpinephrine and dopamine are the next two major contributors to depression. Heredity may also play a significant role in the onset of this clinical disease.
Outside stresses or changes can also cause an episode. A divorce, job change or financial worries have been seen as triggers. Miscarriage and the loss of a loved one (either through death or a breakup) will often times start a downward cycle.
There are many different types of depression. Three of them are: major depression, dysthymia and bipolar. Major depression is a combination of a bunch of symptoms that interfere with the ability to work, study, sleep, eat and enjoy once pleasurable activities. Dysthymia involves chronic symptoms, that are long-term, and keep the individual from functioning properly or feeling normal. Bipolar disorder is also called manic-depressive illness. Bipolar causes the person to go from extreme highs to extreme lows.
Treatment of depression requires that a physical examination by a doctor occur first. Some medical conditions and infections may cause the same symptoms as depression and therefore need to be eliminated as a cause before treatment may be assigned. After this is done the next step is to perform a mental evaluation. This may be done by either a doctor or a licensed psychiatrist/psychologist.
A family history, list of symptoms and how long they have lasted are needed in order to effectively treat the disease. The severity of the symptoms is also very helpful as it may determine what type of medications may or may not be used. Two to six weeks is the standard time for antidepressant medications to begin taking effect. Sometimes they may need to try different medications in order to find the right one for the patient. This combined with psychotherapy is a powerful treatment to depression.
Antidepressants have some side effects. They may cause mild and usually, temporary effects. Dry mouth, constipation, bladder problems, sexual problems, blurred vision, dizziness, drowsiness are just a few to start with. Some of the newer medications have their own list of issues. Headache, nausea, nervousness, insomnia, and agitation are the significant ones so far.
Of course, the first step needs to come from the patient. If they don’t try to seek help, or just don’t care enough then there is not much that can be done. The need for change is usually recognized in the person but sometimes asking for help is the hardest thing to do.
Works cited
“Depression.” Pamphlet by: National Institute of Mental Health. National Institute of Mental Health, 2000. 1. Gale Power Search. Web. 19 Nov. 2011.
“Depression.” The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Detroit: Gale, 2009. Gale Power Search. Web. 19 Nov. 2011.
Treatment of Bipolar Disorder
Aaron Schlagel & Ryan Kosolofski
Treatments for Mania
Mania is half of a mental disorder called “Bi-Polar.” This is the opposite of depression but occurs just as randomly as depression does. When a person with bi-polar experiences a maniac episode, it is accompanied by elevated irritability, mood levels, and energy. This has historically been treated as though the person is insane because of the quick shifts in mood from depressed to maniac. As our medicine progressed though, this changed vastly and has brought about a whole new way to treat this half of bi-polar. In the past, psychiatric institutes were the most common form of helping patients that had some form mental disorder. This usually led to shock treatments and forms of psychoanalysis in order to determine how to fix one of these patients. There were medications used back then but most of them were ineffective and were just being tested then. Now the most used treatment type is through pills and other medications.
Lithium Treatment
One of the most prolific treatments of mania today is Lithium. This was approved by the FDA in 1970 and is the first line of treatment. This is usually taken in the form of a serum in which the Lithium is given at 400-600 mg at night as a starting dosage. It is used alongside antipsychotic drugs and to maximize effectiveness it is required to be taken over a long period of time. The treatment is effective against early-onset bipolar disorder in children as young as 8.
Calcium Channel Blockers
This form of treatment is not as efficient as many others and is only used to a very minor degree in managing the symptoms of the disorder.
Anticonvulsants
At first these drugs were used in order to counter epilepsy but it was soon noted they calmed mood down. This led to texting on bi-polar patients and had success in lowering mood levels. They are typically used for those who are resistant to the Lithium treatments but now they are being used as an additive to other medications and as a monotherapy.
Examples: Valproate (Depakote), Carbamazepine (Tegretol), Lamotrigine (Lamictal), etc.
Antipsychotics
These types of medication are used to a massive extent as they help control acute episodes of mania which show psychosis. Aside from being used to counter the occurrence of pyschosis, they are also used in order to stabilize symptoms until more effective treatments start to take their full effect but in some cases they are used for long term.
Examples: Olanzapine (Zyprexa), Risperidone (Risperdal), Clozapine (Clozaril), etc.
Benzodiazepines
These are central nervous system depressants which produce sedation, can induce sleep. And relieve anxiety. For bipolar patients, they are used to take hold of their maniac symptoms quickly so that the actual mood stabilizers have the needed time for them to take effect.
Examples: Alprazolam (Xanax), Diazepam (Valium), Lorazepam (Ativan), etc.
Of course even these forms of treatment cannot cure mania but can only help them in more temporary terms. Even though treatments state that they are long term, they only supress symptoms and not remove them. Science is slowly progressing in ways to treat this disorder but it is a long and hard road as much is unknown about the brain.
Treatment of Bi-Polar Disorder
There are a number of pharmacological and psychotherapeutic techniques used to treat bipolar disorder. Individuals may use self-help and pursue recovery.
Hospitalization may be required especially with the manic episodes present in bipolar I. This can be voluntary or (if mental health legislation allows and varying state-to-state regulations in the USA) involuntary (called civil or involuntary commitment). Long-term inpatient stays are now less common due to deinstitutionalization, although these can still occur. Following (or in lieu of) a hospital admission, support services available can include drop-in centers, visits from members of a community mental health team or Assertive Community Treatment team, supported employment and patient-led support groups, intensive outpatient programs. These are sometimes referred to partial-inpatient programs.
Psychosocial
Psychotherapy is aimed at alleviating core symptoms, recognizing episode triggers, reducing negative expressed emotion in relationships, recognizing prodromal symptoms before full-blown recurrence, and, practicing the factors that lead to maintenance of remission Cognitive behavioural therapy, family-focused therapy, and psychoeducation have the most evidence for efficacy in regard to relapse prevention, while interpersonal and social rhythm therapy and cognitive-behavioural therapy appear the most effective in regard to residual depressive symptoms. Most studies have been based only on bipolar I, however, and treatment during the acute phase can be a particular challenge. Some clinicians emphasize the need to talk with individuals experiencing mania, to develop a therapeutic alliance in support of recovery.
Medication
The mainstay of treatment is a mood stabilizers such as lithium carbonate or lamotrigine. Lamotrigine has been found to be best for preventing depressions, while lithium is the only drug proven to reduce suicide in people with bipolar disorder. These two drugs comprise several unrelated compounds which have been shown to be effective in preventing relapses of manic, or in the one case, depressive episodes. The first known and "gold standard" mood stabilizer is lithium, while almost as widely used is sodium valproate, also used as an anticonvulsant. Other anticonvulsants used in bipolar disorder include carbamazepine, reportedly more effective in rapid cycling bipolar disorder, and lamotrigine, which is the first anticonvulsant shown to be of benefit in bipolar depression. Depending on the severity of the case, anti-convulsants may be used in combination with lithium-based products or on their own.
Atypical antipsychotics have been found to be effective in managing mania associated with bipolar disorder. Antidepressants have not been found to be of any benefit over that found with mood stabilizers.
Omega 3 fatty acids, in addition to normal pharmacological treatment, may have beneficial effects on depressive symptoms, although studies have been scarce and of variable quality. The effectiveness of topiramate is unknown.
Dissociative Amnesia
“Dissociative disorders are mental illnesses that involve disruptions or breakdowns of memory, consciousness or awareness, identity and/or perception- mental functions that normally operate smoothly. (Dissociative Amnesia)” Dissociative Amnesia is a condition that falls under the dissociative disorders group and “occurs when a person blocks out certain information, usually associated with a stressful traumatic event, leading him or her unable to remember important personal information. (Dissociative Amnesia)” This disorder causes a complete memory loss that is more than normal forgetfulness and even involves memory gaps for extended periods of time and/or even those that include traumatic event. Now this not to be mistaken with simple amnesia, which is a loss of the information from a memory, most the time as a result from a disease or injury that occurs to the brain.
Now, the question of ‘What causes this disease’ pops into almost everybody’s head when they hear or read about a disease. It’s been associated with overwhelming stress, possibly from resulting with traumatic events, including but not limited to accidents, disasters, war, or abuse that someone’s experienced or witnessed. There has been talk of a genetic link to the development of any dissociative disorder, including dissociative amnesia, because those who have these disorders have had close relatives with similar conditions. Another question might be, ‘who develops dissociative amnesia?’, though it’s been found to be more common in women than men, its regularity increases with stressful or traumatic periods in either gender.
Symptoms of dissociative amnesia include the sudden inability to remember past experiences or personal information. Some may even appear confused and could possibly suffer from depression and/or anxiety. To diagnose this disorder a doctor will see if symptoms are present, and if so he/she will begin evaluations, which includes performing a complete medical history and physical examinations. Then will do various diagnostic tests like X-rays and blood tests, which helps rule out physical illnesses or medication side effects that might be causing such symptoms. Dissociative amnesia is treated with different handlings depending on the individual and the severity of their symptoms. These include, but are not limited to: Psychotherapy, Cognitive therapy, Medication, Family therapy, Creative therapies-such as art, and music therapy, and Clinical hypnosis.
Finally, the final outlook for people with this disorder can depend on numerous factors, which may include a person’s life situation, the availability of support systems and such individual’s response to their treatment. With many people, they are able to get their memory returns over time, which helps make the overall outlook promising. But, in some cases, some people aren’t able to retrieve their buried memories. Since it’s not a hundred percent preventable, it would maybe be helpful to begin a treatment as soon as someone begins to have symptoms. Immediate intervention and/or counseling following a traumatic event or emotional distressing experience can start to reduce a probability of any dissociative disorder.
Schizophrenia is a split personality disorder that’s a chronic severe debilitating mental illness that affects 1% of the population and has affected 2 million people in the United States. It affects men about one and a half times more commonly than women. It is one of the psychotic mental disorders that is characterized by symptoms of thought, behavior, and social problems. The thought process with schizophrenia is described as psychosis, in that the person's thinking is completely out of touch with reality at times. For example, a person will hear voices in their head or seem to see a person when there really isn’t one there and even sometimes they feel like bugs are crawling under their skin. The individual with this disorder may also have disorganized speech, disorganized behavior, physically rigid or lax behavior, significantly decreased behaviors or feelings, as well as delusions, which are ideas about themselves or others that have no basis in reality like someone feeling like a certain person is plotting to kill them.
There are 5 different types of Schizophrenia Paranoid, Disorganized, Catatonic, Undifferentiated and Residual. One question about schizophrenia is if it is hereditary. With most other mental disorders, schizophrenia is not directly passed from one generation to another genetically and there is no single cause for this illness. Genetically, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder have much in common, in that the two disorders share a number of the same risk genes. However, the fact is that both illnesses also have some genetic factors that are unique. There are some genetic commonalities with schizophrenia and epilepsy as well that are similar and unique. You can even develop the risks of schizophrenia before birth. The risk of schizophrenia is increased in individuals whose mother had one of certain infections during pregnancy. Difficult life circumstances during childhood, like the early loss of a parent, parental poverty, bullying, witnessing parental violence; being the victim of emotional, sexual, or physical abuse or of physical or emotional neglect; and insecure attachment have been associated with the development of this illness.
Some positive and negative signs and symptoms you witness are. Positive psychotic symptoms are beliefs that have no basis in reality, hearing, seeing, feeling, smelling, or tasting things that have no basis in reality like hallucinations, disorganized speech, disorganized behaviors and catatonic behaviors. Negative psychotic symptoms are inhibition of facial expressions, lack of speech and lack of motivation. However there isn’t a way to test for schizophrenia that indicates you have positively been diagnosed with it. Therefore, health-care practitioners diagnose this disorder by gathering comprehensive medical, family, and mental-health information. While there are a number of helpful treatments available to treat the dis-order, medication remains to be the treatment for people with schizophrenia. These medications are antipsychotics since they help decrease the intensity of psychotic symptoms. The medications that are thought to be particularly effective in treating positive symptoms of schizophrenia include olanzapine (Zyprexa), risperidone (Risperdal), quetiapine (Seroquel), ziprasidone (Geodon), aripiprazole (Abilify), paliperidone (Invega), asenapine (Saphis), lurasidone (Latuda), and lloperidone (Fanapt).
It’s a very serious disorder that ruins people’s livelihood and can cause sever trauma to in their life.
Schizophrenia
Angee LaToush and Lindsey Scammehorn
Schizophrenia means having a "split mind." People with schizophrenia often have delusions which are false beliefs. When having disorganized thoughts it can lead to a break down in selective attention which means that little things can distract them from a bigger event. People that suffer from schizophrenia also may have hallucinations which would meant that they see, feel, taste, or smell things that are not there. Hallucinations are auditory so voices are heard. Those voices may tell the patient that she is bad and must do something that hurts her. When the unreal seems real it can lead to serious injuries. The emotions with schizophrenia are usually inappropriate. Some tend to laugh when they find out someone in their family dies but they also cry when someone else laughs. Their emotions are like backwards. Their motor behavior is also inappropriate. They tend to continuously rock back and forth or rub their arms constantly. Schizophrenia is not a personality disorder like some people believe, it is a psychosis. A type of mental illness where one can’t tell the difference between what is real and what is imaginary. There are times where a person with schizophrenia loses touch with reality and their sounds, images, and thoughts become jumbled. A psychotic episode is when there is a sudden change in personality and behavior.
Schizophrenia usually happens to young people maturing into an adult. It has no natural boundaries. It affects men and women although men tend to get it earlier, more severe, and slightly more often. Patients with positive symptoms may experience hallucinations, talk in disorganized ways, and have inappropriate laughter, tears, or rage. Patients with negative symptoms have toneless voices, expressionless faces, or mute and rigid bodies. Some people experience schizophrenia suddenly as a reaction to stress. For others it develops gradually from a long history of social inadequacy. One rule stands true around the world. "When schizophrenia is a slow-developing process, recovery is doubtful. They describe schizophrenia as a single disorder but it turns out that it is a cluster of disorders. Some common features are paranoid, disorganized, catatonic, undifferentiated, and residual. Researchers discovered when they examined schizophrenia patients' brain after death that there is an excess of receptors for dopamine. Such a high level of that may intensify brain signals creating positive symptoms of schizophrenia. Modern brain-scanning show that people with chronic schizophrenia have abnormal activity in several brain areas. People also show noticeable decline brain waves that reflect synchronized neural firing in the frontal lobes. The brain’s ventricles are also larger in those patients with schizophrenia than those without it. The people with the disease also tend to have less gray matter, and some areas of the brain may have less or more activity. Some experts’ think that problems with the brain before birth may lead to false connections. The problem may not show up until a person hits puberty.
Schizophrenia runs in families. It occurs in 1 percent of the general population, but it occurs in 10 percent who have a relative with the disorder, such as a parent, brother, or sister. Scientists believe that genes are associated with an increased risk of schizophrenia, but that no gene by itself causes the disease. It is no yet possible to use the genetic information to predict who will develop this disease. It takes more than genes to cause the disorder. Scientists think that the environment and the genes are necessary for the disease to develop. Environmental factors such as problems during birth or using marijuana.
Schizophrenia is not just one single condition and all the causes are not known yet, but the current treatment methods are based on research and experiment. The approaches selected are based on the ability to reduce the symptoms of schizophrenia and to reduce the chances that the symptoms will return. Some medications that have been tested are:
•chlorpromazine (Thorazine)
•clozapine (Clozaril)
•haloperidol (Haldol)
•risperidone (Risperdal)
•olanzapine (Zyprexa)
•quetiapine (Seroquel)
•aripiprazole (Abilify)
These drugs do not “cure” schizophrenia but they do help the patient be able to function more effectively. When a patient with schizophrenia becomes depressed the other symptoms that they have will worsen and some of the symptoms may improve with antidepressants. Some side effects of these drugs are:
•Drowsiness
•Restlessness
•Muscle spasm
•Tremor,
•Dry mouth
•Blurring of vision
There are five different types of schizophrenia and each is based on what kind of symptoms each person has.
•Paranoid schizophrenia – occupied with one or many delusions or many hallucinations but they don’t have any symptoms of disorganized schizophrenia
•Disorganized schizophrenia – disorganized speech and behavior, this person doesn’t have enough symptoms to be classified from catatonic schizophrenia
•Catatonic schizophrenia – have at least two of many symptoms: difficulty moving, resistance to moving, excessive movement, abnormal movements, and repetition of what others say or do
•Undifferentiated schizophrenia – having episodes of many symptoms: hallucinations, delusions, disorganized behavior or speech, catatonic behavior or negative symptoms; they don’t qualify for paranoid, disorganized, or catatonic schizophrenia
•Residual schizophrenia – those that involve many normal behaviors such as delusions, paranoia, and heightened sensitivity, they suffer less and may only have negative symptoms such as withdrawal, not speaking, and disinterest
Insomnia comes in many forms and it effects all ages. Insomnia can affect people for just a night or two, but sometimes for weeks, months, and even years. There are three symptoms commonly shown by people who have insomnia: hard time falling asleep, no problem falling asleep but difficulty staying asleep with waking up many time, and waking up too early. A hard time sleeping at night may be related with the following daytime symptoms: sleepiness, anxiety, impaired memory, impaired concentration, and irritability. There are three types of insomnia. The first type is called transient insomnia lasting for up to several nights and is usually caused by being excited or stress. Many people sleep worse than usual for the first night or two away from home, mainly if they have traveled across time zones. Nighttime strong physical movements, the flu or other short-term sicknesses may disrupt sleep momentarily. The second one is situational insomnia. That is two or three weeks of bad sleep and is often established during ongoing stress at work or at home. Conditions such as job postponement, divorced, serious illness or death are prime in this kind of insomnia. Aid from the situation that aggravated bothered sleep or accommodation to it usually returns a person to his or her usual sleeping pattern. Chronic insomnia is the third and most severe type of the sleeping problems. This sleeping problem lasts for three weeks or longer with horrible sleep every night, most nights, or a lot of nights of a month. In more than half of all cases of tireless insomnia the cause appears to be a physical illness, such as disorders of breathing or muscle activity. One of the causes of insomnia is the use of stimulants. Even though caffeine near bedtime may not disturb sleep, it may bring awakenings later. Nicotine is a stimulant and it has been shown that smokers take longer to fall asleep and sleep worse than non-smokers. Although alcohol before bedtime may stimulate sleep, it may also make sleep unbalanced throughout the night. Typically people who sleep poorly in times of stress worry about not being able to function during the day. They decide to try harder to sleep at night. Unfortunately, this strong-minded effort often makes them more alert, bringing on more worried thoughts. Activities around the bedroom, changing in tonight clothes, turning off the lights, pulling up the blankets, soon serve as clues that bring wakefulness. People who have trouble falling asleep in their own beds may fall asleep quickly when they do not have it mind, for example, reading a newspaper, watching TV, or driving. The tendency to sleep poorly even a few times a month may be enough to maintain poor sleep. Usually people use treatment for this type of insomnia. The treatment has to improve sleep habits and cure the anxiety. Misuse or overuse of sleeping pills when used every night stops to benefit sleeping after a few weeks. Suddenly stopping to use them may lead to a temporary worsening of insomnia called rebound wakefulness. This problem can be solved by gradually reducing medications. It is best to ask a doctor how to best avoid wakefulness caused by sudden ending to use sleep medications. Noise and light are two of the most common causes of sleeping disorders. Passing traffic outside your window, jets flying by, a neighbor's TV, even your own TV left on while you are sleeping as well as many other noises may disturb your sleep even if you do not wakeup completely. Even though your eyes are closed, light still comes through. If you do not want to wake up with the sun or you must sleep during the daytime keep your curtains closed. Disorders such as arthritis, angina, lower back injury, and headache may as well disturb sleep and wakening hours. Thus insomnia has many forms and many more causes. It is the disease and can be cured. Sometimes it is enough of your own effort, for example, making your sleeping hours more regular. Sometimes placing of pillow, different type of mattress and pre-sleep behavior can make a difference. When insomnia lasts for a longer period of time you may need doctor's help and consultation. Also remember, some people prove to be natural short-sleepers who need to stop believing that everyone needs eight hours of sleep. In fact, some people need more sleep while others need some less.
ADHD
Dalton Cheever
I picked a topic close to home, which will make this presentation a little bit easier for me. When I was seven years old, I was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (or ADHD). www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov’s definition of ADHD is: “ADHD is a problem with inattentiveness, over-activity, impulsivity, or a combination.”
Growing up with this developmental disorder was very challenging for me to make it through school, because I was always into trouble; whether it was because I was getting into fights because I’d enjoy mouthing off to other kids or abruptly saying inappropriate things out loud to my teachers. All of which is caused by the different types of ADHD which are inattention, hyperactivity-impulsive, and combined ADHD which is when you have both. According to WebMD.com “Inattention may not become apparent until a child enters the challenging environment of school. In adults, symptoms of inattention may manifest in work or in social situations.” Symptoms of which include; difficulty paying attention to details and tendency to make careless mistakes in school or other activities;
producing work that is often messy and careless
easily distracted by irrelevant stimuli and frequently interrupting ongoing tasks to attend to trivial noises or events that are usually ignored by others
inability to sustain attention on tasks or activities
difficulty finishing schoolwork or paperwork or performing tasks that require concentration
frequent shifts from one uncompleted activity to another
procrastination
disorganized work habits
forgetfulness in daily activities (for example, missing appointments, forgetting to bring lunch)
failure to complete tasks such as homework or chores
frequent shifts in conversation, not listening to others, not keeping one's mind on conversations, and not following details or rules of activities in social situations
They also state that “Hyperactivity symptoms may be apparent in very young preschoolers and are nearly always present before the age of seven.” Symptoms of hyperactivity are the following;
fidgeting, squirming when seated
getting up frequently to walk or run around
running or climbing excessively when it's inappropriate (in teens this may appear as restlessness)
having difficulty playing quietly or engaging in quiet leisure activities
being always on the go
often talking excessively
Ways to treat ADHD are finding the right type of medication and or taking the patient to behavioral therapy which will help them with controlling their symptoms in a public are, being a work place or school.
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Troy Koon
“Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most common health problem in children,” cites Gayle Zieman. In today’s society it is believed that 2-5% of school-age children suffers from the effects of ADHD which seems to become noticeable around the ages of 2 or 3 and continues on thru teenage years. It is believed that one-third of these children suffer from other learning disabilities, such as poor reading skills. Zieman also states that “about half of ADHD children and teenagers have behavior problems, which may include breaking rules, talking back, and hitting other children.” ADHD also seems to occur mostly in boys who tend to have more problems with hyperactivity, while girls tend to suffer with lack of attention. Research has also concluded that 70% of the cases studied show this disorder to be inherited from the male side of the family. Although not much is known about the 30% of children with no apparent family history, there are common life experiences that they seem to share. These would include: pregnancy, a long and difficult labor, the baby being short of oxygen during birth, the umbilical cord being wrapped around the baby’s neck. Many people also believe that a diet high in sugar and preservatives or possible allergies might play a role in this disorder, but there has been no solid evidence to support this theory. The evidence that has been supported is that children with ADHD do have differences in the front part of the brain.
The three main symptoms or ADHD are distractibility, poor impulse control, and hyperactivity:
Distractibility symptoms: when a child seems to change from one activity to the next without finishing what they started. They may also be easily distracted by what is going on around them, such as noises or movements.
Poor impulse control symptoms: these would be quick reactions to situations with no thought of the consequences, and a high frustration level.
Hyperactivity symptoms: this child could be described as always on the go, seldom sit still and when sitting they usually fidget or play with things.
Diagnoses of ADHD can be done through your doctor, but only when the symptoms cause problems in the child’s daily life. Teachers, daycare providers, and parents are asked to fill out common rating forms that ask questions about these symptoms. This test will help give the doctor a good description of what symptoms the child suffers from.
After diagnosis has been made, an appropriate form of treatment will be recommended.
The three most common treatments used for patients are learning coping skills, behavioral training and medications:
Learning coping skills: these would be used in school setting to help the child’s day be more successful. They may include more structure and a need for strict daily routine, as well as a quiet place to study, and being allowed to take frequent breaks.
Behavioral Training: these would be reward and chart systems which are helpful in tracking improvements.
Medication: Ritalin, Dexedrine, and Adderall can be used to help stimulated areas of the patient’s brain that deal with self-control. Research shows that 70% of children with ADHD improve with these medicines.
It is important to know that medication is not a quick fix. Research shows that all coping skills used together will show more success in children who suffer from ADHD.
Auism is a developmental disorder that appears in the first three years of life and affects the brain's normal development of social and communication skills.
Most parents of autistic children begin to notice signs of autism by 18 months old. Some of these signs include: trouble with pretend play, social interactions, and verbal/nonverbal communication. In some cases children with autism appear normal before age one or two and suddenly "regress". This is known as regressive type of autism. Other signs of autism may include being overly sensitive in sight, hearing, touch, smell, or taste, and showing unusual attachments to objects. Also they have problems with maintaining conversation and making friends. Autism affects boys three times more than girls.
A person with autism will find it much more difficult to understand the feelings of others. This is because their ability to instinctively empathize is much weaker than other people's. However if they are continually reminded of this their empathy for others will greatly improve.
A great number of children with autism do not like cuddling or being touched. Though this is not true for all children with autism because many will hug a relative or even a teacher and find great joy from it.
People with autism love predictability. Going through motions again and again is a part of their every day life. These repetitive behaviors can be anything from skipping back and forth to drawing the same picture over and over again.
The more severe the autism is, the more a person's speaking skills are affected. Many children with autism do not speak at all. They will often repeat words or phrases they hear. The speech of a person with autism may sound very formal.
Children with autism may develop in areas faster while other areas trail behind. For example his/her language skills may develop rapidly while their motor skills don't.
It is not uncommon for people with autism to have tics. These are usually physical movements that can be jerky. Some tics can be quite complicated and go on for quite some time. Most people with autism are able to control when they happen, while others are not. People with autism who do have tics often say that they have to be expressed, otherwise the urges won't stop. For most, these tics are enjoyable, and they have a preferred spot where they do them.
An early and appropriate treatment program will greatly improve the outlook for most young children. Treatment is most successful when it is geared towards the childs specific needs. A specialist or team of specialist of specialists should design the program for the individual child. There are multiple therapies including: applied behavior analysis, medications, occupational therapy, and speech-language therapy. Most go through several of these treatments.
Autism remains a challenging condition for children and their families. But the outlook today is much better than it was a generation ago, because with the right therapy most symptoms can be greatly improved.
Since the Stone Ages humans have consumed caffeine in one form or another. They found that by chewing the seeds, bark, or leaves of certain plants it would ease fatigue, stimulate awareness and even elevate one’s mood. In 1911, an early documented health scare of kola (kola comes from the kola nut which comes from the kola tree a native to the tropical rainforests of Africa), became the focus of the US government. They seized 40 barrels and 20 kegs of Coca-Cola syrup saying that the caffeine in its drink was "injurious to health". On March 13, 1911, the government initiated United States v. Forty Barrels and Twenty Kegs of Coca-Cola, they wanted to force Coca-Cola to remove caffeine from its formula. The judge ruled in favor of Coca-Cola, which this lead to two bills being introduced to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1912 they were to amend the Pure Food and Drug Act, adding caffeine to the list of "habit-forming" and "deleterious" substances, which must be listed on a product's label.
On a global outlook the estimation of consumption is 120,000 tons per year, making it the world's most popular psychoactive substance. Caffeine affects the central nervous system and is a metabolic stimulant. Recreational and medical uses of caffeine are to reduce physical fatigue and restore mental alertness. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system first at the higher levels, resulting in increased alertness and wakefulness, faster and clearer flow of thought, increased focus, and better general body coordination. Caffeine from beverages is absorbed by the stomach and small intestine within 45 minutes of ingestion and then travels to all the tissues of the body.
Caffeine can make pain relievers 40% more effective in relief of headaches and it helps the body absorb headache medications quickly. Individuals that regularly consume caffeine, their bodies will adapt to the continuous presence of the drug by substantially increasing the number of adenosine receptors in the central nervous system. Stimulatory effects of caffeine are substantially reduced this is known as a tolerance adaptation. Then the caffeine makes individuals much more sensitive to adenosine, a reduction in caffeine intake will effectively increase the normal physiological effects of adenosine. This will result into withdrawal symptoms in tolerant users. Tolerance develops very quickly, especially among heavy coffee and energy drink consumers.
Adenosine helps regulate blood pressure by causing vasodilation (widening of blood vessels). With caffeine withdrawal it causes the blood vessels of the head to dilate as a result this leads to an excess amount of blood in the head causing a headache and/or nausea. Reducing the amount of caffeine intake may cause feelings of fatigue and drowsiness. When caffeine use is stopped can cause anxiety, irritability, inability to concentrate, and diminished motivation to initiate or to complete daily tasks. It is also possible to cause mild depression. When withdraw is present it can be called a "crash".
In large amounts and over time caffeine can lead to a condition known as caffeinism. Caffeinism usually combines caffeine dependency with a wide range of unpleasant physical and mental conditions including nervousness, irritability, anxiety, tremulousness, muscle twitching, insomnia, headaches, respiratory alkalosis, and heart palpitations. There are other effects of caffeine which include the production of stomach acid, peptic ulcers, erosive esophagitis, and gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Caffeine has been proven to be beneficial to humans in the medical field, yet researchers are suggesting that caffeine withdrawal is very real. Caffeine produces enough physical symptoms and a disruption in daily life to classify it as a psychiatric disorder. It has been suggested that caffeine withdrawal should be included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). There are four caffeine-induced psychiatric disorders recognized by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition: caffeine intoxication, caffeine-induced anxiety disorder, caffeine-induced sleep disorder, and caffeine-related disorder not otherwise specified.
Caffeine intoxication is an overdose of caffeine which can in a state of central nervous system over-stimulation. This may also be called "caffeine jitters". Some of the symptoms of caffeine intoxication are: restlessness, nervousness, excitement, insomnia, flushing of the face, increased urination, gastrointestinal disturbance, muscle twitching, a rambling flow of thought and speech, irritability, irregular or rapid heartbeat and psychomotor agitation. In much larger cases of overdose a person may experience depression, lapses in judgment, disorientation, disinhibition, delusions, hallucinations, and psychosis may occur. In an extreme overdose it can result in death.
Caffeine-induced sleep disorder and caffeine-induced anxiety disorder are two more disorders recognized by the American Psychological Association (APA). A person that regularly ingests high doses of caffeine will see signs of disturbances with their sleep, and a person showing signs of anxiety, may lead into clinical attention. Some symptoms of caffeine-induced anxiety disorder can vary from generalized anxiety to panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, or even phobic symptoms. In many cases this disorder will mimic organic mental disorders, such as panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, or even schizophrenia.
What is Dyslexia? Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and / or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.
Symptoms of Dyslexia:
• May hide reading problems
• May spell poorly; relies on others to correct spelling
• Avoids writing; may not be able to write
• Often very competent in oral language
• Relies on memory;
• Often has good "people" skills
• Often is spatially talented; professions include, but are not limited, to engineers, architects, designers, artists and craftspeople, mathematicians, physicists, physicians (esp. surgeons and orthopedists), and dentists. Very “Hands on”
• May be very good at "reading" people (intuitive)
• In jobs is often working well below their intellectual capacity
• May have difficulty with planning, organization and management of time, materials and tasks.
• Difficulty reading single words, such as a word on a flashcard
• Difficulty learning the connection between letters and sounds
• Confusing small words, such as at and to
• Letter reversals, such as d for b
• Word reversals, such as tip for pit
What causes dyslexia?
Neurobiological and Genetic- Some believe that dyslexia is inherited through genetics. If a person has dyslexia then chances are their parents, grandparents, or aunt etc. had dyslexia.
Brain Development- Some researchers believe that dyslexia is the result of improper neuronal migration. Neurons, nerve cells that form the brain, develop away from where they actually need to be. This failure to migrate causes the brain to not develop fully.
Early Age Hearing Problems- Other researchers believe that if there is a problem with hearing at an early age a child will not be able to hear correctly how letters are supposed to sound causing the brain (which is at a crucial developing stage) to fail to make the connections between letters and their correct sound. This lack of letter recognition can be a life long struggle.
Crossed Wiring- There are studies that suggest that a child with dyslexia will use the right side of their brain for language work where a child without dyslexia will use the left side. The right side of the brain is not the side that is made to comprehend language, suggesting that some where those wires got crossed. This dependence on the right side of the brain makes a person with dyslexia have to work twice as hard to comprehend language.
A Combination- The majority of people believe it is or can be a combination of all of the above reasons. With no known scientific cause or explanation, many say this is probably the most likely answer.
How to deal with Dyslexia?
Individuals with dyslexia learn best when their interests are engaged. Selecting the right book for the student can help because their background knowledge on the context helping them improve their vocabulary and identify difficult words.
Kayla McCain
Eating Disorders http://www.mirror-mirror.org/images/graphs-on-eating-disorders.jpg
Eating disorders are a very common disorder in the United States. I am going to tell you about three main eating disorders: anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and binge eating disorder.
Anorexia Nervosa:
Anorexia nervosa, also called anorexia, is a potentially life-threatening eating disorder that is characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss. The disorder is diagnosed when a person weighs at least 15% less than his or her normal/ideal body weight. Extreme weight loss in people with anorexia nervosa can lead to dangerous health problems and even death.
The term anorexia literally means "loss of appetite." However, this definition is misleading as people with anorexia nervosa are often hungry but refuse food anyway. People with anorexia nervosa have intense fears of becoming fat and see themselves as fat even when they are very slender. These individuals may try to correct this perceived "flaw" by strictly limiting food intake and exercising excessively in order to lose weight.
Eating disorders like anorexia are more common in females than in males. The risk of developing an eating disorder is greater in actors, models, dancers, and athletes in sports where appearance and/or weight are important, such as wrestling, boxing, gymnastics, and figure skating. People with anorexia tend to be very high achievers, performing very well in school, sports, work, and other activities. They tend to be perfectionists with obsessive, anxious, or depressive symptoms. Anorexia nervosa usually begins around the time of puberty, but it can develop at any time.
The exact cause of anorexia is not known, but research suggests that a combination of certain personality traits, emotions, and thinking patterns, as well as biological and environmental factors might be responsible. People with anorexia often use food and eating as a way to gain a sense of control when other areas of their lives are very stressful or when they feel overwhelmed. Feelings of inadequacy, low self-esteem, anxiety, anger, or loneliness also might contribute to the development of the disorder. In addition, people with eating disorders might have troubled relationships, or have a history of being teased about their size or weight. Pressure from peers and a society that equates thinness and physical appearance with beauty also can have an impact on the development of anorexia. Eating disorders also might have physical causes. Changes in hormones that control how the body and mind maintain mood, appetite, thinking, and memory might foster eating disorders. The fact that anorexia nervosa tends to run in families also suggests that a susceptibility to the disorder might be hereditary.
Bulimia:
Bulimia is a type of eating disorder. People with bulimia will eat a large amount of food in a short time. Then they will do something to get rid of the food, usually by purging or taking a type of laxative. Sometimes they will even over exercise to lose the pounds they had gained.
People who have bulimia may binge because food gives them a feeling of comfort. But eating too much makes them feel out of control. After they binge, they feel ashamed, guilty, and afraid of gaining weight. Without treatment, this "binge and purge" cycle can lead to serious, long-term health problems. Acid in the mouth from vomiting can cause tooth decay, gum disease, and loss of tooth enamel. Any type of purging can lead to bone thinning, kidney damage, heart problems, or even death.
All eating disorders are complex problems, and experts do not really know what causes them. But they may be caused by a mix of family history, social factors, and personality traits. You may be more likely to have bulimia if: other people in your family are obese or have an eating disorder, you have a job or do a sport that stresses body size, such as ballet, modeling, or gymnastics, you are the type of person who tries to be perfect all the time, never feels good enough, or worries a lot, you are dealing with stressful life events, such as divorce, moving to a new town or school, or losing a loved one.
Bulimia is most common in: teens, like other eating disorders, bulimia usually starts in the teen years. But it can start even earlier or in adulthood. It is also common in women. Almost 10 out of 11 people who have bulimia are female. But some boys and men have it too. While bulimia often starts in the teen years, it usually lasts into adulthood and is a long-term disorder.
Binge Eating Disorder:
Binge eating disorder which is also known as compulsive overeating, is a newly recognized eating disorder. Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses in which emotions and thinking patterns cause a person to adopt harmful eating habits, such as overeating or starving. Often, these habits are a way of coping with depression, stress, or anxiety. Binge eating disorder is a serious condition characterized by uncontrollable eating and a resulting weight gain. People with binge eating disorder frequently eat large amounts of food (beyond the point of feeling full) while feeling a loss of control over their eating. Although the bingeing behavior is similar to what occurs in bulimia nervosa, people with binge eating disorder usually do not engage in purging by vomiting or using laxatives.
Many people who have binge eating disorder use food as a way to cope with uncomfortable feelings and emotions. These are people who never learned how to properly deal with stress, and find it comforting and soothing to eat food. Unfortunately, they often end up feeling sad and guilty about not being able to control their eating, which increases the stress and fuels the cycle.
Most people overeat from time to time, and many people believe they frequently eat more than they should. Eating large amounts of food, however, does not mean that a person has binge eating disorder. Most people with serious binge eating problems have some of the following symptoms: Frequent episodes of eating what others would consider an abnormally large amount of food, frequent feelings of being unable to control what or how much is being eaten, eating much more rapidly than usual, eating until uncomfortably full, eating large amounts of food, even when not physically hungry, eating alone out of embarrassment at the quantity of food being eaten, and etc.
The exact cause of binge eating disorder is still unknown, and researchers are just beginning to understand the consequences of the disorder and the factors affecting its development. Like other eating disorders, binge eating disorder seems to result from a combination of psychological, biological, and environmental factors.
Binge eating disorder has been linked to other mental health disorders. Nearly half of all people with binge eating disorder have a history of depression, although the exact nature of the link is unclear. Many people report that anger, sadness, boredom, anxiety, or other negative emotions can trigger an episode of binge eating. Impulsive behavior and certain other psychological problems also seem to be more common in people with binge eating disorder.
Eating disorders, including binge eating disorder, tend to run in families, suggesting that a susceptibility to eating disorders might be inherited. Researchers also are looking into how brain chemicals and metabolism (the way the body burns calories) affect the development of binge eating disorder.
If you or any family member or friend have a eating disorder it is never to late to get help. These disorders can become very dangerous and I encourage anyone who has one or thinks they may have a disorder to seek help as soon as possible.
Bryan Ayala
Stress
Stress comes in two forms good and bad and a balance between the two which is still considered good stress. Having stress is actually a good thing to have because it’s the body’s natural reaction in a physical response. This good stress helps you stay focused during stressful situations. The alertness and energy levels are heightened during the situations. Stressful situations could be working on a project at work, wiki projects and studying. Good stress helps all, even athletes in the same way and manner. The mind is sharper, being focused having your concentration and strength heightened, but there is more than just good stress.
Having too much stress becomes a bigger problem than you expect because stress not only affects your body, it affects your brain and personal life. Having too much stress can become fatal to some people. Anything can trigger stress for example the environment, work, school and a lot of distractions and when there are a lot of things going on at one time. Noise is one that disrupts your concentration even music. The body has a natural rhythm with the heartbeat and some music can go against that rhythm and cause stress without you noticing but music that fits with the rhythm can relax the body and mind. Weather and a few outdoor situations can cause stress such as traffic and some people get road rate being overly crowded even finding a parking spot can cause stress. The most common way that people get stress is by financial problems like bills and rent. Inadequate sleep being tired can also lead to stress being hungry and having a poor nutrition diet. Having an illness or being injured or recently being injured and have something important you have to accomplish can rapidly increase stress. As for relationships and social media and events increase stress. Deaths in the family worrying about others and dealing with personal problems are all easy targets for bad stress. Teens and younger kids also get stress by not beating a level in a video game and some kids that have anger issues and losing to a game over and over can lead to bad stress believe it or not. Relieving stress is very important and it can be done by balancing yourself changing your surroundings staying organized and most importantly relaxing. Relaxation is a very hard for some people because they never had to relax in this manner and learn how to calm themselves in certain situations. Since life hands everyone daily hassles and of course stressful situations that pushes and leads to bad stress. The most important thing is to recognize when you’re suffering from stress and only some people know when they are stressed, and for other people it can perfectly seem normal and bad stress creeps up on them. The APA give the following examples of stress management –Understanding how you stress, Identify your sources of stress, Learn your own stress signals, Recognize how you deal with stress, Take care of yourself, and Reach out for support.