...humans, these characteristics include the physiological and the psychological. Many debates rise whenever we find similarities between the human psyche and the animal psyche since our understanding of the human mind is extremely complex compared to an animals. Nevertheless, Zoobiquity draws many cases of animals that share our neurological disorders. Moreover, the research done was running in parallel with research conducted on human patients, and so the understanding of such diseases can be explained in human analogies without losing the description of the disease. This research draws the similarities between disorders such as; eating disorders, obsessive compulsive disorders,...
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...Pica Disorder: “Eating disorders are a serious mental illness, not a lifestyle choice.” Millions of people have to deal with inner demons on a daily basis, some more serious than others but one that is severe, is Pica disorder. Pica disorder is an eating disorder where people have an appetite for non-nutritive, inedible materials and become addicted to eating items such as clay, nail polish, drywall, light bulbs and much more. This disorder causes victims to eat unimaginable things and causes many medical problems in the process. Some doctors believe that this disorder is just complication of the mental psyche, but there is more underlying issues that cause this disorder. Thus, Pica disorder is caused by a combination of biochemical, environmental and psychological factors. Biochemical factors are located in the brain and are chemical or mineral that control our brians health. A patient can have an abundance or a shortage of certain chemical or mineral, which can cause serious problems within the brains processes. Many victims that have pica disorder, have severe iron and zinc deficiency. Therefore patients begin to crave certain item that one would not normally desire such as magnets, light bulbs, nail polish, and much more that contain high amounts of iron and zinc in there make up. They tend to eat an abundance of materials that satisfy what there body is craving. At some point the victims tend to believe that what they are ingesting is helping them so they continue...
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...Mutations in our biology and neurological systems are the cause of many of the psychological disorders that people suffer today. Our environment as well as the way we think and feel influence our everyday behaviors. These thoughts and feelings are processed by neurons in the brain and nervous system. Neurotransmitters in our brain and nervous system control all of our functions. When these neurotransmitters don’t function properly, such serotonin which controls sleeping, eating, mood, pain and depression, psychological disorders may arise. Molecular genetics seeks to identify specific genes that are associated with behavior and psychological disorders (Feldman, 2009). Research in molecular genetics has helped to identify genetic markers that are linked to many psychological disorders such as schizophrenia and depression. Research into this field may help develop earlier detection and treatment for these disorders and may also lead to effective gene therapy that can be used to potentially treat these same diseases. Aside from psychological disorders that can be genetically identifiable, physical characteristics that result from our biology and genetics can also affect us psychologically. Although environment also plays a role, physical characteristics such as weight, tone of voice, athleticism and intellectual characteristics such as memory and intelligence can also produce disorders such as depression, alcoholism and schizophrenia. It is important for us to find these...
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...Doctors have long suspected that childhood sexual abuse is a common theme in the back ground of women with bulimia nervosa. This hypothesis has come under much scrutiny and as a result, has been tested and re-tested time and again. Studies have had findings stating everything from, there is no evidentiary support for this hypothesis, to there is a non-specific correlation and yet other studies claim that childhood sexual abuse is a direct risk factor for bulimia nervosa. More recent articles seem to point toward some type of relationship between bulimia nervosa and childhood sexual abuse. The process of finding this information takes some digging. Many search engines (including Medscape, Proquest, and Google’s scholarly article search) were used. Much of the research in this area seems to have been done approximately ten years ago and therefore was not current enough to be used. These older studies also have a common theme in that they tended to lean toward the opinion that bulimia nervosa and childhood sexual abuse are not directly related. The more current articles on this subject agree more with the school of though that bulimia nervosa is closely related to childhood sexual abuse. According to Pearlstein (2002) “Many older studies involved clinical rather than community samples” (p. 5) which may shed some light on why their results showed little to no correlation with bulimia nervosa and childhood sexual abuse. If there is a relationship between childhood sexual abuse...
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...Depression is a disease that deflects the human psyche in such a way that the afflicted tends to act and react abnormally towards others and themselves. Therefore depression is strongly linked with teenage suicide. Adolescent suicide brings more deaths in youngsters of age 15 to 19 than cardiovascular disease or cancer. The reason why depression is often over looked in children and adolescent is only because” children are always able to express how they feel”. Sometimes the symptoms of mood disorders take on different forms in children than adults. Adolescence is a time of emotional turmoil, mood, swings, gloomy thoughts and heightened sensitivity. It is a time of rebellion and experimentation. A psychiatrist observed that the challenge is to identify depressive symptomatology which may be super imposed on the back drop of more transient but expected developed storm”. Therefore, diagnosis should not lay only in physicians hands but be associated with parents, teachers and anyone who interacts with parents and teachers on daily basis. Unlike adult depression symptoms of youth depression are often masked. Instead of expressing sadness, teenagers may express boredom and irritability or may chose to engage in risky behaviors’. Mood disorders, substance abuse and suicide, all of which can hide depressive symptoms. The sign of clinical depression include mark changes in mood and associated behaviors that range from sadness, withdrawal...
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...own reports clearly indicate that they hold the media at least partly responsible for their negative feelings toward their bodies” (p. 524). By having these negative thoughts, women can harm their bodies by doing whatever they can to fit the expectations that the media seems to portray. The opinion of the public eye states that the norm of the mass media plays an essential role in the progression of eating disorders and the displeasures of ones own body (Tiggemann, 2006, p....
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...abuse continued for about a year. The day my sixteen year old brother heard what had been happening he confronted the perpetrator. During their argument my brother was brutally murdered. I have always felt a sense of guilt for his death. Additionally, I have always wondered if there was a connection between the sexual abuse I suffered as a child, the other traumatic events I experienced and the thought patterns and actions I used throughout my childhood and adolescence. Sadly, child sexual abuse (CSA) is prevalent in all societies, cultures, and occurs in every socioeconomic status, it knows no boundaries. Experts agree that experiencing this type of abuse during such a pivotal point in development can have detrimental effects on a child’s psyche. What are the common results of CSA and why do some survivors seem to be affected more deeply than others? What are the ramifications as they grow into adulthood? And do the coping strategies survivors use, create a possibility of further abuse? These are the questions researchers have been asking for years. My goal through the examination of this research is to discover the different implications of CSA so that I can completely understand myself; and as a prospective educator, I will be fully equipped with the knowledge needed to recognize the signs and symptoms of child abuse. I will look at three recently published studies targeting both the short and long term effects of child sexual abuse on both genders. In conclusion, I will create...
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...Severe Depression Brandy Morris Ashford University Severe Depression I. Severe depression is a mental disorder that is characterized by a persistent and pervasive low mood, which is accompanied by a loss of interest or pleasure and a low self-esteem in activities that are normally enjoyable. A. The severe disorder has been found to be a condition that is disabling and has profound effects on an individual's family, eating habits, sleeping, school life, or work. B. According to DSM-5, a manual used in examining mental health conditions, this condition is marked by moods that are depressed, and it may occur every day for about two weeks to a person. The symptoms may frequently be in the morning. II. It is believed that social, psychological, and biological factors play an active role in the cause of the severe disorder. This is according to biopsychological model. A. According to the diathesis-stress model, depression is as a result of diathesis or preexisting vulnerabilities that are activated by an event that is stressful (Adler,1956). This is according to Adler. Preexisting vulnerabilities, in this case, may refer to the genetic meaning interaction between nurture and nature, or schematic. B. Severe depression may be triggered by grief after losing a loved one through, divorce, death, or separation. Major challenges in life, feeling of being deprived or social isolation may be the cause of depression (Klein, Herron & Belcher...
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...Application of Clinical Psychology: Betty Ford Courtney Bowers, Tina Colbert, Janell Thomas, Mervin Waldron PSY/480 March 30, 2015 Tara Thompson Application of Clinical Psychology: Betty Ford Substance abuse can stem from a variety of biological, psychological, and social factors. These factors may vary from addict to addict, and it is the role of clinical psychology to examine the roots of addiction, and what type of treatment, such as interventions, would apply to and possibly work best for each individual. Interventions have to be rational as they apply to a patient, and the clinical psychology professional would have to have a plan as to who is involved, where will it be, what should happen, and what specific areas the intervention will focus on. We will examine the case study of Betty Ford, and uncover the possible reason for addiction as well as what type of interventions may work best and why. The Case of Betty Ford Many have heard of the Betty Ford Clinic, but most think Betty Ford, former first lady opened the clinic up because she wanted to help substance abuse addicts. In fact, that is precisely what she wished to accomplish, but for reasons other than just helping. Betty Ford was an addict herself. In 1978, Ford admitted that she was an addict, and a week later went into a treatment program. Inspired by the ability to overcome drugs and alcohol through treatment, in 1982, the Betty Ford Clinic was opened. Substance abuse doesn't lend itself to...
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...break into my home. The incident took place on a Friday afternoon, and the perpetrator subsequently died in the hospital two days later. My family and friends were there to help me through the ordeal but life soon returned to normal for them. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same about my own life. My immediate reaction was a combination of sadness, anger, guilt, fear, and shock about what had happened. Being a US Air Force veteran, I took part in Desert Shield/Desert Storm and never had to pull a gun on anyone. I never dreamed I would end up having to shoot someone in my own home. Everyone around me told me I shouldn’t feel bad that the perpetrator died because I was protecting my family. Though it sounded perfectly logical, the guilt was eating me alive. For the first couple of months after the shooting, I operated in pure fear. I became paranoid and hyper-vigilant. Every noise I heard in the night made me jump even though they were the same familiar sounds I heard every night, such as the refrigerator motor turning off and on. But what disturbed me more was that I was afraid of noises I heard during broad daylight also. The shooting happened at approximately 1:30pm in my back yard outside my family room window which I no longer enjoyed but had to pass by daily. After a few months of living in fear, I just went numb. I had to go on with my life so I just didn’t deal with the pain at all. Well, about a year or so later, the pain started dealing with me. Flashbacks plagued me almost...
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...Depression is a disease that afflicts the human psyche in such a way that the afflicted tends to act and react abnormally toward others and themselves. There are different types of depression such as dysthymia which is mild depression. People can work and perform daily tasks as normal, but they have a hard time. Another type is major depression, or a major depressive episode, and is more severe. This is the depression that prevents people from functioning and interferes with daily tasks.(Owen, 2000) Children who suffer from depression experience the same symptoms as adults. There are several symptoms divided into three categories: cornerstone symptoms, typical symptoms, and atypical symptoms. The cornerstone symptoms include depressive mood, feeling down or sad nearly the entire day, and apathy, loss of interest in things that would normally give joy or pleasure. Typical symptoms include significant loss of appetite, trouble sleeping, slow personal tempo, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness or extreme guilt, trouble concentrating, and recurring thoughts of death and suicide. Atypical symptoms include fast personal tempo, significant increase in appetite, and sleeping too much. People experience depression in different ways. Someone who has an episode of major depression experiences at least one of the cornerstone symptoms plus several of the other symptoms every day. (Owen, 2000) Another type of depression is depression with psychotic features. Most people who experience depression...
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...Heidi Klomhaus English 102 Dr. D. Pineda 10 December 2013 Child Beauty Pageants: What’s The Harm? Although there are many adults who suffer various consequences of child pageant participations, they still look back at their childhood and have some good memories of fun. Some even enter their own children into these pageants. Unfortunately, however, the damage is still the same and the cycle continues. Child beauty pageants are detrimental to the psyche of young children because these pageants promote sexualization far beyond their years and lack regulations to govern the actions within these contests. Because these children are being pushed into time-consuming, grueling preparation for these pageants, and because their performances are considered to be far beyond their years leading to self-objectification or sexualization, and the lack of regulations within these pageants there should be some boundaries set to minimize the psychological effects of participation within these contests. As we approach the Christmas holiday this year there are many who remember the horrific murder mystery of JonBenet Ramsey, a former child pageant star, and wonder if her participation in the beauty pageant world is what ended her short life. It’s been 17 years since her body was found in the basement of her parents’ home and her face was plastered all over the news. When the name JonBenet Ramsey is heard doll-like images flash through our heads from her pageant photos. Would she still...
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...women and young girls are going on diets because they believe that weight determines the self worth of a person, to such a degree that the exposure and pressure exerted by music videos contribute to the increase of body dissatisfaction and disordered eating. Over the course of time, not only has the hip hop industry encouraged eating disorders, but has also led to the disrespect of an entire generation of...
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...Definitions of Abnormality Defining a person or behaviour as ‘abnormal’ implies something undesirable and requiring change Therefore, we must be careful how we use the term Psychologists need methods for distinguishing ‘normal’ from ‘abnormal’ Our definition of abnormality must be objective: * It must not depend on anyone’s opinion or point of view * It should produce the same results whoever applies it It must not be under or over-inclusive * It must not label as ‘abnormal’ or ‘normal’ behaviours or traits that aren’t Three definitions are used to define abnormality: * Deviation from social norms * Failure to function adequately * Deviation from ideal mental health Deviation from social norms Under this definition, a person’s thinking or behaviour is classified as abnormal if it violates the (unwritten) rules about what is expected or acceptable behaviour in a particular social group. Their behaviour may: * Be incomprehensible to others * Make others feel threatened or uncomfortable With this definition, it is necessary to consider: * The degree to which a norm is violated, the importance of that norm and the value attached by the social group to different sorts of violation. * E.g. is the violation rude, eccentric, abnormal or criminal? Abnormality is defined in terms of behavior which goes against societies accepted standards Different societies have different standards Standards change over time Strengths Should be easy...
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...Meditation with spiritual orientation is compartmentalized to a particular segment of society which pursues it for the intrinsic purpose of furthering their religious faiths and belief, whereas mediation for non religious purposes has acquired the status of the common man’s stress buster. Today its rampant peddling and commercialization has undergone such a high decibel sales pitch that the concentration of subject’s glory has paled to pittance. Modern day materialism and high octane lifestyles have bereft human lives of ecstasy and exuberance thereby substituted it with trauma, stress, depression, disease and disorders. Social scientists and engineers along with religious sector preachers mooted the concept of deploying meditation engineering as a tool to nullify the impact inflicted on human lives by scorching pace of technology and development. Its mapping...
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