...Personal Impact Paper NUR/427 January 18, 2016 Personal Impact Paper Living with a chronic disorder may affect a person and their family's lives. These disorders affect a person's physical and psychological health, emotions, independence, and their jobs. Depending on the disorder and severity determines treatment options that can affect the person financially. With today's medicine, technology, and resources people can manage and live a life. Learning to live with a chronic disorder can be emotional and takes time to accept. Millions of people worldwide live with epilepsy. One in twenty-six will develop epilepsy. The causes are unknown in two-thirds of patients. This neurological disorder causes a disruption in brain cells, which can cause seizures, sensations, unusual behavior, or loss of consciousness. Epilepsy treatment depends on the severity and frequency of seizures, a person's overall health, medical history, and age. These treatments may include medication, diets, surgery, epilepsy devices, and epilepsy first aid. A young woman, Nichole was nineteen years old, and just completed an emergency medical technician (EMT) school when she had her first grand mal seizure. She had to learn about and how to live with this disorder. As a way to help herself and others, she began posting videos titled Nichole's epilepsy on youtube.com: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1BIjErzoq8oH9apq_DPpiw. She shares her feelings of depression and the loss of her independence...
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... 1 Written Assignment Author Note This Course Project is being submitted on March 1, 2014 For General Psychology Class. My topic for my psychology research report, is the topic of electro convulsion therapy, or what is formally known as electro shock therapy. In this paper I will describe what it is, how it is administered, and what psychological disorders it is used for. In my mind this is some sort of barbaric torture that was carried out in the earlier days of psychology, when doctors where not really understanding the full scope of the psychiatric illnesses of their patients. It conjures up images in my mind of old insane asylums and the procedures that were carried out there, with not much understanding as to the patient’s illness, or what the effects the treatments could have on the patients. By the end of this paper, I hope to gain a better understanding of electro convulsion therapy, and its credibility, or not, as a treatment for psychological disorders. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a procedure in which electric currents are passed through the brain, intentionally triggering a brief seizure. ECT seems to cause changes in brain chemistry that can quickly reverse symptoms of certain mental illnesses (NAMI, 2012). It often works when other treatments are unsuccessful. Much of the stigma attached to ECT is based on early treatments in which high doses...
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...Epilepsy is a brain disorder and chronic medical condition with sudden abnormal electrical activity that produce seizures which affect a variety of mental and physical functions . It is a word that derived from the Greek "epilepsia" which means "to take hold of". Patients with epilepsy have recurrent seizures, strange sensations and emotions or behave strangely. "The seizures happen when clusters of nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain send out the wrong signals."(1) Epilepsy has existed for thousands of years but only in the past hundred years or so has it begun to be understood. Epileptic seizures were described in ancient cultures, including those of China, Egypt, and India. The seizure was attributed to the god of the moon. "They...
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...are a class of psychoactive substances which produce changes in perception and user experience. Through early research of Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), the use for psychedelic in the mental health profession proves promising. Due to uncontrolled drug use once, psychoactive substances reached general population, the scientific community was cut off from research and psychedelics were banned until the 1980s when a study in Switzerland lead to a new renaissance of psychedelic research. Today, psychedelic studies are held globally with the treatment of various mental disorders Keywords: psychedelics, psychotherapy, LSD, MDMA, DMT, Psychedelics in Psychology Drugs that exist to perform the primary function of triggering changes...
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...Rett Syndrome Joseph Lee 4th Period Rett Syndrome is a disorder which affects the nervous system and is found almost exclusively in girls. One in 10,000-20,000 newborn babies are born with Rett Syndrome, making this disorder very rare. Rett Syndrome is often described as autism, cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s, epilepsy, and various anxiety disorders wrapped into one. In this paper, I will discuss what exactly Rett Syndrome is, who discovered it, how he discovered it, what its causes are, what the symptoms are, the disorder’s course, and possible treatments for the disorder. Said Dr. Rett at a conference regarding the disorder which bears his name: These three words summarize best our task: To live, to love, and to learn. We are aware of the fact that many mysteries of this syndrome still remain undisclosed, and therefore, for the time being, we have no option but to live with it. However, the children with their very special ways give us enough impulse to share their lives. It is a further mystery of this syndrome that the affected children render it easy for us to love them. A dominating factor in the care of such children is that they understand us and we understand them. Their appearance and the sparkle in their eyes make it easy to love them. Daily care for them and working with them gives us grownups strength, enabling us to learn the special treatment required, thus furthering our own development. To...
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...Term Paper: Aggression and the Brain Aggression as a general term refers to the act of inflicting physical or verbal harm with the intentions of causing pain. It is very questionable why people choose to harm each other especially if there is no reason, such as self defense, involved, but research has been evolving on that issue to show how the biology of the brain is related to aggression and how different the neurochemistry of the brain of an aggressive person to a non aggressive one. “Violent behavior never erupts from a single cause, rather it results from a combination of risk factors — among them inherited tendencies, a traumatic childhood and other negative experiences — that interact and aggravate one another” (Strueber). Basically putting together this combination of likely explanations of aggression may let one see the whole picture of why people become so aggressive. The biology of the brain and aggression seek to be explained in two different ways, in terms of androgens which are male hormones and the level of serotonin in the brain. In general it is important to talk about aggression and understand its possible manifestations because aggression is important in human existence therefore being aware of its likely biological causes will help us understand better why there is a high rate of aggression, violence and suicide and make us perceive it from the biological aspect rather than from the cultural or the individual context. First of all, the first linkage...
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...What is a seizure? A seizure is an increase of electrical activity in the brain. A seizure can influence a person’s behavior for a brief period. A seizure can alter what the brain and body does normally. Many people think that seizures are some sort of disease but, it all boils down to changes in chemicals within the nerve cells. During a seizure brain cells get excited or prevent other brain cells from sending their routine messages. In some cases in the presence of a seizure, there could be too much activity or too little activity. Seizures are an indication that a potential disorder is affecting the brain. The reality is some seizures can hardly be noticed, other seizure while other seizures can greatly reduce function. Different lobes of...
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...of a mood disorder. Although we all experience variations in our moods (normal fluctuations from sadness or stress or whatever may be the case), they are no comparison to the extremes experienced by individuals with bipolar disorder. Those who are diagnosed with bipolar disorder have experiences with both episodes of major depression and mania (Gazzaniga & Heatherton, 2005). Manic episodes are categorized as having elevated moods, increased activity, and diminished need for sleep, grandiose ideas, racing thoughts, and extreme distractibility. During these episodes, there are often excessive involvement in pleasurable but foolish activities such as sexual indiscretions, buying sprees, and risky business ventures. The individual usually regrets these situations once the mania is over. Not everyone necessarily experiences these extreme episodes, as others may suffer less extreme examples of mood elevations, known as hypomanic episodes. They are often categorized as heightened creativity, productivity, and can be extremely pleasurable and rewarding. People experiencing these symptoms are known as to have a Bipolar II diagnosis, whereas people with extreme depression and manic episodes, as mentioned before, are known to have a Bipolar I diagnosis. There is a third category, however, which is known as cyclothymia. The individual with this type of bipolar disorder experiences hypomania and mild depression (Gazzaniga & Heatherton, 2005). Bipolar disorder is much less...
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...around the United States I have decided to conduct a research on the disease its self. I know you are probably wondering why I decided to do my research paper on the Zika Virus. The Zika Virus is a virus that just popped up all of a sudden, and during this semester in we discussed it a lot in our Biology class. I quickly grew interested in the virus and wanted to find about more about it. That’s pretty much how I got here. Before making the decision of writing my paper on Zika, I had to make sure that I could find everything I need to conduct a proper research paper. I knew that the Zika Virus was very new and unheard of, so I worried that I would not be able to find enough information on it. I was wrong, due to the virus spreading to quickly I was able to find many articles on it. The Zika Virus is a part...
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...Drug Profile Paper 5/17/16 PSY/425 Chemical Dependency in the Workplace Stacey Lederberg Explain the psychological and physiology of addiction: Simply put phycology is the understanding of human behavior and physiology is the study of the physical function of humans. In the following paragraphs I will discuss the psychological and physiological issues of addiction. According to psychologists there are a few different causes for addiction. Some people get into an addiction or harmful behavior because of an abnormality. Another reason people get into an unhealthy addiction because of the environment they are in. The last one is someone’s beliefs or thoughts create feelings that cause addiction because these feelings are not realistic. When you think about addiction there are actually quite a few definitions. This is because there are so many substances that are addictive and each one has its own disorder. Addiction can be many things from illegal drugs, prescriptions, inhalants to gambling, hoarding, sex etc. The cause of an addiction has many factors that encompass it including biological, psychological and environmental. Because humans are wired to seek out reward and avoid discomfort it makes sense that addictions pacify the seeking of pleasure and erase pain. In the brain of an addicted person drugs, alcohol or any other substance target the CNS (central nervous system). The substance causes a hostile takeover in the pain-pleasure...
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...Depression Paper Angie Marquez PSY 270 April 17, 2016 Depression Paper Most people have felt sadness at some point in their life. It is a normal reaction to the loss of a loved one or even just everyday life struggles. When these feelings of sadness start to last longer than a few days and begins to keep you from functioning normal it may be more than just sadness. Clinical depression is a treatable medical condition that many people experience in throughout life. Depression is considered a mood disorder. “Mood disorders are a category of illnesses that describe a serious change in mood” (Mental Health America, 2016). Other mood disorders include unipolar disorder and bipolar disorder. There are important differences between unipolar and bipolar such as how the illness makes people feel and behave and the difference in treatment (ULifeline, 2016). Bipolar disorder is a serious illness that involves one or more episodes of serious mania and depression (Mental Health America, 2016). Mania is when a person is feeling happy, confident, energetic and productive (ULifeline, 2016). During an episode of bipolar disorder a person can experience extreme mood swings. They can go from feeling happy and energetic to feeling sad and hopeless, sometimes with a period of a normal mood between the two extremes. There is no definite link between genetics and bipolar disorder but research does show that is tends to run in families (Mental Health America, 2016). Other causes of bipolar disorder...
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...Autism: It’s Time to Listen 1 Autism: It’s Time to Listen. Kelly Fitzpatrick Intro to Psychology Professor Carter 07, 2012 This paper is submitted in partial fulfillment of the Associate of Science Degree in the Medical Assisting Program at Southern Technical College Autism 2 Abstract This paper will discuss what Autism is, when it is usually diagnosed and what behaviors are usually displayed by those on the spectrum. This paper will also provide information about some possible causes of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as well as some facts about ASD. This paper will talk about treatments and resources available to individuals diagnosed with ASD and to their families. Autism 3 Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and autism are equally common terms for a group of complex disorders of brain development. ASD and Autism are characteristic of, in fluctuating degrees, difficulty in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors (Autism Speaks, 2012). Autism can be connected to intellectual disabilities, problems with motor skills development, attention deficits, sleep issues, and gastrointestinal disorders (Autism Speaks, 2012). Autism is believed to originate in early brain development. While this is believed to be true most signs of Autism do not surface until the child is 2 to 3 years old. Other than the characteristics mentioned already ASD or Autism symptoms may include difficulty...
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...Abnormal Psychology and Therapy Paper David Brown, Charles Hodge PSY/300: General Psychology Susan Bonnell June 2, 2015 University of Phoenix Abnormal Psychology and Therapy Paper Abnormal psychology is the study of unusual behavior, thoughts, and emotion by members of a society (American Psychological Association, 2015). To meet the definition of abnormal, the behavior, actions, or thoughts must be atypical of the culture (Kowalski & Westen, 2011). Herein is where the challenge lies, due to the fact that our world encompasses many cultures and definitions of normal are significantly different from one region to the next. The paper will provide examples of abnormal psychology in the form of mental disorders and illnesses. Additionally, treatments for these disorders and illnesses will be discussed. Normal and Abnormal Psychology Normal and abnormal psychology can differ by culture. One’s normal behavior is that which allows for a society to maintain a productive and relationship driven life that does not differ drastically from the normalcy of said society (Kowalski & Westen, 2011). When an individual’s behavior is maladaptive to the culture he or she belongs, others will then classify said behavior as abnormal, and then will attempt to change that behavior. Wen-Sing Tseng, M.D. (2013), described a Latino man who hit his body and yelled very loudly, alone while in public, upon hearing of his wife’s death. The treating doctor was unsure if the man’s behavior...
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...pure form for the treatment of Dravet’s syndrome, a form of chronic epilepsy often found in children. This paper focuses on the history of the use of cannabis for its healing properties and provides a brief overview of the documentary which is the basis of the paper, detailing the importance of the medicalization of the cannabis plant for use in treating a number of ailments, including but not limited to the treatment of Dravet’s Syndrome and Autism in children. It was not until I watched the documentary which was recently aired on CNN entitled “Weed, Cannabis Madness” and its sequel “Weed 2” that I became interested in the healing qualities that this plant possesses and more specifically, its ability to treat children who are suffering from a condition called Dravet’s Syndrome. Dravet’s Syndrome is a form of chronic epilepsy which causes children to seize violently for upwards of 50 seizures per day. There is no cure for this disease, and for many children the drugs prescribed by their physicians such as anti-seizure medications are not effective and even harmful. The child in the first documentary, Charlotte Figi suffers from an extreme case of the disease. Her prognosis was not good. Her pediatrician and other specialists recommended to her parents that she be placed in a medically induced coma to allow for her body and brain to heal from the constant seizures which she experienced on an...
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...Cannabis….what’s all the hype? Medicinal Cannabis Jennifer L. Mello COM/156 Abstract I am writing this research paper not just to inform you, but to help educate you. There are many proven scientific trials and methods of medicinal cannabis. The research that I have found has truly enlightened my way of thinking. Segal, Ph.D. (2012), "The Jamestown settlers brought the marijuana plant, commonly known as hemp, to North America in 1611, and throughout the colonial period, hemp fiber was an important export. Indeed, in 1762, 'Virginia awarded bounties for hemp culture and manufacture, and imposed penalties on those who did not produce it.” (Jamestown Settlers Bring Marijuana to North America). Booth (2005). Medicinal Cannabis….what's all the hype? The therapeutic qualities are marvelous. Cannabinoids offer the following for patient’s antipastic, analgesic, antiemetic, neuroprotective, and anti-inflammatory actions. People who suffer from psychiatric diseases have found relief with their conditions ranging from depression, anxiety, bipolar, and similar mood disorders. The National Institute of Health, also known to many people as NIH. This organization states that medical marijuana helps a great deal with chemotherapy, and nausea. Letting the cancer patient consume food. They have also found that people who suffer from epileptic seizures that use medicinal cannabis helps to prevent them altogether. (Potter, 1998). Cancer patients who are going through chemotherapy...
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