...used, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, serotonin and noradrenalin reuptake inhibitors, Tricyclic antidepressants, monoamine oxidase inhibitors and many others. Based on the type of depression they are diagnosed with, different patients are offered different treatments, which show different levels of effectiveness. The 3 most commonly used types of treatment are drug based therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and group therapy. Drug therapy, or pharmacotherapy, is treatment using medication to cure disease. It is based on the assumption that if the problem is based on biological malfunctioning, drugs should be used to restore the biological system. As depression involves an imbalance in neurotransmission, drugs are used to restore an appropriate chemical balance in the brain. Many different types of anti-depressants are used. Antidepressant drugs are used to elevate the mood of depression in patients. There are several different antidepressants, among which selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) are the most commonly used. SSRIs are known to be the most effective antidepressants and are relatively safe and cause fewer side effects than other types of antidepressants. SSRIs basically eliminate depression by affecting neurotransmitters, which are chemical messengers. The neurotransmitter that plays a role in depression is Serotonin. Serotonin regulates some brain functions such as mood, sleep, and emotion. A normal person’s serotonin is sent from one nerve...
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...likely to have a history of being obese, having heart disease, strokes, suffer from sleep disorders, have lower education, less access to medical care, are unemployed, and recently divorced. These biopsychosocial factors that lead to the onset of depression can also be impacted by such things as age, gender, and ethnicity. While such symptoms and factors of depression can be treated in many different ways, studies have proven that between 60-80% of all cases involving depression can successfully be treated by combining psychotherapy and pharmacological constructs (http://www.healthline.com), the latter which shall be explored in greater detail. History of Medication Although plant extracts such as opium, thorn apple St. Johns wort, Henbane, Indian hemp, deadly nightshade, hypericum oil, alcohol, caffeine, cannabis and other natural remedies have been used for past 3000 years treat depression, it wasn’t until 1957 that the first tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) known as imipramine was discovered by Ronald Kuhn and later in the same year the first Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), iproniazide, was introduced by Loomer, Saunders, and Kline (Fitzpatrick, 2010, p. 3), which initially was used to treat tuberculosis, but discovered that it increased mood and physical...
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...the most common biological treatment for this type of disorder, but treatments such as Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), alteration in sleep patterns following body temperature cycle are also used to relief the symptoms of depression. However antidepressant drugs provide an effective and inexpensive help, studies have found that the behavioural effects of these drugs could take over two weeks before showing any benefit and any perceived effect before this period would be a placebo effect (Kalat, 2001). Some studies proposed the existence of a two models markers for depression: Biological/endogenous & psychological/reactive depression. Based on this assumption an endogenous depression would only respond to a pharmacological treatment while a psychological depression would only respond to psychological treatment (Free & Oei, 1989). Further we will evaluate the effectiveness of a combined (cognitive-behavioural therapy and antidepressant) intervention in order to achieve a better outcome on treatment of depression. Depression is one of the most common illnesses and is characterised by symptoms such as loss of energy, sadness, difficulty in concentration and in the most serious cases the patient can contemplate or commit suicide. Research found that women are more likely to suffer from depression, with depressive episodes more probable to occur between 25 to 44 years old (Kalat, 2001). In 1980, The American Psychiatric Association published a manual that comes to categorise depression...
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...Depression caused by serotonin dis-regulation Depression is the most prevalent psychiatric disorder and according to World Health Organization approximately 350 million people are suffering from it. Depression affects all people regardless of age, race and socioeconomic group. It is the main cause of disability in the world ( ). Depression is different from simple mood change. It alters the way depressed people eat, sleep, feel about themselves and their attitude towards others. Long lasting depression often is a life-threatening disorder that in extreme cases can lead to suicide (Kanner 2012). It has a neurobiological basis and is associated with functional and structural brain abnormalities. In this essay will be discussed and evaluated...
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...Depression is one of the most common health conditions in the world. Depression isn't a weakness, nor is it something that you can simply "snap out of." Depression, formally called major depression, major depressive disorder or clinical depression, is a medical illness that involves the mind and body. It affects how you think and behave and can cause a variety of emotional and physical problems. You may not be able to go about your usual daily activities, and depression may make you feel as if life just isn't worth living anymore. Most health professionals today consider depression a chronic illness that requires long-term treatment, much like diabetes or high blood pressure. Although some people experience only one episode of depression, most have repeated episodes of depression symptoms throughout their life. Effective diagnosis and treatment can help reduce even severe depression symptoms. And with effective treatment, most people with depression feel better, often within weeks, and can return to the daily activities they previously enjoyed. Symptoms of depression include: Loss of interest in normal daily activities Feeling sad or down Feeling hopeless Crying spells for no apparent reason Problems sleeping Trouble focusing or concentrating Difficulty making decisions Unintentional weight gain or loss Irritability Restlessness Being easily annoyed Feeling fatigued or weak Feeling worthless Loss of interest in sex Thoughts of suicide or suicidal...
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...other powerful medications These drug medications have helped millions of persons, but psychiatrists have known for years that a rare side effect involves development of suicidal ideation and in some cases homicidal tendencies. For example, SSRI (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor) antidepressants obtained from pharmacies contain an insert that warns of “possible development of suicidal ideation”. There is considerable published literature that indicates young males are especially at risk for this side effect. Mainstream psychiatry’s “treatment of choice” for depression is use of SSRI antidepressants aimed at increasing activity of a neurotransmitter called serotonin in the brain, perhaps coupled with counseling. However, my biochemical studies of 3,600 depression patients show that 18% have elevated serotonin activity and are intolerant to SSRI antidepressants. In most cases these persons stop compliance after discovering that the drug makes their condition worse. In many unfortunate cases, however, the patient obeys their doctor’s orders and the result is suicide. Another danger of antidepressant drugs is sudden non-compliance. Long-term use of SSRI drugs alters the population of serotonin receptors by a mechanism called “down-regulation”. Persons who suddenly stop an SSRI antidepressant may experience severe drug-withdrawal and become...
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...seem to have a lack of motivation, inability to concentrate, suffer from insomnia, and have a loss of interest or joy in activities they once enjoyed. Treatment for depression is especially important in pregnancy. Woman who do not receive treatment may not get regular prenatal care, are at a higher risk for an increase in substance abuse, preterm delivery and low birth weight infant’s (Fleschler and Peskin, 2008). Non-pharmacological treatment of depression includes: exercise, yoga, relaxation techniques, and participation in support groups or cognitive behavioral therapy. When these options do not create improvement, the main treatment of choice is Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs). But the use of pharmacological treatment does not come without risks of its own. Through recent research and studies, the use of SSRI’s has shown a correlation to preterm birth and heart defects (Pedersen, Hendricksen, Vestergaard, Olsen, & Bech, 2009). Importance to Nursing...
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...in ten returning soldiers seen in VA have a problem with alcohol or other drugs (Veteran Affairs 2012). As human service provider I witness this co diagnosis of PTSD ( Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and SUD (Substance Abuse Disorder) daily and it has encouraged me to form a opinion. After some deep thought I would like to look into the efficiency of the treatment prescribed to solders suffering from PTSD and which is more effective. In this paper I will be looking Cognitive behavioral therapy offered when trying to treat PTSD and SUD . On the other hand I will like to look into a variety of medication therapy which includes anxiety medication and drugs known as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. On an weekly basis I deal with over 100 veterans who have been diagnosed with PTSD and in most cases are dual diagnosed with SUD (Substance Use Disorder). While looking over these veterans charts I notice that many have attended Cognitive behavioral therapy,...
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...disorder can be difficult to diagnose because they psychiatrist or clinical psychologist must first decide whether the problem is pathological, or if it is in fact an extreme of normal human variation. Currently there is no way to identify a specific brain pathology associated with different disorders; diagnosis usually relies on the patients symptoms. This paper will discuss four psychiatric disorders: Schizophrenia, Depression Mania, Anxiety, and Tourette syndrome. Schizophrenia affects about 1% of the world’s population. Over 2-3% of the population shows symptoms. Some people only ever experience one, maybe two episode and get better, while others go through periods of being healthy, which is also known as remission. There are other cases where patients suffer long-term and are usually severe impairments. Schizophrenia literally means “split mind.” Many people often confuse schizophrenia with the meaning split personality-which is something entirely different. Split personality is a disorder known as multiple personality disorder or syndrome. Symptoms of schizophrenia are divided into two categories, negative and positive. Positive symptoms include thought disorders, hallucinations, and delusions. Thought disorders is disorganized and irrational thinking, and is one of the most important symptoms. For example, they often find it hard to communicate. Most people would expect a conversation to be flowing logically, however people suffering from this disorder don’t follow those...
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...of the blue, even when things are going well. Others seem to have an obvious cause such as a marital conflict, financial difficulty, or some personal failure. Most psychologists believe depression results from an interaction between stressful life events and a person’s biological and psychological vulnerabilities. Depression runs in families also. Genetically identical twins raised in the same environment are three times more likely to have depression in common than fraternal twins, who have only about half of their genes in common. In addition, identical twins are five times more likely to have bipolar disorder in common. Studies have shown that certain brain chemicals called neurotransmitters play an important role in regulating moods and emotions. Neurotransmitters involved in depression include nor epinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin. Studies have also suggested a relationship between neurotransmitter levels and depression. An imbalance of hormones may also play a role in depression. Many depressed people have higher than normal levels of hydrocortisone (cortical), a hormone secreted by the adrenal gland in response to stress. In addition, an underactive or overactive thyroid gland can lead to depression. Depression can take several other forms. In bipolor disorder, a person’s mood...
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...Mental Health Case Study Ron Kovic is a Caucasian-American male, 71 years of age, who was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after serving two tours of duty with the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam war. The patient was also paralyzed from the chest down after being shot first in the right foot, which tore out the back of his heel, then again through the right shoulder, suffering a collapsed lung and a spinal cord injury during his second tour. Consequently, the patient spent a week in an intensive care ward in Da Nang military hospital in central Vietnam before being sent back to the United States and admitted at a Bronx veteran’s hospital in New York. The patient hailed from a Roman Catholic family, whose...
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...Depression and Anxiety: Two Prevalent Disorders Steve Davis PSY/203 06/15/2015 Belky Schwartz Depression and Anxiety: Two Prevalent Disorders Of the major categories of mental illness, mood disorders and anxiety disorders seem to be the most prevalent. Mental illnesses, like physical illnesses come in a wide range of severity. Millions of Americans suffer from mental disorders in any given year, however, very few actually seek treatment. The statistic most often quoted states that one in four adults will experience a mental disorder at some point in their lives. Stigma associated with mental disorders is still the leading reason people do not seek or retain treatment. Mental disorders are quite common, they are real and they are treatable. Out of the five major categories of mental illnesses, mood disorders and anxiety disorders are the most common. Of these two categories, I will cover Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), also called Clinical Depression, which is a mood disorder. And from the Anxiety Disorder category, I will cover Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER (MDD) Depression is a normal human condition to an extent, but when do normal feelings of sadness, grief, or feeling “down in the dumps” become an illness? According to the Encyclopedia of Counseling, (Leong, 2008), there are two primary diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD). These two diagnostic criteria are depressed mood and a loss of interest...
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...symptoms and treatments of these two illnesses. The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual describes unipolar depression as a significant depressive period that lasts more than two weeks during which the patient exhibits at least five depressive symptoms (Comer, 2011). Symptoms of depression include insomnia, daily bouts of depression, inability to concentrate on the task on hand, loss of appetite and a loss of interest in previously pleasurable activities and thoughts of suicide (Comer, 2011). Unipolar depression is thought to be caused by a combination of factors rather than being developed from one source or exposure. Depression is in part, a genetic biochemical imbalance of the neurotransmitters serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine in combination with stress. The institute details specific personality traits correlated...
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...The following project topic is completed on st john’s wort the herb. In this text I will explore and discuss what makes st john’s wort a very appealing and effective drug in today’s market based on the following topics. Description, background, active ingredients, routes of administration, pharm kinetics, pharm dynamics, clinical trials, and toxicity. | St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum L.) Description St. John's wort is an herb with a five-petaled yellow flower that grows native in most of Europe West Asia, North Africa, Madeira and the Azores, (Christopher Hobbs 1998) it is considered an invasive species in North America and Australia. A herbaceous perennial commonly found wild up to a height of 1 to 3 feet in, woods, hedges, roadsides. Leaves are a pale green; oblong in shape with slightly translucent dots hence oil glands which can be seen on holding leaf up to a light. It has bright yellow flowers 5 petals; ovary pear-shaped with three long styles. It can be seen in Bloom from June to August in which many small round black seeds can be seen. Odour is turpentine taste is bitter, astringent and balsamic. (A modern herbal mrs.M.Grieve) Background Hypericum perforatum or commonly named as St john’s wort got it common name from early Christians named after John the Baptist due to the blooming of its brightly coloured flowers before and on the 24th of June the day celebrated as his birthday. Whilst the botanical name hypericum perforatum comes from the Greek...
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...September 11, 2015 Question no. 1 1. Visual/Spatial - Involves visual perception of the environment, the ability to create and manipulate mental images, and the orientation of the body in space. 2. Verbal/Linguistic - Involves reading, writing, speaking, and conversing in one's own or foreign languages. 3. Logical/Mathematical - Involves number and computing skills, recognizing patterns and relationships, timeliness and order, and the ability to solve different kinds of problems through logic. 4. Bodily/Kinesthetic - Involves physical coordination and dexterity, using fine and gross motor skills, and expressing oneself or learning through physical activities. 5. Musical - Involves understanding and expressing oneself through music and rhythmic movements or dance, or composing, playing, or conducting music. 6. Interpersonal - Involves understanding how to communicate with and understand other people and how to work collaboratively. 7. Intrapersonal - Involves understanding one's inner world of emotions and thoughts, and growing in the ability to control them and work with them consciously. 8. Naturalist - Involves understanding the natural world of plants and animals, noticing their characteristics, and categorizing them; it generally involves keen observation and the ability to classify other things as well. http://www.cse.emory.edu/sciencenet/mismeasure/genius/research02.html Question no.2 Self-Assessment: This can be defined as having the...
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