...Somatic Symptom Disorder A Nature vs. Nurture Debate By Jennifer Nguyen July 3, 2015 The Disorder While many mental disorders are well-known and commonly referred to, such as bipolar disorder, depression, and anorexia, one mental disorder that has less limelight are somatoform disorders. WebMD defined somatoform disorders as “mental illnesses that cause bodily symptoms, including pain” where these symptoms cannot be “traced back to any physical cause” and they are “not the result of substance abuse of another mental illness” (WebMD). The Criteria & Associated Behaviors In DSM-IV, somatization disorder was the major somatoform disorder. There were many criteria for this disorder. However, in DSM-V, somatoform disorders were largely replaced by the term somatic symptom disorder, hereon referred to as SSD, which DSM-V characterizes by “somatic symptoms that are either very distressing or result in significant disruption of functioning, as well as excessive and disproportionate thoughts, feelings and behaviors regarding those symptoms. With this new change in DSM-V, somatization disorder (previously in DSM-IV) is now completely removed and replaced. The previous diagnosis of somatization disorder required very specific criteria. However, the new criteria for SSD is not as specific, but it does state that “somatic symptoms must be significantly distressing or disruptive to daily live and must be accompanied by excessive thoughts, feelings, or behaviors” (DSM). To see...
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...schizophrenia, delusion disorders is a condition that involves a person having delusions for at least a month or more. There are two different types of delusions a person can have; Bizarre and non-bizarre. Non-bizarre delusions are delusions of things that are possible to happen. For example, their husband/wife cheating on them. Non-bizarre delusions are most common with delusional disorders. Bizarre delusions are delusions of things that are not possible or that are very unlikely to happen (Delusional Disorder Symptoms, 2013).For example, the person would think they were abducted by aliens. Bizarre delusions are more often associated with schizophrenia than delusional disorders. Usually you cannot identify people with delusional disorders on the street or in social situations because they give no outward signals. There are seven different subtypes of delusion disorders which are given based in delusion theme. The seven types are Erotomanic, Persecutory, Jealous, grandiose, Somatic, mixed, and unspecified (Delusional Disorder Symptoms, 2013). The First type of Delusional Disorder is Erotomania which is also known as De Clerambault syndrome. It is named De Clerambault syndrome after Gaetan Gatian de Clérambault, the doctor who studied and described the symptoms...
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...reviews concepts of depression, including history and classification. The original broad concept of melancholia included all forms of quiet insanity. The term depression began to appear in the nineteenth century, as did the modern concept of affective disorders, with the core disturbance now viewed as one of mood. The 1980s saw the introduction of defined criteria into official diagnostic schemes. The modern separation into unipolar and bipolar disorder was introduced following empirical research by Angst and Perris in the 1960s. The partially overlapping distinctions between psychotic and neurotic depression, and between endogenous and reactive depression, started to generate debate in the 1920s, with considerable multivariate research in the 1960s. The symptom element in endogenous depression currently survives in melancholia or somatic syndrome. Life stress is common in various depressive pictures. Dysthymia, a valuable diagnosis, represents a form of what was regarded earlier as neurotic depression. Other subtypes are also discussed. © 2008, LLS SAS rior to the late 19th century, although detailed systems of classification abounded, the main problem for psychiatric nosology was the establishment of the broad major disorders. Melancholia was recognized as early as the time of Hippocrates, and continued through Galenic medicine and medieval times. The earlier connotation of the term was very wide, and included all forms of quiet insanity. It was linked with the humoral theory...
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...RUNNING HEAD: Depression due to infertility: reasons, severity, comparison. Khrystyna Bilyk Experimental Psychological Methods Section KL CCNY 2016 Every year the world has seen an increase in the number of couples faced with infertility, while there is a decrease in the age these of married couple. In many cases, infertility is supported by psycho-emotional disorders. The repetitive thoughts about trying to get pregnant can make psycho-emotional health of couple suffer. Some couples continue to fight for being parent, some of them give up, but all feel equally bad. Thus, there is a circle mechanism: on the one hand, the fact of infertility contributes to a negative emotional state, on the other hand, a destructive psycho-emotional state leads to physical problems and infertility. The ability not to have baby in the family is one of the most serious chronic stressful situations for spouses. Depression and infertility are companions. The impact of psychological state due to infertility treatment result is recognized by almost all researchers. Depression due to infertility are not only harmful to psycho-emotional state of couple, but also is very dangerous to physical ability to have children. P. P. Verbovyi, Comparative Evaluation of Psycho-emotion State of Married Couple. In this article the author dives comparative description of the depression in women and men due to infertility. The clinical and psychopathological observation and examination of 90 couple who...
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...------------------------------------------------- Somatoform disorder From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Somatoform disorder | Classification and external resources | ICD-10 | F45 | ICD-9 | 300.8 | DiseasesDB | 1645 | eMedicine | med/3527 | MeSH | D013001 | In psychology, a somatoform disorder is a mental disorder characterized by physical symptoms that suggest physical illness or injury – symptoms that cannot be explained fully by a general medical condition, direct effect of a substance, or attributable to another mental disorder (e.g. panic disorder).[1] The symptoms that result from a somatoform disorder are due to mental factors. In people who have a somatoform disorder, medical test results are either normal or do not explain the person's symptoms. Patients with this disorder often become worried about their health because the doctors are unable to find a cause for their health problems. This causes severe stress, due to preoccupations with the disorder that portrays an exaggerated belief about the severity of the disorder. [2]Symptoms are sometimes similar to those of other illnesses and may last for several years. Usually, the symptoms begin appearing during adolescence, and patients are diagnosed before the age of 25 years. [3] Somatoform disorders are not the result of conscious malingering (fabricating or exaggerating symptoms for secondary motives) or factitious disorders (deliberately producing, feigning, or exaggerating symptoms) – sufferers perceive their plight as...
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...of psychopathology (12 Marks) By Amy Smith The biological model (which is also known as ‘the somatic model’) assumes that all psychological disorders are physical illnesses. This model of psychopathology labels mental disorders like this and therefore has both positive and negative outcomes. The biological model states that the causes of mental disorders are normally down to one or more of the following four; genetics, neurotransmitters, infections and brain injury. Neurotransmitters are when there is too much or too little of a particular neurotransmitter such as an increased level of dopamine can lead to schizophrenia. People can increase their dopamine levels by taking drugs such as cocaine which therefore is why schizophrenia is linked so much with cocaine. A piece of research which I have studied is the Gottesman study. This was the study of the meta-analysis twins. Gottesman studied approximately 40 twins (monozygotic and dizygotic twins) and found that the monozygotic twins had a 48% chance of developing schizophrenia if one twin had schizophrenia already, however in dizygotic twins there was only a 17% chance. This piece of research proves that genes are a reason for developing psychological illnesses. The treatments associated with the biological method are drugs such as medication to change the neurotransmitter levels in the brain which can therefore relieve symptoms of the mental illnesses. Another treatment is psychosurgery which is when the patient undergoes...
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...mental health disorders and illnesses to which people suffer from. After reading several case studies and matching the correct diagnosis to the correct case study, now it is time to go over these case studies, diagnosis, causes and treatments. There are five case studies in total. The diagnoses to be covered are schizoid personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, somatoform disorder, dissociative identity disorder and schizophrenia. The first case study was on a middle ages woman name Josephine. Josephine presented with symptoms of schizoid personality disorder. She is avoidant of social situations, shows no emotions and prefers to be alone. From a cognitive perspective, individuals with schizoid personality disorder have a deficient way of thinking and looking at things. However, psychodynamic theorists believe that schizoid personality disorder is a product of unaccepting or abusive parents. Treatments for schizoid personality disorder are quite limited on effectiveness and treatment isn’t usually sought unless another disorder presents the need for treatment. Drug therapy, group therapy, learning social skills, role play and exposure techniques are some types of behavioral therapy techniques used to treat schizoid personality disorder. The cognitive approach gives the patient a list of emotions to think about and also asks him/her to write down experiences when certain emotions are present, such as pleasure (Comer, 2011). The second case study is on Luis who...
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...others. 4. Deviant – Is not tolerated by cultural norms and/or is statistically odd, keeping in mind context of behavior. (Religious practice gets a pass.) 5. *Duration – Behaviors, Affects and/or Cognitions are persistent regardless of circumstance over time. 6. *Detachment – Person holds beliefs or acts in ways that do not correspond to reality. (Religious practice gets a pass.) TYPES OF RESEARCH- One and two apply only to the social sciences, whereas three, four and five apply to both natural and social sciences, with exception to history, which relies solely on case studies and archaeological based observations. In this case though, I’m only talking how these methods are used for psychology. 1. CASE STUDIES- A detailed account of a subject’s personal history that can be used to draw conclusions based on availability. While specific and possibly accurate to an individual, case studies lack internal and external validity (The confounding factors cannot be...
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...Fibromyalgia [pic] Exercise for Special Populations February 17, 2012 Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) is a debilitating neurological disorder characterized by chronic widespread pain and fatigue. It affects approximately 2% of the population, and is more common in women than in men. Central nervous system sensitization affects the entire body, leading to many secondary symptoms. This paper will cover the history, symptoms, and causes of FMS as well as known treatments and exercise prescription for the syndrome. Fibromyalgia has been described as a full-body migraine. Another common explanation is to compare everyday life with FMS as being similar to the aches and pains associated with a severe case of the flu. FMS patients experience intermittent flares, which are episodes of increased symptoms. Flares usually occur in response to physical or emotional stress, a schedule change, an illness or injury, a new job, the birth of a child, etc. While fibromyalgia is not considered a degenerative disorder, its symptoms usually become more severe if the patient also has a degenerative disorder such as arthritis. First, a patient must have experienced continuous pain in all four quadrants of the body for at least three months (Wolfe et al., 1990). Doctors will usually order many tests in order to rule out other conditions that might be confused with fibromyalgia. The key diagnostic tool for FMS is the tender point exam. No more than...
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...cause. Although there are different opinions about when a patient can be declared as suffering from chronic pain (after six months or twelve months), the presence of such sensation after the healing period usually leads to this diagnosis. One of the diseases with a generalized chronic pain as a symptom, which continues to generate many debates in the medical world, is fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia, a disorder that affects the overall system and has an effect of generalized chronic pain, will be delineated in this paper, including its causes, manifestation, and part of the process of managing this disease in which a kinesiologist would have a central role. Fibromyalgia, estimated to affect 4% of the population, is a compilation of symptoms accompanying pain, which include fatigue, stiffness and sleep disturbance, along with psychiatric conditions such as depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder. There are different opinions in the literature in regards to the placement of fibromyalgia as a mental or somatic disorder. The International Classification of the Diseases categorizes fibromyalgia as a diagnosable disease of musculoskeletal and connective tissue, as a functional somatic...
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...shifts, but not all. This can be very tiring though, and it may not leave a lot of room for a personal life. Sometimes nurses are so consumed with work, that they often neglect their personal needs. In doing that, it makes them susceptible to a disorder called compassion fatigue or burnout. Compassion fatigue is exactly what it sounds like; it is an indifference to charitable appeals on behalf of those who are suffering (Google dictionary). It is characterized by a gradual lessoning of compassion over time. Often times, compassion fatigue occurs due to the demands of the stressful situations health care providers are forced to encounter everyday. There are five major concepts of compassion fatigue. There is the cognitive, emotional, behavioral, spiritual, and the somatic. Each of these concepts has warning signs to be aware of. The first concept is cognitive. Cognitive symptoms of compassion fatigue are lowered concentration, apathy, rigidity, disorientation, minimization, preoccupation with trauma, and low self-esteem (Portnoy, 2011). Sometimes, cognitive symptoms can be more difficult for others to detect depending on the person, and which symptoms they are experiencing. Emotional is another concept of compassion fatigue. Emotional symptoms...
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...overtaken by intense feelings and physiological reactions. Rebecca’s heart will start beating rapidly, and her palms become sweaty. Her lungs feel as if their constricting. The urge to escape becomes almost desperate as she thinks to herself, “I need out. Now!” These instances cause Rebecca to become more fearful. She is afraid of the repercussions these instances will have. Will her overwhelming emotions cause future problems for her health or for family? What are these intense moments that are affecting her quality of life? They are known as panic attacks. Panic attacks are a form of anxiety, a common emotion. Anxiety occurs in all of us, and mild amounts, it is healthy. For some, however, anxiety can take the ugly form of anxiety disorders. Because anxiety is so widespread, and potentially dangerous, it is important to understand what it is, how it affects us, and what we can do to cope with it. Anxiety can take many different levels of severity and emerge from many different emotions or attitudes. It can emerge from a fear of a future event, whether that event is real or perceived. Others may feel general uneasiness all the time. No matter what the trigger for anxiety, one detail is key. Anxiety is illogical. Yet, despite this fact, one of anxiety’s most severe effects is common. 1/3 of all 15-35 year olds have at least one panic attack in their lifetime (Hales, Hales 119). What exactly is a panic attack though? A panic attack is when an individual is overcome with a...
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...Few people understand the word “depression, but it is used by many. It is important to be educated about depression, and to understand what it is, so that someone with depression will be able to cope in the future. In the case study, Tina was clearly depressed with so many life changing events going on in her life. Firstly, Tina is twenty-three years old, and she is separated from her husband of five years, which means she was married at the age of nineteen. Secondly, two companies employ her, so she is at work most of the time including weekends. The last four weeks and in the last two days, Tina has not shown up for work. Previously, Tina was an energetic, active healthy female who exercised three days a week at the gym, and now spends most of her time in her apartment. Tina has been losing weight, due to poor eating habits, therefore causing her movements to be slow and sluggish. Major Depressive Disorder in the DSM IV is determined by depressive episodes that last at least 2 weeks at which time a depressed mood is present or there is a loss of interest and or pleasure in the day-to-day activities, which Tina displays. According to the American Medical Association (AMA), depression is a type of mental disorder that disturbs a person’s mood. Seventeen million people are affected by depression each year in the United States. Depression leads to feeling sad and depressed for weeks or months at a time, accompanied by feelings of hopelessness, lack of energy, and taking...
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...This brings me to my research into Scientific explanation of Sleep Paralysis. My main source of this information was the Book “Sleep Paralysis- A guide to Hypnagogic Visions & Visitors of the Night” by Ryan Hurd (2011). The first thing I encountered in this book was the symptoms of Sleep Paralysis. The information gathered in the book state that these symptoms are “nearly universal and have been noted throughout history and across cultures.” Examples of these symptoms include, inability to move, feeling like being held down or experiencing a weight pushing down on the chest and throat, hearing strange noises such as buzzing, pounding heart, experiencing fear and terror, out of body experience, seeing weird creatures and difficulty in breathing....
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...Bipolar Disorders Abstract A particular celebrity has received recent media attention for his behavior. There has been much speculation as to whether his behavior could be explained by a diagnosis of bipolar. Approximately one to three percent of the world’s population has been diagnosed with a bipolar disorder. (Merikangas, ?) Americans have a higher occurrence of over four percent. (Merikangas, ?) Bipolar disorders do not discriminate between genders and is being more frequently diagnosed in children. This paper will explain what bipolar disorders are and how they affect the individual’s ability to function. Bipolar Disorders Bipolar Disorder, also known as manic -depression, causes shifts in a person’s mood, energy, perception, and ability to function in a consistent day-to-day life. If untreated, it can cause a person to lose friends, jobs, money, and, in the worst cases, their life. Fortunately, there are treatment options and ways a person with a bipolar disorder can manage their life with minimum episodes to maintain a good quality of life. There are four diagnostic bipolar disorders all differing in types, severity, and frequency of episodes. The four types of bipolar disorders are Bipolar I Disorder, Bipolar II Disorder, Cyclothymic Disorder, and Bipolar Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. The disorders involve a history of Manic Episodes, Mix Episodes, or Hypomanic Episodes usually accompanied...
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