A Website for Those Who Have a Variety of Anxiety Disorders - Assignment Example

Several of the web sites provided for you have first person accounts, chat rooms, or on-line support forums of and for people living with particular disorders. Research that and select one that is about a person with an Anxiety Disorder. Discuss the web site and a summary of the one you selected. At a minimum, discuss about the following: The web address. The name of the disorder. What you learned about that disorder A website that provides services to those who have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a part of a larger umbrella website that provides services to those with a variety of anxiety disorders. The website www.phobia-awareness.org has extended its services across more than just simple phobias, bringing help through community support to a wide variety of different ways in which people can connect to one another. The title identifies OCD specifically as an anxiety disorder. On the page that is devoted to obsessive compulsive disorder, they describe the disorder by suggesting that “Persons typically engage in some avoidance or escape response in reaction to the obsessive threat (I typically refer to the obsessive threat as a "spike."). Obsessions take the form of either a perceived threat of physical harm to oneself or others or, in some cases, more of a metaphysical or spiritual threat to oneself, others, or perhaps a deity” (Phobia Awareness, 2011). Responses to different types of items or ideas are defined by an idea of threat that has become associated with that object or idea, which then stimulates rituals that will alleviate the individual from the feeling of anxiety that comes from that perceived threat. 2. Several of the web sites provided for you have first person accounts, chat rooms, or on-line support forums of and for people living with particular disorders. Research that and select one that is about a person with an Somataform/Disassociative Disorder. Discuss the web site and a summary of the one you selected. At a minimum, discuss about the following: The web address.  The name of the disorder.  What you learned about that disorder Hypochondriasis is a somataform/dissociative disorder in which the individual believes they are ill when they are actually not ill. A website that helps to form communities for people with this issue is www.thehypochondriac.com. The website provides the user with tools with which to self-diagnose, which may seem ironic in regard to a hypochondriac, but also has information on treatment and other forms of information that can help the one suffering from the problem through support and acknowledgement. There is also a forum, a chat, and a blog portion that provides connectivity between those who are trying to find some form of understanding about their issues. The disorder typically is created as the individual tries to find ways to avoid parts of their life that they cannot digest or control through the belief that their body is sick (The Hypochondriac, 2011). The website provides individual pages that are devoted to diseases that hypochondriacs often believe that they are suffering from, but are not actually afflicted. 3. What is the difference between "normal" grief and depression? The difference between normal grief and depression can first be broke down by time. Normal grief will last about six months, where complicated or traumatic grief will last longer. Depression is different than normal grief in that there are physical manifestations and it is relentless. Normal grief will come and go, but depression that is associated with grief manifests with symptoms of depression that are mostly unrelieved (Myers & Fine, 2006). Worden (2009) further identifies the difference as being related to the self. The individual who grieves, grieves for their loss, but the individual who falls into depression has a lessened sense of self worth. Depression manifests as a loss of identity with a void that is opened up that changes something fundamental about the life of the individual who is in grief. While grief shares many of the symptoms that manifests in depression, depression involves the sense of self as it relates to the event of the passing of the loved ones. 4. Give a definition of bulimia as opposed to anorexia. Which disorder is more life threatening? What do you think is the primary medical complication of each disorder? Bulimia is a disorder that is primarily identified through cycles of binging and purging, even though some binging may not be more than eating a normal meal. The bulimic will purge what they put in their body in order to avoid the calories that they have ingested. Someone with anorexia nervosa will have behaviors in which they avoid caloric intake and burn whatever intake that they have ingested. They will refuse to eat, will exercise obsessively, take laxatives and diuretics to shed their body of whatever water or food is within it, and they will perceive themselves as overweight no matter how thin they become, a symptom that is shared with bulimia. Both disorders are about control as those who suffer from them have shifted a feeling of being out of control to controlling their food intake, which is something that they can assert control over. Although both disorders are life-threatening, Anorexia Nervosa creates such an extreme physical condition of weight loss that the person who suffers from it begins to suffer from a long list of physical problems. Although Bulimia is more destructive in the sense that it requires violent episodes of purging, it is more often done without friends and family being aware and doesn’t as often include weight loss that is dire. This does not in any way suggest that bulimia is not life threatening, just that it slightly less often life threatening. There are unfortunate movements that celebrate what they call ‘Ana’ where those who suffer share their methods and encourage each other in their weight loss. These usually include those either of the disorders. 5. Select an article from one of the Web sites about a sexual or gender identity disorder. Give a summary of the article, 1 conclusion drawn by the author, and 1 opinion of yours that was either changed or reinforced about sexual and gender identity disorders after reading the article. In an article about gender identity disorder or transexualism, Richard Fitzgibbons (2009) believes that the development of behaviors that indicate an affiliation with the opposite gender in children is something that should be addressed seriously. While many doctors will tell the parents that this is a phase, Fitzgibbons (2009) suggests that it should not be ignored or indulged and that children who are associating with opposite sex behaviors are expressing a serious problem that they have with their own sex and gender identity. Fitzgibbons (2009) suggests that 80% of those children who experience an association with the opposite sex do realign with their own gender, but 20% continue to have difficulties. This article does not seem to be based on real science, but on the musings of a man who takes the idea of cross gender associations as a sign of mental disease without taking into consideration that it is a complexity of both physical and mental issues that may have absolutely no associations in the long term. In my opinion, pre-pubescent explorations towards the opposite gender can be benign and without any long term harm. If not for the experience of knowing a young girl who spent years in male clothing who was directed over and over to the men’s restaurant when she asked, only to see her grow up to have children and be happily married, this article may seem more accurate. Children explore many things, and for this female acquaintance, she was athletic and grew up in a neighborhood that was populated primarily by male children. Once puberty hit, she became all girl. This article perpetuates myths and creates problems for parents where none may be present. 6. Name 4 categories of substances to which abuse, dependence, or intoxication can occur Four categories of substances that are subject to potential abuse, dependence, or intoxication are alcohol, caffeine, hallucinogens, and cannabis. The first two can be obtained legally, while the second two cannot be obtained legally outside of a medical prescription. Alcohol dependence is supported through outlets that sell alcohol through packaged items or prepared items. Caffeine can be obtained easily without restrictions, but can be abused to the point that detrimental problems occur. The difference that can be observed between the abuse of caffeine in comparison to the other categories is that there is not discernable or legal definition of impairment associated with its abuse. While sugar is not a listed category, food sources that include caffeine and sugar can lead to mood problems and physical issues when they are consumed at unsafe levels. Hallucinogens are defined by drugs that create episodes of disassociation with reality. Cannabis is still under review by the medical community for its benefits versus its potential addictive properties. 7. Select and read an article or fact sheet about one personality disorder. Summarize it, state prevalence, gender or cultural differences, prognosis, recommended treatment, and your source using APA format. The prevalence of borderline personality disorder (BPD) is 5.9% within the adult population. The disease is more common than schizophrenia or bipolar disease and comprises 20% of the inpatient care for mental health with 10% of the outpatient care for mental health patients. Females by a rate of 75% of all those afflicted dominate the number of those who suffer from BPD. This disorder prevents many from being effectively employable with approximately 50% unable to gain meaningful employment and sustain it. The disorder can be found in at least 17% of the prison population with 38% of those with the disorder having substance abuse problems. According to the National Education Alliance Borderline Personality Disorder (2011), “Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a serious mental illness that centers on the inability to manage emotions effectively. Heritability of this illness is estimated to be up to 68%. The symptoms include:  fear of abandonment, impulsivity, anger, bodily self-harm, suicide, and chaotic relationships. While some persons with BPD are high functioning in certain settings, their private lives may be in turmoil. Others are unable to work and require financial support”. Treatment methods can include “Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT),  Mentalization (MBT), and Transference Focused Therapy (TFP)” (National Education Alliance Borderline Personality Disorder, 2011). Current research is behind by two decades when compared to the research of other disorders identified within the same time period, but recent research and work is providing some hope for the future (National Education Alliance Borderline Personality Disorder, 2011). 8. Read an article or a fact sheet about Schizophrenia, and do the following: Reference the information correctly using APA format , summarize the content, state the DSM-IV-TR criteria for Schizophrenia. State how the disorder is expressed in a child or adolescent, an adult, and an elderly adult. What is the earliest age one can be diagnosed? At what age does the first psychotic break typically occur? Criteria A diagnostic symptoms for schizophrenia include delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, grossly disorganized behavior or catatonia, or negative symptoms which include affective flattening, alogia, or avolition. Where the symptom is severe enough, only one category of symptoms is necessary but otherwise two is indicative of the disease. Critera B will show a “significant portion of the time since the onset of the disturbance, one or more major areas of functioning such as work, interpersonal relations, or self-care are markedly below the level achieved prior to the onset (or when the onset is in childhood or adolescence, failure to achieve expected level of interpersonal, academic, or occupational achievement)” (Behave.net, 2011). Criteria C will see the symptoms persist for six or more months, with D seeing that no other depressive, manic, or mixed episodes have been appreciated. Criteria E requires that no other substance use has brought on the symptoms. Lastly, no other diagnosis of a pervasive developmental nature was previously detected (Behave.net, 2011). Children under the age of 12 are rarely diagnosed with schizophrenia with children between the ages of 13 and 15 also experiencing only slightly more incidents. After the age of 15 the diagnosis increases significantly with most adults being diagnosed at a rate of .5% of the population. Typically the first break will occur between the ages of 20 and 30 (Behave.net, 2011). 9. Select an article about Autism, and one about one of the cognitive disorders that affect adults or the elderly. State the reference correctly using APA format. Summarize the article. Identify 5 points to share with your peers. According to information provided in an article by Autism Speaks (2011), there have been a series of issues in concern with the events of birth that may contribute to autism. The following list provides the overview of the most common events that may lead towards autistic disorders: * abnormal birth presentations (e.g. breech), * umbilical-cord complications (e.g. cord wrapped around neck), * fetal distress, * birth injury or trauma, * multiple birth (twins, triplets, etc.), * maternal bleeding, * summer birth (possibly associated with pregnancy during winter flu season), * low birth weight or small for gestational age, * physical birth defects, * low 5-minute Apgar score (a rating of overall newborn health), * myconium aspiration, * feeding difficulties, * newborn anemia or hyperbilirubinemia (Autism Speaks, 2011). At the same time, the analysis of relevant literature as it lead to these conclusions based on a meta-analysis of the information showed that anesthetic during delivery, assistance during vaginal delivery, post term birth, high weight birth, and the circumference of the head seem to have no affect on the occurrence of autism. Five points that can be further examined are 1. The effects of hypoxia 2. The relevance of a difficult birth 3. How a low Apgar score effects the development of autism 4. How are feeding difficulties defined in relationship to the development of autism 5. What kind of maternal bleeding is more often associated with autism In studying the article by Lucier (2006) about cognitive impairment in the elderly, mild cognitive impairment as a predictor for dementia and Alzheimer’s can be appreciated in 12% of those seventy and above and 18% of those eighty and above. This is significant in relationship to the potential for mental cognitive impairment in the elderly. Interestingly, there seems to be a decreased incidence in those with a higher education than those with a lower education leading to the idea that using the mind helps to keep it cognitively functioning at a higher level. Five points that can be discussed about this article are: 1. How does mental activity through education affect the development of cognitive impairment issue? 2. Of those studied, how many could be associated with employment that might have had a detrimental effect on later cognitive function? 3. Is this related to higher education in the sense of not being around industrial chemicals, or is it the use of the mind that is relevant? 4. How will this affect the health care system as the baby boomers age? 5. Does education allow people to compensate for cognitive function loss better than a lack of education? Comment on the following: Client A has been diagnosed with Paranoid Schizophrenia, and has been ill with the disorder for the past 10 years. He takes medication very sporadically, but is markedly improved when he does. He commits a murder while off the medication in response to command hallucinations that tell him to kill a particular person. He states he wants the death penalty during the entire trial. He is put in prison, on death row, but is also put back on the neuroleptic medication. After 3 months on the medication, he is no longer hallucinating, and has no other positive symptoms of schizophrenia. He states he does not want to die and is very sorry for the murder. Should he be put to death? Why or why not? Justify your answer with information from readings that you did for the Internet Assignment, or any other professional references. A man who commits murder under the influence of a diagnosed mental disorder that disallows for rational thinking to occur, such as paranoid schizophrenia, should never have been tried as he was not in a state to function in the assistance of his defense. If he committed this murder while under the influence of his disease he is not responsible for this action. His future should depend on why he is not regularly on medication and if this was a choice or if this is a choice made because he cannot get access regularly because of lack of insurance or other issues. In this specific case, the system has let him down repeatedly, creating a conundrum on what to do with him. Clearly he cannot be put to death as he was not responsible for his actions. It would seem that he has a good case for an appeal as his rational thinking on medication is on track where he obviously had no clear thoughts while off medication. As discussed by Frith and Johnstone (2003), the relationship between responsibility and treatment should be the criteria under which the mentally ill are judged. If through rational decision making a patient chooses to not take their medication, then they are responsible for the consequences. If through circumstances outside of their control keeping medicated is problematic and sufficient services are not available, then they are not responsible. Lack of responsibility does not mean lack of consequences, but it should mean that the consequences should be productive rather than destructive, allowing life through supervised treatment. The problem in the United States is that there is not adequate mental health care, therefore it is difficult to justify consequences to criminal activities that are committed where proper treatment is not available. Specifically, no, he should not be put to death. References Autism Speaks. (11 July 2011). Birth complications and autism. Autism Speaks. Retrieved from http://www.autismspeaks.org/science/science-news/birth-complications-and-autism Behave.net. (2011). Schizophrenia. Behave.net. Retrieved from http://www.behavenet.com/c apsules/disorders/schiz.htm Fitzgibbons, R. P. (2009). Gender identity disorder and transsexual issues. Institute for Marital Healing. Retrieved from http://www.childhealing.com/articles /genderidentitydisorder.php Frith, C. D., & Johnstone, E. C. (2003). Schizophrenia: A very short introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Lucier, L. (9 April 2006). Mild cognitive impairment prevalent in elderly population. Medical News Today. Retrieved from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/41039.php Myers, Michael F, and Carla Fine. (2006). Touched by Suicide: Hope and Healing After Loss. New York: Gotham Books. National Education Alliance Borderline Personality Disorder. (2011). BPD Fact Sheet. National Education Alliance Borderline Personality Disorder. Retrieved from http://www.borderlinepersonalitydisorder.com/understading-bpd/bpd-fact-sheet Phobia Awareness. (2011). Obsessive compulsive disorder: Obsessive compulsive disorder is an anxiety order, first and foremost. Phobiaawareness.org. Retrieved from http://www.phobics-awareness.org/ocd.htm The Hypochondriac. (2011). Home of the official hypochondriac forum. Thehypochondriac. com. Retrieved from http://thehypochondriac.com/ Worden, J. W. (2009). Grief counseling and grief therapy: A handbook for the mental health practitioner. New York, NY: Springer Pub. Co. Read More