Bulimia Nervosa and Schizophrenia Nowadays - Essay Example

Running Head: MINI ESSAYS Mini Essays Name Institution Date Bulimia Nervosa Introduction Bulimia nervosa is a feeding disorder which is distinguished by Binge eating followed by pay back habits such as vomiting, fasting, use of laxatives, diuretics, and excessive exercising. Bulimia means extreme hunger while binge means taking a lot of food for a short while that cannot be taken by a normal person. Therefore people with bulimia nervosa consume a lot of food that a normal person cannot take when under similar conditions. Bulimia nervosa mostly attack people during adolescence and the dieting efforts are usually high during teenage years when individuals fell dissatisfied with their bodies. The disease is sometimes genetic but it is highly associated with the environmental stress that comes with the start of puberty especially in the young girls. Most girls have bad feelings of their body image at puberty and stand the high chances of developing the disorder (Mitchell, 2001). Treatments for Bulimia Nervosa Bulimia nervosa is a developmental disease and its treatment has been more of psychosocial than medical. Some of the already used treatment therapies include Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy, and Family Based Treatment (FBT) (Cooper, Todd, & Wells, 2000).. 1. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) This is a psychosocial therapy that supposes that the faulty cognitive patterns in an individual lead to a maladaptive behavior habits and an emotional reaction. This form of treatment aims at reversing those individual’s thoughts so as to solve the psychological problem. This form of intervention is also goal directed and treats expressive and behavioural disorders that can be substituted with healthier behaviors after the patients undergoes some form of training. When treating Bulimia nervosa, CBT aims at disrupting the defective thoughts that are associated with bulimia for example the fixation with food, zero thinking, and decreased self esteem. The patients are assisted on how to regulate their feeding patterns by recording in a diary and getting response about their meal plans, and nutrition steadiness (Wilson, Fairburn, & Agras, 1999). 2. Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) This is a therapeutic process that treats people who have the “borderline personality disorder.” It uses the cognitive behavior therapy methods for controlling the individual’s emotions and testing for reality and concepts for acceptance and distress tolerance. This method struggles to stop having the patient view the therapist as a rival but as a friend in the process of psychological treatment. The therapist also aims to recognize and bear out the feelings of the client at all moments while notifying the client that some of his or her behaviors are maladaptive and at the same time showing him or her better behaviors to adopt. In treatment of bulimia nervosa, the therapists helps the client to acknowledge his bad eating habits and accept them as wrong, and at the same time show him or her the appropriate ones (Dimeff, Linehan , & Koerner, 2007). 3. Family-Based Treatment (Maudsley Family Therapy) This is a family based therapy that was discovered in 1985 at the Maudsley Hospital in London. Its initial purpose was for treatment of the adolescents who suffered bulimia nervosa in their home environments under the supervision of a well trained person. The major concept in this method is parental supervision of the diets and the eating patterns of their children. This method works in three phases. The first phase is weight restoration where the therapist works towards restoring the normal weight of the client. The second phase is returning the lost control of the eating habits by the adolescent gradually until it is normal. The third phase is the establishment of a healthy adolescent identity where the adolescent is enabled on how to maintain their weight without starving themselves. This also solves the psychological effect of bulimia nervosa to the adolescent and helps in regaining back the identity. Conclusion Family-Based Treatment has been proved to be the most effective treatment method for bulimia nervosa due to the fact that it is done at home environment. So, the client is able to practice it at his or her usual environment where all the cause and contributors oh the habit are. He/she has to develop resistance to the foods available at home. References Wilson G., Fairburn C., & Agras W., (1999). Cognitive-behavioral therapy for bulimia nervosa, in Handbook of Treatment for Eating Disorders. New York, Guilford Press. Mitchell, J., (2001). Bulimia nervosa. Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press. Cooper, M., Todd, G., & Wells, A., (2000). Bulimia nervosa: a cognitive therapy programme for clients. New York: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Dimeff, L., Linehan, M., & Koerner, K., (2007). Dialectical Behavior Therapy in Clinical Practice: Applications across Disorders and Settings. New York, Guilford Press. Depression and Anxiety Introduction Depression is a state where an individual feels sad and gloomy and in low moods. It may be a temporal feeling as a result of something happening to the individual. The person may despair, have his or her self esteem goes down and may feel discouraged. Depression is considered as a mental illness where there sudden changes in the individual’s moods and loss of interests in almost all activities. On the other hand, anxiety is a normal reaction to threats. It is normal condition when not severe and get abnormal when not in fraction with the threat or when it survive the threat. Anxiety and depression are reactions to pressure. The two conditions are however different but the symptoms are the same. The symptoms include nervousness, irritability, poor social behaviour and many more (Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Margollis, & Swartz, 2004). Depression and Anxiety among the Elderly Depression has been found to be common among the elderly with research showing one to four percent prevalence among them. This has been associated with co-morbidity and it sometimes results to colorectal cancer. The elderly faces a lot of problems during their late age especially since most of them are separated with their spouses by death. Other develops chronic illnesses and this depresses most of the elderly people. When they are left alone, depression ruins their lives and takes charge of their health. It therefore necessary for the elderly to identify the symptoms of depression that they may be experiencing and find ways of solving them so as to allow then enjoy their lives as usual (Routh & Amen, 2003). In the pats times, anxiety was thought to decrease with age but recently research has revealed that anxiety is as common among the elderly as it is among the young people. However, it also treatable in the elderly as it is in the young people. Depression moves together with anxiety among the elderly. Research has shown then nearly half of those with depression suffer from anxiety and nearly a quarter of those who suffer from anxiety are depressed. However, most of those who experienced the two condition sat their younger age continue to face it during the late years. What makes the conditions reappear during aging is the vulnerability of the aging process to chronic illnesses, cognitive destruction, and important emotional problems. However most of the depression and anxiety disorder in the elderly go untreated because they are adamant to report them to the doctors and they mostly complain o their physical impairments and not mental. Treatment for Depression and Anxiety among the Elderly The treatment process for mental conditions among the elderly needs to start with the formation of a friendship. There is also need for a cordial relationship between the patient and the physician. This is because the elderly will only feel free to open to a physician whom they are used to or have formed a relationship with (Leahy & Holland, 2000). If there is god relationship with the physician who is giving the primary care, it will also be possible to convince them for a referral to a professional. Treatment is by both medication and psychological therapy. Anti depressants can be given to the elderly person and also cognitive behavioural therapy. Anti depressants can be given on short term or on long term depending on the observations of the doctor (Montgomery, & Boer, 2001). However, the most effective and efficient method of treatment is the cognitive behaviour therapy that deals with unnecessary and harmful patterns of thinking. Such thoughts are identified in the person with the help of a physician and the patient is shown methods of eliminating and ending such thoughts and replacing them with important activities. Conclusion The elderly are a very vulnerable group and should not be left to suffer psychologically. Most of them need regular medical review by the psychiatrist to help in identifying the incoming depression and anxiety and help solve them before they ruin the patient’s life. Once identified, treatment method that is effective and efficient is required to help the patient cope with the situation. References Routh, L., & Amen, D., (2003). Healing anxiety and depression. London: Putnam. Montgomery, S., & Boer, J., (2001). SSRIs in depression and anxiety. New York: John Wiley and Sons. Leahy, R., & Holland, S., (2000). Treatment plans and interventions for depression and anxiety disorders. New York: Guilford Press. Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Margollis, S., & Swartz, K., (2004).Depression and Anxiety. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Medicine. Schizophrenia Introduction Schizophrenia is a psychological disorder that is distinguished by abnormal view of reality. In most cases, the disease is manifested by hearing illusions, strange visions or a confused speech with a notable social malfunction. Research has found that some of the contributing factors are the environment, some leisure and prescribed drugs may increase that occurrence of the symptoms. However, those who are diagnosed with the disease portray different symptoms and theses may keep changing with time. The onset of the symptoms can be at any age starting from six or seven years although the most common age o onset is during adolescence. Cases of children below five years are however very rare. The symptoms of the disease may appear abruptly or in some cases gradually (Silberstein, Spaulding, & Menditto, 2006). Association between Schizophrenia and some Ethnic groups Ethnopharmacology, an area that looks at use of drugs by some ethnic groups has found some association between Schizophrenia ns some ethnic groups. Studies have revealed that the mental drugs interact with the ethnicity of the patient in several ways. This is reaction to a similar drug and the dosage. One example of this case is the difference in pharmacokinetics (action of drugs in the body) where Asians and Hispanians suffering from Schizophrenia may response well with low levels of the antipsychotics as compared to Caucasians of the same level of blood. Another reason may be different cultural reception of the psychotropic drugs by some cultures. Those ethnic groups with some complicated cultures do not appreciate the drug s of treating schizophrenia. Some may take it to be madness and may tent to discriminate the patients (Hirsch, & Weinberger, 2003). Social and economic differences that exist across ethnic groups may also be another factor to consider. The biggest percentage of the minority group in any population live under poverty and this makes schizophrenia more common in those societies. The disease may therefore be in those ethnic groups that live in poverty and hence the trend. This is because of people and especially children living under the poor conditions face some form of abuse and traumatic experiences that contributes to the development of schizophrenia in their later years. The communities living in poverty also found to be socially disadvantaged, they face racial discrimination, are not employed, and line in poor housing conditions. Such an environment has been found to be a risk factor for the development of schizophrenia and hence the generalization that it is more common among the poor ethnic groups (Veling, 2008). A study done in London found more cases of schizophrenia in a black community that made up the local population. It was found to be high where this non-white community formed the minority in the population and low here the community formed the majority of the local population. This was found to be as a result of the stresses that people in the minority population group are faced with which include explicit racial discrimination, hostility from the majority group in the population and isolation. When people are few in a population, they may also tend to be vulnerable to many circumstances. The vulnerability may be due to poor social connections and lack of social protection that exists in the dispersed ethnic groups. Schizophrenia is therefore common in people from those ethnic groups due to the kind of lifestyle where social ties are minimal. The experiences of isolation are also a highly contributing factor in development of Schizophrenia (Lal Bhugra, 1999). Conclusion The fact that schizophrenia has been found to vary across ethnic groups is not due to biological characteristic of the members of the ethnic group. It is due to the general conditions that members of the ethnic group are subjected to. The predisposing factors have been found to be environment, poverty and childhood experiences and these things may appear to be common in a certain ethnic group. This therefore justifies the fact that schizophrenia is common among a particular ethnic group. References SIlverstein, S., Spaulding, D. & Menditto, W., (2006). Schizophrenia. California: Hogrefe & Huber. Hirsch, S., & Weinberger, D., (2003). Schizophrenia. Birmingham: Wiley-Blackwell. Veling, W., (2008). Schizophrenia among Ethnic Minorities: social and cultural explanations for the increased incidence of schizophrenia among first - and second- generation immigrants in the Netherlands. Amsterdam: S.n Publishers. Lal Bhugra, D., (1999). Inception rates of schizophrenia in three ethnic groups in London: socio- demographic structures. London: University of London. Read More

This method struggles to stop having the patient view the therapist as a rival but as a friend in the process of psychological treatment. The therapist also aims to recognize and bear out the feelings of the client at all moments while notifying the client that some of his or her behaviors are maladaptive and at the same time showing him or her better behaviors to adopt. In treatment of bulimia nervosa, the therapists helps the client to acknowledge his bad eating habits and accept them as wrong, and at the same time show him or her the appropriate ones (Dimeff, Linehan , & Koerner, 2007). 3. Family-Based Treatment (Maudsley Family Therapy) This is a family based therapy that was discovered in 1985 at the Maudsley Hospital in London.

Its initial purpose was for treatment of the adolescents who suffered bulimia nervosa in their home environments under the supervision of a well trained person. The major concept in this method is parental supervision of the diets and the eating patterns of their children. This method works in three phases. The first phase is weight restoration where the therapist works towards restoring the normal weight of the client. The second phase is returning the lost control of the eating habits by the adolescent gradually until it is normal.

The third phase is the establishment of a healthy adolescent identity where the adolescent is enabled on how to maintain their weight without starving themselves. This also solves the psychological effect of bulimia nervosa to the adolescent and helps in regaining back the identity. Conclusion Family-Based Treatment has been proved to be the most effective treatment method for bulimia nervosa due to the fact that it is done at home environment. So, the client is able to practice it at his or her usual environment where all the cause and contributors oh the habit are.

He/she has to develop resistance to the foods available at home. References Wilson G., Fairburn C., & Agras W., (1999). Cognitive-behavioral therapy for bulimia nervosa, in Handbook of Treatment for Eating Disorders. New York, Guilford Press. Mitchell, J., (2001). Bulimia nervosa. Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press. Cooper, M., Todd, G., & Wells, A., (2000). Bulimia nervosa: a cognitive therapy programme for clients. New York: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Dimeff, L., Linehan, M.

, & Koerner, K., (2007). Dialectical Behavior Therapy in Clinical Practice: Applications across Disorders and Settings. New York, Guilford Press. Depression and Anxiety Introduction Depression is a state where an individual feels sad and gloomy and in low moods. It may be a temporal feeling as a result of something happening to the individual. The person may despair, have his or her self esteem goes down and may feel discouraged. Depression is considered as a mental illness where there sudden changes in the individual’s moods and loss of interests in almost all activities.

On the other hand, anxiety is a normal reaction to threats. It is normal condition when not severe and get abnormal when not in fraction with the threat or when it survive the threat. Anxiety and depression are reactions to pressure. The two conditions are however different but the symptoms are the same. The symptoms include nervousness, irritability, poor social behaviour and many more (Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Margollis, & Swartz, 2004). Depression and Anxiety among the Elderly Depression has been found to be common among the elderly with research showing one to four percent prevalence among them.

This has been associated with co-morbidity and it sometimes results to colorectal cancer. The elderly faces a lot of problems during their late age especially since most of them are separated with their spouses by death. Other develops chronic illnesses and this depresses most of the elderly people. When they are left alone, depression ruins their lives and takes charge of their health. It therefore necessary for the elderly to identify the symptoms of depression that they may be experiencing and find ways of solving them so as to allow then enjoy their lives as usual (Routh & Amen, 2003).

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