Group therapy/medication and the brain - Assignment Example

SOCIAL GROUP WORK THERAPY [Pick the SOCIAL GROUP WORK THERAPY The setting in which I am doing my internship is with veterans administrations homeless outreach program. It is located at the VA medical clinic in Daytona Beach, Florida. Veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iran war seem to suffer from PTSD symptoms and substance abuse problems (Wood, 2012). I will be actually going out in mental health clinics, psychiatric hospitals, welfare communities for veterans and homeless camps in the woods.

I am planning on engaging and leading a group of homeless military veterans suffering from post-traumatic-stress-disorder. The obstacles for the settings are discussed below.First major problem is unwillingness of veterans to participate in the social group therapy. Despite of offering effective therapies to deal with PTSD, someone will not seek help. Another factor can be logistical problem. Getting to treatment might be difficult due to job schedule or transport options. Some veterans might feel shame or disgrace of seeking treatment for PTSD.

One of the symptoms of PTSD is fear and avoidance of people. That is one of the reasons that many veterans don’t seek help. The stigma attached to PTSD does not let veteran reach out for help. The fear of being labeled weak or unreliable impact their judgment to come forward. Trust is also a big factor. Veterans feel that only a person with military background can understand their feelings. Moreover, the location of social group therapy centers might not be easily accessible. I will try to convince Veterans that they are not alone in this battle.

I will explain to them that PTSD is a problem that cannot be solved by denial. It needs a treatment and help. The social group therapy will also contain peer to peer counseling. They can relate to each other and focus on the problem. It’s the only way they can get into the society. I will try to help them in getting in homeless shelters until they find a decent home. A team of physiologists will be assigned to them. MEDICATION AND BRAINDrugs are chemicals that interfere with the communication system of brain.

They change the brain cell messages. This is done by altering brain chemical signals called neurotransmitters. Drugs like marijuana and cocaine can trigger neurons. These drugs chemical structure replicate that of a natural neurotransmitter. Receptors are deceived by the similarity of chemical structure and let the drugs trigger the nerve cells. This leads to abnormal signal being sent to the entire body ("National Institute on Drug Abuse ", 2010). A drug like Ritalin can damage the neural function in child’s brain.

Children who have taken Ritalin face leaning disability. Its side effects are greater as compared its treatment. It destroys the fragile developing nervous system. It destroys their ability to function (Hodges, 2013). Some drugs are psychoactive. They can affect our mood. They have the ability to stimulate certain feelings. The changes in the brain cause changes in our mood or behavior. The result can be something you enjoy but in the long run it can be damaging for us. As the body clears the drug ongoing mental health problems can start.

You may experience severe mood swings, depression and schizophrenia. ReferencesHodges, D. (2013, May 22). The Chemical Castration of our Children’s Brains | Dave Hodges – The Common Sense Show. Retrieved from http://thecommonsenseshow.com/2013/05/22/the-chemical-castration-of-our-childrens-brains/National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). (2010, August). Retrieved from http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugs-brains-behavior-science-addiction/drugs-brainWood, D. (2012, April 7). Iraq, Afghanistan War Veterans Struggle With Combat Trauma.

Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/04/iraq-afghanistan-war-veterans-combat-trauma_n_1645701.html