There are a few points that I hope to bring into the light for you concerning psychotherapeutic
Question:
First, it is important to have a bit of an understanding about mental health disorders. They are called disorders because their are no diagnostic tools, other than self report and doctor knowledge, to determine if the individual is ill. In some cases the evidence is quite compelling and therefore a diagnostic tool may not be necessary. However, unlike tumors or diabetes, there are no blood tests, MRIs or EKGs we can use to determine the exact "location" and or "cause" of the disease. This is why disorders of the mind are called disorders and not diseases. Truth is that there is much we do not know about the mind. We understand the anatomical structure of the brain, but we do not fully understand how it interacts with the world. We do not understand the mind, which is the brain in action. So, the best "western" tools we have, at this time, to treat mental health disorders are psychotherapy and psychiatric drugs.
Interesting side note....in some countries where medicine men and shaman are regarded as the community healers, they get chosen to do this work because of the hallucinations (visions) they have as children. What we identify as certain forms of schizophrenia, other countries view as a healing gift from the Great Creator. Interesting.....
As a quick review of the three types of mental health disorders discussed in your chapter.
Anxiety Disorders
A feeling of uneasiness or apprehension that something bad is about to happen.
Phobias
Panic Disorders
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Mood Disorders
The length of time or lack of an external trigger
Depression
(Cognitive distortion- a negative view of self, environment and future)
Bipolar Disorder
Psychotic Disorders
Schizophrenia
(Split mind)
In an effort to assist you in understanding the nature of how most psychotherapeutic drugs are prescribed and used, I have embedded two videos in this mini-lecture. You will be asked to refer back to these in the assignments connected to to this module. I find the information to be very disconcerting. I am curious about what you think.
This first video is a documentary about a man's experience with an anti-anxiety drug. He has used Paxil for a long time and would like to "get off it." However, he was unaware of the withdrawal effect that anti-depressants and ant-anxiety medications can have on their users. He felt this message was important for other people to know.
Please viewoneof the videos below.
Numb: The Problem with Antidepressants
(Once on the film webpage, you may need to click on the View Online Box ( subscription.... to start the video.
or....
This PBS Special: The Medicated Child (56 minutes) You will want to view Episode 1
https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-mozilla-004&hsimp=yhs-004&hspart=mozilla&p=pbs+frontline+the+medicated+child+video#id=1&vid=4561a6f6191711259635467aee1656dc&action=click
Question 2
Read the following information.
What is mental illness?
The termmental illnessrefers collectively to all diagnosable mental disorders. Effects of the illness include sustained abnormal alterations in thinking, mood, or behavior associated with distress and impaired functioning. The effects of mental illnesses include disruptions of daily function; incapacitating personal, social, and occupational impairment; and premature death. The most common mental illnesses in adults are anxiety and mood disorders.
How widespread is mental illness?
According to the World Health Organization, mental illness results in more disability in developed countries than any other group of illnesses, including cancer and heart disease. Other published studies report that about 25% of all U.S. adults have a mental illness and that nearly 50% of U.S. adults will develop at least one mental illness during their lifetime.
And.....mental illness is associated with use of tobacco products and abuse of alcohol.
Discuss this question:
Discuss your thoughts about which came first? Do you think the mental illness lead to the use of substances or did the use of the substances lead to the mental illness?
Please be sure to justify your response. As with other posts, please respond to one of your classmates' posts.
Quastion 3
Mental Illness and Drug Therapy
Using chapter 10 in your book, in no less than four (4) paragraphs, discuss your understanding of three (3) different mental illnesses and indicate some common medications used to treat those illnesses. In addition, please include a few side effects that each medication can cause.
Income Tax Fundamentals 2013
ISBN: 9781285586618
31st Edition
Authors: Gerald E. Whittenburg, Martha Altus Buller, Steven L Gill