Biological therapies phobic disorders free essay sample

One biological therapy for phobic disorders is chemotherapy. Drug therapies include Anti-Anxiety drugs, Beta blockers and Antidepressants. They aim to alter abnormal behaviour by intervening directly in bodily processes (helps with the symptoms). Those that experience psychological problems or show disturbed behaviour patterns go to their family doctors. The first line of treatment is medical. Drug therapies are most common for treatment for phobias. An example is anti-anxiety drugs which treat phobias by reducing anxiety levels. Benzodiazeopines (BZs) slow down the activity of the central nervous system by enhancing the activity of GABA, a neurotransmitter that has a general quieting effect on many of the neurons in the brain. It does this by locking into GABA receptors on the outside receiving neurons, which opens a channel to increase the flow of chloride ions into the neuron. Chloride ions make it harder for the neuron to be stimulated by other neurotransmitters, thus slowing down its activity and making the person feel more relaxed. We will write a custom essay sample on Biological therapies phobic disorders or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page BZs have been shown effective. For example Kahn et al (1986) found that BZs were better than just using a placebo treatment, which suggests they have some pharmacological value, and Hildago et al (2001) found that BZs had better results than SSRIs. A second example is beta blockers (BBs) which are used to reduce the activity of adrenaline and noradrenaline which are part of the sympathomedullary response to stress. Beta Blockers bind to receptors on the cells of the heart and other parts of the body that are usually stimulated during arousal. By blocking these receptors, it is harder to stimulate cells in these parts of the body, so the heart beats slower and with less force, and the blood vessels do not contrast as easily. This results in a fall in blood pressure, and so less stress on the heart. The person taking the medication will feel calmer and less anxious. Research has also shown that BBs can be effective treatment for phobias. For example, Liebowitz et al (1985) demonstrated that BBs provide an effective means of anxiety control. Kindt et al (2009) found that BBs also suppress memory and suggest in particular that they may interfere with the emotional content of memories. Therefore, an additional advantage is that BBs lead to forgetting of fearful memories that would reduce subsequent anxiety in the same situation. However some studies have shown that the benefits may be largely explained in terms of placebo effect. For example Turner et al found no difference between a BB and placebo group in terms of reduced heart rate, feeling of nervousness etc. In terms of appropriateness, a limitation is that addiction can be a problem for BZs, even when low doses are given, they should only be given for a maximum of four weeks (Ashton ,1997). Drugs can’t provide a complete treatment as they focus on symptoms not causes. This may lead to symptoms substitution because the real cause isnt dealt with and a new set on symptoms may appear. A second issue is side effects. BZs in particular are linked to problems such as increased aggressiveness and long term impairment of memory. BZs have also been linked to addiction. Finally there is an issue of informed consent because patients are not always informed about the fact that drugs may not actually be much better than placebos. Therefore, they are not giving truly informed consent. When considering appropriateness it is also relevant to think of the strengths of drug therapies. They offer an easy solution for patients, requiring little effort. And some drug treatments (such as BBs) have fewer problems with, for example, side effects and addiction. So not all drug treatments have the same limitations. Another biological therapy for phobic disorders is psychosurgery. Psychosurgery is a surgical intervention that aims to treat a behaviour for which no pathological cause can be established. In the case of psychosurgery it is believed that an area of the brain is malfunctioning, and if the connection to this part of the brain is severed, then psychological symptoms may be relieved. An example of psychosurgery is capsulotomy and cigulotomy which are two operations performed to treat anxiety disorders. They functionally remove the capsule and the cigulum which are both part of the limbic system which is the area of the brain associated with emotion. Such operations are irreversible and are only performed as a last resort. A second example is deep brain stimulation (DBS) which involves placing wires in target areas of the brain. It involves no destruction of tissue although the wires are permanent. They wires are attached to a battery and when this is switched on it interferes with the brain circuits in the region of the capsule and cigulum, resulting in a reduction of symptoms. Research support for the effectiveness of psychosurgery comes from Ruck et al (2003). Ruck studies 26 patients who had been suffering from non-obsessive anxiety disorders for over 5 years and has experienced considerable reduction in their psychological functioning and had tried numerous treatment options. After a capsulotomy was performed, assessments were conducted and followed up again a year later. The mean pre-operative anxiety score started at 22. 0 but dropped to 4. 6 indicating a successful outcome showing that psychosurgery, (capsulotomy in particular) is effective. However, the negative symptoms were greater than expected. For example, seven patients attempted to commit suicide after the surgery and there were two recorded cases of epileptic seizures. The researchers concluded that while capsulotomy may be effective, it is expensive and has the potential for extremely adverse effects. Therefore any benefits clearly have to be weighed against the potential for negatives. Further to this, psychosurgery is rarely suitable for phobias and then only for extreme cases that have proved otherwise untreatable, and that interfere with normal day to day functioning. Szasz (1978) criticised psychosurgery generally because a person’s psychological self is not something physical and therefore it is illogical to suggest that it can be operated on. This shows that because everyone is individual and unique, their mind is intangle and not interactive, so it is not always appropriate to use psychosurgery. Lastly, the use of psychosurgery can be applied to the real world. Research has suggested that it may be possible to erase fearful memories, which could be a useful method of treating phobias. For example, Stehberg et al. (2009) have blocked memory consolidation in rats using a form of deep brain stimulation, and suggest this could lead to a novel treatment of a traumatic memory that underlie anxiety disorders. Further to this, Kindt et al. (2009) found that giving beta blockers to patients during an experiment resulted in a reduced fear response while placebos did not give the same reaction. This shows that that the use of biological therapies is effective in treating phobias.

Eating Disorders Essays - Eating Disorders, Health, Psychiatry

Eating Disorders Essays - Eating Disorders, Health, Psychiatry Eating Disorders Did you know that 90% of women dislike the way they look? And its all because of the media and their emphasis on the ideal figure of a woman. Supermodels like Kate Moss and other Barbie-doll-figure-inspired women grace the cover of magazines all over the world promoting a perfect shape. Girls of all ages think that this is what people want to see. They think that this is what they should look like and try to set impossible goals for themselves to look like covergirls. As a result, many women in North America suffer from psychological illnesses. Among the most common are eating disorders such as Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa. Anorexia and Bulimia generally arise in young women, but may also occur in older females and occasionally in men. People suffering from any of these sicknesses usually suffer from low self esteem. Victims may think things such as, my life would be better if I lost weight, or they may think that people would like them better if they were thinner. They may feel incapable and tell themselves, I never do anything right, or feel that nothing I ever do is enough. When they look in the mirror, victims see fat staring at them, no matter how thin and bony they may look to others. When shown pictures of themselves, Anorexia and Bulimia patients realize how thin they are but still are dissatisfied with their shape when they go to look in the mirror. Sufferers may lie about how much, how little, or when and where they have eaten so as not to admit to themselves or to others that they have a problem. They may also lie about vomiting and the use of laxatives. Depression or mood swings may also be symptoms of eating disorders. Lack of motivation, feeling isolated and alone, and having the feeling of no self-worth can lead to suicide. Eating disorders are commonly caused by a chemical imbalance in the victims brain. Everyone has a chemical in their brain called Seratonin. This is what controls your appetite. In Bulimia patients, this chemical is deficient and so they keep eating and eating. At that point they feel guilty and have the urge to dispose of the consumed food either by vomiting or having a bowel movement promptly after eating. Subsequently, their Vasopressin level increases and eventually takes over, making the disposal of food the norm. The opposite occurs in Anorexia patients. The Norepinephrine chemical in their brain is deficient. Norepinephrine is the appetite stimulant. In their case, they have no desire to swallow anything for fear of becoming obese. Compulsive Overeating is another eating disorder although not as common as Anorexia or Bulimia Nervosa. Patients eat uncontrollably and gain a considerable amount of weight. And unlike Anorexia and Bulimia patients, Compulsive Overeaters are mostly male. Compulsive Overeaters eat mainly to cope with stress and anything that may be disturbing them. They, like Bulimics, understand that they have a problem. Most overeaters are people who were not taught how to deal with stressful situations. As Compulsive Overeating is not yet taken as seriously as other eating disorders, patients are directed to diet centers and health spas, but in the end, Compulsive Overeating can have the same consequences as Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa. The most serious consequence being death. Nevertheless, it can be conquered with therapy and counseling. If they knew what eating disorders do to their bodies, patients would seek help much sooner. In Anorexia patients, fatigue, lack of energy, and Amenorrhea are very common physical problems, as are hair loss, infertility, osteoporosis (caused by lack of calcium) and depression. The same goes for those who suffer from Bulimia. Also, Bulimia patients may have rotted teeth (caused by excessive vomiting), cathartic colon (caused by laxative abuse), and inflammation of the pancreas. There are many more physical consequences that victims may encounter upon suffering from these afflictions. People who suffer from Anorexia and Bulimia are silently killing themselves. These sufferers are mostly women, but a growing percentage of men are beginning to catch on to this terrible disorder. They try to convince themselves that there is nothing wrong, but deep down they know that what they are doing is

Countries Cooperation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Countries Cooperation - Essay Example This is the subject matter of this study where we examine the possibility of the world uniting to ensure global warming is slowed down. The ancient individuals realized this need to protect their resources as they new that overuse would lead to extinction which would obviously lead to the suffering of the entire society. A study of the ancient African nations shows that the societies would circle their fields and ensure that these areas were only used by the members of that particular area. This was one way of ensuring that their resources were safeguarded against misuse by the other societies. Having ensured that the societies safeguarded their resources which at the time included grazing land and water resources, there was need to ensure that the members of society properly utilized their resources with every member being mindful of the other. This again led to the societal definition of the use of property to ensure that the resources lasted long enough to meet the individual requirement. The need necessitated control of possessions by controlling the number of cattle that an individual owned. The need for an individual to own additional cattle was subject to discussion by the rest of the community. The individual it should be noted was only allowed to own additional cattle if the environment could cater for the additional cattle. Thus, the rule of supply and demand was long applied where the demand was necessitated by the cattle number and the supply was the natural endowments. This shows the need for cooperation in ensuring that the society benefited in a time when civilization was not anywhere in the vicinity and when individuals never interacted beyond the societal level. Besides, these societies in Africa had no idea of such earlier scholars such as Karl Marx who had first pointed out the need to cooperate in the use of collective property. The rules were passed because the human character has all along known to be self-centered in the sense that others needs are secondary to their own need. The other thing is that humans are generally competitive and what they compete for is scarce thus the need to control the scarce resources. As no such thing would be achieved through participation of isolated individuals, then the need to have individuals cooperate has always been key in ensuring that these resources are preserved and sparingly used for all of us and those to come. In the view of James Madison an 18th century economist, the scarcity of resources has necessitated the need to have a federalist government which stands for the need of the entire society and which ensures the unity and association of all individuals for their own good. He further observes that were all men angels, there would be no need to have a government as we would all be considerate of each other. However, the existence of even a single non angel would obviously necessitate the existence of a government. The actions of the non angels have this effect that they will always try to get the entire property to build a competitive advantage and on realization of the intention by the rest, they will obviously join in the competition for the resources. Thus, the need for the government to create a workable distribution system that balances the needs and interests of the individuals. From this illustration, there are two apparent things; for