Neuroscience/Human Relationships/Psychological disorders/DB...

Teach Your Peers — Trauma and the Brain

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Part A: Dr. Nadine Burke Harris discusses how the brain is affected by trauma in her presentation. In a few paragraphs, based on what you learned from her presentation and other course materials thus far, teach your peers about one finding of how the brain is changed by interpersonal trauma, or how these changes might impact our future relationships. Be specific (e.g., list regions of the brain that are affected) and explain your finding thoroughly and succinctly (aim for 200 words), and connect your peers to the sources from which you obtained the information you share. To help your peers locate the information you share and respond to you, use page numbers with your citations.

Part B: It can be devastating that our brains change so much in response to trauma. Yet, the same neuroplasticity that allows for the changes from trauma also provide promise for growth and healing. Look up online information about therapy and treatment programs for interpersonal trauma that make use of neuroplasticity. Share some websites and sources with your peers that are not part of our course materials, but based on your academic scrutiny are founded in sound science.

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In a few paragraphs, based on what you learned from course materials thus far, teach your peers about two findings of neuroscience and empathy or emotion that you find most fascinating. Be sure to include discussion around the concept of mirror neurons and list specific areas of the brain that play a role in imitation, resonance and empathy. Explain the findings thoroughly and succinctly (aim for 200 words for each finding), and connect your peers to the sources from which you obtained the information you share. To help your peers locate the information you share and respond to you, use page numbers with your citations.

Compassion

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For a moment, put on your philosophers hat. What do you think constitutes compassion? (Take an educated stance; consider consulting publications for the fields of philosophy and theology). In your view, how are compassion and empathy related?

4. Psychological Disorders

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Topic: Being Sane in Insane Places

See D. L. Rosenhan, (1973). On Being Sane in Insane Places, 179, 379-399. One of the pseudopatients was a professional artist, and the staff interpreted her work in terms of her illness and recovery. As the pseudopatients took notes about their experience, staff members referred to the notetaking as schizophrenic writing. Consider other types of behavior that would be misinterpreted in a mental hospital setting and post your responses in the forum.

5. Psychological Disorders

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Topic: Being Sane in Insane Places

Alishia Sandecki posted

Hello Class,

Sorry for the late post I have been sick with covid this week.

We learned this week that what makes a disorder are three main components: A psychological disorder or problematic abnormal behavior is a psychological dysfunction that is associated with distress or impairment in functioning and a response that is not typically culturally expected. (Durand, Barlow & Hoffman, pg 4, 2019). What our text also said is that the behaviors must be beyond the individuals control and an extreme exaggeration of normal behaviors, emotions and cognitive processes.

After reading the article on Being Sain in Insane Places (Rosenhan, 1973), I noticed that the main idea is how bias can interfere with our judgments. When we dont understand something, or when something is different than us, we decide to label it.

In the article the pseudo patients who were writing notes on their experience were seen as being insane by the nurses. I feel this is because the nurses allowed the label of the diagnosis cloud their judgements. The nurses seen someone writing down in a journal all day in a facility that had limited activities, and they never asked them what the pseudopatients were writing.

What if the nurses took the initiative to make a connection with the patients? Humans are after all social creatures who thrive when we feel connected to our community and feel that we have a purpose. I feel that if mental health professionals took the time to connect with their patients, then we would possibly not see mental health in terms of insanity and sanity, rather, we would see it as disconnection and as a problem only we can solve as a community.

I was curious as to how other countries mental health facilities compare to Americas. An interesting article I found stated countries like Sweden and Germany are leaders in mental health due to their prevention and holistic approach to mental health care (N.A., 2024). Without a holistic approach and a humanistic touch to our mental health care facilities the patients will always look insane to anyone who doesnt take the time to connect with them. This will drive a person deeper into their disconnection because they do not have a support system.

Maybe we are lacking a certain set of cultural values such as Regis’ key values of education (Regis, 2024).

I truly believe that when we are loved and accepted for who we are at our worst we are able to heal. When we feel that we feel that we don’t understand something it makes it easier to accept our bias. But to be a critical thinker and someone who holds values such as a Regis student, we will always care for the person and find God in all things.

What are your thoughts on the state of our culture and its role on mental health?

Reference:

D.L. Rosenhan, Symposium. (1973). On being sane in insane places. 13 Santa Clara Lawyer 379..

6. Psychological Disorders

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Topic: Being Sane in Insane Places

April Mendez

One behavior that is frequently misunderstood as a dysfunction is the act of speaking aloud to oneself. This behavior can be exhibited through either murmuring or audible articulation. I frequently encounter this personally due to anendophasia, a term to describe not having an inner voice (Nedergaard & Lupyan, 2023). It can result in a verbal repetition of a word or phrase to ascertain the meaning and cue a visual thought. But, for a patient in a psychological hospital setting, it could be misinterpreted by staff as a form of psychosis or the inability to cope by speaking audibly to oneself (Philippi & Koenigs, 2014).

In addition, spiritual practices that do not align with Western norms have the potential to be misunderstood as dysfunctions in a mental health setting. Polytheistic religions or animism could be considered a hallucination, as they do not conform to the norms of mainstream religion. Not only can the belief be misunderstood as a hallucination, but the practices may also be seen as strange depending on the spiritual tradition. For instance, someone practicing Celtic paganism who creates a sigil, an ancient form of pictorial writing, representing good health might be interpreted as exhibiting symptoms of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or other conditions characterized by periods of delusions. Frequently, these spiritual practices are mistakenly regarded as a manifestation of Satanism, a perception largely driven by misconceptions and fear. Which has historically been defined as deviant (Sprankle et al., 2020).

In light of these behaviors mentioned, what strategies can mental health professionals employ to mitigate excessive prescriptions, hospital stays, and inaccurate treatment plans?

What strategies can mental health professionals utilize to maintain impartiality when it comes to the religious beliefs of their patients?

References

Nedergaard, J., & Lupyan, G. (2023). Not Everyone Has an Inner Voice: Behavioral Consequences of Anendophasia. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society, 45. Retrieved from

7. Psychological Disorders

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Topic: What is Abnormal?

Consider the following situations. Most people would consider at least some of the actions of the people involved to be abnormal. What do you think? Think about each one as you read through the list. Keep in mind what is required to be considered abnormal: (1) a psychological dysfunction within an individual that is (2) associated with distress or impairment in functioning and (3) a response that is not typical or culturally expected. All three basic criteria must be met; no one criterion alone has yet been identified that defines the essence of abnormality.

Your uncle consumes a quart of whiskey per day; he has trouble remembering the names of those around him.
Your grandmother believes that part of her body is missing and cries out about this missing part all day long. You show her that the part she thinks is missing actually is not, but she refuses to acknowledge this contradictory information.
Your neighbor has vague physical complaints and sees two or three doctors weekly.
Your neighbor sweeps, washes, and scrubs his driveway daily.
Your cousin is pregnant, and is dieting (800 calories per day) so that she will not get “too fat” with the pregnancy. She has had this type of behavioral response since she was 13 years old.
A woman’s husband dies within the past year. The widow appears to talk to herself in the yard, doesn’t wash herself or dress in clean clothes, and appears to have lost a lot of weight.
A 10-year-old wants to have his entire body tattooed.
A 23-year-old female smokes marijuana every day, is a straight-A student in college, has a successful job, and is in a solid long-term relationship.
A person experiences several unexpected panic attacks each week, but is otherwise happily married, functions well at work, and leads an active recreational lifestyle.
A 35-year-old happily married man enjoys wearing women’s clothes and underwear on the weekends when he and his wife go out on the town.

8. Psychological Disorders

(Discussion Board) (Discussion Board Replies) (300 words) (APA format)

Topic: What is Abnormal?

Alishia Sandecki posted

Here are my thoughts on the pseudo patients listed in the posed question:

Your uncle consumes a quart of whiskey per day; he has trouble remembering the names of those around him.
1. Drinking is a culturally accepted behavior, but its impairments are not. Why do we continue to glorify drinking as a culture?
Your grandmother believes that part of her body is missing and cries out about this missing part all day long. You show her that the part she thinks is missing actually is not, but she refuses to acknowledge this contradictory information.

Grandparents are at risk for Alzheimers which affects cognition. Alzheimers is actually labeled as an advanced form of diabetes in other countries. Why do we not take preventive measures to our diets to reduce the morbidity rates of diseases such as Alzheimers? When someone is suffering a cognitive disorder, they need to be validated even when it is illogical. What if we taught families dealing with cognitive diseases how to use language and love as a way to connect with their older family members?

Your neighbor has vague physical complaints and sees two or three doctors weekly.

Typically, this is someone who worries a lot and has a lot of illogical fears, but they feel they do not understand their own bodies and maybe feel disconnected with themselves and others. This would be a tricky one foe me to understand but with patients and CBT therapy this person could learn how to overcome their thinking patterns, eventually they will reduce these unhelpful ideas and learn how to listen and connect with their bodies in a healthy way.

Your neighbor sweeps, washes, and scrubs his driveway daily.

I would defiantly want to hear more about why this person is compelled to clean their driveway daily. Is it a habit they picked up while living in a different country that valued cleanliness and they are grateful that they have a driveway to clean? Or is it a compulsion? Or maybe a meditative process? I would need to know more.

Your cousin is pregnant and is dieting (800 calories per day) so that she will not get “too fat” with the pregnancy. She has had this type of behavioral response since she was 13 years old.

This again seems like a cultural issue the same as glorifying alcohol consumption. Our culture has a way of idolizing a certain body type or lifestyle that is unrealistic and hurtful. This would be a very difficult issue to tackle as beauty standards are advertised with using photoshop and other methods of alterations such as Artificial Intelligence or beauty filters on all platforms of media.

A woman’s husband dies within the past year. The widow appears to talk to herself in the yard, doesn’t wash herself or dress in clean clothes, and appears to have lost a lot of weight.

This is grief. This is a normal response that has defiantly gone to an extreme. However, maybe this widow is now lacking a love in her life and needs to find a new purpose.

A 10-year-old wants to have his entire body tattooed.

Again, another cultural idea. It is not bad in some countries to have tattoos at a young age, in some countries it is a form of art and history and talks about the persons personality and connection to their community. But our culture doesnt have the same values for tattoo work, we get tattoo mistakes then profit on their removal or cover ups later on in life. And the biggest comment ive heard growing up about tattoos is no jobs will hire you why is that? What is it about our culture that judges someone with tattoos?

A 23-year-old female smokes marijuana every day, is a straight-A student in college, has a successful job, and is in a solid long-term relationship.

There is nothing wrong with this person, they seem to be doing well in all areas of life. However, weed is also glorified just like alcohol in our culture.

A person experiences several unexpected panic attacks each week, but is otherwise happily married, functions well at work, and leads an active recreational lifestyle.

Are the panic attacks based on anxiety performance or work related stress? Maybe this persons diet consist of a morning coffee and fast food during the week and then energy drinks during their recreational activities? More information would be needed.

A 35-year-old happily married man enjoys wearing women’s clothes and underwear on the weekends when he and his wife go out on the town.

While this one is not something I would enjoy my significant other doing, I would not judge someone who is living their life how they want to live. Where is the dysfunction in their lives? Is this lifestyle ruining their marriage? No. The wife goes out with him. Is this person harming anyone by the way they dress? No. Is this person only going against what societal norms consider acceptable? Yes. But in other countries it was culturally acceptable to wear a tunic, or a kilt and this was considered a masculine attire within certain cultures.

Overall, it seems that we are lacking a sense of community and acceptance to things we do not understand. Our culture is making us sick and mentally unwell by accepting and glorifying unhealthy behaviors such as alcohol and drug abuse, unrealistic beauty standards, or an easier ability to eat processed foods over natural foods.

9. Psychological Disorders

(Discussion Board) (Discussion Board Replies) (300 words) (APA format)

Topic: What is Abnormal?

April Mendez posted Aug 30, 2024 1:26 AM

This is a difficult topic that makes me question the validity of labeling each situation in a binary manner, in this case normal vs. abnormal. This may lead to the categorization of individuals according to an idealized model of normal versus abnormal, disregarding the significant variations in culture, behavior, and responses to external stimuli. My concern lies in the fact that labeling often hinders individuals from receiving the mental health care they require. A stoic person may not be exhibiting abnormal behavior but having suicidal thoughts that are not believable since they are functioning. It is possible for a person in mourning to operate at a significantly substandard capacity, which can result in severe depression. This normal reaction may go unnoticed until a certain duration has passed. With this in mind, I kept an open mind to each scenario:

Your uncle consumes a quart of whiskey per day; he has trouble remembering the names of those around him.

It is deemed abnormal for individuals to incorporate alcohol into their daily routine in quantities that deviate from their cultural practices. It is uncertain whether his incapacity to recall the names of those around him is a consequence of acute alcohol consumption or chronic consumption. Individuals who suffer from alcoholism are frequently able to operate at a functioning level even when consuming that amount on a daily basis. Nonetheless, prolonged and excessive alcohol consumption is associated with a decrease in the size of various brain structures, specifically impacting the microstructures of white matter which are essential for memory. Short term alcohol usage can result in temporary memory loss as well. The abnormality of either scenario necessitates the identification of the cause in order to determine the appropriate detoxification treatment and subsequent neurological monitoring (Daviet et al., 2022).

Your grandmother believes that part of her body is missing and cries out about this missing part all day long. You show her that the part she thinks is missing actually is not, but she refuses to acknowledge this contradictory information.

This is an abnormal behavior to believe a body part is missing. The classification of this condition falls under the Cotard delusion, where individuals perceive a deficiency within their own existence including the delusion that a body part(s) is missing. Alternatively, she may be suffering from a generalized psychotic disorder, as she exhibits an obsession with a body part she believes is absent, significantly impacting her daily functioning (Sahoo & Josephs, 2018).

Your neighbor has vague physical complaints and sees two or three doctors weekly.

In the absence of further details, this would not be regarded as abnormal. However, if there is anxiety pertaining to ones health status or regular body examinations for abnormalities, it would fall within the scope of illness anxiety disorders, which is considered abnormal (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). With his undisclosed medical conditions, it might be necessary for him to consult with more than one doctor per week. The presence of ambiguous physical symptoms could indicate his reluctance to disclose his current health conditions, not an abnormality of having frequent doctor appointments.

Your neighbor sweeps, washes, and scrubs his driveway daily.

If the neighbor is spending over an hour scrubbing his driveway daily, this would be considered abnormal according to the DSM-Vs definition of obsessive-compulsive disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Additionally, it would be worrisome if he were experiencing intrusive thoughts regarding cleanliness, which is not disclosed here. In order to assess the abnormality, more information about this activity and his other cleaning routines is necessary.

Your cousin is pregnant, and is dieting (800 calories per day) so that she will not get too fat with the pregnancy. She has had this type of behavioral response since she was 13 years old.

The subjects preoccupation with her body appearance, which has been present since her teenage years, is indicative of abnormal behavior. This behavior indicates a restrictive eating disorder characterized by extreme dieting that falls significantly below the necessary caloric intake for basic bodily functions (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).

A womans husband dies within the past year. The widow appears to talk to herself in the yard, doesnt wash herself or dress in clean clothes, and appears to have lost a lot of weight.

It is within societal norms for someone to mourn the loss of their spouse within the first year following his passing. Nevertheless, it would be unjust to categorize her grieving patterns as solely normal and disregard the importance of identifying the psychological support she requires to preserve her mental health. The manifestation of self-dialogue, inadequate personal hygiene, and the inability to attend to ones own needs as a consequence of depression is a matter of concern (Mughal et al., 2023).

A 10-year-old wants to have his entire body tattooed.

It is perfectly normal to have a desire for a tattoo no matter the age. Depending on the cultural context, it is entirely possible for individuals to possess multiple tattoos without deviating from societal norms. Nonetheless, the absence of cultural influence on tattooing may imply that a 10-year-old boy is unable to articulate his desires effectively. Especially with the urge to have an entire body tattooed. In order to ascertain whether this is within the realm of normalcy or deviates from it, further information would be necessary (Roggenkamp et al., 2017).

A 23-year-old female smokes marijuana every day, is a straight-A student in college, has a successful job, and is in a solid long-term relationship.

Labeling this subjects use of marijuana as abnormal vs normal is complicated. Is the persons daily functioning contingent upon the use of marijuana? If so, that would be abnormal. How much is smoked and why does she smoke (lessen anxiety, concentration, etc.)? It is necessary to assess the underlying reason for her smoking behavior, as it may deviate from the norm. In light of the fact that marijuana use now surpasses alcohol use in the United States, it would not be considered abnormal unless she exhibits a dependency on it for normal functioning or experiences abnormal physiological reactions upon cessation of marijuana (Iverson, 2003).

A person experiences several unexpected panic attacks each week, but is otherwise happily married, functions well at work, and leads an active recreational lifestyle.

A condition characterized by the frequent manifestation of panic attacks is classified as a panic disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). While she may be able to maintain her functionality, the excessive occurrence of panic attacks per week would undoubtedly impede her daily life, necessitating the identification and resolution of the underlying triggers.

A 35-year-old happily married man enjoys wearing womens clothes and underwear on the weekends when he and his wife go out on the town.

There is nothing abnormal about this scenario. If the individual experiences feelings of shame or disgust but feels compelled to engage in such behavior, it could be categorized as abnormal. But, cross-dressing without negative feelings is not considered abnormal (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Furthermore, it is important to note that this is heavily influenced by cultural norms.

References

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.).

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