Analyzing Psychological Disorders University of Phoenix Axia College

Part A Schizophrenia is a disease that affects the forebrain, hindbrain, and limbic system. The forebrain is the anterior and largest part of the brain. This part of the brain functions to control sensory, and motor function, cognitive function, reproductive function, eating, sleeping, emotion display, and helps to regulate temperature. The hindbrain is the part of the brain that helps to coordinate posture, motor activity, balance, and sleep patterns, and helps to regulate essential but unconscious functions like breathing, and blood circulation. The limbic system is essential in the regulation of motor activity and emotional expression. Schizophrenia has a strong genetic component. Patients, who have an immediate family member such as a parent or sibling, have a higher chance of developing schizophrenia. Other factors that have been believed to contribute to schizophrenia, like high levels of stress during pregnancy, traumatic injury, toxins, infections, and autoimmune reactions.
Symptoms of schizophrenia include: * Bizarre delusions- delusions of being controlled by an outside source * Inappropriate- failure to react appropriately to emotional events. * Hallucinations-imaginary voices controlling behavior. * Incoherent thoughts-illogical thinking or peculiar ideas. * Odd behavior-talking in rhymes, long periods of not moving or catatonia The neural basis of schizophrenia is that in normal patients the brain has a built in regulator that responds to outside, and allows the brain to separate these stimuli. This gives people the ability to multi-task. An example of this would be the ability to listen to music, have a conversation, and do homework at the same time. Schizophrenics cannot separate these activities; they all run together because schizophrenics do not have functioning regulators in their brain. Treatment of schizophrenia should include both drug and therapy. To manage schizophrenia with drugs patients are treated with antipsychotic, antidepressants, and anti anxiety medications. These patients should be closely monitored to make sure that these medications are not having a negative effect in the liver, blood test on a regular basis are generally required. Pharmacotherapy is the cornerstone of schizophrenia treatment [2] . However, not all patients have the same access to all treatments. Generic medications are an important alternative for those who cannot afford branded agents, especially in developing nations [102] . However, it is also important to have fair, reasonable and evidence-based access to newer treatments without generic alternatives that have been shown to have an acceptable benefit-risk balance. The best people to make those decisions are the doctor and the patient, on the basis of the broadest possible information. When branded treatments are excluded, either by payers or court-assisted early genericization, there is no incentive for the development of new treatments. Extrapolated to the extreme, this could mean that new treatments will become a thing of the past if society is not prepared to pay the approximately US$1 billion necessary to prove that a new drug meets acceptable safety and efficacy standards [3] . New drugs are not usually developed by the government with taxpayer dollars; they are developed by a private enterprise, which requires profit to exist [4] . This makes new drugs expensive to buy, but hopefully they offer reasonable value. Ultimately, their business will not exist if the customer is not happy, so there is a motivation to do the right thing for patients. (Karagianis, Jamie, and Angela Hill. "Schizophrenia in a worldwide perspective: explaining similarities and differences." Future Neurology 5.3 (2010): 345+. Academic OneFile. Web. 23 May 2010.)

Part B
Drug abuse My understanding is that Ron is a 33yr old man that began drinking in his early teens. His alcohol abuse seemed to become more serious during his 20’s and he is now a self admitted alcoholic. Ron has been in and out of the court/jail system including several DUI’s. Ron has experienced several episodes of rehab but always relapses after short periods of sobriety. I would want to begin by learning more about Ron’s family dynamics by having him write an extensive auto biography to determine if there is a history of alcoholism in his immediate family. The genetic influence to alcoholism has been studied since the 1970s, when twin studies first revealed this link. In April of this year, a team led by Susan Bergeson at the University of Texas at Austin found 20 gene candidates that could influence excessive drinking. “There are now four genes that have been shown by multiple research groups to contribute to risk of alcoholism,” according to Henry Kranzler, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. And Kranzler expects they will find more. “This is a rapidly developing field, such that I would anticipate that up to another 10 such genes will be identified, with the findings replicated independently, in the next decade,” Kranzler told LiveScience (bryner, 2006). Currently only three drugs are approved by the United States F.D.A. for the treatment of alcohol abuse. Nalmefene- an opioid antagonist which has shown to reduce relapse in alcoholism. Naltrexane- a narcotic antagonist that has been shown to reduce craving, and consumption for alcohol dependency. Antibuse – a drug that works by causing a severe physical reaction if alcohol is consumed while taking the drug. In conclusion I would suggest that Ron undergo treatment in a long term, inpatient drug treatment facility. I would make it known to Ron, and his family that alcoholism is a disease. It did not take Ron a short period of time to become an alcoholic, this disease is something that has developed over a long period of time and it is going to take a long time to heal. I would also suggest family counseling at an appropriate interval in Ron’s treatment.

Anxiety My understanding is that Tom is a married man with three children, and a successful career. Tom is experiencing some severe anxiety, and displaying signs of being a hypochondriac. Genetics is important in the form of predispositions: coded information from our ancestors to help us survive/ thrive in various environments ... but it is the environment in which we live that controls whether these predispositions flourish or wither and die. (Dixon,T.) As with Ron, I feel that it would be necessary for me to get a feel for what Tom’s history is in reference to his family, upbringing, and significant events of his life. Many different types of medications are used in the treatment of anxiety disorders, including traditional anti-anxiety drugs such as benzodiazepines, and newer options like antidepressants and beta-blockers. These medications can be very effective, but they shouldn’t be thought of as a cure. Anxiety medication can provide temporary relief, but it doesn’t treat the underlying cause of the anxiety disorder. Once you stop taking the drug, the anxiety symptoms often return in full force. It’s important to be aware of the risks of anxiety medication, too. Anxiety medication can cause a wide range of unpleasant and sometimes dangerous side effects. Many medications for anxiety are also habit forming and physically addictive, making it difficult to stop taking them once you’ve started. The bottom line is that anxiety medications can be helpful, but they’re not right for everyone and they’re not the only answer. (http://helpguide.org/mental/anxiety_medication_drugs_treatment.htm) Depression and anxiety disorders are highly prevalent forms of mental illness. Worldwide, depression will have a lifetime occurrence of 8-12% in all individuals. [1] In addition, in the US alone approximately 30% of all adults will experience some form of anxiety disorder at some point during their lives. [2] These conditions place a considerable economic burden on society [1,3] and have a high prevalence of comorbidity. [4] Often, stressful life events trigger or worsen the symptoms of these disorders, and patients diagnosed with them have difficulty coping with stress. (Valdez, Glenn R. "Development of [CRF.sub.1] receptor antagonists as antidepressants and anxiolytics: progress to date.(Leading Article)." CNS Drugs 20.11 (2006): 887+. Academic OneFile. Web. 23 May 2010.)

Reference
(bryner, j. (2006). Nature vs nature: Individuality unraveled. live science. Retrieved from) http://www.livescience.com/health/060718_nature_nurture.html ( Karagianis, Jamie, and Angela Hill. "Schizophrenia in a worldwide perspective: explaining similarities and differences." Future Neurology 5.3 (2010): 345+.)
(Dixon, T. (Year, Month Day). Anxiety disorders Nature vs Nurture []. Message posted to) http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Anxiety_Disorders_Nature_vs_Nurture.html
Valdez, Glenn R. "Development of [CRF.sub.1] receptor antagonists as antidepressants and anxiolytics: progress to date.(Leading Article)." CNS Drugs 20.11 (2006): 887+. Academic OneFile. Web. 23 May 2010.)
http://helpguide.org/mental/anxiety_medication_drugs_treatment.htm