...You are trapped in your own mind with your brain making you believe awful things. Something I have learned about mental illness is that, yes it is unpleasant, but it is so important to talk about. A lot of people go through life feeling so ashamed of something they have no control over and that is upsetting. If I have learned anything from suffering with mental illness; it is that we are so much stronger than we think we are. I had no idea I was strong enough to go through something like that and I have promised myself to never let that happen again. I am better than that and I deserve so...
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...constant is change,” is true, then one must wonder how the mental health field resisted change for so long. In light of the modern age, characterized by scientific methodologies, the mental health field advanced rapidly. Amazingly, the human condition could be put to test, understood and categorized. Sadly, anything falling outside the “norm” became “abnormal.” Once a person was identified as “abnormal,” they were the lucky recipients of a label they carried with them for life, or until they “recovered.” Mental health labels carry with them a certain stigma that communicates to the person they are different, perhaps less of a person and that “normal” may never be a reality with their “illness.” Recovery would be based on becoming symptom-free, or at the very least, a significant reduction in symptoms (Gehart, 2012). The mental health field has experienced tremendous growth in terms of understanding the plethora of conditions people experience, as well as in treatment of those conditions. However, one thing remained unchanged until recently. The idea behind recovery shifted from coercive treatment to person-centered change (Onken, et al, 2007). Gehart states is this way, “instead of using the medical paradigm of disease, the recovery paradigm approached mental “illness” using a social model of disability that emphasizes psychosocial functioning over medical symptomatology” (2012). The focus of recovery shifted from the illness to the person. The recovery model gave way to the idea...
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...Blank Pages of Life… Dementia is a persistent neurological disorder that can be described in terms of a cluster of symptoms such as loss of memory, difficulty with thinking, impairment in language and problem solving. Dementia could become extremely severe which would diminish an individual’s ability to complete daily activities; it can cause mood swing as well as changes in behavior (Canadian Alzheimer’s Society). Dementia is a progressive disease, which means that the symptoms would slowly become worse resulting in increased damage to the brain cells, which can ultimately result in death. (Alzheimer Society Canada) Dementia is not a particular disease rather many diseases can cause dementia and the most common types are as follow: Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia, head trauma, fronto-temporal dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and Huntington’s disease. The symptoms of the above mentioned conditions are similar and they overlap. (Alzheimer...
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...Bipolar Disorder Sandra Yearwood Grand Canyon University: NRS 433V 3/21/15 Introduction Bipolar Disorder (or manic depression) is a common, lifelong, severe and complex mental illness that is characterized by extreme mood swings with episodes of depression. According to the Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, bipolar disorder affects about 2.6% of people age 18 and older. Bipolar Disorder affects both male and female equally and is caused by multiple factors and evidence suggests a strong hereditary component. To help understand Bipolar Disorders or to help to correct it, individuals go through counseling services and pharmacotherapy. Individuals with this disorder may either have Type I or Type II. According to “Journal of creativity in Mental Health” clients often go through different phases or breakouts caused by this disorder. These break out are due to poor social behaviors, lack of rest, poor judgment on other people and increased energy. Background of study This study will elaborate on Bipolar Disorder and why this mental illness has become such a major topic of interest in recent studies. In the United States, statistics have proven that there have been increased incidences of patients who are diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and researchers have linked this disorder to the younger population as well as the rest of the world where people often go around undiagnosed. Objective: How can one understand Bipolar Mood more thoroughly and...
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...is it so important in the context of health and social care? • What do we mean by ‘health’ and why is psychology central to the effective delivery of health and social care? • What are the main approaches to psychological thinking and research? • Who are psychologists and what do they contribute to the promotion of health and well-being? Introduction This chapter emphasizes the importance of psychology in the context of health and social care. For many years, psychology and the other social sciences were viewed by the medical profession as ‘soft sciences’, interesting but unimportant. With the advent of research into the links between physical and mental states in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries it is now possible to demonstrate that psychology can make a fundamental difference to physical as well as mental health. In this chapter, we explore the nature of psychology and its relevance to health and social care. We outline the different schools of thought and methods of inquiry in psychology. We seek to distinguish between psychology as an academic discipline and popular notions of psychology, and identify professionals whose practice is mainly concerned with the application of psychology. In order to show how psychology can be applied to health and social care, we introduce a family scenario whose characters appear in examples throughout the book. What is psychology? Psychology is the study of human behaviour, thought processes and emotions. It can contribute...
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...family went into it. As Gawande discusses the stories and emotions he shared with these people, he explores the idea of narrative medicine that Rita Charon discusses. Rita Charon is a physician that practices narrative medicine in her practice. In her Ted Talk, “Honoring the stories of illness,” Charon presents the idea that we, as doctors and caregiver, should act as if the patient is more than their illness. Instead of treating just their physical illness, helping them understand and process it, as well as helping their mental health, are just as important....
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...The Great American Short Stories in 1920. As part of the collection it gained some popularity for a time and then just died out again. Unfortunately this was the extent of the life of her work while she was still alive. However in 1973 the story was reissued by the Feminist Press with an exceptional commentary by Elaine Hedges and finally became popularly rediscovered. Elaine Hedges explained the work as a “pioneering masterpiece of feminist literature” (Pompele 61). Since the publication, theorists using a Feminist approach most overwhelmingly study the story.Gilman’s emphasis on the importance of language and text, and the fact that “The Yellow Wallpaper” is a tale of mental breakdown, make Lacanian psychoanalytic a natural way to consider the work in order to help readers understand the author’s use of language as a manifestation not of herself but the “other” as a means to safely express herself. As an autobiographical story there exist very undeniable connections between Gilman’s personal life and that of the narrator. A study of “The Yellow Wallpaper” is quite remiss if not offering some of the parallels between the author and the narrator as note of interest. In his dissertation, Pompele approaches the work as an “asylum trauma narrative in which the author gives witness to the personal horror of her own captivity in psychiatric spaces and the forced treatment she had to endure there” (60). At 24, Gilman became terribly weak and depressed. She quickly turned...
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...world experience various mental health difficulties on a daily basis. From the mild symptoms that can be easily resolved by their General Practitioners to more severe problems significantly affecting their everyday functioning and participation in daily activities. These problems may need to be dealt with the referral to a specialist service. According to Mental Health Act (2001) each person in care of Mental Health Service must have an individual care plan (MHA 2001; art 15&16). Mental Health Commission in its document related to individual Care Planning in Mental Health Service outlined that recovery of a client needs to be at the centre of all that nurses do and care plans are here like a key tools, guiding nursing work in this process (MHC 2012, p.8). Presented essay attempts to explore how nursing care and interventions support the process of patient’s recovery. In further part of it focus will be on how individual care plans reflect process of recovery and how they guide nurses towards it. Concept of ‘recovery’ in Mental Health slightly differs from adopted definition. Usually a person with severe mental health problems such as Schizophrenia or Bi-polar cannot fully recover from the illness like it takes place in most of the patients with physical illnesses. The concept of recovery in Mental Health addresses issues related to building-up self-esteem, learning to control the illness; recognizing symptoms of relapse; returning to normal life and enjoying it as much...
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...Understanding Non-Adherence in Patients with Severe Mental Illness Grand Canyon University-NRS-433V November 17, 2013 During many situations in nursing it may feel like fighting an uphill battle, especially when discussing the importance of compliance and long-term adherence to the treatment plans to our patients on a daily basis. Whether it be a patient with newly diagnosed diabetes, heart disease or a mental illness, continued follow up and care are essential for patient outcomes. A large part of compliance is continuing medication as prescribed, The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, (2012) estimates that of prescriptions written 20-30% are never even filled. For those suffering from severe mental illness the issue arises when adherence stops and symptoms take control of their daily lives, putting them at increased risk for substance abuse, assaultive behavior and lower quality of life. Despite continued evidence supporting the efficacy of psychiatric medications in improving symptoms only about half of those receiving medication treatment take it as prescribed. Even worse, in a recent randomized clinical-trial studying anti-psychotic for effectiveness it was reported that 74% of those prescribed medication discontinued use after 18 months (Roe, Goldblatt, Baloush-Klienman, Swarbrick & Davidson, 2009). But for many patients more medication means additional side effects, less freedom and change in their view of themselves. Professionals taking care of these...
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...considered plagiarism. This will result in an unsatisfactory grade for the work submitted or for the entire course. It may also result in academic dismissal from the University. MFT5105 | Asha Sutton | | | Recovery-Oriented Care & Postmodern Family Therapy | Recovery Model in MFT | <Add student comments here> ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- Faculty Use Only ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- The definition of the recovery model is not clear in the mental health field. Professionals of the mental health field cannot agreed when it comes to the recovery method. Some...
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...for an application and analysis of adult psychology theories and concepts that are commonly presented in more objective and less narrative works. First, attention will be paid to the roles and relationships that Richard and Jean Russo establish throughout their lives. Then, cognitive aging and decline will be discussed in relation to Jean’s physical and mental health and her dementia. Richard’s role as Jean’s primary caregiver will be studied through...
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...and vocations of young women also affect their ability to actualize their potential quality of life. That is, the strains of gendered expectations are injurious to the mental welfare of women. In the past, the psychiatric community has unethically––and yet perhaps unconsciously––used mental diagnoses to prune women into their gender roles and punish deviation from the norm, again referencing the historically sexist conventions of psychology [Source B]. The Journal of Mental Health Counseling continues to attest that “girls who defy gender roles are more often rejected by peers and have a higher risk for experiencing significant psychological...
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...Post modern approach Some of the key concepts and techniques common to both Solution-Focused Brief Therapy and Narrative Therapy are: - Collaborative relationship between therapist and client - Client considered expert on own life - Focus on solutions (alternative stories) rather than problems - Positive (or optimistic) orientation - Emphasise client’s strengths rather than weaknesses - Clients set their own goals (take an active role) - Focus on the future - Use of questions - Belief that small steps lead to bigger changes - Postmodern idea that there are multiple realities and truths (they are not objective facts) - Importance of language An advantage of using both Solution-Focused Brief Therapy and Narrative Therapy together is that the therapist has more techniques or strategies to draw on as they see fit for the each individual client. Due to the many similarities between the two combining seems very appropriate. Many of the basic concepts and techniques of these Postmodern approaches could be quite easily be integrated into other therapeutic perspectives. For instance, the Feminist Perspective with its focus on how gender-roles and how they affect present behaviour could benefit from the use of exception questions, the miracle question, deconstruction and the creation of alternative stories. Or the Reality Perspective with its focus on each individual being responsible for what they choose to do could benefit from the use of exception questions and identifying...
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...contemporary connotations before the 1920’s. it is the form of the Middle English destresse (Keil R.M.K,2004;Coping and Stress) derived via Old French from the Latin stringere “ to have to draw tight”. The word had been long used in the field of Physics to annotate the internal distribution of a force exerted on a material body which results in strain. In the 1920s and '30s, biological and psychological circles occasionally used the term to refer to a mental strain or to a harmful environmental agent that could cause illness used it in 1926 to refer to...
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...Medicine 58 (2004) 1647–1657 Understanding breast cancer stories via Frank’s narrative types Roanne Thomas-MacLean* Dalhousie University Family, Medicine Teaching Unit, Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital, P.O. Box 9000, Priestman St. Fredericton, NB Canada E3B 5N5 Abstract While breast cancer narratives have become prevalent in Western culture, few researchers have explored the structure of such narratives, relying instead on some form of thematic analysis based upon content. Although such analyses are valuable, Arthur Frank (The Wounded Storyteller, The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1995) provides researchers with an additional means of studying stories of illness, through the examination of their structures. In this article, the author applies Frank’s work to a phenomenological study of embodiment after breast cancer. Frank’s three narrative types are used to enhance understanding of the ways in which stories are culturally constructed, using data collected through one focus group discussion and two in-depth interviews with each of 12 women who had experienced breast cancer. The author then conveys the significance of this form of analysis for future research. r 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Breast cancer; Qualitative and narrative Introduction Frank (1995) writes that those who are ill ‘‘need to become storytellers in order to recover the voices that illness and its treatment often take away’’. (p. xii) Frank’s ideas are supported...
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