Beh225 Ms Lee Moon - Psychological Disorders Presentation

Notas do Editor

1. This presentation is intended to inform parents and students about common psychological disorders, the symptoms of specific disorders as well as the treatments and methods for coping with these in the high-stress world that college presents. Whether your college student is 18 or 60, they will un-doubtedly experience some sort of stressful situation during their time attending classes. We would like to prepare you to face those challenges that can increase the likely hood of successfully graduating.
2. We all use different standards to judge what is normal and what many be abnormal behavior. The perspective of psychological disorders is judged by many different standards but the basis is typically what is acceptable behavior in the given social order. Psychological disorders are windows into the well-being of any person. When someone is not well, they will demonstrate unusual behavior. When attending a college, student behavior is apt to change for many reasons. They may be living on their own for the first time in their life and “go wild” or the stress of college may take it’s toll. Regardless of the reasons, we wish to see students succeed and to do so they must remain as balanced as possible.
3. It is true, the National Mental Health Information Center reports that each year some 44 MILLION Americans will suffer from a mental disorder. (NMHIC, 2006) The number one mood disorder is depression and it greatly impacts many college students each year. The symptoms of depression can include a lack of interest or trouble concentrating, overwhelming feelings of sadness, feelings of guilt or worthlessness, substance abuse, fatigue and insomnia and the list just goes on. The causes of depression are varied as well and may stem from biological, psychological, and even social factors. For our college students, stress is a major factor that they will experience. If the student already has a pessimistic personality, like low self-esteem, they may be at even more risk of developing depression. Treatments for depression can include psychotherapy or different medications. The trouble comes in diagnosing depression which is often attributed to a physical aliment and as the aliment is treated the depression improves but does not “go away”.One reason we watch for depression in our students is because depression can often lead to suicidal thoughts and actions. We love your children as our own and that is the last thing we want to see happen. If a professor or friend of your child comes to you about this possibility, please seek immediate aid.
4. Yes, I have been afraid and I am sure you have also, but when a human being suffers from Anxiety Disorders, they experience the sensations associated with fear for no real reason. One type of Anxiety Disorder is Panic Disorder or Panic Attacks and we have witnessed students develop this problem for many years. Panic Disorder usually develops during early adulthood, right when your child is attending college. The symptoms of Panic Attacks include sudden surges in anxiety or fear, the student may withdraw from their normal activities, or they may suffer from physical symptoms like hyperventilation, increased heart rate, trembling or shaking, and even nausea or dizziness. The causes of Panic Attacks can be related to actual physical aliments like Mitral Valve Prolapse, a minor cardiac issue, hyperthyroidism, or hypoglycemia but Panic Attacks can also stem from substance abuse from the use of stimulants like Amphetamines, Cocaine and even Caffeine. Also, if the student has recently had a change in perscription medication, the withdrawal from that medication can cause Panic Attacks as well. Treatment for Panic Attacks can include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Exposure Therapy, and the use of medication.
5. Psychosomatic disorders are just like they sounds – a psychological issue that causes the body to feel pain. A Somatoform Disorder is just the opposite, a physical symptom without any identifiable physical cause. Often due to stress, anxiety, muscle tension, and even poor posture some 80% of Americans suffer from a type of Psychosomatic disorder, Tension Headaches.Symptoms of tension headaches can include late day headaches, chronic fatigue, irritability and difficulty concentrating. The causes of tensions headaches can be as simple as a mental or emotional disturbance, extreme stress or anxiety, muscle tension that can be related to poor posture, and lack of proper rest. Often college students will experience any one if not many of these causes simply due to the activities they are undertaking. This is one of the reason it is important to set up a well planned study area.Treatment for tension headaches can include Relaxation Therapy where a patient is taught techniques to utilize on their own, pain relievers or perscription muscle relaxers.
6. Dissociative disorders occur when a part of a person’s personality is separate from the rest. Dissociative Amnesia is a type of dissociative disorder that is characterized by memory loss with no organic or physical cause. While we do not see this often in students, those who witness abuse, accidents, and traumatic situations can become afflicted. The symptoms of Dissociative Amnesia incude the inability to remember past events as well as personal information, an appearance of confusion, and the suffering of depression or anxiety. Typically, the causes are from overwhelming stress, traumatic events, and sometimes Dissociative Amnesia is genetically inherited. Dissociative Amnesia is treated with a variety of techniques which include Psychotherapy, Cognative Therapy, Family Therapy, Creative Therapies, medications and even Clinical Hypnosis.
7. Sexual Disorders are often defined by the times we live in, the culture around us, or even by the individual. A group of sexual disorders is called Paraphilas, which include exhibitionism, fetishism, voyeurism, and sex with non-human objects. We know you do not particularly want to think about your child (young adult) engaging in sexual activities, but in college especially, often this is the case. Paraphilas encompass a group of unusual sexual habits, or symptoms. Some such symptoms can be sexual activities with non-human objects. We have all seen the movie, “American Pie”. Other symptoms may be fetishism, voyeurism, exhibitionism, sadism, and masochism. The causes of these deviations of behavior are not truly known, but may be attributed to lack of mental adultness. There is a type of sexual therapy, but you may not feel your child is a candidate, what we encourage is that you instill in your child as much as possible to be safe, sane, and consensual in their sexual encounters.
8. Personality disorders are seen often in college age students. A personality disorder is defined as an inflexibility or maladaptive ways of thinking or behaving that are learned early in life. These disorders cause distress to the person and/or conflicts with others. Antisocial behavior is one type of Personality Disorder in which a person manipulates, exploits, or violates the rights of others and is often criminal. The symptoms of Antisocial Behavior include refusal to conform to the societal norms, deceitfulness, impulsive or constantly irresponsibility, irritability and aggressiveness, and a lack of remorse. The causes of Antisocial Behavior include the developmental environment, abnormalities in the development of the nervous system, and possible abnormal brain functions. It is even theorized that Antisocial Behavior may stem from the need of extra-sensory stimulation. Treatments include psychotherapy, medication and, in rare instances, hospitalization for extreme treatment.
9. While we have informed you about many behavioral disorders, there are several still that we could cover. Schizophrenic Disorders are persistent with “out of touch with reality” behavior. Childhood disorders would have been long diagnosed in our students like autism, hyperactivity, and attention deficit disorders. The study of all of the disorders we have covered today has revealed that there are gender and cultural differences of how these behavioral disorders affect the populace. Women have a much higher rate of developing disorders than men and some disorders are specific to certain cultures. What we recommend is to remain as active in your child’s life as they will tolerate. Ask them how they are and continue to make an effort to guide and parent them well. Thank you for attending.
10. Thank you to all of our valued sources.