Abnormal Psych 1 and 2

Chapter 1 Question 1 On December 11, 1950, Thorazine was first synthesized. Known as a common anti-psychotic drug, it’s first use was as an antihistamine. Later was used for schizophrenics due to it’s remark ability to lower body temperature like cold water baths. March 13, 1947 Gerald P. Koocher was born. Recognized for his service to children’s legal rights and services to families of severely ill children, Koocher was awarded the APA Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions in 1992. Wilhelm T. Preyer's Die Seele des Kindes (The Mind of the Child) was written on October 6 in 1881. His book was dedicated strictly to child psychology. His researched was directly taken from daily observations of his son. Albert Bandura's book Principles of Behavior Modification was published on August 11 1969 and continued his work in 1986 with Social Foundations of Thought and Action. Ativan was approved by the FDA for uses in anxiety and sedation on September 30, 1977. Ativan is a benzodiazapine that is also used to treat depression and mild sleep disorders. Question 2. September 11, 2001 rocked the world. I was living in Albany, NY and 8 and a half months pregnant with twins. The shock of the situation sent me into labor and had the twins on September 19th, 6 weeks early. Devastation was unparallel in our society. Up until then, I honestly had never experienced anything of this multitude. Mental Health America states that 64.7 of the building survivors are reported experiencing a new onset of depression, anxiety or other mental health problem. I know that PTSD was a main diagnosis of pretty much everyone involved. Myself included, since I had family in assisting in the recovery process at Ground Zero! NMHA continues to attempt to assist with the mental health issues facing Hurricane Katrina victims. Even one year after this disaster, experts believe that 30% of the victims were experiencing symptoms of mental illness as a direct effect of their experiences. NMHA estimates that between 3-7% of school age children suffer from ADHD. Symptoms range from mild to severe and occur in adulthood as well. President of NMHA says that ADHD awareness day is to dispel misconceptions and remove stigmas. As a mother of 2 children with varied ranges of ADHD, I know personally this is something we need much more scientific research on. Chapter 2 Question 1. Why is family therapy effective for adolescents with behavior problems? With the rise in societal issues faced by today’s youth, the need for a more family centered approach to therapy is needed. Between wanting their independence and needing guidance, more teens are showing behavioral problems. (AAMFT, 2002) Between peer pressure, divorce, violence, and parental problems, today’s teens are faced with a multitude of reasons for behavior problems. Some are not as easily defined with the rise in mental health issues. Children and parents need each other, therefore family therapy is best for the family as a whole. Faced with mental health disabilities, both parents and the child need more support than the average family. Family therapy is most effective by involving schools, peers, communities as well as parental issues is by including all these issues into one goal oriented therapy. Family therapy meets the requirements needed for today’s rising challenges faced by our children who need us more than ever. Chapter 2 Question 3. What are some of the main methods used to treat anxiety disorders, from a cognitive-behavioral perspective? Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy or CBT concentrates on three main areas. From the Cognitive aspect if a client has been trained or conditioned think and behave in a negative manner than he/she can always be counter trained to think in the positive. (Anxiety Network, 2006) There are several forms of treatment available to treat anxiety based disorders which may or may not include medication. Help in identifying the fears and triggers of these fears in one way CBT therapists help with learning to regain control. By including a slow, guided exposure to these fears, the client can become more equipped to deal with not only the fear itself but also where the fear originated. Changing some diet patterns can also help with some anxiety as well. By controlling arousal due to caffeine (coffee, teas, soda) and alcohol, some patients may see some improvement from agitation. (The American Institute of Cognitive Therapy, 2003) Relaxation is also an effective tool for gaining strength from these crippling fears. Deep breathing, walks, meditation and thought modification can help a client to remain calm enough to break down the overwhelming anxiety and making it more manageable. Having a mental health disorder is bad enough but coupled with the feeling the world is laughing at you can be a major cause of anxiety issues. One way of dealing with this type of anxiety issue is to teach the client to question the situation. Is the other person really laughing at you or could it be something else? By combining relaxation and coping tools, the client can then deal with outside influences on their fears. Medication can also play a role in combination with behavior modification. Common side effects of anxiety disorders are insomnia and depression. Worrying about the fears and social pressures can be debilitating. Therefore the need for anti-depressants and sleep medication can provide some relief but must be done not as a cure but to assist along with therapy. The American Institute of Cognitive Therapy. What is Cognitive Therapy. Jan 21 2007. http://www.cognitivetherapynyc.com/problems.asp?sid=243 The Anxiety Network. Cognitive-Behavior Therapy. Jan 21 2007. .http://www.anxietynetwork.com/hcbt.html