Analyzing Psychological Disorders
Analyzing Psychological Disorders
Becca Marlin/ PSY240
August 12, 2012
L. Renee Foster Herrmann
Analyzing Psycholgical Disorders Page 1
I’m glad that I don’t live in the 1800’s. Did you know that back in the 1800’s when doctors were just beginning to understand psychological disorders, that if you were thought to suffer from a psychological disorder you could have holes drilled into your head or you could be put on any number of experimental drugs that could in fact make the condition worse or give you a whole new disorder?! Yes, I’m thankful for the scientists and researchers that paved the way for psychologists like me but it would’ve been a whole different ride back then. I spoke today in my interview about the different disorders I am knowledgeable in but was asked to elaborate more on Schizophrenia and two other case studies. I am going to provide as much information as I can on the eating disorder Anorexia Nervosa and on the drug abuse case of Alcoholism.
Analyzing Psychological Disorders Page 2
I will admit that I am fascinated with schizophrenia. The human brain is such a mystery with new things being discovered every day and one of those mysteries is how the disease schizophrenia develops and takes hold of ones mind. Much research has been done on this disease and we know from that that the areas of the brain affected most are the prefrontal cortex, which is the part of the brain we use for planning and thinking about ourselves. (Pinel, 2011) There is also overwhelming evidence that patients who suffer from this disease also have a significantly reduced volume of gray matter in the temporal and frontal lobes and this gray matter decreases over the years until it is almost completely disappeared. Another discovery with schizophrenia patients that may help explain why they have such a incapability to make decisions or focus is that brain scans have shown their ventricles are enlarged and this results in cognitive
Becca Marlin/ PSY240
August 12, 2012
L. Renee Foster Herrmann
Analyzing Psycholgical Disorders Page 1
I’m glad that I don’t live in the 1800’s. Did you know that back in the 1800’s when doctors were just beginning to understand psychological disorders, that if you were thought to suffer from a psychological disorder you could have holes drilled into your head or you could be put on any number of experimental drugs that could in fact make the condition worse or give you a whole new disorder?! Yes, I’m thankful for the scientists and researchers that paved the way for psychologists like me but it would’ve been a whole different ride back then. I spoke today in my interview about the different disorders I am knowledgeable in but was asked to elaborate more on Schizophrenia and two other case studies. I am going to provide as much information as I can on the eating disorder Anorexia Nervosa and on the drug abuse case of Alcoholism.
Analyzing Psychological Disorders Page 2
I will admit that I am fascinated with schizophrenia. The human brain is such a mystery with new things being discovered every day and one of those mysteries is how the disease schizophrenia develops and takes hold of ones mind. Much research has been done on this disease and we know from that that the areas of the brain affected most are the prefrontal cortex, which is the part of the brain we use for planning and thinking about ourselves. (Pinel, 2011) There is also overwhelming evidence that patients who suffer from this disease also have a significantly reduced volume of gray matter in the temporal and frontal lobes and this gray matter decreases over the years until it is almost completely disappeared. Another discovery with schizophrenia patients that may help explain why they have such a incapability to make decisions or focus is that brain scans have shown their ventricles are enlarged and this results in cognitive
Bibliography: Association, A. C. (2012). Assessment & Diagnosis of Eating Disorders. A Guide for Professional Counselors, 1-9. Biopsychology, Eight Edition. (2011). Hunger, Eating and Health. In P. Education, Anorexia and Bulemia Nervosa (pp. 322-325). Allyn & Bacon. Pinel, J. P. (2011). Biopsychology of Psychiatric Disorders. In P. Education, The Brain Unhinged (p. 24). Allyn & Bacon. U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services. (2012, Aug 12). Schizophrenia. Retrieved from National Institue of Mental Health: www.nimh.nih.gov University of Washington School of Medicine. (2011, March 03). Alcoholism & Alcohol Abuse. Retrieved from US National Library of Medicine: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001940/