Eating, Substance, Sexual, and Personality Disorders
Eating, Substance, Sexual, and Personality Disorders
Classifying and defining disorders such as eating, substance abuse, sex/gender/sexual, and personality disorders is often difficult. Several theoretical perspectives and techniques are required in the diagnosis and treatment of various disorders as many are often the result of several causes. As with theoretical perspectives, several core concepts are applicable to each of the disorders.
Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are serious conditions in which an unhealthy and irrational concern about what one eats and weighs overpowers one’s life. This includes uncontrolled emotional eating, binge eating, and purging (Mayo Clinic, 2012). Although eating disorders, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and those not otherwise specified, are more common in women, they do occur in men.
Several theoretical perspectives and techniques such as psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, sociocultural, and biological are required in the treatment of eating disorders. This is because eating disorders are often a result of many causes. The core concepts associated with eating disorders are continuum, context, cultural relativism, and limitations of diagnosis.
Substance Abuse Disorders
Substance abuse disorders occur when one becomes physically and emotionally dependent on a drug, or substance which impairs day-to-day functionality. Abused substances such as legal and illegal substances, prescription drugs, alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine are psychoactive and affect the brain. The categories of most commonly abused substances are stimulants, depressants, and hallucinogens. Individuals often use these substances to gain pleasure or escape pain, distress, or tension.
Abused substances are classified in groups referred to as the three “Cs.” Continued use with no regard to negative consequences is the sole consideration for substance abuse. However, diagnosis of substance dependence most often considers all three, which also
Classifying and defining disorders such as eating, substance abuse, sex/gender/sexual, and personality disorders is often difficult. Several theoretical perspectives and techniques are required in the diagnosis and treatment of various disorders as many are often the result of several causes. As with theoretical perspectives, several core concepts are applicable to each of the disorders.
Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are serious conditions in which an unhealthy and irrational concern about what one eats and weighs overpowers one’s life. This includes uncontrolled emotional eating, binge eating, and purging (Mayo Clinic, 2012). Although eating disorders, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and those not otherwise specified, are more common in women, they do occur in men.
Several theoretical perspectives and techniques such as psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, sociocultural, and biological are required in the treatment of eating disorders. This is because eating disorders are often a result of many causes. The core concepts associated with eating disorders are continuum, context, cultural relativism, and limitations of diagnosis.
Substance Abuse Disorders
Substance abuse disorders occur when one becomes physically and emotionally dependent on a drug, or substance which impairs day-to-day functionality. Abused substances such as legal and illegal substances, prescription drugs, alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine are psychoactive and affect the brain. The categories of most commonly abused substances are stimulants, depressants, and hallucinogens. Individuals often use these substances to gain pleasure or escape pain, distress, or tension.
Abused substances are classified in groups referred to as the three “Cs.” Continued use with no regard to negative consequences is the sole consideration for substance abuse. However, diagnosis of substance dependence most often considers all three, which also
References: Hansell, J., & Damour, L. (2008). Abnormal Psychology (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Mayo Clinic. (2012, February 8). Eating Disorders. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/eating-disorders/DS00294