An Existential Psychiatrist Who Suffered From...

R.D. Laing was an existential psychiatrist who suffered from schizophrenia for quite some time. R.D. Laing wrote The Divided Self when he was 28 years old. This book looks at schizoid and schizophrenic people and the aim of the book is to make madness understandable. He wanted to understand a distressed individual s mind from inside out. R.D. Laing had great significance for schizophrenia and had a desire for treating schizophrenia. Laing criticized Freud s theory of psychoanalysis because he thought that the theory was doubtful. He thought the theory was doubtful because Freud did not have a satisfactory theory for treating psychosis because Freud s theory would try to find an explanation for treating insanity whereas Laing s work was to understand and comprehend the world of an insane person. The first two chapters of The Divided Self set out Laing s theoretic oppositions to the psychoanalytical approach. He also provides explanations for the use of the existential approach. The fo llowing chapters give notions of Laing s ideas about ontological insecurity, the false self-system and self-consciousness into clear existential psychology. One of the most intriguing parts of The Divided Self was ‘ontological insecurity , where a person avoids having a relationship with others for fear of being engulfed by the world. He believed that ontological insecurity was crucial for schizoid and schizophrenic experiences and was caused by abnormal family relationships. R.D.Show MoreRelatedMiss5870 Words   |  24 PagesGeneral comments on Assignment 02 We were pleased that many students submitted Assignment 02 which was also compulsory for examination admission. The aim of Assignment 02 was to help students to work through the second part of the syllabus. Students who submitted Assignment 02 will receive a computer printout containing the following information: (a) the correct answers (b) your own answers and (c) the mark you obtained. If you submitted your assignment on time and have not yet received such a printoutRead MoreEssay on Piaget vs. Jung4984 Words   |  20 Pagesreceived world wide acclaim and recognition , as well as having a positive impact in areas such as education and social curricula. Though he had made an impact on understanding of the child cognitive development , his theory of cognitive development has suffered a great deal of critics that it neglects the social nature of human development.(Hook, Watts and Cockroft ,2002).So the following essay will discuss on whether this critic is valid or not based on deta il discussion of Piaget theory. The theory ofRead MoreAbnormal Psychology Chapter Mood Disorders5762 Words   |  24 Pagesdepressive neuroses One of the symptoms of a mood disorder is called anhedonia, which means: A. a feeling of worthlessness B. an altered pattern of sleep C. indecisiveness D. an inability to experience pleasure 3. Mood disorders can range from mild to severe; the most severe type of depression is called: A. major depressive disorder B. dysthymia C. cyclothymia D. profound depression 4. Most episodes of major depression are time-limited, i.e., lasting up to 3333, although about 10%

Where The Sidewalk Ends And Abbigoles Our Corrupt Society

According to Oxford’s dictionary, a utopia is an imaginary place or state in which everything is perfect. But in today’s world everything does not work out, so there is a lasting feeling to conjure that everyone lives perfectly to block out the current state of affairs. Throughout Shel Silverstein’s Where the Sidewalk Ends and Abbigole’s Our Corrupt Society, there is a direct link to the theme of the illusion and reality of something that relates to the ultimate impact of societies today using poetic devices and literary terms. The positive connotation of â€Å"the grass grows soft and white† (Silverstein 3) reflects on this place being something magical and illusionist, as grass realistically does not grow white. This connotation invokes the†¦show more content†¦The metaphor from Where The Sidewalk Ends, where it compares the air to peppermint (6), it gives the understanding of the pleasant and sweet utopia that is constantly dreamt of. Peppermint is a sweet, sentimental feeling that is coined with the reunion of families over the winter holidays, and it holds a significant meaning to the perfect world as an enticing aroma. With the natural scents and sights tuned perfectly, including the sun burning â€Å"crimson bright† (4) solidifies the quintessential environment that everyone desires. This gives a comparison between a renowned smell with a flawless place, showing infinite ideal factors in the conceived utopia. In the poem Our Corrupt Society, it strikes back the thought of atrocious things that happen currently, with enjambment used after the line, â€Å"Who are the real killers now?† (27). This suddenly triggers the burning ideas of lack of forgiveness and the will to take revenge on others for past actions. Using the poetic device here pauses the reader for a moment and has them reflect on wars of hatred among races to friends breaking up after a conflict, events that happened because one side felt they were cheated, and the other side felt the same thing. People all deserve â€Å"love† (21) and â€Å"compassion† (6), but the current society doesn’t understand how much these words are necessary to divert away from dystopia.

The Need for Better Mental Health Care Free Essays

Introduction Many individuals who woke up this morning wished that they should have never done so at all. There are those who are about to go to bed praying that they will not have any more tomorrows to face. While some who are at work, sitting through their classes at school, or fixing their children’s lunches are wondering what have become of their lives and what more potential does the bleak future offer. We will write a custom essay sample on The Need for Better Mental Health Care or any similar topic only for you Order Now In fact, there are those whose family and friends are mourning already, never quite understanding why an apparently healthy human being would end his own life. One common thread unites all these people and events: mental depression. This paper looks at the need for more mental health care services in order to better help people suffering from this condition and thus provide hope for them and for their families. Gravity of Mental Illness Few individuals realize the gravity of a mental illness such as depression in another human’s life. For some, the state of being depressed is a choice, and a person can easily â€Å"snap out of it† if only they would think positively and cut all the drama. Mental illnesses just like depression, is a medical condition, an actual disease of the mind that is not easily fixed with mere will power. People sick with flu or colds are not asked to cure themselves, hence, why should depressed individuals bear their sufferings alone and without any care? It is a relief, nonetheless, that depression is not anymore new. Millions of individuals have it and millions are also seeking the necessary treatment and medication to get on with their lives. However, recognizing and acknowledging the problem, as opposed to ignoring it, is the first step towards recovery. From the early philosophers, scholars and scientists’ perspectives, depression is a mystery caused by unknown powers in the universe. Based from early accounts, depressed or melancholic people demonstrate bizarre behavior, in which nobody could pinpoint the reason behind. Symptoms range from extreme sadness and lack of zeal in life to drastic mood changes. With the gradual development of modern scientific processes and correspondence among experts, specialists were able to define depression, identified its symptoms, and tried to discover its causes and remedies. Mental Health Facilities Traditional psychiatric hospitals and private psychiatrists and psychologists have been unable to meet the growing need for mental health services. The trend has been to develop local mental health clinics that offer the services of psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, psychiatric nurses, family therapists and others. Emergency help is rendered to persons with acute mental disorders as well as to persons with chronic emotional problems. Short-term counselling and psychotherapy are usually provided. Programs are planned to deal with problems involving school, family, marriage partners, drug and alcohol abuse, and adolescence. Night clinics and suicide prevention centers are often established if a need exists. A person in need of immediate assistance is frequently helped by phone â€Å"hotline† services, manned by counselors and others, such as trained volunteers. Many non-traditional facilities have been established to meet the needs of local area. An example of such a facility is a psychiatric day care center which was developed in a sparsely populated rural area in Michigan. Lacking funds to support a traditional psychiatric day care center, a psychiatric nursing consultant sought lay volunteers and used facilities in a community church to set up a program. This program was designed to maintain and support persons referred by the local hospital psychiatric service and the community mental health center outpatient service. The nurse spent two hours one day a week as a group therapist. She also acted as a consultant to the volunteers. The program successfully met its objectives. It has grown from one group and one volunteer to three groups and thirty volunteers. Person-Centered Therapy Person-centered therapy is differentiated from other forms of therapy because of its â€Å"focus on the importance of the therapeutic relationship for effective therapy† (Josefowitz Myran 2005). The person-centered approach was founded by acclaimed American counselor and psychotherapist, Carl Rogers (Kirschenbaum 2004). Early during his career, Rogers witnessed how stubborn a client could become and all together reject therapy even if it is for his betterment. He then saw that patients could resist â€Å"even the most skilful therapist intervention† if such intervention is against his wish or purpose. Rogers realized the loopholes in the popular practices of his times for failing to incite effective client participation. He pondered on a new approach based on his understanding that â€Å"it is the client who knows what hurts, what directions to go, what problems are crucial, what experiences have been deeply buried.† Rogers was the first to employ the â€Å"non-directive† approach. It was a unique method where the counselor does not question, interpret, advice, suggest or offer any directive remarks on the patient, he only listens. The therapist carefully reflect the patient’s thoughts back to him, with the idea of helping him realize his issues and then decide on his own the direction of his self-actualization. It was this non-directive method that applied the initiative that persons going into psychotherapies are not helpless individuals at the mere mercy of their psychotherapists’ designs. Clients can wilfully determine how their treatment should go because they are â€Å"responsible clients† who knows what aspects of their lives and personality need to be treated. His method has such respect for its patients that it assumes the key to a person’s self-actualization lies on the person and not on external influences (therapists or counselors). One of Roger’s important ideas that still have its impact today and is crucial to the personal approach is that a â€Å"counselor’s attitude is as important as his techniques† (Kirschenbaum 2004) Depression as a Mental Health Issue Depression is one of the most prevalent mental health medical cases in the United States today with about 18 million Americans or 9.5 percent of the population affected. The problem of depression is not to be taken lightly, nor set aside as sheer caprice of a problematic person. Medical institutions including the United State’s National Institute of Mental Health declared it as a serious â€Å"real illness,† not just because of its prevalence, but also because of its effect on the lives of the afflicted individuals. Monetary expenses is a give fact when seeking treatment for depression, yet the heavier costs are those that concerns the pains of the individuals, the drudgery they have to face everyday, and the corresponding effect of the situation to their friends and loved ones. Depression has already been observed since the ancient times, even during the prehistoric times. Real efforts to comprehend depression were only apparently undertaken during the time of the Hellenistic Greeks. Later part of history revealed that the growth of psychiatric or psychological science was hampered due to society’s closed mindedness and lack of concern for the mentally ill. Nevertheless, with the sporadic studies now and then, it was discovered that depression was once called â€Å"melancholia† and scientists made quite commendable documentation of the symptoms they observed among melancholic persons (Hollon, 2002). The causes of depression are often summarized into the three classifications of neurobiology, genetics and environment. Neurobiological factors pertain to the abnormalities in neurotransmitters and hormones that affect mood, manner of handling stress, and perspective of traumatic situations. Genetics, as the name implies, refers to the inheritance of potential depression-causing gene traits within the family. There is no solid proof of the existence of this gene so far, although there are relevant studies made to suggest that genetics may indeed play a role. Besides the number of cases of within-family depression speaks for itself. The last factor, triggers environmental depression brought about by emotionally taxing events that are not easily forgotten or set aside, so that it comes to haunt the person and affect his normal life. Depression may also be learned when the thought of powerlessness is so internalised. The person feels depressed with that thought that whatever actions will not merit any change or improvement. Conclusion Health Plans generally fall into three categories based on how they are organized to deliver/pay for care. HMOs (Health Maintenance Organizations) deliver services through provider networks and may use a member’s primary care provider as a ‘gatekeeper’ to more specialized services. PPOs (Preferred Provider Organizations) generally allow access to any provider, with some cost savings to a member for using providers in the network. Indemnity plans are traditional insurance products with defined cash payments, and no network limitations. At present, prevalent types of Health Plans are HMOs and PPOs   (Health Plan). Effective policy and decision-making cannot be made in a vacuum, and is committed to providing the most comprehensive data possible. Taking that into consideration, public Health Plan performance must be well studied and its data analyzed. The HMO as well as other health care delivery systems must unite in order to address this issue since they are all important and adequate means of health care for many consumers with mental health problems. REFERENCES Beck. A. (1967). Depression. Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Grnblatt, E. (2006, November 3). Depression; New depression research has been reported   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   by scientists at Ludwig Boltzmann Institute. Genomics Genetics Weekly.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Retrieved Feb. 8, 2007   http://proquest.umi.com/ pqdweb?did=1151092561Fmt=3clientId=11123RQT=309VName=PQD Hollon, D.S., Thase, M.E. Markowitz, J.C. (2002, November). Treatment and Prevention of Depression. Psychological Science, 3,   39. Retrieved Feb. 8, 2007   Ã‚  Ã‚  at: http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=233500451sid=5Fmt=2cli entId=11123RQT=309VName=PQD How to cite The Need for Better Mental Health Care, Essay examples