Transcript Document

Abnormal Psychology
Unit 7
Dementia, Alzheimer’s, Dissociation &
Mind/Body Medicine
Brain Disorders: Dementia & Alzheimer’s
Disease
– These disorders are considered
neuropsychological problems.
– Symptoms include:
• Impairment to attention
• Memory problems
• Disorientation
• Poor judgment
• Confusion
• General loss of intellectual functions
(Maxmen, Ward & Kilgus, 2009, p. 209).
Secondary Psychopathology Symptoms
– Secondary to cognitive problems related to brain
disorders psychopathological issues can occur:
• Psychotic symptoms
– Hallucinations
– Paranoia
– Delusions/Illusions
• Emotional Deregulation
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Depression
Anxiety
Fear
Irritability
• Personality changes
• Behavioral Disturbances
– Agitation
– Aggression
(Maxmen, Ward & Kilgus, 2009, p. 209).
– Research has determined that brain disorders
can be contributed to “medical, neurological,
and/or biochemical alterations in the brain’s
structure or function” (Maxmen, Ward &
Kilgus, 2009, p. 209).
– Prevalence increasing with longer life spans.
• Women: 1-5 that reach age 65
• Men: 1-6 that reach age 65 (Maxmen, Ward &
Kilgus, 2009, p. 209).
Dissociative Disorder
– While dissociative states of consciousness are
fairly common: from day dreaming, meditating,
“in the zone” while focusing on a project, or
sleeping; dissociative disorders are defined as
“disturbances or alteration in the normal
integrative functions of consciousness, identity,
or memory” (p. 445), and are generally
“activated by a psychosocial trigger” (p. 444).
Dissociative Disorders
– Dissociative Amnesia: Alteration of conscious with personal
events forgotten.
– Dissociative Fugue: Identity & behavior change - forgetting old
life and beginning a new one.
– Dissociative Identity Disorder: Numerous
identities/personalities arise - trauma related.
– Depersonalization Disorder: Individual feels as an observer
outside of his/her body/mind.
– Dissociative Disorder NOS: Covers brainwashing, trance states,
and derealization without depersonalization (p. 445).
Dissociative Identity Disorder
– All dissociative states are caused by a severe
psychosocial stresser.
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Amnesia - forgets what is painful.
Fugue - runs from it.
Multiple Personality - displaces it with new identity.
Depersonalization - one abandons it (p. 449).
– Of the Dissociative disorders DID is definitely the
worst as far as symptoms and causal reasons for the
development of the disorder.
• “Dissociation into different identities defends
against trauma by isolating the horror, sectioning
off the child’s negative self-images, and permitting
a modicum of self-control” (p. 451).
• Most individuals with DID report physical and/or
sexual abuse as children (p. 451).
– Research has shown that repeated sexual incest and significant
abuse before age five have most severe mental health
symptoms (Chandler, 2010).
– Children with repeated patterns of abuse have a higher
incidence of alterations of consciousness:
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Dissociation
Depersonalization
Nightmares
Flashbacks
Disorientation
Difficulties with attention regulation
Sensorimotor development disorders (Chandler, 2010, p. 3).
– Consciousness symptoms of CSA similar to PTSD
(Aoto-Sullivan, 2000; Sargent, 2009; van der Kolk,
2006a).
• Adult problems associated with these disorders:
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Mood disorders
Suicidal ideation
Substance abuse
Body dysmorphic issues
Sexual promiscuity
Sexually transmitted diseases
Domestic violence (Chandler, 2010).
– Trauma interferes with neurobioological
development, physiological dysregulation, and
increases risks for these health issues in adults:
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Heart disease
Cancer
Stroke
Diabetes
Skeletal fractures
Liver disease (Briere, 1992; Chandler, 2010; Sargent, 2009;
van der Kolk, 1994, 2006a).
Mind/Body Correlations
Integrative Medicine: A Paradigm Shift
– Bessel van der Kolk, MD - “Medical Director
of Trauma Center in Boston, found evidence
that trauma affects the whole person and
treatment is more effective if it integrates
psychotherapy with somatic, body-memory
treatment such as EMDR, art therapy, and
massage” (Collinge et al, 2005; van der Kolk,
1994; as cited in Chandler, 2010, p. 21).
– As trauma, Dissociative Disorders, Childhood Sexual
Abuse, & Post Traumatic Stress Disorder have so
many similar symptoms that combine as body/mind
problems it stands to reason that integrative medicine
holds the key to helping individuals with these
disorders.
Mind/Body Therapies
– Cognitive/Behavioral with Mindfulness
• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
– Somatic Therapies
• Somatic Expressive Therapy
• Art Therapy
• Dance Therapy
– Energy Medicine
• Massage
• Acupuncture
• Chiropractic
• Reiki
• Emotional Freedom Therapy
• Quantum Healing Techniques
– Personal Spiritual Practices
• Meditation
• Yoga
• Tai Chi
• Sufi Dancing/Circle Dancing
– Nutrition/Exercise
. Nutritional Therapy
• Any form of enjoyable exercise: walking, running, hiking, etc.
– Creativity
• Art
• Music
• Dance
• Gardening
• Journaling
• Blogging
• Scrapebooking
– Each of these integrated areas have been endorsed
through research with helping to integrate the left/right
hemispheres of the brain, resulting in moving
individuals out of the trauma response in the lymbic
brain (fight, flight, freeze mode, as well as the area
responsible for pleasure/pain sensations and feelings)
(Chandler, 2010). As we develop more clinical settings
that incorporate all of these types of therapeutic
modalities, we may find that individuals that suffer with
these debilitating disorders have the ability to heal.
References
• Aoto-Sullivan, S. Y. (2000). The efficacy of short and long
term therapy in the treatment of childhood sexual abuse.
Masters thesis, Rosemead School of Psychology, Biola
University. Retrieved October 10, 2008, from
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• Bartlett, R. (2007). Matrix energetics: The science and art of
transformation. New York, NY: Atria Books.
• Bartlett, R. (2009). The physics of miracles: Tapping into the
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• Briere, J. (1992). Methodological issues in the study of sexual
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60(2), 196-203. Retrieved March 30, 2008, from
http://www.johnbriere.com/stm.htm
• Briere, J., & Conti, J. (1993). Self-reported amnesia for abuse
in adults molested as children. Journal of Traumatic Stress,
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• Briere, J., & Richards, S. (2007). Self-awareness, affect
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• Sargent, J. (2009). Traumatic stress in children and adolescents.
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• van der Kolk, B. A. (1994). The body keeps the score: Memory
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Retrieved March 3, 2008, from ProQuest database.
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