Disorders Schizophrenia is a serious psychological disorder marked by delusions hallucinations loss of contact with reality inappropriate affect disorganized speech social withdrawal and deterioration of adaptive behavior It is the most chronic and debilitating of all psychological disorders It is accompanied by a variety of symptoms but not all patients have all of them Symptoms are divided into positive symptoms negative symptoms and cognitive symptoms Positive symptoms refer to the presence of abnormal behaviors or experiences such a hallucinations that are not observed in normal people whereas negative symptoms such as lack of affect and an inability to socialize with others refers to the loss or deterioration of thoughts and behaviors that are typical of normal functioning Finally cognitive symptoms are the changes in cognitive processes that accompany schizophrenia Because the person has lost contact with reality we say that he or she is experiencing psychosis which is a psychological condition characterized by a loss of contact with reality Schizophrenia is caused by a variety of biological and environmental risk factors that interact in a complex way to increase the likelihood that someone might develop schizophrenia Studies in molecular genetics have no yet identified the particular genes responsible for schizophrenia but it is evident from research using family twin and adoption studies that genetics are important The likelihood of developing schizophrenia increases dramatically if a close relative also has the disease Neuroimaging studies have found some differences in brain structure between schizophrenic and normal patients Many believe that is it caused in part by excess dopamine and this theory is supported by the fact that most of the drugs useful in treating schizophrenia inhibit dopamine activity in the brain A genetic predisposition to developing schizophrenia does not always develop into the actual disorder Even if a person has an identical twin with schizophrenia he still has less than a 50 chance of getting it himself and over 60 of all people with schizophrenia have no first or second degree relatives with the disorder This suggests that there are important environmental causes as well One hypothesis is that schizophrenia is caused in part by disruptions to normal brain development in infancy that may be caused by poverty malnutrition and disease Stress also increases the likelihood that a person will develop schizophrenic symptoms onset or relapse of schizophrenia usually occur during periods of increased stress Wellness mental physical emotional and social Wellness has dimensions There are 6 dimensions of wellness physical social intellectual spiritual emotional and occupational The external characteristics of wellness are aspects of our lives outside of our bodies and mind Our external wellness represents 4 characteristics social occupational environmental and familial Social Well balanced social interactions are considered from a developmental perspective Gender differences start to appear in childhood and continue into adolescence Behaviors of a socially balanced female child include having emotionally closer relationships when compared to males Their interactions tend to be more reciprocal Girls tend to have peer relationships based on an intimate emotional exchanged Boys tend to be more outspoken with their friends and it is quite natural for male children to brag and interrupt conversation Boys are more physical in their activities and their exchanges are based on shared activities Adults who maintain social connectedness tend to live longer this finding is cross cultural and also crosses socioeconomic status Occupational the greatest factor influencing job satisfaction is whether or not the job allows the person to use the professional or occupational skills in which he or she is trained Low job satisfaction is correlated with high job turnover rates and high job satisfaction is correlated with job longevity Job dissatisfaction has been correlated with both physical and psychological consequences such as headaches fatigue anxiety and depression Environmental Maslow s hierarchy of needs The first stage of needs are the basic physiological needs required for survival air food and water If these requirements are not met the human body cannot continue to function When physiological needs are met the next priority is safety This is the environment in which the person lives Safety needs set the foundation on which all other needs are achieved and threats to safety can shake that foundation Another example of how the environment can influence overall balance is found in the diathesis stress hypothesis a theory that suggests that certain psychological disorders if biologically predisposed can be triggered by an unstable environment For instance numerous studies have found higher rates of schizophrenia in in urban areas and lower rates in rural areas because the increased amount of stress and lack of safety in urban areas and trigger the unstable behavior Familial humans are one of the only species that maintain relationships with others Attachment studies children are either secure insecure avoidant or disorganized Three of the categories reveal that the children are out of balance Most out of balance is the kid who is anxious and avoidant who showed disinterest in her environment little distress when the mother left and avoided her when she returned The disorganized child alternated between avoidance and proximity seeking when the mother left The securely attached child is balanced because he or she actively pursued the environment and demonstrated age appropriate social skills toward the stranger Although the child might have shown distress upon her mother living she sought her physical contact upon the mother s return This is carried into adulthood Secure adults are the most balanced because they feel that relationships are something to be valued They are able to reflect on their parental bond with objectivity and have rewarding relationships of their own Internal Wellness These aspects of our lives are inherently tied to the functioning of our bodies minds and spirits as we experience them as individuals Spiritual The concept of mindfulness is to be mindful and be completely focused on the here and now the present moment To focus on a moment that will be or on a moment that was is not being mindful of the present True mindfulness is multisensory
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