Cocaine Dependence

What is cocaine?

Cocaine is a powerfully addictive drug. Once having tried cocaine, users cannot predict or control the extent they will continue to use the drug. The drug creates a strong sense of exhilaration. Users generally feel invincible, carefree, alert, and euphoric and have a lot of energy. The short-term and long-term effects of cocaine are equally dangerous. This is usually followed by agitation, depression, anxiety, paranoia and decreased appetite. The effects of cocaine generally last about two days. A form of cocaine with the street name crack is processed into a rock crystal and then smoked, most often using a pipe. Given the lower purity level and wider potential for introduction of other dangerous chemicals, long-term crack cocaine users may experience even more dramatic symptoms.

Cocaine Dependence

Cocaine dependence (or addiction) is a psychological desire to use cocaine regularly. Cocaine overdose may result in cardiovascular and brain damage such as constricting blood vessels in the brain, causing strokes and constricting arteries in the heart, causing heart attacks specifically in the central nervous system. In my opinion, nobody should depend on cocaine. Cocaine should not be used to solve any sort of problems. Yes cocaine is an addicting drug but this is one of the many mental disorders that you are able to control. If you don’t take cocaine to start with then you’re in the clear with this disorder. If you start on cocaine and keep doing it you’ll get addicted and with that addiction comes the mental disorder of cocaine dependence... You’ll be so dependent on that drug that certain people would do anything to get the money for it. The use of cocaine can also result in a loss of appetite, extreme insomnia and sexual problems. Heart disease, heart attack, respiratory failure, strokes, seizures, and gastrointestinal problems are not uncommon among long-term users of cocaine. This mental disorder is treatable with therapy and you can stop it by not taking cocaine in the first place. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has proven to be an effective approach for preventing relapse. CBT is focused on helping cocaine addicted individuals abstain and remain abstinent from cocaine and other substances. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocaine_dependence
http://www.mentalhealth.com/home/dx/cocainedependence.h 
http://www.timberlineknolls.com/drug-addiction/cocaine/signs-effects

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Many of us have small habits that make us feel better, but we can also live without them. For example, we might think of something as ‘lucky’ or have a routine that feels comforting. But for people who experience obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), these behaviors are much more intense and disruptive and are fuelled by unwanted thoughts that don’t go away. Obsessions are ideas, thoughts, impulses, or images that keep coming back. They are not enjoyable; rather obsessions are unwanted and upsetting, causing severe anxiety or distress. OCD sufferers attach much greater meaning and threat to these thoughts than others. The obsessions won't just "go away." In order to cope with the obsessions, people with OCD engage in repeated behaviors or thoughts, known as compulsions, to make themselves feel safer. Compulsions are rituals that the person believes reduce the risk of the obsessions coming true, or at least reduce the anxiety they produce. Obsessive-compulsive disorder is not always easy to understand, but it’s a real illness that causes difficulties in a person’s life. If you have OCD, you probably recognize that your obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors are irrational but even so, you feel unable to resist them and break free. Like a needle getting stuck on an old record, obsessive-compulsive disorder causes the brain to get stuck on a particular thought or urge. For example, you may check the stove twenty times to make sure it’s really turned off, wash your hands until they’re scrubbed raw, or drive around for hours to make sure that the bump you heard while driving wasn’t a person you ran over. We all have a part of this disorder in my opinion; we all get unwanted thoughts from time to time and sometimes is happens more than once, people with OCD frequently perform tasks, or compulsions, to seek relief from obsession-related anxiety. 

Common OCd Types                                                                       
(Percent of OCD Cases by Symptom)

Checking   79.3%
Hoarding   62.3%
Ordering    57.0%

Morality  43.0%

Sexual/Religious   30.2%
Contamination/Washing       25.7%
Harming/Aggression     24.2%

Illness  14.3% 
Other   19.0%

http://www.anxietybc.com/resources/ocd.php

http://www.cmha.ca/mental_health/obsessive-compulsive-disorder/#.VIh_UjGG9uc

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsessive%E2%80%93compulsive_disorder
http://www.helpguide.org/articles/anxiety/obssessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd.htm

Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by frequent episodes of binge eating (Binge eating disorder is a compulsive overeating in which people consume huge amounts of food while feeling out of control and powerless to stop), followed by frantic efforts to avoid gaining weight. It affects women and men of all ages. When you’re struggling with bulimia, life is a constant battle between the desires to lose weight or stay thin and the overwhelming compulsion to binge eat. You don’t want to binge you know you’ll feel guilty and ashamed afterwards but time and again you give in. During an average binge, you may consume from 3,000 to 5,000 calories in one short hour. There are plenty of symptoms and signs of bulimia, I will name the most common ones. First, there is the lack of control over eating; Inability to stop eating. Eating until the point of physical discomfort and pain. In my opinion alot of people feel that way, even I feel that way sometimes, when food is in front of me (even if I'm not hungry) I just eat and can't really control it, it is a pretty hard thing to try and control. Second there is, secrecy surrounding eating; Going to the kitchen after everyone else has gone to bed. Going out alone on unexpected food runs. Wanting to eat in privacy. Third, there is eating unusually large amounts of food with no obvious change in weight. Forth, there is disappearance of food, numerous empty wrappers or food containers in the garbage, or hidden stashes of junk food. Last, there is alternating between overeating and fasting; rarely eats normal meals. It’s all-or-nothing when it comes to food. In my opinion some of the symptoms are something very hard to control and most of the time a lot of people can’t their eating habits. A lot of people try taking the “easy way out” by going to the bathroom after they eat and stick something down their throat to make themselves throw up. I think that can be very dangerous in a lot of cases; there is a possibility of tearing of your esophagus, leading to possible internal bleeding. The most dangerous side effect is dehydration.

  

http://www.helpguide.org/articles/eating-disorders/bulimia-nervosa.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purging_disorder

Panic Attacks

A panic attack is a sudden feeling of overwhelming anxiety and fear. Your heart pounds and you can’t breathe. You may even feel like you’re dying or going crazy. In many cases, panic attacks come out of nowhere, without any warning. Often, there is no clear reason for the attack. They may even occur when you’re relaxed or asleep. A panic attack may be a one-time occurrence, but many people experience repeat episodes. Recurrent panic attacks are often triggered by a specific situation, such as crossing a bridge or speaking in public especially if that situation has caused a panic attack before. Usually, the panic-inducing situation is one in which you feel endangered and unable to escape. You may experience one or more panic attacks, yet be otherwise perfectly happy and healthy. Many signs of panic attacks include a shortness of breath or hyperventilation, heart palpitations or a racing heart, chest pain or discomfort, trembling or shaking, choking feeling, sweating, nausea or upset stomach, feeling dizzy, light-headed, or faint, hot or cold flashes. A common reason for panic attacks for teenagers is tests; when they do tests in school some do receive panic attacks. In my opinion, panic attacks should be taken very seriously because they can restrain certain people from doing well in school or restrain them from doing something they love.




http://www.medicinenet.com/panic_disorder/article.htm

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) is a severe condition in which two or more identities or personalities are present in and take control of an individual. A person with DID, most likely has two different personalities and the alter takes control over the person’s behavior.  Each alter might have distinct traits, personal history, and way of thinking about and relating to his or her surroundings. An alter might even be of a different gender and have his or her own name. The person with DID may or may not be aware of the other personality and might not have memories of the times when the alter is dominant. Stress or a reminder of the trauma can act as a trigger to bring about a "switch" of alters. This can create a chaotic life and cause problems in work and social situations. It is generally accepted that DID results from extreme and repeated traumas that occur during important times during childhood or adulthood. The trauma often involves severe emotional, physical or sexual abuse. An important early loss, such as the loss of a parent, also might be a factor in the development of DID. In order to survive extreme stress, the person separates the thoughts, feelings and memories associated with traumatic experiences from their usual level of conscious awareness. If DID is not taken seriously it can lead to problems with functioning and even disability. People with DID are also at risk for suicide attempts, self-injury, violence, abuse or repeated victimization by others. In my opinion we all somehow have this disorder it just isn’t as strong as people who are actually diagnosed with DID. We all have different personalities when we feel different emotions, we are just able to control it and not let it generate another identity, unlike people who have DID they can’t control it. Also, i think it depends on the people we are with as well, different people can bring out different sides of us. 



 http://my.clevelandclinic.org/services/neurological_institute/center-for-behavorial-health/disease-conditions/hic-dissociative-identity-disorderhttp://www.psychologytoday.com/conditions/dissociative-identity-disorder-multiple-personality-disorder

Schizophrenia

Mental disorders are generally defined by a combination of how a person feels acts or thinks. Psychotic disorders include schizophrenia  and delusional disorder. Schizoaffective disorder is used for people showing both schizophrenia and effective disorders. Schizophrenia is a brain disorder that affects the way a person acts, thinks, and sees the world. People with schizophrenia have an altered perception of reality, often a significant loss of contact with reality. I believe we all want a different perspective on reality but for most people who have schizophrenia they aren't able to control it. They may see or hear things that don’t exist, speak in strange or confusing ways, believe that others are trying to harm them, or feel like they’re being constantly watched. With such a blurred line between the real and the imaginary, schizophrenia makes it difficult even frightening to do the activities of daily life. Most cases of schizophrenia appear in the late teens or early adulthood about 0.3–0.7% of people are affected during their life, however, schizophrenia can appear for the first time in middle age or even later. In rare cases, schizophrenia can even affect young children and adolescents, although the symptoms are slightly different. In general, the earlier schizophrenia develops, the more severe it is. Schizophrenia also tends to be more severe in men than in women.The disorder is thought to mainly affect the ability to think, but it also usually contributes to chronic problems with behavior and emotion. People with schizophrenia are likely to have additional conditions, including major depression and anxiety disorders . Five most common types of symptoms of schizophrenia include: delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, disorganized behavior, and the so-called “negative” symptoms. In some people, schizophrenia appears suddenly and without warning. But for most, it comes on slowly, with subtle warning signs and a gradual decline in functioning long before the first severe episode.

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/schizophrenia_symptom.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schizophrenia

Introduction

Mental illness / disorders are a part of our everyday life. No one can run from it.  Mental illnesses / disorders can affect most people in some way. We most likely know someone who has experienced a mental illness / disorders at some point in their lives. It can entirely take over someone's life not always in a good way. Mental illness/ disorders in my opinion is a very serious subject and I would like to write about it. I would like to be given the chance to explain different things about mental illnesses / disorders, why they are around and the effect of them as well. I want to explain to certain people that not everything they hear or read about on mental illnesses/ disorders is true, most of them are myths,  created by some sort of advertising, television shows, articles on the internet ect... Mental illnesses/ disorders are still to this day misunderstood by very many people, not everyone understands how people with mental illnesses/ disorders see, think or feel. They don't always see the same things or see the same way as non-mental illness/ disorders people do. They don't always think the same way either, they could possibly think the complete opposite as non-mental illness/ disorders people do. Not very many people with mental illnesses/ disorders feel exactly how non-mental illness/ disorders people would feel; sometimes they can feel the complete opposite. Those are things from my perspective that more people around the world need to understand about people with mental illnesses/ disorders.