PSY 350 by Chris Miller https://padlet.com/chrismiller2022/ch8f3vy65son en-us 2018-10-09 21:27:16 UTC 2018-11-25 20:25:29 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Babyhead.png Padlet #1 Illness Anxiety Disorder chrismiller2022 https://padlet.com/chrismiller2022/ch8f3vy65son/wish/291013226 Hypochondriasis is not an actual diagnosis according to the DSM-5. The diagnosis for Hypochondriasis has been split into two separate diagnoses, Illness Anxiety Disorder and Somatic Symptom Disorder. Approximately 75% of the previously individuals diagnosed with Hypochondriasis are now considered to have Illness Anxiety Disorder and the remaining 25% are diagnosed with Somatic Symptom Disorder. This clip is from a movie called The Switch and this man, played by Jason Bateman is looking after his best friend's kid. They start to see things they have in common throughout their day together. The child is very inquisitive and asks questions all through the movie. He worries about a lot of things he really does not need to worry about for being such a young child which leads to him asking questions like he does about something like Parkinson's Disease. When Wally (the man) tells Sebastian he has worried about Hypondria. He briefly explains that it means you worry about diseases that you do not actually have. Sebastian hears this and thinks he has that disease because he has been worrying about diseases the whole movie. This movie came out before the DSM-5 came out with the updated diagnosis of the conditions related to Hypochondria and Illness Anxiety Disorder. Since there is some overlap, some of the criteria still show in this short clip. The diagnostic criteria for Illness Anxiety Disorder begins with a preoccupation with having or acquiring a serious illness (American Psychological Association [APA], 2013). This is not very evident in this clip but it seems to be in the rest of the film. The second criteria is that Somatic Symptoms are not present or are only mild (APA, 2013, p. 351), which seems to be the case here. The third criteria is that there is a high level of anxiety about health and the individual is easily alarmed about personal health status (APA, 2013, p. 351). Sebastian is very clearly alarmed by the description and believes that he has Hypochondria, which is both comedic and ironic. The fourth criteria, not evident in this clip, is that the individual needs to perform excessive health-related behaviors or show maladaptive avoidance (APA, 2013, p. 351). This illness preoccupation must be present for at least 6 months but the fear does not have to be on the same illness over the course of time. The preoccupation must also not be better explained by another mental disorder. Somatic Symptom Disorder, Panic Disorder, GAD, body dysmorphic disorder, OCD all may explain the fear or worry of the illness (APA, 2013, p. 351). 

The clip does not spend much time going into incredible detail explaining the ins and outs of the disease but wraps it up in what is somewhat common knowledge about the disorder. By simply leaving the description at "you think you have a disease that you don't actually have," it oversimplifies the disease to a degree. This leaves out all the information about the effects of having the disorder, how debilitating it can be and how it changes life for those individuals suffering. This description misses the level of anxiety produced by the fear of having other illnesses. It also misses the levels of activity that arise from trying to avoid contracting illnesses and getting sick and the coping behaviors like excessive washing of hands, avoiding or over-scheduling of doctor appointments. It also misses the point that sometimes it is natural to be health conscious and worried about being sick with something. Once that fear persists for 6 months, it is a real disorder. I do not think there are many stereotypes on display in this media source, other than simplifying it to just a non-diagnosed feeling and comparing that to actually having the disease. ]]> 2018-10-09 21:41:43 UTC https://padlet.com/chrismiller2022/ch8f3vy65son/wish/291013226 Padlet #2 Dissociative Identity Disorder chrismiller2022 https://padlet.com/chrismiller2022/ch8f3vy65son/wish/292336765 Dissociative Identity Disorder, formerly known as Multiple-Personality disorder, is a disorder characterized by the presence of two or more definitive personality states. The level of ‘possession,’ described by a person’s sense of identity is replaced, and the level of distinction between the multiple personalities can vary from case to case. This clip is from the movie, Split, where the actor James McAvoy plays the role of a man with 23 clear personalities, who has kidnapped three girls. Some of these personalities are shown more than others in the movie, with the focused ones being named Dennis, Patricia, Kevin, Hedwig, The Beast, and Barry. The man’s name is Kevin and he sees a therapist throughout the movie, but Kevin’s personality is not in control anymore and is oblivious to the kidnapping. According to the DSM-5, the first diagnostic criterion for Dissociative Identity Disorder states that a disruption of identity must occur. This disruption is characterized by two or more personality states, described by possession, and involves marked discontinuity in sense of self and sense of agency. This discontinuity is represented by changes in affect, behavior, consciousness, memory, perception, cognition and sensory/motor functioning (American Psychological Association [APA], 2013). In this clip, this is very evident in the main character. You can very obviously see the changes in personality and possession and these changes are made clear by the voices, way he treats the girl, the perspective on what is happening and even his body language. The second criterion is that there have to be recurrent gaps in the recall of everyday events, personal information and/or traumatic events (APA, 2013, p. 292). Going off this scene and some context from the rest of the film, I believe there are some things that are unknown by other personalities within the character but some others that are being communicated between them, so they are still aware of some events and thoughts. The third criterion is that symptoms must cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning (APA, 2013, p. 292). Although there is no diagnosing or clinical treatment in this scene specifically, it is obvious to the viewer that he needs some kind of help for what he is going through, and since he is being treated by a therapist in other scenes in the movie, his symptoms do seem clinically significant. The fourth criterion is that the disturbance is not a normal part of a broad religious or cultural practice (APA, 2013, p. 292). As the main character is not a child playing pretend, and he does not ever mention religion or anything of the sort in the movie, I do not think this can be considered to be met in this scene. The final criterion is that the symptoms are not attributable to the physiological effects of a substance or another medical condition (APA, 2013, p. 292). Based off this scene, it is hard to determine whether this display of DID can be explained by other means. 
               I have never personally come into contact with anybody suffering from this disorder but based strictly on the criteria from the DSM-5, this portrayal seems to be rather accurate. The different personality types are clear and definitive and are taking possession of the host/individual repeatedly from the other personality states. These different personalities display different modes of thinking, behaviors and emotions and it seems to be causing a lot of distress to the individual which leads me to believe it is an accurate display of Dissociative Identity Disorder. I think there are a few stereotypes in this clip. The first stereotype that I see in this clip and the movie as a whole is exactly how different the personalities are. They all dress very different and talk different and even have different health conditions. This may be the case in some instances, but I believe it is a little overdramatized. I also think that it is probably a misconception the personalities know each other and communicate with each other regularly. Again, this is not a portrayal of an average, regular case of Dissociative Identity Disorder, so the movie does not say that every case is like this, but this case is a special one. 

]]> 2018-10-12 19:33:48 UTC https://padlet.com/chrismiller2022/ch8f3vy65son/wish/292336765 Padlet #3 Major Depressive Disorder chrismiller2022 https://padlet.com/chrismiller2022/ch8f3vy65son/wish/300128056 Major Depressive Disorder is characterized by the occurrence of at least one major depressive episode (of 2 week duration) and no history of mania or hypomania. While a song's lyrics can be somewhat vague, it is clear that there is some kind of depressive symptoms on display in this song by The Strumbellas, "Spirits." The individual suffering with Major Depressive Disorder would have a depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day. Other mood related symptoms can be sadness, emptiness, worthlessness, apathy and hopelessness. The song mentions that the "spirits" and the "guns" in their head wont leave and that they are "lost and cant be found," it seems that they are hopeless about these thoughts or voices in their head. There must be a markedly diminished interest in daily activities, which is not really mentioned in the song. Significant weight loss or gain, or decrease or increase in appetite, which is also not shown in the song. Insomnia or hypersomnia must be present nearly every day, which could be seen in the line about spending a lot of nights on the run, but it is unclear. Psychomotor agitation or retardation must be present everyday and be observable by others, and this criteria is not met in the song. Fatigue or loss of energy must be evident nearly every day, which is not mentioned in the lyrics. Diminished ability to concentrate or feelings of indecisiveness must be present nearly every day. The incessant spirits and guns in the head may be a sign of diminished concentration but it is unclear. Lastly, suicidal ideation or recurrent thoughts of death would be criteria and although the lyrics do not go into detail about the meaning of "guns" in the head, but there seems to be a specific connotation with that word. The lyrics also say "I don't want to see another night...Lost inside a lonely life while I'm here," which sounds pessimistic and suicidal. 


The song does not go into specific detail about any of the descriptions of symptoms and does not actually mention anything about depression. Though the it was not the purpose of the song to describe and talk about depression, it only skims the surface of it. It keeps a lot of meaning still with the brief overview of some of the feelings of what it is like to be in a dark place in life. One of the most important lyrics in the song, I have not mentioned yet says, "And I don't want a never-ending life...I just want to be alive while I'm here." This does a really great job of capturing an overarching theme of depression in a very mainstream, non-clinical form. Those suffering from Major Depressive Disorder must feel like their life is being taken away in some form because of all the symptoms and criteria they meet and how debilitating they can be. Because of the brief nature of the song, it is hard to see many stereotypes in the song. One stereotype that seems to be addressed is the stereotype that depression is not a really a real illness. There is a lyric in the song that says, "Cause something inside has changed...and maybe we dont wanna stay the same." For those suffering from depression, something has psychologically and physiologically changed in that individual and they can not just get better. It is a real illness and has real, significant effects on the individual's life that can be harmful and debilitating. 

]]> 2018-11-04 01:37:15 UTC https://padlet.com/chrismiller2022/ch8f3vy65son/wish/300128056 Padlet #4 Substance-Use Disorder chrismiller2022 https://padlet.com/chrismiller2022/ch8f3vy65son/wish/303097912 An critical feature of Substance-Use Disorder is a combination of cognitive, behavioral and physiological symptoms that are essentially ignored by the individual. This is an article documenting Josh Gordon, NFL Wide Receiver, and his battle with substance abuse. Criterion 1 in the DSM 5 is that the individual may take the substance in larger amounts over a longer period of time than intended. Gordon used xanex, codeine and marijuana starting in middle school and has never really gone very long without marijuana since. He was bale to get away with smoking it and doing other drugs in college because of his coaches. He was clean his rookie season in the NFL in 2012 but was suspended for a few games before his 2013 and 2014 seasons. He was suspended the entire 2015 season and did not take part in the 2016 season because he was in rehab. This is still an ongoing problem for him. Criterion 2 is that the individual wants to cut down on usage but has been unsuccessful in the attempts to. This is what has happened many times with Gordon, as stated above. He tried to quit each year but would end up failing a drug test at some point. He did check himself into rehab which shows the desire to stop. Criterion 3 is that the individual spends considerable time obtaining, using or recovering from the effects. In College, Gordon made $10,000 a month dealing weed, so he must have spent a lot of time getting all the weed he needed to sell. He also has missed so many games in his career due to the long lasting effects of his decisions to smoke again. Criterion 4 states that there is an intense desire to use again at any time, but especially when in an environment familiar to that act. I cant speak to where Gordon gets his drugs, but since he has been arrested and suspended so many times, I am sure it is hard for him to resist those urges. Criterion 5 is that the individual may suffer from a failure to fulfill role obligations like work, which is clear with how many games he has been suspended for in his career. Criterion 6 is that the individual continues to use, despite the recurrent problems caused by the usage and effects. Criterion 7 is that important social, occupational or recreational activities may be given up or reduced because of usage, which could probably be said for Gordon when he missed the whole 2016 season voluntarily to check into rehab. Criterion 8 is that the usage may take place in risky situations. Gordon's suspension in 2014 came from a DWI, which is extremely risky and dangerous to himself and others. Criterion 9 is not necessarily present, as it states that "The individual may continue substance use despite knowledge of having a persistent or recurrent physical or psychological problem that is likely to have been caused or exacerbated by the substance" and I cant see any real physical or psychological problems stemming directly from he usage. Criterion 10 is about tolerance, whether the individual needs an increased dose to get the desired effect. There is nothing mentioned in the article specifically about how much he was using, in way to determine if he meets this criteria or not. The same can be said about Criterion 11, which is about withdrawal. It is hard to determine how much Gordon has been affected by symptoms of withdrawal. 

The article very accurately describes the effects of Gordon's battle with substance use but does not really go into detail about the actual things looked at in the DSM, or the real effects of the substance abuse on the human, Josh Gordon. It really only worries about him in a football sense and how many games he has missed and why he might be able to come back if he can stay clean. That being said, reading this, it is very clear that he must be very addicted because in a way, he is throwing away many opportunities for a great professional football career. The article also does a good job of not stereotyping Gordon as just another pothead black, football player. It shows all sides of the story, including his desire to stop and his ability to recognize the effects that it has had and what he has had to lose. The article also fails to recognize that when someone is this addicted to a substance, in this instance being marijuana, that it is near impossible to stop and that is a difficult thing to deal with as a human. Paul says, "why do I do the things I hate?" and that has been a common theme in humanity. Gordon shows remorse and wants to be better and has made strides to do that.]]> 2018-11-12 03:27:48 UTC https://padlet.com/chrismiller2022/ch8f3vy65son/wish/303097912 Padlet #5 Gender Dysphoria chrismiller2022 https://padlet.com/chrismiller2022/ch8f3vy65son/wish/306858244
  • Gender Dysphoria is marked by distress and impairment in functioning due to a marked incongruence between an expressed gender and an assigned gender. This poem on Gender Dysphoria speaks about how this Dysphoria is less of a terrible thing to deal with, and more of a part of life as a whole. Gender Dysphoria in adults requires at least two of six symptoms for at least 6 months duration. The first of these six is a marked incongruence between ones gender and primary or secondary sex characteristics. The poem addresses this by mentioning that they have “all the wrong body parts enhanced in my vision.” The second criteria is a strong desire to be rid of ones primary and or secondary sex characteristics because of this incongruence. The poem talks about saving up money to spend on ways to get rid of these characteristics they dont want, which would represent that desire. The third criteria is a strong desire for the sex characteristics of the other gender, which is also shown in the previous two examples from the poem I have already mentioned. The next two criteria are a strong desire to be of the other gender, and to be treated as the other gender. These are hard to find in the poem specifically but seem to be observed at least fractionally in the other criteria. The last criteria is a strong conviction that one has the typical feelings and reactions of the other gender, which is not obviously represented in the poem. 
  • This poem does not represent this Diagnosis extremely thoroughly, which is to be expected. It does a decent job at describing the symptoms well enough o get a good understanding and background of the main point of the poem. The poem shows the intrusive nature of Gender Dysphoria, the long lasting and multifaceted effects that reach many other aspects of life, such as getting dressed in the morning and money saving habits. It also really shows how much it can affect the everyday life and self esteem of those dealing with Gender Dysphoria. The poem is ended by saying that it might just be a part of that person, not just something they have todeal  with. I think this is an interesting way of looking at it and may be a healthy coping mechanism in a society that isn’t as accepting as it maybe should be. Some common stereotypes about gender Dysphoria are that the body and mind are conflicting and that this conflict can be overcome by just sticking with the assigned gender. Gender Dysphoria is not a case of being a tomboy, and its not just a phase. This is not something that you can just ‘stick out,’ like the common cold or a broken arm. For those who meet the criteria, this is a lifechanging part of life. The poem does touch on the warfare that goes on in those with Gender Dysphoria but it is less of a debate between the mind and the body and more of an intrinsic debate in the mind and while dealing with the body. These thoughts, and feelings of worthlessness and outcast are so intrusive and constant that it is a huge weight on the shoulders of these people. I think another, more uncommon, maybe even an unconscious misconception by some that is addressed in the poem is that everything is okay after a sex change is made. The poem asks if it will veer truly leave, even after every shot and incision. This really is something that is lifelong and something that is not easily dealt with and I believe outsiders take this too lightly and are too hard on those who do deal with Gender Dysphoria.
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