Difference Between Cartesian Dualism

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) was once considered a rare disease, but today, it is one of the most prevalent psychological disorders present among society. OCD is described as “intrusive thoughts or images (obsessions), which increase anxiety, and by repetitive or ritualistic actions (compulsions), which decrease anxiety” (Stein, 2002). In the DSM-IV, Obsessive compulsive disorder can be diagnosed through observable behaviours or repetitive mental habits. Symptoms include; the constant washing of hands, and/or fears concerning danger to others or to self – resulting in frequent paranoia. OCD has been linked with lesions in various neurological circuits of the brain due to the consumption of dopamine agonists (for example, cocaine). In order for obsessive compulsive disorder to take clinical significance, dysfunction and distress must follow symptoms. The treatment of OCD was initially developed in the Freudian era, as psychoanalytical treatment was seen as the most effective treatment at the time for mind management. Conversely, recent empirical evidence proved otherwise. Pharmacological therapy and cognitive-behavioural therapy, also known as systematic desensitization are nowadays the most prominent remedies used in treating obsessive compulsive disorder.

OCD is “a phrase that gets to the existential core of worry, a clenched, demonic doubting that overrides evidence, empiricism, plain common sense” (Slater234). The meme theory states that a meme consists of “everything that is passed from person to person” (Blackmore 37). In “Strange Creatures” by Susan Blackmore and “Who Holds the Clicker?” by Lauren Slater both authors discuss the control humans have over their minds. In “Who Holds the Clicker” Lauren Slater discusses DBS (deep brain simulation), which is a type of psychosurgery in which electrical impulses are sent to certain portions of the brain to control and change the emotions one feels. She discusses both the positive and negatives of deep brain simulation through a specific patient named Mario and also presents the control DBS can have over one’s mind. Similarly, Blackmore in “Strange Creatures” discusses the meme theory, which consists of any idea that is passed down from person to person. Both authors provide information that allows people to draw conclusions relating to why people do not have control over their minds. Even though some people believe that humans do have control over their minds, Blackmore and Slater both successfully portray that in actuality humans do not have any control over their minds because human thoughts and ideas are unoriginal products of external forces, many human thoughts occur at deeper level of consciousness, and

One of the more compelling theories of the cause of OCD is the serotonin theory. Two different theories based on serotonin are more prominent than the rest. Giddens (2009) explains the theory by stating that OCD is caused from a lack of a chemical substance called serotonin (a neurotransmitter). Her theory is supported by the use of drugs that increase the amount of serotonin in the brain which relieve many symptoms of OCD. On the other hand, Penzel (2000) describes the serotonin theory as a disrupted transmission of serotonin. When the serotonin is being returned to it’s vesicle chamber, the last step of neural-transmission takes place prematurely, which then causes a brain dysfunction and forms compulsions. Though both serotonin theories do not agree with each other, both theories argue on behalf of nature in the nature versus nurture debate since serotonin and the lack or faulty

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a debilitating neuropsychiatric disorder with a lifetime prevalence of 2 to 3 percent and is estimated to be the 10th leading cause of disability in the world. Patients with OCD experience recurrent, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and/or repetitive, stereotyped behaviors (compulsions) that last for at least one hour per day and significantly interfere with the individual 's normal level of functioning. The intrusive obsessional thoughts

Method A, with a total of 40 inpatients (32 females (80 %); mean age=31.25 years) suffering from OCD were randomly assigned to a treatment (administration of additional memantine) or a control group (which was the placebo). The treatment had lasted for 12 consecutive weeks, and all patients were treated with selective serotonin inhibitors, or clomipramine. The patients had to complete the Yale–Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale four times.

the more common and serious mental conditions. Studies conducted in the field of OCD have

Although the Stanford School of Medicine has been able to vouch for the imminent rise of numerous viable medicines – both pharmacological and psycho-therapeutic – medicinal experts are still faced with two main obstacles: to first make these treatments available to all OCD patients; and, second, successfully dissect the scientific background of the disorder well enough to alleviate the manifestation of symptoms present in the sufferer, and conclusively, impede its event. However, before we can potentially pioneer any remedy, it is crucial to understand the etiology behind

Presently, the most valid explanation appears to be a combination of both biological and psychological factors. Genetic elements contributing to the illness is also highly possible since research studies reports a strong link between OCD and familial patterns. Furthermore, using cognitive behavioral therapy appears to be the best and common treatment, as well as the use of prescribed pharmacological drugs. But perhaps a combination of both treatments can prove most beneficial. While, the controversial treatment of GVC radiation brain surgery might be a new way of treating patients with OCD, it has the potential to be the most effective treatment by eliminating the use of drugs and therapy. Lastly, to determine the severity of this illness, the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) scores sufferers of OCD from either 0-7 (sub-clinical) to 32-40 (extreme), which shows that the condition can be managed and treated. Unfortunately for some, like billionaire Howard Hughes, living with the physical complications of severe enduring obsessive-compulsive disorder can produce severe health consequences that could seriously affect a person’s

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is known as the incessant of distressing thoughts or images which is known to be the (obsessions) or overt or convert the behaviors (or the mental rituals) that are aimed to help reduce anxiety (compulsions). This disorder has an effect on 1-2% of children and adults, that ranges up to 80% for adults that report of having symptoms onset prior to the young age of 18 years. It’s is known that without the appropriate type of intervention, the symptoms of OCD have an intensity to run a chronic course through childhood into adulthood. For Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder can contribute to considerable impairments that come across multiple domains of functioning, resulting in having to go through effective and

OCD is comprised of several different factors including those on the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale which are: the amount of time spent on compulsions, inference caused by compulsions to one’s daily activities, the distress caused by compulsions, the ability to resist the compulsion, and the control over the compulsion. By knowing which one of these factors are incorrectly represented by the model, one could work towards augmenting the model in such a way that it better depicts the symptoms and effects of OCD. Theoretically, this augmented model could be used to further research the implications of OCD and possibly develop methods or tools to assist those who suffer from the

Functionalism, one of the most influential and widespread theories of mind of our day, proposes a model of human behaviour based on the way certain inputs are processed when the mind is in a given state, to yield certain outputs. This theory concerns itself only what mental states do, rather than the substance with which they are made, or whether they exist at all; this is called ‘multiple realizability’. In other words, the theory is ontologically modest, or flexible, and this enables functionalism to stay compatible with Cartesian dualism or monisms like materialism, an advantage when other theories lose followers due to their ontological preconceptions. The other notable strength functionalism claims is that it avoids some of the pitfalls of its counterpart theory, behaviourism. However each of these apparent strengths has flaws, both in and of themselves and in comparison to other theories of mind. These strengths and their flaws will be assessed in this essay, but allow me first to outline what the functionalist theory of mind proposes.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder, often referred to as simply OCD, is a mental illness in which an individual experiences endless cycles of repeated thoughts and rituals, known as obsessions and compulsions, which she feels she cannot control (1). Although many people possess habits and routines that help them organize their every day schedules, people with OCD form patterns of behavior that are extremely time-consuming and interfere with their daily lives. Once believed to be a rare and incurable disease which people kept hidden for fear of embarrassment (2), OCD is now recognized as being far more common than previously

The intricate design of the human brain encompassing the neocortex lobes, the elaborate web of synapses and the fundamental cerebellum is increasingly relevant to contemporary clinical and psychological developments. There is nothing greater than the mystery that masquerades the convoluted nature of the human brain and thus studying psychology has always been of great appeal to me. Having read “Is That My Child: A Guide to Dyspraxia, Dyslexia, ADD, ADHD, OCD and Tourette's syndrome”, I have gauged an understanding into the fragility of the human mind and how each segment plays a vital part in the functioning of the human body. Having experienced a close family member suffer with a neurological disorder, my desire to gain an extensive knowledge of the subject has

435). The openness of this definition distances itself from the essentialist idea of disorders having a singular cause. Furthermore, it researches symptoms’ clustering in ways that resemble a hierarchical model and explores the interconnectivity of mental disorders. This exploration of interconnectivity provokes investigation into “the full range of variation ‘in disorders and behavior “from normal to abnormal.” (Cuthbert & Insel, 2003, p.5). The RDoC also introduces increased focus onto biological components constructing mental disorders; in this way, it aspires towards empirical validity while continuing to focus on individual manifestations of mental disorders and the biological causes of the differences between the manifestations (Krueger & Deyoung, 2016). However, although this individualistic approach embodies a practical approach to finding a treatment and introduces the opportunity for precision medicine, it does make a difficult standard for making the diagnoses themselves. The RDoC also has limitations in that: it’s not a falsifiable system, it focuses too much on convergent validity, and it may focus too much on the biological markers of a mental disorder (Lilienfeld & Treadway, 2016). For this reason, RDoC has its best use in research or as a supplementary resource to identifying a disorder.

Obsessive compulsive disorder is a disease that many people know of, but few people know about. Many people associate repeated washing of hands, or flicking of switches, and even cleanliness with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), however there are many more symptoms, and there are also explanations for those symptoms. In this paper, I will describe what obsessive compulsive disorder is, explain some of the effects of it, and explain why it happens. I will also attempt to prove that while medication doesn’t cure OCD, it vastly improves one’s quality of life. Furthermore I intend to show that behavior therapy (cognitive based therapy) is another useful tool in helping a person to overcome their OCD.