Dealing with Natural Disasters from a Mental Health perspective

Natural disasters are an inevitable part of human life. It is therefore important to learn from previous disasters as a way of preparedness to manage the aftermath of such disasters.

As disasters increase worldwide, there is greater need for effective and expedient disaster mental health response. In the last two years we have had two major world disasters in the Asian continent; the Tsunami in South East Asia and the other earthquake in China. Lately we have had more earthquakes in world, the worst of which is the one the world is dealing with currently in Haiti.

In America there have been tornadoes and fires that have caused loss of lives and left many devastated. One can therefore say that we live in a very troubled world today. While the effect of personal crisis is nonetheless painful or traumatic for the individual, the disasters that occur on a larger scale may need a different approach from the mental health professional. In the case of a huge disaster, the environment could be best described as chaotic.

In an article titled “Survivors of Natural Disasters and Mass violence” the authors consider three issues often asked by survivors which are; what psychological problems one is likely to experience as a result of surviving a disaster, 2ndly, factors increasing the risk of readjustment problems, and 3rdly things survivors can do to reduce the risk of negative psychological consequences and how best to recover from disaster stress.

The authors of the article discuss these issues at length and suggest that matters that may increase risks of adjustments problems are witnessing or experiencing the following events:

1) Life threatening danger or physical harm (especially to children)

2) Loss of loved ones and friends

3) Exposure to gruesome death, bodily injury, or dead or maimed bodies

4) Extreme environmental or human violence or destruction

5) Loss of home, valued possessions, neighborhood, or community

6) Loss of communication with or support from close relations

7) Intense emotional demands (e.g., rescue personnel and caregivers searching for possibly dying survivors or interacting with bereaved family members)

8) Extreme fatigue, weather exposure, hunger, or sleep deprivation

9) Extended exposure to danger, loss, emotional/physical strain

10) Exposure to toxic contamination such as gas or fumes, chemicals, radioactivity (Young, Bruce et al,2007)

Read more: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/232732_dealing-with-natural-disasters-from-a-mental-health-perspective#ixzz0xdyatLiM

The Causes, diagnosis and treatment of autistic Disorder

Autism is the most common condition in a group of developmental disorders known as the autism spectrum disorders (ASDs).

Autism is characterized by impaired social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, unusual, repetitive, or severely limited activities and interests. Males are four times more likely to have autism than females. It is estimated that three to six out of every 1,000 children in the United States have autism, and the number of diagnosed cases is rising. It is still not clear whether this is due to better detection and reporting of autism, a real increase in the number of cases, or both.

Common Signs of Autism:

There are three distinctive behaviors that characterize autism. Autistic children have difficulties with social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and repetitive behaviors or narrow, obsessive interests. These behaviors can range in impact from mild to disabling. The hallmark feature of autism is impaired social interaction. Parents are usually the first to notice symptoms of autism in their child.

As early as infancy, a baby with autism may be unresponsive to people or focus intently on one item to the exclusion of others for long periods of time. A child with autism may appear to develop normally and then withdraw and become indifferent to social engagement. They may also fail to respond to their name and often avoid eye contact with other people.

Autistic children have difficulty interpreting what others are thinking or feeling because they cannot understand social cues, such as tone of voice or facial expressions, and do not watch other people’s faces for clues about appropriate behavior. Many children with autism engage in repetitive movements such as rocking and twirling, or in self-abusive behavior such as biting or head-banging.

These children may not know how to play interactively with other children. Some speak in a sing-song voice about a narrow range of favorite topics, with little regard for the interests of the person to whom they are speaking. They have a reduced sensitivity to pain, but are abnormally sensitive to sound, touch, or other sensory stimulation. These unusual reactions may contribute to behavioral symptoms such as a resistance to being cuddled or hugged.

Those born with the disorder appear to have a higher than normal risk for certain co-existing conditions, including fragile X syndrome (which causes mental retardation), tuberous sclerosis (in which tumors grow on the brain), epileptic seizures, Tourette syndrome, learning disabilities, and attention deficit disorder. For reasons that are still unclear, about 20 to 30 percent of children with autism develop epilepsy by the time they reach adulthood.

Read more: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/232698_the-causes-diagnosis-and-treatment-of-autistic-disorder#ixzz0xdvK9nZY

How to stay mentally healthy as you age

As one ages certain factors concerning one's health, in particula mental health become a reality. Aging however affects each individual differently. Some people may remain alert and active well into their 90's. Others seem old in every way as early as their 60's

Some factors that influence the attitudes and behaviors of older people include:

• Personality
• Physical, mental and emotional health
• Intellectual functioning
• Economic and environmental limitations
• Family relationships
• Inner motivation

These factors ultimately affect an older person's overall mental health, causing or complicating one of several mental disorders.  Mental health issues that may occur may include,

Depression:  Depression is a very common mental disorder in the aging population.  Depression is caused by a number of factors, from chemical imbalances to environmental influences, mostly isolation which the elderly population is prone to. Other factors could be loss of a dream or guilt.

Dementia:   Only a small portion of the aging population, roughly 10 percent, suffers from dementia. Dementia is a disorder marked by memory impairment and intellectual decline and changes in comprehension and judgment, language, recognition, behavior and personality. While these symptoms are sometimes thought of as typical signs of growing old, in reality they reflect underlying illnesses. 

Some conditions that cause dementia include: Alzheimer's disease, stroke, brain infections and tumors, Parkinson's or Huntington's disease, depression, nutritional disorders, excessive medication, and alcoholism. Not all these conditions associated with dementia are progressive; they can be stopped or even reversed. It is therefore important that a physician complete a thorough dementia evaluation

Staying Mentally Alert:

Although most of us are likely to develop some loss of mental acuity as we age, thankfully, it is not destined to be noticeable. The belief that mental decline as we age is inevitable has been dispelled. Recent research has found that despite the brain becoming smaller and lighter as we grow older, it is more resilient and adaptable than once thought. As some cells die, their role is taken up by others. Given the opportunity, the brain is capable of creating new connections between cells, thus allowing it to remain sharp and alert all of our life. To be able to retain the brains resilience certain activities are needed like,

 Stimulating the brain:
The more you keep your brain challenged the more you protect it against the effects of aging. Although the amount or specific type of intellectual activity to accomplish this has not been identified, according to available evidence, an extraordinary amount of effort is not likely to be required to ward off or even reverse mental decline. While any mentally challenging activity practiced with frequency is seen as beneficial, playing board games, a musical instrument, doing crossword puzzles and reading have been identified as being particularly advantageous.

Other activities that can help are any form of writing, traveling, learning a new language, taking part in discussion groups, taking an adult education class, joining a book club or an art programme or becoming involved in paid or volunteer work.  Lately, playing video games has been found to be stimulating and beneficial in keeping the older person mentally alert. The possibilities are seemingly infinite. The important thing is that it is stimulating, enjoyable and practiced with regularity.


Read more: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/135762_how-to-stay-mentally-healthy-as-you-age#ixzz0ww270Zq0

Marijuana and its connection with mental health, vis- a- viz schizophrenia

The use of cannabis (also known marijuana, ganja among other names) by the youth is almost fashionable.

It seems to be a cultural way of maturation but without the consideration of the consequences. Someone told me that its use is so common that those who do not smoke it are seen as the odd one out in most colleges. My main concern is the effect it has on the mental health of these young people.  This issue became of importance to me when two young people close two me ended up having mental issue in their late teens. Both were users of marijuana before the mental break up. I decided to do some investigation to find out whether there was any research on this issue. My investigation did confirm that there is indeed research confirming my suspicion. 

The use of street drugs, including LSD, methamphetamine, cannabis and alcohol has been linked with significantly increased probability of developing schizophrenia. This link has been documented in over 30 different scientific studies done mostly in the United Kingdom, Australia and Sweden over the past 20 years. One study interviewed 50,000 members of the Swedish Army about their drug consumption and followed up with them later in life. The study established that those who were heavy consumers of cannabis at age 18 were over 60% more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia over the next 15 years than those who did not take it. Experts now estimate that between 8% and 13 % of all schizophrenia cases are linked to cannabis use during teen years.

Many of these research studies indicate that the risk is higher when the drugs are used by people under the age of 21 years, a time when the human brain is developing rapidly and is particularly vulnerable. This risk is highest on people with a biological disposition towards schizophrenia. Researchers in New Zealand found that those who used cannabis by the age of 15 were more than three times more likely to develop mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. Other similar research has backed these findings showing that cannabis use increases the risk of psychosis by up to 70% for heavy users, and that the risk increases in proportion to the amount of cannabis used. The younger a person smokes or uses cannabis, the higher the risk for schizophrenia, and the worse the schizophrenia is when the person does develop it.

Read more: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/185921_marijuana-whats-next#ixzz0ww18X51J

Let Conscience and though direct the abortion debate

The debate on abortion is one that seems to divide people based on values expressed as rights. Some people cling on rights of the person aborting (prochoice) while others think of the rights of the unborn child (prolife). The prochoice and the prolife go at each other on an issue that to me is a moral issue. Some moral issues although universal, need to have meaning for the individual to be of any effect.


According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008, abortion is the “expulsion of the products of conception before the embryo or fetus is viable. Any interruption of human pregnancy prior to the 28th week is known as abortion. The term spontaneous abortion, or miscarriage, is used to signify delivery of a nonviable embryo or fetus due to fetal or maternal factors, as opposed to purposely induced abortion. Therapeutic abortion is an induced abortion performed to preserve the health or life of the mother.”


If this definition is to be accepted, then it seems there are two types of abortion. One done purposely because the mother wants to regardless of the reason and the other one is done on the recommendation of a doctor with the aim of preserving the health or life of the mother. The word “viable” in this case connotes “capable of living outside the uterus”. We all know that it takes 9 months of pregnancy for a child to be fully matured for birth. Note I use the word child because as far as I am concerned once conception takes place then the child starts developing until he/she is ready to be born.

To justify abortion many try to deny the fact that the foetus is human and therefore deserving protection. Abortion is therefore seen as an easy way out for a woman who is faced with a dilemma of being pregnant but not wanting to carry the child to term. Many times I have heard people say it is just a mass of blood and so it is okay. This is the greatest deception that people have fallen into. I went for a scan when I was 10 weeks pregnant with my son and I was shocked to see all his features developed and him very active in my womb. Yet I was told he was only the size of a pea.


Read more: http://socyberty.com/issues/let-conscience-and-thought-direct-the-abortion-debate/

Integration Of Psychology And Theology: A Critique

Martin & Deidre Bobgan, in their book "psychoHeresy: The psychological seduction of Christianity", 1987, deals with the areas of concern for Christians concerning integration of psychology and theology.


They talk of four myths about psychology in the church that have led Christians to believe that there is a need for psychological intervention.


The four Myths are:

a) Psychotherapy is a science - a means of understanding and helping humanity based on empirical evidence from measurable consistent data

b) The best kind of counseling utilizes both psychology and the Bible.

c) People who are experiencing mental-emotional behavioral problems are mentally ill - they are psychological sick and therefore need psychological therapy

d) Psychotherapy has a high record of success compared to Biblical counseling

Is Psychology a Religion?


Martin & Deidre Bobgan argues that “since God’s word tell us how to live, all ideas about the why’s of behavior and how's of change must be viewed as religious in nature” (Psychoheresy: the Psycho seduction of Christianity, 1987). While the Bible claims divine revelation, psychotherapy claims scientific substantiation. When it comes to behavior and other attitudes, morals and values, we are dealing with religion. According to them Psychotherapy haunts the church because “it is perceived as a scientific salve for the sick soul, than for what it truly is; a pseudoscientific substitute system of religious belief”.

Neil T. Anderson, Julianne S Zuehlke and Terry Zuehlke also support this view in their book Christ centered therapy: The practical integration of Theology and Psychology 1987. They state that Psychotherapists and other health professionals have become the “primary caregivers and dispensers of moral guidance in our society” (Neil T Anderson et al p. 18). David Nobel, as quoted by Neil t. Anderson et al, states “trying to separate the sacred from the secular is like trying to sear the soul from the body-we must recognize that all world views have religious implications” (Neil t Anderson et al p. 38)


Read more at http://www.bukisa.com/articles/273010_integration-of-psychology-and-theology-a-critique

A commentary on Viktor E. Frankl’s book “Man’s search for meaning”

Man’s search for meaning is a narration of one man’s experience inside a concentration camp and the fight for existence.

This is not a book, in my experience, that one can read in a sitting as a narration of an event that took place in the past. Although written by a humanist, the writer found the principles that the author highlights, are basic Biblical principles. This writer had to pause on many occasions to reflect on the magnitude of the events taking place at the concentration camp. At times the writer found herself crying with the prisoners as she imagined their torture. As the writer read the book, many times she had to pause to reflect on her own life and some of the challenges she had encountered. This led to a realization that all her experiences served a purpose.


As the writer read through the pages, she realized that she had been asking the wrong questions about her life. Everything in life happens for a reason; even suffering can define our destiny. Indeed Christ identified His destiny as dying for the salvation of the human race and found meaning in it. The only thing that we truly own and are masters of is our will. Anything else can be taken away or restored but once we lose our will to live we lose everything.


For full reading turn to http://www.bukisa.com/articles/249873_a-commentary-on-viktor-e-frankls-book-mans-search-for-meaning