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Essay On History Of Mental Illness
Essay On History Of Mental Illness
Essay On History Of Mental Illness
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Psychiatry
Introduction
Psychiatry in a nutshell is the fundamental of how to treat mental illnesses, emotional disturbances and abnormal behavior. Psychology and psychiatry go hand in hand, meaning that they both coincide with mental health problems and emotional occurrences. Being a psychiatrist means that that someone would talk to patients and reason with them, about things they do in their life and how they can do them better. Becoming a psychiatrist to help young adults and adults come to terms with their illnesses and some people want to help them get through everyday life.
How to Become a Psychiatrist
To become a psychiatrist, students desiring this job, would have to obtain a bachelor degree in science, a year of organic and inorganic chemistry, a year of biology, a year of mathematics and one year of physics. The student would be in school for 12 years, to learn everything about psychiatry. The student would have to obtain a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) or Doctor of Medicine (MD). To become a psychiatrist, The student would have to do the same training as a doctor would. The student will learn about the body as well as the mind and how to treat all types of illnesses. The student will have to pass internal medicine, neurology, emergency medicine and many other courses. When deciding on which sub-specialty, The student could choose between: emergency psychiatry, neuropsychiatry and many more. After acquiring a D.O. or an M.D., the student will have to spend four years in residency, which means getting hands-on experience with patients. After four years of residency the student will take a state exam and become licensed. The student will have to become certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology ...
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...d a “clerkship,” which is essentially where they study and work with psychiatrists.
History of Psychiatry
Psychiatry is one of the oldest medical methods; it is also the most exciting form of medicine. In 1812, Benjamin Rush, who was also a signer of the declaration of independence, published the first psychiatry text book in the United States (5). Recently, circa 2000s, an organization, American Psychiatric Press, is using its subsidiaries¬¬¬¬- the American Psychiatric Foundation, the American Psychiatric Institute for Research and Education, and many more- to position the organization for a greater role of advocacy. (5)
Conclusion
Psychiatry is an intensive career field to go into, but it is worth it in the end. Being a psychiatrist pays well, in it rewards your confidence in knowing that you help people on a daily basis. Psychiatry is good for everyone.
A physician has an unenviable position; he is closest to man approaching a god-like stature. And despite the demise of 'doctor knows best', we still need to trust his diagnosis-something that is increasingly difficult in a world where information is widely available, and Google substitutes for a doctor. In the case of psychiatry the issue of trust is amplified since diagnosis is based on a patient's expressed thoughts and overt behaviours rather than solely on biological phenomena. And these thoughts and behaviours are influenced by the patient's environment-a mix of his social, cultural and technological experiences.
Madness: A History, a film by the Films Media Group, is the final installment of a five part series, Kill or Cure: A History of Medical Treatment. It presents a history of the medical science community and it’s relationship with those who suffer from mental illness. The program uses original manuscripts, photos, testimonials, and video footage from medical archives, detailing the historical progression of doctors and scientists’ understanding and treatment of mental illness. The film compares and contrasts the techniques utilized today, with the methods of the past. The film offers an often grim and disturbing recounting of the road we’ve taken from madness to illness.
I firmly believe that I would be a perfect fit for the Psychiatry residency because of my dedication, experience , passion, knowledge and excellent interpersonal skills. Your residency offers many experiences, which I am looking for in a program including a variety of rotation opportunities, teaching and research experience, and a challenging environment where I can advance my skills as a Psychiatrist. I am confident that my diverse background in medicine coupled with extensive field experience in public health and clinical research will enable me to succeed in the program and excel in my career as a
As science has evolved, so have treatments for mental illnesses have over time. The medical model is described as the view that psychological disorders are medical diseases with a biological origin (King, 2010, pg. 413). Abnormal behavior that categorizes some disorders can be impacted by biological factors such as genes, psychological factors such as childhood experiences, and even sociocultural factors such as gender and race (King, 2010). Treatments such as psychosurgery (lobotomy) , drug therapy (pharmaceuticals), electroconclusive therapy, and psychoanalysis are used to treat a wide range of psychological disorders. Back then, the public’s negative views on mental illnesses also went as far to associate with the people who treated it; psychiatrists. “Nunnally (1961) found that the public evaluated professionals who treated mental disorders significantly more negatively than those who treat physical disorders,” (Phelan, Link, Stueve, & Pescosolido, 2000, pg. 189). People back then didn’t see the point in “paying to be told that they were crazy”. However, in today’s society, it is now acceptable to seek help from psychiatric professionals; we are seeing more and more people seek mental health treatment. “In terms of facility-based records of utilization (Manderscheid and Henderson 1998), the data suggest that the rate of utilization of professional mental health services has at least doubled and maybe tripled, between the 1950’s and today,” (Phelan, Link, Stueve, & Pescosolido, 2000, pg. 189). In the 1950’s, neuroleptic drugs like Thorazine were introduced to treat the symptoms of schizophrenia. These drugs block a neurotransmitter called dopamine from getting to the brain, which in turn reduce schizophrenic symptoms, however there are some side effects such as substantial twitching of the neck, arms, and legs, and even dysphoria or lack of pleasure. (King, 2010, pg.
Mental illness has been around as long as people have been. However, the movement really started in the 19th century during industrialization. The Western countries saw an immense increase in the number and size of insane asylums, during what was known as “the great confinement” or the “asylum era” (Torrey, Stieber, Ezekiel, Wolfe, Sharfstein, Noble, Flynn Criminalizing the Seriously Mentally Ill). Laws were starting to be made to pressure authorities to face the people who were deemed insane by family members and hospital administrators. Because of the overpopulation in the institutions, treatment became more impersonal and had a complex mix of mental and social-economic problems. During this time the term “psychiatry” was identified as the medical specialty for the people who had the job as asylum superintendents. These superintendents assumed managerial roles in asylums for people who were considered “alienated” from society; people with less serious conditions wer...
“To study the abnormal is the best way to study the normal” (William James). Psychiatrists never give up on any of their patients and always help anyone who asks for it. Psychiatrists have a never ending work schedule. Sometimes their patients call them even without an appointment because they are really struggling and they have to go talk to them. Psychiatrists also have to get at least eight years of school and an additional three or more years of an internship (“Career Information Center” 142- 43) . Psychiatrist must also have good communication skills. If they do not then their patient will feel like they do not care about them and they are not listening and the psychiatrists will be putting even more pain and pressure on them (Social Skills Training) . Even though psychiatrists must go through many years of school and training, all of their hard work is pays off knowing that they help people every day.
Mental illness is more common than one would like to believe. In reality, one in five Americans will suffer from a mental disorder in any given year. Though that ratio is about equivalent to more than fifty-four million people, mental illness still remains a shameful and stigmatized topic (National Institute of Mental Health, n.d.). The taboo of mental illness has an extensive and exhausting history, dating back to the beginning of American colonization. It has not been an easy road, to say the least.
In ancient times, a superstition was once believed by humans that erratic behavior was the possession of spiritually evil demons, that only wizardry or sorcery could mend and cure the mentally ill. In 1808, a man named Professor Johann Christian Reil developed a new medicine field called Psychiatry, meaning the soul or mind. Eventually, the physicians practicing this medical field were known as Psychiatrist (“History of Psychiatry”). As time passed, the field started to evolve and the knowledge expanded becoming one of the oldest medical fields still existing today (“Psychiatrist – DO/MD”). Psychiatrists are medical doctors who are experts at preventing and treating psychological illnesses such as mental disorders. A Psychiatrist is a significant aspect to the medical field because they gain insight into the human mind, specialize in varieties of mental disorders, and help humans overcome internal problems.
Doward, J. (2013), Medicine's big new battleground: does mental illness really exist? The Observer 12 May.
"Module 2: A Brief History of Mental Illness and the U.S. Mental Health Care System." Unite for Sight. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Oct. 2015.
Why would anyone in this world want to become a psychiatrist? To me I think
Mental health nurses, also called psychiatric nurses, provide support and care to people with emotional and mental disorders.” (Career Cruising) Depending on where people choose to work in mental health nursing, the duties vary; many have common goals for themselves, and their patients. “The nurses try to keep their patients safe, help them adjust to their environment, and as much as possible, help them regain their mental health. Nurses do all these things by observing, assessing, and reporting on their patients’ conditions, and by providing therapeutic care and treatment to the patients.”
There are hundreds of different careers in the medical field ranging from neurosurgeons to nurse practitioners. Psychiatry deals specifically with the diagnosis and treatment of mental, behavioral, and emotional ailments. The main purpose of a psychiatrist is to help people coop with issues and stress in their environment that make it difficult to lead a normal and healthy lifestyle. These issues may arise from abuse, addiction, mental disability, disease, or physical injury. It is the psychiatrist’s job to ensure the patient can maintain a healthy attitude and continue to provide for themselves. A Psychiatrist may choose to specialize in many sub classes of mental health including children and adolescents, geriatric psychiatry, addiction, and pain management. While requiring an intense and difficult education, the occupation in psychiatry is one that offers meaningful, fulfilling work and a high-end salary.
Even though Dr. Roy Basch moved from the BMS to study psychiatry at Mount Misery he was faced with a similar conflict: being taught conflicting methods of research. With each new rotation Roy was exposed to a different type of psychiatric research exposing him to a plethora of different ideas and theories. One of the most effective methods Roy was taught was introduced to him during his time under the care and teaching of Dr. Malik. Dr. Malik’s methods were effective because he was humble and connected with his patients as human beings, allowing them to recover because their terrifying sickness was “just apart of being human” (page 158).
Perceptions of mental health have changed dramatically since the 1800s and will continue to advance as more is learned about the human mind. Significant advancements have been made in this field, but there is still much room for progress to be made as more is learned. From barbaric assumptions about the mentally ill in the 1800s, to what is now known about mental illness and the human brain, these accomplishments can definitely be described as “one giant leap for mankind.”