Learning how to drive a straight drive (manual) was probably one of my biggest learning experiences. Driving taught me a lot. Of course, it taught me how to drive but it also taught me a really important lesson about life. It showed me how to step back and take life in a different aspect when I needed to do so. I also learned I couldn’t also be too sure of myself but I that I needed to pay attention to me and where I was going. It showed me not to get distracted by small things. It also taught me to pay attention to me and my surroundings and how I would affect other people by what I do. Not just physically, but emotionally and mentally. It especially taught me how to pay attention to the little details and not the big picture that they all made up. The most important thing is that it taught me to be me.
When I first started driving and when I had about 6 months of driving in showed me a certain aspect that I had been through my whole life. It showed me the building blocks of life. When I first started driving it reminded me of a baby. I was being too careful and shaky. Then has the weeks and months went by I started growing more aware of my surroundings and just what I was doing. I wasn’t always trying to be too cocky about driving because honestly, I was scared to death, but learning how to drive showed me a lot about life and it helped me grow up and mature a lot faster. I wasn’t responsible for just me anymore when I was driving, but for whom I was taking with me and the other people driving, too. It was another building block of life with a lesson wrapped inside.
Showing posts with label paper. Show all posts
Showing posts with label paper. Show all posts
4.29.2010
do memories help?
Do memories help hinder or help people in their effort to learn from the past and succeed in the present?
I certainly think memories help you with your effort to learn. It’s like the saying “learn from your mistakes.” Dwelling in the past will never get you anywhere in life but learning from your memories will certainly give you that edge. You know what you’ve learned and you grow by learning it. Remembering what is wrong and right also helps you because you know what to do and not to do to make it perfect.
One time in my life that my memories have helped me was in school. I would almost always make smart remarks back to the teacher and not do what I was told, I blew off my work. As I started getting bad grades in showed me what I was doing was wrong and if I wanted to get anywhere in life I would have to start learning from what I did in the past to help me go forth through the future.
I started doing my homework, listening to the teacher, and researching what I was learning. I wasn’t only fascinated in my grades but in which information I gathered from actually paying attention and doing my homework. One teacher I had in my freshman English class told me I had changed so much (she was also my English teacher for my sophomore year, too). She said I was a better learner and that I put more forth in class towards what we were learning. I also saw that my attitude changed to and I became an overall better and intelligent person just from learning from my memories.
I didn’t just feel better about myself and what I was doing, but I saw things from a different perspective and I liked it. This helped me do much better in school and in life. I realized that slacking was making me a sour person. I now want to do homework and I love learning about different things. My memories helped me get far in my life and in my learning styles and capabilities. Realizing what I was doing wrong and right made me get my act together and actually get on board with what I actually needed to do to become that better person.
I certainly think memories help you with your effort to learn. It’s like the saying “learn from your mistakes.” Dwelling in the past will never get you anywhere in life but learning from your memories will certainly give you that edge. You know what you’ve learned and you grow by learning it. Remembering what is wrong and right also helps you because you know what to do and not to do to make it perfect.
One time in my life that my memories have helped me was in school. I would almost always make smart remarks back to the teacher and not do what I was told, I blew off my work. As I started getting bad grades in showed me what I was doing was wrong and if I wanted to get anywhere in life I would have to start learning from what I did in the past to help me go forth through the future.
I started doing my homework, listening to the teacher, and researching what I was learning. I wasn’t only fascinated in my grades but in which information I gathered from actually paying attention and doing my homework. One teacher I had in my freshman English class told me I had changed so much (she was also my English teacher for my sophomore year, too). She said I was a better learner and that I put more forth in class towards what we were learning. I also saw that my attitude changed to and I became an overall better and intelligent person just from learning from my memories.
I didn’t just feel better about myself and what I was doing, but I saw things from a different perspective and I liked it. This helped me do much better in school and in life. I realized that slacking was making me a sour person. I now want to do homework and I love learning about different things. My memories helped me get far in my life and in my learning styles and capabilities. Realizing what I was doing wrong and right made me get my act together and actually get on board with what I actually needed to do to become that better person.
4.28.2010
critical read article (#2)
(sorry i don't have the article URL)
I think the purpose of this article was to describe the different learning styles for the new millennia. The main purpose of this article was to show how technology can help learning. We can now decide from our fingertips (ie: the world wide web) through different information in which we choose what is true and false, instead of being handed one paper with that being told this is the only information on this subject.
This article was written for basically younger people in their teenage years or in the early twenties that are getting to this advancement in life where technology is ‘taking’ over. I think that our life is now the desktop or internet.
The different ways I think the text of this article employs is that it took doesn’t take the whole world into example because most countries don’t even have a phone. It does however example us just in the United States and how our technology has furthered us in advancement and learning.
This article doesn’t have a lot of evidence of studies or arguments, just stating that our age ‘is’ moving into neomillennial learning styles and ways of life. It comes from a literary point of view, I think. The author of this is basically saying we are now an avatar in life and the world wide web, computers, phones, are now our life and are going to play a big role in our future. In which I agree because most things now are done through technology.
This article could be better if there was more evidence in it and more studies to prove that we are moving into a more technological era. It would’ve been better if he included other countries in which technology really doesn’t even exsist and just said overall ‘we’ which included in my mind everybody, but in the authors mind basically just the U.S. It would’ve been a stronger ariticle with out so many big words (I say) and more evidence to prove its point overall.
I think the purpose of this article was to describe the different learning styles for the new millennia. The main purpose of this article was to show how technology can help learning. We can now decide from our fingertips (ie: the world wide web) through different information in which we choose what is true and false, instead of being handed one paper with that being told this is the only information on this subject.
This article was written for basically younger people in their teenage years or in the early twenties that are getting to this advancement in life where technology is ‘taking’ over. I think that our life is now the desktop or internet.
The different ways I think the text of this article employs is that it took doesn’t take the whole world into example because most countries don’t even have a phone. It does however example us just in the United States and how our technology has furthered us in advancement and learning.
This article doesn’t have a lot of evidence of studies or arguments, just stating that our age ‘is’ moving into neomillennial learning styles and ways of life. It comes from a literary point of view, I think. The author of this is basically saying we are now an avatar in life and the world wide web, computers, phones, are now our life and are going to play a big role in our future. In which I agree because most things now are done through technology.
This article could be better if there was more evidence in it and more studies to prove that we are moving into a more technological era. It would’ve been better if he included other countries in which technology really doesn’t even exsist and just said overall ‘we’ which included in my mind everybody, but in the authors mind basically just the U.S. It would’ve been a stronger ariticle with out so many big words (I say) and more evidence to prove its point overall.
emotional involvement triggers learning
I have a teacher, Mr. S, who creates an emotion while we’re learning. Every time he says something it’s funny, or it has some sort of impact on us when he talks. He is very emotionally involved in whatever he says, and he gets his point clearly across.
The reason that emotional involvement increases learning is because when we hare in an excited state it increases the brains chemicals for learning there for increasing memory potential and remembrance.
Mr. S’s way of teaching provides a high amount of emotion. Whether it is funny or serious; he has an emotion towards it. Humor increases the level of brain activity, and this shows emotional involvement does increase learning. Though if a teacher is upset, this still creates an emotion, thus being emotionally involved and it might be negative, it still triggers the brain and learning, increasing memory potential.
• Emotional involvement does increase learning because your brain is in this excited state that triggers an increasing of memory potential.
• No matter which emotion, it still creates an emotional environment and triggers emotional involvement. Too much emotion though will start to distract and the major focus of learning is cut off and learning does decrease.
The reason that emotional involvement increases learning is because when we hare in an excited state it increases the brains chemicals for learning there for increasing memory potential and remembrance.
Mr. S’s way of teaching provides a high amount of emotion. Whether it is funny or serious; he has an emotion towards it. Humor increases the level of brain activity, and this shows emotional involvement does increase learning. Though if a teacher is upset, this still creates an emotion, thus being emotionally involved and it might be negative, it still triggers the brain and learning, increasing memory potential.
• Emotional involvement does increase learning because your brain is in this excited state that triggers an increasing of memory potential.
• No matter which emotion, it still creates an emotional environment and triggers emotional involvement. Too much emotion though will start to distract and the major focus of learning is cut off and learning does decrease.
critical read article
critically read: http://www.innovations-report.com/html/reports/studies/report-43536.html
The article was written to show evidence and relevance to IQ and genes. The article also shows that IQ is due to differences in genetics. The article was written for other researchers or psychologists. It also shows it’s arguing with other researchers and authors to prove that either genetics is, or isn’t closely related to IQ. The broken down material shows arguing how genes and IQ play a role together. It shows even at a young age IQ is very definite and shows it plays a part in intelligence.
The evidence show in the article is looking back at research and testing. It shows testing from 90 years ago during WWI to 2001 testing. It showed that white-black intelligence differentiates and is consistent. It also shows East Asians test higher than whites (106 to 100). Blacks are at a third with a low of 85 testing (in the U.S.) and 70 in sub-Saharan Africa.
Gene environment is the same in all races. East Asian, white, and black twins tested 50% higher in all races. They also show by MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) testing that East Asians have 1 cubic inch more cranial capacity than whites. And whites average 5 more cubic inches than blacks. The article also shows research of kids who were East Asian, white, or black, that were adopted. Minnesota Trans-Racial Adoption Study studied children at 7 and showed whites at 106, mixed raced children at 99, and blacks at 89.
This article had a lot of strong points. Rushton, author of the article “Thirty years of research on race differences in cognitive ability” stated all the evidence and his own points that the theory of modern humans gained a higher IQ faster because they had migrated from Africa, Northward and faced/solved problems quicker than other modern humans had to. Thus Rushton says gives East Asians a higher IQ since they were a part of the ancestry.
Rushton dually noted that people, though, shouldn’t be treated by groups but by individuals. The research was also noted for racial differences in group IQ testing. They also show cranial size belongs to evolutionary framework and intelligence.
The argument that can be made is that they were tested by groups and if raised differently statistics could change. Also, I do agree to an extent with a culture only theory. Only some people are just generally their own person and intelligence. Plus, IQ testing is one of many ways for testing intelligence accurately and data could be further looked into with different testing.
The article was written to show evidence and relevance to IQ and genes. The article also shows that IQ is due to differences in genetics. The article was written for other researchers or psychologists. It also shows it’s arguing with other researchers and authors to prove that either genetics is, or isn’t closely related to IQ. The broken down material shows arguing how genes and IQ play a role together. It shows even at a young age IQ is very definite and shows it plays a part in intelligence.
The evidence show in the article is looking back at research and testing. It shows testing from 90 years ago during WWI to 2001 testing. It showed that white-black intelligence differentiates and is consistent. It also shows East Asians test higher than whites (106 to 100). Blacks are at a third with a low of 85 testing (in the U.S.) and 70 in sub-Saharan Africa.
Gene environment is the same in all races. East Asian, white, and black twins tested 50% higher in all races. They also show by MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) testing that East Asians have 1 cubic inch more cranial capacity than whites. And whites average 5 more cubic inches than blacks. The article also shows research of kids who were East Asian, white, or black, that were adopted. Minnesota Trans-Racial Adoption Study studied children at 7 and showed whites at 106, mixed raced children at 99, and blacks at 89.
This article had a lot of strong points. Rushton, author of the article “Thirty years of research on race differences in cognitive ability” stated all the evidence and his own points that the theory of modern humans gained a higher IQ faster because they had migrated from Africa, Northward and faced/solved problems quicker than other modern humans had to. Thus Rushton says gives East Asians a higher IQ since they were a part of the ancestry.
Rushton dually noted that people, though, shouldn’t be treated by groups but by individuals. The research was also noted for racial differences in group IQ testing. They also show cranial size belongs to evolutionary framework and intelligence.
The argument that can be made is that they were tested by groups and if raised differently statistics could change. Also, I do agree to an extent with a culture only theory. Only some people are just generally their own person and intelligence. Plus, IQ testing is one of many ways for testing intelligence accurately and data could be further looked into with different testing.
erik erikson
Erik Erikson was born in Frankfurt, Germany in 1902. The woman who saw Erikson’s potential in child development was Anna Freud, Sigmund Freud’s daughter. She had psychoanalytic sessions with Erikson and he ended up getting a certificate from Vienna Psychoanalytic Society. While doing this, he received his degree in Montessori Method from the University of Vienna. When the arrival of the Nazis appeared in Germany, this caused Erikson, his wife; Joan Serson, and their two kids to move from Germany to the U.S. (NNDB, 2009)
Erikson was a psychoanalyst and a Freudian ego-psychologist. Erikson is known as the man who expanded and re defined Freud’s theories of stage development. Life is like a rose bud; each petal opens at a certain time when ready, in order in the way nature wanted, and through the determination of genetics. If we pull out a ‘petal’ prematurely then we ruin our ‘flower’ or the stage of life. (Boeree, 2003)
Erikson is important and well known for his studies on child development and the eight stages in which describe the development of life from being a baby to late adult hood. Erikson thinks that our personality develops over time and is will never be fully developed. Erikson’s philosophy is based on two themes: “(1) the world gets bigger as we go along and (2) failure is cumulative.” (Harder, 2009)
Erikson died at the age of 91, in 1994. Erikson specialized in children psychology. While Erikson worked at Harvard, he expanded the psychoanalytic theory for it to take in different accounts of environmental factors. His most famous and influential work was the book, Childhood and Society (1950) and it shows the dividends of the human life cycle in 8 different cycles. (Columbia Encyclopedia, 2008)
Bibliography
General Psychology: Erik Erikson, (Dr. C. George Boeree) Last updated (2003)
http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/genpsyerikson.html
Erik Erikson, (NNDB) Last updated (2009)
http://www.learningplaceonline.com/stages/organize/Erikson.htm
The Devlopmental Stages of Erik Erikson, (Arlene F. Harder) Last updated (2009)
www.nndb.com/people/151/000097857/
Erik Erikson, (The Columbia Encyclopedia) Last updated (2008)
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Erik_Erikson.aspx
Erikson was a psychoanalyst and a Freudian ego-psychologist. Erikson is known as the man who expanded and re defined Freud’s theories of stage development. Life is like a rose bud; each petal opens at a certain time when ready, in order in the way nature wanted, and through the determination of genetics. If we pull out a ‘petal’ prematurely then we ruin our ‘flower’ or the stage of life. (Boeree, 2003)
Erikson is important and well known for his studies on child development and the eight stages in which describe the development of life from being a baby to late adult hood. Erikson thinks that our personality develops over time and is will never be fully developed. Erikson’s philosophy is based on two themes: “(1) the world gets bigger as we go along and (2) failure is cumulative.” (Harder, 2009)
Erikson died at the age of 91, in 1994. Erikson specialized in children psychology. While Erikson worked at Harvard, he expanded the psychoanalytic theory for it to take in different accounts of environmental factors. His most famous and influential work was the book, Childhood and Society (1950) and it shows the dividends of the human life cycle in 8 different cycles. (Columbia Encyclopedia, 2008)
Bibliography
General Psychology: Erik Erikson, (Dr. C. George Boeree) Last updated (2003)
http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/genpsyerikson.html
Erik Erikson, (NNDB) Last updated (2009)
http://www.learningplaceonline.com/stages/organize/Erikson.htm
The Devlopmental Stages of Erik Erikson, (Arlene F. Harder) Last updated (2009)
www.nndb.com/people/151/000097857/
Erik Erikson, (The Columbia Encyclopedia) Last updated (2008)
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Erik_Erikson.aspx
dissociative identity disorder paper
Dissociative Identity Disorder
Did you know that 98% of the people who have been diagnosed with a Dissociative Identity Disorder have histories of life threatening or overpowering disturbances at a young age when they were children which occurred usually before the age of 9 (WebMD, 2010). Also, in psychiatric hospitals, there are 3% of people who suffer from Dissociative Identity Disorder and from every nine woman diagnosed with this disorder, there is one male who has it as the disorder (Edward, 1996).
The first man to sometimes be credited with first discovering a Multiple Personality Disorder was Eberhardt, it involved a French woman who was 20 and said she never remembered being French, but that she was always German, even though she spoke French and was a French aristocrat. But Multiple Personality Disorder isn’t something that has only been recognized in the 20th century. It’s said that it has existed since Paleolithic times on the caves where shamans would be morphed into an animal or a different person, a different personality (History of DID, 2010).
What exactly is Dissociative Identity Disorder? Well formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder, it’s when a person dissociates severely from their self. This usually goes on when a person tries to forget about a certain abusive memory in their past, and making a new personality helps them forget it. But, the patient usually doesn’t recall their old self or even sometimes their new self. Also, some patients who suffer from Dissociative Identity Disorder have no past abuse in their life, and most psychologist say that it is genetics (Edward, 1996).
Symptoms of Dissociative Identity Disorder usually begin in the later teenage years. Some symptoms are lapses in memory in which you can’t remember things in the distant past or memories in your long term memory. When a person frequently lies but doesn’t believe they are lying. Also, they find things in their possession that they don’t remember acquiring. And another symptom is hearing voices in their head, but this is not to be confused with schizophrenia (Edward, 1996).
What usually causes these symptoms is when a child at a young age as sometimes a physical or sexual abuse towards them that is repeated. To go along with abuse, sometimes the child has to learn to dissociate their self due to a lack in a person to comfort them and talk about their problems. And another to go along with genetics, usually a child or a teenager will see someone in their family who has the same problem (Encyclopedia, 2010).
Dissociative Identity Disorder, on the flipside, doesn’t last forever. Though it takes many years of intense therapy to recover the mental state of the patient currently, and from their childhood memories that started the split personality. The therapist tries to uncover all the problems and memories from the patient and tries to alter them into one personality. The therapist acts a list of questions like where it happened, when it happened, what caused it, and how often it dominates. A few other therapies used to treat Dissociative Identity Disorder are Psychotherapy, Hypnosis, and Electroconvulsive therapy. Medication is sometimes used, but should always be monitored and are usually only used with a very sever Dissociative Identity Disorder (Grohol, 2008).
There isn’t a lot of future for the diagnosis of Dissociative Identity Disorder. Most because this disorder isn’t rare, but isn’t common. It’s usually over looked sometimes which isn’t always a positive thing. Dissociative Identity Disorder, if not treated correctly and helped, can literally and mentally tear a person apart (Swartz, 2004).
Bibliography
No Author – (2010) Dissociative Identity Disorder
Retrieved April 25, 2010 from Web MD website:
http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/dissociative-identity-disorder-multiple-personality-disorder
No Author – (2010) A History of Dissociative Identity Disorder
Retrieved April 25, 2010 from History of DID website:
http://www.fortea.us/english/psiquiatria/history.htm
Edwards, R. – (1996) Dissociative Identity Disorder
Retrieved April 25, 2010 from Medicine Net website:
http://www.medicinenet.com/dissociative_identity_disorder/article.htm
No Author – (2010) Dissociative identity disorder
Retrieved April 25, 2010 from Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders website:
http://www.minddisorders.com/Del-Fi/Dissociative-identity-disorder.html
Swartz, A – (4/28/2004) Dissociative Identity Disorder
Retrieved April 26, 2010 from All Psych Journal website:
http://allpsych.com/journal/did.html
Grohol, J – (9/7/2008) Dissociative Identity Disorder Treatment
Retrieved April 27, 2010 from Psych Central website:
http://psychcentral.com/disorders/sx18t.htm
Did you know that 98% of the people who have been diagnosed with a Dissociative Identity Disorder have histories of life threatening or overpowering disturbances at a young age when they were children which occurred usually before the age of 9 (WebMD, 2010). Also, in psychiatric hospitals, there are 3% of people who suffer from Dissociative Identity Disorder and from every nine woman diagnosed with this disorder, there is one male who has it as the disorder (Edward, 1996).
The first man to sometimes be credited with first discovering a Multiple Personality Disorder was Eberhardt, it involved a French woman who was 20 and said she never remembered being French, but that she was always German, even though she spoke French and was a French aristocrat. But Multiple Personality Disorder isn’t something that has only been recognized in the 20th century. It’s said that it has existed since Paleolithic times on the caves where shamans would be morphed into an animal or a different person, a different personality (History of DID, 2010).
What exactly is Dissociative Identity Disorder? Well formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder, it’s when a person dissociates severely from their self. This usually goes on when a person tries to forget about a certain abusive memory in their past, and making a new personality helps them forget it. But, the patient usually doesn’t recall their old self or even sometimes their new self. Also, some patients who suffer from Dissociative Identity Disorder have no past abuse in their life, and most psychologist say that it is genetics (Edward, 1996).
Symptoms of Dissociative Identity Disorder usually begin in the later teenage years. Some symptoms are lapses in memory in which you can’t remember things in the distant past or memories in your long term memory. When a person frequently lies but doesn’t believe they are lying. Also, they find things in their possession that they don’t remember acquiring. And another symptom is hearing voices in their head, but this is not to be confused with schizophrenia (Edward, 1996).
What usually causes these symptoms is when a child at a young age as sometimes a physical or sexual abuse towards them that is repeated. To go along with abuse, sometimes the child has to learn to dissociate their self due to a lack in a person to comfort them and talk about their problems. And another to go along with genetics, usually a child or a teenager will see someone in their family who has the same problem (Encyclopedia, 2010).
Dissociative Identity Disorder, on the flipside, doesn’t last forever. Though it takes many years of intense therapy to recover the mental state of the patient currently, and from their childhood memories that started the split personality. The therapist tries to uncover all the problems and memories from the patient and tries to alter them into one personality. The therapist acts a list of questions like where it happened, when it happened, what caused it, and how often it dominates. A few other therapies used to treat Dissociative Identity Disorder are Psychotherapy, Hypnosis, and Electroconvulsive therapy. Medication is sometimes used, but should always be monitored and are usually only used with a very sever Dissociative Identity Disorder (Grohol, 2008).
There isn’t a lot of future for the diagnosis of Dissociative Identity Disorder. Most because this disorder isn’t rare, but isn’t common. It’s usually over looked sometimes which isn’t always a positive thing. Dissociative Identity Disorder, if not treated correctly and helped, can literally and mentally tear a person apart (Swartz, 2004).
Bibliography
No Author – (2010) Dissociative Identity Disorder
Retrieved April 25, 2010 from Web MD website:
http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/dissociative-identity-disorder-multiple-personality-disorder
No Author – (2010) A History of Dissociative Identity Disorder
Retrieved April 25, 2010 from History of DID website:
http://www.fortea.us/english/psiquiatria/history.htm
Edwards, R. – (1996) Dissociative Identity Disorder
Retrieved April 25, 2010 from Medicine Net website:
http://www.medicinenet.com/dissociative_identity_disorder/article.htm
No Author – (2010) Dissociative identity disorder
Retrieved April 25, 2010 from Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders website:
http://www.minddisorders.com/Del-Fi/Dissociative-identity-disorder.html
Swartz, A – (4/28/2004) Dissociative Identity Disorder
Retrieved April 26, 2010 from All Psych Journal website:
http://allpsych.com/journal/did.html
Grohol, J – (9/7/2008) Dissociative Identity Disorder Treatment
Retrieved April 27, 2010 from Psych Central website:
http://psychcentral.com/disorders/sx18t.htm
narcolepsy paper
Narcolepsy
One third of your life is spent sleeping (Rickard, 2010), but what about Narcoleptics? This could be contradictory because some people who suffer from Narcolepsy also suffer from insomnia, which is one of the symptoms of Narcolepsy.
The first signs of Narcolepsy were first founded by two German doctors in the 1870’s. First, in 1877 by German doctor Westphal and then again in 1878 by another German doctor named Fisher. The first symptoms they saw were their patients falling asleep throughout the day at random times and under certain circumstances. Their patients also described having dream like hallucinations while awake, and automatic behavior which now is known as micro sleep. In 1880 a French doctor named Gélineau gave Narcolepsy its name and recognized it as a disorder. He combined two Greek words to get Narcolepsy; Narke meaning numbness and Lepsis meaning attack. He also gave it a brief description that it was a sleep attack followed by an intense emotion. Then Löwenfeld in 1902 separated the sleep attacks and muscle weaknesses and he named the muscle weakness cataplexy (History of Narcolepsy, 2010).
Narcolepsy is a lifelong disorder. Doctors have keyed it as a neurological chronic disorder, because it affects the part of the brain that regulates when to be awake and when to be asleep, and also alertness. Also, there is no way to get rid of Narcolepsy and its always happening to you whether it is brief periods of sleep, or daytime hallucinations. Out of 2.4 million people in the United States, Narcolepsy affects 50,000 people (What is narcolepsy?, 2008).
The diagnosis of Narcolepsy is right off the symptoms. Symptoms usually begin in the teenage years and the disorder progresses and can get worse with age if not treated properly. Usually a narcoleptic has excessive daytime sleepiness, caused by insomnia. A good night sleep for a narcoleptic is 10 hours (PBWorks, 2008). Also, falling asleep for brief periods throughout the day can cause abnormal REM sleep, which is what most narcoleptics have. Abnormal REM sleep is when you fall into REM sleep faster, which is about 15 minutes rather than it would a non-narcoleptic (NativeRemedies, 2010). Chronic sleepiness can usually lead to memory loss, automatic behavior, and visual disturbances. Usually patients with chronic sleepiness experiences automatic behavior when falling asleep during very bland activities. These activities can last for seconds, minutes, or even hours. Some patients can even briefly talk while in automatic behavior. Memory loss can be due to drowsiness, and impaired concentration, which can explain why patients may get so aggravated with not being able to remember things, when it really isn’t their fault. Narcoleptics usually have worse impairments with working and driving then epileptics do (Aldrich, 1999).
Also, physicians use a variety of different methods to test if you truly have narcolepsy, and not just sleep symptoms. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale and Hypocretin Test, to name a few, are some of the tests a physician could perform test on you and your body. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale is a questionnaire consists of certain questions pertaining to narcoleptic like symptoms, and has the patient rank on a numbered scale the intensity of whatever the question may ask. Another, the Hypocretin Test, measures the fluid around your spinal cord which contains Hypocretin. A low amount of Hypocretin, found in most narcoleptics, seems to be one of the ways to cause and diagnose narcolepsy (Benedictis, 2008).
Narcolepsy has had many myths behind it like medications can cure the symptoms, and that taking short naps can help Narcoleptics (PBWorks, 2008). The only other treatments that can help stable your narcolepsy or deal with the everyday problems of the illness are group therapy, medication, and behavioral changes (Benedictis, 2008). Different types of therapy can include Homeopathic, Acupuncture, Aromatherapy, Spiritual Therapy, counseling, and psychotherapy. Also, there are different types of medications, stimulants or anti depressants that can help with symptoms of narcolepsy (like anti depressants) and one that can kind of let you grasp your narcolepsy with stimulants (Native Remedies, 2010). Sodium oxybate can be used with patients who experience cataplexy with their narcolepsy. This medication is used to control the central nervous system to help treat and control cataplexy (Benedictis, 2008). Combining all these methods can help control or lessen the symptoms of narcolepsy, but cannot fully cure it. Always keep in mind that Narcolepsy is a full length illness and cannot be cured of, only treated.
In conclusion, the symptoms of Narcolepsy are prominent and the diagnosis of it is still pretty easy. Considering with the advances in technology, there would be more of a way to truly tell the severity of a person’s Narcolepsy. The future, sadly, of Narcolepsy doesn’t look very prominent but with the newest ways we have now to diagnose Narcolepsy, it shouldn’t be a problem.
Bibliography
Aldrich, M. (1999) – Narcolepsy
Retrieved April 22, 2010 from CNI website:
http://www.thecni.org/reviews/10-1-p03-aldrich.htm
Benedictis, T. (10/2008) – Narcoleptic symptoms, causes, treatment, and medication
Retrieved April 9, 2010 from Help Guide website:
http://helpguide.org/life/narcolepsy_symptom_causes_treatments.htm
Jasmin, L. (2009, September 2) – Narcolepsy
Retrieved April 14, 2010 from MedlinePlus website:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000802.htm
No Author (2010) – History of Narcolepsy
Retrieved April 12, 2010 from Stanford University website:
http://med.stanford.edu/school/Psychiatry/narcolepsy/narcolepsyhistory.html
No Author (11/2008) – What is narcolepsy?
Retrieved April 12, 2010 from U.S Department of Health & Human Services website:
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/nar/nar_what.html
No Author (2010) – Narcolepsy
Retrieved April 15, 2010 from Native Remedies website:
http://www.nativeremedies.com/ailment/natural-medication-for-narcolepsy-treatment.html
PBWorks (2008) – Myths and misconceptions
Retrieved April 12, 2010 from people.with.narcolepsy website:
http://peoplewithnarcolepsy.pbworks.com/Myths-and-misconceptions
Rickard, J, (2010) – Interesting Facts about Sleep You Probably Didn’t Know
Retrieved April 23, 2010 from Health Guidance website:
http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/6037/1/Interesting-Facts-About-Sleep-You-Probably-Didnt-Know.html
One third of your life is spent sleeping (Rickard, 2010), but what about Narcoleptics? This could be contradictory because some people who suffer from Narcolepsy also suffer from insomnia, which is one of the symptoms of Narcolepsy.
The first signs of Narcolepsy were first founded by two German doctors in the 1870’s. First, in 1877 by German doctor Westphal and then again in 1878 by another German doctor named Fisher. The first symptoms they saw were their patients falling asleep throughout the day at random times and under certain circumstances. Their patients also described having dream like hallucinations while awake, and automatic behavior which now is known as micro sleep. In 1880 a French doctor named Gélineau gave Narcolepsy its name and recognized it as a disorder. He combined two Greek words to get Narcolepsy; Narke meaning numbness and Lepsis meaning attack. He also gave it a brief description that it was a sleep attack followed by an intense emotion. Then Löwenfeld in 1902 separated the sleep attacks and muscle weaknesses and he named the muscle weakness cataplexy (History of Narcolepsy, 2010).
Narcolepsy is a lifelong disorder. Doctors have keyed it as a neurological chronic disorder, because it affects the part of the brain that regulates when to be awake and when to be asleep, and also alertness. Also, there is no way to get rid of Narcolepsy and its always happening to you whether it is brief periods of sleep, or daytime hallucinations. Out of 2.4 million people in the United States, Narcolepsy affects 50,000 people (What is narcolepsy?, 2008).
The diagnosis of Narcolepsy is right off the symptoms. Symptoms usually begin in the teenage years and the disorder progresses and can get worse with age if not treated properly. Usually a narcoleptic has excessive daytime sleepiness, caused by insomnia. A good night sleep for a narcoleptic is 10 hours (PBWorks, 2008). Also, falling asleep for brief periods throughout the day can cause abnormal REM sleep, which is what most narcoleptics have. Abnormal REM sleep is when you fall into REM sleep faster, which is about 15 minutes rather than it would a non-narcoleptic (NativeRemedies, 2010). Chronic sleepiness can usually lead to memory loss, automatic behavior, and visual disturbances. Usually patients with chronic sleepiness experiences automatic behavior when falling asleep during very bland activities. These activities can last for seconds, minutes, or even hours. Some patients can even briefly talk while in automatic behavior. Memory loss can be due to drowsiness, and impaired concentration, which can explain why patients may get so aggravated with not being able to remember things, when it really isn’t their fault. Narcoleptics usually have worse impairments with working and driving then epileptics do (Aldrich, 1999).
Also, physicians use a variety of different methods to test if you truly have narcolepsy, and not just sleep symptoms. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale and Hypocretin Test, to name a few, are some of the tests a physician could perform test on you and your body. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale is a questionnaire consists of certain questions pertaining to narcoleptic like symptoms, and has the patient rank on a numbered scale the intensity of whatever the question may ask. Another, the Hypocretin Test, measures the fluid around your spinal cord which contains Hypocretin. A low amount of Hypocretin, found in most narcoleptics, seems to be one of the ways to cause and diagnose narcolepsy (Benedictis, 2008).
Narcolepsy has had many myths behind it like medications can cure the symptoms, and that taking short naps can help Narcoleptics (PBWorks, 2008). The only other treatments that can help stable your narcolepsy or deal with the everyday problems of the illness are group therapy, medication, and behavioral changes (Benedictis, 2008). Different types of therapy can include Homeopathic, Acupuncture, Aromatherapy, Spiritual Therapy, counseling, and psychotherapy. Also, there are different types of medications, stimulants or anti depressants that can help with symptoms of narcolepsy (like anti depressants) and one that can kind of let you grasp your narcolepsy with stimulants (Native Remedies, 2010). Sodium oxybate can be used with patients who experience cataplexy with their narcolepsy. This medication is used to control the central nervous system to help treat and control cataplexy (Benedictis, 2008). Combining all these methods can help control or lessen the symptoms of narcolepsy, but cannot fully cure it. Always keep in mind that Narcolepsy is a full length illness and cannot be cured of, only treated.
In conclusion, the symptoms of Narcolepsy are prominent and the diagnosis of it is still pretty easy. Considering with the advances in technology, there would be more of a way to truly tell the severity of a person’s Narcolepsy. The future, sadly, of Narcolepsy doesn’t look very prominent but with the newest ways we have now to diagnose Narcolepsy, it shouldn’t be a problem.
Bibliography
Aldrich, M. (1999) – Narcolepsy
Retrieved April 22, 2010 from CNI website:
http://www.thecni.org/reviews/10-1-p03-aldrich.htm
Benedictis, T. (10/2008) – Narcoleptic symptoms, causes, treatment, and medication
Retrieved April 9, 2010 from Help Guide website:
http://helpguide.org/life/narcolepsy_symptom_causes_treatments.htm
Jasmin, L. (2009, September 2) – Narcolepsy
Retrieved April 14, 2010 from MedlinePlus website:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000802.htm
No Author (2010) – History of Narcolepsy
Retrieved April 12, 2010 from Stanford University website:
http://med.stanford.edu/school/Psychiatry/narcolepsy/narcolepsyhistory.html
No Author (11/2008) – What is narcolepsy?
Retrieved April 12, 2010 from U.S Department of Health & Human Services website:
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/nar/nar_what.html
No Author (2010) – Narcolepsy
Retrieved April 15, 2010 from Native Remedies website:
http://www.nativeremedies.com/ailment/natural-medication-for-narcolepsy-treatment.html
PBWorks (2008) – Myths and misconceptions
Retrieved April 12, 2010 from people.with.narcolepsy website:
http://peoplewithnarcolepsy.pbworks.com/Myths-and-misconceptions
Rickard, J, (2010) – Interesting Facts about Sleep You Probably Didn’t Know
Retrieved April 23, 2010 from Health Guidance website:
http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/6037/1/Interesting-Facts-About-Sleep-You-Probably-Didnt-Know.html
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