Holistic Approach To Supporting Health Psychology Essay

Holistic Approach To Supporting Health Psychology Essay Emma and Kyle live in a home specialising in providing 24hr care for young pregnant women and their babies. Emma was looked after from being 4 yrs old when she was removed from her parents care. She was fostered for 10yrs by a caring couple until illness forced them to return her to social care services. Several placements broke down as Emma was unable to adjust to a new family and she was finally placed in a young peoples home run by social care services when she became pregnant at 15yrs old. She attended school until the birth of Kyle who was born 4 weeks premature. She moved into the mother and baby hostel when she was 6 months pregnant following referral by her social care worker. She has a good relationship with Kyle, although staff say they would be concerned if she were to leave the hostel and live independently. Kyle has recently started full time nursery which gives Emma the opportunity to attend college where she studies catering. Defining health can be a difficult task. The most famous definition is that of the World Health Organisation (WHO) which hasnt been amended since 1948. Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity (WHO 1948). There are many models of health that have been developed over the years, one being the biomedical model which focuses on physical symptoms such as pain. This concept scientifically measures a persons health to decide whether illness is present or not. Biomedical scientists claim that the body is a machine and can be fixed when a malfunction occurs. An improved model would be the Biopsychosocial theory which concentrates on whole life issues including emotional and spiritual aspects as well as social and family support. The holistic model improved further to include not only physical, psychological and social factors but also determinants such as nutrition, alcohol, nicotine, sleep, exercise and community life. The focus of this report is to examine and understand the physical, social and psychological influences upon health by using the case study and consider how things can be improved by using the holistic approach in contrast to the Biomedical and Biopsychosocial. The first thing that will be considered in this report is emotional issues during infancy. Individuals who suffer from broken or emotional relationships during infancy often develop into adults who experience problems understanding their own emotions and this may limit their ability to maintain a successful relationship in later life. In the case study of Emma, she was cared for by her parents till the age of 4years then removed and placed into a caring foster family. It is possible that the biological family suffered from dysfunctional tendencies which could mean child neglect or even child abuse within the home. An infant raised within this environment would imagine it to be normal behaviour therefore being placed in what society sees as a normal functioning family, would be difficult to adjust to. Several studies suggest that up to 80% of children in foster care have significant mental health issues due to the trauma of separation from the biological family in addition to experien ces of dysfunctional families (Smariga 2007). When a child is separated from their primary caregiver who is usually the mother, separation anxiety can occur. Infants younger than 4 years are particularly vulnerable and will experience high levels of emotional disturbances. Separation anxiety in infants can be treated with play therapy if recognised early enough. This type of therapy is a form of counselling which helps young children use alternative coping strategies to work through any existing problems and is probably the more favoured model theorised by biopsychosocial therapists. However, biomedical experts believe that an imbalance in neurotransmitters is the cause of anxiety and other psychiatric disorders such as depression and will recommend the child take a mild sedative to help reduce the trauma (Ponton 2006). The holistic model would argue that certain determinants play an important role in detecting and treating anxiety. Nutrition is vital as food influences the balance of chemicals produced and released in the brain therefore, without sufficient protein, the brain can become deficient in certain chemicals, resulting in anxiety and depression. Exercise is also very important as again this releases chemicals such as endorphins and serotonin which give a feel good effect (livestrong 2012) Depression is a very common disorder and females are twice as likely to suffer at some point in their lives as males. This is mainly due to changes in hormones in adolescence. Biomedical experts believe that these changes are obvious during puberty and pregnancy as well as after giving birth. According to the National Institute of Health, factors that increase the risk of depression in women include reproductive, genetic, or other biological factors. In addition, women who juggle work with raising a family and single parents suffer more stress that may trigger symptoms of depression (NIMH). A biomedical view would be to diagnose and treat depression by prescribing antidepressants. These types of medications increase the levels of serotonin within the body which go on to increase happiness. Recent studies suggest that side effects brought on by long term use of antidepressants can include digestive problems, sexual difficulties and even strokes and premature deaths in older people. Dr ugs that interfere with serotonin may cause developmental problems in infants, development in adults, digestive problems, diarrhoea, and indigestion and may also raise the risk of dementia (Naish 2012). There are a number of holistic methods which can help keep depression under control such as avoiding caffeine, nutrition and exercise. Caffeine reduces serotonin levels so reducing the drug will naturally increase happiness. Essential fats cannot be naturally produced in the human body therefore it is important that they are included in the diet. The richest source of omega 3 is found in oily fish and nuts. Many of the population are on low income or benefits and maybe see themselves to not be in a position financially to eat fresh food. Eating junk food will increase the levels of sugar found in the blood which will give symptoms of fatigue, irritability, dizziness, insomnia, depression and digestive problems. Since the brain depends on an even supply of glucose it is of no surprise to find that the above symptoms can appear. The best way to keep your blood sugar level even is to eat whole foods, fruits, vegetables, and regular meals (Food for the brain 2012) Some children will suffer with conduct disorders such as aggression, theft, deceitfulness or violation of rules. This can cause problems in school and in the family home which can lead to police involvement. Causes can develop from temperament, genetics (common in children of adults who had conduct problems), environmental (family problems and social pressures) or physical (problems in processing information). Anger affects your physical health and can cause hypertension, chronic lower back pain, stomach problems and heart disease. The biomedical view would be to treat each symptom individually with medication where as a more holistic method would be to practice relaxation techniques, engaging in physical exercise or by doing something that engages the mind such as drawing or painting. Another way to manage this would be counselling. Group therapy is a really good option for adolescents to learn from one another and social interaction is a vital part of the developmental process. Adolescent years can be very challenging for parents or professionals. Identities are forming, social lives are expanding and new behaviours are experimented with. This can involve alcohol, tobacco, drugs and unsafe sexual activity. A person who is intoxicated is more likely to engage in unprotected sex with a variety of sexual partners. The continued use of any substance can lead to substance abuse and addiction. Emma fell pregnant at 15yrs which could possibly be a result of excessive alcohol or drugs. A developing baby is exposed to anything that is put into the system so no safe amount of alcohol, tobacco or drugs exists during pregnancy. Nicotine is a vasoconstrictor which causes the blood vessels to narrow limiting the flow of blood to the baby. Also carbon monoxide will limit the levels of oxygen available to the foetus which can result in still birth, low birth weight or sudden infant death syndrome (livestrong 2012). The National Institute of Health advises pregnant women no t to drink during the first3 month in particular as this may induce miscarriage (NHS 2012) Another form of depression is postnatal depression (PND) which is common in both men and women. PND is different to depression and the onset usually occurs after the birth of a baby but can also appear during pregnancy. Women can become more tearful and moodier than usual in this time. Some women experience thoughts of harming their baby which is quite common affecting almost half of women with the condition (Roberts 2012). PND can be undetected and left untreated which may lead to aggression and possible harm to the baby. Teenage mothers suffer from poorer mental health in the three years after their birth compared with other mothers therefore Emma needs as much support as she can possibly get during the early years of being a mother. She has no family around to support and help her. The feeling of isolation is the most stressful aspect of being a mother. Holistic therapies can be helpful to combat the stress of being not only a new mother but a teenage and single mother. Massage, r eflexology and herbal remedies may be useful to aid in relaxation. Talking therapies are also very popular and can help with identifying underlying issues that may be occurring. Any medication that may be prescribed should be taking with caution as it could interfere with breastfeeding. Teenage parents often drop out of education because of the pressures they experience, including stigmatization associated with pregnancy, isolation from peers, and lack of needed support from family, friends, schools, social service agencies, and other organizations (SEDL 2012). In 2001 the government set up a programme called Sure Start which was intended to provide holistic support to teenage mothers and fathers. The program has been very successful in providing support during emotional times, educational needs and family support to young parents. Sure Start was developed to reduce the risk of social exclusion associated with teenage pregnancy by providing support for parents and their child to help them with housing, health care, parenting skills, education and child care (Sure Start 2012) Emma has managed to obtain a place in nursery for her son while she continues to participate in education. This alone will create a more stable lifestyle for them both while building a future. The focus of this report is to discuss the different approaches to health and to reinforce that a holistic approach to illness is by far the most improved and widely used method. A more natural approach can help, prevent or improve many health issues before they occur. Many medications can help cure illness and in some cases this is the only way to treat a disease such as cancer however, a large proportion of health problems can be linked to generated issues such as asthma, and stress. Tobacco, alcohol, drugs, poverty, employment, income, education, social, environment, lifestyle choices are all determinants and wider determinants in what define the concepts of health. The body is an impressive machine and treated holistically there are no reasons why many issues should be part of life. Throughout our lifetime, stressful situations and emotional traumas are constantly presented. As we grow, our interactions with other people generate stress such as gaining approval, pressure at school, or work, forming relationships, relationship breakdowns or bereavement. It can have many detrimental effects on our health physically and emotionally.

Fashion Letter (informal) :: essays research papers

What is fashion? Is it the way you walk? The way you style your hair? Your attitude? One of the most common things I think of when I think of fashion is clothing. I think the media has somehow imbedded this in my mind! I thought that it would help me if I looked up what fashion is in the dictionary for this letter. It said that fashion is â€Å"The mode of dress, manners, living.†. That’s a lot broader than what I thought!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When I first wanted to go to Banting, my older sister, Claire, said that some of the students there were very shallow and that they judge you by what brand name clothing you are wearing, but I disagree. Banting has a wide variety of clothes and fashions and although brand name fashions are one small category, it certainly isn’t the dress code for Banting AT ALL. Many senior girls, I noticed, like the look of black eye make up. Not the whole Goth look, but there are a few Goths at Banting.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Juniors are different. I find that the girls have pretty simple fashion, but the boys tend to wear baggy clothes. That is totally understandable since they are very confortable and they do make the boys look bulkier. I also think it is just an image of looking tough they are trying to create as well through big clothes, which goes way back. It is obvious that some of the girls also like this idea of clothing as well. I wear some baggy pants sometimes and I have seen lots of junior and senior girls do it too.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another type of clothing I tend to see everywhere is clothing with logos on them. There are so many of them that I can’t remember most of them. Why does everyone where this clothing, and why do stores want you to wear this clothing? The only reason why students wear this clothing is probably because they like it, but stores really want you to wear their clothing as well so that the logos can them to advertise their stores. My mother told me at one point when she was a child that stores used to give away these shirts as an attempt to do this as well, and that is where the original idea came from.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I really like the fashion at Banting, not just because of the clothes, but because there is no peer pressure behind it.

Compare and Contrast Essay: Reading vs. Listening to Music Essay

Reading and listening to music are both entertaining and good hobbies to fill up your free time, but there are also problems presented when choosing a book to read or a song to listen to.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Reading is more educational compared to listening to music† says Science Daily. â€Å"Reading can increase your vocabulary and comprehension ability while music doesn’t† says CNN. Reading can be more of a conversation factor than music. People can share their feelings and opinions towards certain books. They can also talk about music and what it is good for. Music is good for many things, such as doing chores. Playing music and listening to it are two different things. Playing music engages more than the ears; it also engages your eyes and your mind. It can also increase your attention span. You can share your passion for music by listening to it or dancing to it with your friends. â€Å"Teens who spend more time listening to music than reading books are more likely to suffer from depression.† says CBS. And in agreement The Register says â€Å"Research has shown that listening to music all the time as a teenager turns you into a doleful depressive (or alternatively that being a doleful depressive teenager makes you listen to music all the time). Youngsters who read, by contrast, tend to be in tiptop mental health.† Even though music and books may seem really different they also have a few similarities. Music and Reading both can be enjoyed any where and are good hobbies that can have a positive and negative influence on a person. Phones now are able download music and e-books so it makes them portable. Even though books don’t require electricity, music does.(The exception is live music). If your device for listening to music runs out of battery, you are unable to listen to music. On the other hand, reading requires adequate lighting; if you don’t have enough lighting , reading can actually damage your eyes. CNN also says â€Å"Activities such as reading and listening to music at midlife for both sexes are also protective against dementia, the study suggests.† â€Å"Research papers in the neurochemistry of music found that music can improve the function of the body’s immune system and reduce levels of stress.† says  Medical News Today. As we have examined the similarities and differences of reading and listening to music, and it is your choice to choose between them. I personally feel that reading is more beneficial than listening to music. Read more:  Compare and Contrast Essay Topics

Essay on Consequences are More Significant than Rights

The priority and absoluteness of rights is often gist for ethical debates. I consider these issues from the perspective of my ethical theory, which I call the ethics of social consequences. The ethics of social consequences is one means of satisfying non-utilitarian consequentialism. It is characterized by the principles of positive social consequences, humanity, human dignity, legality, justice, responsibility, tolerance as well as moral obligation. I analyze Gewirth’s position regarding the absoluteness of rights as well as Nagel’s opinion that rights enjoy priority forever. However, I also concentrate on Williams’s critique of utilitarianism. I contend that the priority of the protection and respect of individual rights in ordinary†¦show more content†¦First of all I shall deal with issues of humanity and human dignity, because it is the main theme of the 20th World Congress of Philosophy. On the one hand, I consider humanity as a certain moral ideal that is established on the respect and pursuit of human dignity. This is achieved through moral principles and particular moral norms that define ways of pursuing humanity in the individual and social life of moral communities. I do not concern humanity as the unattainable and abstract moral ideal that is too far from the moral practice of agents. I mean that humanity as a moral ideal is the expression of actual demands and interests of individuals and humankind together. Human beings have hope for their rational being and surviving just through the fulfilling of humanity, its principles and respect for human dignity. There are also other issues (for example, environmental) that are external conditions for the preservation of human beings as well as life. On the other hand, I accept the principles of humanity as the moral guides for the attainment of a moral ideal. By the principle of humanity I mean the principles what ar e accepted on the level of common sense morality. For example, respect for older people as well as respect for all people who deserve it. Furthermore, this isShow MoreRelatedConsequentialism And Its Effects On The Greatest Happiness Principle1527 Words   |  7 Pagesdetermine what actions are right or wrong. It is the view that an action is considered to be morally right if it produces better consequences than any other available action would have produced. For example, take into consideration someone debating the morally right action when confronted with the decision of whether to study for a test or whether to go to a movie. According to Consequentialism, studying for a test would be the morally right action. This is because the consequences of the action of studying:Read MoreThe Problem of Evil Essay1536 Words   |  7 Pagesimmorally, natural evil, in the form of suffering caused by earthquakes like the Haitian’s, hurricanes such as Katrina, wild forest fires or diseas es such as HIV/AIDS, results from pain and suffering that comes from anything other than human action with predictable consequences. Swinburnes argument is that God allows suffering because its necessary to make humans good of their own accord by giving them the free will to freely choose among their competing deliberations. To understandRead MoreCritically Evaluating Medical Ethics And Legal Issues1403 Words   |  6 Pagesof bioethics for the maxim non maleficence. In order to improve healthcare treatments new research needs to published, medical research is happening all the time. That is where medical ethics come to play. Medical ethics can be defined as doing the right thing while achieving the best possible outcome for the patient. However, how are the best outcomes measured and who measures it? One of the main ethical theories in medical ethics is Deontology. As defined in deontological  ethics  an action is consideredRead MoreThe Health Consequences Of Family Violence1360 Words   |  6 PagesThe name of the article I chose is named Family Violence Heath Consequences Among Married Women by Olufemi Kalesanwo and Emmanuel Adenuga. This research article studies exactly the description of the title, the health consequences of family violence among married women. The specific population that was used for this study was married women in Ogun State. Ogun State is located in south-western Nigeria with a population of 3,728, 098 (Kalesanwo Adenuga). A descriptive research design was used inRead MoreMaking Decisions about Ethical Matters1742 Words   |  7 PagesMaking decisions about ethical matters can be a complicated and well thought-out process. To make things smoother and of a more efficient manner, there have been various systems put in place to provide rules and guide lines as to how to ensure that what is decided is morally right. Here, we will take a look at the view of utilitarianism, and discuss an important flaw it presents us with. Many articles include discussions that look at this in great depth, where it appears the once highly renowned systemRead MoreDefinitions And Development Of Deontological And Teleological Ethics1039 Words   |  5 Pagesjudges the rightness of an action in terms of an external goal or purpose. So, according to a teleological theory, consequences always play some part, be it small or large, in the determination of what one should or should not do. Not all teleological theories are consequentialist. John Rawls theory of justice is teleological, but not consequentialist because it claims that consequences are only part of what must be considered when determining what policy is morally just. For example, animal testingRead MoreIs David Hume Or Immanuel Kant?1428 Words   |  6 PagesWas David Hume or Immanuel Kant more virtuous in their ethical philosophy? First we must understand what these ethical writings were for each modern philosopher. Both Hume and Kant were very influential philosophers during their lifetime, they have also disagreed on many ideas they argue for. We will be focusing specifically on their ethical philosophies to determine which philosopher, if any, would be considered to be more virtuous. In order to answer this question, we must answer a few otherRead MoreEconomic Consequences Of The Black Death1471 Words   |  6 Pages 2. Outline the main short-term and longer-term economic consequences of the Black Death. Which was the most significant? The devastating consequences of the Black Death, which was at its peak between 1346 and 1353, did not cease after the period had ended. The Black Death caused the death of about a third of Europe’s population, with some places, such as Florence losing as much as two thirds of its population. With a smaller population, Europe saw a short-term rise in jobs available for peasantsRead MoreJohn Stuart Mill s The Principle Of Utility As The Standard For Determining The Rightness Of Actions779 Words   |  4 Pagesactions. According to this theory, our actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. An act is right if it produces the best aggregate consequences for all those affected by that given act. Thus, consequences of an action are the focus of this theory and as it takes into consideration, everyone affected by the consequences of an action, it promotes equality. Since consequences of an action are the focus of this theory, the rightnessRead MoreThe Moral Dispute Of John Stuart Mill And Immanuel Kant1500 Words   |  6 PagesThesis statement The philosopher Aristotle took the challenge of developing a full-fledged account of virtues that could stand on its own merits rather than simply criticize. He spoke about Eudaimonia meaning happiness of which he defined as the good. â€Å"The good, therefore, has been well defined as that at which all things aim.† His theories for happiness and fulfillment followed a theme of pain and pleasure and the proper function. He raised objections to the normative theories by defining his opposition