Abnormally Psychology, Essay Example

A scenario that would likely cause a fight-or-fight response, also known as the activation of the sympathetic nervous system,   would be flying on an airplane following experiences previously involving turbulence during a flight.  If a person has experienced a frightening trip on a plane while either takeoff or landing or had an excessively bumpy flight during bad weather,  one would expect the possibility of the fight-or-fight response when flying again, even if the flight is smooth and without incident.  The response is “our bodies’ primitive, inborn, automatic response that prepares the body to either struggle or escape “from an anticipated attack, harm, or threat to our survival (Neimark.)

The physical response occurs when bodily chemicals such as adrenaline and cortisol are released into our bloodstream, producing significant symptoms and bodily changes such as rapid breathing, rapid heart rate, increasing blood flow to muscles, dilated pupils, hyper-vigilance to one’s surroundings, slowing digestion, and increasing the body’s strength and energy, with the purpose of helping  prepare to protect ourselves or escape from harm.

General adaptation syndrome is the term used to describe the body’s physical reaction, both long-term and short term, to situations that are stressful.  There are three stages to the syndrome beginning with the alarm reaction which is the instant reaction to the stressful event.  It is during this phase that the fight-or-flight response typically occurs.  The purpose of this as an adaptation is to prepare the body for a physical activity that will consist of either struggling with the stressor, or fighting, or running away from the stressful episode, or fleeing (General adaptation syndrome).

As stated, the fight-or-flight response is only the first stage of general adaptation syndrome; the next phase is considered to be the stage of resistance, although it is also referred to as the stage of adaptation  because if the stressors are continuing during this period, the body struggles to adjust to the conditions.  There are various physical alterations that occur in order to minimize the impact of the stressor.  For example, in a case of starvation, this stage of resistance might involve the person experiencing less motivation to engage in physical activity, and increased ability of the body to absorb nutrients (General adaptation syndrome). The third stage of adaptation syndrome is considered to be a period of exhaustion if the stressor has continued to aggravate the situation for an extended period of time.  There may be a reduction in or even a breakdown in the body’s ability to tolerate the stress, which usually translates into a weakening of the immune system and vulnerability to illness; in the worst case scenarios, the person’s ability to resist disease may simply be gone.  This can result in fatalities caused by problems such as heart attacks or infections that simply cannot be treated.

An individual’s reaction to stress is completely specific to that person; two people react entirely differently to the same stressor.  The example of the airline flying is a good example to that premise because while people on a flight that is very turbulent may all experience some degree of anxiety, their attitude about flying the next time around will be different for each person.  Some of those passengers may instantly panic while in the waiting area of the air terminal, or when boarding the plane; others may be completely unaffected by the initial frightening experience of turbulence and will approach their future flying plans with casualness, excitement as well as the expectation that everything will be fine and that they will reach their destination with no problem at all.

Previously known as multiple personality disorder, dissociative identity disorder is nearly always a result of a significant trauma usually occurring during early childhood, typically consisting of a brutal level of emotional, physical, or sexual abuse.  This disorder is characterized by an inability for a person’s thoughts, memories, actions and behaviors as well as a sense of identity to form a cohesive structure.  Because of the etiology of the disorder, i.e., severe abuse, the dissociative response is usually seen as a coping mechanism, a way for the person to detach himself from an experience that is simply too violent, painful or traumatic to bring to one’s own conscious self.

The most obvious symptom of the disorder is the existence of two or more distinct personalities that are a constant influence over the person’s actions, attitudes and beliefs.  There is also a tendency to forget significant personal information, as well as tremendous variations in memory (Chakaburtty, 2009)

The various identities held by a person with dissociative identity disorder each contain their own age, race, gender, preferences and personality traits.  Some of the personalities are aware of the others, some of them may not be aware.  Commonly, the person with the disorder switches between personalities, a process that can take only a few minutes to several hours.  When a person with dissociative identity disorder is working with the therapist, switching can occur  easily at the therapist’s request.

Besides the multiple personalities, someone who suffers from dissociative identity disorder can experience any of the following symptoms: depression, mood swings, suicidal thoughts or behavior, sleep disorders such as night terrors, insomnia or sleepwalking, anxiety, panic attacks and phobias, chemical dependency, obsessive-compulsive symptoms and rituals, auditory and visual hallucinations, and eating disorders (Chakaburtty, 2009).

Other symptoms that affect people with dissociative identity disorder can include headaches, amnesia, trances and out- of- body experiences, and  they may have a tendency towards self -persecution, as well as violence inflicted on others or on oneself.

People with dissociative identity disorder are not cured of the illness, but rather, can lead relatively productive lives if they engage in long-term treatment with a qualified therapist and if they are dedicated to the process of getting better.  Talk therapy can be an extremely successful method which often involves uncovering and talking about some of the painful events that caused the person to have to split themselves off from their conscious self.  Another form of therapy that has had some success with people with dissociative identity disorder is hypnotherapy, in which the person is put into a semi -conscious state while bringing to light their various personalities and discussing the painful memories, and then awakening the person at which point they may or may not have any recollection of what has been discussed.  A key aspect of the therapy is the strength of the relationship with the therapist which can develop into a very trusting, safe setting; in addition, it is essential that the therapist is skilled and trained well in treating dissociative  identity disorder.

Other therapies that have been helpful for people with this disorder have included art therapy as well as therapies that involve movement such as dance therapy.

Finally, dissociative identity disorder can also be successfully treated with psychotropic medications, such as anti-depressant or anti-anxiety medications, especially since patients with this disorder often suffer concurrently with anxiety and depression.

References

Chakaburtty, A. (2009, September 16). Dissociative identity disorder. Retrieved October 15, 2010, from WebMD: http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/dissociative-identity-disorder-multiple-personality-disorder?page=4

General adaptation syndrome. (n.d.). Retrieved October 15, 2010, from The Free Dictionary: http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/General+adaptation+syndrome

Neimark, N. F. (n.d.). The fight-or-fight response. Retrieved October 15, 2010, from Mind-body Education Center: http://www.thebodysoulconnection.com/EducationCenter/fight.html.