Research in Abnormal Psychology

B.S psychology III-3 Jetz Gabriel

A MAN WHOO MISTOOK HIS WIFE A HAT

Summary The book consists of 24 short stories that are divided into four parts which are Losses, Excesses, Transports, and The World of The Simple. Each part represents stories of people who have specific problems on brain functions which will be represented through each paragraph of this summary. The summary discusses some of the stories in detailed which represent the specific neurological disorder as the main idea of each part. First Part: Losses. People who have loss or lack some of the functions of their brain can have several diseases or injury, such as Aphonia, Aphemia, Aphasia, Alexia, Apraxia, Agnosia, amnesia, and Ataxia (Sacks, 2007). On The Man Who Mistook His Wife for A Hat, Dr. P is a musician who had problems with his visual images. He couldnt recognize things around him, even his face, wife, foot, shoes, etc. Therefore, he grabbed his wifes head to put on his head, because he thought that his wife was a hat. But, he has wonderful musical intelligence, he can do his activities if hes singing, but he would forget everything and completely stop his activities when hes interrupted from his singing. The Lost Mariner is the story of Jimmie G, 19 years old, good looking man who was a radio operator in submarine. He cant remember anything, except his life experiences before mid 1940s. Therefore, he always thinks that he is 19 years old young man. But, he has excellent ability in science and math. He can compare each chemical elements and is doing well on arithmetical and algebra calculations. The Disembodied Lady is the story of 27 years young woman, who has two young children who worked as computer programming. Her life has changed, since the attack of abdominal pain. She cant feel her body and control them. Therefore, she has to learn how to walk, move and other functions of her body. The rest of the stories have similar type of neurological disorder. For example, The Man Who Fell out of Bed is the story of a man who cant feel his leg. He wanted to throw his leg out of bed, because he thought that his leg is the fake leg, not his own. The Hands is the story of Madeleine, 60 years old, a blind woman. She cant do anything by her hand, because she feels that her hands are useless, inactive as lumps of dough. Phantoms is about the feeling of having part of body, especially limb, after its lost such as because of amputation. On the Level is about 93 years old man with Parkinson disease, who is walking 20 degrees which way off to the left to maintaining his balance. But, he cant feel it, he thinks that hes walking straight. Eyes Right! is the story of Mrs S, around 60 years old. She got a massive stroke which caused damage on her right cerebral hemisphere, so that she cant feel her left. The last story of The President Speech presents the patients who have global aphasia. They are incapable to understand the words, so that they found Presidents speeches are so funny which makes them laugh and anger.

Second Part: Excesses. This second part is unusual in neurological disorder. The disorder is commonly found because of dysfunctional or lack or loss, but not excesses of the system. Witty Ticcy Ray is the story of patient, Ray, 24 years old man who has Tourettes syndrome which is characterized by the excess of energy, great productions, motions, and notions. He has remarkable ability on music such as hitting the drum, and in various games, such as ping-pong. He is excellent on doing all those things, because he has abnormal quickness of reflect and reactions. Then when Sacks gave him the drug Haldol to treat his disorder, Ray became slow down and lost himself, so that Ray decided not to use the medicine, and let himself to live with his Tourette. The Cupids Disease is the story of Natasha K., 90 years old woman who fell herself becomes more energetic, alive and young. She had syphilis seventy years ago which commonly is called cupids disease. She chooses to stay energetic, rather than to be treated. The other patient, Miguel O.,who has neurosyphilis. He has excited imagination and energy. When Dr. Sacks gave him Haldol, he became slowly down and lost his excited imagination. A Matter of Identity is the story of Mr. Thompson who cant recognize anyone, but he can create fiction characters. In the Yes, Father-Sister, Mrs. B, a former research chemist, she is becoming funny, impulsive, and superficial. She called Dr. Sacks father, sister, and sometimes doctor. She knows the right and left, but she cant differentiate it. The Possessed is the story of Sackss experiences on observing Touretters in the street of New York City. Third Part: Transports. This part consists of the stories of Sackss patients who have imaginations, dreams, spiritualities, feelings, or other unconscious and preconscious activities which is called transport or portal, or dreamy states, or reminiscence. Reminiscence is the story of Mrs. OC who had dream of her childhood in Ireland where she was dancing and singing. It is not simply a dream, because since then, she feels that she is living in her childhood memories. In Incontinent Nostalgia, a 63 year old woman who had Parkinson disease, since she was 18 years old. She used the drug L-Dopa to treat her Parkinson, but this drug caused the nostalgia and joyful memories of her youth life. A Passage to India is the story of Bhagawahndi P., a 19 years old Indian girl, who suffered form a malignant brain tumor. She had dreams and visions that she was in his country, India, return to her normal life as a young girl. She enjoyed her dreams and visions day to day, until the rest of her life. The Dog Beneath the Skin is the story of a 22 year medical student who had a dream that he was a dog. Since then, he can sniff like a dog. He has excellent smell ability like a dog. He could recognize every street, shop, food by smell. Murder is the story of a man who killed his girl under the influence of PCP (phenylcyclohexylpiperidine). Therefore, he didnt remember it then. He had the irruption of psychotic fantasy. When he was conscious about it, he would regret and be angry. But, nothing he could do, because his girl was dead. The Visions of Hildegard is the story of woman who had illusion of her earliest childhood, mysticism, and spiritualism. She can imagine and create the picture of city of God and other illusive pictures.

Fourth Part: The World of The Simple. This part consists of stories of Sackss patients who have different forms of mind which is very simple, innocent, and transparent. Rebecca is the story of Rebecca, a 19 years old girl who loves stories, poetry, and others arts. She acted like a child in some ways, such as she couldnt find the key of the door, couldnt use her clothes, put the gloves into the foot and put the shoes into the hand. Her grandmother was the one who always taking care of her since her parents died. Unfortunately, her grandmother passed away, and then she became unmotivated and was losing her soul. Until, she joins the special theater group, and shows the fantastic performances. A Walking Grove is the story of Martin A, a 61 years old man who had Parkinson and Meningitis. He has amazing musical memory, such as he can remember 2000 operas. He acts and uses language like a child, and his spirit of music makes him survive. The Twins is the story of the twins, John and Michael who were 26 years old. They were well known because of their remarkable memory of documentary, algorithm, and time. They knew the content of matches in a box which is felt from the table (11 matches), but they didnt know where 111s coming from. Even, they cant calculate the simplest calculations. Their world is very simple, just remembering without understanding. In The Autist Artist, the 21 years old young man has autism. People think that he is an idiot and even he cant talk, because he has autism. But, when Dr. Sacks asked him to draw the pictures, he can draw the same pictures as shown amazingly (see picture bellow). How to recognize drug abuse and addiction Drug abuse occurs if you take any drug for purposes other than for what it was intended or in any manner or in quantities other than directed. The abuse of drugs may lead to an addiction, now often referred to as drug dependence. An addiction may be considered to be the compulsive and continued use of a drug, or the loss of control over its use, despite adverse consequences produced by the drug. Drug dependence has both psychological and physical characteristics. If unable to obtain the drug, the addicted person may experience symptoms of distress or withdrawal and a need to take the drug again. Recognizing the signs of addiction (to legal or illegal drugs) in someone else can be difficult. These signs vary from drug to drug and person to person. However, people who are addicted to one or more drugs often will exhibit changes in their behavior that may gradually affect personal relationships and work performance. Their behavior may be erratic and their moods unpredictable, alternating between periods of exhilaration or agitation and exhaustion or lethargy. Some addicted persons find that they no longer sleep well, and other will "crash" and sleep for long periods. They may lose their interest in eating and experience an unexplained loss of weight. Eyes that are bloodshot or that have a dazed or expressionless appearance can be clues to drug abuse. Persons abusing hallucinogens may appear to be daydreaming and may have to be spoken to several times before responding, or they may gaze at or examine an object without explanation for long periods.

Other drugs may produce excessive sweating or flushed skin. An unexplained rash or irritated nostril or running nose may be a sign that someone has been using an opiate. Alternatively, many drug-dependent persons appear normal to their friends. If someone close to you has several of these signs or symptoms, he or she is not necessarily a drug addict. But you may know the person well enough to recognize whether genuine changes in personality have taken place. If changes include spending increasing amounts of time away from home, a shift in classroom behavior or missed classes, or a constant demand or need for money, you may have grounds for concern. However, as with all medical conditions, proper evaluation must be done to assess the true nature of the problem or t o rule out disorders that might cause similar behavior. History of Opium Archeologists estimate that the opium poppy plant, Papaver somniferum, has been grown and cultivated for as many as six thousand years. Many historians agree that opium poppies were originally grown in the Mediterranean near Turkey, Italy, and southern France, and then cultivation spread quickly around the world. Several successful ancient societies (including the Greek, Roman, Persian, Sumerian, Egyptian, Assyrian, Minoan and Arab Empires) used opium poppies as a source of edible oil and eventually as a medicine for pain relief and various other ailments. In the seventh century, opium became popular in the Islamic world for its medicinal qualities. Opium was often used as a treatment for pain relief. Soon, the Islamic people learned that opium could be smoked, and opium abuse quickly began to be an issue in Islamic society. As travel by ship became more common, European traders realized that opium was very profitable. Soon opium abuse was common throughout the entire world. China was particularly affected by opium abuse and addiction. Great Britain began delivering large quantities of opium to China in the eighteenth century, which led to the famous Opium Wars in 1839 and 1858. After the Opium Wars, more than 25% of Chinas male population was actively addicted to opium. It took decades for Chinese society, culture, and family structure to recover from the devastating effects of opium abuse. In the US, opium was used as a method of pain control. Doctors observed that opium was useful for treating pain initially, but soon it became seriously addictive and led to deadly consequences. Because of the hazards of opium use, doctors developed morphine and other opioid drugs that were more controlled than raw opium. These new opioid drugs were successful because they could be given in measured doses, but they continued to be addictive and prone to abuse. One new opioid drug, morphine, was created in 1803 and was at first believed to be a medical miracle. However, morphine and other opioid drugs have proven to be as much, or more, of an addiction problem as raw opium.

In 1895, the most deadly form of opium, heroin, was ironically first sold by the Bayer Company as a treatment for morphine addiction. By the early 1900s, heroin was an addiction epidemic in the United States. Modern Opium Use In North America, opium is a serious public health issue. It is estimated that more than 600,000 people in the US suffer from opium dependency. Opium use has been linked with violence, criminal activity and family dysfunction. Many studies show that opium addictions are often supported by illegal means and cost the average user more than $150 a day. Opioid addiction can lead to the contraction of infectious diseases (often Hepatitis C and HIV), loss of functioning, overdose, brain damage, crime (in order to support the addiction) and domestic violence. As of 2010, opium has been largely produced in Afghanistan, and political unrest has contributed to the production of opium more than tripling since 2001.

Use of Diazepam (Valium) Diazepam is a prescription medication used to treat anxiety disorders, to relieve anxiety, muscle spasms, and seizures and to control agitation caused by alcohol withdrawal. It is also prescribed for short-term insomnia relief. [2] Other uses for this medicine are in treating irritable bowel syndrome, panic attacks and certain types of epilepsy. [1] Valium (diazepam) has been described as a "lifestyle drug," and Cai Guise-Richardson, PhD from Iowa State University refers to Valium as "emotional aspirin" [1] and is a "hypnotic" drug. [2] Like many psychiatric drugs, diazepam does not cure the anxiety or address the cause of the anxiety, but merely temporarily assuages the symptoms. When the drug wears off, like aspirin, another dose is necessary to again relieve the anxiety. Twice as many presriptions for Diazepam are made for women than for men. [2] Most prescriptions for dizepam are made by physicians who are not psychiatrists.[2] These prescriptions are most often for anxiety. Physical addiction is not associated with this drug, however, psychological addiction and abuse are associated with this drug. History of Thorazine (Major Tranquilizer) and Valium (Minor Tranquilizer) Cai Richardson, PhD, describes the history of psychiatric drugs, starting in 1950, with the creation of the drug chlorpromazine (CPZ), which came to be referred to as Thorazine. Thorazine first came into widespread use around 1959 in psychiatric hospitals for acute patients, and it had a calming and stabilizing affect on patients, revolutionizing psychiatric hospitals and the way patients there were treated.

Psychopharmacology became the norm, and other "typical" stronger antipsychotic drugs followed the creation of Thorazine. (A related drug called Stelazine was also created about the same time as Thorazine). [1] Thorazine is described by Dr. Richardson as as first-generation psychopharmaceutical antipsychotic drug and "major tranquilizer" by Dr. Richardson. Valium (diazapem) described as a "second-generation" psychopharmaceutical drug and "minor tranquilizer". [6] Valium is one of the most frequently prescribed medications in the past 40 years (1970-2010). The predecessor to Valium was Librium (chlordiazepoxide), also a mild tranquilizer and used for similar reasons (anxiety). (Librium) which was approved for use in 1960. Valium was considered to be an improvement to barbiturates, less dangerous and less physically addictive.

THE HISTORY OF HALLUCINOGENS A diverse group of drugs, which can change the mood, thinking, and opinion of the user is referred to as hallucinogens. Hallucinogens are a varied group where the substances have dissimilar negative effects, dissimilar mechanism of actions and dissimilar chemical structures. Regardless of the name, the majority of the hallucinogens do not make the users experience hallucinations (fake or artificial thinking or opinion that is not real). Hallucinogens alters the thinking and mood of the users most of the time rather than causing hallucinations for real. Hallucinogens have a rich history or past. These drugs were used for religious or supernatural rituals by different cultures. In the Rig Veda (the Hindu Holy Book), soma was mentioned. Soma refers to a holy substance, which was used to stimulate higher levels of consciousness, and it was thought to be derived from Amanita muscaria, a hallucinogenic mushroom. In the Pre-Columbian Mexico, the Aztecs used teotlaqualli in rituals. Teotlaqualli is a paste made from Ololiuqui, a hallucinogenic flower. When the paste was applied on the skin of the Aztec priests and soldiers, terror was eradicated and the users mental condition was altered in order to serve the Aztec God properly. Peyote (a hallucinogen that has mescaline) has been used by the Mexican Indians in sacred rituals for a long period. These drugs were considered as the cause of the wicked and dishonest deeds of the alleged witches in Salem, Massachusetts witch trials or assessment.