Health

The Benefits of Psychotherapy for People Living with Disability

Published

2 months ago

April 10, 2023

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The Benefits of Psychotherapy for People Living with Disability

While there are significant barriers to receiving mental health care for some people with disabilities, research also shows that this care can improve their overall quality of life.

In 2020 alone, more than 46% of adults in the United States received some sort of mental health treatment, whether therapy, medication, or self-led treatment. Therapy is one of the most effective forms of mental health treatment, and millions of people receive therapy every single year.

But therapy does more than just treat mental health conditions ― it can also help build coping skills, provide a space for self-expression, and improve overall quality of life, especially for people living with disabilities.

Ahead, we’ll explore how people with disabilities can benefit from regular therapy, as well as touch on some of the barriers and considerations for disabled people seeking mental health services.

What might be barriers to treatment for disabled people?

Disabled people often experience increased barriers to treatment when seeking out mental health services. Some of these barriers come from things like physical or financial limitations, while others arise from things like ableism and stigma.

Here are some of the barriers that can prevent people with disabilities from getting the help they need:

Contents hide

1 Social stigma

2 Healthcare professional stigma

3 Financial barriers

4 Communication barriers

5 Intersectionality and disability

Social stigma

Stigma can affect disabled people in many ways, especially because there’s not only a stigma around disabilities, but there’s also a stigma around mental health.

Social stigma can negatively affect the mental health of people living with disabilities and make it difficult for them to get the support they need to seek mental health treatment.

Healthcare professional stigma

In addition to social stigmas, healthcare professional stigma can make it hard for people with disabilities to receive the level of care they need to get better. When healthcare professionals allow their personal beliefs about disabilities to influence the care that they provide disabled people, it decreases the quality of care.

Financial barriers

Mental health treatment can be expensive, especially for people who have to pay out of pocket or don’t have access to insurance. Many disabled people are unable to work, and those who do work generally earn less, which can make it difficult ― or even impossible ― to be able to afford therapy services.

Communication barriers

People with physical disabilities, and even some with mental and intellectual disabilities, face increased barriers to accessing mental health care.

For some disabled people, it can be a challenge to leave the house, especially if they don’t have access to transportation or accommodations. And even virtual care can be challenging for disabled people who don’t have the tools or skills necessary for it.

All of these barriers can make it difficult for disabled people to access to mental health treatment or receive the level of care they need.

How can disabled people benefit from therapy?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted Source, mental distress is five times more frequent in adults with disabilities than in those without. And research has consistently shownTrusted Source that living with a disability can have a significant effect on a person’s mental health, especially when it comes to depression and anxiety.

Therapy can help you better understand your own thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, especially those that accompany the experience of living with a disability.

Therapy can teach you how to recognize and change the relationship between those thoughts and feelings, to improve your emotional health. And whether you live with a physical disability, mental disability, or both, therapy can give you the skills necessary to cope with and adapt to life with a disability.

What considerations should be made for disabled people in therapy?

When you live with a disability, it’s important that your therapist understands the effect that disability can have on your life ― not just physically and mentally, but also socially, occupationally, and beyond.

In 2014 research, experts in the field pinpointed several areas that are important for therapists to consider when working with people who live with disabilities. Some examples include:

having respect for their understanding and experience of the disability and its effects
being mindful of using inclusive language when speaking about a person’s disabilities
helping identify and understand barriers that disabled people might experience
incorporating the individual’s strengths into the therapy’s structure
adjusting goals and recommendations to accommodate their disabilities

If you’re a therapist who works with people who have disabilities, the most important thing is to continue to educate yourself about the experiences of this disability and how it affects day-to-day life.

Intersectionality and disability

Intersectionality describes the way in which a person’s various identities, including things like gender, race, sexual orientation, and more, interconnect and create unique experiences of oppression and discrimination.

Many of the barriers to treatment that people with disabilities experience arise because of intersectionality.

For example, someone living with a disability who doesn’t have access to health insurance because of a lack of income will experience increased barriers to accessing mental health services. And other factors, such as gender and race, can compound the discrimination and barriers disabled people face when seeking or receiving treatment.

The best psychological techniques for those with disabilities

People with all types of disabilities, including physical, mental, intellectual disabilities and others, can benefit from different therapeutic approaches.

For example, chronic pain is one of the most common reasons for disability in the United States, and many studies have explored the benefits of psychotherapy for chronic pain.

One review foundTrusted Source that psychotherapeutic approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and cognitive functional therapy (CFT) can help improve the overall quality of life for people with chronic pain.

Not only can these approaches help people better understand their disability, but they can also help improve coping skills and reduce the mental distress of living with these conditions.

And for people with mental health conditions that are disabilities, therapy may even reduce levels of disability by reducing symptoms of the condition overall. For example, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a serious mental health condition that can cause significant disability in a person’s day-to-day life.

Psychotherapy approaches like CBT and exposure and response prevention (ERP) have been shownTrusted Source to be effective at not only treating OCD but also reducing disability and increasing the quality of life for people living with the condition.

Takeaway

More than 60 million peopleTrusted Source in the United States live with a disability that makes it difficult to fully engage in life’s activities.

And there are many factors that can affect the mental health of disabled people. These factors include social and professional stigma, increased barriers to care, and lack of support and understanding about living with a disability.

If you have a disability, therapy can help improve your mental health, teach you important coping skills, and provide you with the care you need to feel supported.

Health

What is the mysterious “sleep paralysis “and what science says about why it occurs

Published

1 month ago

May 3, 2023

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What is the mysterious "sleep paralysis "and what science says about why it occurs

Sleep paralysis happens when part of the brain wakes up while the body is temporarily paralyzed.

The first time it happened to me, I was just a teenager.

What is the mysterious “sleep paralysis “and what science says about why it occurs

I still had a few hours to go before I had to get up for school when I woke up. I tried to turn in bed, but my body wouldn’t allow it, I couldn’t move, I was paralyzed up to my toes.

Although my brain was conscious, my muscles were still asleep.

My room felt hot and restrictive, like the walls were closing in, and I panicked. Finally, after about 15 seconds, the paralysis disappeared.

Later, I found a name for what had happened to me: sleep paralysis.

This is a surprisingly common nocturnal condition in which part of the brain wakes up while the body remains temporarily paralyzed.

After that first – and terrifying – incident, I experienced sleep paralysis frequently, with one episode every two or three nights.

The more that happened, the less scary it became. Eventually, it was little more than an inconvenience.

But sleep paralysis can affect people’s lives.

For some, it comes with disturbing hallucinations.

A 24-year-old woman I spoke to, who asked to be identified only by her first name, Victoria, recalls having her first experience one night when she was just 18 years old.

“I woke up and I couldn’t move,” he told me.

“I saw this gremlin-like figure hiding behind my curtain. It jumped on my chest. I thought I had entered another dimension. And the scariest thing was that I couldn’t scream. It was so vivid, so real.”

Sleep paralysis is believed to have inspired many works of fiction and art, including John Henry Fusseli’s painting “The Nightmare.”

Others hallucinate **demons, ghosts, aliens, intruders, and** **even dead family members**. They see parts of their own body floating in the air, or cloned copies of themselves standing by their bed. Some see angels and then believe they had a religious experience.

Researchers believe that these hallucinations may have fueled belief in witches in modern Europe, and could even explain some claims of alien abductions.

What is known about the phenomenon?

Scientists believe that sleep paralysis has probably been around for as long as humans slept.

There are various colorful descriptions of these episodes throughout literary history.

Mary Shelley, the British playwright best known for authoring the gothic novel Frankenstein, was inspired by a painting depicting an episode of sleep paralysis to write a scene for the play.

But the truth is that, until now, little research has been done on this rare condition.

“It’s been an ignored phenomenon… but in the last 10 years there’s been increasing interest,” says Baland Jalal, a sleep researcher at Harvard University, who in 2020 completed the first clinical trial on different ways to treat paralysis. of the dream

Lucid dreaming: what are the best techniques to control your dreams, according to science

Jalal is one of the few sleep scientists to spend time and energy researching the condition.

His goal is to more solidly understand the causes and effects of this and to discover what it tells us about the broader mysteries of the human brain.

But in 2011, clinical psychologist Brian Sharpless, currently an associate professor at St Mary’s College of Maryland, conducted the most comprehensive review to date of the prevalence of the condition in people.

It examined data from 35 studies spanning five decades. Together, they included more than 36,000 volunteers.

Sharpless found that sleep paralysis was more common than previously thought, with almost 8% of adults claiming to have experienced it at some point. That number is much higher among college students (28%) and psychiatric patients (32%).

“It’s not that uncommon,” says Sharpless, who is also a co-author of “Sleep Paralysis: Historical, Psychological, and Medical Perspectives.”

How is it explained?

After experiencing the phenomenon, some people try to understand what happened to them with supernatural or even paranormal explanations.

In reality, says Jalal, the cause is much more mundane.

At night, our body goes through four stages of sleep. The final stage is called Rapid Eye Movement or REM sleep. This is when we dream.

During REM, your brain paralyzes your muscles, probably to prevent you from acting out physically in your dreams and getting hurt. But sometimes, and scientists are still not sure why, the sensory part of the brain emerges from REM prematurely.

The final stage of sleep is called REM and it is when we dream.

This makes you feel awake. But the lower part of your brain is still in REM, Jalal says, and sending out neurotransmitters to paralyze your muscles.

“The sensory part of the brain is activated,” says Jalal. “You’re waking up mentally, perceptually, but physically you’re still paralyzed,” he adds.

When I was in my early twenties, I would experience sleep paralysis every two or three nights, but even then, it didn’t have much of an impact on my life. It was an interesting anecdote for friends and family. In that sense, my experience was common.

“For most people, it’s a peculiar thing that they live with,” says Colin Espie, professor of sleep medicine at the University of Oxford.

“It’s a bit like sleepwalking: most people who sleepwalk never see a doctor. It’s a curiosity in the family, a topic of conversation.”

But for an unfortunate minority, the condition is not so anecdotal.

Anxiety and anguish

Sharpless’s research found that between 15% and 44% of people with sleep paralysis experience “clinically significant distress” as a result.

The problems usually stem from how we respond to sleep paralysis, rather than the condition itself. Patients obsess all day about when the next episode might occur.

“It can be anxiety-inducing at the beginning and end of the night,” says Espie.

“And you grow a web of worry and restlessness around you. The worst expression of that is a kind of panic attack.”

In some people, sleep paralysis causes anxiety and distress.

In the most severe cases, sleep paralysis may be a sign of underlying narcolepsy, a more serious sleep condition in which the brain is unable to regulate sleep and wake patterns, causing someone to fall asleep at inappropriate times.

Doctors assert that sleep deprivation increases the likelihood of experiencing paralysis because it fragments sleep architecture. Some patients report that lying on their back increases the chances of paralysis, although the reason for this remains unclear.

To treat sleep paralysis, the most prevalent approach involves educating patients by teaching them about the science behind the condition and providing reassurance that they are not in any danger.

Sometimes a form of meditation therapy is used. The goal is to reduce the patient’s anxiety about going to bed and train them to remain calm when sleep paralysis occurs.

In more severe cases, doctors may consider prescribing medications, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). SSRIs are usually used to treat depression, but they have the side effect of suppressing REM sleep.

The most dramatic and memorable episodes of sleep paralysis are usually the ones that come with vivid hallucinations.

These night visions are often a source of fear, but scientists also believe they can tell us fascinating things about the human brain.

Some people experience terrifying hallucinations.

When you go into sleep paralysis, the motor cortex in your brain starts sending signals to the body, telling it to move.

But the muscles are paralyzed, so the brain doesn’t get any feedback signals in return.

“There is an incongruity… the self is fragmented, degraded,” says Jalal.

As a result, the brain “fills in the gap” and creates an explanation for why the muscles can’t move. That’s why so many hallucinations involve a creature sitting on your chest or holding your body.

The brain, a “story-telling machine”

This reinforces the idea, popular among evolutionary scientists, of the human brain as a “story-telling machine.”

We struggle to come to terms with the fact that much of the world is random, so our brains create dramatic narratives to find meaning in the mundane.

Christopher French, head of the anomalous psychology research unit at Goldsmiths, University of London, has spent more than a decade talking to people around the world who have experienced these hallucinations and recording what they saw.

“There are common themes, but there’s also a lot of idiosyncrasies, variability,” French says.

Why do we need more hours of sleep in winter than in summer?

Some hallucinations are hard to explain, and even downright bizarre. Over the years, the French have recorded sightings of a sinister-looking black cat and a man strangled by plants.

Culture heavily influences other behaviors that are much more common.

On the island of Newfoundland in Canada, it is common for people to see an “old hag” sitting on their chests.

Mexicans, meanwhile, usually hallucinate with a “dead man” lying on their chest, while those from Saint Lucia speak of “korma”, the souls of unbaptized children. And the Turks imagine the “Karabasan”, a mysterious and ghostly creature.

This reinforces the idea that humans are overwhelmingly social animals, heavily influenced by culture and expectations.

In fact, in a series of studies, Jalal compared symptoms in Denmark and Egypt, among volunteers with a similar age and gender distribution, and found a cultural gulf in the way sleep paralysis manifested itself.

Egyptians were much more likely than Danes to have experienced sleep paralysis ( 44% compared to 25% ), and more likely to support a supernatural explanation.

Many people believe that the fear of the supernatural causes sleep paralysis to be more frightening.

Egyptian volunteers who believed in ghosts and demons also spent more time paralyzed during each episode. Jalal’s theory is that fear of the supernatural makes people more afraid of sleep paralysis, and **this anxiety makes the phenomenon more likely to occur,** a demonstration of the tight fusion between our minds and bodies.

“When you have anxiety and stress, your sleep architecture becomes more fragmented, so you’re more likely to have sleep paralysis,” he says.

Your grandmother’s description of the creature, which appears at night and attacks, causes hyper-arousal in you and hyper-alertness in the fear centers of your brain. And during REM sleep you feel, ‘oh, something’s wrong, I can’t move, the creature is here'”.

“It seems that culture can create this amazing effect,” he concludes.

Health

“How Coffee Can Enhance Your Health and Lifestyle:Unveiling the Benefits”

Published

2 months ago

April 16, 2023

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Coffee has been linked to improved mood and a reduced risk of depression

“The Wonders of Coffee: Exploring its Benefits and How It Can Enhance Your Health and Lifestyle”

Espresso is a cherished drink that has been delighted by individuals all over the planet for a long time. It has a rich history, dating back to its discovery in Ethiopia in the 9th century, and has since become one of the most popular drinks worldwide. Coffee is not just a tasty beverage; it also offers numerous health benefits that can enhance your overall well-being. In this article, we will delve into the wonders of coffee and explore its benefits in detail, covering various aspects of health and lifestyle.

Boosting Physical Performance

Coffee has long been known for its ability to improve physical performance. One of the key reasons is its high caffeine content, which is a natural stimulant that can enhance physical performance by stimulating the central nervous system. Caffeine helps to increase adrenaline levels in the bloodstream, which in turn can improve physical endurance and stamina. This makes coffee a popular choice for athletes and fitness enthusiasts.

Enhancing Cognitive Function

Coffee is also known to have positive effects on cognitive function. The caffeine in coffee can help to improve alertness, concentration, and focus. It works by blocking the action of adenosine, a neurotransmitter that promotes sleep and relaxation. By inhibiting adenosine, caffeine increases the release of other neurotransmitters such as dopamine and norepinephrine, which can improve cognitive function and memory retention. Studies have shown that coffee consumption is associated with a reduced risk of cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Providing Essential Nutrients

Coffee is not just a source of caffeine; it also contains a wide range of essential nutrients. A single cup of coffee contains vitamins B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), and B5 (pantothenic acid), manganese, and potassium in significant amounts. These nutrients play important roles in various bodily functions, such as energy metabolism, brain function, and antioxidant activity. While the amounts of these nutrients in coffee may be small, regular consumption can contribute to your daily nutrient intake.

Boosting Mood and Reducing Depression Risk

Caffeine stimulates the release of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin, which can help to elevate mood and improve overall well-being.Espresso has been connected to further developed state of mind and a decreased gamble of sorrow. Studies have found that coffee consumption is associated with a lower risk of depression and a reduced risk of suicide. However, it’s important to note that excessive coffee consumption can have negative effects on mental health, so moderation is key.

Enhancing Metabolic Rate and Weight Loss

Coffee has also been shown to boost metabolism and aid in weight loss. Caffeine increases the metabolic rate, which can help the body burn more calories and fat. It also stimulates the breakdown of stored fat cells, releasing them into the bloodstream as free fatty acids that can be used as a source of energy. As a result, coffee has been found to have a modest effect on weight loss and can be a helpful addition to a healthy diet and exercise routine.

Protecting Against Chronic Diseases

Coffee is rich in antioxidants, which are compounds that can neutralize harmful free radicals in the body and protect against chronic diseases. Studies have shown that coffee consumption is associated with a reduced risk of several diseases, including type 2 diabetes, liver diseases such as cirrhosis and liver cancer, and certain types of cancer such as colorectal, prostate, and endometrial cancer. The antioxidants in coffee, such as chlorogenic acid, quinines, and melanoidin’s, are believed to be responsible for these protective effects.

Health

What’s Causing This Skin Lesion?

Published

2 months ago

April 16, 2023

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Understanding Skin Lesions: Common Causes and Symptoms

Skin lesions, also known as skin abnormalities or dermatological conditions, can occur for various reasons and may present as different types of abnormalities on the skin’s surface. These lesions can range from mild to severe and may cause discomfort or distress to those affected. In this article, we will explore some of the common causes and symptoms of skin lesions to help you better understand these conditions and seek appropriate medical attention when needed.

Infectious Causes:

One of the most common causes of skin lesions is infection. Various types of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites can infect the skin, leading to the formation of lesions. For example, bacterial infections like impetigo can cause red, crusted sores that may be itchy and contagious. Viral infections like herpes simplex virus can cause painful, fluid-filled blisters on or around the lips or genital area. Fungal infections like ringworm can cause circular, scaly patches on the skin, while parasitic infections like scabies can cause itchy, raised bumps or burrows on the skin.

Inflammatory Causes:

Inflammation of the skin can also lead to the development of skin lesions. Conditions like eczema (atopic dermatitis) can cause red, itchy, and scaly patches on the skin that may ooze or crust. Psoriasis is another chronic inflammatory skin condition that causes thick, silvery scales on the skin’s surface, often accompanied by itching and discomfort. Contact dermatitis, which occurs when the skin comes into contact with irritants or allergens, can cause redness, rash, and blisters on the affected area.

Autoimmune Causes:

Autoimmune conditions, where the body’s immune system attacks its own cells, can also cause skin lesions. For example, lupus is an autoimmune disease that can affect the skin and cause a variety of lesions, including a butterfly-shaped rash on the face, discoid lupus, which presents as circular scaly patches on the skin, or vasculitis, which causes inflamed blood vessels in the skin resulting in painful, tender nodules or ulcers.

Neoplastic Causes:

lesions can also be caused by neoplastic conditions, which involve the abnormal growth of cells. Skin cancer is a common type of neoplastic condition that can cause various types of lesions, including a raised bump or nodule that may bleed, a changing mole or birthmark, or a non-healing sore on the skin. Cancer can be caused by various factors, including exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun or tanning beds, genetic predisposition, and immune system suppression.

Genetic Causes:

Some skin lesions can be caused by genetic factors. For example, genetic disorders like neurofibromatosis can cause multiple benign tumors (neurofibromas) to form on or under the skin. These tumors can appear as soft, fleshy nodules or bumps that may vary in size and number. Another genetic condition called xeroderma pigmentosum can cause the skin to be extremely sensitive to sunlight, leading to the development of skin lesions and an increased risk of skin cancer.

Traumatic Causes:

Trauma to the skin can also result in skin lesions. Burns, cuts, abrasions, and other injuries to the skin can cause various types of lesions, including blisters, scars, and open sores. These lesions may heal over time, but they can leave lasting marks on the skin, depending on the severity of the trauma.