Psychopathology Discussion
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Psychopathology Discussion
Important of Understanding Neurocognitive Disorders in elderly Aged 60 Years
The neurocognitive disorder is an acquired and persistent clinical condition caused by brain damage and involves various cognitive impairment that may lead to dysfunction and disabilities and loss of independence with daily living activities. This condition is common among the elderly aged 60. The progressive effects of neurocognitive disorder are increasingly devastating on many family members and friends, especially those involved in care in rural areas. At the advances of these conditions, it calls for an understanding that is important, particularly for social workers, to ensure that the family’s care team is well educated and prepared for the cognitive and behavioral issues. Understanding neurocognitive disorder in elderly aged 60 is essential for social workers in the rural state because it helps provide care for individuals with this condition in direct engagement and supervision. This understanding is also beneficial for practitioners by ensuring that older clients live in a comfortable setting and meets their wants and needs.
Alzheimer’s disease
Based on www.alz.org website concerning Alzheimer’s and Dementia, I learned that Dementia is an overall term that describing a group of symptoms related to memory loss and thinking skills, whereas Alzheimer’s is a type of Dementia that influences memory thinking and behavior. The new things I learned about Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia are that even though these conditions do not have a single course, they possibly develop from multiple factors such as genetics, lifestyles, and environment. I learned that the condition could be diagnosed through medical history, mental status tests, physical and neurological exams or thorough brain imaging done by the physicians. The disease develops through three stages, including early, middle, and late-stage that occur gradually on an individual. This condition affects people differently since adults may have varying symptoms. The good thing I learned from the website is that although Alzheimer’s disease does not have a specific cure, there are drugs and non-drug options that may help manage the symptoms, improving the quality of life.
Drug Abuse
After reading the terms to use and avoid while talking about addiction, my vocabulary has been transformed to keep in mind about the terms to avoid to reduce stigma and negative bias when discussing addiction. I used some language that may be considered stigmatizing within my social communities who struggle with substance use disorder, but after reading “words matter,” I will avoid any associated stereotype that may elicit negative responses to avoid stigma towards those addicted. For example, I will use the first-person language to let individuals choose how they are described since a person with substance use disorder usually has a neutral tone that distinguishes the person from diagnosis.
Some of the principles of effective treatment that were new to me after reading the information in the National Institute for Drug Abuse Website includes addressing of all the patient’s needs without a mere consideration of their drug use. This treatment involves behavioral counseling, provision of essential requirements to an individual, medication, and long-term follow-up to prevent any relapse. Follow up treatment options are essential and include both medical and mental health services, including community or family-based recovery support systems. Additionally, the treatment involving programs that test for patients HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and C, tuberculosis, among other infectious diseases, and teaching them about steps to be used to reduce their risk of this illness also stood out for me.
You don’t need to be addicted to help someone struggling with substance use disorder (USD). I will take time to encourage the patient on how to avoid using the drug. This can be achieved by learning about addiction to teach the patient about the effects of abusing the drugs after offering my support to them. I will talk to the patient about my concerns and let them know that I will support them through the recovery journey.