Shreya Sarathy
HM
Erin Kelly
Research Paper Introduction
15th November 2016
Psychotic disorders are those mental disorders which cause abnormal thinking and perception. Schizophrenia, a disorder which causes symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions, is the most widely known example. It is commonly believed that psychotic disorders are genetically determined and, as such, will not respond to psychological treatments that are commonly used for non-psychotic disorders such as depression. However, there is evidence that suggests that psychosis is not always induced by genetics, but can also be influenced by experiences in one's own life, and could possibly even arise as a result of those experiences. If this is proven to be true, it also stands true that psychotic disorders would respond to the psychotherapy that their non-psychotic counterparts have been proven to respond to. This would open up new and numerous possibilities in helping the victims of such disorders to understand, cope with and manage their disease. To support this thesis, this paper will draw connections between several sources that enable us to better understand the link between psychosis and trauma. "When I Woke Up Tuesday Morning, It Was Friday" by Martha Stout tells us the experiences of several victims of early emotional trauma and how their symptoms, such as dissociation from reality, were induced subconsciously in response to environmental triggers. Here, we learn that emotional damage can trigger abnormal mental processes as a coping mechanism, something that is further detailed by Dr. Michael Garrett in his article "Psychosis, Trauma and Ordinary Mental Life". From these works, we can see that psychotic disorders can be used by the mind as a defense against past 'evils'. This indicates the ability of the mind to essentially rewire itself and work in new ways to cope with pressing situations, a trait known as neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity is also a debated concept, with many believing that the brain is fixed in its functioning and neural pathways cannot be altered. "The Mind's Eye" by Oliver Sacks, with its insightful stories of how individuals deprived of visual stimuli managed to adjust to their new world view (or lack thereof), can shed some light on the concept of mental rewiring, something that plays a crucial role in understanding how trauma-based psychotic disorders work. From there, "Immune to Reality" by Daniel Gilbert will serve as a link between the concepts of psychological defences and neuroplasticity by showing how the human brain deals with possible psychological pain or severe discomfort (or even the psychological effects of physical pain) by inventing a scenario which can lessen the blow of the situation.
HM
Erin Kelly
Research Paper Introduction
15th November 2016
Psychotic disorders are those mental disorders which cause abnormal thinking and perception. Schizophrenia, a disorder which causes symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions, is the most widely known example. It is commonly believed that psychotic disorders are genetically determined and, as such, will not respond to psychological treatments that are commonly used for non-psychotic disorders such as depression. However, there is evidence that suggests that psychosis is not always induced by genetics, but can also be influenced by experiences in one's own life, and could possibly even arise as a result of those experiences. If this is proven to be true, it also stands true that psychotic disorders would respond to the psychotherapy that their non-psychotic counterparts have been proven to respond to. This would open up new and numerous possibilities in helping the victims of such disorders to understand, cope with and manage their disease. To support this thesis, this paper will draw connections between several sources that enable us to better understand the link between psychosis and trauma. "When I Woke Up Tuesday Morning, It Was Friday" by Martha Stout tells us the experiences of several victims of early emotional trauma and how their symptoms, such as dissociation from reality, were induced subconsciously in response to environmental triggers. Here, we learn that emotional damage can trigger abnormal mental processes as a coping mechanism, something that is further detailed by Dr. Michael Garrett in his article "Psychosis, Trauma and Ordinary Mental Life". From these works, we can see that psychotic disorders can be used by the mind as a defense against past 'evils'. This indicates the ability of the mind to essentially rewire itself and work in new ways to cope with pressing situations, a trait known as neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity is also a debated concept, with many believing that the brain is fixed in its functioning and neural pathways cannot be altered. "The Mind's Eye" by Oliver Sacks, with its insightful stories of how individuals deprived of visual stimuli managed to adjust to their new world view (or lack thereof), can shed some light on the concept of mental rewiring, something that plays a crucial role in understanding how trauma-based psychotic disorders work. From there, "Immune to Reality" by Daniel Gilbert will serve as a link between the concepts of psychological defences and neuroplasticity by showing how the human brain deals with possible psychological pain or severe discomfort (or even the psychological effects of physical pain) by inventing a scenario which can lessen the blow of the situation.
I think your introduction is great! You clearly introduce your topic in an interesting and insightful way. I understood the terms you mentioned and the introduction of your readings flow with what you mentioned before them. However, maybe try to shorten out a little bit your explanations of the readings so that you can develop more their ideas on the body paragraphs. Your topic seems very interesting!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting! I agree with Marimar, simplifying your explanations of the readings here may allow further development within your body paragraphs. Also, maybe provide a summarizing sentence at the end of this paragraph to remind the reader of your over all purpose. Sounds really good so far though!
ReplyDeleteIt's very interesting, but was the introduction supposed to include the research question? I'm not actually sure so that's why I'm asking. Also you've got a lot of strong sources, but I would definitely find some statistics to throw in the full paper just to strengthen it.
ReplyDeleteGreat intro! It is very clear and easy to follow. You allude to connections I hadn't thought of before. Obviously, I'm not the first to say it, but you can make the preliminary explanation more concise so you have more to talk about later.
ReplyDeleteReally interesting points! Being that our papers are similar, you made me think a lot and conjure up ideas for my own research paper...so thanks for that!! Lots of scientific but creative ways of explaining ideas and concepts
ReplyDelete