The one
thing I enjoy most about college having classes at different times of
the day instead of have them straight for 8 hours. This way you can
space yourself out and do the things that you need to get done.
My
favorite type of food is Pakistani food. I am from Pakistan, so we have
Pakistani food just about everyday. I love it because I love spicy food.
I
am most proud of not getting into any car accidents the past two winters
(knock on wood). I am the best driver in my family with the best record!!!
I
expect a lot of myself in the next ten years because I have set goals
for myself. I hope to get into medical school right after college. In
ten years, I would like be married for sure because I'll be 28 years
old!! Come on, at that age girls have 3, 4 kids from where I come from.
Plus, I want at least one child in ten years. On top of that, I want
to be working part time as an orthopedic surgeon.
My
favorite quotation is, "An object in motion stays in motion…"
This can relate to anything. If you are determined to do something,
you can achieve it. That's it. That's the end of the story. No if's,
and's, or but's about it.
I
think that society today is too caught up doing their own thing to realize
all the terrible
things happening around the world. Stop being so self-centered and look
around… and help out any way you can. Just give charity. Volunteer.
Do something.
A
Neuroscience Topic That Interests Me....
Obsessive
Compulsive Disorder
One kind
of anxiety disorder is obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This disease
can ruin a person's life because it causes them to have repetitive thoughts
and behaviors towards certain things. Life can become very difficult
because this way of thinking and acting is very difficult to overcome,
especially since the obsessions have no point and are stressful for
the person. It begins to interfere with the person's school, work, and/or
home.
Obsessions are the unpleasant thoughts or impulses that cause the person
with the disorder to have lots of anxiety and edginess. The thoughts
may include things such as perfect order of things in a house, perfect
hygiene, or the fear that they are going to hurt someone. Obsessions
can be violent or sexual.
Compulsions are the behaviors that relieve the person of anxiety temporarily.
If the obsession is perfect hygiene, the compulsion could be washing
hands constantly. Compulsions can also be checking on something over
and over again, including repeating phrases to calm themselves down.
Basically, they are the everyday "rituals" that the person
goes through.
There are many theories as to where the obsessive-compulsive disorder
originated. People used to believe that OCD was caused by the experiences
in the patient's childhood. For example, parents putting unnecessary
force on the child for a clean environment. Scientists have learned
that it is due to more than just childhood experiences. They have realized
that the disorder is caused by the environmental stresses, neurobiological
factors, and even what the patient recognizes as being right or wrong.
People with OCD show differences in brain activity compared to other
people. They also have less white matter in the brain than normal people.
These results have been obtained using brain-imaging machines.
Victims of OCD may also have other diseases. Some have Tourette's syndrome.
This is when the person has movement spasms and vocal outbreaks. Others
have impulses to pull out their hair and to perfect their appearance.
Yet others are afraid to catch a disease, even though doctors have reassured
them that there are no defects in their health.
Victims deal with their problem in different ways. Some try to block
their obsessions so they do not have to deal with their compulsions.
They are able to hide their secret during the time they are in school
or work. Over the years their condition gets worse, and they are unable
to control themselves. By the time they get some professional help,
they already have had the disease for some time. The symptoms may last
for years with some mild periods and some harsh periods.
Treatment is available for the patients with OCD. Many types of medicines
can stimulate the neurotransmitter called serotonin, decreasing the
symptoms. Theses drugs include Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft.
The patient can also look into behavior therapy. This is when the patient
has sessions with a therapist. They confront the fears, obsessions,
and compulsions together. This allows the patient to overcome and control
their impulses and behaviors. They also have decreased anxiety in the
end of the sessions. Of course, it is very important to complete the
sessions in order to see improvement.
Works
Cited
"Obsessive
Compulsive Disorder in Children." Harvard Mental Health Letter.
July 2002.
Expanded Academic ASAP. Infotrac. Hanley Library, University of Pittsburgh
at Bradford, Bradford, PA. 30 Aug. 2002 <http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itw/infomark>.
Obsessive
Compulsive Disorder. NIMH. 30 Oct. 2002 <http://www.nimh.nih.gov>.
Stein,
Dan. "Obsessive Compulsive Disorder." The Lancet. Aug. 2002.
Expanded
Academic ASAP. Infotrac. Hanley Library, University of Pittsburgh at
Bradford, Bradford, PA. 30 Aug. 2002 <http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itw/infomark>.