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Essay Unit 30 - Health Psychology
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P3 – Explain specific Health Psychology issuesEating disorder
There are many different eating disorders which include anorexia, bulimia, binge eating or
obesity. The meaning of eating behaviours is that it is the attitude and psychosocial factors
related to the amount and selection of which foods to eat. Eating disorders have the highest
mortality rate compared to any other mental illnesses. In anorexia, it affects more females
than males. Severe anorexia could also lead to the stopping of menstrual cycle. Starvation
which is usually common in anorexia, can lead to death or damage to internal organs. The
meaning of anorexia is that those who suffer from it try to keep and manage their weight as
low as possible by not eating enough food and exercising too much which makes them
physically very ill as they start to starve but don’t realise it. People who have bulimia usually
binge eat a lot of food in a short amount of time and then make themselves sick or use
laxatives and perform excessive exercise to stop themselves from gaining weight. Obesity is
where people may enjoy eating a lot of food meaning gaining more calories than they are
burning of, this could be a mental health issue.
Eating disorders could affect individuals physically in a very dangerous way. People who
suffer from anorexia usually suffer from extreme weight loss and don’t make expected
developmental weight gains. They make a thin appearance and have abnormal blood
counts. They could also suffer from fatigue Insomnia dizziness and fainting, they have bluish
discoloration on their fingers and thinning hair, or it falls out. Long term effects of anorexia
also include decrease in white blood cells, seizures, Anaemia, bone weakening amenorrhea,
lack of vitamins and minerals etc. Individuals could also have a reduced heart rate, which
could deprive the brain of oxygen. Numbness and odd nerve sensations in the hands or feet
could also occur. In bulimia, the physical symptoms that may occur include facial swelling or
swollen parotid glands that are visible at the jawline or cheeks. They also suffer from
heartburn, indigestion, bloating and irregular menstrual periods. Bulimia can permanently
harm your stomach and intestines, resulting in constipation, diarrhoea, and irritable bowel
syndrome, among other issues such as hormonal imbalances.
The social impacts of having an eating disorder can be very painful and most people suffer a
lot. It doesn’t only affect those individuals but also those loved ones surrounding them such
as their family and their friends. These include the disruption of family, fights and blame
over food, weight treatment etc. Guilt, worry, anxiety, and frustration affect family
members. Nothing they do appears to improve the situation. Someone suffering from an
eating disorder is or becomes emotionally cold and withdrawn, as well as irritable. Not only
does this affect the people around them however, the individuals themselves also suffer
emotionally. Most individuals that develop an eating disorder usually have the mindset of
the diet improving their self-esteem, weight loss, self-confidence and happiness. However,
persistent binge eating, undereating and purging usually have the opposite effect on people.
They usually could feel out of control in their situation and helpless about their problem.
They also suffer from anxiety, self-doubt, guilt and shame, or feelings of failure. They also
have obsessive thoughts and preoccupations and feeling lonely or depressed.
Obsessive exercise
,Obsessive exercise is when a person feels compelled to exercise excessively. Injury, illness,
social engagements, or weather conditions usually doesn’t stop them. Individuals that
choose to exercise excessively may be driven to improve more on their sport performance
and personal goal such as athletes however this can also link to eating disorders as they may
work out excessively to lose weight. Bulimia sufferers may turn to exercise to make up for
their binge eating. Some people feel that if they keep exercising, they will be able to acquire
an unrealistic ideal body type. However, this type of exercise can lead to many physical
problems such as injuries, including overuse injuries and stress fractures. In females, losing a
lot of weight will cause irregular periods, or amenorrhea and loose bone density. Weight
loss practises that are unhealthy, such as skipping meals or significantly cutting calories,
vomiting, and utilising diet pills or laxatives. Because working out always comes first, social
isolation is inevitable. Exercise-obsessed people may forego coursework or time with friends
and family in order to exercise. Anxiety and depression are two of the most common mental
illnesses. Emotional difficulties are exacerbated by performance pressure, low self-esteem,
and a lack of alternative interests.
The social effects of excessive exercise are that it could influence those who are athletic to
force themselves to improve and exercise more as they believe it isn’t enough. It can also
affect those who are around them such as family and friends. They may not be priority
anymore
The emotional effects of excessive exercise that occur within individuals is that they may
develop social isolation as working out always comes first for them, this makes them skip
time with family and friends and they could possibly develop anxiety and depression due to
this. They could also suffer from performance pressure, low self-esteem and lack of other
interests which contribute to extended emotional problems.
Substance misuse
Substance abuse is a pattern of constant use of harmful drugs which include, heroin,
cocaine, crack and cannabis. Alcohol is also included and is one of the most common forms
of substance misuse. Substance abuse means using these rugs for purposes other than
which they are meant to be use for or in excessive amounts. An example of a common
substance abuse is alcohol. Alcohol becomes an issue is when a person consumes the
amount of 14 units a week. Around 2% of adults were harmful drinkers, drinking an average
3,973 units of alcohol a year and a further 16% were hazardous drinkers with an average of
1,194 units of alcohol a year. The effect of alcohol on people physically is that it increases
the effect of dopamine (neurotransmitter). This over-stimulation leads to increased
pleasure. The short-term effect of drinking can make people feel more confident and less
inhibited, they are also more likely to be lightheaded, talkative and have poorer
judgements. A large amount could also make you feel relaxed/sleepy, blurred vision, nausea
and slurred speech. Drinking too much takes a serious toll on your health and physical body.
Alcohol disrupts the brain's communication connections, altering the way it functions. These
disturbances can alter one's attitude and conduct, as well as making it difficult to think
clearly and move in a coordinated manner. Withdrawal symptoms could also include
anxiety, mood swings, depression and confusion. Drinking over a long time can also damage
, the heart which can lead to strokes, high blood pressure, irregular heart beat etc. It also
affects the liver and cause disruptions such as fibrosis, steatosis, cirrhosis etc.
The social effects of alcohol can be very draining, sometimes a person may be involved in
anti-social behaviour between individuals. In a setting where people may be partying the
social effects are more likely to be positive between the individuals however, they can be
distracting towards the public. However, a significant amount of these social effects is
impacted negatively towards others. These include, family, domestic and sexual violence,
victimisation, risky behaviour and criminal activity. All these issues have a huge impact on
people as they can physically and socially hurt individuals. In 2016 22% of people had been
recorded to have been verbally or physically abused by or put in fear by someone under the
influence of alcohol. One in 10 people have also been reported driving under the influence
which could affect a lot of people socially due to the dangers. The economic impacts of
alcohol and other drugs usually relate to household’s expenditure, law enforcement cost,
healthcare and decreased productivity. An unpleasant drinking experience, such as vomiting
or passing out, can lead to criticism, social anxiety, and other forms of bullying. Short term
social effects could also include being involved in anti- social behaviour such as conflicts that
could lead up to fights and violence, as well as unwanted sexual encounters. Criminal
activity also falls in under the social effects of alcohol rules could be broken without
remembering what happened, it could also have a toll between people’s relationships.
Alcohol impairs memory, making it difficult to recall what was said during a social
interaction. Alcohol misuse and addiction also influences how people feel during
encounters, which means that people's behaviour and interactions with others are often
different than they would be otherwise.
Alcohol can also effect people emotionally in different ways. The brain is affected by alcohol
by influencing it which affects the mood of an individual. The consumption of heavy alcohol
interferes with chemicals in the brain that are important for healthy mental health. They,
can be affected by increasing the heart rate, and speeding up someone’s breathing which
can also trigger someone’s feelings of being angry. Excessive alcohol intake makes you feel
calm and pleased, but these sensations have long-term consequences for your health and
can lead to feelings of anxiety and depression, making irritation difficult to manage.
Individuals usually may feel jittery and anxious, sleepy and drowsy, are unable to
concentrate well and have a loss of self-control. Someone intaking alcohol constantly could
also feel emotionally empty, disorganised and lose track of time, feel bad all the time and
loose interested in certain activities.
Smoke Abuse
Smoke abuse has a lot of physical health risks. Smoking leads to disease and harms nearly
every organ of the body. More than 16 million people are living with a disease caused by
smoking. Smoking causes many health issues most commonly cancer, heart disease, stroke,
lung disease, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease which includes
emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Smoking also increases the risk of tuberculosis, certain
eye disease and problems caused within the immune system such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Nearly 78,000 people die each year in the UK due to smoking related causes. Many live in
poor health because of smoking. Smoking cuts your life expectancy by ten years on average.
After the age of 40, every year you continue to smoke reduces your life expectancy by three
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