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Sugar and Excessive Carbohydrate Consumption: Implications on Mental Health and Addictive Behaviour
No full textThis capstone project explores the intricate relationship between sugar addiction and mental health, specifically anxiety and depression. Through an extensive literature review, this work investigates the addictive properties of sugar, and its physiological and psychological effects on the brain. Furthermore, it explores the potential mechanisms through which sugar addiction may contribute to mental health disorders. It examines the evidence linking excessive sugar consumption to the development and exacerbation of conditions such as depression, anxiety, and cognitive impairments. Additionally, the project investigates the potential bidirectional relationship where poor mental health may also increase susceptibility to sugar addiction. An exploration of the psychological and emotional factors underlying sugar addiction is conducted, focusing on the role of stress, emotional eating, and self-regulation difficulties. The project highlights the potential implications of using sugar as a coping mechanism for emotional distress and the subsequent impact on mental well-being. The capstone project also addresses the challenges faced in diagnosing and treating sugar addiction within the context of mental health. It examines the limitations of current diagnostic criteria and treatment approaches and proposes strategies for integrating a comprehensive approach that considers both sugar addiction and mental health conditions. Finally, recommendations are provided for mental health professionals, policy makers, and individuals seeking to address the interplay between sugar addiction and mental health. These recommendations encompass prevention and early intervention strategies, lifestyle modifications, and the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in treating individuals with co-occurring sugar addiction and mental health disorders. By shedding light on the complex relationship between sugar addiction and mental health, this capstone project aims to enhance awareness and understanding among professionals and the public. The findings contribute to the growing body of knowledge in the field and underscore the importance of addressing both sugar addiction and mental health as part of a holistic approach to well-being
Missing Jason: The Story of a Kidnapping and the Aftermath
No full textOne Monday morning in 1984, the school principal entered my classroom with a smile and whispered to me, "Jason is a missing child!" Her odd cheerfulness about this news confused me. Every student was present, including Jason, a boy who struggled with his emotions. His desk butted against mine, allowing him to receive extra support with academics and social skills. As the principal explained the circumstances swirling around the nine-year-old boy seated at the front, I had no idea of the depth of the story beginning to unfold. It would be weeks before I understood the immediate implications for Jason and his family, but decades would go by before I learned of the full dimension of Jason's experience and the significance of my role as his teacher. This case study is my effort, along with Jason's, to shed light on a story of undiagnosed and untreated complex trauma, as well as emotional and social dysregulation. Together, we further illuminate childhood trauma and its impact, resiliency, and the need for trauma-informed schools. What follows proceeds from my memory, readings, personal reflections, and from conversations with Jason
The Applicability of Sensorimotor Psychotherapy in the Treatment of Trauma
No full textScholars and health professionals have been advocating for a holistic conceptualization of mind and body as one self-reflexive system for over a century. The prevalence of trauma and its many harmful impacts on the human body-mind is steadily worsening over time. The mainstream psychotherapeutic community continues to focus largely on cognitive approaches to trauma treatment, despite a growing awareness in the field as to the value of somatic psychotherapy approaches which incorporate bottom-up methods for processing, enabling clients to process and resolve trauma symptoms without verbally recounting the painful details of past experiences. While there is not yet an overwhelming preponderance of research in existence to support the efficacy of somatic modalities, there is considerable non-empirical clinical wisdom as to their applicability to the treatment of posttraumatic symptoms. This paper explores the various dimensions of trauma-related experience as informed by the field of interpersonal neurobiology, before going on to investigate the history, development, essential elements, and treatment phases of one particular somatic psychotherapeutic approach, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (SP). The available research that speaks to the efficacy and applicability of SP as an appropriate intervention for the treatment of trauma is examined and a psychoeducational resource is then provided in response to the literature reviewed, in the form of an outline for a guided, six-week peer supervision group for psychotherapists looking to incorporate somatic psychotherapy interventions into their clinical practice while working with traumatized individuals
Mental Illness Stigma Among Chinese Immigrants and Culturally Adapted Psychotherapy Approaches
No full textThe world's largest ethnic group is Chinese. As of 2023, China's population is estimated at 1.45 billion, equivalent to 18.47% of the total world population. According to the Government of Canada (2021), China is an essential source country for both permanent and temporary migration. Approximately 1.8 million Canadians are of Chinese descent, accounting for around 5.1% of Canada's total population. China is the second-largest source of new Canadian permanent residents. According to the 2021 Canadian census, Chinese Canadians number 512,260, or 19.38%, of the metropolitan Vancouver total population (Government of Canada, 2022). The importance of understanding the mental health perspective of the Chinese population in Canada, especially in Vancouver, and of serving them better is hard to overstate. The Chinese immigrant population, one of the fastest-growing ethnic groups in Canada, has been known to hold a bigger stigma toward mental illness than other ethnic groups. Mental illness stigma creates barriers to help-seeking behaviour, limits treatment options and negatively impacts the effectiveness of the treatment. This paper explores the central Chinese beliefs that underlie the stigma, including the influences of Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism. The paper also traces unique cultural principles and impacts related to this stigma, including the idea of collective harmony, the model minority image, the need to save face at all costs, and widespread fears about the genetic transmission of mental illness within families. Intergenerational differences in stigma about mental illness among Chinese immigrants are also discussed