Archive for December 2011
Mental Health – OCD – Key Points to Remember During Treatment Course
December 20, 2011 | 
Author
OCD is a serious anxiety disorder that affects the life of many sufferers as well as the people around them. If you happen to have OCD it will be an advantage if you decide to read on this article. While it might be normal for you to feel guilt and shame, remember also that you also have the choice to put an end to the much distressing obsessions and compulsions you are experiencing everyday. Here are some key points to remember during the entire treatment course.
What has worked in the past?
There are many ways to positively eliminate obsessive compulsive disorder. If you are long been diagnosed with OCD and tried almost every treatment modality available in the science market then perhaps resolve for what works for you best. A treatment wherein you are most comfortable is an advantage. Whether it’s medication alone, psychotherapy, exposure response prevention (ERP) or cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), settle for what has worked in the past, always choose what’s more effective, this will aid you in faster recovery from obsessive compulsive disorder.
Attitude towards medication.
Yes, your attitude towards compliance with medication is important. Medicines play a big role in treating individuals with uncontrollable obsessions as it is believed that OCD is caused by certain imbalances in the chemicals found in human brain. This is the reason why having to take your pills on time is more than necessary. While it is true that these medications for OCD sometimes have undesirable side effects that make you less motivated in taking them, keep in mind that this is the most crucial part of your treatment course and positive compliance is much needed.
Drive to undergo ERP and CBT.
Attending exposure response prevention (ERP) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can be very taxing as it consumes much time. It often stresses one out as the sessions do have many desensitizing techniques that involve gradual confrontation of existing obsessions and fears. Your drive and motivation to attend to your scheduled sessions is as important as taking your medications.
Severity of symptoms.
The more symptoms get severe, the more it will be hard to control intrusive and unwanted thoughts that cause high level of anxiety. When one’s stress level also rises, level of hormones fluctuate that might be a contributory factor. On the other hand, presence of other disorders such as depression and poor eating habit might worsen the situation. Mental health OCD is as complex as fighting the illness itself. When symptoms get wore, your health practitioner might require you a combination of two or more treatment modalities.
Levels Of Prevention And Public Health Programs
Levels of preventions are subdivided into three categories: primary, secondary and tertiary level. First is the Primary level of prevention. It is the most basic and the most desirable form of prevention since it primarily focuses on the avoidance of the occurrence of a problem. It provides specific protection against diseases.
Primary preventive actions spare the client from the costs, discomforts and threats to the quality of life that an illness may cause.
The Secondary level of prevention is where the actual problem has already occurred. Its focus is on the early diagnosis and treatment of the disease to at least prevent, delay, or stop further complications, thus limiting disability.
The Tertiary level of prevention begins early in the period of the client’s recovery from illness. It occurs when a disease or disability is present or is permanent and irreversible. It focuses more on the rehabilitation to either restore or maximize an individual to an optimal level of functioning as well helping the individual learn to cope and live productively even with the presence of certain limitations.
The three levels of prevention each have corresponding health programs: As for the primary level of intervention, Primary preventive measures would include educating, counselling, lifestyle modifications, health education programs for communities, wellness and fitness programs, mandatory immunization for children, environmental sanitation activities, the adoption other specific health practices and other programs geared towards the safety and wellness of the community.
Secondary preventive measures can be delivered in hospitals, homes and other secondary facilities. It comprises diagnostic screening programs, public education to promote self examinations to be able to recognize early signs and symptoms of certain diseases.
The tertiary level which focuses more on the rehabilitation includes strict compliance of giving medications, moving and positioning to prevent complications, passive/active exercises, and continuing health supervision during rehabilitation.
Posted in public health | 
Tags: Avoidance, Mandatory Immunization, Tertiary Level Of Prevention | 
No Comments »
Advantage of Universal Health Care Insurance
Universal life care insurance is a globally accepted system to provide quality health care to citizens from all walks of life. It is a system by which basic health care expenses of a person are shared either completely by the government or partially by the government through a financial system of public-private partnership. In simple terms, when a person joins universal life care insurance, he or she will be provided free treatment either in hospitals run by the government or in certain hospitals stipulated by the government or the insurance scheme. Such a system is running efficiently in almost all developed countries in the world, especially in Europe and Asia. One notable exception from this group is United States.
Authorities dealing with health care insurance in United States maintain that there are a number of private companies in United States that provide a variety of health insurance. As a well-known apostle of free market and free economy, the US must provide an unregulated market environment for these companies to engage in a healthy competition so that the consumers will get maximum benefit. They insist that in the health care insurance system in the US, the consumer have a choice in selecting the insurance scheme.
The consumers can compare various insurance schemes and choose the best one according to their view. But many experts feel that the stance of the health care authorities does not take into consideration the situation prevailing at ground level. They argue that for a majority of people health insurance scheme is not their choice. For example, for employees of a private company, the company selects a particular health care insurance scheme and deducts the insurance premium from the salary of the employee. A fresh recruit to the company has no option but to select the insurance scheme of choice of that particular company. So the supposed advantage of insurance schemes of United States starkly reminds people of what Henry Ford, a great icon of capitalism, once said: “The customer can have any color as long as it is black.”
Another advantage of universal health care system is that every citizen of the country will come under a single scheme which will reduce the administrative costs significantly. A prominent health agency in United States, Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, pointed out several hidden costs in the present health insurance schemes, which ultimately decrease the quality of the health care and create further problems. Therefore, the institute has demanded for a universal health care insurance scheme in United States by 2010. In the present scenario, a person may not avail health care for certain health conditions because the insurance scheme he or she can afford does not support that kind of medical treatment. But every citizen of the country would benefit if a universal health care insurance scheme is put in place.
Posted in health care | Tags: Free Economy, Health Care Authorities, Health Care Expenses | No Comments »