Alzheimer's Disease: The Disease of the Brain

                  The illness I chose for this post is one that might not be normally considered as a “deviant” disease, but it does affect the mind and come with stigmas when people find out you have it. This disease is Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s is defined as “a progressive, degenerative disorder that attacks the brain's nerve cells, or neurons, resulting in loss of memory, thinking and language skills, and behavioral changes” (Alzheimer’s Foundation of America: 2010). This disease happens when neurons that produce the chemical acetylcholine, break from other nerve cells and die. Short term memory is the first to fail and this is caused when the disease destroys the nerve cells in the hippocampus. Next the language skills and judgment skills fail when neurons die in the cerebral cortex. Alzheimer’s disease usually happens to individuals 65 years or older and it is not a normal part of aging (Alzheimer’s Foundation of America: 2010}. Because this is not a normal part of aging, stigmas arise when society finds out that you have it. This illness could be classified as recently becoming deviant because in earlier days this disease did not exist due to the simple fact that people did not live long enough for the disease to take place. Now that people are living to be in their 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, and even longer this disease has a chance to become what it is now.

                The “deviant’ behaviors of this disease emerge as soon as one gets it. They start to forget little things and then as the disease progresses they lose memories and the knowledge of bodily functions such as eating, swallowing and breathing all together. Because their memory declines they can no longer work and have to be taken care of either by a family member or a nursing home. Therefore because they no longer contribute to society, in fact some might say they are a drain, others act as though having the disease itself is deviant.

                There is little treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. There is medication to help slow down the process a little at most, but if one develops this disease it is fatal. Donepezil hydrochloride is a medicine approved by the FDA for all stages of the disease. Rivastigmine and Galantamine hydrobromide are approved for mild to moderate stages of Alzheimer’s, and Memantine HCI is approved for moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease. None of these medicines are a cure for this disease.

                Alzheimer’s disease was named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer because he was the first to observe the symptoms. As far as I can tell, the disease was first observed in 1901 and in 1906 Dr. Alzheimer published the first works about this disease (History of Alzheimer’s Disease: 2005). The diagnosis of this disease can be very important. When one finally gets the diagnosis that what they are experiencing is Alzheimer’s, their insurance can step up and help out. From what I found out about insurance companies and Alzheimer’s is that Medicare will reimburse you up to 80 percent and Medicaid will cover either part or all of the nursing home costs for Alzheimer’s patients (Alzheimer’s Association: 2012). Another way that a diagnosis can be beneficial is the fact that they know what is coming. With the diagnosis they can now plan for the future while they are still coherent enough to make those tough decisions. The negative connotations with having a diagnosis with this disease is that now everyone will second guess that person’s judgment. According to Whitney Wyckoff’s article “Despite Deeper Understanding of Mental Illness, Stigma Lingers”, research has said that “emphasizing the science behind a mental illness-that it’s a brain disorder and not a defect in character- could be powerful enough to shake the stigma of the condition” (Wyckoff: 2010). This can relate to Alzheimer’s disease because as people progress into the later stages of the disease their loved ones might not recognize who they have become, but they have to remember that it is the brains illness that has changed them, not their personal characteristics.

                Unlike other illnesses that I could have chosen for this post, no one is left out of the diagnosis of this disease. If one is of the age (65 or older usually) and is displaying the right signs then they will be given the diagnosis. Women however, are more likely to get have Alzheimer’s disease for the simple fact that women live longer than men. Research has also shown that African American’s and Hispanics are more likely to develop this disease than Caucasians (Alzheimer’s Reading Room: 2010).

                I hope that one day the stigmas will stop with Alzheimer’s disease. I hope that people will realize, like stated above, that it is not a characteristic flaw but a brain illness. However, even more than that I hope that one day there is finally a cure to this awful, heartbreaking disease. 

Word count: 882

Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. 2010. “Alzheimer’s Foundation of America.” Retrieved March 23, 2012. http://www.alzfdn.org/AboutAlzheimers/definition.html

Kalamazoo Center for Medical Studies. 2005-2006. “Timeline of Alzheimer’s Disease”. Retrieved March 23, 2012. http://hod.kcms.msu.edu/timeline.php?y=all

Alzheimer’s Association. 2012. “Insurance Coverage”. Retrieved March 24, 2012. http://www.alz.org/professionals_and_researchers_insurance_and_coverage.asp

Alzheimer’s Reading Room. 2010. “Gender, Race, and Alzheimer’s Disease.” Retrieved March 24 2012. http://www.alzheimersreadingroom.com/2010/11/race-gender-and-alzheimers-disease.html

Wyckoff, Whitney B. "Despite Deeper Understanding of Mental Illness, Stigma Lingers." Npr. 2011. Retrieved March 23, 2012.

Extra Credit: Mark Zupan

When I first heard that Mark Zupan was coming to campus I did not know who he was or what message he was trying to get across. Then we watched Murderball in class and knew that this was someone that I wanted to see in person and hear firsthand what his story was.

                He started off by explaining what happened to him. He explained that he was injured when his friend, who had been drinking, drove home. But before he got home he crashed his truck into a pole, along with throwing Mark into a channel where he had to hold on to branches for over ten hours. In this channel were dangerous animals such as alligators, which at any moment could have ended his life.

                He then went on to explain his time in the hospital. He said that he never felt alone because there were always people there. The guests found a way to bribe the nurses with delicious food in order for them to be able to come and go whenever they wanted. Since there were always people around him, he never felt that depression that others may feel in his position that are alone in their rooms. He described his hospital stage as a somewhat positive experience.

                He was first introduced to the sport of wheelchair rugby when he went to the rehab center. He got to see that there was a sport for people who did not have capability in some of their limbs. While in the rehab center, he worked very hard. He mentioned how he never let the staff know that there was a problem. He never wanted to go back to his room because as he explained it, there was always something he could be doing. He always wanted to be active with working out or anything else he could find to do.

                A while after he got out of rehab and was able to go home, he decided he wanted to go back to school to get his engineering degree at Georgia Tech. Mark also decided to get seriously involved in the wheelchair rugby. He was putting most of his time in the rugby team and not much time in his school work. He soon found out that this wasn’t going to work. He then began going into a building on campus at all hours of the night in order to get his work completed; therefore he was able to play the sport that he had truly fallen in love with. He soon finished his schooling and got his degree in engineering, as well as becoming great at wheelchair rugby. He later made the Olympic team for the United States, and as we saw in the documentary, lost to Canada in both years. He would like to make the next Olympic team and then retire from the sport.

                Through all of his ups and downs he kept a positive outlook on life. This is what I will get most from him. He said something that really hit home with me; you only have one life, live it the way you want to. Yes, you may have obstacles that stand in your way or you may get injured and therefore have a whole new way of living your life, but you need to live it to the fullest each day. You never truly know when it will be your last, and personally, I would want my last day to have been amazing. Therefore make each and every day amazing!

1. What is the main thesis of this film?

The main thesis of this film is that drugs, psychotic drugs to be more exact, are destroying the brains of the people taking them. It spoke a lot about the adults who took them, and what began happening to them. But it also talked about giving the drugs to kids. All of these horrible things are happening to the adults who take them, I can only imagine what it does to the children's brains. Our children are not becoming worse kids, all kids throughout time have never been able to sit still through school and have always wanted to just run around. However, because there is now a diagnosis of ADHD, it would seem that many more kids have something wrong with them because of these reasons.

2. What were the main arguments in support of the thesis?

The main argument to support this thesis is that the chemicals from all of the psychotic drugs are actually blocking the normal functions of the brain, when the drug is supposed to do the opposite.  Another argument is that these drugs were never designed to be used in children. If these drugs where never designed for the use of children then how can they be safe for kids to use?

3. How does the thesis of this film relate to the course?

This film relates to the course because we are currently talking about deviant minds. Deviant minds in this film are those kids with the ADHD. However, back in the 1950's ADHD was considered being a kid. In the 1960's this disorder became known because of the controversies about the drug treatments. In the 1970's this diagnosis became the most common child psychiatric problem in the United States (Thio, Calhoun, and Conyers: 2010).  It's hard for kids to stay still and pay attention for hours. Maybe even, the children that they now think have the disorder could actually be too young for the grade that they are supposedly in, causing them to be behind the rest of their classmates. Those kids whose birthday's are just before the enrollment cutoff for the school are going to be the youngest kids in the class. These kids are going to have a greater chance of being labeled with ADHD than the kids that are just a couple days younger than them causing them to be the oldest in the next years class. Are some ADHD labeled kids just too young for their grade?

4. Which arguments/points did you find the most convincing?

The argument that I found most convincing from this film is that four out of one hundred children either commit suicide or other violent acts such as murder. Not only this, but most of the stories that we heard, both about children and adults, had only been taking their particular drug for a short while. After only a few days or so people can have such awful thoughts. How can the FDA not find anything wrong with this?

5. Which arguments/points did you find the least convincing?

There wasn't a point that I found most convincing. From this film I will never give my future kids any of these drugs!

6. Choose one argument, point or question that most stands out for you. How would you study this point? Briefly design a research study around that point.

The point that most stood out to me that I would want to study would be how many of the board member on the FDA council were working for the drug companies. If I were to study this I would look at the FDA member who were not working for drug companies (if there were any) and then look at those who were working for drug companies. I would ask each group how they felt about these issues and see if the two groups were say opposite opinions.

Thio, Alex, Calhoun, Thomas A., Conyers, Addrain. 2010. Readings in Deviant Behavior. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.

What is the main thesis of this film?

The main thesis of Tough Guise is taking an in depth look at what masculinity was in the 1950’s to the 2000’s. It looks at how the media shapes the concepts and perceptions it is giving to guys. The media has changed the image of the hero from needing little guns to be intimidating to needing a massive machine gun along with massive muscles to be intimidating.  It also takes a look at why men are more violent than women are and how the media has prompted it.

 What were the main arguments in support of the thesis?

The argument that supported the thesis is when the young men were asked what they consider to be a real man. They gave definitions such as strong, powerful, independent, and so on. The men were also asked what they would call those men who weren’t considered strong, powerful, and independent. They gave a lot of different names such as wuss, wimp, and others even more offensive. This is what the media is teaching out youth.

 How does the thesis of this film relate to the course?

This film relates to the course because we have been discussing deviant behavior. In the article “What Triggers School Shootings?” by Kimmel and Mahler, it covers high school students who bully because of their homophobia. This chapter states that men commit the most violence. The film discusses how men need to act a certain way based on what is portrayed in the media.

 Which arguments/points did you find the most convincing?

The main argument that I found most convincing is that the stereotype of the male figure known as G.I. Joe has changed so dramatically throughout the 1950’s to the 2000’s. In the 1950’s the G.I. Joe was what society now considers scrawny. However, back then it was considered very masculine. Today, the typical G.I Joe has much bigger muscles and is also armed with massive guns. This doesn’t seem like the image we should be promoting to our youth.

Choose one argument, point or question that most stands out for you. How would you study this point? Briefly design a research study around that point.

I would study young boys throughout their childhood. I would begin with very young boys who have not yet had the influence of the media and ask them what they think a real man looks like. Then I would ask 18 year olds what they think is a real man is.  I believe the results would be very different.

Murderball Film Review

What is the main thesis of this film?

The main thesis of the film Murderball was to emphasis that those with a disability, in this case those in a wheelchair, are just as capable of doing things as those who can walk. In this case, I believe that those that participate in Murderball are tougher than those that play simple sports such as basketball and football. However, it is not just sports that those with disabilities can do. I have included a link that was on our class blog that looks at how everyone can do anything. Sins Invalid

How does the thesis of this film relate to the course?

The thesis of this film relates to the course because we were discussing deviant bodies and what is considered a deviant body and why. Those in a wheelchair are considered deviant because of the fact that they cannot walk. They get pity and sympathy when all they want is to be treated just like those who can walk. Who says walking is the best thing in the world. Most of those in wheelchairs don’t wish they could walk. 

Which arguments/points did you find the most convincing?

The point that I found most convincing is those that are in a wheelchair are rated by their injury. Depending on where their injury is on the spinal cord and how much movement they have in their limbs, determines the points they are worth on the field. This was incredible to me that we rate people at all. The following site tells more about quad rugby.Quad Rugby

Which arguments/points did you find the least convincing?

I do not think I found any arguments or points least convincing. I believe that those in wheelchairs should not be pitied. We should treat them like we would treat anyone else. If they are a jerk you don’t have to like them just because they are in a wheelchair, you wouldn’t like a jerk if they could walk. So what’s the difference?

Choose one argument, point or question that most stands out for you. How would you study this point?

Briefly design a research study around that point.

Something that stood out to me was at the end when they were showing those soldiers that were injured how to play Murderball. I would study this further by getting those injured from war to play this game. It doesn’t have to be as violent but I believe that getting them to do things like this and showing them that they can still play sports and have fun would be a good self-esteem booster. 

Word count: 431

You're so DUMB

There are many words in today’s modern language that we use for insults. Some of these we know that we should not use because they can be hurtful to certain groups of people, such as the “r word” or gay. There are many words out there that most of us use probably on a regular basis that we might not think much of. The word I chose for this blog is dumb. Dumb is defined as “lacking the human power of speech”.[1] In other words, this refers to a person who cannot speak most likely because of deafness.

However the connotations today for the word “dumb” are very different. We use it today to describe something or someone as stupid or not intelligent. We use this word to describe a lot of things. If someone is acting in a certain way we might call them dumb. There are many different emotions that we can express when saying this word. We could be joking around because they are acting silly, we could say it because we are mad at that person, because we are frustrated, and so on. The connotations for this word are much different then when it was describing someone who could not speak due to being deaf.

The community that is impacted by this word being an insult is the deaf community. This word is still being used against the same group that it always was, the deaf, but it is now being used in a completely different meaning. It was once used only to describe that a person could not speak due to deafness, but now it is being used as an insult because they are deaf! This community is being thought of as unintelligent (dumb) because of the simple fact that they cannot hear, therefore they use sign language. How could this be possible that every deaf person is unintelligent? That is like saying that every non deaf person is intelligent. It simply is not true.

Members of the deaf community are asking that they not be referred to as dumb anymore. For the obvious reason, they are not “dumb”. In one of the blogs I found about the deaf community relating to the word dumb, I found a video that I thought spoke well to this issue Deaf Not Dumb. The individuals in this video are simply asking to not automatically act like they are not intelligent just because they cannot hear what others are saying. They just want to be treated with the same respect that those who can hear, and therefore speak get. When I first watched this, I could not believe that so many people think that because someone uses a different form of communication they are automatically unintelligent. It amazes me how ignorant people really are that they don’t think that what they say hurts people. I do not think that I have ever come across a deaf person and thought that they were not smart just because they were using their hands to speak. It is ridiculous. Bitch magazine

This word is not appropriate in only a certain community of people. I think that everyone uses, or has used, this word in their life. They have probably used in many times without even thinking about it. I know I have, quite a bit. I never thought about how it used to be used. I never thought that by calling someone dumb, it would be an insult to the deaf community. I think that there are many more words that are far worse than “dumb”, but after having to write this blog, and think about what the word really means, I will now think twice before I use it to insult someone or something.  

Word count: 624

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[1] Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved Feb 18, 2012