Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorder: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment - Essay Sample

Introduction

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a disorder associated with brain development that affects the way an individual socializes and perceives with others, creating complications in communication and social interaction. This condition encompasses repetitive and limited patterns of behavior. This illness consists of conditions that were earlier well-thought-out as different such as child disintegrative disorder, Asperger's syndrome, and autism. ASD starts in early childhood and eventually causes malfunctioning among society, for example, socially at work and in school. In most cases, symptoms show within the first year in children. Some of the children exhibit signs of ASD during their early infancy, such as indifference to caregivers, unresponsiveness to their names, and reduced eye contact. In some of the children, their bodies and functioning develops typically in the initial months or years of life, then again, later on, they unexpectedly withdraw, be aggressive or miss out on the language skills that they had already acquired. In this case, the signs are typically observed by the age of 2 years (Feldman & Crandall, 2007). Every child with ASD has a high chance of having a specific level of severity and pattern of behavior, starting from low function to high functioning. In some cases, a child with ASD has difficulties in learning, and some of them show signs of low than average intelligence. In others, they will show normal to high intelligence but experiences troubles in applying and communicating what they are learning in everyday life and adjusting to situations socially. As a result of the distinct mixture of symptoms in every child, it is difficult to determine the severity of the condition. Children with ASD in most cases have problems with coordinating or has odd movement patterns, such as walking on toes or clumsiness. Besides, this disorder causes the child to perform activities that will inflict self-harm, for instance, headbanging or biting themselves.

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In terms of Bipolar disorder, it is a mental disorder that results in changes in energy and moods consisting of episodes of depression and mania. When a person is in manic episodes, they have an unreasonable high state of mind and losing touch with reality. In severe cases, individuals think that they have superpowers. This condition can happen at any point in a person; usually, it occurs in the young adult or adolescent year in a person's life. In America, it is projected that each year, 2.9% of the population suffers from bipolar disorder, with 83% of these circumstances being classified as being intense (Fernandez, Mendoza, & Vgontzas, 2013). This condition affects both men and women equally. Nevertheless, medical professionals are unable to figure out the exact cause of the bipolar disorder. The most significant effect is brain circuitry that involves areas that control behavior, thinking, and moods. Besides, stress also plays a significant role in the condition development, but hormonal fluctuations also worsen the disorder symptoms in women (Gilmour, 2014). This condition is genetic; however, there is no specific series of genes that have been found to increase the development risk of the condition. The most common symptom of bipolar is the presence of dramatic shifts in mood. In severe bipolar episodes, there is a presence of psychotic symptoms of delusions or hallucinations.

Another disorder to consider is obsessive-compulsive (OCD). This condition refers to an anxiety disorder whereby individuals experience unwanted, recurring sensations, ideas, or thoughts that makes them feel compelled to do something repetitively. The repetitive behavior involves washing, inspecting things, or hand-cleaning, which significantly affects their social interactions and everyday activities. Most of the people have recurrent actions and attentive thoughts. However, this does not change day-to-day life and may make tasks simpler or increase structure. In individuals having OCD, their thoughts are persistent and have unwanted behaviors and routines, and failure to do them causes significant distress (Isobel, Meehan, & Pretty, 2016). Most people with obsessive-compulsive disorder suspect or knows that their obsessions are fake. Even though they know that their obsessions are elusive, they have difficulties in maintaining focus or stopping the compulsive actions. People suffering from this disorder have symptoms of compulsions, obsessions, or both. These symptoms interferes typically will each aspect of life, for instance, school, work, and personal relationships. In symptoms of obsessions, an individual experiences repeated mental images, urges, or thoughts that cause anxiety. Also, the individual shows signs such as aggressive thoughts towards others and self. Compulsions, on the other hand, an individual shows repetitive behaviors such as repeatedly checking on things, for instance, looking to see if the oven is off or if the door is locked.

Furthermore, there is a substance use disorder, which is also known as drug addiction. This condition affects the behavior and brain of a person and results in a lack of ability to control the use of illegal, legal medications or drugs. Substance use involves drugs such as nicotine, marijuana, and alcohol. When a person is addicted, despite the harm that affects them, they continue using it. Substance use normally begins with experimental use of a recreational drug in social situations such as peer pressure, and in some people, the habit becomes more regular. The rate and risk of addiction depend on the type of drug being used. Some medications, for instance, opioid painkillers, have a more significant risk and cause addiction faster compared to the others (M.J, 2010). After some time, a patient may require large doses of the drug in order for them to be high. As a result, drug usage increases hence making it difficult for a person to function without drugs. Trying to stop substance use may lead to extreme cravings and make the individual feel physically sick. Symptoms of this condition involve feeling that it is a must to take the drug regularly so that one can function correctly. Another symptom is going on to use the drug even with the knowledge that it is causing problems in your life in terms of psychological or physical harm. In extreme cases, the individual affected does things to get the drug no matter how dangerous they are, such as stealing. The disorder causes people not to meet their work responsibilities and obligations, even cutting back on recreational and social activities.

Lastly, depression is a mood condition that causes a tenacious feeling of lack of interest and sadness. The disorder affects the way a person behaves, thinks, and feels and can result in several physical and emotional problems. Depression affects the way a person does the daily activities, and in some cases, they have a feeling that life is not worth living. In some depression patients, it needs a long term treatment through medication and psychotherapy (M.J, 2010). In most cases, the symptoms of this condition occur only once in a lifetime, and people usually have multiple episodes. The symptoms include feelings of hopelessness, emptiness, tearfulness, or sadness. Besides, the patient may experience angry outbursts, frustration, or irritability because of small matters. Moreover, the patient experiences recurrent or frequent thoughts of suicide, suicidal thoughts, or death. Most of the people having depression experience severe symptoms, which are noticeable problems in daily activities.

Diagnosis of Disorders

Diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is hard for the reason that there is a lack of medical tests such as blood tests for diagnosing the disorders. Typically, the doctors observe the behavior and development of the child when making a diagnosis. At times, ASD is detected at 18 months and below (Miller, 2013). Nevertheless, most of the children do not get the ultimate diagnosis until they are much older. In making a diagnosis, autism spectrum disorder involves two steps, for instance, developmental screening and comprehensive diagnostic evaluation. Developmental screening consists of testing whether the children are studying the necessary skills when they are required or if they have delays. In this diagnosis, the physician, in most cases, asks the close relative various questions, talks, and plays with the child during the examination to observe how the child moves, behaves, speaks, and learns. This diagnosis requires that all the children ought to be screened for disabilities and developmental delays all through the regular doctor visitation. If, in the developmental screening, the doctor notices some signs of the disorder, a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation is required. In thorough diagnostic evaluation, the patient is evaluated through a comprehensive review that consists of assessing the child's development and behavior and interviewing the parents (Miller, 2013). The diagnosis also encompasses vision and hearing screening, neurological testing, genetic testing, and another medical testing. In some situations, the primary care doctor may choose to refer to the family and child to a specialist for further diagnosis and assessment.

Diagnosis for bipolar disorder is not easy, like taking multiple-choice assessments or sending the blood to the lab. Though bipolar disorders display different symptoms, there lacks a single test for confirming the illness. In some cases, a grouping of these methods is used in making a diagnosis. Before making a diagnosis, one might experience confusing quick emotions and changing moods. It is difficult to explain how one is feeling, but one can notice that something is not right. The principal diagnosis used by physicians is mental health evaluation, which involves the medical care asking questions to evaluate the overall mental health (Payton, 2009). To test bipolar disorder, the physician asks questions regarding symptoms concerning how long they have occurred and the way they are upsetting a person's life. The medic will also enquire concerning some specific risk factors associated with bipolar disorder. This encompasses questions concerning drug abuse and medical history. To be precise with the diagnosis, the physicians apply the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)

In terms of obsessive-compulsive disorder, diagnosis involves three steps. The first step includes psychological evaluation, which encompasses discussing your behavior patterns, symptoms, feelings, and thoughts to determine if one has compulsive or obsessive behaviors, which might interfere with the quality of life of a person. The doctor might ask for permission from the patient to talk with friends or family. Another diagnosis method for this condition is the diagnostic criteria for OCD. The physician uses the criteria in DSM-5 that was published by the American Psychiatric Association (Plante, 2006). The last diagnosis used in the condition is having a physical exam. This is done through ruling out other complications which could be causing it and checking any associated complications. On the other hand, substance abuse disorder diagnosis necessitates a thorough evaluation and, in most cases, consists of assessment through a drug counselor, psychologist, and psychiatrist. These tests are not for addiction but are crucial in monitoring recovery and treatment. For diagnosis, many of the mental health doctors use criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders....