Alzheimer’s Disease and Anorexia Nervosa
BELIEFS ON HEALTH
Through the years, the field of medicine and healthcare has continuously been evolving and improving because of the advancements of research and technology, Because of the breakthroughs in medical technology and through the continuous expansion of research, researchers and medical practitioners have already been able to find and innovate treatments for disease that were incurable before. However, due the fast transitions and changes, it can be a challenge for healthcare practitioners to speedily adapt to these changes, but they have no choice but to do so.
KNOWLEDGE AND BELIEFS
The Patients. There were two patients that were analyzed for this case. The first patient is a patient with Alzheimer’s Disease, with interview number 11, and was diagnosed with the disease at age 80. Meanwhile, the next patient is a 19-year-old girl named Harriet. She is a patient with Anorexia Nervosa, which is an eating disorder, and was diagnosed when she was only 15 years old.
The Patients’ Health Beliefs. These two patients have different cases and are in different situations but both of them share the same beliefs in health. Both of them, though not explicitly, have stressed the importance of discipline. For interviewee 11, it is important for people to be aware of the possible health-related scenarios that one could be facing. Knowing that her mother had Alzheimer’s, she already assumed the huge possibility of her acquiring the disease, and that having herself checked is a choice that she would always make. She stated how badly she wanted to have herself checked immediately, because according to her, it’s better if one knows the disease that they might have. Meanwhile, in the case of Harriet, living in London when she was diagnosed with Anorexia, she learned the value of independence and discipline in order to take care of her health.
The Value of Self-Efficacy. The patients have learned the value of self-efficacy as they approached their responsibilities as patients, in order for the to become healthier in the future (Carey & Forsyth, 2016). They demonstrated how being determined in taking care of themselves is something that every people need to have. In the case of Harriet, though she lived practically alone in London, she was able to learn the act of taking full responsibility over her actions.
Social-Behavioral Issues. Behind these stories are not just mere health conditions that we see, but other social issues that remain an enigma to people. One of the circumstances in which a social-behavioral issue can be observed, is again, in the case of Harriet. In the last part of her interview, she narrated how people sometimes become very insensitive of people around them. In her case, her friends would often order pizza, even knowing that she needed to stay away from these foods for they are bad for her.
Medications. Though there were no explicit statements that were made about their view on the use of medications, however, there have been several hints throughout the story. Both have made and decided to live accordingly, and to follow what was asked of them in order to regain back or resolve their current situations. Both have established a pattern of discipline in their personal lifestyles that will help them recover.
CONCLUSION
As years passed by, and as the field of medicine and healthcare continues to develop and improve, people also begin to change their beliefs and views on certain things about health. But no matter how these beliefs and knowledge change, it is important for people to remember an individual’s health is not something that is for single use. It’s something that one will use for his whole lifetime, and therefore needs to be taken care of properly.
Works Cited
Carey, Michale P., and Andrew D. Forsyth. "Teaching Tip Sheet: Self-Efficacy." American Psychological Association, n.d. Web. 3 Sept. 2016.
Interview. Carers of People with Dementia. Healthtalk.org, n.d. Web. 3 Sept. 2016.
Interview. Eating Disorders. Healthtalk.org, n.d. Web. 3 Sept. 2016.
