Altering psychological

A hypnotized subject can show strong degrees of psychological change along one or more of these dimensions. All of these dimensions of altered psychological functioning affect us far more than we realize in everyday life. 

Every feeling or emotion you have—in fact, all psychological experience—is based on brain activity. The fact that this physical entity, the brain, is the basis of conscious experience is the key to understanding how the chemical agents we call drugs alter psychological processes. 

Psychotropic drugs Drugs that alter psychological functioning or mood, thoughts, motor abilities, balance, movement, and coordination. 

Most people are in an altered psychological state shortly after giving a talk, whether or not it seemed to go well. In this psychological state, they gladly accept thanks and congratulations, but are incapable of hearing constructive feedback. Feedback is essential to either improve the talk the next time round, or to improve one s presentation skills in... 

Humans who have experienced some severe psychological traumatic event may even develop an altered psychological state to deal with the event. The sudden death of a loved one, involvement in a serious car accident, or combat experience can produce a traumatic reaction that may include a denial state characterized by sleep disturbances, amnesia, fatigue, and headaches (Smith, 1998). Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), also called shell shock or battle fatigue is common to those who have had to face extreme distress in military or civilian Ufe. PTSD is characterized by negative emotional reactions beyond coping. 

Smith K, Engels H-J, Martin JA, Wirth JC. Efficacy of a standardised ginseng extract to alter psychological function characteristics at rest and during exercise stress. Med Sci Sport Exerc 1995 27 S147. 

Chronic administration of opiates and alcohol leads to physical dependence a phenomenon, which is only weakly expressed following chronic administration of psychostimulants or other drugs of abuse. Physical dependence results from neuroadaptive intracellular changes to an altered pharmacological state. Abstinence from chronic opiate or alcohol use leads to a variety of physiological and psychological withdrawal symptoms based on these adaptations of the neuronal system. 

Perhaps the most intriguing perspective is that caffeine s major effects have little to do with muscles and fat metabolism but result from its psychostimulant effects, enhancing mood, improving attitude towards exercise, and thus motivating athletes to work harder and longer. This would account for its purported inability to alter strength, which may be a less psychologically malleable variable, while endurance performance is sometimes believed to be more amenable to force of will. 

Jadhav AL, Areola OO. 1997. Alterations in acquisition and pattern of responding in rats subchronically exposed to low levels of lead. Research Communications in Biological Psychology Psychiatry 22 11-24. 

In psychological terms, addiction may become so consuming that it disturbs the addict s perceptions and attitudes and alters their personality this is not just because... 

Altered host susceptibility Immune-mediated mucosal damage Psychologic factors Siress... 

The central nervous system, and the brain in particular, is the prime candidate for both being the sensor and normally the major controller of the response to physiological and psychological stimuli. However, under pathological circumstances, such as the influence of sustained stressful, unhealthy psychosocial environments and different damaging lifestyles such as those observed in unhealthy societies, the brain is altered... 

Collins, D.L., Stress at Three Mile Island altered perceptions, behaviors and neuroendocrine values, in The Medical Basis for Radiation-Accident Preparedness III Psychological Perspectives, Ricks, R.C. and Berger, M.E., Eds., Elsevier Science, New York, 1991. 

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