Saussurea costus (Kust) and Senna alexandrina (Senna)
Azamal Husen in Herbs, Shrubs, and Trees of Potential Medicinal Benefits, 2022
One of the medicinally popular species of this genus, Senna alexandrina Mill., is used as a stimulant laxative (Figure 14.2). The main constituents in the leaves and fruit pods responsible for purgative activity are anthraquinones, which are found to be quite safe and effective in adults. Known as Alexandrian Senna (sourced from African countries) and Tinnevelly Senna (sourced from India), it is extensively used in habitual constipation and as a bowel preparation before medical procedures, such as colonoscopy (Radaelli and Minoli, 2002) and as relief from drug-induced constipation (Ulbricht et. al., 2011). It is a part of traditional systems of medicine as well as several modern pharmacopeias worldwide. Senna is approved by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a non-prescription drug too. The anthraquinones are structurally similar to anthracene and have basic structure of 9,10-dioxoanthracene. The glycosidic derivatives of these anthraquinones are used as laxatives. They are also known for the treatment of fungal skin diseases and slimming agents. Although valued for their cathartic and purifying activities, they may cause abdominal cramps, nausea, and diarrhea upon prolonged use or overdose.
When things don’t go to plan
David McGowan, Helen Sims in Making the Most of Your Medical Career, 2021
The first real step in dealing with a bad situation is to acknowledge that it has happened. You have to realise that there are no time machines - you may want to be a doctor, but you will never be the Doctor from Doctor Who. There is no way of going back in time and fixing the books; what has happened, has happened. It is not helpful to deny it to others or to yourself. It can be difficult, embarrassing, upsetting and demoralising. No matter what the circumstances are, the sooner you can recognise that it has gone wrong, the better. Acknowledgement is pleiotropic in its effects. First, it can be cathartic, facilitating outpouring of emotion. Second, it promotes reflection and introspection. Third, and on a practical level, it enables necessary acts to occur, such as informing loved ones (to support you) and tutors (to guide you). Fourth, and finally, it allows for careful strategic planning to occur, regarding how the new future will be tackled.
Stories of action research from WISR learners
John A. Bilorusky in Cases and Stories of Transformative Action Research, 2021
The last and most intense project I completed at WISR was my thesis, where I examined Mexican American street gangs and gained many insights surrounding larger social issues that contribute to gang participation … the most important thing I got out of WISR was not a piece of paper with my name on it followed by M.A., but the personal transformation I experienced while undergoing my studies. My new-found passion for writing has inspired me to pursue my lifelong dream of writing and publishing a book. With the research and writing practice I got at WISR, I feel that I am more ready to pursue this challenge than ever before. On top of this literary improvement, I challenged myself and learned more about myself than I ever knew. I faced my demons during my thesis project, and the cathartic effect of facing my unpleasant memories was liberating for my soul. These personal changes were the result of my WISR studies, as the time I spent working on my undergraduate degree at San Jose State University did not come close to matching this personal development. (Alex Martinez, 2016)
Translation and Initial Psychometric Evaluation of Spanish Versions of Three Psychedelic Acute Effects Measures: Mystical, Challenging, and Insight Experiences
Published in Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 2023
Alan K. Davis, Christopher Timmermann, Ana Maria Ortiz Bernal, Rafaelle Lancelotta, Sandeep Nayak, Nathan D. Sepeda, Aki Nikolaidis, Roland R. Griffiths
In recent years, there have been increasingly more studies on the acute and enduring psychological and behavioral effects of psychedelic drugs in humans. Clinical studies administering psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), or ayahuasca in carefully monitored settings have shown preliminary safety and efficacy for such indications as Major Depressive Disorder (Carhart-Harris et al. 2021; Davis et al. 2021; Palhano-Fontes et al. 2019), nicotine use disorder (Johnson et al. 2014), and alcohol use disorder (Bogenschutz et al. 2015), as well as a variety of indications for psychological distress in the setting of cancer or life-threatening illnesses (Gasser, Kirchner, and Passie 2015; Griffiths et al. 2016; Ross et al. 2016), indicative that psychedelics may have transdiagnostic relevance (Kočárová, Horáček, and Carhart-Harris 2021). In addition, several dosing studies in healthy individuals have shown a range of impressive effects, including the induction of mystical, insight, and cathartic experiences with enduring positive sequelae (Griffiths et al. 2006, 2008, 2011; Uthaug et al. 2021).
Providing Psychological Support for the Junior to Senior Transition in Professional Female Football: An Individual Case Study
Published in Journal of Sport Psychology in Action, 2022
Michael McGreary, Robert Morris
Session two again adopted the Socratic questioning style and aimed to further expand and explore the key areas of focus from session one (such as promotion of psychological flexibility). To start session two, the client reported she had stopped doing extra fitness sessions during her free time and used this time to get up to date with university work. She had described the last week as feeling better, less drained, and more relaxed when at home. The client proceeded to share how she has been struggling with the training session in terms of performing to level she expects of herself, at which point, the client became visibly upset and broke down into tears. My initial reaction was panic, I had never had an athlete cry during a session before. I just wanted to press pause, ring my supervisor and ask for help. Tod and Bond (2010) highlighted how neophyte practitioners often are dependent on guidance from their supervisors. I attempted to manage my own emotions, and conscious that crying is often therapeutic, I resisted trying to stop her, despite my discomfort. At this time, I also felt an overwhelming emotional experience, an almost innate response to comfort. The emotional outpour appeared to have a cathartic effect; the athlete joked feeling like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Under the right circumstances, receiving social support or arriving at a resolution to the event that cause the crying episode, crying can indeed by a cathartic experience. When she had regained her composure, we explored why she had been feeling this way.
Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and Art Therapy: Case Study
Published in Art Therapy, 2022
Patricia Marco, Rosa Redolat, Helena Maria Sáez
Reduced verbal fluency is one of the characteristics of PSP (Tilley et al., 2016). Art can serve as a symbolic communicative system to transmits emotions, thoughts, and experiences, such as expressing agitation or irritation especially when the communicative channel of language fails (Guseva, 2018; Tingey, 2002). Through AT, Cleo discovered how she could express herself through the symbolization of the experiences that caused her suffering, such as: loss of her own health, of loved ones, of her own home and pets; as well as the elaboration of emotional conflicts. The creative process and therapeutic accompaniment were key elements for her to understand and transcend the memory of those experiences (López, 2011). Our review of Cleo’s artworks mirrors Irwin’s (1991) suggestions that art making may have helped her express feelings and give meaning to her losses. For some patients, the physical energy devoted to the artistic act may be cathartic. For example, cross-hatching in a particular section of the artwork can be a way in which the artist expresses anxiety. Such acts seemed to relate both to cognitive/emotional assimilation of her losses and grief resolution of past and current experiences.