Keeping the ball rolling with this project, whilst the last two creatures are being worked up to finalised concept art for the book, I'm looking forward to the next few cognitive disorder creatures for the project again using the same methodology as displayed in previous posts.
KLEPTOMANIA
This cognitive disorder involves repeatedly being unable to resist the urge to steal items you generally don't need. The items in question are typically of little value and could easily be afforded by the individual, the urge comes from the cognitive desire to reduce the stress, anxiety, and tension that rises within the individual if the impulses are ignored, and these impulses are diagnosed as uncontrollable. This is how Kleptomania differs from common theft which requires planning and preparation and the premeditated method is for personal gain and often aimed at garnering as much value with what they steal as possible, episodes of Kleptomania occur suddenly without warning. The issue is that societal perceptions can blur the line between these two actions which causes the stigma around the condition.
Kleptomania is a type of impulse control disorder - a disorder that involves problems with emotional or behavioural self-control, those who suffer from the disorder often feel great shame for their actions and frequently fear seeking mental health treatment which is in contrast to those who steal without the disorder who will more often than not seek to justify their actions. Though there are no consistently successful methods for treatment due to there not being a definitive answer to what causes over the years there has been an evolution in research and understanding to what some causes may be, and treatment is always available to reduce the impulses. One clear contemporary cause is related to the neurotransmitters in the brain, a link between dopamine levels during an impulse spike has been recorded, this can link the disorder to an addictive impulse as is common with satisfying the brain's desire to increase dopamine levels, though the negative trait of dopamine is the crash when the pleasure it provides subsides. Another negative to this cause is that an escalation in the pursuit of acts that cause a spike in dopamine levels reduces serotonin levels, which helps regulate moods and emotions which creates a vicious cycle of an impulse desire increasing leading to an act resolving this and spiking dopamine levels, reducing serotonin levels, lowering positive emotions and increasing negative emotions thus causing a individuals mood to drop and the impulse growing again. Some individuals can have genetic or hereditary traits that can lead to an imbalance in these levels being produced as well which can lead to addictive impulses and it is often found to be the case that if someone suffers from Kleptomania they will have addictions to other actions or substances as well.
Separating the symptoms from perceptions
Developmental questions
This will lead to a thumbnail process that will allow me to observe these questions and theoretical responses and gain further evidence to produce a conclusive end design, whether the creature needs to be a giant moth-like creature or attract many moths seems to be answered but by thumbnailing both options it could lead to an even more successful answer that marries up the pros and cons of both variations. Perhaps the small moths attracted to the creature could be infants spawned by the creature and they rely on the parent for survival, and only the ones that can separate themselves from their parent survive when the substance is used to remove the tension - thus showing how the disorder can be harmful to loved ones of the sufferer. I've also yet to produce a definitive design theme for this particular field of disorders like I have for previous creatures. Generalised anxiety disorder is in the anxiety field of disorders and has to be a furred mammalian, Dermatillomania is in the Obsessive-Compulsive disorder field and has to be scaled or reptilian, Kleptomania is in the Disruptive Impulse-control field so a common theme should be visible in the design that can fit with a common symptom shared by all disorders in this field - more than likely something to represent the cyclical nature of these disorders as they all share the process of the main symptom being an addictive method to alleviate rising tension within the sufferer i.e setting fires for pyromaniacs, and compulsive lying for mythomaniacs.
SCHIZOPHRENIA
This is a mental disorder characterised variously by hallucinations (typically, hearing voices), delusions, disorganized thinking and behaviour, and flat or inappropriate affect. Symptoms develop gradually and typically begin during young adulthood and are never resolved. There is no objective diagnostic test; diagnosis is based on observed behaviour, a psychiatric history that includes the person's reported experiences, and reports of others familiar with the person.
The disorder is considerably rarer than others previously researched with about 0.3% - 0.75 of people being diagnosed with it during their lifetime and in 2022 an estimated number of 24 million cases were globally registered, with males being more often affected and on average having an earlier onset than females.
The causes of Schizophrenia may include genetic and environmental factors. Genetic factors include a variety of common and rare genetic variants. Possible environmental factors include being raised in a city, childhood adversity, cannabis use during adolescence, infections, the age of an individual's mother or father, and poor nutrition during pregnancy. Though there is no definitive list of factors determining an individual's likelihood of having the disorder, these factors are just commonly found variables within all sufferers therefore not all of them are necessary to be represented in the final design - the symptoms are priority anyway.
Separating the symptoms from perceptions
 |
| Other creators illustrate the hallucination symptom as a gaseous secretion coming from the creature which is one possible direction for my own design process. |
Developmental questions
This disorder is within the psychotic disorder field of cognitive disorders so again a relevant represented theme should be present that fits a common symptom among all disorders within this field. Thumbnailing will allow me to decide how best to represent the hallucinogenic and delusional symptoms, the questions posed here give me starting points with which to thumbnail, like annotating a given brief to give my own subjective analysis of it. Understanding how the represented features also fit into natural characteristics and anatomical adaptions of the creature so as to keep it in a realm of realism as stated in earlier blogs the necessity of keeping a sense of realism to reflect how the symptoms impact sufferers. I am keen on seeing how the gaseous secretion can melt the ice environment so that the delusion is semi-self-caused showing how the symptomatic delusion is all within ourselves and people cannot
really hear our thoughts etc.
DYSTHYMIA
This disorder is also known as Persistent Depressive Disorder (PDD), a mental and behavioural disorder, specifically a disorder primarily of mood, consisting of similar cognitive and physical problems as Major Depressive Disorder, but with longer-lasting symptoms. Its differentiation comes from the symptoms of chronic depression that last over two years. Many sufferers may encounter symptoms for many years before being diagnosed if they are at all, which can lead to the individual believing the symptoms are just a part of their character preventing them from seeking professional help. Being part of the field of disorders titled depressive or mood disorders, it is the most common form of disorder present in society affecting about 3.5% of the global population with an estimated 280 million individuals diagnosed in 2020.
Separating the symptoms from perceptions
Developmental questions
The questions proposed during this process are not going to be as unique as other disorders as this particular disorder field is more well-known and documented than others due to its commonality. Disorder is often represented as a theme through the colour blue and often water, usually in the form of rain, observational drawings of deep sea creatures will be profitable during the process, as well as particular creatures that live in shoals or large groups due to how common the disorder, similar to how anxiety was treated. Initial thoughts lead to looking at blobfish who live in the deepest depths of the sea and have a depressed anatomy when removed from their environment that juxtaposes how they appear under the sea due to them evolving without a typical skeletal structure to counter the enormous levels of pressure encountered when residing so deep in the ocean. Against this thought process is the fact that individuals with Dysthymia avoid social interaction so perhaps avoid looking at creatures that live in large groups, the change in appearance when removed from the sea can show the effect of forcing a sufferer into an environment or situation they are opposed to. Angler fish are another creature from the deep sea and with the anatomical structure of a bioluminescent structure could represent the unusual or lack of sleep pattern. There are a range of bioluminescent forms that can be researched to find a design that successfully represents this theme.
 |
| Other interpretations of depression often display the implied weight of the emotions of those who are afflicted with the cognitive disorder. |
No comments:
Post a Comment