She reported visual hallucinations of people coming towards her in a threatening way. An EEG was obtained which showed spikes and slowing in the left temporal region. Despite normalization of her EEG, she continued to experience the episodes of fear and detachment. Within 2 years of starting treatment, she related many instances of childhood sexual abuse from her father. The importance of understanding the effects of biology, psychology, social and environmental experience on learning and appreciating how critical it is to view human behavior from a biopsychosocial perspective.
Most medical students wonder why a course in human behavior is included in the medical curriculum.
C. Focusing primarily on the biological aspects of disease overlooks great variations in how people experience and respond to disease. This narrow approach also denies the importance of the effects of the environment and social experience on the biological development and functioning of individuals. In this lecture, we will examine the fascinating interplay between early experience, developmental neurobiology, and adult psychopathology and functioning. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder A. Exposure to a profound stressor influences an individual s physiology as well as their psychology. Trauma can be particularly devastating for children, influencing how they go on to view themselves and the world.