Cathartic
Medicine
In medicine, a cathartic is a substance that accelerates defecation. This is in contrast to a laxative, which is a substance which eases defecation, usually by softening feces.[1] It is possible for a substance to be both a laxative and a cathartic. However, agents such as psyllium seed husks increase the bulk of the feces.[2]
Cathartics such as sorbitol, magnesium citrate, magnesium sulfate, or sodium sulfate were previously used as a form of gastrointestinal decontamination following poisoning via ingestion. They are no longer routinely recommended for poisonings.[3] High-dose cathartics may be an effective means of ridding the lower gastrointestinal tract of toxins; however, they carry a risk of electrolyte imbalances and dehydration.[4]
During the 1918 flu pandemic, cathartics were used in the Fort Lewis, WA, area. An original report by Elizabeth J. Davies, a public health nurse, mentions cathartics, pneumonia jackets and copious amount of drinks as treatments for influenza patients.[citation needed]
Blood is a cathartic. Gastrointestinal bleeding will cause diarrhea.
Meaning of the terms "cathartic" and "catharsis" in psychoanalysis
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In psychology, the term was first employed by Sigmund Freud's colleague Josef Breuer (1842–1925), who developed a "cathartic" treatment for persons suffering from hysterical symptoms through the use of hypnosis. While under hypnosis, Breuer's patients were able to recall traumatic experiences, and through the process of expressing the original emotions that had been repressed and forgotten, they were relieved of their symptoms. Catharsis was also central to Freud's concept of psychoanalysis, but he replaced hypnosis with free association.[citation needed]
The term catharsis has also been adopted by modern psychotherapy, particularly Freudian psychoanalysis, to describe the act of expressing, or more accurately, experiencing the deep emotions often associated with events in the individual's past which had originally been repressed or ignored, and had never been adequately addressed or experienced.
There has been much debate about the use of catharsis in the reduction of anger. Some scholars believe that "blowing off steam" may reduce physiological stress in the short term, but this reduction may act as a reward mechanism, reinforcing the behavior and promoting future outbursts.[citation needed] However, other studies have suggested that using violent media may decrease hostility under periods of stress.[citation needed]
Catharsis is also an emotional release associated with talking about the underlying causes of a problem.[citation needed]
References
- ^ Cathartics at the U.S. National Library of Medicine Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
- ^ The MSDS HyperGlossary: Catharsis
- ^ American Academy Of Clinical Toxico; European Association Of Poisons Cen (2004). "Position paper: cathartics". Journal of Toxicology. Clinical Toxicology. 42 (3): 243–53. doi:10.1081/CLT-120039801. PMID 15362590.
- ^ Tamara McGregor; et al. (2009). "Evaluation and management of common childhood poisonings". Am Fam Physician. 79 (5): 397–403. PMID 19275069.
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