PSYCHOLOGY LOUNGE

ADHD: Fact VS Myth?

2010-01-08T12:54:00.000-08:00

http://health.msn.com/health-topics/adhd/adult/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100251020&gt1=31001

http://theaestheticelevator.com/2008/09/19/is-add-really-just-creative-kids-syndrome/

One of my favorite lines from that 2nd article is: "..people who couldn't sit still. People who had to move to think."

http://www.healthcentral.com/adhd/c/1443/16796/adhd-creativity

I will elaborate on this in time, but my opinion is that adhd is not actually real. I'm diagnosed with the disorder and take medication for it (I always take as little as possible and tend to hate the effects.) "Adhd" is, to me, a reflection of one's personality, more often a reflection of a very creative personality. This diagnosis has got to be derived from the public school system, where they are trying to educate, and require attentive students. What if it isn't your natural personality to sit and listen to information? What if your personality is constantly thinking, creating, coming up with ideas? Why is this so wrong? Can't we tweak the school system rather than the students?

2010-01-08T00:30:00.000-08:00

Interesting article.

http://articles.sfgate.com/2009-03-02/entertainment/17212628_1_loneliness-social-isolation-john-cacioppo

I've done quite a bit of observation in regards to relationships, and have noticed particular trends with different people. Looking at those who seem extremely happy, have a large circle of friends, and seem to be anything but lonely (though in some ways still could be)-- they 1) accept themselves, are open about flaws, even laugh at themselves, 2) have more than one person they are very close to, such as their mom or a best friend-- this provides a "comfort blanket" it seems, where the non-lonely person can meet new people knowing they already have people who love, accept, and understand them. They have people they can turn to. 3) they have limited health problems. Often, health problems contribute to our desire, or lack of, to be around people. Sometimes, health problems make us bitter and negative [not a recipe for successful relationships and/or conquering loneliness.] 4) they think on the bright side of things-- when it comes to other people's opinion of them. Sure, they said something stupid or made the wrong move, but it doesn't bother them. They continue on, hence sending good signals to their brain, rather than embarrassed/depressed thoughts.

On the other hand, depressed and lonely people demonstrate particular behaviors as well. 1) They are embarrassed easily and feed their negative thoughts, avoiding people, while thinking less of themselves [& maybe turning to their "friends" online! "must-feel-sociable" "must-feel-accepted" "must-feel-a-part-of-something", says the inner robot.] 2) Making excuses rather than doing something about the way they feel, or even using the depressive feelings to excuse them from participating socially, when in reality, being engaged socially tends to elliviate this type of mood. 3) they imagine the worst, whether it be how an event will turn out, what others think of them, or anything that could make them feel worse (thinking pessimistically makes things worse automatically.) 4) they are picky about who they make friends with, and care far too much about who they are seen with-- "how they appear" to others. This is not sincere, and usually leads to temporary friends, filler friends. People who do this tend to self-proclaim their loneliness, go on social highs, then quickly drop back into the lonely pit of doom.

There are also several factors that contribute to both types of people, including attractiveness (for some reason, natural man always favors the more attractive, especially the more brainless of our specie), confidence, and genetic traits. However, after observing two sets of identical twins, I've come to wonder what sets each twin apart. In both sets, one of the twins is more the first type of person (outgoing, happy, doesn't seem lonely), and the other seems to be less of a talker & more prone to loneliness. Remember, this is just from observation. I've also found the first (non-lonely) type to have a harder time in romantic relationships and frank about "true feelings" with their many friends, declaring loneliness and unhappiness. Some blogging "this is who I really am" "this is how I really feel" and others moving to new states-- "I'm just not happy here." Big moves. People aren't driven away because of their outward happiness. Concerning these personalities, yes, we can all experience both sides, but my analysis has been focused on predominancy.

You know, maybe if I got more of these thoughts out on here, I would have less risk for panic attacks. I really do think a lot. I wonder about everything. I like to test ideas. I feel age 12 and 65 all at the same time.

Utah: Number One Depressed State

2009-05-19T21:25:00.000-07:00

According to a research done last year, Utah is the number one depressed state. Am I surprised? Not in the least. This topic is being discussed in my online psych class, and I will be doing further research on this, as I have thought about and looked into these issues plenty.

In the meantime, I would like to hear your responses.

If you are from or have lived in Utah, why do you think depression would be ranked higher than any other state in the nation? Have you experienced or known someone who has experienced ongoing depression? What do you think were the underlying causes?

Sociological Influence

2009-05-12T17:53:00.000-07:00

The following is my response to the question of whether or not certain life decisions (college, marriage and family, etc.) are influenced by society, including other people's expectations, and what factors affect these decisions. Also, the question of whether or not someone can be totally free of social influence. I've directed this to Utah culture, since it was a response in an open discussion for Utah Valley University, and like to bring up issues other students can relate to.

*I will be down-sizing this soon, I apologize for length!

All are Affected

Coming from a highly educated background, with a Harvard graduate father, and a mom with a master's degree, I have felt expectations regarding school performance, as well as where to go to college. I have also felt expectations regarding marriage and family, though not as much from my own parents. During high school, I struggled to do well in classes that did not allow me to express myself through things I was passionate about, such as the arts (music and dance) and psychology, and I felt as though my parents hated me for not getting perfect grades. However, instead of this pressure influencing me for the good, I began leaving school after the classes I felt smart in. It was hard to share the same views my parents held, and I couldn't see why school was so important, I just wanted to live and be happy.

However, through an array of events, my mom and I made the decision that I transfer to a charter school my junior year. There, a funny thing happened.. I finally felt smart! I could focus on things that came more naturally to me, and better prepare myself for what I found difficult. Also, there was no test-taking involved. Instead of comparing myself to someone else, I began fighting against two sides of myself: the ultra perfectionist who was never good enough, and the true woman who knew she was capable of achieving great things. This is where I began making personal decisions, goals, and progress. My focus turned to others and I developed a greater desire to help others with issues I had struggled with. Every decision I made led to something spectacular, and every person I talked to inspired me in some way. Most people don't experience a high school education experience like this.

So in this society, what drives people to go to school? And to do well in school? Through observation and talking with others, I realize a number people go to school for one or both of the following reasons: 1) to make good salary, 2) out of expectation. Society puts these ideas in our minds in various ways.

Throughout the U.S., money is a main motivation behind one’s work. Part of this is derived from another cultural expectation—to get married. Many times, women go after men with money, and as women are becoming increasingly prominent in the professional world, many men now seek a professionally successful woman. However, religious expectations have influence on these decisions as well. In Utah, more specifically, within the LDS religion, it is expected that a woman be a wife and mother before anything else. It is less acceptable for women to focus on school and be a “career woman.” Mormon culture puts both silent and spoken pressure on men and women to attend BYU and focus on finding a spouse. From any pressure I've felt, I have in turn, become outspoken about my views and beliefs and let others know that I am not easily influenced by this society. Any beliefs I do hold are genuine, and I have a difficult time (esp in UT valley) meeting people who are genuine about their beliefs--not holding prejudice or wrong judgements toward people of another faith, etc. It's interesting, because having thought about society, and not allowing myself to be affected by particular cultural norms, I have turned many guys off, or just had several awkward experiences, by just.. being myself. (Apparently being opinionated and having career and other goals, even if you're a loving person, still equals "bitch" no matter where you are.)

Factors that have influenced me?: Examples of strong, compassionate, and hard working women who have beautifully balanced education and a career with marriage and family. My own mother is one example. Michelle Obama is another. Other factors that have influenced me are diverse experiences that have provoked thought and inspired different outlooks on the world. My own projects and interaction with people throughout various cultures have been highly influential in my life's decisions. And just deciding not to lose hold of my personality in its fullness. Easy for people to do, especially the weird ones like me, who are ambitious yet not superficial, and aren't afraid of doing what it takes to reach certain goals. Not to be taken as self-praise! Being creative and wanting to do well in school/"the real world" is incredibly tough. It would be so easy for me to work as a musician, writing music daily, traveling in all forms, interviewing daily, performing constantly, etc. I wouldn't get burned out easily. Yet, I'm going to school and trying to do well, and it's tough. Both school and work often feel constraining, however, I don't want to lose myself and be overly influenced by what I'm surrounded with constantly.

I do not believe one can be totally free of social influence. Even the most individualistic people are put in situations and environments that spark thought. Even though we, as individuals, are in control of our thoughts, we are still influenced in one way or another, whether we are influenced to choose or believe one thing, or decide against a decision or belief. Additionally, as human beings, we want to survive. Society teaches us how to survive efficiently, and through legal requirements (such as education), we are influenced to believe the things we’re taught, which then influence us to make personal goals and decisions.

Part of me wants to say it is possible for someone to be completely free of social influence; however, even deciding to not be socially influenced would be the result of sociological influence. What one is raised and surrounded with, and what one has ever believed and thought about, has all been sociologically influenced.

Personally, my decisions are mostly based on personal feelings toward the situation. For example, I am in school because I enjoy learning and understand how this society works. It is worth the money to study while receiving credit, which will allow me to do something I am passionate about. Along with this, I realize our society views higher levels of education as essential in viewing someone as “capable” or “trustworthy” in making decisions that affect society.

My goal to eventually get married and have a family also comes from personal desire. I have experienced the difference of trying to get through things alone vs. having support through someone I shared a mutual bond with. I also have natural motherly instincts that make me excited about being a mom. However, I am not choosing career over motherhood nor am I choosing motherhood over a career.

I strongly believe that had I been raised without culturally diverse experiences, I would be much more influenced by a particular society and its expectations. For example, if I was born into a strictly conservative family and had never left Utah, or at least the U.S., I would be more likely to hold prejudice against people who were “different” and to conform to the more socially acceptable norms, such as getting married young and focusing all of my energy on my children, while having a husband work to support us in our basic needs. This is a traditional lifestyle for many people in this culture, and while I have felt pressured to be traditional and continue to feel judged for not being traditional, I have not allowed myself to be overly influenced by these sociological norms.

Mental Illness, Society, Thought Process '07

2009-05-03T13:41:00.000-07:00

Currently working on different things in the field, but think some old material could prove useful in some way.

"Mental Illness" VS. Society VS. Thought process

Mental Illness: Millions of people every year are diagnosed or would be considered to have a mental illness. These include various degrees of illness, some less or more serious than others. "Disorders." Mood disorders, personality disorders, eating disorders, anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders, addictive disorders, facticious disorders, etc. While some disorders present factual data from birth, many disorders can be controlled and done away with in time. The answer is not always found in medication, and certainly not found in another person. The person who engages in "disordered" behavior must take action themselves and decide to fight for their life. I emphasize "disordered" with quotations, because he/she experiencing symptoms may feel perfectly normal, and would never see themselves as someone with a disorder. However, "disorder" is merely a word created to generalize and make scientific claims. I feel it is important for the individual to analyze their behavior and thought process without categorizing themselves.

Without getting deeply into particular issues, I would like to state some general principles I've thought about.

Society Norms: Imagine yourself being born into a country vastly different from your own, being raised with a family of another race, growing up with different traditions and beliefs. But you're still you. You would be highly influenced by these things, and would be likely to conform to the society's norms. Imagine yourself in various settings with different backgrounds, then look at yourself in comparison to the culture you were raised with. Why do you hold certain beliefs? What do you feel about yourself and why? How much have you developed as an individual vs. the amount you've been taught to conform with?

Thought Process: Everyone perceives things differently from one another, and every person is affected positively or negatively in various situations. Much of our thought process comes from the way we were raised, which provides us either a healthy or skewed perception of ourselves and the world. Everything we experience, in and out of the home, has an affect on our thoughts. These thoughts trigger actual brain activity, which lead us to feel certain emotions.

Thoughts ---> Actions ---> Habits ---> Character.

Or more detailed:

Experience + surroundings + ingrained thoughts + ingrained feelings + ingrained perceptions ---> motivation for new particular experience + motivation for new particular surroundings ---> acting on motivation (ingrained or learned) ---> additional thoughts from this experience based on our perception and surroundings ---> repeating experience often ---> habit ---> continual thoughts (habitually) through experiences ---> continual motivation for our actions ---> the person we are and the life we live.

But how much are we actually conscious of? How do we really feel about ourselves or a situation? There are certain activities anyone can do to understand themselves better.

Throughout a regular day, carry a small notebook and pen with you. Forget the obvious, and focus on the thousands of thoughts you'd usually pay little attention to, the thoughts you would edit or be unconscious of when communicating with another. Write down as many of these thoughts as you can, as good or bad as they are. You will feel surprisingly weird. But don't put it to waste! This activity is vital to anyone's sanity, serious problems or not.

Writing your deepest and strangest thoughts like this gets them out of your system. You will realize a whole lot about yourself. You will understand more about yourself. You will probably notice patterns in your thought-process. You will be consciously aware of your sub-conscience.

Look over the list of thoughts with this new awareness. Do you put yourself down a lot? Do you doubt people's intentions? What thoughts drive you to behave in a certain way? If you degrade yourself often, the following activity is absolutely essential.
Make a list including all negative thoughts you had about yourself (and/or other people if applicable.) Write every single one of the thoughts down. Once your list is complete, take a deep breath . . . then rip the piece of paper into as many pieces as you possibly can. Step on the pieces, burn the pieces, whatever feels good to you.

The next step is to make a "maybe" list. If you feel like a dork, don't fret. It will benefit you greatly. Think of the negative thoughts you know you are likely to have most often, or negative thoughts you had often when younger that you think still run through your mind. Instead of writing the negative thought, write its opposite--write what you want to believe, but can't get yourself to. Place a "maybe" in front of all of these thoughts.

For example: Let's say the top three negative thoughts you had were 1) "I suck at school" or "I'm stupid" 2) "I'm ugly/unattractive" 3) "I wish I were better at (such and such..)" After shredding those thoughts so finely into flames, you would replace those thoughts on the "maybe list" as follows: 1) "MAYBE I am/can be good at school" or "MAYBE I am smart" 2) "MAYBE I am beautiful or attractive" 3) MAYBE I can be better at (such and such..)

As dorky as it feels, no matter how extreme your thoughts are, you will feel invigorated. Doing this allows you to take notice of any skewed beliefs you may or may not have been taught to believe, while allowing yourself to see your own strength and capability.

These activities are helpful for any type of person, even if they feel perfectly content and happy in life. Realizing more about one's self helps them take notice of the affect they have not only on themselves but on others. It also allows one to realize that they don't have to be negatively or distortedly affected by their surroundings, thus providing room for progression in life.

2009-04-30T12:34:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Psych Lounge!

This blog is intended to aid me in my research and studies, as well as inform those in and out of the field. There is so much to be done in society and throughout the world to change the way we look at and treat the problems we are faced with. To keep track of where my studies are, I may include bits of personal info (books I'm reading, classes I'm taking, etc.) which may or may not be useful to you. I am passionate about this field, and as open-minded as I am generally, I am highly opinionated when it comes to psych issues. Feel free to add your own opinions, for "the peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is that it is robbing the human race," as John Stuart Mill would say.

Regular blog-posts will be starting soon. Enjoy!