Mental Illness: Week 14 First Impression

--Original published at BillardnBlog

Starting this blog I had a very general idea of what schizophrenia was and how it affects people. I have never seen the movies listed in the prompt so I haven’t seen any type of display of the mental illness until the video Types of Schizophrenia – a day in the life of. Searching for more information on schizophrenia I found very strict descriptions with specific side effects. Although, the video described how each case is unique to every individual. I also learned how there can be positive and negative symptoms. Also schizophrenia can affect body movement, emotions, and mental functioning.

I was quite shocked by the video. It gave a real world sense of schizophrenia. It is difficult to describe many types of illnesses and disorders without having any relation to it yourself. But the video truly showed what people can go through without anyone noticing what’s going on. I learned from the video that certain hallucinations or delusions can be negative towards the person; it was as if they were being bullied by the voices in their head. This was new to me because I thought a common symptom of schizophrenia was simply voices in their head and not actually speaking to that individual.

From this new insight to schizophrenia I think the media is too direct and strict when talking about this illness. Many just focus on the hard facts that can relate to large groups of people. But in reality it is a very unique mental illness that is different for every person who has it. There are different symptoms and different experiences people go through. No one seems to take into account how everyday is a struggle for someone diagnosed with schizophrenia. I think better awareness is needed of how personal this mental disorder is to each individual rather than just the common knowledge and facts of it.

First Impression- Mental Illness

--Original published at Caitlin's corner

I decided to do the first option for this first impression post since I have a fairly detailed understanding of Schizophrenia from Intro to Neuroscience, however, I don’t know what the symptoms are actually like to experience. I’ve seen Donnie Darko also and that is one of my favorite movies ever. I knew before the video that there are positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia, and that positive symptoms are hallucinations (tactile, vision, auditory, and smell) but I don’t really know what it’s like to experience that. It’s pretty hard to understand the illness if you don’t what it’s like to actually have it. This video seemed like a good opportunity to do that.

The video was really eye opening for me. It’s insane to think some people really experience things like that or hear voices telling them terrible things or that people are after them. It’s hard to think what it would be like to experience these symptoms and be able to tell what’s real and what’s not real. It would be really scary to be with someone while they’re having a delusion or hallucination because they aren’t aware that it’s not real. It is so real to them and we don’t usually see it as such in film and the media. Usually people think they can control it, like start and stop whenever they way or it’s for attention and not really happening. A lot of people don’t have a detailed idea of what it is since it’s such an individualized illness. The video also said that there is no typical or normal case of schizophrenia.

After watching this video, I really want to know how doctors diagnose this mental illness, since it can be so different between everyone and we can’t experience what they are seeing or hearing. Also, I really want to know why when they hear voices it’s about people after them or things like that, it seems so strange that their minds can make this up and they believe it and why is it that. Them hearing voices saying the government is after them and that God is speaking to them is what I’ve heard from class and media, anyways.

Schizophrenia

--Original published at MentzersBlog

I took Psychology in high school and learned little about schizophrenia and watched A Beautiful Mind in the class. My first impression that came to mind was that it would be freaky to see people that you can only see. Also you ca hear voices tell you things like the angle and the devil on your shoulders. People will think you are crazy when you really aren’t. Something new I learned from the video Types of Schizophrenia – A day I the life of (scary) is that the voices can be negative. I thought that is was only like a bickering voice in your head. The voices can be harmful and negative towards you and influences you to do thing. In the video he doesn’t eat the pizza and talk on the phone because of hat he’s being told. I also learned that people with schizophrenia can take medicine to help with it and not go through episodes. I always found schizophrenia to be unique ad interesting that your mind can do this and I’m glad I got to get more information on it. Overall the video helped a lot with understanding more about what people who have schizophrenia go through on a everyday life.

Media Production Project

--Original published at Sarah's Insight

Can Money Really Buy Happiness?

Summary

Across the world, people have been suffering from time scarcity, which can be linked to reduced happiness, increased anxiety, insomnia, and a lower well-being. An Experiment that consisted of large samples from the United States, Canada, Denmark, and the Netherlands would test if people who spend their money on services that save them time are happier than those who spend money on materialistic items. In the samples from different countries in the world, it was found that the higher the income, the greater the time scarcity, which leads to time stress. This study tested if buying free time (paying for a cleaning service, a cook, etc.) would reduce the negative effects that result from time stress.

The researchers hypothesized that buying time may provide an alternate way to cope with daily demands, such as time stress and reduced life satisfaction. The samples were asked the same two questions about if and how much they spend toward services that save time each month. The participants were also asked to rate their satisfaction with life and their annual household income, weekly work hours, age, marital status, and how many children they have. The research found that 28% of the participants spent money of time saving services and had greater life satisfaction ratings than those who did not indulge in time saving services.

Based on these results, the researchers conducted another two week within-subjects experiment on working adults in Vancouver, Canada to see which increased happiness and decreased stress; spending money on time saving services or material items. The participants were given eighty dollars each, and were given two weekends to spend it. The first weekend, the participants were to use forty dollars to buy a service such as meal delivery and cleaning services. The second weekend, the participants could spend the remaining forty dollars on an item like a polo shirt and “fancy” wine. The researchers found that the participants were more positive after the first weekend than the second.

The results of both experiments show that buying time had a greater life satisfaction rate and the participants felt less pressure and improved mood at the end of their day. The researchers encourage more research on this subject to see how much buying time effects the lives of people of different social and financial backgrounds.

Reflection

I did not find it difficult to summarize the articles because they were both fairly short and got down to the point. The news article focused mainly on the experiment where the participants were given money to spend on the service while the scholarly article provided information from both experiments. The scholarly article was only 5 pages, so it wasn’t that difficult to condense it into the main points and write a summary. I tried to base my writing off of how the news article was written without including a lot of unnecessary filler sentences. I did not have to leave out any important information in my summary, however I find it interesting that the news article is slightly longer than my summary but does not include a lot of information about the first experiment.

I think that the journalists did a decent job on the news article. Looking at the scholarly article, it is easy to see what they could improve on and what they did well with. I think that they did a great job at convincing the readers that there was a significant difference between those who spent money on services and those who spent money on items. They did not do a good job at explaining the first experiment and how the researchers interpreted those results and they did not do a good job at specifying what sample was from which countries. When I first read the news article, I had no idea who was participating in the experiment, but when I read the scholarly article, the demographics were very clear. Overall, I believe that the news article gave a good summary of the scholarly article and both were very easy to understand and summarize.

Scholarly Article

News Article

Media Production Project

--Original published at Caitlin's corner

Summary:

In a study done by researchers and published in the journal, Mindfulness, they found that doing just 25 minutes of Hatha yoga can increase your executive functioning skills and energy levels/mood. The 31 participants did 25 minutes of Hatha yoga, mindfulness based meditation, and quiet reading as the controlled variable. After each session, the participants were asked to complete tasks related to executive functioning and thinking and self-reported their moods, energy levels, and feelings.

The participants found that all of the executive functioning factors increased or got better after the yoga and meditation sessions at the post ten minute mark, but not at the post five minute mark. This means that the cognitive functioning results weren’t readily accessible right after, but it took a few minutes for the results to show themselves. Their energy levels and mood were noticeable immediately afterwards, but not after the reading. Although, it should be noted that energy levels were slightly higher than after the meditation, and both meditation and yoga increased energy levels when compared to quiet reading.

These results can be linked to what we already know about exercise’s effects on the brain. Exercise releases endorphins and “feel good” chemicals into the body that can reduce your stress levels, increase blood flow to the brain, and reduce focus on ruminative thoughts. Keeping up with a healthy lifestyle can also increase the benefits to just working out 25 minutes a day.

Links to articles:

https://psychcentral.com/news/2017/09/07/yoga-meditation-better-brain-function-and-more-energy/125664.html

For Caitlin (1)

Reflection:

This project was way harder than I originally thought overall. When reading the research study, it was really hard to stay focused and find the information I really needed to know. There was so much information I didn’t understand and number’s that I didn’t understand how they got so that was frustrating for me. It was a little hard to write the summary and decide where to start. You don’t just want to throw information at them but at the same time, you still have to be accurate and not plagiarize. It was a little hard for me to put things into my own words sometimes because it was either very simple and hard to reword or very complex and I didn’t know how to still be accurate, but not just copy and paste what they said. I decided to not include the details about how they got their information (i.e. what tests they used) because it probably wouldn’t have changed anyones mind or ideas about the topic. I did add some information when compared to my first article because my first one was rather short without a lot of information referencing the research. I added some more information about the study itself rather than the results of the study. The author of the first link really focused on the health benefits rather than how they got the results and what they really meant. It didn’t seem like they really read the article and took all of the info in. I also decided to leave out how they got their participants and the fact that it was all women. It could change the data if we added men, but it most likely wouldn’t. I didn’t add the implications of the study at all, probably for the same purpose as the author. Overall, I like my article more, the other doctor’s article was very fluffy and not to the point for being how short it is.

Mental Illness

--Original published at Sarah's Insight

For this post, I watched a video of a day in the life of someone who suffers with schizophrenia. This video really frightened me and opened my eyes to a little bit of what someone with schizophrenia goes through. In the video, I saw things that weren’t actually there but were being seen by the person. I heard voices in the persons head. The newscasters on the TV were saying things to the person, which someone who doesn’t have schizophrenia wouldn’t have heard. I was frightened for a majority of the video, mostly because I had no idea what I would see or hear next. I couldn’t help but relate this to Donnie Darko, because it is the only movie I’ve seen from the three listed in the assignment. In the movie, Donnie sees and hears Frank the bunny, who isn’t actually there. I do and don’t believe that Donnie Darko is an accurate depiction of someone with schizophrenia. It does a good job of showing someone seeing and hearing things that aren’t actually there, and shows what terrible things could happen when someone listens to the bad voices in their heads. I also think it’s not a good way of depicting someone with schizophrenia because we only see and hear one being that comes along with Donnie’s schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is such a terrifying disease and is something I believe should be shown accurately more often so others would be able to see what people diagnosed with schizophrenia deal with on a regular basis.

Motivation

--Original published at Sarah's Insight

I originally chose to come to Elizabethtown College because of the Occupational Therapy program offered. Here, I will complete 5 years of education and obtain a master’s degree. This was a huge selling point for me because not many schools offer a 5 year program that does not require reapplying for the master’s degree program. Also, E-town offers what seems like thousands of different opportunities to get involved on campus. I also considered size when looking at schools. My graduating class in high school was 97 students, which means I had the opportunity to connect with all of the students in my cohort and all of my teachers. Here at E-town, I am able to form relationships with my professors and peers that will help me to succeed in my studies.

Recently, I have struggled with motivation in my school work and even though I tell myself that I need to study and do work, I always procrastinate and do poorly on the assignments. I realized that in order to pass I had to inspire myself to work even harder. I sat down with my textbooks and outlined every important detail in each chapter. It’s easy for me to remember things by color, so I used different highlighters to mean different things. I ended up having a lot of fun creating my notes and studying them. I ended up doing significantly better on my most recent exam. I had a small wake-up call when I met with my advisor who gave me the idea of my new note taking style. Since we can easily meet up with our professors one on one, I will continue to meet with my professors throughout my years at E-town and take their advice on how to be successful in studying and preparing myself for my future.

Motivation Option 2

--Original published at Site Title

I chose to come to Etown because of the small campus and the English program. The location of the College and personalized academics also contributed to my decision. I took both the SAT and the ACT before I was accepted. I had to work vigorously to get into Etown. I always remind myself of how hard I had to work to get into Etown to motivate myself. I also reward myself by taking a break to watch TV after completing large assignments to stay motivated. These strategies have so far been successful in motivating me to keep working through the semester. I can continue to use these strategies to stay motivated until graduation. I can also add more rewards for completing assignments.

First Impression-Motivation

--Original published at Site Title

I am a transfer from another small liberal arts college in Maryland. I did not like the school that I was at before, athletically or academically. I knew if I wanted to have a positive college experience, I would have to transfer. Elizabethtown was the first institution to recruit me for basketball. I remember having a tour at Etown when I was a senior and I thought it was a very nice school. It was in my top three colleges but I decided to go to the college in Maryland because it was closer to my house. When I made my mind up that I was going to transfer, I immediately pictured myself at Etown. I am glad I made the switch because Etown sets me up for success academically and athletically.

I am the most motivated when it is close to the due date. I know that doesn’t sound great, but it is the truth. I have more motivation to study when the exam is close. I have more motivation to do an assignment when the due date is close. This isn’t the best way to handle work in college. It can make you very stressed out. I try to motivate myself to do things earlier so that I won’t be rushing trying to finish the assignment on time. The bigger the assignment is, the more motivation I have to complete it. What motivates me to be successful in school is my G.P.A. I always strive to get good grades so that I can get scholarships for graduate school. The better my grades are the more likely I am to get scholarships. Focusing on the big picture is what helps me stay motivated. As a part of my motivational plan, I will print out a picture of my dream car (a Mercedes G-wagon) and put it up on my wall. So every time I look at my dream car I will be motivated to work hard so that I can be successful enough to afford a G-wagon. I will also write motivational quotes on post its and stick them on my walls. The quotes will motivate me to work hard.

Spotlight Blog 3 Prompts

Regardless of which option you choose, make sure to use the tag “Spotlight” on your post. Also include the tag listed for the option you choose below. The spotlight post is due at 2pm on Sunday, 12/10.

Option 1 – Use the tag “Social”

People are often told to resist peer pressure and think for themselves, but as we’ve learned, this is more easily said than done. Too often, especially for teens, this advice is not followed with concrete recommendation about ways to resist pressure from others. I want you to identify three websites that provide methods for resisting peer pressure and discuss how likely you think the strategies they provide are to be successful. Make sure to explain your rationale using what we’ve learned in class and your textbook. Each of the three websites need to be targeted at a different audience but you may select the audiences you want to use (e.g., college students, athletes, parents, artists). Make sure to include links to the websites as part of your post.

Option 2 – Use the tag “Mental Illness”

Television shows like My Strange Addiction, Intervention, True Life, and others have turned some mental illnesses into entertainment. In particular, the shows Hoarders and Hoarding: Buried Alive showcase people with hoarding disorder trying to get their lives, homes, and relationships back in order. What do you think about this type of show? Is it ethical to do? Does it exploit people with mental illnesses? Here is a sample clip from Hoarding: Buried Alive in case you’re not familiar with how these shows work. Find at least two sources that argue these shows are helpful for the people on the show and/or the general public and at least two sources that argue these shows are harmful. Discuss the evidence each source provides, assess the credibility of the sources, and explain your own perspective on shows like this. Make sure to include links and/or citations for your sources.

Option 3 – Use the tag “Mental Health Treatment”

One of the biggest questions when deciding to seek treatment for a mental health condition is to pick between seeking psychotherapy (e.g., counseling, therapy) and medication. Major depressive disorder is the most common mental illness in the US, and can be treated effectively using either method. Find at least two sources that argue psychotherapy is a better treatment option and at least two sources that argue medication is a better treatment option. Discuss the evidence each source provides, assess the credibility of the sources, and explain your own perspective. Make sure to include links and/or citations for your sources.

I look forward to seeing what you write!