Psychotherapies paper for school

Psychotherapy

"Psychoanalysis is usually seen as a person laying on the couch as their psychologist says "mhm, and how does that make you feel", or at least that's what most movies and TV shows portray. In actuality, psychoanalysis and psychotherapies can range in different treatments to get the best result. Psychotherapy is a psychological technique used to help positive changes in a person's adjustment, behavior and overall personality (Coon).

Interpersonal psychotherapy is usually used to help people, especially people who are suffering from depression, eating disorders, and have social phobias, to help improve their relationships, bonding and social skills with others around them.

Free association is saying whatever comes to mind. Often people don't say how they feel or what they think due to worry of consequences of what they have to say. With free association the person is to say whatever the would like without worrying about pain, embarrassment or being judged. This is to help the person lower their defenses and let their feelings show versus keeping them bottled up.

Dream analysis is pretty much as it sounds, dreams are often seen to be something that was on our mind heavily before we went to sleep, our "forbidden desires" and "unacceptable feelings" (Coon). Dream analysis can help the patient get past these desires and feelings by making the meaning and symbol obvious and attainable or to where they are no longer desired.

Two more are the analysis of resistance and the analysis of transference. The analysis of resistance is when a patient doesn't want or refuses - resists - talking about important topics and conflicts. This causes walls to be nearly impossible to knock down or get over causing the session to be hard to move and resolve. Analysis of transference is when a patient "transfers" their feelings and often sees their therapist as an important person from their past, which can bring up different feelings and conflicts in the patient.

Each form of psychotherapy is individual and often times, the same one wont work for everyone or every problem. Finding the right one is usually based more on the patient's problem and reactions or personality."

Conflict Paper for school

Conflict

"Conflict is something we see every day and experience it seem multiple times a day as human beings. Whether it be something small like where to eat or something large like a conflict in a relationship, it is still hard to see how to resolve the issue and get out alive to the other side of the seemingly dark tunnel.

But what is the cause of conflict, well, it varies. It can be due to competition, social dilemmas, perceived injustice, or one that is common in my life, perceptions. I know that a lot of people experience the conflict of perceived injustice, it seems I hear the words "this isn't fair" on a daily basis, and that is exactly what perceived injustice is. The funny thing to me is that the way to resolve it is yourself. The way you respond, act and hold yourself is going to affect how people respond, react and see you.

As for my biggest conflict: perceptions. There are many different types like misperception, mirror image perceptions and shifting perceptions. Misperception is when is seems that the actions or goals are unattainable and are usually caused by the root motive. Mirror Image perception is when the conflicts are mutual as is the misperceptions. And shifting perceptions is when the conflict seems to appear and disappear. The best solution to all those above is communication, whether it be within yourself to figure out the problem on your own side, or with the others involved to figure out the different motives."

Not okay

Hey all,
 so, I just need to come out and say it: I'm not doing so well, I'm really not okay. I had a check up to see how I was doing last week, and the doctor upped my dosage and expressed that she would like me on my depression/anxiety medications for at least a year and that really scares me. I don't know how I feel anymore, I don't know why I cry... and I don't understand why everything hurts. I feel so empty and like I just want to run away, but I'm stuck.
It seems that every glimpse of happiness that I barely see or that starts to bloom, I mess it up by being too scared or too busy. I feel like I can't catch a break or do anything right.
I'm really struggling and I'm really not okay at all.

I want to be.... but I'm not.
I broke down majorly today.... just started bawling and couldn't stop. I don't know why. Nothing really happened and not much is wrong, but I couldn't stop.
I'm tired of all of this. I'm tired of just always feeling like I'm standing on the edge and that I'm even alking on egg shells around myself. This isn't fun and I'm already tired of it...


I just want it to stop.

Attitudes paper for school

Attitudes

"We are each born as individuals, but where do we get our behaviors and attitudes from? Are they taught to us? Do we form them ourselves? Well, both are true. As children we learn things from our parents and everyone we are around. This is how we learn what facials to make to show that we are sad or happy, it is also how we learn to express each attitude we feel. We are more likely to show the same attitude traits as those we grew up around, especially our parents.

Then as we grow up and become more of ourselves as an individual, we take on other traits and form our own by altering the ones we were taught. These alterations can come from anything that we expose ourselves to, friends, television shows, movies, coworkers and music. Everything we expose ourselves to can have an affect on us an alter our attitudes or behaviors.

Especially who we surround ourselves with. It is seen that people take on the traits and attitudes of the people they are around, causing them to change based on the social circle they're in. I know that I, personally, will not speak the same way I speak around my friends as I do at work. Around my friends, I am making jokes left and right and am not in a professional attitude mind set at all. Obviously at work, I take on a more professional attitude and persona. Its putting on different hats and knowing when to wear each one.

The three main components of attitude are referenced as the ABC model of attitudes. A is affective component, B is behavioral and C is cognitive. Though this model is used frequently, there is evidence that the cognitive and affective components of behavior don't always match with the individual's personal behavior.

Affective component is the area that involves a person's feelings and emotions about the attitude object. This can be any emotional response: fear, sadness, happiness. This would be sentences like when you state what you're fearful of, like for me it would be "I'm scared of clowns".

Behavioral component is the attitude that influences how we act or behave. So, to tie that into the effective component, behavioral component is how we respond to our emotional response. If I were to see a clown, chances are that I would try to avoid it or walk by it quickly. This is part of the behavioral component.

The cognitive component is what the individual believes or their knowledge about the attitude objects. For my example it would be that I have had a bad experience with clowns, so that is why I'm scared of them.

Since our attitudes are related to our enduring of different things around us, how we feel, what we believe and how our behavior is developed towards social times, events or symbols - there is no questioning on why human behavior is such a complex topic. There are many levels of each emotion and different ways to express each, an not everyone expresses each the same."  

At peace

So, a few days ago, I had a spell where I felt depressed and anxious again. It made me realize how much I really dislike the place I have been for many months now.
So withdrawn... so alone.... so unhappy.
Well, for that day I just let myself be. I laid around with my puppy and watched Netflix. Just let myself breathe and be okay with being not alright.
I need to come to terms that this is another obstacle I need to get over, and its going to be hard and it wont go away because (unless this is a temporary state, like what I've read about in my texts books), I'll either have to be on medications for most of my life or I'll have to find another way to live with it without it controlling me.
That day I was having a really hard time not surrendering to the depression and the anxiety, but I spoke about it and was honest. I told everyone I came in contact with that I was feeling really uncomfortable, anxious and not well. It was nice that everyone, especially my amazing roommate, was so understanding.
The day after, I found a sense of peace. I finally started seeing the beauty in life again. The gorgeousness of a sunset with its pinks, oranges and purples. The amazing feeling that comes with laughing... and just breathing. I know this is going to be a struggle, and no, I'm not sure I'm ready to fight it yet. But I'm learning and I'm getting stronger. I realize that all of you, and everyone around me is just here to help, support and encourage... and I can not express how much that warms my heart and gives me strength.
I know I'll have my bad days, but I'm going to fight for the majority of the days to be good. I miss seeing the beauty and happiness in everything. I miss the joy and love that comes from not feeling alone... and better yet, I miss what it feels like to be truly happy.

So, thank you. For standing by me through this new stage in my life, for supporting me and for sending all those encouraging messages, comments and emails. You all are truly amazing. It means the world to me to know that I have such an amazing group of people who want me to win.

Keep smiling, everyone and enjoy the colors in this world. They truly are spectacular.

Quotes by me

So, I'm currently going through old blogs of mine, and I keep running across some things I've written that I want to remember, so here are quotes that I've personally used/created and said (this will be getting updated fairly often):


"If the sun wants to shine down while you cry, its your tears that are meant to dry. Tears fall to the ground and stains are left on your face but life is not meant to waste. Get up and go. It'll be harder if you keep moving slow. The slower the pace, the harder the race. Life is life, you just have to live it. Keep op the act, stay on the right track. You aren't meant to keep looking back. Life's ahead so that's where you look, can't close the iron covers of this book. You'll wish you could, with all your might but that is one thing that wont happen tonight. Share the smiles; laugh out loud. Its too late, can't fix it now."


"You're never too old to remember how things used to be and how things have changed. But always remember, its the people that stay in your life for so long that really deserve your time."

So,

So, my appointment was today with my doctor.
It was really hard because some of the questions they were asking, I didn't really want to answer.
I came to find out, I lost about 5 pounds... taking me down to 132.6 lbs. Not that it's an unhealthy weight, I just didn't need to lose any weight. I guess I hadn't really noticed that I haven't been eating all that much.
Anyway, my doctor said that I have high anxiety with acute depression.
We agreed that Lexapro (Escitalopram) would be the best medication for me since it is more centered around the anxiety versus the depression.
Though, I didn't really want this diagnosis, I feel proud because I was able to go in and explain my thoughts, feelings and symptoms without hesitation and state my guess on what it is. Due to my studies, I knew what medications she was talking about putting me on, and what the side effects are. So, I got to see that I really am learning different things in my studies. Super cool.
I go back in 4 weeks for a follow up to see how my body is responding to the Lexapro.
She said to watch out and really journal how I'm feeling so guess who will be writing more.
Thanks for all the support, you guys are truly awesome and the best support group anyone could ask for.

I'll be writing on the 4th of July, so keep an eye out.