Please, Stand Up and Speak Up!

“Phys Ed and several other programs face elimination as Portland schools try to balance a $19 million shortfall.” “Cutting Phys Ed in Portland elementary and middle schools would save the district more than $6 million.” “School officials say they’ve got to cut somewhere to make ends meet.” (Mungeam) Is this the most ridiculous thing you have ever heard? Why is it that when educated, experienced, skilled adults can’t spend money effectively and stay within a budget, our schools, or rather, our kids, are the first to be attacked and punished? If these adults are incapable of being successful, then why would they want to cut back on the development of future leaders and potentially put our country, our state, our town at a bigger risk and in a deeper hole? I am not happy about this at all. Physical Education needs to remain a solid program and be unaffected and untouched within our school systems.

Why do we send our children to school? You may think this teeters on the edge of being a rhetorical question, but humor me. Of all of the reasons you could list, which one is your main reason and most common among parents? We send our children to school to get an education, yes? And the reason we want them educated is so that they can be capable of doing, being, and surviving in this world. We want them to be educated so they can grow up and have a home, a family, a bank account, and so they can pursue their dreams, reach their goals, and see their wishes come true.

A part of being successful in these things is being healthy and knowing how to stay healthy. Nearly everyone knows that the most essential factors of life are air, food, water, sleep, and exercise. These things are not only good for our physical health, but also to our mental health and intellectual growth. Our minds, and those of our children’s, need to be healthy, clear of obstacles, and ready to receive, perceive, process, and retain. Schools are already on this page, as classes start first thing in the morning, after our children have had a good night’s rest and breakfast, the most important meal of the day. Schools have even started serving breakfast to students who don’t normally eat breakfast at home, for whatever reason, and also serve lunch to refuel them for the afternoon.

Physical Education is when and where our children get some of their exercise during the day. This is important and don’t just take it from me, but listen to what was said by a 12-year-old, a mother, and a physician. “As a 12-year-old at Laurelhurst K-through-8 school, I and many other children think it is a horrible idea to cut or even shorten PE,” Michael Koukoumano said, “PE is very important because it helps kids exercise and be more active which keeps them from becoming obese.” (News) “We know that healthy kids learn better and we know physical activity helps the brain learn and we know when we take a look at kids scores in school that they are better when they’ve gotten some exercise, ” says parent Isabelle Barbour. (Harlan) “The data is clear. The science is clear,” said Dr. Minot Cleveland. “Kids that are more fit do better academically, they do better physically, so it doesn’t have to be an either or. We have to have both to work together.” (News)

Little Michael has a point. The growing number of children becoming obese is a concern and taking P.E. out of school will certainly not help things. As a matter of fact, Michael is not the only one to recognize this. “The Task Force for a Comprehensive Obesity Prevention Initiative recommends continuation of funding to the Oregon Department of Education to support physical education in schools.” (SB 931) “An alarming new study by the International Association for the Study of Obesity projected that nearly half of all the children in North and South America will be overweight by 2010.” (O’Crowley) And it is also pointed out that canceling Phys Ed from schools is responsible, to a good degree, for this problem. “There are many reasons for the epidemic of childhood obesity, including overeating and calorie-filled junk food. But much of it is due to a decline in activity, a decline that cannot be made up by organized games and practices,” said Sue Shapses, an associate professor of nutritional sciences at Rutgers University and co-director of the New Jersey Obesity Group. “Declines in physical education classes and daily recess are also to blame,” she said. (O’Crowley)

Physical Education is necessary for our kids for several reasons. When the weather is nice, or at least tolerable, P.E. is usually held outside, so in addition to exercise, our kids can get fresh air and sunshine, a source of vitamin D which is known to improve a person’s mood. The exercise stimulates their heart rate, circulates oxygen throughout their bodies, and flexes their muscles. There is more to Physical Education than getting to play and have some fun, though I must say those are very appealing qualities, but it is also a time for their eyes and their minds to rest. It is at P.E. that our children will learn how to play sports, follow the rules of the game, work as a team, and compete in a healthy, non-aggressive setting. A Phys Ed instructor, Sarah Spella said, “It’s not just the learning of the skills and building of the endurance and strength and the flexibility and the agility and the balance and all those base level things that kids get from PE, but it’s also the social interaction.” (Mungeam)

The evidence is clear. We are all, in one way or another, experts, speaking out against pulling the Physical Education programs out of our schools and risking the health and academic potential of our children. I am an expert in that I know from personal experience the effects that a lack of activity has on the mind and the body. Michael is an expert because he is one of the very kids this will affect. Mothers and fathers are experts because they see on a daily basis how well or how poorly their children’s appetites, sleeping patterns, motivation toward homework, and overall mood and attitude are when they are getting enough or lacking regular exercise and physical activity. And of course the Phys Ed teachers and doctors are experts in the knowledge they have of these effects.

The only question left now is what can be done to stop this from happening? If you have children, go to your schools and to their board meetings and speak up. Go to community meetings and press conferences and speak up. Write, call, or go in person to see the School Superintendent and speak up. Even if you don’t have children, remember that it is the next generation of leaders that we are concerned with here, and in time, this will affect you and your future in some way. So please, go and speak up. Cutting Physical Education will doing nothing to benefit our children, but will only serve to pad the pockets of politicians. It’s disgusting and it needs to be stopped!

Related articles

• Phys Ed: It’s not a break from school. (charlotteshaw.wordpress.com)
• Re: Fighting Childhood Obesity: Is Phys. Ed. Enough? (whsword.wordpress.com)
• S.F. elementary schools falling short on exercise (sfgate.com)
• My Brain on P.E. (musespark.wordpress.com)
• Prevent Childhood Obesity with Physical Education in Schools by Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy (socialactions.net)

What Drives Me

I know I should not write this until I pull myself together, however, I do not want to wait to bring this to as many people as possible and raise awareness. I am saddened, no, devastated after reading this article. I follow LGBTQNATION very closely on Facebook, and as a matter of fact, it can be found under my LGBT Blogroll, and when I logged into Facebook today, this is what I found:

http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2012/02/student-jumps-to-his-death-school-officials-say-bullying-wasnt-a-factor-bullshit/

This kind of needless tragedy breaks my heart, upsets me to my core, and is what drives me to work hard and go above and beyond my very best in my studies. Stopping this kind of thing and finding ways not only to reach these young teens and adults, but to provide them safe and dependable support, is my life’s goal. If ever there is a question of what I am studying, what my intentions and goals are, and/or why, read this article and I promise you, you will understand the certainty of my existence on this earth. May God be with this beautiful child’s family, friends, and classmates, and may the bullies that caused it, at the very least—Learn Something! The letter written by Drew’s classmate and friend is very touching and sends a strong message!

I have never asked before, but I am asking you now, please, please reblog this, post it on your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Digg, or any and all other sites that you may have available to you. Thank you…

 

 

 

 

DSM-V: Going Backwards and Losing Ground

Please forgive me first and foremost. This article, New mental health manual is dangerous say experts | Reuters, was originally posted on the blog, Secularity. I reblogged it, but then I got this pop-up window and weird messages were going across my screen that made me very nervous and uncomfortable, so I immediately deleted the post and am going this route instead. It is imperative that you know that this is reblogged though not in the traditional way.

You can click on the link listed above, or just read the article here, as I have copy and pasted into to quote box for you to read. I have not posted any news type of information on my blog to date, and if I ever do again, it will be a most rare incident. However, after reading this article, I feel it demands attention, as like it says in the title, this will be very dangerous indeed! To find out why, read the article, and you will understand the title of this post. Also, there are many related articles listed at the end for further information. This is truly a travesty!

New mental health manual is “dangerous” say experts

By Kate Kelland, Health and Science Correspondent

LONDON | Thu Feb 9, 2012 2:24pm EST

LONDON (Reuters) – Millions of healthy people – including shy or defiant children, grieving relatives and people with fetishes – may be wrongly labeled mentally ill by a new international diagnostic manual, specialists said on Thursday.

In a damning analysis of an upcoming revision of the influential Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), psychologists, psychiatrists and other experts said new categories of mental illness identified in the book were at best “silly” and at worst “worrying and dangerous.”

“Many people who are shy, bereaved, eccentric, or have unconventional romantic lives will suddenly find themselves labeled as mentally ill,” said Peter Kinderman, head of Liverpool University’s Institute of Psychology at a briefing in London about widespread concerns over the manual.

“It’s not humane, it’s not scientific, and it won’t help decide what help a person needs.”

The DSM is published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and has symptoms and other criteria for diagnosing mental disorders. It is used internationally and seen as the diagnostic “bible” for mental health medicine.

No one from the APA was immediately available for comment.

More than 11,000 health professionals have already signed a petition (at dsm5-reform.com) calling for the development of the fifth edition of the manual to be halted and re-thought.

Some diagnoses – for conditions like “oppositional defiant disorder” and “apathy syndrome” – risk devaluing the seriousness of mental illness and medical zing behaviors most people would consider normal or just mildly eccentric, the experts said.

At the other end of the spectrum, the new DSM, due out next year, could give medical diagnoses for serial rapists and sex abusers – under labels like “paraphilic coercive disorder” – and may allow offenders to escape prison by providing what could be seen as an excuse for their behavior, they added.

RADICAL, RECKLESS, AND INHUMANE

Simon Wessely of the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College London said a look back at history should make health experts ask themselves: “Do we need all these labels?”

He said the 1840 Census of the United States included just one category for mental disorder, but by 1917 the APA was already recognizing 59. That rose to 128 in 1959, to 227 in 1980, and again to around 350 disorders in the fastest revisions of DSM in 1994 and 2000.

Allen Frances of Duke University and chair of the committee that oversaw the previous DSM revision, said DSM-5 would “radically and recklessly expand the boundaries of psychiatry” and result in the “lexicalization of normality, individual difference, and criminality.”

David Pilgrim of Britain’s University of Central Lancashire said it was “hard to avoid the conclusion that DSM-5 will help the interests of the drug companies.”

“Madness and misery exist but they come in many shapes and sizes,” he said. “We risk treating the experience and conduct of people as if they are botanical specimens waiting to be identified and categorized in rigid boxes.

“That would itself be a form of collective madness for all those complicit in the continuing pseudo-scientific exercise.”

Nick Craddock of Cardiff University’s department of psychological medicine and neurology, who also spoke at the London briefing, cited depression as a key example of where DSM’s broad categories were going wrong.

Whereas in previous editions, a person who had recently lost a loved one and was suffering low moods would be seen as experiencing a normal human reaction to bereavement, the new DSM criteria would ignore the death, look only at the symptoms, and class the person as having a depressive illness.

Other examples of diagnoses cited by experts as problematic included “gambling disorder,” “internet addiction disorder” and “oppositional defiant disorder” – a condition in which a child “actively refuses to comply with majority’s requests” and “performs deliberate actions to annoy others.”

“That basically means children who say ‘no’ to their parents more than a certain number of times,” Kinderman said. “On that criteria, many of us would have to say our children are mentally ill.”

(Editing by Andrew Heavens)

Related articles

• Shyness, grieving soon to be classified as mental illness (foxnews.com)
• Shyness an illness in “dangerous” health book: Experts (vancouversun.com)
• Psychologists fear US manual will widen mental illness diagnosis (guardian.co.uk)
• Experts blast new mental health ‘bible’ (msnbc.msn.com)
• NAMI Encourages DSM-5 Discussion (prweb.com)
• DSM-IV: Depression Defined (everydayhealth.com)
• PTSD, DSM 5, and Forensic Misuse (my.psychologytoday.com)
• Will Depression Include Normal Grieving Too? (psychcentral.com)
• Not Diseases, but Categories of Suffering (pdresources.wordpress.com)

Start of Semester Jitterbug

Today is the first day of the new semester. I have been staring at the textbooks for these fresh new courses and feeling very impatient for days. But, today is the day and I am so excited. I can hardly wait! I grab my cup of coffee, sit at my computer, logon to Penn State University’s website, and then onto ANGEL, the online site where all the classes are held.

I click on the first class, then the next, and the next, until I have viewed every syllabus, “start here,” course calendar, course objectives and expectations, and the due dates of the first assignments. And through it all, my enthusiasm and anticipation begin to wane as my mind races.

“Oh my. Oh My… What? No way! Uh-uh. Are you serious? You have GOT to be kidding me! Please tell me you are not serious? Whaaaat?! Oh, no! You can’t expect me… Wait a minute… Excuse me? Ha-ha-ha-ha! Yeah, right! Gulp! Gulp! Gulp! (No, I am not sucking down a slurpee.) Ugh! This is too much. I can’t do all of this! There is no way! Not a chance in… Holy cow! Unbelievable! I am feeling sick. This is crazy. What was I thinking? I better lie down. Besides, I have all week still ahead of me. How am I ever going to keep up? This is insane. There is just no way… Forget it!”

Suddenly, I stop, shocked at my own thoughts. But then I just start laughing. This happens every time a new semester starts. I literally panic for the first hour or so while viewing what is ahead of me. Twisting and turning in my chair, my hands and feet going in all directions, and who said I couldn’t dance the jitterbug anyway?

Once the coffee sets into my bones and I realize I have already started taking notes and making detailed, time-sensitive lists, I can feel myself calming down and answering my own questions.

“Yes, they are serious and no, they are not kidding, and yes, they can expect you to, and no, it is not too much, and yes, you can do all of this. You know you can. You always do and you always surprise yourself. This is exactly what you have signed up for and for the price this education is costing you, why would you want or expect anything less than the challenge of learning something you don’t already know? Jeez, Louise. Relax!”

I open one of the text books and start reading. Flip, flip, flip go the pages. I write notes, I browse my courses, the internet, more books, mark pages, highlight key statements, open Word and begin typing. Reading, writing, browsing, marking, highlighting, more notes, more typing, and the clock ticks on. Hours later, I finish the assignments, submit them, and then think to myself, “Where was it that I read…oh yes, here it is. I have seen this before. Let me see, uh, oh yeah! I have seen this before.” I get up and go to my book shelf, grab a book, then two more as an afterthought, type something into Google, and I am off on another train of thought.

I am once again in my element. The jitterbug will just have to wait until the first day of the following semester.

Related articles

• Semester 2, Day 1 – Done! (sharingtheinsanity.com)

Gotta Love Hillary Clinton

Senator Hillary Clinton gave a wonderful speech at the Human Rights Campaign board meeting in Washington DC on March 2^nd, 2007. Once introduced to the audience, she began by thanking the many individuals and organizations who support and are working on making profound changes in the equality of all humans. She recognized the audience as being included in those who were making a difference, and acknowledged their accomplishments to date. She made a personal connection with her audience by adding a little humor when she realized that her initials were the same as the cause she was speaking for, HRC. She gained the attention of the audience with her passion, confident determination, and detailed knowledge of what she intended to present.

Senator Clinton’s speech was one to inform. Clearly her audience did not need to be convinced or persuaded. She spoke openly and without reservation, emphasizing key words that aided in making her points clear, and pausing for effect. These main points were easily recognizable, well supported, and strongly reinforced. She accomplished this by very systematically telling her audience where this country was in regards to human equality when this fight first started, where we are today, where we should be, where we are going, and how we are going to get there. She made a solid declaration that the senate was NOT going to write discrimination of any kind into our constitution.

Senator Clinton also included her personal experiences in having spent many years working with children and families and seeing firsthand the hope and desperation in the eyes of children needing families. She firmly insisted on repealing the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Policy, as it has compromised our country during this time of war due to unfair and unfounded discharges. And finally, she spoke specifically of the stiffer penalties and punishments that will be given to those who commit hate crimes. Her conclusion was overall a summary of her speech and a reaffirmation that she will not stop fighting until we were victorious in this war of human discrimination, and human equality was fully attained. Senator Hillary Clinton accomplished a lot in 15 minutes and after hearing her speech. Speaking for myself, she made a huge impact and her speech was extremely effective.

Related articles

• Filipino LGBT Group Picks Up Hillary Clinton’s Call For Equality (thinkprogress.org)
• Hillary Clinton 2012 Robocalls Surface In Multiple Battleground States (huffingtonpost.com)
• Hillary Clinton’s Gay Rights Speech: State Department Turns Historic Moment Into Music Video (huffingtonpost.com)
• WATCH VIDEO: Hillary Clinton and LGBT State Department Video – (oblogdeeoblogda.wordpress.com)

What Are You Afraid Of?

A man went to a psychiatrist for his phobia.

“Doc,” he said, “I’ve got trouble. Every time I get into bed, I think there’s somebody under it. I get under the bed, I think there’s somebody on top of it. Top, under, top, under. You gotta help me, I’m going crazy!”

“Just put yourself in my hands for two years,” said the shrink, “Come to me three times a week, and I’ll cure your fears.”

“How much do you charge?”

“A hundred dollars per visit.”

“I’ll sleep on it,” said the man.

Six months later the doctor met the man on the street.

“Why didn’t you ever come to see me again?” asked the psychiatrist.

“For a hundred buck’s a visit? A bartender cured me for ten dollars.”

“Is that so! How?”

“He told me to cut the legs off the bed!”  (-Robert Graves)

 

A phobia is a fear. According to dictionary.com it is a persistent, irrational fear of a specific object, activity, or situation that leads to a compelling desire to avoid it.

“Unconscious or emotional learning takes place to keep us safe. In primitive conditions when coming into contact with something dangerous, the mind/body would create the optimum state for survival – a panic attack. This type of learning is not of the intellectual, or rational type; this type of learning takes place at an emotional level so that the response can bypass the ‘thinking brain.’ To become phobic, all you need is a high anxiety state paired with an object. The object does not have to be causing the anxiety. Robert Graves the poet, for example, had a phobia of phones because he was using one when a bomb went off near him during the war! You can also generate a phobia through the misuse of the imagination. Children often get phobias this way, or by seeing a phobia parent.”  Mark Tyrrell- HGDip, DipHypNLP(BHR)

Phobias are fears that are constant and something people who have them, are constantly on the lookout for their potential and perceived danger. It is not a onetime thing, but stays with you from day-to-day. So, then what is fear? Also according to my trusty online dictionary site, fear is a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid. Now, that sounds a lot like a phobia, doesn’t it?

How about a couple of examples to show the difference. The local news station has been broadcasting for the past three days that a hurricane has formed off the coast of a state just two below the one you live in. Every time you hear more about it, it has picked up force, hit hard the places in its path, caused millions of dollars in damage, and the death toll is rising at an alarming rate. You have been getting calls all morning from family members, on the other side of the country, begging you to evacuate. As you ready yourself to do just that, the wind is blowing with such force that it literally knocks you off your feet, not once, but three times. You realize, with panic in every part of your body, that you may have waited too long to try to get to safety. That, my friends, is fear. Now consider this: the sky is a gorgeous blue and the sun is shining so brightly that you can see its beams dancing on almost every surface you see. It is a beautiful day and there was nothing in the forecast that pointed to anything but perfection in the atmosphere. However, you are so afraid of storms that you look to the sky every 15 seconds to reassure yourself that a cloud hasn’t managed to appear out of nowhere. Just before rounding the corner on your attempted morning walk, you can hear water droplets hitting the sidewalk, (just a sprinkler you would have seen if you had been able to get around that corner) and you are suddenly paralyzed with certain dread and doom. You look again for the clouds that you are just sure are there, and when you still don’t see a single one, you feel you are losing your mind. You can think of nothing else but to get home to safety. That is your only hope and last chance at surviving before a storm sets in and somehow, as you are sure it will, kills you. Now, that is a phobia.

Let’s look at one more comparison, and in this case, I will use a personal experience of my own for the fear side of things. My mother had a freak accident out in her yard one day after church. The shattered bones in both of her legs landed her in the hospital. Many surgeries would be needed to repair the damage, but after the second operation, things began to start happening that caused the remaining procedures to be postponed. Within days, the doctors decided to put her into a medically induced coma and place her on a respirator until she was strong enough to proceed. But, she was not getting stronger and with the bones still being broken, the potential for danger was rising. When I got the call that my mother had developed an embolism in her lung and they discovered undiagnosed emphysema, though she had quit smoking 15 years prior, I was also told that it was touch and go and they were uncertain if she would improve. With that I became very frightened that my mother was going to die. That was a valid fear. Had I been unable to function throughout most of my life because I was in constant and desperate fear of my mother dying, unable to leave her side to go to work, have a family, or go to school, that would have been a phobia.

An estimated 18 million US adults suffer from a phobia. Do you? I, personally, have a few, but fortunately, they are not severe enough to require treatment. However, I would be really interested in finding out where my fears and phobias have come from. We are born with only two fears; the fear of falling (which has never left me) and the fear of loud, startling noises. All other fears such as the fear of flying, the fear of change, the fear of growing old, and the fear of spiders are learned. I had the most bizarre fears as a child. I will only share one or two, as not to completely embarrass myself. This first one, when I think back on it, really was kind of silly…but not at the time, I assure you!

My sister, Ginger, still teases me about them, which is always good for a laugh. One summer, when I was about seven or eight years old, just before my Memaw passed away, my father’s parents came to stay with us girls while Mom and Dad went on a little get-away. Both my Nana and my Bumpa were overweight and were going to be sleeping in my parent’s room on their water bed. I remember, very clearly, freaking out about it and kept asking my mother and my sister, “Won’t the water bed pop?” I was just certain that their combined weight would be more than the thick water filled mattress could handle and that it would burst like an over-filled water balloon. Like all my fears, then and now, I felt it in my belly. It was a feeling of both a tightening and an uneasy nausea, similar to the feeling of the wild sea sickness that comes from a steady, but certain rocking of a boat on a restless ocean. A lot of fears now have names, usually derived from Greek or Latin words that describe the specific thing the fear is of, followed by the Greek term phobia, meaning fear. In this particular situation, I believe that anxiety was at play more than anything, especially since it was one, single, isolated incident. This anxiety plagued me for days on end and I could not shake massive doom that clenched at my heart muscle. The good news is, the water bed didn’t pop during their visit. As a matter of fact, it didn’t actually pop at all, but years later, one of the children my mother sat for was so angry that he had to take a nap, that he bit four holes into the mattress and caused it to drain nearly half of the water onto Mom’s carpet.

Another fear I had throughout my childhood was the stirring of air inside the house. Whether it was the wind blowing through the windows and rustling the curtains or rattling the mini-blinds, or that of a fan, a box one on the floor, oscillating from a stand, or mounted on the ceiling, really made no difference, as they all caused the air to blow around, moving things that would otherwise be still and at rest. No matter how subtle these movements, they caused me great anxiety. I had to either turn the fan off, close the window, or leave the room, and because we lived in South Florida, where the temps were not only extremely high, the humidity was just as much so, it was an awful thing to be afraid of and to intentionally avoid. Unfortunately, this fear has followed me into adulthood and my only reprieve is that I now live in Pennsylvania. Here, the house I live in is surrounded by very tall trees that both block the wind (which by the time the breeze reaches the window, there is not enough gusto to cause the curtains to flutter)and keeps the home cool during the summer months, so no fans are needed. On the few days that may get higher temperatures than are comfortable, we have an air-conditioner, mounted high up on the wall and nothing light enough near its air flow path to be affected with any motion. The strange thing about this is that when I am outside, the wind and anything it moves does not bother me. Wind socks, wind chimes, branches on the trees, or swings can blow and sway to and fro and I don’t even notice.

If that fear isn’t strange enough for you, maybe this one will be. I could not handle a ball being thrown in the house. This included using a punching balloon. Whenever these objects were being thrown or pounded from the fist of the one holding the large and hollow sounding balloon to the limits of the rubber band attached, my stomach would flip each and every time and made me very sick. I would cringe as if about to be attacked, and raise may arms over my head to protect it. I find it mildly strange that this fear too, has the involvement of objects moving through the air around me. It is not so much the air itself, but the traveling of items through it. This fear, believe it or not, has a name; Kinesophobia. This is an all Greek word, kine meaning move or set in motion, and of course, phobia meaning fear. I really do not understand where this comes from or what could have caused it. I do know that fears are learned, so not knowing the why or what behind the fear leaves me feeling a bit troubled. Fortunately, there are no balls, balloons, or any other number of flying objects anymore, now that the boys have grown up some, but yes, this too has continued to catch me off guard to this day. I will always wonder what happened that has instilled this strange fear into my bones.

I have two more fears, both of which are more common. The first of these is that of rodents, of any kind. They are icky and creepy and I cannot even see them on the television without squirming. How can anyone not freak out in the presence of those nasty little creatures? I am not bothered by snakes, or spiders, or frogs, or even roaches (OK, yes, roaches are disgusting and filthy little, and sometimes not so little, insects), but I come crawling out of my skin at the sight of any type of rodent, even from afar. I have recently learned the term for this particular fear is called murophobia (a coinage from the taxonomic adjective “murine” for the Muridae family that encompasses mice and rats). Luckily, we have a cat and a very hyper and curious little Boston Terrier, so I am feeling pretty safe.

The last and final thing that I am afraid of, the fear I was born with, as we all are, is of falling. I am ever so cautious when going down stairs or walking anyplace there may be the potential of slipping, such as on icy sidewalks, slick floors, or wet grass. But the real panicky kind of fear comes from being afraid of falling from high places. Now, let me clarify, I am not afraid of heights, known as Acrophobia. Being up in high places does not bother me, but if there is not a guard rail, a wall, or some other type of protective barrier between myself and the distance down from the high place, that is where my phobia lies. It is not in the getting to the high place, but rather the getting down without falling. The name for this is Bathophobia, which is the fear of depths, of falling from high places, or being consumed by deep spaces. The origin of the word bathios is Greek and means deep or depth. Depending on the situation, it can sometimes cause me to freeze where I stand and I hold my breath without realizing it. True to the definition of a phobia, I avoid being in any situation that may cause this phobia from kicking my anxiety level through the roof.

 

Related articles

• Phobias And Their Meanings (mademan.com)
• A List of Phobias (psychology.about.com)
• The Fundamentals of Phobias (everydayhealth.com)

What Is a Psychologist Worth

When I grow up, I want to be a Psychologist, because helping people change their lives for the better will be very rewarding. However, will personal fulfillment be enough? Sure, as with any job, I will get paid and likely have some pretty sweet benefits, but the cost of getting a Degree in Psychology is one I will spend many years paying for. So, is a little extra too much to ask for? Is there a way that I can work hard to improve and succeed with a monetary acknowledgment and recognition to look forward to and work toward?

Psychology is the study of human behavior and the thought process that leads to such behavior. It requires careful observation and good listening skills, with the ability to interpret many things going on at once; thoughts, feelings, behavior, actions, and overall mental state. It is not only the interpretation of these things, but also determining the how and why behind them. As a psychology student and a patient, I have learned from personal experience that there is much involved and though there is a lot to learn from books, studies, and research, each individual, psychologists and their patients, are so vastly different, that the learning really begins in real life treatment sessions.

I could go into a lengthy explanation using a lot of technical and clinical terms, but to really get a grasp of what goes on in an effective, therapeutic session, I will speak from my experience as a patient. My former Psychologist, Dr. Kerri Perisich, watched me as I spoke. She paid close attention to my hands and feet, my facial expressions, whether I sat still or squirmed around, and the tone and volume of my voice. She also listened to what I was saying, and then asked questions that drew out more of what I was trying to convey, in more depth. I was always impressed with how well she remembered every detail of what I said, and never once took notes while I was there. She was able to take it all in, and based on my words and my body language, know what I needed to explore further. She guided me with her simple questions, and led me to draw my own conclusions, which she would then concur and encourage me to continue to be aware and to observe how I behave in certain situations, making note of what I am feeling and thinking. The more I made attempts to do this, the more natural it would become, and in time I could learn how to control and choose my behaviors. Fortunately for me, I have a knack for analyzing my every action and thought, and Dr. Kerri is very good at what she does, so we accomplished a lot in one year. However, it is not always that easy.

Psychology is also the study of the brain, so there are certain signs that a Psychologist needs to be able to recognize and determine if an individual needs medication due to chemical imbalances in the brain. These imbalances can be hereditary or come about due to drug abuse, physical and/mental abuse, and sometimes even poor diet and overall bad health. Tragedies such as car accidents, the events of 9/11, or severe natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, can cause people to suppress, or block out, certain memories. A Psychologist must be able to be sensitive, non-judgmental, and leave personal opinions out of the equation, to gain complete trust of the patient in order to get to the root of what may be causing behaviors that are unusual, or understanding triggers and phobias that have no obvious cause on the surface.

Psychologists are not just counselors. There is more to their jobs than just treating their patients. They also have administrative duties, which include legal paperwork like releases to speak to medical doctors, insurance companies, and other family members, if the patient so chooses, keeping careful clinical notes for each patient, and documenting all that they do with and for the patient. It requires continuous education to keep up with new developments and practices in the psychology field, research, and collaboration on difficult cases, with other Psychologists, in order to be able to provide the best care possible for their patients. Psychologists can also teach or run group therapy.

So, what is the compensation to these professionals? The average, yearly salary for a Psychologist varies from state to state, but the national average, according to the indeed.com, a national job search and salary calculation website, is $74,000 annually. Of course, those just beginning, also referred to as entry-level, will most likely start at a lower starting pay, but then what? How and when do they get a raise? Or merit pay? Is a regular yearly raise and merit pay the same or different? They can be considered either, depending on the organization and their performance appraisal system. Merit pay can be a yearly raise, based on how well set criteria are met when the individual is evaluated on their performance. The criteria may also include duties that are outside of the normal expectations for a position, and if met satisfactorily, a onetime bonus can be awarded (Performance Management & Appraisal Help Center).

Criteria is a “statement of needs, rules, standards, or tests that must be used in evaluating a decision, idea, opportunity, program, project, etc. to form correct judgment regarding the intended goal” (businessdictionary.com). According to Human Resources at Miami Dade College, a standard set of criteria includes: quality of work, quantity of work, job knowledge, supervision, attitude, and attendance and punctuality. This was designed to be universal for most non-contractual, professional employees, so it is a good starting point. However, I believe that the criteria should be specifically tailored to the profession in question—especially one as complicated to perform and equally as complicated to review, as Psychology. Once the criteria is set and understood, the next step is to determine how to measure whether or not the criteria are met, and how well.

As discussed earlier, administrative duties are imperative for a Psychologist. They must keep careful records of each of their patients. These records may include the patient’s state of mind, their ability to cope, when they improve or when things get worse, or what medication they are taking. It can include insurance information, self evaluations, and goals set by the patient and therapist. So, how would one measure the completion and accuracy of these documents? A determination of how thorough the therapist is in their paperwork and were copies sent to all parties is one way. How accessible are the records in cases of emergency, and how confidential are they kept from anyone not authorized to see such sensitive information is important too. And finally, it should be verified that the Psychologist is filling out forms correctly, and that nothing is missing.

Availability to their patients is another criterion that is important. Is the therapist reachable by phone and when they are not available, do they return calls promptly? Is the therapist available one night a week for a patient that can’t get there during regular business hours? Does the therapist make themselves available to their co-workers for consults and collaboration? As a therapist offers and ensures a safe environment for the patient to open up and divulge what they cannot share with others, and the patient develops a trust in their therapist, it is imperative that the Psychologist is reachable in times of crisis, as the patient will likely reach out to them first before anyone else. If the Psychologist is only available for the scheduled appointments, and at no other time, trust may wane.

Continued education can be important and may be necessary, depending on the specific field the Psychologist practices. For example, gender identity and other sexual related therapy, is very early in its research and understanding, and as research continues to develop and studies come to conclusions, more education to keep up to date, should be required, or at least recommended. Has the Psychologist continued their schooling, or at least kept up on what comes available and deciding whether it is relative to their field?

Research is needed to help to determine what is going on with patients who have symptoms and circumstances that are unusual or ones the therapist is unfamiliar with. Research goals can also be set at the time of the evaluation, so that at the following performance review, the progress of these goals can be determined. New theories, publications, and networking within the research can also be used to measure the success or lack thereof, for this criterion.

Several levels of group work can be considered. Does the Psychologist participate in group therapy for patients going through common situations such as grief or addiction? Do they provide a group setting for interns within the organization to teach and support those seeking to work in the same field of practice? Does the Psychologist attend peer groups led by superiors to stay up to par on current and possible future changes in the company or in their profession overall?

A final criterion that can be included, and an example of one that could earn a onetime bonus, is community outreach. Does the Psychologist participate in community activities? Are they giving back? Do they do so once in a while, or do they have a regular, standing involvement? This can be more specifically measured by the function, by how many hours are given, or by leading a community service themselves. An example of this is taking a shift in a low-income, walk-in clinic.

These are just six of many ways to determine if a Psychologist is doing their job well or not and if they are worthy of a raise or a bonus. More specifics can be added to the appraisal of these criteria, such as the percentage of the raise based on the percentage of the accomplishments. I leave you with this question: Does your therapist deserve a raise?

Related articles

• Psychologist Salary (celebritynetworth.com)
• Searching For Crafty Psychology Careers | current news articles (recentnewsarticles.zozinus.com)

The Phallus Fallacy

Alfred Adler

Sigmund Freud

This will be the first post under my newest category, “Psychological Detours,” and I couldn’t be more excited about the many posts you will find here over time, as Psychology is my passion, or, in all fairness, one of. I took an Introduction to Personality Psychology course in the summer of last year and after a particular assignment, my Professor asked my opinion of one of the theories we had studied that week. I am going to post my response exactly as I sent it to him; however, I do intend to do a lot more research and put some honest work into further developing my views sometime in the near future. Any suggestions regarding research to further support what I have so far is very welcome and any personal comments or opinions that are made in addition, will, if used in a future writing on the matter, be fully credited to the individual whose mind it came from. In the meantime, here is the response I sent and remember, this was in addition to regular assignments in all classes during a summer session, so it was done quickly and not given the time it deserves.

May 11, 2011

Greetings Professor French,

Thank you for asking my opinion of the questions you have presented me. Please forgive the informality in which I have written my answer, but since this is not an actual assignment and is strictly my opinion, I chose to write freely, giving you more of a first draft than a final. I would be very interested in hearing what you think of what I have written, but I know you have papers to grade, so please do take your time.

You have asked, “Would it make more sense if ‘masculine’ means ‘power’ which is what I believe Freud meant by ‘penis envy’?  If that is the case, have we as the human race overemphasize the need for power? Consider every skyscraper you see and its physical for, the phallus. Skyscrapers do represent power and wealth. The overemphasis helps create the neurotic drive we see in people, racing to be #1. These are my opinions. What do you think?” The original question that this is based on is, I believe, “How would you explain Adler’s notion of ‘masculine protest’ to someone who argues that the concept is sexist? How might this aspect of Adler’s theory have been different if he had developed it during contemporary times?” My response was, “I believe it would be hard for me to explain Adler’s notion without supporting the argument that the concept is, indeed, sexist. I disagree with his theory entirely. Had he developed it in contemporary times, I don’t think it would have been accepted. In today’s world, gender is becoming more and more believed to be more than just biological and certainly ‘masculinity’ is not associated with males only, as ‘femininity’ is no longer associated with strictly females.”  I continue to stand by my original answer, however, where I may not explain to the contrary to one who believes it is sexist, I believe I could better explain where I see many holes in this concept and why.

I believe that a skyscraper being phallic is a fallacy. A phallus is, by one definition, an image of a penis. If you think of the actual structure of a skyscraper, what is really there? It is a structure that is hollow on the inside with an opening at the bottom, more similar to a vagina. As I have referenced below, I have broken down the definition of vagina to the term ‘box,’ a term I will use for the sake of my argument. In summary, a vagina is a…tubular tract leading from the uterus to the exterior of the body in female; any sheath or sheath-like structure; a surrounding frame or framework; anything that contains or can contain something, as a…box; slang for the vulva or vagina. Also important to note another definition for box is  any enclosing, protective case or housing; a compartment or section in a public place, shut or railed off for the accommodation of a number of people, especially in a theater, opera house, sports stadium, etc. That all being said, a skyscraper is shaped more like a box, or vagina, in that, it has an opening into a space. Generally speaking, spaces such as you would find in a skyscraper, you would find people entering into in order to produce, gain, succeed, etc. Think of many other things that have a box shape and represent the female reproductive organ, the vagina. Houses, cars, hospitals, schools, even the many forms of media, such as the television, radio, cameras, and the like. They are all boxes is which people seek warmth, comfort, healing, education, and information. You have to enter these boxes to find the things in life that people strive for, including, but not limited to, “racing to be #1.” If you want to go evolution, cave men and women found shelter and safety in caves, a hollow cavity into the side of a mountain with an opening for its entrance. What about airplanes and trains? They too could be misconstrued as being phallic-like, but they are also hollow with openings in which people enter and are carried, such as in pregnancy. Maybe in the days of Freud and Adler, men seemed powerful, but even then, they contradicted their power. They must have known that true power came from females. Why else would they have, and continue to do to this day, oppress women in all that they do? If the male is powerful and the female weak, then why do men feel the need to beat down women, demand obedience and respect, and are higher paid in the work place? In earlier times, women were not allowed to speak unless spoken to. Women were forbidden to vote. They were expected to stay home and not have jobs or careers. If men had to exert their power over women, then they never had true power to begin with. If so many restrictions had to be put on women for the sake of forcing power over them, then I believe they were afraid to allow the women to learn of their own power and potentially be overcome by it. Why else would they feel a need to prove what they claim already existed?

In Jacques Lacan’s Ecrits: A Selection includes an essay titled The Significance of the Phallus, he articulates “the difference between ‘being’ and ‘having’ the phallus. Men are positioned as men insofar as they are seen to have the phallus. Women, not having the phallus, are seen to ‘be’ the phallus.” Judith Butler further explores the possibilities for the phallus in her discussion of The Lesbian Phallus. “If, as she notes, Freud enumerates a set of analogies and substitutions that rhetorically affirm the fundamental transferability of the phallus from the penis elsewhere, then any number of other things might come to stand in for the phallus” (62). So, you see, even if one is stuck on the term phallus, it does not necessary need to refer to the penis, the male, or masculinity. When structures, such as the skyscraper, are seen in their truest from, they more closely resemble and represent the vagina, the female reproductive organ, and therefore, femininity is where you will find true power.

These are my opinions and views. They can either be seen as a sort of feminine psychology or they can be considered ridiculous, rendering the common view of skyscrapers and the like representing power and wealth because they are phalluses, just as equally ridiculous.

As for Freud’s concept of “penis envy” and the context of his psychosexual stages of development in which it is found, I find it all to be vulgar and disgusting and wonder how Freud, or anyone else for that matter, could know the things he claims to be true. “In the first part of the anal stage (age 2) pleasure derives from feces expulsion. In the later anal stage, pleasure comes from feces possession.” (pg. 40) In the phallic stage (age 3-5), regarding the Oedipus complex, “…because of breast-feeding and sexual contact from bathing and grooming, both male and female children develop erotic feelings toward their mother. The boy begins to fear the father as a dominant rival for his mother’s affection…and develops a fear of losing his sex organs because they are assumed to be responsible for the conflict between him and his father. Female children also have a strong attraction to their mothers. This attraction is reduced when the girl discovers she does not possess a penis. The female child holds the mother responsible for purposely depriving her of this valued organ. The rejection of the mother is coupled with an attraction to the father whom she knows possesses the valued organ she wants to share.” (pp 41-42) Seriously, how could this man know that at age two, children find pleasure from feces expulsion or possession? Or that a three-year old girl finds her mother at fault because she doesn’t have a penis? Or that she wants to share her father’s penis with him? How could he know what such young children are thinking and feeling? Did he ask them? Take surveys? Does he remember these things specifically from his own childhood? And even that would only be the male perspective. I don’t understand why he believes and claims that very young children are obsessed with things of a sexual nature or where he came up with these ideas, but I completely disagree and find his whole theory to be completely false and unfounded.

As with any theory, hypothesis, idea, or view, I could go on, however, Carl Rogers is awaiting my attention.  Again, you will find my references below. I am eager to hear your thoughts on my interpretations.

-Cindy L Riemersma

Phallus: an image of the penis, esp. as a religious symbol of reproductive power

World English Dictionary

The symbolic version of the phallus, a phallic symbol is meant to represent male generative powers. According to Sigmund Freud’s theory of psychoanalysis, while males possess a penis, no one can possess the symbolic phallus. Jacques Lacan’s Ecrits: A Selection includes an essay titled The Significance of the Phallus which articulates the difference between “being” and “having” the phallus. Men are positioned as men insofar as they are seen to have the phallus. Women, not having the phallus, are seen to “be” the phallus. The symbolic phallus is the concept of being the ultimate man, and having this is compared to having the divine gift of God.

In Gender Trouble, Judith Butler explores Freud’s and Lacan’s discussions of the symbolic phallus by pointing out the connection between the phallus and the penis. She writes, “The law requires conformity to its own notion of ‘nature’. It gains its legitimacy through the binary and asymmetrical naturalization of bodies in which the phallus, though clearly not identical to the penis, deploys the penis as its naturalized instrument and sign” (135). In Bodies that Matter, she further explores the possibilities for the phallus in her discussion of The Lesbian Phallus. If, as she notes, Freud enumerates a set of analogies and substitutions that rhetorically affirm the fundamental transferability of the phallus from the penis elsewhere, then any number of other things might come to stand in for the phallus (62).

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. Last updated on Saturday October 11, 2008 at 04:25:08 PDT (GMT -0700)

The vagina (from Latin, literally “sheath” or “scabbard”) is a fibro-muscular tubular tract leading from the uterus to the exterior of the body in female

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. Last updated on Thursday October 02, 2008 at 22:06:19 PDT (GMT -0700)

Vagina: the passage leading from the uterus to the vulva that extends from the cervix of the uterus to an external opening between the labia minora; anatomy, biology any sheath or sheath-like structure

World English Dictionary

Sheath: a closely enveloping part or structure; any similar close-fitting covering or case.

Case: a sheath or outer covering; an often…portable container for enclosing something; a surrounding frame or framework

Container: anything that contains or can contain something, as a carton, box, crate, or can.

Box: a container, case, or receptacle; any enclosing, protective case or housing; a compartment or section in a public place, shut or railed off for the accommodation of a number of people, especially in a theater, opera house, sports stadium, etc.; slang for the vulva or vagina.

dictionary.com

Words of Wisdom

Sexuality For Thought

“Are you comfortable with your sexuality?” is a question I have been asked numerous times. I always thought that it meant was I comfortable with my sexual orientation or was I comfortable with my sexual abilities. The answer to both questions is a resounding yes! However, I think there is more to sexuality than just ability and orientation. I took a set of psychology classes called Human Sexuality, and I have found that the term sexuality is regularly paired with the term human. It that context, it is more related to the study of…all things sexual, in-depth, of the human being. It is the study of the sexual being. (Hock pg 4) This is confirmed by the APA, “Sexuality has three stages: Desire is an interest in being sexual. Excitement is the state of arousal that sexual stimulation causes. And orgasm is sexual pleasure’s peaking.” In this sense, sexuality is a state of mind as well as a state of being, and ultimately acting. Also, “Sexuality is a broad area of study related to an individual’s sex, gender identity and expression, and sexual orientation. It also includes the effect of prejudice and discrimination based on the aforementioned topics, as well as sexual disorders.”

Women view sexuality as a form of feminism or state of being.

Barbara Gordon states, “A woman may develop wrinkles and cellulite, lose her waistline, her bust line, her ability to bear a child, even her sense of humor, but none of that implies a loss of her sexuality, her femininity.”  (“Sexuality Quotes & Quotations.”)

Angelina Jolie puts it more simply: “All women do have a different sense of sexuality, or sense of fun, or sense of like what’s sexy or cool or tough.” (“Sexuality Quotes & Quotations.”)

Camille Paglia sees it more of the act of sex, or more the pursuit of the act, “Pursuit and seduction are the essence of sexuality. It’s part of the sizzle.”  (“Sexuality Quotes & Quotations.”)

“It’s just human. We all have the jungle inside of us. We all have wants and needs and desires, strange as they may seem. If you stop to think about it, we’re all pretty creative, cooking up all these fantasies. It’s like a kind of poetry.” This quote by Diane Frolov about sexuality gives us a sense that it is a state of mind.  (The Quotations Page)

Men on the other hand, have slightly different ideas of what sexuality is.

Friedrich Nietzsche, a German scholar, puts it this way. “When a woman has scholarly inclinations there is usually something wrong with her sexuality.” He seems to separate sexuality from intelligence, and imply that the more intelligent you are the less sexual you must be. I wonder if he considered that would also apply to men, unless he feels that sexuality is more of a feminine state of being.

An early Austrian Journalist, Karl Kraus, explains sexuality to be the thoughts and beliefs about sex in the family and society as a whole. “Sexuality poorly repressed unsettles some families; well repressed, it unsettles the whole world.”

And finally, a quote that I feel really has a great point, said by American singer,  Michael Stipe, “I’ve always felt that sexuality is a really slippery thing. In this day and age, it tends to get categorized and labeled, and I think labels are for food. Canned food.”

In the end, sexuality encompasses many things. It is knowledge, beliefs, our understanding of, our gender, our attraction, state of mind, the hunt, and the victory of the act of sex.

To be continued…

Awakening Common Sense

Jonathan Swift

Jonathan Swift needed to make a point that for years had been falling on deaf ears. He went to an unlikely, unimaginable extreme in an essay he wrote in 1729, “A Modest Proposal,” in which he argues to the people of Dublin, Ireland, a full proof plan to lessen the famine, increase the economy, and improve the quality of life for most overall. He speaks of the poor selling their babies as delicacies to the rich. He covers all the detail of how to prepare a desirable infant, how many would be available and why, and all the benefits to both the seller and the buyer. As I am reading through his proposal, I am astonished and flabbergasted and wondering if he is serious. I am also disturbed by the lack of emotion of both the writer and his agreeable cohorts and of the recognition of potential emotion of the people he is proposing this of. However, I read on, and as he is concluding his proposal and the purpose of such an insane idea, he finally makes his point with valid sarcasm saying, “Therefore…let no man talk to me of these and the like expedients (including such as ‘…of being a little cautious not to sell our country and conscience for nothing; of teaching landlords to have at least one degree of mercy toward their tenants; [and] of putting a spirit of honesty, industry, and skill into our shopkeepers,’) till he hath at least some glimpse of hope that there will ever be some hearty and sincere attempt to put them into practice.” This is when his words made clear sense to me. The reality was that there were real and plausible solutions if people would stop, listen, think, and make an effort. How simple the true solution was could not be seen until something magnificent and ridiculous was set beside for comparison; and finally sleeping common sense could be awakened.