Mental Health - How Crazy Are You?

psychology studies

We are all crazy - in someone else's eyes, and judgement!

We tend to think of mental illness as a description of profound psychiatric problems with a specific diagnosis, as categorized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association. These diagnoses usually have a corresponding pharmaceutical drug, or cocktail of drugs, as 'treatment' - although other methods such as Electro-Convulsive-Therapy still exist.

We have come a long way from the bedlam or asylum days of the past and yet mental illness is still rife in every society.

Lack of basic needs, such as adequate nutrition, care, shelter and education; and prolonged drug and alcohol use, and exposure to violent traumas, all exacerbate the onset and ongoing state of mental illness. Sadly these factors are common everyday experiences for a large and neglected sector of our society.

In recent days (March 2012) news reports in Britain have spoken of the intentional torture and murder of children by relatives who believed them to be witches who are 'possessed by evil spirits'. This seems crazy to most of us, and yet is a prevailing belief in parts of Africa.

Cultural differences bring with them beliefs and behaviours that others cultures judge as 'crazy'.

We live in a crazy world, where, surely all of the following could be deemed to be insane/crazy;

Racism - and discrimination, oppression and violence against another person, simply because their ancestors originated from a different continent. According to the experts, we ALL originated from East Africa anyway!

Homophobia - and violence against a person who has different preferences and needs.

Fundamentalist religions - whose followers threaten death to those who do not follow their code of behaviour and societal norms; or to those they deem as having insulted a prophet or leader.

Cultural norms - such as the stoning of women accused of adultery, the chopping off of a thief's hand, honour killing, and arranged marriages.

Slavery - the domination of, and cruelty towards, another human being.

Human trafficking and exploitation

Female circumcision forced upon young girls

Preventable diseases and poverty - whilst wealth exists elsewhere in the country.

Corporate greed - and the psychopathic personality traits of the few who control the flow of wealth in Western society.

Cruelty to children - particularly in the 'feral underclass', as they have been described in the media; children taught to cage-fight with one another for the 'entertainment' of the so-called Adult spectators.

Paedophilia.

Foreign aid - sent to countries with already enough wealth of their own for Space programs, or weapons designed and intended for war.

Destruction of much of the planet - fuelled by selfishness, greed, ignorance and arrogance.

Cruelty to animals - dog-fighting, badger baiting, fox-hunting; and 'festivals' where animals are sacrificed for 'pleasure/fun'.

Gender selection - the killing of newborns because they are the 'wrong' gender.

Huge Government waste - Unnecessary Quangos, consultants, independent reports/enquiries; moth-balled projects, and outright fraud.

Prohibition of contraceptives - by certain religious 'leaders' despite the prevalence of AIDS, HIV, Sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies.

Space travel - whilst people are starving and without basic medical care.

Excessive Legislation - such as Health and Safety rulings which have resulted in death (the recent media reports regarding emergency services being unwilling, due to the prevailing Health and Safety rules, to rescue a person who drowned in a few inches of water.)

Cyber-bullying.

HOW CRAZY ARE ALL OF THESE?!

They all show a lack of empathy, compassion, care or concern for the health, safety of well-being of others.

In some of the examples above, there is also a 'projection' of badness onto a 'victim', be it an individual, group, class, or culture/society. This projection is then used as a form of justification for, and a normalising of, crazy and cruel behaviours.

This is accompanied by a ruthless selfishness that says - "I matter more than you, I have the right to use and damage/destroy you."

We become de-sensitized to much of what we hear about in the world, because we simply cannot absorb it all and cannot do anything to prevent such crazy things from happening.

Having worked as a psychotherapist with some individuals who have committed assaults, even murder; and having all too often heard of intense cruelty having been inflicted upon a vulnerable child, by a parent/caretaker; I wonder why we don't scan the brains of the perpetrators and find out 'why' they do what they do - and then to give them the effective treatment, wherever it is possible, for those areas of the brain that are just not working properly.

The behaviours of such people, with deficits in their brain's functioning capacity, has far-reaching consequences.

Babies are born to parents who's brains are not fully functioning; and this is passed on to the baby; as well as inadequate nutrition to enable the baby's brain to develop properly. Damaged children become damaged adults who find other damaged adults and pass on their damage to their offspring...and the cycle continues.

Most people exhibit neuroses of some sort, as well as mild 'personality disorder' traits. These may go unnoticed in the crazy world that we all inhabit.

So, what does good, robust mental health look like?

I think it includes the following:

Emotional stability and self-regulation

Rational thoughts, and an ability to control and disarm any irrational thoughts

Positive self-esteem and body image

The ability to withstand challenges and criticism

Not allowing the past to negatively affect the present or future - by therapeutically healing the past

Showing genuine care and compassion towards children, animals and the vulnerable in society

Having a sense of empathy and sympathy towards others

Congruence - what is felt on the inside is portrayed sensitively and assertively on the outside

Authenticity - being 'real' and genuine, and only wearing a 'mask' by conscious choice and for a short time, for a specific and valid purpose.

Let us not forget that our brains are not fully developed until we are about 25 years of age - and that they then have what is called 'plasticity' which allows the brain to change, and increase neuronal connections and pathways, in response to our physical and emotional needs and experiences.

It's never too late to learn a better way of relating to yourself and to others.

Profound mental illness and retardation are best treated by the psychiatric experts; but for the vast majority of us having mild personality disorder traits and neuroses, there is a way to 'fill in the gaps' - with psycho-emotional education and integrative psychotherapy, and by revising our negative and restricting sub-conscious belief system.

Then a crazy world becomes a little less crazy, each time someone takes responsibility for, and finds the right path towards, healing their own psychological and emotional wounds.

This article is by Maxine Harley Msc Integrative Psychotherapy - Psychotherapy in Sussex and creator of 'The Ripple Effect' Process and Quantum Psyche Process see http://www.qpp.uk.com/

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Why Did You Have a Nightmare? Find Out The Truth

psychology studies

Nightmares are serious alarms that help you prevent sad situations or tragic events. If you had a nightmare, you must find out which mistake you are making and stop doing what could have a negative consequence. The unconscious mind helps you understand the truth and correct your mistakes.

Write down all your dreams in a dream journal and translate their meaning according to the scientific method of dream interpretation. The unconscious mind sends you dreams with explanations and solutions for your problems, the same way it sends you nightmares in order to open your eyes.

I can translate your dreams for you if you cannot study the dream language, even though I greatly simplified Carl Jung's method of dream interpretation. You can also become a professional dream translator by following my steps.

The scientific translations help you understand why you are in a dangerous situation and what you have to do in order to be safe. For example, if you have a nightmare about falling down very fast in an elevator this means that your actions are putting your mental stability in great danger.

Perhaps you have relationships with dishonest people, or you are accepting the absurdity of your wild tendencies. Therefore, you are going too fast to the region of the anti-conscience, which is your wild conscience that didn't evolve like your human conscience.

Going down by elevator in dreams indicates great danger, even when you are not going down too fast. Your absurd anti-conscience is at the bottom of your psyche and will imprison your ego into the labyrinth of craziness when you'll suddenly arrive there. You must go down very carefully in dreams; always by stairs and never by elevator.

Whenever you have dreams about going down by elevator this always means that you are in a dangerous situation.

If you are going up by elevator, this fact also has a negative meaning in dreams, even though going up is not as dangerous as going down. When you go up by elevator in a dream this means that the content of the bottom of your psyche goes to the surface of your conscience very fast. This means that this absurd content will unexpectedly control your behavior.

When you dream about people chasing you everywhere and various dangerous situations from which you have to escape, this means that you are running from your absurd anti-conscience, and trying to avoid its absurdity. Your anti-conscience is constantly attacking your human conscience.

You represent your ego in dreams. Your ego controls your behavior and is the center of your human conscience. It is an important component of your personality, but it is only a part. Many other components of your personality are influencing your behavior all the time.

The negative components of your personality that are not conscious and belong to your anti-conscience appear as enemies chasing you in your dreams. These parts of your personality are trying to take the place of your ego and control your behavior.

Dreams about a spider indicate that you must take action before having to face serious problems. If you won't do something now, you'll regret not having done something to change your destiny when you had the chance to prevent various negative consequences.

All nightmares are warnings. You must stop doing what is bad for you, or you have to do something important that you want to avoid. Many times you do what is dangerous and will put you in trouble because you listen to the absurd suggestions of your anti-conscience. Other times you have idiotic reactions before dangerous situations because you don't pay attention to the bad possibilities that are threatening your future.

A nightmare always shows you what your sneaky anti-conscience is doing against your human conscience to help you prevent a tragic situation that will put your mental health in great danger. It also shows you the bad intentions of those who are around you and many other invisible dangers.

This means that your nightmares naturally protect your safety. They help you understand that there is something wrong in your psychological system or in your daily life. You have to pay attention to their importance instead of thinking that 'dreams are just dreams'. All dreams contain very important messages that save your life.

Christina Sponias continued Carl Jung's research into the human psyche, discovering the cure for all mental illnesses, and simplifying the scientific method of dream interpretation that teaches you how to accurately translate the meaning of your dreams, so that you can find health, wisdom and happiness.

Learn more at: http://www.scientificdreaminterpretation.com/
Click Here to download a Free Sample of the eBook Dream Interpretation as a Science (86 pages!).

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People See What They Want to See Online

psychology studies

How quickly do you reckon you can spot a word, any word? How rapidly do you think you can tell the difference between two very similar words, such as bateau and gateau? Do you think you could spot the difference between such words even if you were not given the chance to read them? The truth is, we are much faster at reading than we think and we can, in fact, tell the difference between very similar words in fractions of a second. Indeed, research shows that we can spot the difference between similar words FASTER than it takes us to read the individual words themselves.

So, what is going on inside our heads? How come we are so good at spotting words? The answer is in a psychological concept known as priming. What this really means is your brain is essentially pre-programmed to produce a particular response. For instance, if I were to tell you that the most popular colours of websites were blue, black and yellow and then if I asked you what colour would you like your website to be in, the chances are you would respond with either blue, black or yellow. Your brain knows these are the popular colours, so your decision is based on this primary information. If, however, I did not tell you about popular colours of websites and simply asked you what colour you would prefer, the chances are you could say any colour. That's because now your brain has a free choice.

Priming is often the reason why magicians can do what they do so well...! They essentially force our brains to  think along particular lines. If we were not primed by what the magician says or does, we would have a much more free interpretation of their activities and so we might see how they pulled off the trick...!

Similarly, you see priming effects in advertising. Posters down the road from your nearest fast food restaurant will show you the latest ice-cream creation. When you get into the restaurant and they ask, "is there anything else you would like, perhaps a dessert?" your brain is already in "ice-cream mode" and so you say "yes, I'd like a raspberry ripple please". Without the advert down the road, you are much more likely to have said "no thank you".

Research has shown the priming effect occurs throughout our daily lives. When you are hungry, images of food that you see online, or in magazines appear brighter and you pay more attention to them than when you see the same pictures and you are not hungry. Our brain has told us we are hungry, it has primed us to be aware of food.

This effect is also shown in recent research looking at words, like bateau and gateau. Hungry people were able to spot the word gateau at lightning speed - much more easily than people who were not hungry. Again, the brains of the hungry individuals had primed them to be on the look out for food. But what this research shows is that this priming effect extends beyond pictures into printed words or words on-screen.

Online this can have a significant impact. When someone is searching for a word or phrase they will instantly spot that phrase in the search results. It means for website owners that the phrasing of their page titles is absolutely crucial. If you do not serve up what people are looking for - exactly - then you will not be able to benefit from the effects of priming. People will not even see your website, even if it is number one in the search results.

Graham Jones is a psychologist who has investigated the way people use the Internet. His research can help you make the most of the Internet, particularly if you are hoping to make money online.

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Job Outlook For Social Workers

psychology studies

Most areas of social work employment are predicted to increase significantly over the next five to seven years. Some geographical considerations also impact job projections. Current estimates are that for the years between 2008 and 2018 the field will enjoy a 16% expansion of employment. This expansion is considerably higher than that of most other occupations.

Growing Population Of The Elderly

The job outlook for social workers entering the field of gerontological social work is especially good since the population of aging baby boomers will mean a larger demand for social services and health related care. Both public and private demand for social workers dedicated to this population will increase as the population needing this service expands.

Mental Health And Substance Abuse

One of the largest areas of growth in the social work field is predicted to be in the area of mental health and substance abuse. Experts are predicting nearly a 20% expansion of employment in this area of social work. Workers choosing this specialty will see employment opportunities in correctional facilities and in treatment of those released from correctional facilities as conditions of either parole or probation. Private treatment programs are also forecast to see a significant upswing in employment.

Child And Family

Experts predict around a 12% increase in social work positions involving child, home and family services. These workers investigate child abuse cases and are tasked with keeping children safe and placing them in protective and foster care among other duties. Keep in mind, however, that these positions are almost exclusively government funded. A precarious economy and lack of funding could change this prediction of expanded growth.

Public Health And Medical

The job outlook for social workers in the field of medical and public health is excellent. An estimated 22% increase is expected. This area dovetails into the realm of the gerontological social workers since medical and health care services for the aging baby-boomer population is expected to increase dramatically. Both public and private sectors should show significant growth. Private and partially publicly funded assisted-living centers and senior communities will allow for ample employment in the years to come.

Geography

Although a healthy expansion of the social work market is expected, some areas will offer more opportunity than others. The job outlook for social workers in rural areas will be the highest due to lack of competition and the unavailability of training centers that are more common to high density urban areas.

Conclusion

Prospects look particularly good in the field of social work in the near future. All areas are predicted to expand so it's a safe bet heading into this field. Geographical areas and possible public funding cuts are wild cards to keep an eye on.

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What Are Dissociative Disorders?

psychology studies

A dissociative disorder can manifest itself in many different ways, but is most often seen as an individual's interruption or dissociation with the routine of waking consciousness. Someone who suffers from this type of disorder may lose sight of his or her own identity and personal history, which in the most extreme cases was once known as "multiple personality disorder." People with dissociative disorders have typically gone through a trauma in their life that sparked the sudden and intermittent loss of identity or history. The brain may dissociate from reality as a coping mechanism to avoid integrating the memory of that experience with the person's conscious identity.

Symptoms of Dissociative Disorders

One very distinct type of dissociative disorder is dissociative amnesia, in which the brain blocks out specific information or memories, typically when an acutely traumatic event has occurred. It can be localized, in which case the individual has no recollection of the stressful event for a stretch of time, such as a person who doesn't remember a car accident until several days later. It can also be selective, in which case the individual doesn't recall certain events that took place during a given time period but remembers other events from the same time period. For example, a person who was abused may not remember the actual trauma but will recall the rest of his or her life from that time. It may be systemized, as well, in which case the individual loses all the information from a certain category, such as the memories of one friend, relative or partner. Dissociative amnesia can also be generalized, in which case the individual fails to recall his or her whole life.

Other types of dissociative disorder include dissociative fugue, which is a rare variety in which the individual suddenly becomes confused about his or her identity and takes off on a long journey. Depersonalization disorder is another variety, which manifests itself when the individual feels detached from his or her body, experiences and sense of self. And then there is dissociative identity disorder, which is sometimes called multiple personality disorder, and is marked by distinct identities that appear regularly.

Treatment

The symptoms of dissociative disorders may be similar to those of obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder or other types of mental illness, but there are certain traits that make this type of disorder unique. The treatments, however, may sometimes be similar. The individual who is experiencing dissociative disorder will typically need psychotherapy and/or a combination of prescription drugs and psychosocial treatment.

Search for top colleges for psychology? Visit PsychologySchoolsU.com to find out best psychology schools in your nearby locations in United States and Canada. Visit site and browse detailed information about various psychology programs offering by top colleges. Choose best college and program for you and start your path to a rewarding career.

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Are We Headed Toward Win-Win?

psychology studies

The most commonly played games are described in terms of game-theory as "zero-sum." In other words, the game offers a finite reward and to the extent that one player benefits, the other player or players suffer. The reward may be regarded as a pie: if one person receives a bigger slice, all the others receive smaller.

In the past, human interaction has often been viewed as a zero-sum game. If you get the choicest pieces of a slain beast, I do not. If my tribe gains control of a watering hole, we gain and everyone else loses. Territorial wars on a global scale follow the same format: i

Yet human interaction does not have to be defined this way. Division of labor, for example, can produce a non-zero-sum result, whether it be in agriculture or in manufacturing. Individuals joined in a band can exert greater power than operating alone.

Robert Wright, in his book Nonzero: The Logic of Human Destiny (New York: Random House, 2000), studies the growth of "non-zero-ness" in human affairs and observes that "as history progresses, human beings find themselves playing non-zero-sum games with more and more other human beings."

The growth of technology contributes to the increase in non-zero-sum interactions. The invention of printing and the resulting dissemination of ideas greatly expanded the compass of an individual world-view. Improvements in transportation during the industrial revolution made possible commerce on a much broader scale. Today globalization has been accepted as a fact of life in every realm. "Improvement in the transport and processing of matter; improvement in the transport and processing of energy; improvement in the transport and processing of information: all foster the growth of non-zero-sumness."

The increasing complexity that characterizes human interaction can also be seen as a fundamental principle of biological evolution. When we look at the chain of life from the single-celled amoeba or paramecium to the simplest plant and animal forms to the primates we observe a constant increase in complexity.

Wright dares to pose the question of a purpose behind evolution and offers the tentative conclusion that "a strictly empirical analysis of both organic and cultural evolution reveals a world with direction-a direction suggestive of purpose, even (faintly) suggestive of benign purpose."

A simple view of human strife in today's world would portray it as a zero-sum game: either the rebels win or the dictatorship wins; every vote cast for one party in an election is a vote not received by the opposing party. Yet a larger perspective, taking in the entire history of human evolution, suggests an increase in non-zero-sumness and a resulting betterment of the human condition.

Arthur Wenk, a psychotherapist practicing in Oakville, Ontario, combines cognitive-behavioral therapy (discovering techniques for producing immediate changes) with a psychodynamic approach that helps make changes permanent by addressing the root causes of mental health problems. Art is certified by OACCPP (the Ontario organization for psychotherapists) and EMDRIA (the EMDR International Association). Art's website, http://www.arthurwenk.com/, contains copies of the Wilson Counselling Associates newsletter, which deals with some of the topics that most commonly arise in psychotherapy.

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Dream Interpretation - The Meaning of Digging in Dreams

psychology studies

The unconscious mind that produces your dreams helps you understand how your brain works and how you can find sound mental health. Through dream translation you will observe that you have to constantly fight your anti-conscience, which is the wild side of your conscience that remains in a primitive condition. Unfortunately, your anti-conscience keeps bothering your evolution all the time.

You have to eliminate your wild conscience through dream therapy and get rid of your worst enemy. This way, you won't need to fight the absurdity imposed by your anti-conscience all the time.

You will find sound mental health when you will manage to acquire consciousness of the components of your brain and psyche that belong to your anti-conscience. The unconscious mind helps you acquire total consciousness through dream messages, reflecting your psychological condition.

I will give you an example by publishing a few sentences of a dream dreamt by a 20-30-years-old woman and my translations:

'I am in the house where I was living several years ago. There is a really big machine outside my home which is in the shape of a cone. It is digging the ground.'

Dream Translation:

'I am in the house where I was living several years ago.'

The house in dreams represents your psyche. Since this was the house where you used to live in the past, this dream is showing you that your psyche is still influenced by your past. This is why you have the same behavior you used to have in the past.

'There is a really big machine outside my home which is in the shape of a cone.'

This big machine represents your mechanical reactions. Everyone inherits various behavioral programs in their cognitive mechanism. These behavioral programs start working automatically depending on the stimuli of your environment.

Your cognitive mechanism is the mechanism that helps you understand your reality and react before various stimuli.

For example, when you are in danger, you automatically start running away from what is causing fear. This reaction is the result of one of the behavioral programs you have inherited. It automatically starts working whenever you are threatened by a certain danger.

Therefore, this machine represents the collection of automatic reactions you have inherited.

This machine has the shape of a cone because the cone is a triangle. This is a reference to the three psychological functions that are not working in your psyche.

You have four psychological functions: thoughts, feelings, sensations and intuition. However, only one of these psychological functions is working in your conscience and another one, is half-working.

If you are influenced by your anti-conscience, the half-developed psychological function stops working like the two functions that are not working at all in your conscience from birth.

You have to develop all your psychological functions during your life, and complete the psychotherapy of the divine unconscious mind, which transformed one of your primitive psychological functions into human psychological function. This was how it gave you a human conscience, besides transforming another psychological function into human content up to a certain point.

You have to develop your four psychological functions in order to be balanced. The unconscious mind helps you achieve this goal by giving you information and guidance in dreams.

Since this machine (which represents your cognitive mechanism) has the shape of a cone, this means that you have neurotic behavior because there is only one psychological function more developed in your psyche. The one that was half-developed stopped working.

This means that the three psychological functions that are not working in your conscience, are working in your anti-conscience. They have a primitive character.

Let's suppose that your mail psychological function is based on thoughts. This means that your feelings, your sensations and your intuition are in a primitive condition. They are childish, absurd, violent, and dangerous.

These three psychological functions are controlling your brain and psyche because you are still attached to the past. Your psyche still lives in the past (old house).

These primitive psychological functions are controlling your mind and behavior, even thought they are working outside your house because they don't belong to your human psyche. They belong to the part of your psyche that doesn't have human characteristics.

These three psychological functions are working like a machine, what means that they are following behavioral programs formed by the absurd reactions of your anti-conscience. These reactions are animal, violent, immoral, cruel, and indifferent.

'It is digging the ground.'

The big machine is digging the ground because it is revolving the past.

In other words, the absurd reactions caused by the behavioral programs you have inherited don't let you forget your sad past.

They keep revolving the past in order to generate anger and abnormal behavior. This is how your anti-conscience will manage to destroy your human conscience.

You have to stop thinking about the past with revolt in order to eliminate the neurotic behavior caused by your anti-conscience and find peace.

............................................................................................................

The continuation of this dream gave more explanations to the dreamer, helping her understand what to do, but I cannot publish the entire dream. I only showed you with this example how your brain works while it is influenced by your psychological functions and the automatic behavioral programs you have inherited into your cognitive mechanism.

You will tame your anti-conscience by showing wise behavior. The unconscious mind helps you achieve this goal, even if you are still far from sound mental health.

Thanks to your obedience to the unconscious guidance, you will always do what is positive and safe, even before becoming wise. Later, you will become truly wise because the unconscious mind transforms your personality. You won't need the unconscious guidance as much as you need it now that you are absurd.

When you'll attain a higher level of knowledge, you will also have an excellent memory. You'll be surprised with your own intelligence. You are a genius, but you are not using the biggest part of your brain on your behalf because it belongs to your wild side. When you'll manage to transform your wild conscience into a positive part of your conscience you will understand how intelligent you really are.

Christina Sponias continued Carl Jung's research into the human psyche, discovering the cure for all mental illnesses, and simplifying the scientific method of dream interpretation that teaches you how to exactly translate the meaning of your dreams, so that you can find health, wisdom and happiness.
Learn more at: http://www.scientificdreaminterpretation.com/
Click Here to download a Free Sample of the eBook Dream Interpretation as a Science (86 pages!).

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Can Humans Psychologically Handle Unlimited Lifetimes?

psychology studies

Many have pondered over the millennium the concept of living forever here on Earth, in other words not dying. Some say that death is good because it is the only way that mankind could progress. However when people die with knowledge, observations, and experiences they take all of that with them when they die, and unless they wrote it down we don't have it.

Therefore, we are doomed to repeat and learn it all over again, and even if they did write it down, the language changes, it's interpreted incorrectly, and we make the same mistakes again. What if we didn't have too? Okay so, let's talk about this for a little bit; specifically let's talk about the psychological challenges of unlimited life on the human psyche.

In fact, there was a very interesting article in the September-November 2005 issue of "What Is Enlightenment?" The article was an interview with Ray Kurzweil titled; "Chasing Immortality" on page 58 where the interviewer seemed to ask the question that although humans want to live forever and that they have a fear of dying or death, they are not really psychologically able to deal with immortality. To this, I disagree. Let me explain.

Ray Kurzweil said; "psychologically, we are not equipped to live 500 years so if we're talking about conquering disease and aging, and then just living as human beings in our current form for hundreds or thousands of years, that would lead to serious problems. I think we would develop a deep ennui, a sort of profound despair. We would get bored with the level of intelligence we have in the level of experience we have available to us."

Whereas, that may be so, it also seems that humans are put under a tremendous amount of stress with the reality that their lives may end, they are also disheartened when loved ones around them die, often too early. I'd say that is psychologically challenging, even more so than extended time periods of life, at least people could have the choice to check out if they wished. To suggest that humans could not psychologically handle an unlimited life is mere speculation, and whereas, some folks may not be able to handle it, others would probably have no problem with it - either way humans would adapt.

And, I am with Ray Kurzweil on this; just because there might be psychological challenges ahead for life extension, doesn't mean we shouldn't try. We spend an awful lot of time trying to cure diseases, ailments, and even cancer. We devote vast amounts of resources to extending human life in the short-term. But in the end everyone who has ever lived, has died, or at the present period of human technology; will die. But why I ask, if we have the technology, understanding, and are able to hack the human bio-system creating something which can last for 1000 years, then we should do it.

Lastly, for those who are of a religious context and believe that mankind was not meant to live forever, as he was only meant to be on Earth as a testing period, until which time he would seek eternal salvation with the Savior, then, obviously mankind seems to be able to deal with the concept of heaven and living the remainder of their life experience in there. Thus, a good many folks are already pre-prepared for unlimited life, even if such a story is currently a myth. Indeed I hope you will please consider that point as well, think of all this.

Lance Winslow has launched a new provocative series of eBooks on Mind and Memory. Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank; http://www.worldthinktank.net/

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Understanding and Treating Trauma

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Most of us are familiar with "capital T" traumas: a soldier returning from combat; a survivor of a natural disaster; a victim of abuse. In the case of a soldier suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a back-firing truck may serve to trigger stored memories. The soldier in effect finds himself transported back to the battlefield, seeing the color of rockets in the night sky, hearing the cries of his wounded comrades, feeling as if he is about to die. Without treatment, these memories continue unabated, leading to the familiar symptoms of hypervigilance, nightmares, hallucinations, and estrangement. Similar symptoms may be experienced by the disaster survivor or the abuse victim. We recognize the dramatic nature of the symptoms and the events that precipitated them.

"Small T" trauma, though perhaps less dramatic in its symptoms, can have a pervasive negative effect on a person's life. And while few of us experience natural disasters, virtually no one gets through life without experiencing "small T" traumas such as physical or emotional neglect, witnessing parental conflict or abuse, bullying or excessive teasing, loss of a loved one, humiliation or failure, or unresolved guilt. We may understand trauma as any experience of threat to the organism that overwhelms it. Another definition would be an unhealed wound in our equilibrium. When stressed, we try to regain our biological and chemical equilibrium. Trauma may result when our coping systems simply become overwhelmed. Our brain, instead of processing the experience, stows it away where it festers and negatively impacts our ability to deal with the world. Unresolved trauma tends to sap our ego strength and diminish our self-esteem. A general belief in our own inability to cope gains strength with every repetition and tends to turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy. Trauma often lies at the root of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, addictions, and other psychological problems.

The most efficacious treatment of "capital T" trauma has been repeatedly verified through experimental research. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) has emerged as the treatment of choice for dealing with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Although the exact mechanism remains to be determined in detail, EMDR essentially puts mis-filed memories in touch with the part of the brain that can successfully process them. After treatment with EMDR the memory remains but it has lost its power to distress or disturb. EMDR has also proven to be remarkably successful in dealing rapidly with small T trauma and its manifestations in trauma-based depression, anxiety and other problems. For more information you may wish to consult the website of the EMDR International Association at http://www.emdria.org

Arthur Wenk, a psychotherapist practicing in Oakville, Ontario, combines cognitive-behavioral therapy (discovering techniques for producing immediate changes) with a psychodynamic approach that helps make changes permanent by addressing the root causes of mental health problems. Certified as an EMDR therapist, Arthur Wenk has employed Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing as a powerful and efficient technique for dealing with many trauma-related issues. Learn more at http://www.arthurwenk.com/, where you will find one-page summaries of recommended books on personal growth, brief explanations of common mental health issues, and lectures on parenting, the psychology of families, and the functioning of the brain.

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How to Find A Psychologist

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Once in a while we are asked why we call our selves 'Private or Independently Practising Psychologists, therefore I thought I would spend some time to explain this for EzineArticle readers:

Similar to Doctors, you'll discover a variety of psychologists, some work with a government organisation just like the NHS along with other working individually (or both) but they need to feel the same rigorous training schedule to obtain the title of 'Chartered Clinical Psychologist'.

Chartered Clinical psychologists can cope with an in depth scope of concerns for example stress, anxiety, relationship problems, depression, learning disabilities, family problems and may also specialise in areas for example education, dyslexia etc. In addition to clinical psychologists, you'll discover educational psychologists, Neuropsychologists (who identify injuries associated with your brain), Occupational psychologists (the kind seen in Corporations frequently during the time of recruitment and redundancy), Forensic psychologists (who help with the court proceedings in the court, criminal behavior, etc.), Sport psychologists (although rarer, they use they and them psychologically focused), and finally Health psychologists (helping people to give up smoking, alcohol, drugs as well as altering the way in which people look at illness or their own health) these psychologists made a decision at the outset of their careers to think about a particular path/speciality.

Private psychologists can sometimes get more versatility inside their approach in comparison to public sector employed psychologists, it isn't that they're missing any qualifications, however their time is seriously restricted regularly to tight structural programs. However, When you're paying for a private psychologist you will probably be seen in your time scale and treated at your convenience inside your environment or school, home or workplace.

Sometimes you will find special cases that you want more sensitivity, clients that need more participation, and that level of involvement is some thing that you should be always hopefully experiencing from private psychologists. From time to time, one does not wish to be very straight forward or direct with just any clinical psychologist and so you can take things at a pace you are comfortable with by visiting a familiar private psychologist..

A HPC registered 'Chartered Psychologist' wouldn't risk supplying details about patients or breaking their trust as it can certainly have lots of implications on their own reliability as well as their status.

Now you know the different kinds of psychologists there are, let's move on to how to find a psychologist. Psychologists probably won't be difficult to find, however you need to be mindful of their level of qualification and ensure they have the correct indemnify insurances and HPC registration etc. You may research with The British Psychological Society as they have a whole listing of chartered psychologists and you can enter information like the kind of problem (broadly speaking of course) you have, plus your location and you will receive a list of names that you could go to. Also you can ask your family doctor to refer a psychologist to you, you can even ask your friends and family (there is no need to be shy about it, a lot of people visit the psychologist for one reason or the other). You can even ask the psychology department of your school or university and even your school or your child's school for the matter!

Most Chartered clinical Psychologists possess a broad spectrum of training, they can refer you to other professionals or they might specialise in your concerns. Yes - there are costs involved unlike GP referrals, however these costs are small when your well-being or your family's is under concern. Waiting 1-10 months to see somebody can sometimes be detrimental or unnecessary.

I really hope this informative article has helped you with your journey to Find a Psychologist.

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Free Will, Brain Tumors, PTSD, and Human Behavior - Scary Stuff Indeed

psychology studies

Does the human brain really allow for complete free will? Not long ago, I read an interesting research paper by Patricia Churchland titled; "The Big Questions: Do we have free will?" In that paper, Dr. Churchland describes a case whereby an individual with a brain tumor was unable to control a certain type of behavior - once the brain tumor was taken out, that behavior went away, but later it came back again, and so did the behavior. That's pretty interesting isn't it? And it was well documented.

Indeed, I would submit to you as did Dr. Churchland in writing that piece that free will may not be all that it seems. Now then, let me ask another question, and pose a hypothetical, I'd like to give your brain a little bit of a workout here. Let's go ahead and use a recent event, a tragic one, it see if we can't work through this logically. Let me start by asking you a series of questions;

What if a soldier is exposed to too much depleted uranium tipped exploded ordinance on 3 tours in Iraq, then ends up with neurological challenges, brain cancer, tumor, and then his PTSD issues are exacerbated and next, he goes into an Afghan village on his fourth our, and kills locals? (yes, I realize there is more to the story, and the ethical behavioral history here, but bare with me for a moment).

Now then, what if a combination of tumor reducing anti-bodies (type undetermined, only suspected), which have little side effects [Please read; Life Science Leader article; "Single Antibody Shrinks Variety Of Human Tumors Transplanted Into Mice, Study Shows," published on March 29, 2012 by Krista Conger] and Increased Omega 3, plus solid sound sleep in a Faraday Cage - if we did all that could we prevent such events in the case of brain tumors? If so, what else might we be able to do?

What I'm asking is can we get past perhaps some of the challenges we are causing ourselves, defeat PTSD problems, and get back to what we might consider free will? Even if we can get back all the way, can we get close enough for us to perceive and believe that we have free will during our life experience. Can we get these PTSD soldiers back? Of course, this takes philosophy, neurology, psychology, biotech, and captures all the realities of nature versus nurture and throws it all into one soup.

Can we realign the letters in that alphabet soup so that we can read clearly, and know what we're dealing with in the future? Can we solve these pressing challenges, some which we have created, and some which bind us, entrap us, and torture our resolve - play with our sense of justice, morality, and integrity? As you know, my job is to provoke thought - your job is to do the heavy mental lifting here. "This is your mission if you 'choose' accept it," and that's all.

Lance Winslow has launched a new provocative series of eBooks on Mind Enhancement Concepts. Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank; http://www.worldthinktank.net/

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Characteristics of the Introvert Personality

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How many times have you heard that someone is an introvert? In spite of the fact that many people think that defining an introvert is a task simple enough, when they are actually confronted with this type of people, extroverted people cannot decide whether the person they are interacting with is an introvert or not. Moreover, they mistake having an introverted personality for being extremely impolite and arrogant. Introverted people really do seem to be that way, but the truth is that they are everything but rude or full of themselves. They don't hold their heads up in the sky, they are daydreaming; they don't refuse to talk to you and they certainly don't think you are not an interesting interlocutor, but they want to tell only the things that make sense to them. Unfortunately, extroverted people are usually not able to see these things, which is why it is important to learn something about introverts and try to understand their point of view.

Introverted People Have Few Friends

One of the main characteristics of introverted people is that they don't have a need to surround themselves with as many people as they can. Rather than this, they enjoy the company of very few people, but these relationships they form are very deep and meaningful. Although this circle of friends introverts form around themselves is a relatively small one, it is nevertheless one of the most important things in their life.

Seeking Purpose in Everything and Being Cautious

Another characteristic that describes this type of people very well is that they need to have a reason to react. When they find a reason, they think about what they will do, and only then do they react. So, you shouldn't be surprised if you don't get an instant answer in a discussion with an introverted person. Because they are aware of their own feelings, introverts like to think about what they say to others. They are more sensitive than extroverted people, and they don't like getting into arguments.

Lonely and Out of This World

Introverted people tend to spend certain periods of time alone, and this can be something an extrovert will have trouble understanding. Namely, introverts will enjoy taking some time for themselves, and they'll use this time efficiently - exploring the depths of their souls and seeking the roots of their innermost emotions. This is what extroverts might interpret as not common, owing to the fact that they recharge their batteries by spending time with other people.

If you know an introverted person and you aren't one yourself, try to understand that they are not the same as you - they have their own way of looking at things. The same way you find it exhilarating to spend time with people around you, an introverted person will occasionally enjoy solitude and having some time for themselves.

Ana is a freelance writer, and she enjoys writing on any topic.

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African Engineers: Development Worker's Dilemma

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From the 1960s, as more African countries emerged into independent life, Western governments and international non-governmental organisations (NGO) have mounted innumerable projects aimed at promoting economic and social development. These projects have employed vast numbers of local people in various capacities from co-directors and technical officers down to semi-skilled workers and labourers. While the project planners and fund providers might have high aspirations of alleviating the poverty and suffering of thousands of people, for many of the local people employed on the ground the work is just another job and a stepping stone to something better. There will inevitably be a few, usually technically and professionally qualified, individuals, however, who find themselves torn between the two objectives of service to the community and pragmatic self-interest. The dilemma may be intensified by an opportunity to attend a training programme overseas.

Often, local employees of development projects are given a chance to train for a short period in the project sponsor's home country. As time passes the mind wrestles more and more with the question of what should be done at the end of the training period. Should one return to one's duties back home or take what seems like a once in a lifetime opportunity to seek one's fortune in a more prosperous country?

At a fundamental level this is a problem that confronts every educated citizen of a developing country. A good deal is understood about the theories of economic development. If governments pursue the right policies it is possible for national economies to grow by a few percentage points every year. If the new wealth is fairly distributed, each citizen could expect his lot to improve gradually in line with the growth in the economy. However, experience has shown that fair distribution is rarely achieved. A few people prosper spectacularly at the expense of the masses. Any advance for the masses is often nullified by population growth. In many cases it has been seen that national economies steadily decline over the years.

But the personal issue goes deeper than that. Even if the efforts of the government and development agencies achieve growth in the economy, is a rate of, say, 5 percent a year attractive to an ambitious young person? Doesn't one need annual growth rates measured in hundreds and thousands of percentage points if one is ever to have all one wants: a big house, a Mercedes Benz, a BMW, and enough spare cash to keep the extended family happy? Individuals can achieve these high growth rates, not by waiting for economic development, but by finding a way of taking a bigger share of wealth that already exists. Experience of grassroots industrial development brings the realisation that this is what motivates most would-be entrepreneurs.

Yes, human life is too short to wait for economic development. This is understood instinctively even by the bushmen and illiterates back home. They are all intent on seeking ways to escape to a better life. It is only intellectuals who worry about rationalising the situation. Painfully, with this rationalisation can come a desire to leave behind something more durable than wealth. Shouldn't an educated man or woman also leave his or her mark on the history of his or her country? Could something be done that would make one's name remembered for generations to come? Could one be like Tetteh-Quarshie, whose name is still honoured after almost a hundred years, as the man who brought cocoa to Ghana?

The quest for lasting fame can be a path of honour. Avarice must be put aside and sacrifices made if one is to serve one's country in the field in which one is best qualified. The monetary rewards will be modest, there may even be a struggle to survive, but one could forego material comforts for the promise of lasting fame. Will success be achieved, however, even if the sacrifices are made? The work is hard and does not always achieve its objectives. Lasting fame cannot be guaranteed. Can one bring oneself to condemn one's family to share the deprivations? They deserve the good things in life as much as anyone.

Is consideration of family merely an excuse to justify the pursuit of wealth? Is that what one really wants? Couldn't wealth, if used philanthropically, also bring fame? After all, it is the wealth of overseas Africans that is building houses in Africa and helping to establish new businesses. Couldn't such a programme be devised to help far more of the poor by building larger numbers of small dwellings and creating industries with high employment potential? Couldn't wealth used in this way possibly lead to an appointment as a government minister or a chief executive of a state corporation? Surely the pursuit of wealth does not automatically close the door to the pursuit of fame.

Would staying overseas lead to the acquisition of a personal fortune? It has for a few, but for many more it has led to many years of disappointment. Some are trapped in a foreign land for the rest of their lives and those who return in retirement are often separated from their children who chose to remain in the society they have known from birth. Those who can face the risk of such a fate may choose to cash-in their return ticket, while those who heed the call of duty will report to the airport on schedule.

John Powell
To learn more about the intriguing story of the grassroots industrial revolution in the turbulent Ghana of the second half of the twentieth century, read John Powell's novel The Colonial Gentleman's Son or his non-fictional account The Survival of the Fitter. More details of these books and photographs of the informal sector artisans of Suame Magazine in Kumasi will be found on the following websites.
( http://www.ghanabooksjwp.com/ )
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_28?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=the+colonial+gentleman%27s+son&sprefix=the+colonial+gentleman%27s+son.

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A Predatory Subspecies

psychology studies

After having dealt with a number of the type, I've come to the conclusion that there is a predatory subspecies in humanity that needs people to pick on and that would do everything in its power to ensure that their prey remains with them or within their striking reach.

Typically this predatory subspecies has lots of stated reasons for its behavior. The main one is portraying their food as evil or dangerous, thus deserving of being preyed upon. Not only do the members of this subspecies drill this concept into the heads of their food in order to keep it; they drill it as well into the heads of other people, denying their food a way out.

Many members of this subspecies find their ways into positions of power and authority, where they can keep preying on people in the name of law, religion, family or the country. Overtly the worst wind up as prison guards and make a career out of sadism. But we also see similar predatory behavior in any number of judges, teachers, policemen, priests, imams, mental health professionals and social workers, as well of course as any number of people who become parents.

This predatory subspecies is driven by two considerations: Being able to prey upon people, and being able to get away with it. Their strategy toward the latter is to prey on people in ways that other people see as legitimate. While some of these qualities are found in any number of people who become criminals, the criminals are amateurs at this trade; whereas prison guards, teachers and judges are pros. A professional will beat an amateur in most cases; and the more effective predatory types find ways to do it legally and with the sanction of society or community behind them.

The professional predators therefore rarely get called on their behavior; and the people who do call them on it are typically subjected to danger. Which means that most of these people not only get away with it but get to claim that they are doing it for the sake of everybody else. Confronting a professional predator is therefore more demanding than is confronting a criminal; and the worst of the type don't wind up behind bars but rather running society.

There has been research in recent years into the sociopathic personality disorder; but I decline to state that these people are sociopaths. I've known one person who had that diagnosis, and she did not do things of this sort. Whereas, with say police corruption, we see it done by whole departments and then not done by them any longer when credible efforts are taken to correct the problem; and it would be unlikely that, in those situations, the entire police departments consist of sociopaths who then stop being sociopaths when they are put to scrutiny for their misdeeds.

The most effective predators therefore become authority figures and learn how to prey on people with others' approval. The school bully becomes the policeman, the politician, the judge, the defender of the community, the military personnel. The immature form of predatory behavior becomes the mature form of predatory behavior. And this predatory behavior becomes a vast influence in society to turn it into the worst thing that it can be.

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Remotivation: Taking It In Steps

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In these Remotivation therapy sessions the facilitator asks questions which is related to the topic at hand. The topic is determined by the therapist. One question leads to another which is referred to as bounce questions. The facilitator also uses visual and audio cues during the session. If the clients are suffering with cognition deficits or A.D. there needs to be more visual cues. The facilitator creates an environment where the clients feel safe. In this environment whatever the client says is accepted by the therapist in a non-judge mental manner. Thereby a trusting relationship is established between the client and the Remotivational therapist. The therapist accepts and appreciates what the client provides which could be actively participating in the session or remains silent throughout the session. The gift of their presence is what the Remotivational therapist acknowledges.

Remotivation therapy is broken into five steps because each one serves a function for the client and facilitator of the group. The first step is referred to as the Climate of Acceptance which is a very important step in the therapeutic context of the session. The clients are set up in a circle of 8-10 people. In the circle the Remotivational therapist goes around to each individual to greet the client. While the Remotivational therapist is doing this, he greets the clients by name. Then the leader compliments the individual on his/her personal appearance, jewelry or clothing. It is okay to touch the client in an appropriate way, such as a hand shake or laying a hand on his shoulder. In so doing, the facilitator is informing the client that I paid attention to you. It also informs the individual that you are important and the Remotivational therapist accepts the person for who they are; including the illness.

The second step is called Bridge to the Real World. In this step the Remotivational therapist leads the session in a question and answer on the topic. The topic is normally broad then leads to a specific point. Normally there are three to four questions in Step II with four possible answers which is written in advance. This way the answer leads to the next question. If a client chooses not to reply that is acceptable. Also the client may not know the answer to the question. If this is the case than thank the individual and proceed to the next individual asking the same question. The last question in step II leads into the poem which is objective in nature. The poem is provided by the National Remotivation Therapy Organization Inc. When one is certified as a Certified Remotivation therapist, then programs and poems can be written up by the individual. The poem is read the clients or the clients can read it aloud to the group. Do not forget to use visual and audio aids to augment the program. The lower the mental cognition the more visual and audio clues are better. Once this is accomplished the Remotivational therapist leads the session into Step III.

Step III is called "Sharing the World in Which We Live". In this part of the step the leader expands on the topic by asking 8-10 questions about the topic. The questions are not emotionally based but objective in nature. Each person in the group is asked the same question. The questions are asked in newspaper format such as:

- What

- When

- Where

- Why

- How

During Step III if the group goes on a tangent or a conversation about the topic that is good. When the group goes off on an tangent it is sharing their experiences. For example, if the topic is camping. One of the questions that could be in Step III is "Where does a family go camping?" Each one in the group replies, a park, the beach or the backyard. Another client could reply that my family camped backyard one time per month. Then others could add to the conversation. Eventually the Remotivational therapist brings the group back to the discussion. However, the Remotivational therapist need not finish step III because the tangent took care of it. The Remotivational therapist moves on to step IV.

Step IV is referred to as Appreciation of the Work World. In this step the questions are related to the Work World and again the questions are objective in nature. The question begin with the newspaper format such as:

- What

- When

- Where

- Why

- How

When moving from Step III to step IV the Remotivational therapist asks a transitional question. For example, to use the transitional question from the previous example about camping. The transitional question could be how many people have gone camping? The rest of the questions center around the work of camping. Such as where does one get camping supplies? What national parks or state parks allow camping? What type of equipment is used for camping? Again the facilitator prepares 8-10 questions to ask the group. The same question is asked from everyone. Remember that as the facilitator, whatever response you receive is okay. If there is no response it is okay.

The last step in the session is called "Climate of Appreciation". This step is a reverse of step I. In this step the Remotivational therapist thanks each person individually for attending the group. Remember, even if the individual does not say a word, choosing to remain silent throughout the session that is perfectly acceptable. This individual is giving you the ultimate gift, the gift of his presence in your session that you're acknowledging. Inform the group of when the next session occurs and invite the clients to attend. There is no need to tell them the topic. Also the facilitator can sum up the topic of the session that was held for the day.

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