I really love the section on Abnormal psychology. I love it because it has been a way of life for me. This is really my norm. I am used to helping and being interactive with people dealing with a wide variety of mental illnesses. My eldest daughter has a severe panic disorder and is prone to having panic attacks. I should qualify this by saying that it has improved greatly from its initial onset as a 16 year old high school student.She has never been able to hold down a job for long as she experiences horrible panic attacks that preclude her from working efficiently. Some bosses have tried to work with her situation, but eventually they are baffled by it and decide they don't want this on the job site. The more she experiences these attacks, the more they are reinforced.
My oldest son has generalized depression and is bi-polar. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? He also has struggled with ADHD. He struggled with it throughout his school career and even into adulthood. Now at the mature age of thirty he is getting ready to go back to college and finish his degree. He works at the Home Depot service desk, and his ADHD is a positive thing. He can service more customers on the phone and in person than anyone else in the division. So what is often thought to be a negative can work for the good if you look at it through positive eyes.
My middle daughter has an anxiety disorder. She runs and exercises to help keep it in check. She takes meds and deals with it using humor. Sometimes it is overwhelming and she takes a step back and begins once again.
My youngest son has generalized depression and OCD. He has struggled much. He gets stuck on his weight, even though he is thin and buff. If you know what I mean. We laugh because if we watch movies together he picks his eyebrows out. I go crazy and he looks at me. He also takes meds and goes up and down, back and forth. So you see it is all in the family. Both genetically and environmentally.
I have worked with clients with Borderline Personality Disorder and found this to be such a challenge. But in a good way. I've learned so much about human nature and compassion. Meeting people where they are at matters most. I learned so much clinical information in this class. I put that with all my life experience and it is a complete whole. I can understand these disorders from all angles. Thank you for your efforts to help me learn.
I think this chapter might be very important to you. I have several phobias which is closed to anxiety disorder and somewhat amount of anxiety disorder.
I have almost four phobias which are bird(pigeon
) phobia, height phobia, dark phobia and small room phobia. For, bird phobia, I am kinda serious with it. I can't go through the road if there is even one pigeon. When I was highschooler, I couldnt go to the school because of pigeon so I late. However, I cant do anything when there is pigeon in front of me. I became frustrated, dizzy, can't see anything and am sweating. For height phobia, I can't walk bridges at all without a person with me. However, other phobias-dark and small room phobias- I got much better than before. However, I used to be afraid taking shower at the small shower room and could not sleep my door closed or light off.
Not only that, I had anxiety disorder so that I could not sleep before exam day or having presentation. However, I got some psychological therapy and I got better now. Anyway, I also think abnormal psychology is also interesting chapter!