weisp010: April 2012 Archives

I think most American's feel that there is a stigma around psychological disorders. People think that they are weak or may seem weak if they seek help for mental illnesses. I, personally, have not been affected by a mental disorder myself or known someone personally with a mental disorder. Although, after learning the statistics, I'm sure that I must know someone who has a psychological disorder. People actively seek medical attention for physical ailments, so we, as a society, need to start getting help for psychological disorders.

Being at a large public university, there are many resources at our disposal. Two resources that would be beneficial for students struggling with mental disorders is the Boynton Health Service Mental Health Clinic or University Counseling & Consulting Services. If you are a student or employee of the U of M, these services are free! I feel that the U of M should do a better job of making students aware of their services. I think that college students are at risk of mental illnesses because college years are a major transition in most people's lives. Students should not feel shame for seeking out help for the disorders.

May happens to be Mental Health Awareness month! I think that everyone in Psych 1001, after learning about the different psychological disorders, should try and stamp out the stigma of mental health disorders and encourage people to seek help for mental disorders!

I thought that the topic of Parental Investment, which was covered in lecture, was extremely interesting. I think most people are familiar with the Duggar family, stars of TLC's show "19 Kids and Counting". Like the title suggests, parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar have 19 children and lost 2 additional children due to miscarriages. HOW MANY CHILDREN IS TOO MANY CHILDREN? The ultimate reason for having children is to pass your genes on to your offspring. However, the survival of those offspring is dependent on parental investment. Professor Simpson suggested that women can have about 25 children throughout their reproductive years. But, can parents adequately invest in their kids if they have that many? Can two people really raise 20-ish children? It seems as though the Duggar children have fared well enough so far. I think it may be due to their substantial income from the reality TV show and the parents intense religion. However, 19 kids still seems like too many. I grew up in a family with two children, which seems much more manageable. There was always enough love and time, as well as food, clothing, and money, for my brother and me from my parents. I personally know that I will not never have children into the double digits. So, how many kids do you think is too many?