monkeyalia

[monkeyalia]

Advertising

People put a lot of effort into advertising. There are multiple things which can create a good advertisement. One of the processes is for it to get you emotionally envolved. This uses some of the PETTLEP components (Wakefield & Smith, 2012). They need to feel like they are there experiencing it. They need to feel like they are being related to.

When you have a conversation, if you want the person to remember you, you need to get them emotionally invested. This can help you in job interviews and making new friends. Use words that have emotions, ask memories, mention a family member, et cetera. All of those are ways to get people emotionally invested and they will remember you more.

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Hey! I am during a short survey on the affect of Corona Virus. It is less than 5 min. https://forms.gle/9TNEvZurfQdDW5H39

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Skin Deep

People around us swarm and look happy. They seem to have a good heart. They take care of each other and work together.

But this is all a lie. Once you dig past their skin, you will find their greed, their actual intentions. How what they will do will benefit them and as soon as it doesn't, they leave.

This is what relationships commonly are all centered on. You are befriended, they help you out and you feel like you have actually gotten something. But then, they only were your friend to get their music from you. Or to get a recommendation for a job. Perhaps even sex, anything their own gain. But once they have acquired what they wanted, they leave. They don't even say goodbye. And there you are. Left all alone. Stranded. Being stripped of your values and beliefs. No longer know what is true or not. No longer having a life's purpose. You don't know who you are.

That is what this painting represented. How once you have reached their core, you find no soul, only a skeleton who seeks for other's blood.

https://neuronerd.wixsite.com/website

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Reality Crash

I got in a car crash.

My mind is stuck in that moment. I keep reliving the anxiety and panic that raced as one car is cutting me off but there is a car on all sides of me, so I was trapped and didn't know what to do. I tried to control the car and weave between the other drivers. Suddenly, my hands were trying to turn the car in the opposite direction that the car was driving and jerking back and forth, and I could not control the car.

I felt hopeless. What was I to do! I could keep trying to swerve and get control of my car, or risk hitting more vehicles. So I relax my grip on the steering wheel, and I spin in circles. Completely unaware of what exactly was going on.

Pop! I heard the loud noise of my airbags pop. Screech! I heard the screeching of my tires as they slide across the pavement. Then suddenly everything is white and silent.

I sit and stare, shocked at what just happened. Not knowing what to do. Not registering what I just experienced.

Slowly, I realize there are some people around my car telling me to turn my engine off. That is when I noticed the smoke. The air was full of smoke! The smell was so strong I couldn't tell if I would stay alert. I roll my window down, turn off the car, and park. Slowly, I pull myself out of my window onto a cement wall that I had hit. I just sit there, processing what happened, as I saw some people calling the police. I wasn't going to worry yet, because they were calling the police and getting help.

Suddenly, I go into a full alert mode, aware of everything going on and not thinking about anything. I saw my oils pouring out of the bottom of my car. I saw the front window shattered. I saw how the airbags were white and had gone off on both sides. I laughed at how the mirror which had hit the wall was still intact and connected to the car while everything else around it was shattered. I walked around to make sure that things were safe.

The policeman then got there and helped me out. The other vehicles which had caused the crash had taken off. My car was towed to a place where it would probably, eventually be demolished.

The Highway Patrol Man talked to me and showed me all the paperwork he had filled out and helped explain to me everything I needed to do. He helped me find my insurance, license, and everything else I needed. It was nice to have these strangers help me so much when I was in an experience I never expected.

Now, it still hasn't set in what happened: how I have lost my car, how I got helped by strangers, how many calls I had to make, how I got a ride, how I didn't break any bones. I am amazed at how well I turned out. Thankful that I had Mom nearby to come to help me out. Shocked with how someone could take off. Appreciating the kind people which help out in small and simple ways each day.

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I was Not Myself

When they finally sent me home, I refused to do anything. I was in pain. I felt like I could not control anything. I could not control my mind, my body, or my emotions. I especially could not control my emotions. My emotions felt like they were swarming me. I felt like my emotions would come to swallow me. It was not me who was creating the emotions, but the emotions were coming and engulfing me. This is because they had removed my amygdala (the amygdala monitors and controls emotions).

One time I got extremely mad that my parents had called me in for dinner. It was something small, dinner, but I was upset! I felt extremely angry. I was so mad, I began screaming and yelling. I would have been swearing if there had not been innocent children in the room. I would lock myself in my room so I would not hurt anyone. It was as if something was consuming me and controlling me.

I also felt like I could not remember anything. I could not remember lots of my life. People would tell me things I had done, things I had accomplished, and experiences I had, but I did not remember any of it and I believe them. This was due to the fact that I did not have a hippocampus which works with long term memory. I remembered the basics and general things, but I could not remember the details or experiences of my life.

[monkeyalia]

Again?

The second surgery was a lot harder. There was a lot more after effects. I did not only have the tumor removed, but I also had that whole part of my brain removed. After this surgery, I was in tons of pain. It felt like they were consistently stabbing my head. I cried and screamed constant. No pain med would work! My dad would try to distract me but the pain was too great that no distractions would help. The attempt of distractions was actually annoying. Nurses were asking how much pain I was in, and I was always listing a 10. I never noticed that they were giving me pain meds. They tried multiple medicines, and I still felt in extreme pain. It was this way until they tried a certain medicine. This medicine worked well. In fact, it worked too well. I was knocked out cold. I passed out, my heart rate slowed, I was unconscious. I loved this because I finally got away from the pain. This caused doctors and nurses to panic. They had to do an emergency CT scan to make sure my brain was still working.

I never wanted to leave the hospital after the second surgery because I was in pain. It was hard to move. I could not do anything. My mother had to help make sure I was dressed. She had to pull me out of the bed to take a few steps before I would refuse to move and go back to my bed. My whole body was hurting. I felt like I was in a different body. I felt like I could not control my movements, the pain, or anything. I did not feel like anything they were doing to help was working.

https://neuronerd.wixsite.com/website

[monkeyalia]

Before Disaster

I do not remember most of my life, especially life before 2011. That is why it is crucial to keep a journal. Whenever I read my journal, I feel like I am learning about someone else's life. It helps me feel like I am a better person than I think I am because I have gone through a lot and done some great things.

My journal talks about the life of a normal Jr. High student. I was emotional. I felt like no one understood what was going on. I wrote about SMTs (strange mind things) when I would get confused. I would be lost during SMTs, I wouldn't know where I was or who anyone is, I didn't even understand what people were saying. SMTs later turned out to be seizures.  I was confused about what my parents thought of me. I felt like they would yell at me for every small thing. I could never do anything right.

I did not feel like I had any friends. No one understood and no one would listen. I loved going outside by myself to calm down and get away from the stress.

Now that I look back on it, I did have good friends and family. I did have fantastic parents who were trying to understand and were doing good discipline. I had good teachers who helped me do good in school.

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Stranded Alone

Life after my surgery in 2011 was challenging.

The effect of my surgery was having to take anti-seizure medicine. This medicine caused depression which made me feel really suicidal. I felt useless. I felt like I had no purpose. I was devastated without being allowed to drive with my history of seizures. I could not do anything on my own. The only thing I could do was focus on school and try to do good in school. Whenever I did not do good in school, the one thing I could control, I felt hopeless. How could Igo on?

Eventually, my seizures came back. No one believed me. Everyone would only call them SMTs (strange mind things) because everyone thought I was insane. They figured that since the doctors had removed the tumor, I would not have any more seizures. How could anyone understand? No one believed that I was having weird SMTs before my surgery, and they are still not believing me after my surgery! I would have these moments where I suddenly did not know where I was or who anyone was (I did not even recognize my own parents). I felt lost and confused. I felt these ways usually after my seizures because, after a seizure, one does not know anything. I didn't know English after a seizure; I did not know who anyone was; I did not know where I was.

Part of me enjoyed the seizures though. I would get away from all the stresses in life, get away from the boundaries, get away from the dramatic emotions and anxiety. I would not feel alone during a seizure because I did not know anyone so I would not feel like anyone was leaving me. No one would believe me when I was consciously there, so I just wanted to escape in the zone of my seizures and become clueless of everything.

Neuro Nerd

[monkeyalia]

My Life will Never be the Same

2011. The year began fantastically. I was doing excellent in school. I had good friends. I was comfortable around my family, friends, teachers, and peers. I played softball over the summer. I attended school and church activities. Things were flowing like any Jr. High student.

My life forever changed after my first dance. I woke up the day after the dance, and I didn't remember a thing. I didn't know what happened. I was confused about what my dad was asking about when he asked me how the dance went. They had me eat breakfast to try to reboot my memory; I still didn't remember. They sent me back to bed. It was almost 2 pm when they came to wake me up again to ask me if I was going to join them in their activities. I got really upset that they had let me sleep in that late! This confused my parents because I had been awake earlier and had eaten breakfast. My mom asked me questions about the past few days, weeks, events... she asked until I got really mad that I could not answer any of her questions. This is when she called the doctor.

The doctor said, "Get her to Primary Children's Hospital." Within 2 days of being at the hospital, we got 6 months of testing done and discovered I had a brain tumor on my hippocampus. This made me horrified! I suddenly found out that the doctors were going to be cutting into the part of my body that controls everything.

I found a friend that had her own form of brain surgery. She comforted me and explained how it was not horrible. We talked about her story until I was comfortable with what was happening to me.

One week later, I had my first brain surgery.

This changed my life forever.

[monkeyalia]

Help Your Kids

Alia Rhoton

English 2010

Kade Parry

6 December 2017

Help Your Kids

Who are you? Are you a man? a woman? What category do you fall into? Where do you fit in? What is your role in the world? Where should you go if you do not fit into any category? Everyone has these questions. Specifically, children are figuring out who they are and what they stand for; some people have a harder time than others answering these questions. People, especially parents and teachers, need to be accepting of whomever the kids choose to become. One issue where people are not accepting their child is when their child is considering to go transgender or is behaving as the opposing gender. Parents and teachers need to know how to help and work with children who are considering going transgender. Currently, parents and teachers are not letting their child go transgender and are trying to “fix” them. This is why 42% of people who are transgender attempt suicide (Haas, Rogers, Herman 2) because they feel like they are a problem and do not fit in anywhere. Parents and teachers need to know how to help these children who are feeling out of place. To help the children figure themselves out, they should go into client-centered therapy which would help them figure out who they are and where they are going. If children finish this program in over a year, they should be allowed to change their gender if they do not want to be a feminine male or a masculine female. Parents and teachers can help their children and teenagers who are considering to go transgender.

Every individual has a stage in life where they are figuring themselves out. They figure out what their role is in this world. What is their reason for existing? Children need to learn and understand that the best they can do is to be themselves. Teachers and parents need to help them figure out who they are. This will help them figure out their self-worth. One way to show how important and unique each individual person is may be shown in how everyone has their own DNA which had a 1 in a million chance to be created by that specific sperm and egg. These distinct sets of amino acids help create everyone’s individual characteristics. Each individual person each has their own purpose in this world; they have their role which they are to go and create: “God had a purpose for you before anyone had an opinion” (unknown). This shows how other people’s opinion does not really matter, you were you before they had an opinion of you. Some people have a small role while others have a huge role. This is okay. The main character in a play would have no place if there was no stage crew and ensemble. The best way someone can fulfill their role is if they are themselves with their own dreams and goals: “Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle” (Unknown). Someone just has to believe that they can become whomever they would like to be, whether it is an engineer, artist, doctor, nurse, driver, chief, et cetera. Teenagers are the only person who knows who they are, no one else knows exactly who they are and what is best. Teenagers are figuring themselves out: they do not know exactly who they are, parents think they know who they are, but that is wrong. Teens know who they are better than anyone else. People have to figure themselves out and who they are going to become. “Don’t you give up. Don’t you quite. You keep walking. You keep trying. Help and happiness are ahead. It will be alright in the end. Trust and believe in good things to come” (Jeffrey R. Holland).

Some people try to force the child to be who they want the child to be; some people may think that this is not them and try to change the person (Straus 213-225). People may try to make the person be outgoing, into sports, into cooking, clean, nerdy, et cetera. This will actually be counterintuitive. It will make the child more afraid to go out and meet people, lazier and wanting to stay inside, more dependent on fast foods, making a mess, because it makes the child feel like they have control. The child will then feel like they have to go completely against everything people are telling them to do because they need to prove to others and themselves that they control their lives and independent (Straus 213-225). They are proving that they have the power of choice. Parents and teachers need to allow the youth to be themselves and encourage them to be themselves: give the youth the choice about what they will do. Youth are most likely to follow their leaders and become similar to their leaders. People do not always follow their leaders though; sometimes the youth learn that they want to become their own of role model. This is okay. Everyone needs to be allowed to be themselves, whether that is shy, outgoing, daring, artistic, logical, et cetera. Girls and boys need to be given the similar opportunities to express themselves: going shooting, sewing, drawing, carving, camping, et cetera. It is best for someone to be themselves, whether it is a female who is into math, science, sports, and against shaving, or a boy who is into skirts, makeup, art, long hair, and heels. The world is full of stereotypes about who someone is supposed to be, but this is wrong; each person needs to be themselves and be whomever they want to be. If we do try to change the person we say they are, this harms them more than helps them. The world has the bias of who someone is supposed to be, but this is not the best. People need to allow themselves.

One big problem in this world is how there are bias and gender stereotypes; this is what causes gender dysphoria (not transgender). The world says there are specific rules and ways each gender is supposed to live. This causes problems because it does not let the individual person be themselves. There are girls who are a tomboy who enjoys sports and competition, and there are boys who enjoy arts and crafts while they wear skirts and dance. One common stereotype is that boys are better at math than girls. When tested though, girls are around the same (if not a bit better) in math. But people put into their head so much that girls are not good at math that if they are asked to put their gender before a test, they will do lower than they would have if they had not asked to put their gender (Arnett). This represents one of the stereotypes that are all around us. Another stereotype is that boys like sports and girls do not (Kidd, Veltman, Gately, Chan & J Cohen 13-39). When in the beginning of elementary school, an equal number of girls and boys participate in physical activities. Slowly, boys begin to brag about how good they are and beat down that someone who has a hard time doing physical activities. If the person they are beating down is still a boy, this boy then wonders if they are supposed to be a boy since it seems like all the boys around them are good at sports and like sports but he does not enjoy doing sports. This is what begins gender dysphoria. People commonly notice these big stereotypes, but they do not always notice the smaller stereotypes which say that boys are engineers and girls are psychologists. These stereotypes will lead later on into their life because they feel like they cannot go down a certain road because it is not “their type” (Kidd et al. 13-39; National Center for Transgender Equality).

Stereotypes are surrounding everyone in the world today. Tomi Lahren and Jennings once showed how there were gender stereotypes. Tomi said that if a boy wears a dress, he is a “pervert”. This shows how Tomi Lahren, even though she is an adult, she still has the gender stereotype. “Stress hormones in health and illness: The roles of work and gender” helps show how women are more commonly allowed to behave masculine while men are put down if they behave feminine (Stress Hormones in Health and Illness 1017-1021). The world is now accepting more girls who are tomboy which improves girls’ situations but boys still have a hard time. “Attitudes and Expectations About Children with Nontraditional and Traditional Gender Roles” talks about how males are looked down upon when they behaved feminine or “sissies” (151). Another problem is when a boy behaves more feminine, the world assumes that they are homosexual. A feminine boy does not mean they are gay, just like how tomboys can be straight or lesbian. “Socialization to Gender Roles: Popularity among Elementary School Boys and Girls” discusses how the world says girls have to behave certain ways and boys have to behave their certain way: “A cross-over among boys into feminine’ areas are less acceptable… and still negatively sanctioned” (169-187). They say that “boys who demonstrated ‘effeminate’ behavior were referred to by pejorative terms, such as ‘fag,’ ‘sissy,’ and ‘homo’ and consequently lost status” (Adler, Kless, Adler 169-187). People need to be aware of the bias that surrounds them because it slowly leaks into their subconscious; they then are subconsciously letting off a bias. Allow people to be themselves. Schools need to get rid of the bias and claims that are going all over. People need to be themselves.

The first steps schools can make to get rid of these stereotypes, bias, and claims, they should have programs and activities which include things which are considered feminine and masculine and giving girls and boys equal amount of opportunities to participate. When these programs start, they should separate the boys and girls to do each project. This way they do not feel as judged and are comparing less. The next step is to make it a competition between groups where they see how each gender can do just as well in science or art as the other gender can. After this, they should combine gender groups and have them work to complete a certain number of tasks which are feminine and masculine. Another way is to mix up the children’s seating arrangement to make sure there are equal numbers of children of each gender on both sides to help force the teachers to look at both sides of the rooms. Teachers should then make sure they reward just as many girls and boys for science and art. This helps get rid of the mental factors of how each gender feels they have to behave. Another part is to make sure there are not posters which represent a gender theme. If there are posters, make sure there are posters which have feminine males and masculine females; also make sure the females do not look like sex objects and males look like they are only known for their physical strength. Another thing is to make sure both boys and girls can try out and get into clubs. It is okay if there are more of a certain gender because not everyone is interested in certain topics but schools need to make sure there are people of both genders within the group. These are some steps schools can help get rid of the bias, claims, and stereotypes that people have for each gender.

Therapy can help some people who are having a hard time figuring out who they are: it can help emotionally stabilize them and feel self-worth. Client-centered therapy helps the person figure out who they are (Rogers 1). Teenagers are trying to figure themselves out. One part of figuring out themselves is their gender and where they fit in the gender stereotypes. When someone goes into client-center therapy, they figure out who they are and how they do not need to worry about the stereotypes. People can be themselves, even if it is a boy wearing a skirt or a girl playing football. Client-centered therapy is a form of counseling where the client gets to talk to the therapist about their life, their day, how they feel, and who they want to become. The therapist repeats what the client says in different words (cognitive behavioral therapy) and helps the client think over events and emotions: this helps the client hear from someone else repeat their own issue and see in third person which helps them know how they need to help themselves (Rothbaum, Meadows, Resick, & Foy). Therapy helps people figure out who they are and what they stand for. People then can to process what is going on through their life and making them feel dysphoric. It teaches people how to go through their challenges and how they do not need to worry about what others think. Clients get a boost in self-confidence. Every teen needs help to figure out who they are; we need to allow them to be themselves.

This form of therapy will especially help children who are considering going transgender. They will go through their own lives and figure out what may have caused them to feel gender dysphoric. The counselor may help them process why they feel this way. The children will know how to work with it along with learning about themselves. Teenagers are trying to figure out themselves: who they are and what they stand for (values). This will help the youth know themselves, know how to work with their body, know their sexual orientation, know how it is okay to be themselves, and make decisions for the future.

Schools should have counselors for the children. This will allow the children to have a resource to go talk to which will help the children who are struggling with their lives, their body, their school, and their friends. It would allow the child to feel like they have a resource which they can go get help when they cannot go to their parents. Some parents are not open to their children’s problems and opinions which forces the children to be locked up inside of themselves. They can also provide info for which they feel uncomfortable asking parents about (ex: sex, drugs, slang, et cetera). This meeting with the counselor should be private. The parents are not notified without the permission of the child. It is the child’s right to be confidential; otherwise, they might not seek out for help and answers. This also might help the child get the courage to open up to their parents and go talk to them because they now understand why the parents are uncomfortable talking about different topics or why the child feels uncomfortable talking. This also helps if there is a problem inside an abusive home. Counsellors can help the children process what is going on. The counselors could report abuse to the police to make sure the child is in the best condition. This will help the children understand information more and see how they are not stranded.

Scientific American says therapy is not good, along with Human Rights Campaign and National Center for Transgender Equality. This is correct if someone is trying to “fix” the person and make them stay their born gender. They are referring to therapy that tries to force the person into a certain gender. If therapy is given to force a person into a certain gender, this will harm them. They feel like they cannot be themselves, and they are a problem. But if they are given client-centered therapy, it will direct them to one gender or another, but it will help them figure themselves out and know who they are and help them feel self-worth. This is why client-center therapy is needed because it does not direct the person to one gender or another. It is given to help them feel more confident about themselves: who they are, what they stand for, and what is valuable to them. After the children attend therapy for over a year, they will know more of who they are and what they stand for, which will allow them to make a good judgment on whether or not they want to change their gender. Some people may still want to go transgender while other people may not because they figure out that they can still be themselves in their sex they were born into. If they still would like to change their gender, they should be allowed to change their gender to get into that stereotype and be accepted with their new gender as they feel they are who they were meant to be.

One thing that is commonly debated is what causes someone to want to be transgender. Some people may want to go transgender because of the gender stereotypes. Their parents are buying them dresses and getting them into sports, whether they want to or not. This is why therapy would be good. Therapy would help them feel more like themselves. Some people want to go transgender because of experiences in their life, an example would be abuse. If we help the children who are abused, this will help get rid of their dysphoria. People who are abused may have more problems than just their gender dysphoria (abuse, drugs, discrimination, et cetera). They might feel like they do not like themselves and refuse to accept who they are and what happened; they feel gender dysphoria and want to get rid of the confusion. People need to support their decisions and allow them to be themselves because they are figuring themselves out. If you reject them, they will feel like they are a no one and they do not fit anywhere. This can possibly leave to suicide (Haas, Rodgers, Herman); transgender people have the highest rate of suicide with 42%. Maybe the way they were raised caused them to feel gender dysphoria. Some studies show that people who grow up without a father are more likely to have gender dysphoria (Arnett). This suggests that not all people are born transgender but are raised and become transgender. Not everyone who is transgender though has a problem with their father, so this is just a theory. But some people just have felt like they were in the wrong body since birth (National Center for Transgender Equality). It is not bad or wrong to feel this way. People who choose to go transgender are trying to express who they are; they are expressing how they feel.

Dr. Money showed how someone cannot be forced into a certain gender. Dr. Money worked with a John/Joan case. David was Dr. Money’s patient and was born with a medical problem with his penis. His penis had to be removed. Dr. Money than got the parents to raise David as if he was a girl. They gave him medications to alter his puberty. When David was 14, he threatened suicide if they did not let him go back into being a boy (Beh, Glen, Diamond). This shows how it is gender is not completely based off of the way they are raised; it is who they are. It can be based on their personality (American Psychological Association). Some people felt in the wrong body since birth. Going transgender is not a medical condition, but a process of someone choosing to express themselves (American Psychological Association).

There is the debate about whether someone who is gender dysphoric can be forced to become confident in their born gender. American Journal of Psychiatric Rehabilitation claims that ECT (electroconvulsive therapy) can help the person not become transgender (Kidd, Veltman, Gately, Chan, Cohen 13-39). ECT helps people feel more comfortable and confident in themselves and who they are; ECT is occasionally used to help depression. The problem with ECT is that it may cause memory problems. Some people lose so much of their memory that they cannot function, some people may not have a bad memory, but the risk too high to try to put someone who is gender dysphoric through this form of therapy. People who are gender dysphoric should not be forced to undergo any therapy. This would make them feel like they are a burden and a problem which needs to be fixed. It is not a problem for them to be themselves and change their gender. It does not affect other people very much. It helps them feel confident with themselves and be open. They feel like they can be themselves.

Parents need to let the child be themselves and make their own decisions. The biggest thing parents need to do is listen to their child. This will help parents understand the child which will let parents help the child. The best type of parenting is when the parents allow the child to make the rules of the house. This will then give the child the responsibility to follow the rules which they agreed to follow. They will be willing to follow through. Parents need to allow the child to be themselves, even if that is to behave like the opposite gender: carry knives or dress up. Parents usually want to control everything and direct what goes on in the house. They feel that this gives structures and rules. They think it will prevent chaos when it is counterintuitive. This makes the children want to rebel and push away. They feel that in order to be themselves they have to go directly against what parents and teachers say. The child then feels responsible to go directly against what the parent sets up. Families that are more strict, will not listen or adjust rules, are known to have the most rebuttal family (Arnett). Teens want to show that they are independent and that the parent cannot control them. When they are given the choice to be independent, this allows them to feel like they are in control. Allow children to make the rules. They then will understand why the rules exist and how it will help them.

People of all ages should be allowed to make their own decisions, even if that is going transgender, but this is after they go through therapy of figuring themselves out with their self-worth. Helping people know who they are and what they stand for, will help people feel confident which will help inspire people to be great. Teachers need to accept children who are – especially those who are behaving a certain gender – and they need to attempt to teach each child the same, no matter their gender. Accept everyone for who they are; allow them to be themselves. Let’s make the world a better place. How are you going to help make the world a better place, today?

Works Cited

Adler, P., Kless, S. J., and Adler, P. “Socialization to Gender Roles: Popularity among Elementary School Boys and Girls” Sociology of Education, July 1992, Vol. 65, No. 3., 169-187 American Sociological Association Stable http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/2112807.pdf

Arnett, Jeffrey J. “Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood.” Pearson Education. 5th Edition. 2013.  New Jersey: ISBN-13: 978-0-205-89249-5

Beh, Hazel Glenn, and Milton Diamond. "David Reimer's legacy limiting parental discretion." Cardozo JL & Gender 12 (2005): 5. http://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/34765/1/Beh_12CardozoJLGender5.pdf

Carl Rogers. “Client-Centered Therapy.” Getting Unstuck. 2008. EBSCO. http://www.gettingunstuck.com/cpu/PSY412/Overhead/CLIENT%20CENTERED%20THERAPY%20OH.pdf

“Frequently Asked Questions about Transgender People.” National Center for Transgender Equality, 11 July 2016, www.transequality.org/issues/resources/frequently-asked-questions-about-transgender-people.

Haas, A., Rodgers, P., Herman, Jody. “Suicide Attempt among Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Adults.” American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. The Williams Institute. January 2014. https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/AFSP-Williams-Suicide-Report-Final.pdf

Hendriksen, S. E. “Why Are Some People Transgender?” Scientific American, Quick and Dirty Tips, 8 Oct. 2016, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-are-some-people-transgender/.

Kidd, S., A., Veltman, A., Gately, C., Chan, K. J., and Cohen, J. N. “Lesbian, Gay, and Transgender Persons with Severe Mental Illness: Negotiating Wellness in the Context of Multiple Sources of Stigma,” American Journal of Psychiatric Rehabilitation, 18 Feb 2011, 14:1, 13-39, DOI: 10.1080/15487768.2011.546277

Martin, Carol Lynn. "Attitudes and Expectations about Children with Nontraditional and Traditional Gender Roles." Sex Roles: A Journal of Research, no. 3-4, 1990, p. 151. EBSCOhost, ezproxy.uvu.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsggo&AN=edsgcl.8943884&site=eds-live

Rothbaum, B. O., Meadows, E. A., Resick, P., & Foy, D. W. (2000). Cognitive-behavioral therapy. In E. B. Foa, T. M. Keane, & M. J. Friedman (Eds.), Effective treatments for PTSD: Practice guidelines from the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (pp. 320-325). New York: Guilford Press. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy” http://psycnet.apa.org/record/2000-02102-015

Sean A. Kidd , Albina Veltman , Cole Gately , K. Jacky Chan & Jacqueline N. Cohen (2011) “Lesbian, Gay, and Transgender Persons with Severe Mental Illness: Negotiating Wellness in the Context of Multiple Sources of Stigma,” American Journal of Psychiatric Rehabilitation, 14:1, 13-39, DOI: 10.1080/15487768.2011.546277 Pages 13-39 | Published online: 18 Feb 2011

Straus, M., Gelles, R. “How Violent are American Families? Estimates From the National Family Violence Resurvey and Other Studies.” National Institute of Mental Health. 1987. https://www.ncjrs.gov/App/abstractdb/AbstractDBDetails.aspx?id=112443

Straus, M. “Family patterns and child abuse in a nationally representative American sample.” Child Abuse & Neglect. 29 May 2002. Vol. 3. No. 1, 1979, 213-225, University of New Hampshire, https://doi.org/10.1016/0145-2134(79)90034-6

“Stress hormones in health and illness: The roles of work and gender.” Department of Psychology, Centre for Health Equity Studies (CHESS), Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden. 15 June 2005. Psychoneuroendocrinology. Vol. 30, No. 10, 1017-1021 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306453005000910

“Transgender Children & Youth: Understanding the Basics.” Human Rights Campaign, 2017, www.hrc.org/resources/transgender-children-and-youth-understanding-the-basics.

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Resources On Gender Dysphoria

Evaluating Sources 

Here is a list of lots of the websites I got my information from. Some a scholarly articles while others are just news or random webpages.

“Transgender People, Gender     Identity and Gender Expression.” American Psychological Association,     American Psychological Association, www.apa.org/topics/lgbt/transgender.aspx.     Accessed 28 Sept. 2017.

“Transgender FAQ.” GLAAD,     14 Apr. 2017, www.glaad.org/transgender/transfaq.     Accessed 28 Sept. 2017.

Fields, Lisa. “What It Means to     Be Transgender.” WebMD, WebMD, www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/features/transgender-what-it-means#1.     Accessed 28 Sept. 2017.

Weale, Sally. “University     'turned down politically incorrect transgender research'.” The Guardian,     Guardian News and Media, 25 Sept. 2017, www.theguardian.com/education/2017/sep/25/bath-spa-university-transgender-gender-reassignment-reversal-research.     Accessed 28 Sept. 2017.

Hendriksen, Savvy Psychologist     Ellen. “Why Are Some People Transgender?” Scientific American,     Quick and Dirty Tips, 8 Oct. 2016, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-are-some-people-transgender/.

Campaign, Human Rights.     “Transgender Children & Youth: Understanding the Basics.” Human     Rights Campaign, www.hrc.org/resources/transgender-children-and-youth-understanding-the-basics.     Accessed 28 Sept. 2017.

Erdely, Sabrina     Rubin. “Understanding the Science of Transgender.” Rolling Stone,     Rolling Stone, 30 July 2014, www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/the-science-of-transgender-20140730

“Frequently Asked Questions about     Transgender People.” National Center for Transgender Equality, 11     July 2016, www.transequality.org/issues/resources/frequently-asked-questions-about-transgender-people.

“The Transgender Studies Reader.” Edited     by Susan Stryker and Stephen Whittle, Google Books, 2006, https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=HBRR1isU-VAC&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=transgender&ots=4ZxkFwvZw5&sig=Vw02bRqdft77dyf1gS4oQIXZveM#v=onepage&q=transgender&f=false.

Campaign, Human Rights.     “Transgender Children & Youth: Understanding the Basics.” Human     Rights Campaign, www.hrc.org/resources/transgender-children-and-youth-understanding-the-basics.     Accessed 28 Sept. 2017.

Halberstam,     Judith. “In a Queer Time and Place.” Google Books, 2005, https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=nbX2N-i8HJ0C&oi=fnd&pg=PP7&dq=transgender&ots=HGuzr4LIP8&sig=lF9YInIkAxreYE9lI6Jpue3hNKA#v=onepage&q=transgender&f=false.

“Posts about zie and hir on Gender     Neutral Pronoun Blog.” Gender Neutral Pronoun Blog, 24 Jan. 2010, https://genderneutralpronoun.wordpress.com/tag/zie-and-hir/.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/transgender

Beh, Hazel Glenn, and Milton     Diamond. "David Reimer's legacy limiting parental discretion." Cardozo     JL & Gender 12 (2005): 5. http://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/34765/1/Beh_12CardozoJLGender5.pdf

Do you believe Gender     Dysphoria (formerly called Gender Identity Disorder) should be     considered a diagnosable mental illness in the DSM-5?

Lahren, Tomi; Jennings,     Jasmine. “Tomi Lahren, ‘I Am Jazz’ Star discuss Transgender Rights.” Fox     News. 9 August 2016. http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2017/08/09/tomi-lahren-am-jazz-star-discuss-transgender-rights.html     (not a scholarly article)

John Money

Sean A. Kidd , Albina Veltman ,     Cole Gately , K. Jacky Chan & Jacqueline N. Cohen (2011) “Lesbian, Gay,     and Transgender Persons with Severe Mental Illness: Negotiating Wellness     in the Context of Multiple Sources of Stigma,” American Journal of     Psychiatric Rehabilitation, 14:1, 13-39, DOI:     10.1080/15487768.2011.546277 Pages 13-39 | Published online: 18 Feb 2011

https://books-google-com.ezproxy.uvu.edu/books?hl=en&lr=&id=mwYsBgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR3&dq=mental+illness+gender+variant&ots=iSgE3MRrdz&sig=MBVwAbzyKNMuQvUVsWALZjb9PMc#v=onepage&q=mental%20illness%20gender%20variant&f=false     –

Transgender and gender variant     population with mental illness: Implications for clinical care: http://www.tandfonline.com.ezproxy.uvu.edu/doi/abs/10.1300/J056v17n03_03     – won’t load without pay:

http://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fa0022522     – won’t load without pay

http://dare.ubvu.vu.nl/bitstream/handle/1871/34512/256453.pdf?sequence=1     whether it is a medical issue or not

Cohen-Kettenis, Peggy T., and     Friedemann Pfäfflin. "The DSM diagnostic criteria for gender identity     disorder in adolescents and adults." Archives of sexual behavior     39.2 (2010): 499-513.

[monkeyalia]

Who Are You?

Who are you? What creates you? What determines who you are? Do you create yourself? Does someone or something else create you? Different people all over the world and throughout  histories all have varying opinions. One thing that people have different opinions on is transgender people or gender dysphoria. Gender dysphoria or transgender may be caused by a medical issue, abuse, or social norms, but National Center for Transgender Equality disagrees and says they are being themselves, Dr. Money who worked with David Reimer thinks the way someone is raised will determine their gender, and American Journal of Psychiatric Rehabilitation says that there are things which cause transgender, and it can be fixed.

In an article titled, “Frequently Asked Questions about Transgender People” by National Center for Transgender Equality explains how gender dysphoria, transgender, intersex, and genderqueer are all different. It discusses how “people can realize that they’re transgender at any age” and how they will experience “social stigma, discrimination, and harassment” (National Center for Transgender Equality). Further in the article explains how gender identity is different than sexual orientation.

David Reimer (John/Joan case) was raised to be a girl but had the genes for a boy as was the focus in the article "David Reimer's legacy limiting parental discretion". It talks about how Dr. Money raised David Reimer into a girl with psychology, hormone, and surgery treatments. Dr. Money believed that gender roles were created through the way the child is raised; which brings up the debate about whether one’s gender is nature or nurture.

The final article from American Journal of Psychiatric Rehabilitation, titled “Lesbian, Gay, and Transgender Persons with Severe Mental Illnesses”, wanted to study the likelihood of someone being transgender and potentially having a “severe mental illness (SMI)”. They discovered that people who were transgender had “extremely high rates of sexual dysfunction” (Kidd etc. 14). They are transgender only because of experiences and problems in their lives; they are wanting to “conceal one’s sexual identity,” which “is associated with more mental health problems” (Kidd etc. 16). People become transgender from “lack of attention” or things like “anxiety, substance use, and depression” (Kidd etc. 15). They discovered the correlation between someone being raised by homosexual mothers and the relationships with their children causing them to have the desire to be transgender. The last point in the article was “concealing one's sexual identity is associated with more mental health problems” including “alcohol dependence and schizophrenia” (Kidd etc. 16). The conclusion of the article is transgender is temporary and can be fixed.

The articles debate whether someone is born as a certain gender or raised into that gender. Dr. Money from the case of David Reimer discusses how he thinks gender roles and the way the child is raised determines a person’s gender. He felt like if someone is raised a certain way, they will become that gender, no matter the sexual orientation of that person. This does relate to how American Journal of Psychiatric Rehabilitation thinks that “life experiences” create someone’s gender identity; however they think other things like the “lack of privacy and support for sexual activity,” “sexual interactions between patients,” and “childhood sexual abuse or adult sexual victimization” (Kidd etc. 15). They also believe “sexual self-esteem,” and the desire to feel “safe, wanted, and [experience] pleasurable sexual interactions” (Kidd etc. 15) may contribute to transgender. American Journal of Psychiatric Rehabilitation thinks problems and events cause people to go transgender; it is not natural to be transgender. They also discuss how being transgender itself might not be a mental illness but there is a high correlation between “mental illness and sexual identity” (Kidd etc. 23).  Some people agree and disagree with this statement, the National Center for Transgender Equality agrees that it is not a disorder or an illness, they think that, “It's important to remember that while being transgender is not in itself an illness, many transgender people need to deal with physical and mental health problems because of widespread discrimination and stigma” (National Center for Transgender Equality). This gives different ideas for what causes someone to become transgender and get gender dysphoria.

Some resources referred to gender dysphoria and transgender as the same thing while other resources identified them as separate things. When someone is “discontent with one’s physical sex characteristics” (Cohen etc.) they are considered to be “gender dysphoric”. Dr. Money refers to them as being the same thing because if someone is transgender, they have gender dysphoria. National Center for Transgender Equality says that gender dysphoria “is the medical diagnosis for someone who experiences distress... Not all transgender people have gender dysphoria.” The third article does not directly reference gender dysphoria as being separate from transgender but does not ever say they are the same thing.

People wonder if being transgender is permanent or temporary and if therapy will help. Dr. Money says that if someone is given therapy and raised as a certain gender, they will become that gender. Dr. Money thinks that the way they were raised caused them to go transgender: it is not nature which caused them to become transgender. This shows that they need therapy. National Center for Transgender Equality says otherwise, therapy “doesn’t work and can be extremely harmful” (National Center for Transgender Equality). If someone is transgender, they are permanently transgender and will not want to change or go back. However, American Journal of Psychiatric Rehabilitation, thinks that you can cure transgenders by helping “‘homosexual drives’” through “electroconvulsive therapy” (Kidd etc. 15). Hence the debate that someone can become straight.

I to have my own opinion on what causes gender dysphoria or transgender. Gender dysphoria is caused from a mix of abuse, mental disorders, and gender roles. People are not born into the wrong body. They were created from a sperm connecting to an egg which happened to either be XX or XY. That is what determines someone’s sex.

With the culture we currently have, it is hard for males to be feminine or females to be masculine. We cannot say what is right or wrong; people need to be themselves. Therapy would be helpful for them. It will help them come up with their own conclusion about who they are and what their role in the world.

Gender dysphoria or transgender is caused and influenced by multiple things: National Center for Transgender Equality says that it is them being themselves, Dr. Money thinks it is the way they were raised, and American Journal of Psychiatric Rehabilitation thinks that someone can reverse becoming transgender. Everyone is free to have their own opinion for what they think gender dysphoria is and what causes it. Even though they are free to have their own opinion, this does not mean they are always right. There are many factors that have to be taken into consideration, but ultimately it matters what the person decides to choose and who they decide to become.

[monkeyalia]

Proposal for Parents with Transgender

Who are you? What do you stand for? Where do you fit in? What is your role in the world? These are questions which everyone has. Some people have a harder time than others answering these questions. One group of people who have a hard time with this topic are people who are considering becoming transgender or who are transgender. Parents, how do you work with your children who are considering going transgender? How old should they before they transfer genders? To create the best results, people should be in client-centered therapy to figure themselves out for over a year before they are allowed to change their gender. They need to discover how it is okay to be a masculine female or a feminine male. The purpose of my paper is to convince people what age and how they should help children and teenagers who are becoming transgender.

This topic is important because more and more people are becoming transgender now days. People commonly do not know how to work with people who are considering going transgender, specifically parents in the United States. The purpose of this Research Argument is to explain what causes people to go transgender, how to help them, and how to work with them. One big topic in my paper is what age people should be allowed to go transgender. I need to convince my audience that people should be allowed to go transgender after a certain process, not matter the age. It is especially important for people to know how to help their children who are considering transgender.

To help convince people that this is the best way, I am going to use lots of emotions then back it up and support it with logic and reasoning. I am going to help make people feel comfortable and that I understand them. The readers are going to feel like I am eye level with them. This forms a connection so they then can trust my instructions. They need to know about the gender bias which we have and how we are rejecting people and telling them the way they need to live their lives. I then will show them how we can improve to make it the best experience for everyone.

People need to know how many people regret changing their gender and how many people feel better now that they have changed their gender. People need to understand that it is okay to be a feminine male and a masculine female. I need to make the point about how it is important for people to know who they are and how they want to express themselves. I need to make the point that we should get rid of the gender bias and make it more gender neutral. People need to understand more about how each side of the party feels: parents, the person, friends, society, et cetera. In my paper, I am going to show and express all of these emotions and reasoning to help convince people that there is an option.

I am going to support all of my paper with multiple resources. I am not going to rely heavily on resources because lots of the resources were not very reliable or did not answer the exact question I was searching for. This said, I still will use resources to support my ideas and theories. This will help people feel like they can rely on me, and I have done my research. One resource I will use is from National Center for Transgender Equality. This resource talks a lot about what transgender is, how it is not a mental disorder, what different terms mean, and what is hard for people who go or want to go transgender. This will help me set up what all the terminology is. I might refer to David Reimer’s experience which talks about how sex is assigned at birth and how it is not a ton of nurture. I might refer to Tomi Lahren with Jennings because it explains problems that come up and emotions behind it. This article is not a scholarly article though, so I would not rely or refer to this article very much. Kidd et cetera article about LGBT people with mental illness would be an article which I would relate to with how it says that the emotional problems with being transgender can be fixed with electroconvulsive therapy. I will show how transgender is not something which needs to be fixed, it is something people need help with. I would not include side effects of electroconvulsive therapy though (from this article), because this would distract the audience and make them doubt my paper. With these resources, I will be able to help the audience know they can trust me. More specifically, I will help parents see how to work with their children.

I need to help all the children and parents who are dealing with transgender issues; this is why I will write my paper. I will show how client-centered therapy will help out the child figure who they are and where they stand. I will help people feel like there is a purpose for each individual, and there is a role for them in this world.

[monkeyalia]

[monkeyalia]

Posts

I have enjoyed posting. I might not post very much because I am beginning to work a ton and go to full time school. I think it is interesting and important for people to know some of this information. I am working with people who have emotional, physical, and mental disabilities, so I'll be learning a ton. I will know more and more about how to help people, especially the people here in Utah. Most of these posts have been an assignment for a class. I am still working towards helping depression, but I am doing so as a doctor instead of Tumbr. I am currently majoring in psychology but am going into neurology to help learn more and more about how to help people. Most of my next posts will be quotes or information about the brain and what I am learning about. It will be great to continue learning and searching how to make the world a better place.

[monkeyalia]

There is a way to help depression.