shadowman1694

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I'm leaving my command and going to a new one. The marines I work with came together and bought me this. I can't express my gratitude.

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10 Struggles Introverts Will Know | Psych2Go Ft. Donna

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Time

Time is the greatest concept ever created by the human race. When you get heartbroken, time pieces you back together. When you get scared of the monster in your closet, time overcomes that fear. The only thing time will never do, is stop. No matter what you're going through or how hard your life is, time will always carry you through it to the end. Nothing but time, lasts forever.

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A tough new beginning

I've finally, painfully, let go of a piece of my life which shined brighter than any other. I made too many mistakes, got too angry, said things I never should have... And now it was time for me to let go. I should remain optimistic, even in a world which strains my confidence. Many people say this is a bittersweet moment, yet I've failed to taste the sweet, from this bitter situation. Though it's tough, I am forced to walk headfirst into a new beginning. Let's see what my life has stored away for my future.

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Even on the darkest days, I light can still shine through to brighten your spirits. What or who is there to pick you up when you're down?

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“An MRI study has revealed that psychopathic violent offenders may be unable to learn from punishment due to the presence of abnormalities in their brains…“ -I Love Psychology

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If you’re involved in sales, you might love the psychology concepts they teach here. I was definitely fascinated.

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Shared by Paige Shurtleff‎ in Psych2Go FaceBook Group

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by Therese Borchard

Finding the right therapist can involve almost as much energy and time as finding the right spouse. Instead of meeting for coffee, or appetizers and drinks, you’re spilling your guts inside a bunch of psychotherapists’ offices, trying to gauge whether all that notebook scribbling is going to translate into help or not. If you don’t know what you’re looking for, the important work of therapy can be delayed by months or years. Luckily, there are therapists like Ryan Howes, PhD, who are our tour guides inside the counseling walls. He’s like our Match.com concierge, equipping us with the right questions to ask so that we don’t spend years on the couch sitting across from the wrong notebook scribbler.

Dr. Howes is a board-certified psychologist in Pasadena, California, where he’s in private practice and is a clinical professor of psychology at Fuller Theological Seminary. He writes the blog In Therapy for Psychology Today, as well as an interview column for Psychotherapy Networker magazine. In 2012, Howes and some of his students formed National Psychotherapy Day (September 25th), a day to demystify therapy and reduce the stigma surrounding both it and mental health issues. As part of that campaign last year, he held a storytelling event called Moments of Meaning, in which therapists told true (but non-identifying) stories of powerful moments from their own work.

“Therapists are eager to tell you about things that aren’t directly related to your question of whether or not they can help you solve your problem,” explains Howes. “They will tell you where they went to school, where they were trained, what modalities they learned, what they researched, and so forth.” Instead of asking for their resume, he recommends you ask these six questions, and explains why.

1. My problem is _______. How would you go about treating that?

This is pretty straightforward. Of course, you have to know what your problem is, but even describing symptoms would help. “My problems are insomnia, worry, and anger outbursts. How would you treat that?” Hopefully the therapist’s response will either resonate with your game plan or will make sense so you’re willing to adopt a new game plan. The most important thing is that therapists are able to describe their process in a way that you can understand it. If they present a flashy, jargon-filled approach that goes over your head, you can expect to feel similarly confused in therapy with them.

2. Some therapists are more comfortable addressing the immediate problem, while others want to focus on the deeper issue. Which are you? 

Many cognitive-behavioral based therapies are focused on treating immediate symptoms, while deeper, psychodynamic-based therapies focus on the root causes of a problem. The preferred answer depends on your needs: If you need quick, immediate relief, you’ll gravitate to CBT, but if you’re willing to wait a while to reach a deeper insight, the psychodynamic theories are probably more your style. Again, the therapist’s ability to clearly communicate their approach is key here, even if they say they combine approaches.

3. Do you tend to lead the session, or follow my lead?

Another key distinction is whether a therapist is “directive” or “non-directive,” which is fancy talk for a leader or follower. Some therapists have an agenda for your session before you sit down: The gameplay is set, and you’re a passenger on this ride. Other therapists wait for you to set the agenda, either with a pre-determined topic or whatever comes up for you as soon as you sit down. Again, this is a matter of your personal style — directive appeals to some, while non-directive appeals to others.

4. What role does our relationship play in our work?

Some therapists view therapy as a laboratory: The problems you experience in the outside world will come up between us, and that’s a great opportunity to do important work. For others, therapy is more of a lecture hall — a place where you learn tools and tips to apply outside the session. It’s good for you to know which you’re stepping into. If you want to learn to confront people and want to practice that with your therapist, you’ll want therapy to be a laboratory. If you want tips for managing your OCD and just want therapy to be a resource for information and exercises, you’ll want the lecture.

5. What are your strengths as a therapist?

Not many clients ask this question, but I think they should. By asking, they’re inviting the therapist to make an honest appraisal of their strongest attributes, and at the same time asking them to point out what they believe are important therapist traits. If they say “my ability to earn fame and fortune,” well, you know what you’re getting into.

6. Have you been in therapy?

This may be an optional question for the most bold among you, but I think it’s a valid and important one. It’s essential for a therapist to spend a significant amount of time in their own therapy. In fact, as a therapist myself, I intend to be in therapy as long as I see my own clients. Why? Because it reminds us what it’s like to be on the other couch, because it helps me discern between my garbage and my clients’ garbage, because it models a lifetime process of constant introspection, and because I can learn things from my own therapist that may help my clients. You don’t need to ask specifics — or names and dates — but I think asking if a therapist has been in therapy is a legit question.

But your work is not over there. Howes thinks it’s even more important to have questions for yourself, such as:

How soon did you feel relaxed when speaking with the therapist?

Did you feel rushed to ask your questions, or were you able to go at your own pace?

Did the therapist seem to “get” your questions, or did they misinterpret or need to ask for several clarifications?

Did you feel like the conversation flowed, or was it clunky and awkward?

Did you understand the response, or was it filled with technical jargon or vague statements?

Imagine your deepest, darkest secret — could you imagine telling this person about it?

“Study after study shows that successful therapy depends on the quality of the relationship between the therapist and client,” Howes explains. “You’re much better off seeing a graduate student you connect with than a 40-year veteran and author with whom you don’t feel understood.”

In the end, he advises folks to go with their gut, much like you would with a blind date over coffee.

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Drunk, or Philosophical?

Many people will argue the accusations or endeavors brought forth by someone who is under the influence of alcohol. They may say stresses similar to, "Aw you don't know what you're talking about. You're drunk." Or even, "You've had a beer, you're not in the right mind to say something like that!" Sure, alcohol can hinder our thought process. But at the same time. . . It may be the only thing that makes us think straight. And hear me out on this. A famous dub of alcohol is, "liquid courage." Meaning, while under the influence of alcohol, we are more liable to say things which we would naturally be reclined to mention, due to the fear of rejection from our own species; an evolutionary deterrence. Though if we were sober, and expressed the thoughts of our minds openly, it would be a higher level of acceptance from our peers. Simply because we give valid statements, which are declined by religious, or otherwise closed-minded intelligence. Meaning only this: Those who lust an expansion of the mind, will have a greater acceptance of those who present an intelligent theory, from the influence of a mind altering substance. So what is the real harm? A sober, closed-minded Saint? Or a drunken, clear-minded theorist? This is highly controversial and will definitely have thoughts from both sides. But remember this. No matter what you believe in, keep an open mind for the "impossible."

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Some Questions to Ask When Things Go Wrong

Ask yourself:

1. Is this something I should take seriously and try to put right; is it something that is worth working on, and investing more energy on?

2. How much is my fault? Is it something I can change further down the road?

3. How much is outside my control; will anything I do really alter the situation or make a lasting difference?

5. Have I done everything I possibly can? Have I tried and exhausted all possible options?

6. Is it something I should put behind me, and decide to walk away from?

7. Who else has gone through a similar experience, or had this happen to them? Who can I talk to who will understand, and give me valuable help and advice?

8. What can I learn from this experience?

9. How can I build myself up again, so I have the needed strength to go forward in my life?

10. What small steps can I take to enhance my self-esteem?

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The Psychology of Inside Out: Emotions

An emotion is any brief but conscious experience characterized by intense mental activity and a high degree of pleasure or displeasure. Paul Ekman, an American psychologist, once concluded that there are six “universal” emotions shared and recognised by all cultures of the world based on facial cues. He categorised them as Happiness, Sadness, Surprise, Fear, Disgust and Anger, and added a seventh, Contempt, decades later. Later studies have disputed this claim, and many consider Surprise & Fear as well as Disgust & Anger to be too similar to be easily distinguished as separate, and Contempt as simply being a combination of Disgust and Anger.

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B x R > C

Benefit x Relation > Cost We are more inclined to help those who bear a resemblance to us, because our brains process them as being closer to our genetic code, as if they were our own flesh and blood. Therefore the benefit of helping them will seem as if we are improving our genetic code. Making the cost of helping them ancillary to the benefit we gain due to the relationship we appraise subconsciously.

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Controlling Nature through Physiology

While conducting one of his many studies on facial expressions and human behavior, Dr. Ekman uncovered a groundbreaking discovery; one that allows an individual to take control of their emotions, not through mental application, but by physical assertion. This was found as he was instructing individuals to move the muscles in his or her face to construct an emotional expression. While in the process, the subjects noted feeling the emotions surfacing as the expressions were formed. Intrigued with these implications, Ekman began asking each subject what exactly they were feeling as they began adjusting the muscles in their faces to form expressions. Upon completion of the study, Ekman had theorized and justified the basis that, if an individual strikes a facial expression, the correlating emotion will be evoked. With this discovery, we can now begin to understand more of how the "emotional database" and physiological structure are related, and how they may effect our interactions with others in the future.