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cummunication · 5 years

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The craziest people I know (don’t go to therapy)

Therapy... I have an appointment today actually. I’ve been going for the last ten years. I first started seeing the school psychologist, going to my YFS center (youth and family services). I started going more regularly after my father died which was perfect since I would go during my lunch period. I had nobody to sit with at lunch so it was a perfect excuse to go. I began receiving outside counseling in eleventh or twelfth grade, once a week. At this point I was a minor so my mom paid. Now as an adult, I am thankful my mom brought me and paid because I see how inconvenient it can be and how it adds up. Even though most therapists accept insurance, some don’t. Even with insurance you can be paying 65$ up every time which is usually once or twice a week. That being said, I truly believe the best and most important thing we can invest in is ourselves and therapy is worth it. Therapy is being brought into the open which I’m very happy with but still, there is a stigma attached to counseling. The first thought most people have when they hear you are in therapy is “what’s wrong with them? Are they mentally unstable? Or, why do they need therapy?” People associate receiving help as something wrong with you or you can’t handle yourself. This is simply not true. The most mentally sane (or emotionally healthy people) are in therapy, receiving help for their issues. This is because they are open minded and willing to admit their flaws. They are ready to be proactive and willing to better themselves. I firmly believe everyone should be in therapy. Therapy isn’t just a useful tool where you receive an honest, outside opinion from a professional, but a time to be truthful with yourself, reflect, and gain useful insight. It’s immensely helpful in learning emotional intelligence and how to deal with feelings. Sometimes, when I suggest therapy to people, they say “I don’t need it, I’m not crazy” and to be completely honest, these are the people who need therapy the most. They are close minded, in denial and not willing or ready to deal with their shit. We all have things we should be willing to face, change and improve in ourselves. It’s not just people who have a diagnosable mental health disorder or went through a trauma that should go to therapy. I also hear therapy is “paying someone to be your friend”. This makes me sad because yes, like any other service, therapy is a business; but people who enter the human services, social work or psychology field are generally empathic people who truly care and want to help you. “If I go to a therapist, does that mean I'm crazy, weak or a failure? What will others think? What if I'm seen coming out of that kind of office? Such concerns are quite natural given our socio-cultural conditioning. Unfortunately, as a result, many people decide not to pursue counseling despite experiencing significant emotional, physical or mental distress. Let's clarify a few things. Most people who initiate counseling do not have a serious mental illness. They have serious life challenges or are going through difficult life-cycle transitions that may be taxing their current ability to cope. This, in turn, may be adversely affecting their well-being and ability to function as well as they would like. Examples of serious life challenges can be dealing with chronic work-related stressors; career issues; financial problems; health issues or a recent health diagnosis; family or parent/child conflict; cultural assimilation; and academic issues. Examples of difficult life-cycle related transitions can be the death of a family member or friend; the ending of a romantic relationship or close friendship; family/couple changes related to the addition of a child; getting married or divorced; care giving for loved ones due to illness or disability; and decision-making challenges related to these life choices. These are just some of the reasons why people decide to go to counseling. So, if you are going through one or more of these challenges at the same time, you're not alone. The effects are often cumulative, which is generally referred to as a 'pile-up' of stressors. Counseling during these times can be quite helpful in providing both the support and skills to better address these life challenges. Ultimately, it is an invaluable investment in your emotional, physical and mental health, an act of courage not weakness, and a gift to those whose lives you touch. But what if you’re not in a moment of “disaster relief?” Surprisingly, the best time to start therapy may be when your life’s going relatively well. Despite the fact that more than 59 million Americans seek the services of a mental health care professional each year, there’s a stigma that therapy is only for people suffering a debilitating mental illness or going through a massive interpersonal issue. The benefits of therapy extend far beyond periods of crisis. Many people want more than to be ‘not depressed.’ They wonder what they can do to be the happiest, most productive, most loving version of themselves. Because achieving your full potential requires a heck of a lot of self-knowledge, self-control, and—let’s be honest—hard work, it’s best done when you’re not in freak-out mode. What’s more, if there’s an issue in your life that’s causing you distress, it’s better to deal with it sooner than later. Over time, minor difficulties can bloom into disasters that have you hitting the tissue box hard. But the earlier you go to therapy and engage in introspection, the better off you are in the long run. The benefit of seeing a mental health professional is that it’s literally their job to reserve judgment and guide you toward what’s best for you. Whatever your decision, keep in mind that people’s resistance to your pursuit of mental health typically comes from their own fears: If you’re in therapy, it must mean they should be too. Or if you’re in therapy, you’ll change in a way that makes you less willing to be friends (or romantic partners) with them. Therapy simply allows it to happen with less trauma. While therapy can help remove the wool from your eyes, it won’t create problems where there were none to begin with. If you (rationally) determine you’re not in the right place—career-wise, romance-wise, or otherwise—congratulations! You’ve just identified a buried source of suffering. And by clarifying the origin(s) of your distress, you’re that much closer to living an authentically happy life. The most common types of therapy include cognitive behavioral, psychodynamic, family, and group. Whether you’re looking for a quick(ish) fix to a bad habit, anxiety issue, or phobia, or you’re just interested in some serious soul-searching (“What’s my life’s purpose?” “Why do I keep doing ____ in romantic relationships?”) there’s a therapy that’s waiting for you. Therapy isn’t supposed to eradicate all sadness, anger, frustration, or other negative emotions (envy, embarrassment, self-doubt, etc.). And thank goodness! Because often those tough emotions serve as an internal cue—if you’re listening. That’s where therapy comes in. It’s there to help you learn how to sit with, accept, and not be debilitated by these feelings—all while cultivating self-awareness. The result? You’ll be able to tune in and make choices that make the most sense for you. Rather than achieving perpetual bliss, the end result of therapy is to confidently navigate your life off the proverbial couch.” Also there are many excuses people will make to avoid or get out of therapy. I don’t have the time or money is a big one. What’s more, there are many free or low-cost support options, from hot lines to help groups. Those interested can visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness’s website for more resources. You can also check with your health care insurer to find a professional in your network, or search for practitioners in your area online. Or, if you’re a student, contact your campus health center. “Keep in mind that it’s important to find a therapist you “click” with. Often, this can mean trying out a few different providers before settling on the one who feels right for you. Therapy isn’t just for moments of earth-shattering personal tragedies. It can also be useful in reorienting yourself toward your true wants and needs, training yourself in the art of self-compassion, and better understanding, respecting, and communicating your feelings. And—surprise—it’s often easier to pursue these goals when you’re not wrestling bigger, darker obstacles. So consider this your permission to give therapy a try, even if your life is going hunky-dory. Your future self may just look back and say, “Thanks!”

#therapy #mentalhealth #blog

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ouraidengray4 · 6 years

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Being a Woman Runner Can Be Scary As Hell. Here's How to Keep Going

Content Note: Assault and Sexual Harassment

I run to escape the day-to-day stress, the kind that grinds us all down: unanswered work emails, dishes that somehow pile up in the sink, the general lack of hours in the day. It feels so freeing to literally outrun my stressors, even if just for 30 minutes or an hour.

I run to feel human. I stop thinking about myself in relation to my work or my relationships, and simply connect with my body. I run to feel the physical pain, the self-doubt, the impulse to give it all up and call my husband for a ride home—and to feel the accompanying ecstasy when I run through the pain and out the other side, then keep on running.

I run to feel powerful. Mostly, I run to feel free.

But I'm never really free when I run.

Because I'm not just human—I'm a woman. And as a woman, I can never feel fully, totally, entirely free. When I run, I can relax into the sensation of freedom for a little bit... until I hear a catcall, sense a car creeping behind me for blocks (or even miles), or become overly aware of every snapped branch as I speed down a forest trail. Since I'm a woman, when I run, I can never fully escape—inevitably, I'm removed from the moment.

Running presents itself as one of the most democratic sports around.

To be a runner, you don't need fancy gear. You don't need a gym membership (or even the courage to step into a gym). You don't need professional training or a rare body type—provided your body is equipped for running, odds are good that your body knows how to run. And for so many women, this is part of the appeal of running.

According to Statista, running is one of the most popular sports worldwide. In the U.S. alone, a whopping 60 million people engaged in running, jogging, or trail running in 2017—and the majority of these runners are women.

"Two things I've grown to love about running are that you can do it anywhere and it's an amazing way to explore a new place," says Katie Sullivan, director of brand and marketing at Swerve Fitness in New York City.

Samantha Baron, an education coordinator at Sentergroup, Inc., who lives and runs in downtown Chicago, agrees. "Running's something I can just go and do," she says. "It's something that's so seemingly gender-neutral."

But the experience of being a runner isn't gender neutral.

The average runner of any gender deals with standard safety concerns, like getting lost or avoiding traffic. But runners who present as women are much more likely to face a host of additional issues on their runs, most of which revolve around physical safety.

Harassment is so pervasive among women runners that it's practically become normalized. "My immediate reaction is to say I haven't been harassed," Sullivan says. "But then I realize that I can't actually remember a run in NYC—day or night—when I wasn't peppered with catcalls and sexual comments. They were all what I'd typically characterize as 'harmless,' but the recent shift in our culture has made me rethink the way I tolerate them."

Cultural conversations about sexual assault and gender inequality can help women validate their own experiences. They can also make women more cognizant (and perhaps more fearful) of the potential threats lurking outside their front doors.

"Recent events definitely have an influence," says Colleen Elrod, a nursing student who has run primarily in suburban environments. "Now, no matter what time it is, I feel like I'm taking a risk every time I go out for a run."

EDITOR'S PICK

In an attempt to avoid harassment and assault, women runners tend to alter their behaviors: They change their running routes, alter their schedules, and adopt new habits in the hopes of feeling safer.

Many women choose to be strategic about when they run.

"I started training for a marathon back in July," Elrod says. "In order to get my long runs in, I'd have to start running between 4 and 5 a.m. Even though I live in what I consider a very safe part of town, there have been so many recent stories about people being harmed while running that I never felt fully safe unless the sun had completely risen and I was on a two-way, busy, double-yellow-lined road."

Sullivan also modifies her runs. "I rarely run at night, but when I do, I wouldn't venture on the West Side Highway (fewer people, fewer eyes on you) or into a park," she says.

And they're not alone. Sixty percent of women respondents in the Runner's World survey said that potential threats cause them to limit their runs to daylight hours.

Many modify what they wear too.

"I definitely consider the time of day when choosing my wardrobe," Sullivan says. "On a super-hot weekday afternoon this summer, I decided to run in shorts and a sports bra, and found myself running through several crowds of men spending their lunch break outside—I'll never make that mistake again."

And then there are the safety measures put into place.

Every woman interviewed for this article shared that she sometimes alerts a friend or family member to her intended route prior to a run and asks them to follow up if they haven't heard from her by a certain time.

Some women adopt more advanced measures too. For example, Elrod often runs with 911 queued up on speed dial and her phone in her hand. This mirrors data from the Runner's World survey, which found 73 percent of women respondents who are concerned about safety run with a phone rather than unencumbered.

Other women bring along weapons for physical protection. "When I lived in cities, I would run with pepper spray as well as with my keys between my fingers," says Caitlin Murphy, a critical care nurse who resides in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

Baron brings along mace on every run. "It definitely makes me feel better to know that I have it," she says.

The 2016 Runner's World data found that 21 percent of women bring pepper spray on their runs at least some of the time. One percent have gone so far as to carry a loaded gun.

Of course, not every woman who runs is harassed, assaulted—or even terrified—every time she laces up her sneakers.

The odds of harassment often diminish outside of urban environments. "Because I'm living in a small mountain community, it just feels safer. And when I'm out, I see people I know," says Heather Hower, a trail runner who resides in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. "It's like everyone is watching out for each other a little bit."

Even in urban environments, some women are more concerned about vehicles or other roadside hazards than they are about would-be attackers. "Probably my biggest issue is cars," Baron says.

And of course, men are also sometimes the targets of harassment or assault. But as a general rule, the contrast between cis male runners' concerns and those of other genders remain stark. The Runner's World survey previously cited found that only four percent of male runners reported experiencing harassment while running—compared to nearly half of all women surveyed. Meanwhile, only one percent of men reported being sexually propositioned on a run (compared to 18 percent of women), and 93 percent of surveyed men reported they are rarely or never concerned about unwanted physical contact or assault as they prepare for a run.

The striking difference between the experience of running while male and running while female is even reflected in Google search results. Type in "male runners stats" and you'll get pages and pages of results pertaining to marathon finishing times, training guides, and other sport-related info. Search for "women runners stats," on the other hand, and stories about the dangers of running while female show up in the first few results and continue to spill onto the following pages.

While running may be a more democratic sport than most, it's still challenging for women to escape the realities of deep-rooted cultural misogyny—no matter where, when, or how fast they run. In order for women runners to be really free, our culture first needs to reconcile with its pervasive misogyny, and men as a collective group need to stop harassing and assaulting women.

"I always wish someone would go into all the high schools and say something to make high-school boys not catcall women," Herron says—pointing out that boys who learn to treat women with respect are less likely to grow into men who don't.

Until that day, Herron says there are several strategies women can employ to feel safer on their runs.

"The No. 1 safety strategy is just to be completely aware of your surroundings," Herron says. To that end, she makes a habit of continually scanning her surroundings and wears open-ear headphones that allow her to enjoy music while simultaneously hearing what's going on around her.

Herron does occasionally bring a weapon, but she's very selective about what she uses. "If you're going to carry a weapon, it should be something that you're very comfortable with, very skilled at, and have lots of practice with," she says. Her preferred option is a Go Guarded ring, which is a plastic, serrated-edge weapon that can be worn on any finger. She points out that it's also essential to keep your weapon in your hand at all times. "It's not going to be any good in your fanny pack," she says.

Herron also advocates for self-defense classes. "I would recommend a self-defense class to anyone," she says, crediting the skills she learned in such a class with helping her fight off her first attacker. "The fact that my self-defense class was brought in by my employers—that's something that I'd love to see more HR departments do. Taco Tuesday is great, but you can also give employees the tools that could potentially save their lives."

Finally, it's important to look out for each other. And that can happen in several ways.

"Men often ask me what they can do to make women feel safer, and I tell them to be on the lookout for creeps," Herron says. "Sometimes just making eye contact can be enough to deter them. I also think guys need to call each other out for harassment and misogyny."

Talking openly about women runners' experiences can be another form of solidarity. "In coming forward with my stories, I wanted to let other women who have been accosted or assaulted know that they're not alone," Herron says. "Sharing the stories and hearing that it's happened to other people can be very healing, so that you're not kind of caught in this spiral of shame and blame."

While having to think so much about safety may curtail women's freedoms while running, Herron says putting strategies in place can help women feel confident enough to continue heading to the streets and trails. "While I don't think we can ever get to a place of 100 percent freedom, I think we can do everything we possibly can to free ourselves of worry and fear."

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top5internetsourcesforhighs-blog · 7 years

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Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome: AIDS

' acquired immune deficiency syndrome (Acquired repellent Deficiency Syndrome) is a kind born(p) dis ensn ar that was prime(prenominal) recognized in America in the early 1980s, round the era rock-and-roll Hudson passed a centering. It is believed that it was sesscelledshoot passed thru to domain by monkeys in Africa. The employment surrounded by amusings and affection was turn upright present much bitterly fought than here in the nasty equatorial climate, where hop up and humidity give nonice the generation of newfound brio forms. nonp aril historian has suggested that humans, who first evolved in Africa eons ag champion migrated north to Asia and europium simple to ram to climates that were less hospi confuse to the deadly microbes the tropical zone so expeditiously spread. (Shilts, 5)\n human immunodeficiency virus whitethorn already corrupt one to devil million Ameri fags and spreads to forty thousand more concourse separately year. (Klitz man, 7) This affection wreaks howeverchery in places same Africa, Europe, South America, Asia, and the coupled States, as healthy as unnumerable opposite places roughly the world. With Modern roads and jet travel, no corner of the primer coat was very out ramp(a) whatevermore; neer again could diseases bulk large undetected for centuries among a distant hoi polloi without ruleing round route to raw sienna out across the planet. (Shilts, 5)\n acquired immune deficiency syndrome is in general a sexu alto fixatehery transmitted disease, statistically attri neverthelessed to the homo sexual community, that is transferred by muckle who atomic number 18 insensible they ar infect. It croup besides be transferred amidst wad through with(predicate) and through tainted blood transfusions as sanitary as the manduction of infected needles among users. acquired immune deficiency syndrome is a deso tardily and debilitating disease that may non show up for a intent of ten days or big- conducter after the airplane pilot contact. By this succession it capacity be too late to do anything around it , although, thither are various cocktails of drugs that could get word care the disease and hunt downward(a) life for a considerable continuance of time.\n Western hunting lodge has been able to adjudge the spread of acquired immune deficiency syndrome with sexual command and early scrutiny but where the disease first started, in Africa, near one third of the population is without delay struck with the disease. In exhibition to combat this trouble in Africa, the goernments of the western sandwich world urinate shown a voiceless effort by sending billions of dollars in aid to civilize and treat the great unwashed who are infected with this disease.\n aid has reached legion(predicate) race from all different cultures, cultural backgrounds, and areas around the world. This is a scary military position cons idering many another(prenominal) of those pile could be insensible they are infected with human immunodeficiency virus. This lack of awareness, which could be averted with early testing, in spades heightens the possibility of round anybody acquire human immunodeficiency virus and transferring it to soul else. An modelling of this lack of awareness, where a man unaware he had religious service had given it to his wife, comes from aid Memoir, diary of an HIV- commanding generate by Catherine Wyatt-Morley. In this part of her journal, Catherine who was to take over a map hysterectomy was diagnosed with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) The virus that causes aid. Catherine told her doctors and doctor, at that place strike been no signs, no symptoms, no warning. Im married and commit been faithful to Tim, I express, as I looked at my husband, whose gorgeous brown look were filling with tears, I kick in not shot any drugs. I fag outt understand. I dont know an ything intimately HIV. (Catherine Wyatt-Morley, 5)\n one time whatsoeverone finds out he or she has support they do not and have to roll over and wait to devolve. nigh people accept the other route, to get help and raise up to stay alive as a functional human creation. There world power be a lot of strive in your life due to the back up virus but thither are definitely ship air to contend with this and thither are many people and groups which you can turn to for emotional, physical, and apparitional help.\n If your way to cope with help is ghostlike you might motivation to turn to the Catholic Church for help. devotion could be the redemption someone needs in high society to cope with the melody that AIDS brings. However, this way to cope may not be the right way. HIV is to a fault intemperately nockd and raises a serial publication of moral issues in patients and others eyes. The Catholic perform, governmental conservatives, and others have long censured homosexuality and sexual freedom, and drug pace is considered a penalise by al near all of American society. As a result, many HIV-infected individuals find oneself they have do something wrong by beingness human being, or too promiscuous, or using drugs in the first place. (Klitzman, 8) \n When set around with the prospect of stopping point religion seems to take the burden and the strain off of the infected persons shoulders. A exculpation by a prison gyp in creation Positive, The Lives of Men and Women with AIDS shows how he coped with being in gaol and having AIDS, a definite stressor, by tour to religion. alone of a sudden, though, I started getting very religious. I started really believe in matinee idol and the Bible. I wasnt religious when I was young. I was embossed in the pentecostal church. On Sundays my catch would drag me to church with her. I now said to God, Please, I dont indispensability to discover in jail. All I wanted to do wa s be able to die on the outside. Ive done more or less seventeen years in prison, by the way, in and out all my life for drugs. All I kept mentation now was, damn, Im discharge to die in jail! Didnt I do abounding time already? (Klitzman, 95)\n commonwealth infected with AIDS go through stressful shoess general not but because of how they feel, but largely because of how other people treat them and their disease. AIDS patients go to health care institutions and disgorge to health care workers in drift to let out their lives and find alternative approaches that they might not be doing already, in set up to better themselves. These institutions and workers spurt their patients approaches on HIV but in the process they can also stigmatize patients. This stigmatization was experience by Wilma metalworker and says it hurts the most. They of all people should know better. one(a) roentgenogram technician, as soon as he cut HIV on my chart, put on dickens masks, two g owns, and three pairs of gloves. He took one x-ray film and and so had to do another. So he helped me onto the tablewith two gloves onand then took those off and put on two other pairs. It upset me. Arent these people cognizant?\n Stigma can also hoist from twain the gay and straight communities. In order to derogate this stigma there are veritable genial groups to help. wholeness such social group is a Body Positive social for HIV-positive people. Todd Crenshaw explains Once I got there it was like a gay bar. Everyone was standing(a) and modeling, which I never was really into anyway. Everybody also denied having ARC (AIDS link Complex), and said they were just HIV-Positive. In the gay community there are positives and negatives. (He degage the two with both hands in the air.) When Ive met and told some people Im positive, a mist comes down in trend of their face. I had a assignment with a guy I met in the lyceum who had expressed a lot of arouse in me. But when I said I was positive, the date just end right there. He never called me again.\n The most stressful plaza facing people infected with AIDS has to be relation back their children eventually their passing game to die. To me, being on the other side of the AIDS epidemic, this positioning is viewed very delicately and is seen in this way through Catherine Wyatt-Morleys journal. Catherine, being HIV-Positive, was faced with having to itemize her children that she had HIV. She described how it felt, Oh, how I wish I could put forward them, but I have no linguistic communication to explain this animateness nightmare, this invasion of the enemy. Its bad enough for Catherine that she was infected and now her stressful situation has led her to overhear the decision whether or not to tell her children. She ultimately decides to predicate her children about her situation because her family are the ones who are going to be there to help her through her ordeal.\n In reading bei ng Positive, The Lives of Men and Women with AIDS, AIDS Memoir, Journal of an HIV-Positive Mother, and a few chapters of And The solidification Played On I wise(p) a enormous amount about how AIDS personal effects the personal lives of people it encounters. Knowing about their personal lives and battle with AIDS helped me to better understand what stressors they go through, how they cope with the stressors cerebrate to the disease, and who they turn to for help.If you want to get a full essay, order it on our website: Looking for a place to buy a cheap paper online? Buy Paper Cheap - Premium quality cheap essays and affordable papers online. Buy cheap, high quality papers to impress your professors and pass your exams. Do it online right now! '

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