Dear Blogging Friends,
I have decided that due to my inability to keep up with your blogs and in answering your emails I have decided that I need to spend more time concentrating on a few things at a time. I hope to return to the blogging world one day and visit with all of you once again. I appreciate all of the many friends I have made and the many excellent reads that I have encountered. To each of you I wish that your dreams may come true and that you will find happiness in all you do!
Sincerely,
Josh
Monday, April 16, 2012
Letters L, M, N
Sorry for getting behind I plan on doing some serious catching up tonight. I have been super busy, but no excuses just getting down to business!
Learning disorders: A discrepancy between a person's cognitive ability and their academic ability in a specific area: math, reading, etc. Or another way to look at learning disorders is by the amount of intervention necessary to help an individual get to the average. For example most kids can learn a subject matter just fine by sitting in the normal classroom. On the other hand, a child with a math learning disorder can't. This child will need extra help such as reading with a peer tutor for extra time or with a reading specialist. It may be that they need to be pulled out of the regular education room for resource.
Malingering: the intentional production of false or grossly exaggerated physical or psychological symptoms, in order to escape something. For example a person wants to get out of military service and so that individual fakes having sever headaches and stomach aches. Malingering differs from factitious disorder in the motivation behind the illness. In factitious disorder you will remember that it dealt with more internal motivation where as malingering deals with extrinsic motivation.
Narcissistic personality disorder: pervasive pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and lack of empathy that begins by early adulthood. Individuals with narcissistic personality disorder have grandiose thoughts of self importance. They overrate their importance , accomplishments, and abilities. Further, they feel that admiration over their accomplishments are long over due. They feel superior to others. In a diagnostic class we watched a video and the teacher asked us to diagnose the individuals. When the video of the individual with narcissism came on we were able to diagnose him with the first few seconds even before he spoke. These individuals entire posture and behavior appears narcissistic. Another interesting thought, most politicians have a streak of narcissism. This seems logical because who else would be able to take the criticism that they do without cracking.
Learning disorders: A discrepancy between a person's cognitive ability and their academic ability in a specific area: math, reading, etc. Or another way to look at learning disorders is by the amount of intervention necessary to help an individual get to the average. For example most kids can learn a subject matter just fine by sitting in the normal classroom. On the other hand, a child with a math learning disorder can't. This child will need extra help such as reading with a peer tutor for extra time or with a reading specialist. It may be that they need to be pulled out of the regular education room for resource.
Malingering: the intentional production of false or grossly exaggerated physical or psychological symptoms, in order to escape something. For example a person wants to get out of military service and so that individual fakes having sever headaches and stomach aches. Malingering differs from factitious disorder in the motivation behind the illness. In factitious disorder you will remember that it dealt with more internal motivation where as malingering deals with extrinsic motivation.
Narcissistic personality disorder: pervasive pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and lack of empathy that begins by early adulthood. Individuals with narcissistic personality disorder have grandiose thoughts of self importance. They overrate their importance , accomplishments, and abilities. Further, they feel that admiration over their accomplishments are long over due. They feel superior to others. In a diagnostic class we watched a video and the teacher asked us to diagnose the individuals. When the video of the individual with narcissism came on we were able to diagnose him with the first few seconds even before he spoke. These individuals entire posture and behavior appears narcissistic. Another interesting thought, most politicians have a streak of narcissism. This seems logical because who else would be able to take the criticism that they do without cracking.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Letter K
Kleptomania:
An individual with the diagnosis of kleptomania has a behavior of recurrently failing to resist impulses to steal. Kleptomania causes an individual to feel a rising subjective sense of tension right be for a theft and after the theft the individual feels pleasure, gratification, or relief. The theft does not occur out of anger or vengeance but only to release the tension the individual feels. The objects stolen are of little or no significant value. Occasionally the individual will return the stolen items or they will hoard them.
Individuals with kleptomania feel depressed and guilty for their theft. Preliminary evidence shows that females make up two-thirds of kleptomaniacs. However, kleptomaniacs only make up less than 5% of shoplifters.
An individual with the diagnosis of kleptomania has a behavior of recurrently failing to resist impulses to steal. Kleptomania causes an individual to feel a rising subjective sense of tension right be for a theft and after the theft the individual feels pleasure, gratification, or relief. The theft does not occur out of anger or vengeance but only to release the tension the individual feels. The objects stolen are of little or no significant value. Occasionally the individual will return the stolen items or they will hoard them.
Individuals with kleptomania feel depressed and guilty for their theft. Preliminary evidence shows that females make up two-thirds of kleptomaniacs. However, kleptomaniacs only make up less than 5% of shoplifters.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Letter J
There are no diagnosis that start with the letter J that I'm aware of or that can be found in the DSM-IV-TR. However, there is an amazing psychologist named Carl Jung who I will quote,
"Anyone who wants to know the human psyche will learn next to nothing from experimental psychology. He would be better advised to abandon exact science, put away his scholar’s gown, bid farewell to his study, and wander with human heart throughout the world. There in the horrors of prisons, lunatic asylums and hospitals, in drab suburban pubs, in brothels and gambling-hells, in the salons of the elegant, the stock exchanges, socialist meetings, churches, revivalist gatherings and ecstatic sects, through love and hate, through the experience of passion in every form in his own body, he would reap a richer stores of knowledge than text-books a foot thick could give him, and he will know how to doctor the sick with a real knowledge of the human soul."
As writers this applies to us as well. In order to truly write the great stories we need to have experiences. No we are not going to fly spaceships or have magical powers but we can have human experiences that will inspire us and make us step outside our boxes. We can open our minds to those things that go beyond what we have seen a million times and write about the human condition in all its forms. Also, we can put down the books that teach us to write and start writing!
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Letters H and I
Yesterday got a little busy for as you have probably noticed so today we get two letters. I do not have a spotlight for tomorrow. If I do not get one then I will continue my story instead. If anyone is interested in having a flash fiction spotlighted please let me know.
Letter H:
Histrionic personality disorder: Individuals with this disorder have pervasive and excessive emotionality and attention-seeking behavior. These individuals must be at the center of attention or they feel as if they are unloved and unwanted. They generally attract new acquaintances because of their flirty and outgoing behavior. However these acquaintances wear thin and dissolve due to the need of the individual with histrionic personality disorder of always needing to be the center of attention. If they are not the life of the party then they will perform a dramatic act to become the center of attention, no matter what it takes. The behaviors of these individuals is often sexually provocative or seductive. Emotional expression is shallow and shifting. Additionally individuals with histrionic personality disorder express strong opinions with dramatic flair. Further, these opinions are easily swayed and changed.
Letter I:
Intermittent explosive disorder: Individuals with intermittent explosive disorder have occurrences of discreet episodes of failure to resist aggressive impulses that result in assualtive acts either on other individuals or property. In order to qualify for the disorder the acts must be out of proportion to the current circumstances that the assaultive act occurs. Individuals with intermittent explosive disorder generally describe the attack as a rising tension or arousal and after the outburst an immediate sense of relief.
Letter H:
Histrionic personality disorder: Individuals with this disorder have pervasive and excessive emotionality and attention-seeking behavior. These individuals must be at the center of attention or they feel as if they are unloved and unwanted. They generally attract new acquaintances because of their flirty and outgoing behavior. However these acquaintances wear thin and dissolve due to the need of the individual with histrionic personality disorder of always needing to be the center of attention. If they are not the life of the party then they will perform a dramatic act to become the center of attention, no matter what it takes. The behaviors of these individuals is often sexually provocative or seductive. Emotional expression is shallow and shifting. Additionally individuals with histrionic personality disorder express strong opinions with dramatic flair. Further, these opinions are easily swayed and changed.
Letter I:
Intermittent explosive disorder: Individuals with intermittent explosive disorder have occurrences of discreet episodes of failure to resist aggressive impulses that result in assualtive acts either on other individuals or property. In order to qualify for the disorder the acts must be out of proportion to the current circumstances that the assaultive act occurs. Individuals with intermittent explosive disorder generally describe the attack as a rising tension or arousal and after the outburst an immediate sense of relief.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Letter G
Global Assessment of Functioning: A number assigned to an individual rating that individual's overall psychological functioning. Not a disorder but rather an easy way for other professionals to see the lowest level the individual was for the past year. An individual can receive a score from 0-100. For example if a person were to receive a score from 61-70 that individual would have some mild symptoms (e.g. depressed mood and mild insomnia) or some difficulty in a social context such as school or work. The lower the score the lower functioning individual. An individual would be hospitalized if they received a score below 50 in most cases. An average individual has a score above 80.
This score will change depending on the situation. For example an average individual going through a crisis will have a much lower GAF score than if that individual was in a normal situation.
This score will change depending on the situation. For example an average individual going through a crisis will have a much lower GAF score than if that individual was in a normal situation.
Friday, April 6, 2012
Letter F and Story continued
Factitious disorder: In this disorder the individual is characterized by intentionally producing physical or psychological disorders in order to assume the sick role. The individual may manipulate instruments such as a thermometer in order to show signs of the illness. They might complain of abdominal pain or other symptoms that support their claimed problem. External motivators such as economic gain, avoiding legal responsibility, etc. are absent.
When presenting their medical or psychological history the individual does it with flair, but are vague and inconsistent with further questioning. They may engage in pathological lying that gets the listeners interest.
A similar disorder that has the same qualities is factitious disorder by proxy. This disorder has the same symptoms of factitious disorder but instead of the symptoms being that of the individual the symptoms are that of an individual the person is caring for. For example a mother taking care of a child may claim the child has an illness that the child doesn’t truly have.
Story Continued:
Tabatha’s legs went weak and she slumped to the floor. The cold floor did nothing to bring the feeling back into her legs and body. Her stomach felt like a black hole had formed and sucked her life force leaving nothing but darkness and cold. She lifted her hands up in front of her face looking for any sign of the truth the man was telling her, but knowing it was true.
There were no memories of a family or of a childhood. Her first memory was waking up in a hospital bed and told that she had been in a terrible accident. The doctor explained that she would probably never regain her memory and there was no record of her in the system. The hospital supplied her with new identification after several months of working with a case worker, and no family had been found.
Tabatha trained with the local defense contractor and excelled in her studies; quickly advancing within the ranks. When the contractor sold out she was once again without work, so she hired on with another company that offered nannies as well as security. Once again, Tabatha was a natural and was soon working for Neil Florantin, a wealthy businessman. This is where she fell in love with the child.
“Tabatha, I need you to follow me,” the man rolled toward her holding out his hand. “I couldn’t tell you earlier because I needed to make sure you were okay.”
The words registered in Tabatha’s brain but made little sense. Her mind raced with the new information that she tried to assimilate with the old. She had never felt love before the child. A single tear rolled down her cheek remembering the child. Is any of it real? She had been taught that androids have no emotions only that they can perceive what is expected and then act upon that expectation.
Touching her shoulder gently the man said, “I’ll explain everything. It’ll be okay.”
The brunette’s scream reverberated off the walls shattering the wall of fog surrounding Tabatha’s mind. She grabbed the man’s hand and jumped to her feet yanking the man out of his wheel chair. Five guards held rifles, two standing over the brunette and a pool of blood that seeped out into the room.
“Tabatha.”
It was all the man could say before Tabatha whipped the man around and had the crook of her arm around his throat squeezing the rest of his words out like a croak. She backed toward the door dragging the man with her.
“Stop or we’ll shoot.”
A smile crept across Tabatha’s face. She was in her environment now and she knew how this would turn out. She compressed the man’s larynx tighter and he held up his hand stopping the advance of the five men.
A fresh smell of spring swept into the room as Tabatha pushed the glass door open and left the building. Outside she dropped the limp man to the ground and ran toward the parking lot. She smashed the window of the first vehicle she came to. Blood ran down her arm but she didn’t feel it. Tabatha didn’t feel anything anymore.
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