Comments | tetra_pakk: abnormal is the new normal.

tetra_pakk

abnormal is the new normal.

Sep 30, 2012 23:38

Spent my entire day revising Abnormal Psychology today. Thanks to a friend (ahem) who was commenting on my status about the DSM-IV-TR, I have inspiration to write yet another rambling, cynical, pessimistic entry ( Read more... )

Comments 5

ext_1423085 October 1 2012, 07:41:00 UTC

Whoa, smint ( ... )

tetra_pakk October 1 2012, 09:39:27 UTC

It is certainly true that disorders often involve chemical imbalalances, that's why you have the SSRIs, MAOIs, tricyclics, benzodiazepines etc. But the trigger factors are usual social/environmental ones. Like with PTSD, I think it's actually one of the illnesses, IMO, that you can't really blame the patient for. I think there's a difference between the way psychiatrists and psychologists carry out therapies, at least from my experience. My psychiatrists are generally more assertive (not that they aren't nice, but relative to other doctors I've seen so far, they just are), but the psychologist is much kinder and more gentle ( ... )

ext_1423085 October 1 2012, 10:06:54 UTC

It's true the trigger factors are usually social/environmental, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. My mentor likens it to the straw that broke the camel's back. Is it the last straw's fault, or is it the other 999 straws that was already on the camel's back instead? People tend to focus on the last straw, but what psychotherapy strives to do is to either remove those 999 other straws, or strengthen the camel's back muscles, so that in future, 500 more straws won't break his back anymore ( ... )

tetra_pakk October 2 2012, 15:41:45 UTC

WHAT hahahaha are you kidding what class was this! I only talk if I actually like the topic, or the prof/tutor. Otherwise I keep my mouth shut or I space out/daydream.

The straws on the camel's back. Nice analogy. Problem with me is that I 死背, and if it's worth rambling about, I ramble. Otherwise it goes out of my mind that moment the mod's over, except the more salient parts which earn themselves a permanent place in my LTM (:

Jiayou for psychiatry man and don't get disillusioned like me!! Glad that you're doing it for the right reasons, not the just prestige and stuff. (:

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