i want to be a psychology major!

[oslo]

you can tell me your problems, i'll respond if you want me to and i won't if you don't. i promise to read every post and i promise i won't judge you. use it if you want to, but please, no rude comments.

[dajo]

how far away are you from your degree?

[oslo]

pretty far, lol. i'm still in high school, but i study the human mind as often as i can. i have my sister's college psychology book i like to look through, and i read a lot of things online.

[Catbus]

What are your thoughts on practicing psychiatry

[oslo]

honestly, i don't believe in psychiatry. the only difference in psychology and psychiatry is the use of prescription medication to treat depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders. i believe that with enough mental dedication and will power, one can overcome such things on their own. i know this to be true (at least for myself) through personal experiences, so i thoroughly believe it.

[Zhaylin]

Okay then, Mr. Smarty-Pants I present myself in favor of Psychiatry: I take meds for excessive "anxiety". I use that term in quotes because 90% of the time, easily, I am not consciously *anxious* about anything. I could be watching a peaceful documentary or speaking with friends or having a leisurely drive down the road. The first symptom presents itself as excessive yawning. I feel as if I cannot get enough good air into my lungs. Then I have what I describe as "adrenaline surges": the area especially around my mouth tingles but also my hands. After that, I become tired. I begin to experience two "realities": a dream is foremost in my vision but in the background- as if behind a screen- is reality. My speech begins to slur and I eventually lose function of part of my body (I go limp). From there, I fall promptly to sleep even if completely rested. I call that my "cataplexy-like phase". When I started doing that while driving, I started seeing my p-doc. I've been tested for narcolepsy, so that's not it. My blood work is normal. My blood sugar and blood pressure are normal. I tried exposure therapy. But what exactly am I exposing myself to when the episodes are so random and illogical. But one of my stressors did appear to be driving, no matter how much I enjoy driving. Regardless of how many times I had a good trip, the episodes continued. I tried a multitude of meds to get where I am today. Prozac, Lexapro and now Celexa work in eliminating the above episodes. [We switched at various times because of cost and theoretical better results] As a bonus, when I'm menstruating I used to feel as though someone kneed me in the crotch a few hundred times, and my back would seize up to the point of immobility, but after starting those meds I was very surprised (and happy!!!) to discover that pain went away. I agree that meds are usually overly prescribed and I admit to being a willing lab rat for my p-doc, but sometimes meds are the best option. **EDIT** Oh yeah... WELCOME to DV

[Savy]

I don't have any questions. But as a college student myself, I have a tip for you: If you're serious about psychology, a bachelors isn't going to cut it. A ton of people major in psych, and the degree isn't that useful at the bachelors level. Get your masters/doctorate if you can.

[oslo]

i understand where you're coming from, Zhaylin, but my argument is that with enough knowledge of yourself, you can learn what is causing certain situations to develop and then learn how to control them. for example, why do i always have a headache after i get out of the shower? is my shower too hot, too cold? am i staying in too long? the answer i've found is that something as simple as a shower triggers my hydrophobia (to a lesser degree) and since i know showers are safe, my body transforms the fear into something more manageable, a physical pain AKA, my headache. if you've found something that works for you then that's great, congratulations. i just feel like with enough dedication, you can find the source of your symptoms and learn to control them, and eventually be medicine free. and thank you i like it here.

[Zhaylin]

I have always done as you suggest It used to get on my families nerves because I had to completely understand anything. They were always like: "Take the medicine already! Why do you HAVE to know WHY you need it?!" I have always been painfully aware of the psychological workings of my mind so I fought for a long time against the anxiety diagnosis. I fought against meds even longer. I've concluded that some people have a very real chemical imbalance that only meds can help (after all other things have been tried and exhausted). All that said, I see my p-doc about every 2 weeks and have for almost a decade (though not as regularly for the first several years). He doesn't just give me meds, he also counsels me and acts as a sounding board. I think general practicioners should be banned from prescribing psychological meds. I don't think a person should use meds outside counseling.

[dakotahnok]

I think that medication is amazing. Anytime I feel a bit off I take medication. Cause why not? Why over complicate things more by over analyzing things? Taking a couple pills is much better than just sitting there in pain- waiting for your brain to come up with a way to fix yourself. Though. I can not find a good medication for nausea. I am sick to my stomach almost every night. So to cope with it I meditate, and I have to say it works. But I think in extreme cases your mind can't fix yourself, especially of your mind is the problem. Try meditating with extreme diareaha. That's not going to help. IMHO Mind over matter is bull shit. It works when it's just you making yourself sick. But if something is seriously wrong with you then medication is the way to go. My grandpa had extreme Alzheimer's. Not even medication could help him. He wasn't even in the right state of mind to help himself. Right now my other grandpa is in a coma at the hospital because of failing kidneys and a heart attack. He isn't going to help himself by using his mind.

[Deadly]

If your brain chemistry is off, from drug abuse, long term emotional distress or just underlying genetic factors, the RIGHT medication is really helpful. Chances are though you'll have to research it yourself (at least in the UK) and then go to a receptive GP/MD/Shrink and see if you can get what you think is best for you. I was given lots of different medication over a 10 year period until I finally took my Doctor to one side, showed that I knew what I was talking about and now I've got some medication that actually works! :O As an added bonus, my anti-psychotics has made my LDs a lot more stable and improved my recall.

[Xox]

Oslo my dear, one of the first things you learn while majoring/reading psych is that you should never give advice/therapy unless you are fully qualified. Now I understand this is just a forum and all, but just a tip for future reference. Also yes, be prepared to spend a shitload of time in school if you want a great job.

[oslo]

Dakotahnok, i do understand alternative opinions, and i appreciate you sharing yours with me. also, if meditating works for your nausea, why can't it work when you're feeling off? i'm very sorry about your grandpas, and no, they can't do anything about it now, but my theory is that you start as early as possible understanding what makes you feel a certain way and why, therefore it never escalates to anything to anything too major. and i know that freak things happen like cancer and comas, and that there's nothing to be done about it now, and once again i'm sorry.

[oslo]

Deadly, i understand where you're coming from, especially with genetic conditions. i didn't mean to seem like i reject ALL practices of medicine, i do believe that in certain cases medicine is entirely necessary, and every person's story is different. it's really up to the person involved to decide what's best for them. if you've found something that works, then i think that's wonderful however, for me personally, i've been able to stop taking most of my medications and am more stable than ever

[oslo]

Xox, yes hahaha i plan on going to college for six years and if i'm not sick of it by then, i'll finish the last two. and i appreciate your advice, but i don't find anything wrong with giving some simple advice every now and again. i mean, if someone posted a message that they were suicidal, that would be a different story. i'm not trying to solve anyone's mental puzzles haha. thank you for the comment, have a wonderful day

[Zhaylin]

Yeah, after all, I'm sure "Dear Abby" doesn't feel badly I don't think there's anything wrong with giving advice when asked, so long as people know it's no substitution for a medical follow-up if warranted.

[Erii]

Mind over matter is bull shit. It works when it's just you making yourself sick. But if something is seriously wrong with you then medication is the way to go. false for me. when i was in my darkest time, never did i take medicine for that specific reason and i got out on my own.

[dakotahnok]

false for me. when i was in my darkest time, never did i take medicine for that specific reason and i got out on my own. I didnt mean that all mind over matter is bs. I meant that with most things its bs. True mental problems cant be fixed because you know whats wrong with you. If you had a dark time than thats different than a true illness.

[Erii]

I didnt mean that all mind over matter is bs. I meant that with most things its bs. True mental problems cant be fixed because you know whats wrong with you. If you had a dark time than thats different than a true illness. ok, well illness. Suicidal, self harm, suicidal ideations,anxiety, depression, isolation every day, etc. "illness" yeah i'm not fully better, but better.

[Vivaldi]

I have a degree in psychology, and I consider it one of the biggest mistakes in my life that I regret nearly every day. Especially when it's job hunting time. Someone already said it, but don't do it unless you plan to go all the way to PhD or PsyD. It's pretty useless otherwise.