Chapter 8 Reflection

Alyssa Brandt

Abnormal Psychology Winter 2011

February 7, 2011

Chapter 8 Reflection

The word “depression” brings many experiences to me. Even though I’ve never been depressed, I’ve known people who have been and have had medication and therapy for it... it’s a complicated process to get through sometimes, with the form-filling and political sides of it. Can people have motivational deficiency disorders without any of the other symptoms of depression? Or is lack of motivation just a symptom of depressive-type disorders?

I also know a girl who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. She is one of the coolest people I know, and I’ve talked to her about it.. it’s true that when bipolar people are in their manic episodes, they can stay awake for days, are continuously happy, and can feel like that can do anything. Later, she also ran away for a week or so because of the pressure and depressive episode (and was put into a 72-hour psychiatric hold), a lot of drama unfolded around the school she was at and had to live with a faculty member because she was deemed “psychologically unstable”. She had a history of self-mutilation, but that had happened almost 10 years prior to it and she hadn’t in a long time. She’s doing much better now, and I can say that people with disorders can still be incredibly fun to be around and interesting, and pretty much normal. They’re not to be ostracized or labeled as “non-humans” or anything remotely alluding to their abnormality.

I’ve been thinking more about whether or not I want to be a psychology major, and I still think I want to art, but I can’t help but be drawn to the people who aren’t getting what they need to be happy and successful members in society. A large portion of the homeless around here have mental disorders, and it could be fixed with effort. I also can’t help but assimilate the information I’m learning in the Human Sexuality class with this one- especially with the homosexuals and suicide rates. I did a speech on bullying and the recent suicides, and it all comes back to the fact that homosexuals are under a lot of pressure to be straight and to “fit in” with society, but they’re not built like that. They should have the right to love and be with anyone they choose. It’s basic human rights-to live, love, and be happy.

One other thing that I kept thinking about during the chapter was a song by Rammstein, a German industrial band of whom I am incredibly fond of. The name of it is “Sprung”, the German word for “jump”. It tells the story of a man who was standing on a bridge, enjoying the view, when people started telling him to jump- that he was being weak for not going through with his intent to commit suicide. At the end of the song, he does jump- because this mob of people convinced him to. It makes me realize how much of an effect people have on other people’s decisions to take or not take their own lives. Bullying, continuous condemnation, and not supporting and accepting people can drive them to take their own lives- without a real reason to.