Week 8 DQ 1 Posted: Sun 06/19/2011 12:14 PM , by: Instructor
With anxiety disorders, people often feel stressed out or panicked, as they cannot stop worrying about aspects of their life or work to the point where it is debilitating. They often compulsively perform actions in order to stave off the anxiety, and they also do not understand how to completely relax. They are constantly at a heightened state of awareness, and their ability to deal with stress is at an all time low. They simply cannot maintain any sense of calm.
Treatments for this include cognitive behavioral therapy and medications; these can allow the patient to understand the causes behind their own anxious tics, and learn coping mechanisms that can help you overcome them. The medication allows biochemical imbalances in the brain, which often cause these anxious feelings, to be balanced out.
Re: Week 8 DQ 1 Posted: Tue 06/21/2011 08:48 PM , by: Veola
Veola, I agree with your assessment that schizophrenia is a debilitating mental disorder that prevents people from truly being able to function in the outside world. It is a shame when people are so removed from reality that they cannot take care of themselves. Schizophrenia is a very important disorder to treat.
Re: Week 8 DQ 1 Posted: Wed 06/22/2011 06:30 AM , by: Latonya
Latonya, anxiety disorder is indeed a common occurrence; in today’s fast paced world, it is easy to become stressed and anxious. You do not know whether or not you can keep up with the rest of your schedule, or do everything you need to do. As a result, these disorders can spiral out of control.
Week 8 DQ 2 Posted: Sun 06/19/2011 12:15 PM , by: Instructor
Abnormal behavior can be defined as abnormality as a legal concept and abnormality as a deviation from the ideal. Legally, there are bases for abnormality, particularly in the instance of criminal cases. People can plea for innocence on grounds of insanity when they are accused of a crime; in this instance, their abnormal behavior means they were not fully in charge of their mental faculties, and therefore could not control themselves. As a result, they should not be punished for their actions.
Abnormality as a deviation from the ideal defines it as the way in which people at as contrary to how the majority of society attempts to act. There is a certain standard of decency and behavior that is expected of most people; when people actively contradict that or act according to their own personal code, that is known as abnormal behavior. In this instance, they are not acting according to the social ideal.
Re: Week 8 DQ 2 Posted: Tue 06/21/2011 01:41 PM , by: George
George, your choices of abnormality varieties are very apt – both legally and personally, they can really get in the way of living a full life. When people commit violent crimes, they are often not in full control of their actions, or not aware of the consequences. This leads to pleas of insanity.
Re: Week 8 DQ 2 Posted: Wed 06/22/2011 07:27 AM , by: Latonya
Latonya, abnormality is indeed a deviation from the normal or ideal – when we are not operating at our full potential or in the best interests of ourselves or the community, we are being abnormal. We cannot function in an efficient manner, and carry out the tasks that are required for full function in society.
Week 8 DQ 3 Posted: Sun 06/19/2011 12:16 PM , by: Instructor
Anxiety disorders are describing a comparatively mild set of disorders related directly to a person’s sense of unease. Mental apprehension, dissociation and general anxiety are some varieties of this. People can become obsessive compulsive as a reflex to combat their anxiety, making it often worse. These experiences keep a person at a high level of physical tension.
Somatoform disorders have physical symptoms, unlike the relatively mental or emotionally-related anxiety or mood disorders. Many people experience pain or sickness when there is physically none there – it often comes from a place of panic, as they always fear the possibility of injury or disease. This manifests itself physically in the symptoms they often fear.
Mood disorders, like bipolar disorder or manic depression, dramatically alter the patient’s mood, making them irritable, sad, moody, flighty or easily disturbed. This leads to tremendous ups and downs in their state of mind, making it unsafe for them to experience any kind of stress.
Re: Week 8 DQ 3 Posted: Wed 06/22/2011 08:21 AM , by: Latonya
Latonya, your assessments of the differences between disorders are very apt – somatoform disorders are particularly disconcerting to me, because of the fact that they are physically manifested. With mood disorders, I feel that they can be equally as scary, because there are deep seated psychological issues for these in particular.
Re: Week 8 DQ 3 Posted: Thu 06/23/2011 07:59 PM , by: Veola
Veola, you have many good points about anxiety disorders and mood disorders – I am especially disconcerted with those individuals who cannot control their moods, performing brazen acts of lashing out at others without provocation. With anxiety disorders, the patient cannot shake the feeling of being panicked, and that is especially frightening to me.
Re: Week 8 DQ 4 Posted: Thu 06/23/2011 01:08 PM , by: George
George, I am definitely on the same page as you – I find myself becoming incredibly anxious from time to time, as I never really feel at ease. There is always something to do or somewhere to go, and I am never caught up to the point where I can relax. It can really bother me to the level of interfering with my ability to stay calm.
Re: Week 8 DQ 4 Posted: Thu 06/23/2011 10:47 PM , by: Marta S.
Marta, I also share your fear of heights. I believe that anxiety is somewhat of a constant in our lives – it is a necessity in order to motivate us to take action. Our fear of heights stems from our desire to not have anything bad happen to us. While it is often necessary, as that heightened awareness keeps us from doing something stupid, we can’t let it take over our lives.
HUM
Week 8: DQ1 Posted: Mon 06/20/2011 05:53 AM , by: Instructor
During the time of John F. Kennedy’s presidency, the country was stricken by a great many conflicts: Vietnam, the Cold War, student protests and an increasingly paranoid culture which feared Communists around every corner. The aim of his speech was to put the American people at ease and allay their fears. While he remained secure in the future of this country, he asked that the American people do their part in ensuring its continued success and dominance. He asked people what they could do for their country, which made them stop and think about America instead of their own particular interests. Kennedy knew that the government could not accomplish everything it set out to on its own; he needed citizens to volunteer themselves. Kennedy had a lot to prove in his presidency, due to his youth; this speech helped to galvanize the nation and bring everyone together in a common cause.
Re: Week 8: DQ1 Posted: Mon 06/20/2011 12:10 PM , by: Gregory
Gregory, you have some good points about the reasoning behind Kennedy’s inaugural address. There were many social and political changes taking place at that time, particularly with the hippie movement and Vietnam. Student protests were at an all time high, and his address served as a call to service mostly.
Re: Week 8: DQ1 Posted: Tue 06/21/2011 07:53 PM , by: Tammy
Tammy, I agree with your points about Gregory – Kennedy absolutely needed to perform that address, as he needed to prove that he would do what he set out to do. Our word is our bond, and we must be beholden to it, especially if we are in such a position of power as Kennedy was at that time.
Week 8: DQ2 Posted: Tue 06/21/2011 06:05 AM , by: Instructor
Oversimplifying your arguments is often a good way to make sure that your point gets across. It strips the argument down to its bare essentials and makes even the layman aware of what you are talking about. However, at the same time, keeping things too simple will strip the argument of its meaning or nuance. The details are also important, as it helps to justify your position in the argument and debunk the position of your opponent.
Defeating oversimplification is as easy as reading up on your subject. Learning as much as you can allows you to navigate the intricacies of the issue and argue it in detail. This way, you are not making ad hominem arguments and making spurious connections that can derail your argument if your opponent is more informed that you. Keeping a healthy appreciation for the subject you are arguing helps you to get your point across and stay educated.
Re: Week 8: DQ2 Posted: Tue 06/21/2011 07:41 PM , by: Tammy
Tammy, you are right in that inaccuracies happen as a result of ignorance or laziness. We will often write things or have opinions without checking the facts or going over what we know. The only way we can actually verify that we are talking about the right thing is to check all of those facts.
Re: Week 8: DQ2 Posted: Thu 06/23/2011 06:36 PM, by: Quinnell
Quinnell, I also agree that Tammy had a good example with her suggestion of verifying the work before submitting it. Errors can really cost you a good grade, and therefore you cannot just go in half-cocked and make grievous spelling and grammar errors. I do not want to risk providing an assignment that could cost me points.
Week 8: DQ 3 Posted: Wed 06/22/2011 05:32 AM , by: Instructor
Re: Week 8: DQ3 Posted: Wed 06/22/2011 01:25 PM , by: David
David, I agree that detail is the primary means by which you can keep your assignments from becoming too simplified. Not providing a great amount of detail will make it seem like you do not know what you are talking about, or that you will avoid the nuances that need to be addressed.
Re: Week 8: DQ3 Posted: Wed 06/22/2011 06:25 PM , by: Derek
Derek, you make a good point that you must be aware of what you are talking about, carrying a greater level of knowledge and expertise than those you are informing. Otherwise, you are not making any difference in your argument – you are just spouting out unfounded opinions that do not contribute to the debate.
Re: Week 8: DQ3 Posted: Wed 06/22/2011 10:11 PM , by: Tammy
Tammy, you are also right; you have to learn as much as you can before you talk about a topic, so that way you can be an authority on that subject. This lends greater credence to the arguments you are making, and will also permit you to be more believable as you make your points.
Re: Week 8: DQ3 Posted: Thu 06/23/2011 11:37 PM , by: Marta S.
Marta, you may also have a good point that you want to avoid oversimplification. While it does help to make a subject less than complicated, so that your audience does not lose the argument, you might lose out on some important aspects of it that could sway your argument. Leaving out those details can often poke holes in your stance.
