Psychiatry and Psychology

I’ve been thinking about this on and off for a while, and it would be good to get some other POV’s. Is delusion within a tribe/society/nation and self delusion, to some degree, necessary for a hyper conscious species (like ours) dominant/successful survival? I’m generally thinking about anthropocentric religious belief, and, seemingly dangerous levels of confidence that do pay off (that is, for example, impove a tribes chances of overall survival and dominance).

I was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder in my teens. I mostly ignored that diagnosis because I didn’t want to know about it. BPD is a pretty brutal diagnosis and the prognosis used to be very negative. I decided to get on with my life and I aimed to be as together and balanced as I could possibly be. For the most part I succeeded. I have been in the same job for four years (one with adults with intellectual disabilities and behaviours that challenge), I do community work (with Irish Travellers) and I maintain stable and close relationships. Even though I am a competent and normal person, I have had to lie in order to be employable. I am finally getting over …

Hi! I'm a doctoral student at a North American university and I’m looking for science enthusiasts to try out my new online psychology study on alcohol use, sensation seeking and perception of emotions. By participating, you'll be contributing to research on alcoholism. You can also get feedback about your personality! To start, click on (or cut and paste) the link: http://www.cvl.mcgill.ca/Alcohol2.htm If anyone has any questions, please let me know. Thanks so much, Sarah Kennedy

1.1 This is both a longitudinal account, going back to my conception in October 1943, and a short term account taking in my most recent experiences in the last year(5/07-5/08)with manic-depression(MD) or bipolar disorder(BPD) as it has come to be called in recent years. Some of the personal context for this illness over the lifespan in my private and public life, in the relationships of my family of birth and of marriage, of work and now of retirement are discussed in this document. I include some of what seems to me my major and relevant: (a) personal circumstances as they relate to my values, beliefs and attitudes on the one hand--what some might call my religion as de…

Over the last 100 years or so, has the average IQ, as measured in schools by standard IQ tests (like the Stanford-Binet and the WAIS), been going up? If so, by how much? Has it beeing going up in adults as well as children? What would be the causes of this?

A portrait of my brain... All in the name of psychology research of course!!!

i need a possible cause or is there a related link between adhd and conduct disorder and is it possible for people in later adolescence to become or start to show the signs of narcisistic personality disorder before the age of 21 as i saw a web site that quoted up to 85 character traits of a possible narcisistic disorder person and my friend out of the 85 showed traits in 84 of the character traits for this disorder now at the moment the latest diagnosis was when aged 13-14 and that was for conduct disorder can anyone help me to not confuse between adhd,conductdisorder,anxiety disorder and narcisistic personality disorder. my friend has been previously diagnosed with adhd…

Hi, In turning to one another and a vivid thinking, i have seen a lot too many wobbleheads! I always look into books and television. I see this word 'the jews'. The jews are this and that. They were under labour camps! Can anyone explain to me as to how and why jews are differentiated from a normal foreigner! And how can i characterise a normal man from a jew??? --------------- eric

Im trying to think of what you could call this kind of thinking: "whatever, we're all going to die anyway" Its not necessarily pessimistic (well, sorta, but an extreme form), or nihilist... I was wondering, because if any of you have seen ATHF, there is one episode with the dolls, and Meatwad takes on the depressive doll's character. Frylock comes in and says something, and Meatwad replies "well whatever, we're all gonna die anyway" - or something very similar. so dont worry, that's not my view on life. lol thanks

I was just wondering if anyone had some advise at all for me on this subject: My Fiance's older daughter (5) has been hitting her self on the head and banging her head into things and even at times pulling her own hair (sometimes even pulling some out) this has been going on now for a couple years (ever since her younger sister(3) was born ) and we kind of attribute this behavior to almost being jealous of her sister and being mad that she is not the only child any longer (we believe this is the case) and now we just recently found out that she (my fiancee) is pregnant again and it seems like the actions of the oldest have gotten worse. the biggest worry now is that t…

Does anyone knows if this is possible nowadays? Taking somekind of drug that gives you the effects but not the side effects. Or maybe by any other means...

I think this story is proof that behaviours are shaped heavily and dominantly by environment. Human DNA to me is only the latent potential for a human to be much more than what, a chicken, can possibly become. Our behaviour is really at mercy of our environment. What do you think? A man in Suva, Fiji, is being taught to act human after being raised as a chicken. Clayton said doctors examined Sunjit and found no mental defects. Professionals agreed that his condition was the result of years of neglect and abuse. "He had imitated or imprinted with the chicken," Clayton said. "He was perching, he was picking at his food, he was hopping around like a chicken. He'd k…

Any ideas on how social factors such as gender, class or race (or any others that scienceforum members can think of) shape or affect the LGBT youth subculture?

Hi, I'm a 2nd. year BSc Psychology student who needs your help. I have to write/conduct a psychology experiment on my own for the first time, but I'm not sure what to write about. Can you guys suggest an interesting topic that could be fun to write about? It would be ideal if it has been done before, so I can just replicte the study, as my lecturer recommended this. I don't have much time, so I can't do anything big. This project is really a practice for the students. Thanks for your help!

In some of the early literature on psychoanalysis, there are reports of patients having hallucinations of one kind or another (vidual, auditory, etc.), and the analysis is that these hallucination symbolically represent repressed content in the unconscious. A lot of psychoanalysis has been discredited today, but I'm wondering if there's still anything to this. Can hallucinations carry any symbolic significance, or are they more or less random?

The question is stated pretty well in the thread title, but I'll try to go deeper. I would like to make the distinction between reaching a goal for the purpose of satisfaction and reaching a goal for the purpose of personal continuation. There are goals that must be attained for survival such as feeding oneself enough food to stay nourished, but I think that these goals are few and far between when compared to the things that people strive to attain through goals that would bring immediate and/or short-lasting pleasure. So there are many unnecessary goals manufactured by the personal psyche to bring short-lasting happiness and there are few inherently necessary goals…

How does one learn to control his dreams?:

I apologize if this is in the wrong section.. My son, 14, just got in trouble along with some other kids at school, a perfect example of peer pressure and groupthink, I think in this case. Anyway, I thought it appropriate as part of his punishment to have him do some reading on the subject, write me a little paper on it. Thing is, I'm having trouble finding a good article or paper on it. Everything I find is either a single page summary "dumbed down", or a collegiate level contribution using high diction he's not familiar with. Can anyone here suggest a good link to a scientific article or something, relevant to group psychology/behavior, that might go into …

I am disabled and diagnosed with schizophrenia. I have quite a number of health problems which have prompted me to turn to a science forum for help on my biggest problem which is sleep. I tend to sleep excessively for about 12 hours or so after taking my medication. given that i have been awake enough to my sleepy on my own. without my medication I most likely would not be able to get to sleep at all. as far as antipsychotics go i have tried risperdal, xyprexa, seroquel, prolictin, all of which keeps my symptoms under control, with some side effects, however some put me to sleep much longer than i'd hope (seroquel) the risperdal is not enough and is given to me a…

I've been recently struck with a respiratory illness which seems to involve quite a bit of blowing of the nose, and it has gotten me thinking. Is this an innate behavior or something we learn to do culturally? Do all cultures blow their noses? Do any other animals? Is it something that would had to have evolved with fabrics, or would a leaf or just your hand do?

Ok, so my wife calls me up at lunch today to discuss the idea of getting a pet bird, a Cockatoo, in order to make her quit smoking. The idea being that since smoke is bad for birds, it gives her a goal to work toward, and it will help liberate her from boredom. I think that's psychotic thinking, quite frankly. I seriously think this is setting her up for failure. I can't seem to get my head around the glaring problem here, and yet it seems obvious to me at the same time. I asked her to clarify why increased life span, not stinking like smoke, smooth skin and voice, and etc was not enough - why a bird suddenly tilts the balance to a stop smoking campaign. …

how do you controlling your sleep pls? i was reading the other sleep thread and they were talking about its better to stay up late... how do u tho... like when i get tired i fall asleep where ever im at... i no cuz my room is on the 3rd floor of our house and like wen i want to stay up late with mom or somethimg i always fall asleep no mater how i try to stay awake and daddy always has to cary me to my room but then... im up at like 5am every morning before they or my brother even wake up and i have to play with myself for like 2 hours untill they finally wake i tried candy to and it dont keep me awake

All feedback is welcome and appreciated Math and synergy can be used to understand human behavior. Metaphysics and modern psychology are explored using a formula. This formula transcends those beliefs. It reorganizes Carl Jung's concept of archetypes. It involves synergy in that it combines types until they assume a new meaning and can be viewed and classified under a larger umbrella. Archetypes are primal symbols of people. They are basic instincts and tendencies. Archetypes represent the hopes, desires, and needs that people universally exhibit and express without being aware of it. They are our primitive selves. They make up the unconscious mind. Thes…

Hi Everyone, I was adopted at 8 weeks old and wasnt told i was adopted until I was 16 years old:doh: From an early age I felt different to my adopted faimly. I loved them and never doubted I was their son. All the time I never quite fitted in like a square peg in a round hole. Also this showed itself in a physiclal form. I soiled myself and wet the bed until I was teenager. It ws my interest in girls which made my bowels take control. Does anyone have any opions on this.

Okay, I am not gay or bi but I have mistakenly fooled around with up to four guys, and each time I was heavily intoxicated with drugs and alchohol. I have a moderate-high sex drive, I've known that since I was younger but I never had any affection or sexual urge for other men, I grew up as a normal kid. The first time this happened, it was with my bisexual roomate(who I probably have to blame for all this), I remember being really nauseated and suicidal the very next day. The second time was also followed by bouts of depression and paranoia. The third and forth time was with a complete stranger. However, I'd like to note that each time, we never actually did it (intercour…