Does she really have DID?

As a part of this weekly blog, I thought I might want to do a little research about Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). The video that Mr. Dreier showed us was intriguing but I wanted to see what other kinds of personalities may exist within other people. The woman in this video (her name is either Katie or Mary I believe) claimed to have 25 different personalities, all who knew of each others existence. With DID it seems more likely that the personalities wouldn't know each other because they're all separate people living separately from one another. She goes on to talk about how one of her personalities was a lesbian and that her other personalities didn't know about her girlfriend. When she would switch people, she literally became a whole new person with different memories and perceptions. She claimed that she was able to walk and think at 7 months old and that she remembered being neglected at that young of an age. She then made up another personality to take the place of the life she was living. I find it absolutely impossible to believe that someone can remember something from as early as 7 months old as well as be able to create a personality. DID is something that you're diagnosed with, not something that you can just make up. Personally I think this woman is full of bologna. Her cat, however, makes chirping sounds throughout the video so if the cat had another personality that was a bird, I wouldn't have a hard time believing that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1sXbnBmy8U

Drudgeretort - Kick Texas out of the Union?

While searching for articles about drudgeretort and drudgereport, I found an interesting article under the drudgeretort site. It was an article stating a petition that Texas should be kicked out of the Union. The writer compares the President to someone who shouldn't even run a lemonade stand and blames Texas for that. I have no idea what that means but personally I think that's ridiculous. The writer also doesn't support their opinion that Texas is corrupt and has caused damage to our country. His best arguing statement suggests that "they talk funny." This article was tagged under education and economy but I find it to be rather humorous. There was only one comment in which they stated that the writer is nuts and is mentally ill. I believe that's a bit harsh to say but the commentor probably has their head on straighter than the writer based on the radical views they had.

http://drudgeretort.wordpress.com/2013/01/18/petition-to-kick-texas-out-of-the-union-please-sign/#comments

The Dancing Man!

After a lot of thinking about what to do for the social psychology project that Mr. Dreier handed to us today, I remebered watching a video that might spark some idea. The "Dancing Man" is a great example of conformity as well as a display of leadership. As the video shows, a guy randomly begins dancing in an open area by himself. Many people look at the man like he's crazy but soon before you realize it, another person joins him. Next thing you know a third person joins, then a couple more, and within minutes there's a whole group of people dancing. This shows conformity and how when the group becomes larger, it seems more logical to conform to the dancing and be a part of the movement. As the video states, it's not the first man that is the true leader, but the person who takes a stand and joins him. Personally, I thought this video was pretty inspiring and uplifting. I'm still hoping it'll give me the opportunity for something to "spark" within my brain so that I can figure out what I'm going to do for this project.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V74AxCqOTvg&edufilter=3tuIMtghjfCs1PSo1uotog&safe=active

Thoughts on the AP Test

To be perfectly honest, I'm beyond nervous for the AP test. Having to study and prepare myself for an AP Psych exam, an AP Gov exam, eight events at state solo and ensemble, and prepare myself to take the ACT soon, I've got a lot on my plate. It seems bizarre to me that even though I keep up with the reading and study for the quizzes, I somehow always manage to flunk them miserably. I don't know whether it's test related anxiety or if it's the stress of knowing I don't have enough time or if I didn't study enough but regardless, it concerns me of how I'm going to do overall in this class as well as on the exam. I'm trying to get myself in the mindset of, "whatever happens, happens." but this is a big deal because it's the difference of getting the college credit or not. I'm really nervous about it but like I said, whatever happens, happens. If anyone has any advice to help me out that'd be super awesome. Thanks.

Final Project

Pscyh Project Video

Fun With Sugru

As we all know, the wonderful Mr. Dreier granted us sugru and is now requiring us to come up with something creative (or not-so creative) to do with sugru. Well, with my not-so creative mind, I came up with--drum role please *cue drum roll* the picture frame saver thing! The picture frame saver thing is simply sugru that is placed in all four corners of a picture frame. Its use is so that if a picture were to fall off the wall (like this one perhaps), the frame would not be damaged and would be saved by the sugru covering its four corners. In complete truth, it took me a couple days to come up with this not-too shabby device.

                                       BEFORE                                                                 AFTER

                                                

Best Part is that you can also play Monopoly on this special picture frame!

Reasons For Memory Loss

Learning about memory and psychology has been interesting so far, however, I've been curious as to what are some other reasons for memory loss besides alzheimers disease. With a little research, I was able to find a site that listed the top 10 reasons for memory loss. This list includes:

 #1 – Depression
Severe depression or grief can sometimes lead to forgetfulness and memory loss. Feelings of sadness, extreme grief at the loss of a loved one and or enduring other emotional trauma can result in feeling ‘out of touch’, or ‘in a fog’ and forgetting small details. Depression especially in older men and women can result in forgetfulness, which can worsen if it remains untreated.
#2 – Medication Side Effects
Some medications are known to cause memory loss. In most cases, stopping the medication will result in a complete recovery of memory function. Since many elderly men and women take a wide range of medications, it is possible that one or more of the medications could trigger memory loss symptoms.
#3 – Vitamin Deficiency
Individuals who do not have enough Vitamin B12 in their diet can suffer from memory loss. Vitamin B12 is important for healthy brain functioning, and can often be overlooked as a source of memory problems in the elderly. Prolonged deficiency can lead to permanent damage, but if it is caught early and treated, the memory loss may be only temporary.
#4 – Thyroid Problems
Though problems with the thyroid are known for changing weight and metabolism, thyroid dysfunction can also lead to memory loss. Hypothyroidism is particularly known for causing memory problems as the body becomes less able to absorb the nutrients provided by foods. Fortunately, thyroid problems are treatable and a simple blood test can provide answers about whether thyroid functioning is the cause of memory loss or not.
#5 – Insomnia
Too little sleep is not healthy for the body in myriad wys, especially when it relates to brain functioning and memory. Insomnia or lack of sleep can cause problems with concentration or focusing on details or tasks, resulting in forgetfulness and confusion.
#6 – Medication Interactions
While we mentioned medication side effects as one cause of memory problems, individuals taking several medications might have forgetfulness symptoms as a result of interactions between the medications. While the medications by themselves might not cause forgetfulness, memory loss from interactions is possible.
#7 – Dehydration
Dehydration is a common problem for older adults, and severe cases of dehydration can cause dementia-like symptoms. Ensuring an elderly individual drinks plenty of water each day can reverse memory loss from dehydration. The ideal amount of water for adult men and women at any age is at least six to eight glasses per day.
#8 – Trauma to the Head
Head trauma from a fall or accident can cause memory loss due to damage to the brain. Unfortunately, this type of memory loss is often not recoverable due to brain cell damage.
#9 – Dementia
Dementia of any kind, such as Alzheimer’s Disease or Dementia With Lewy Bodies, are common causes of memory loss in elderly individuals. While not all older adults suffer from memory-related diseases, the risk of developing dementia increases with age.
#10 – Brain Tumors
Tumors in the brain can sometimes cause symptoms similar to dementia. The tumor kills brain cells as it grows, resulting in memory loss. Depending on the location of the tumor, the amount of memory loss will differ between individuals.

I honestly never realized how many factors can really affect memory loss and when give a list of just 10, I question what other kinds of factors can account for memory loss.

Link: http://assistedlivingtoday.com/2012/05/10-memory-loss-causes/