Myths and Misconception About Psychology

Myths and Misconceptions About Psychology

The six most common misconceptions about psychologists and psychology

1.       The first error. Psychology is the science of the soul. In fact, the subject of psychology, as a science, is not the soul, but the psyche, the material basis of which is the brain. In addition, the functioning of the psyche is considered in the psychodynamic aspect.  All this meets, collides and should be added, systematized. Before us, therefore, is a grandiose dynamic system. Thus, we are witnessing a continuous pursuit of a dynamic stereotype.

2.       The second error. After meeting with a psychologist, the client should become “good.” Yes, this often happens, but only after applying the appropriate methods of psychological assistance. Such, for example, as relaxation, psychological relaxation, that is, relieving stress and achieving a relaxed comfortable state. Of course it's nice. But if the purpose of psychological counseling is your personal growth or other changes associated with breaking behavioral stereotypes, then you may have to face pain - a natural companion of personality transformations. Especially at the beginning of the journey.

3.       The third error. As people say, if the "problem with the head", then we must go to the psychologist. You will be surprised, but the psychologist works with healthy people whose problems are mainly in the field of thoughts and ideas. The main areas of work are psychological counseling, psychodiagnosis and psychoprophylaxis (the so-called psychological educational program). The problems that arise due to an imbalance in the balance of chemicals in the brain or due to organic lesions are usually dealt with by psychotherapists, psychiatrists and neurologists, that is, people with a medical background.

4.       Misconceptions fourth. There is an opinion that a psychologist is a person who is well versed in people. And as practice shows, almost all people consider themselves good psychologists. Naturally, over the years, this conceit only intensifies. But here we must understand that there is a big difference between the vital “everyday” psychology and the scientific. Approximately the same as between a pilot and a hang glider. Yes, sometimes, the advice of a friend or parents is quite enough for a person. But only sometimes ... In most cases, we recommend that you turn to professional psychologists who have years of training and practice behind them. Read more about how they become psychologists here.

5.       The fifth error. Psychologists give advice. It often happens that, despite the repeated attempts of your friends or parents to give you a lot of very different tips for all occasions, nothing in it (in life) has changed. You do not become more confident or even a little calmer, you cannot marry (successfully), do not get rich (do not win the lottery), etc.

6.       The sixth error. How many times have psychologists heard the order that has fed them with the phrase: “Tyzhpsychologist !?” But this is so! Outside the walls of his office, the psychologist is an ordinary person with his problems and concerns.

The psychologist does not give advice! He works with you, your unconscious mental life, with your beliefs and values. Here it will be appropriate to compare the psychologist with the surgeon, who does not give advice on how to remove appendicitis, but simply takes it and does it. And if a psychologist gives advice, then only the most general (universal) or advice based on the study of your personal history and taking into account your personality, because, as we said earlier, all people are different!

Schizophrenia (syptoms, causes, treatment)

Schizophrenia is a mental illness in which the boundary between imagination and reality is blurred. A sick person often does not have an understanding that he is sick, and this complicates the treatment. But this does not mean that a person is incurable or cannot fail to become himself again.

What is schizophrenia?

35,000 Swedes live with severe schizophrenia, which implies long-term psychosis. Psychosis means that the perception of reality is distorted, and this can lead to symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions and behavioral changes. Hallucinations can affect all senses. The most common are sound hallucinations in the form of voices that comment or order the sick person to do something. When a person with schizophrenia begins to obey their voices, the situation can become dangerous and quick help is needed.

Misconception implies a firm belief that everything happens in a certain way, while others know that this is not so. For example, you are being harassed, poisoned, or threatened by your life. An action or event is suddenly interpreted as something different or more significant than it really is. Hearing a conversation, it is misinterpreted, as if a person is talking badly about you, and a television program can suddenly be perceived as a secret message addressed to you.

Often the feeling that you are being watched with a camera or microphone. Reasoning, which for others seems unfounded, in a state of psychosis can be felt as reality. Other symptoms of schizophrenia are changes in the way you communicate. For example, decreased speech, dull emotions and lack of motivation.

Most people with schizophrenia fall ill between the ages of 20-30. The causes of the disease are unknown, but heredity is a significant risk factor. The development of the disease can also be affected by external stresses, such as injuries during adulthood, life crises, and marijuana abuse.

How does the disease affect life?

The disease lasts at least six months, but can last a lifetime. The condition can lead to disability and leave deep marks in self-esteem. A person may be unable to work or study, become withdrawn, or suffer from outbursts of anger. Schizophrenia can cause difficulties in recognizing oneself and cause anxiety, anxiety, depression and trouble sleeping.

Psychosis can lead to fear and shame. It may seem difficult, but it’s important to tell someone how you feel. This is a disease, and there is a cure for it.

Can I feel better?

Although the disease is chronic, it often wanes over time. Under the right conditions, a sick person can live a normal life, like any other. In addition to treatment, it is important to have supportive social contacts and meaningful daily activities. A healthy lifestyle, such as good nutrition and sleep, makes the situation easier, as illness can lead to abuse and depression.

If you suspect that you or your relative is in a state of psychosis or there is a risk of developing it, you must contact a psychiatric center for youth or adults. Schizophrenia treatment is necessary in order to feel better, and also to prevent relapse.

Diagnosis and treatment

To diagnose schizophrenia, the disease must last at least six months. Research is needed to rule out other causes of psychosis, such as another disease, effects of drugs or drugs. There are antipsychotic drugs that can reduce symptoms and make life easier for those with schizophrenia. Treatment includes support and psychotherapy. It is also important that the patient receives help and support in order to get a suitable job as soon as possible or return to the previous one. This also applies to patients who still have symptoms.

It is important to ensure safety, and therefore treatment at home or in a special department is recommended when the disease is particularly severe. Relatives of the patient may also need support, because taking care of the patient can be serious stress.

Emotional Instability (Causes, prevention)

Swings of mood are called emotional instability, which occurs as a result of adverse life circumstances. Emotional instability is fluctuations or a sharp change in emotional states such as joy, despondency, irritability, laughter, tears, aggression, anger, anger, depression, guilt, low self-esteem, etc. Symptoms such as a disordered flow of thoughts and lack of motivation, impaired sleep and memory, inadequate reaction to events and inability to concentrate, excessive excitability and hyperactivity, apathy and impaired performance.

All these phenomena lead to nervous exhaustion, and then to emotional breakdowns. They are called affective disorder, and in a more severe manifestation - bipolar disorder, which has its own varieties. Each of these manifestations can occur as an independent symptom that can cause illness, as well as be a consequence of another serious illness.

If mood swings occur without objective explanations, abruptly, become more frequent and are accompanied by physiological symptoms, you should contact the following specialists: neurologist, psychologist, psychotherapist, psychiatrist, endocrinologist and cardiologist.

Mood - a temporary emotion, is a rather lengthy process that seeks stability, therefore it does not have a high intensity. Mood is a general emotional background on which more intense mental processes occur: a transition from one state to another. If a sudden change in mood and its changes become frequent and short-term, this is a disease called an affective disorder, accompanied by inappropriate behavior.

The reasons are different - stress, nervousness, hormonal imbalance, pressure drops, chronic fatigue, impaired cerebral circulation, appetite and sleep, as well as mental disorders against the background of unresolved personal relationships, family problems and difficulties at work. The basis for emotional imbalance can be seasonal deviations, puberty (in adolescents), bad habits (smoking and alcohol), lack of physical activity, obesity, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, the presence of chronic pathologies, long-term use of antibacterial, psychotropic and hormonal preparations, etc.

Changeability of female mood is especially frequent and depends on many reasons. Many experts believe that women's mood swings are a specific feature of a female character and it is not possible to control it.

 Causes of disturbance of the emotional background:

Characteristics of personality and emotional immaturity with a lack of ability to get out of conflict situations without scandals and quarrels. Traits such as suspiciousness, an increased level of anxiety and suspicion mean the inability to build adult relationships - such a person is prone to conflict situations that he is not able to solve. This leads to emotional instability, which in turn destroys the nervous system.

Psychological - fear of the future, a state of anxiety, a sense of panic, various phobias, perceiving the world in a negative light, memories of the past with a constant living of failures - all this leads to chronic neurosis. The condition can be aggravated by dissatisfaction with oneself, with the dissatisfaction of desires, not the regularity of sexual life - as a result of the occurrence of chronic stress, tension in relationships with close circle and people.

Neuropsychiatric disorders provoked by such stressful situations as illness, moving, family tragedy, job search, exams. Various cardiovascular diseases, meningitis, brain tumors, encephalitis, etc. can also be causes of mental disorders.

Physiological - hormonal imbalance caused by improper functioning of organs and systems that respond and provide not only mood stability, but also the adequacy of emotional reactions.

PMS, menopause, periods of pregnancy and breastfeeding are special periods in a woman’s life when the hormonal background is disturbed and nervous irritability, insomnia, bouts of unmotivated hysteria, sadness, aggression, anger and tearfulness appear.
Changing mood is accompanied by the following conditions:

- fear and panic without objective reasons: panic attacks with a duration of 5-30 minutes or an increased level of anxiety with a longer duration, accompanied by increased sweating, heart palpitations, nausea, dizziness, trembling hands, etc .;

- passivity and apathy to life, suicidal thoughts; unwillingness to engage in communication - isolation from friends and society,

- despondency, a sense of hopelessness, depressive states without cause;

- bouts of aggression, extreme irritability, jealousy, tendency to condemnation, suspiciousness;

- problems with memory concentration, unmotivated resentment, memory impairment, tendency to squabbles, unpredictability of actions;

- personality disorder is accompanied by an obsessive need for hysteria to get attention with a scream, laughter out of place, crying, inappropriate behavior and inappropriate behavior;

- bipolar disorder, which is characterized by rapid transitions from euphoria to an extreme degree of sadness.

This is followed by severe stages of depression, which should be treated with the help of medical treatment - the independent use of potent sedative medications (sedatives, antidepressants and tranquilizers) can be harmful to health.

All of the above symptoms can be accompanied by addictions such as alcohol, drugs, games, etc., which increase the level of the hormone dopamine, which causes a feeling of joy, and over time, a person feels the need for a larger dose, but the body begins to produce smaller amounts over time. Failure to get dopamine causes irritation and aggression.

Prevention and treatment of emotional disorders: 

only a healthy lifestyle in the form of physical activity in the fresh air, walking, normal sleep and a diet, favorite activities, hobbies, meeting friends, meditation, yoga, swimming, breathing exercises and auto-training - all this helps to restore your emotional sphere. In addition, a range of activities such as taking folk remedies (soothing herbal teas, relaxing water treatments), a massage course, a relaxed work schedule, maximum relaxation, cultural life and solving family problems will also help to stabilize the mental state.
There are certain rules that must be followed: suppress negative emotions, avoid stressful situations, encourage a sense of humor, communicate only with positive people and remember that your mood depends only on yourself.

Causes of Mood Swing

Not only stress and depression lead to extreme mood swings, for which there are other reasons.

A person can be absolutely happy in one minute and extremely unhappy in another - this is how mood swings that are very dangerous for the psyche affect us. Usually when we are happy, we strive to ignore some negative circumstances, and in a state of sadness we cannot find anything positive around us. This is a normal reaction, but sudden mood swings reduce the quality of life. Especially for TheHealthSite.com, experts named 6 possible causes of extreme mood swings.

1. Hormonal changes. Many of us remember how in adolescence, aggression was replaced by depression and most of the time we felt anger and irritability, for example, due to the prohibitions of parents. These mood swings are explained by a sharp jump in hormone levels. Something similar is observed in women passing through PMS, which causes changes in the levels of estrogen and progesterone. Hormone-triggered mood swings are often observed during the first and third trimesters of pregnancy and menopause. In all these cases, mood changes are absolutely normal. However, if they reduce the quality of life too much, consult a doctor who can prescribe medication or recommend meeting with a psychologist.

2. Drug abuse and side effects of drugs. Sharp mood spikes or outbreaks of aggression are often the result of drug abuse. If a person resorts to the help of drugs in order to avoid some problems in life, then he only strengthens them and creates new difficulties. All psychoactive drugs interfere with brain function, causing a flow of dopamine that strengthens the sensation of pleasure. Gradually, the brain gets used to this doping, and it produces less dopamine on its own. Thus, without these medications, patients may not feel normal. Over time, these changes in dopamine levels will negatively affect learning and memory processes, as well as behavioral control and decision making. Note that mood swings relate to side effects of certain medications, even like anti-blood pressure medications or antidepressants.

3. Depression and bipolar disorder. For victims of depression and bipolar disorder, mood swings are very common. Depression is characterized by a persistent feeling of longing, hopelessness and rejection, it is caused by a chemical imbalance of the brain and life circumstances. Depression or bipolar disorder can hardly be prevented, and if your family members have experienced these problems, it is highly likely that they will not bypass you. But it is important not to start them, but to start treatment on time.

5. Stress. Under severe stress, the body receives a large number of special hormones that reach the heart, lungs, stomach and other organs. All feelings are aggravated, breathing quickens, heartbeat becomes more intense, we experience a surge of energy - all this is necessary in order to fight the enemy or flee from him. An imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain can cause severe mood swings.

5. Diets. Eating sugary foods causes an increase in serotonin levels, and this hormone has a positive effect on mood. Limiting the intake of familiar foods reduces the rate of serotonin, which contributes to a sharp decrease in mood. There is a very strong connection between nutrition and mood, which is why it is so important to keep a balanced diet, and not to attack from time to time with a raid on the refrigerator.

6. Diseases. The last item in this list, which is not at all the last in value. Health disorders like brain tumors, strokes, dementia, meningitis, lung diseases, and the cardiovascular system can also cause mood spikes. The diagnosis and treatment of these problems is exclusively done by doctors, and very often changes in the human psyche are among the first warning symptoms that cannot be ignored.

Learn How to Cope With Problems on Your Own

Как научиться справляться с проблемами?
Источник: https://www.myjane.ru/articles/text/?id=19032

Coping Ways to Deal Problems

Sometimes there is a feeling that the world around is collapsing. The usual course of life dramatically changes its course, and not for the better. Care and hassle every hour is added more and more. You are trying to cope with them, and all at once, but after some time you notice that "things are still there." Why are problems not being solved, and concerns are not diminishing? The answer is simple: you need to learn how to calculate each action. Remember, we were forced to write essay plans at school? It turns out plans are a very useful thing. Some may argue that life is a boring occupation. No one forces you to plan every minute of your life, but the idea of ​​how tomorrow will go or how you will prepare for some event will streamline and make your life easier. So do your planning.

• It must enter your life and take a permanent place in it. If you learn to think about tomorrow in the evening, plan the necessary things, make a mental list of actions and purchases, the day will not be hectic, even if some unforeseen situations arise. After all, you can always ask for help from your husband, parents, children, girlfriend.

• Think carefully about your purchases. Spontaneous shopping in addition to unnecessarily emptying your wallet will also trash your home.

• There is a wonderful rule: do not go hungry for groceries. It has been proved repeatedly: a hungry buyer, even with tight cash, will still manage to buy something superfluous, actually unnecessary. Well, if “wallet is shaking money”, then to the joy of producers of goods and to the shopkeepers you bring home a couple of packets of junk food.

• If you are planning a trip or sending your child on holiday, do not rely on your memory. A good memory is, of course, great. But keeping in your head a couple of dozen points is sometimes difficult. Therefore, on a piece of paper, write down everything you need to buy for the trip. Lay the sheet in a conspicuous place. Each time, acquiring the next purchase, cross off the corresponding item from the list. Put your purchases in the field of view, so to speak, “in a heap,” so that you can immediately put everything in a bag or suitcase.

This method also works well with clothes and other things for the trip. Sketch a list of necessary things on a piece of paper, starting from underwear and ending with gloves or a panama hat (according to season).

Using such lists, you and your loved ones will always be 100% collected on trips. Troubles in the form of missing swimwear or a warm sweater will not be your story.

If there is any grandiose event from the category of anniversaries, weddings, other celebrations, the habit of planning will help here. True, a sheet of paper in such cases can not do. It is better to take a notebook or notebook. Head the sheets to the desired position. Let's say: products, gifts, clothes (mine), clothes (husband's), etc. On the item "products" leave a couple of sheets. First, write down the names of all the dishes you want to see on the festive table. On the next sheet, following the menu, list the foods needed for the dishes. Near each product, put the quantity, and then the approximate price and amount. This will help you plan your expenses. Try to include everything in the notes, to the last detail. Set aside the necessary amounts separately for products, the purchase of clothes, gifts and try not to go beyond the bounds of the estimate.

Gradually making the necessary purchases, delete them from the list. This method will save you from unnecessary fuss, a cold night sweat with the memory that tomorrow is already a holiday, and you did not buy such and such. here are situations when during tomorrow you should be in several places at once. Plan this day in the evening. Ponder what to do best. What business needs to be done in the first place, and which will be tolerated until the evening. Perhaps it will turn out to send instead of yourself a couple of places of relatives or friends? Well-defined plans for rather difficult days make life easier. They allow even the most unpleasant days to turn into measured, not clouded by scandals and discontent of others. In a word, the habit of planning tomorrow in the evening will make your life and the life of loved ones easier.

Gradually, the habit of planning will help you become a confident person, and the reputation of a “reliable person” will not hinder you in your career or in your personal life. You must admit that a calm, self-confident wife and mother, who does not lose her temper even in difficult situations, is better than an unassembled person, always forgetting something, hurrying somewhere, and this is always a tired and displeased person.

What is Social Development ( Types, Definition, Examples)

social Development of Child

The social development of a child begins with his relationship with his parents

One of the first manifestations of a child's recognition of others is a smile. Opinions about what makes a baby smile are contradictory, but it is well known that by the age of two months it can appear when a human face is seen.

At this age, the baby does not distinguish the mother’s face from others, but by the age of 6-7 months, the baby’s smile becomes selective. Now he smiles at his mother and those whom he knows well, and he met strangers with restraint. For children of this age, fear and embarrassment are typical when strangers appear. This indicates the development of a socially important ability to distinguish “friends” from “strangers”. Already for kids, father and mother perform different functions. According to the study, babies perceive dad primarily as a toy. For both the boy and the girl, dad is the best toy: an interactive toy from which you can learn everything. Kids perceive their mother differently: as a subject from whom they can get food, warmth and protection.

No matter how different the children are, all young children from 9 months to 9 years old have common, at least similar features and characteristics. What kind? A small child is natural energy and quick wit. Talk about the fragility of a child’s soul is a myth; a child has a stronger mentality than adults. The child is small, but helpless - no. This is a lively man, this is a trained combat unit, a small energetic predator and manipulator using any mistakes of adults, easily jumping to the neck of parents and seizing power over them. The child’s arsenal of influence is significantly poorer than that of an adult, but the child has more energy, imagination and perseverance.

A small child is a leading activity in taking care of their interests. The child has his own tasks regarding life and regarding you. While. when an adult approaches a small child with his tasks, the child does to the adult what is included in his plans and interests. Children know what they want and get it.

Situation. I'm at the airport, I'm flying on a business trip. I see a family, four adults: mom, dad, grandmother and grandfather. In the arms of the pope is a small child. The child, with live eyes shooting towards the grandmother, reaches for grandfather. Shows grandmother that with grandfather he is more interesting. Grandfather is happy, pulls his hands to the child, the child falls to him, grandmother is upset. But here is the baby turns to face the naive grandfather and cries in his face. Grandfather is washed ... Mom takes the child from grandfather, he snuggles up to her, but looks at his dad ... The child plays with these adults, pushes them together, has fun in full. At the same time, it seems that the adults themselves, included in this situation, did not really understand who actually controlled them in this situation.

Each child initially has his own world. A child was born - and created his own world. He now lives in his world, with his characters and his stories. Will he let you go there - ask him. You will not get there by force, but if the child wants to, he will open the door and you can look in there:

Interaction between children

Having become a little older, they already begin to interact, often because both simultaneously want to take the same subject and are simply forced to pay attention to each other. The game of two-year-old children is not essentially a joint activity - everyone plays on their own. In the preschool period, the game gradually becomes more socially oriented. By the age of five, babies being in kindergarten, they play alone for less than half the time, they already have joint games in which four to five people participate. In subsequent years, the social structure of games becomes more complex; partially established social roles are being developed and supported.

With age, specific types of social behavior also change with age. For example, in the preschool period, when children begin to compare themselves with others, competition between them intensifies. The number of fights and quarrels is almost independent of the age of the child. but their nature is changing. Instead of short-term purely physical conflicts, older children engage in more sophisticated, verbal quarrels, in which the offense lasts much longer.

In a similar way, the stability of friendships changes. The friendships of young children are fleeting. According to one study, even at the age of 11, only 50% of children had the same best friend as they did two weeks ago. In a similar survey of 18-year-old schoolchildren (in the same study), 80% of them named the same person both times.

Children from families and social groups with pronounced prejudices begin to assimilate the same negative attitudes in early school age; in the youthful period, these views are fixed.

The development of sensations and perceptions

It is proved that a newborn distinguishes speech sounds (phonemes), i.e. he already shows an ability that will allow him to further understand speech. The newborn seems to perceive the constancy of form. When the baby is shown the same object over and over again, it gets used to its shape, and the time of visual fixation on it becomes shorter. Despite these first achievements, the baby is still relatively undeveloped. But gradually his senses become more clear. Some early manifesting abilities then disappear and reappear after a few months in a more complex form. No matter what abilities the child shows, they improve with age, becoming more differentiated.

The development of emotions and feelings in childhood

According to one of the most interesting hypotheses, there is a limited number of so-called Anger, for example, is caused by interference with a child’s actions; facial expressions and behaviors expressing anger can be recognized at a very young age. The emotions and feelings of children are the product of social learning, and this social learning goes in two directions: while children learn the conditions that most effectively protect them from their parents or allow their parents to control, adults teach children those conditions that are convenient and interesting to adults. The child, with the help of adults around him and the influence of culture as a whole, masters the feelings accepted in this society. It is thanks to socialization that children develop their composure and will, boys master the role of men and lay the foundations for the future role of father, girls master female roles, internalize the values ​​of being a wife and mother, and master the necessary skills.

Value-semantic sphere of the child and the formation of life values

How do life values ​​appear in a child’s life? Differently. Once this is a gradual maturation, crystallization of something initially amorphous into something definite, once it happens abruptly, suddenly, like an insight. Sometimes it comes from the inside, sometimes it is set outside, by the traditions and rituals of society. The birth of life values ​​usually occurs as a result of the addition of several factors: 1) existing or ready to take shape behavior, 2) an internally or externally motivating situation, and 3 semantic formulas, prompting a person the name and status of his new life value. If the child began to behave "boy", if his "boyish behavior" is supported by others; if everyone calls him his "boy" and especially those whom he would like to be like, soon the child will have masculine values.

However, the same question can be posed in a more meaningful way: thanks to what are the future life meanings and values ​​of the child formed (or not formed)? The main sources here, it seems, are the children's subculture, (still) the family and the virtual reality of the media and computer games, which already has a serious influence.

Exploratory behavior

Healthy children are usually curious, although there is no evidence to suggest that children have a natural tendency toward self-development. Rather, the evidence suggests that children develop only when parents develop them.

From the moment of birth, the child actively explores, and in the first place, those objects that move or somehow change. The baby studies his surroundings, although at first it is not too skillful; He begins to follow the eyes of large moving objects very early. At the same time, auditory and visual perception is already coordinated to some extent. The visual field does not remain a vague spot for long - the infant is trying to make it clear. If the experiment is organized in such a way that the fast sucking of the nipples causes the subject to move into focus the infant’s body, it will suck very quickly; in the opposite situation, that is, when the subject goes out of focus with fast sucking, the baby begins to suck slowly.

In early infancy, research behavior is unsystematic and not too well controlled, but by the age of five months the baby is already able to get items and take them in their mouths. A few months later he begins to search for objects himself and by the end of the first year he is actively exploring everything that surrounds him. When a child begins to walk, his research activities expand significantly.

Speech development

From the moment of birth, the child begins to make sounds, but in reality he begins to use speech only when he reaches about two years of age.

A gradual change in baby talk occurs under the influence of both congenital and environmental factors. Many sounds of modern languages ​​are difficult to pronounce, and at first only simple articulatory movements, such as closing and opening lips, are available to the child. Therefore, the syllables “pa” and “ma” or, when repeated, “dad” and “mom” appear early. During the first year of life, the articulation of a child becomes more complicated, and the number of sounds that he can make increases many times over. In the second year of life, the sounds made by the child already correspond to the language that he hears around him.

Intelligence development

Piaget identified four stages in this development. Sensorimotor stage covers the period of infancy. In the first months of life, the child behaves as if objects that he cannot currently observe simply do not exist, and only gradually begins to search for objects that have gone out of sight, starting to guess where they are. He is also able to coordinate information, coming from different senses, so that the tactile, visual and auditory perception of an object is not three independent elements of its experience, but three aspects of the same object. Initially, they are based only on previously mastered arbitrary movements; at Further, the child begins to independently and intentionally vary his behavior.

Stage of preoperative thinking. For example, he will find out an object, if it sees it from a different angle, but is not able to predict how it will look in a new position. However, his thinking is not yet systematic.

Depression

Depression:

Depression is a term that is used to indicate the presence of sad, empty or irritable mood, accompanied by physical, physiological and cognitive changes that significantly affect the individual's ability to function.

The depressive episode does not coincide with the diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder (or major depression), because many people can have more or less pronounced mood swings, up to the actual bipolar disorder, of which depression it can only be a symptom, even if it is usually the one most unwelcome to the subject, who asks for help in these phases.

Depression is a widespread disorder and therefore very well known. In fact, it seems that 10% to 15% of the population suffers from it, with a greater frequency among women. Major depression is associated with high mortality. Up to 15% of individuals with severe depression die from suicide.

Nonetheless, most depressed people do not get suicidal thoughts or particularly serious symptoms, but complain of symptoms that often are not even easily associated with depression itself (chronic fatigue, physical ailments, apathy, asthenia, loss of desire, irritability, etc. .).

Depression is twice as common in adolescent and adult females than in adolescent and adult males. In children, boys and girls are equally affected.

 Some have isolated episodes of major depression followed by many years without symptoms, while others have groups of episodes, and still others have more and more frequent episodes with increasing age.

Narcissim and How To Deal With It

Narcissism and How To Deal With This

Narcissism is an increasingly common feature. It is estimated that 6.2% of the population suffers from a narcissistic personality disorder, but the figure increases if we refer only to narcissism as a marked personality character. Dealing with a narcissist is often complicated because this person can become very self-centered, selfish and manipulative.

The problem is that the narcissist has an exaggerated selfish perception, tends to be presumptuous and often believes he is superior, thinks that others should appreciate it and get angry if they don't. Hence, people who have a narcissistic partner or parent end up maintaining a toxic relationship in which only they surrender and sacrifice while the other receives and asks for more and more.

 How to recognize a narcissist?

·        He continually criticizes others for thinking that they are inferior. Narcissists believe they are superior to others, so they continually underestimate the work and effort of others to put themselves in a better position.

·        He thinks the world revolves around him, because he has too egocentric a perspective on life. This person focuses on their needs and desires so often they are very insensitive to others and will always try to be the center of attention.

·        At first it may seem fascinating because it usually has a seductive personality and inspires confidence, attracting people, until it turns out that in reality it is a very selfish person.

·        He thinks he is right and knows the "truth": therefore he often develops an attitude of intellectual superiority that becomes very uncomfortable.

·        He has an uncompromising attitude: he is almost never willing to give in to the requests and needs of others, especially if it implies that he must make a personal concession.

·        He does not know the word "humility": he often has goals so high that they are irrational.

·        He prides himself on himself, his skills, profession or lifestyle. Narcissists try to show others that they are the best in everything.

·        He does not accept criticism and can react very aggressively when he feels attacked.

Fortunately, "born" narcissists are often easy to spot, but there are also what we might call "masked narcissists", who at first glance seem humble, innocent and charitable. Under the "sensitive" mask hides the contempt and a sense of superiority that are much more difficult to detect, therefore dealing with these narcissists are often more complicated because suddenly you become victims of his games.

However, both types of narcissistic personalities share the same profile as a psychological stalker. The goal is to despise, humiliate and reduce his victims, who end up submitting to his psychological violence that makes them emotionally disabled.

To know how to treat a narcissist it is essential to have a thorough knowledge of his manipulation techniques.

The narcissus mixes humiliation, duality and code language. When a narcissist feels his intelligence threatened, his success or his personal appearance attacks the other without hesitation. His goal is to drop the victim off the pedestal. He can do this through a compliment followed by an emotional slap or vice versa. For example, he can tell us that we do something good and immediately afterwards we do something else wrong by making us feel bad.

He can also resort to sarcasm to his compliments as if we didn't deserve them. Obviously, criticisms will always be directed to one of our sensitive points. With this strategy, the narcissist makes his attack appear as a legitimate truth, forcing the victim to approve and validate his idea. If we don't and react against him, he will immediately become the victim and we will be the "bad guys".

This technique is known as "gaslighting" and is based on a series of subtle mental games that touch on ambiguity, to undermine the victim's confidence in the perception of his own reality and of himself. As a result of this strategy, the victim is often confused and doesn't quite understand what happened.

The problem is that gradually these hidden humiliations, coded messages and ambiguous comments are integrated into a deformed reality with which the narcissist dominates his victim.

How To Deal With A Narcissist?

Keep your emotions in check: When narcissists criticize you, try not to react because the more you commit yourself emotionally, the more you will be at their mercy, because they will understand what your weak point is and they will not hesitate to attack that point again in the future. If the narcissist says something using coded language, throws indirect threats or tries to distort reality, ask him to be more precise because you cannot understand what he is saying. In this way, you will defeat his strategy of indirect submission and humiliation.

Seize its ambiguities: Anyone with a narcissistic personality will do everything possible to humiliate his victim, but without this noticing, at least at the beginning. The result of these manipulation tactics is that you can feel that you are walking all the time on a minefield and this creates a lot of tension. Narcissists can make a sour comment about your way of being and immediately soften the blow by saying something sweet about you. This ambiguity has a specific goal: make sure you focus on your behaviors and "flaws" instead of analyzing them, which is the real problem. In fact, you will notice that the narcissist suddenly changes the subject when a weak point is touched. When you reprimand him something will say sentences like "I don't want to talk to you" or "It's not worth talking about". The truth is, it doesn't matter what you do because the narcissist will never be satisfied and unwilling to take responsibility. It is essential to remain faithful to what you think and feel, observing your behavioral models from an objective and detached point of view. Don't stay with words but watch for behavior. If it is necessary to clarify a point, do not fall into emotional discussions, stick to the facts and do not allow the narcissist to digress. Brings the discussion back to the main topic.

Identify his narrow "tunnel vision": it is a strategy that narcissists use to focus on some details that are irrelevant or not directly related to the problem to minimize something you have pointed out or to fulfill their responsibility. For example, if you have just finished a job, the narcissist congratulates you and asks you when to do the next one. Minimize the results to make yourself sick by highlighting what you are missing or the negative side of what you have already achieved. With this strategy, the narcissist simply limits your field of vision so that you only see what he wants to emphasize. It is a very subtle technique that can generate deep dissatisfaction in the victim, which can be successful in many things but will continue to think that he is incapable of anything. Don't get carried away in his limited vision. Enjoy what you've accomplished and emphasize the effort and skills you need. Don't listen when he wants to downplay your results or blame you for something you haven't done or "perfectly" done. You can also reveal it, tell him that his criticism seems excessive and you feel no need to impress others. If you say that you feel sorry for his opinion but that you do not share it and he will see you satisfied with what you have accomplished, he will understand that he cannot emotionally manipulate your. Remember that no discussion is necessary to deal with a narcissist without losing emotional balance; just let him know that his opinions and attitudes cannot break through you. When the narcissist realizes that you have high self-esteem, he will stop throwing poisoned arrows because, after all, what he wants is only to establish an emotional domain. When he realizes that he won't be able to have it on you, he will gradually start to change his attitude.

If he is an important person to you, you can try to deal with the problem so that he can understand that his attitudes and behaviors are not appropriate. Remember that there is never a single culprit in a relationship since relationships are built in two. Therefore avoid attacking and complaining. Instead, tell him that his attitudes and words hurt you. Sometimes narcissism is a way to protect yourself from the world, which seems hostile, so to alleviate these behaviors it is only necessary to demonstrate that we love and appreciate it, but that there are limits that must not be overcome.

When Does Anxiety Needs Treatment (Anxiety Disorder)

When Does Anxiety Need Treatment?

Normal anxiety, physiological or alarm, is a state of psychological and physical tension that implies a generalized activation of all resources to react to a really existing stimulus, often well known, represented by difficult and unusual conditions or perceived as such.ax; apprehension; hypervigilance; restlessness.

Anxiety is pathological when it interferes with psycho-physical well-being. It is characterized by a state of uncertainty about the future, with the prevalence of unpleasant feelings. The disorder is characterized by the presence of strong anxiety feelings, which last for months and which interfere with the quality of life. This condition may be due to a problem relating to an imminent future, or to the possibility of more or less distant events. Anxiety often accompanies other psychological and psychiatric problems, as well as the unresolved conflicts of the person suffering from them. The intensity can cause unbearable suffering or determine defensive behaviors that limit the quality of life since, to drive away the disturbance, we leave the house or we perform rituals of various types with the intent to have control of the situation.

Anxiety disorders

Anxiety disorders are the most common form of emotional disorder and can affect anyone of any age. The duration or severity of an anxious feeling also has a physical impact and can be disproportionate to the original trigger or stress. The latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders (DSM-V), an international reference text, classifies anxiety disorders into several main types. In previous editions of DSM, anxiety disorders included obsessive-compulsive (DOC) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in addition to acute stress disorder. The fifth edition no longer places these conditions under the umbrella of anxiety disorders which are classified into: generalized anxiety disorder, panic attacks and panic disorder, specific phobic disorders.

Generalized anxiety disorder. It is a chronic disorder that involves excessive anxiety and prolonged concern for non-specific events, objects and life situations. This is the most common anxiety disorder and people who suffer from it are not always able to identify the cause of their anxiety.

Panic attack. An intense feeling of terror for short or sudden periods characterizes the panic attack which is manifested by tremors, confusion, dizziness, nausea and difficulty breathing. Symptoms intensify rapidly, peaking after 10 minutes, but may persist for hours. Panic disorders are a shocking experience and usually occur after frightening situations or prolonged stress, but they can also occur without a trigger. An individual experiencing a panic attack can mistakenly interpret it as a potentially life-threatening disease since the most reported symptom is "feeling dying" and can make drastic changes in behavior to avoid future attacks.

Specific phobia. It is an irrational fear towards a particular object or situation. Phobias differ from other anxiety disorders because they have a specific and known cause. A person with a phobia might recognize a fear as illogical or extreme but remain unable to control the feelings of anxiety in his or her presence. The triggers of a phobia are environments (airplane / lift), animals (spiders, mice, dogs) or everyday objects.

Agoraphobia. Often misunderstood as a fear of open spaces and outdoors, it is instead the disturbance of those who are afraid, therefore avoid, places, events or situations from which it can be difficult to escape or where help would not be available if a person were trapped. A person with agoraphobia may be afraid of leaving home or using elevators and public transportation.

Social anxiety disorder or social phobia. It is the fear of negative judgment by others in social situations or public embarrassment. This disturbance can induce people to avoid public situations and human contact to the point of making normal daily activities extremely difficult. Selective mutism is a form of anxiety that typically occurs in children who are unable to speak in certain places or contexts, such as school, although they may have excellent verbal communication skills when they are in a context familiar to them. It could be an extreme form of social phobia.

Separation anxiety disorder. After separating from a person or a place capable of transmitting feelings of security, some people may experience an anxiety disorder with symptoms similar to a panic attack.

In the case of an anxiety disorder, the feeling of fear can always be present in such an intense way as to be debilitating: it can make you stop doing things you like (go to a concert for example) and, in extreme cases, do not take the lift, prevent you from crossing the street or even leaving your home. If left untreated, anxiety tends to worsen.

Diagnosis

Establishing when anxiety becomes a disease is not easy. Patients' ability to tolerate it is variable and it can be difficult to establish the causes of the pathological form. In the assessment of severity, it is considered whether: anxiety is a cause of malaise; interferes with normal functionality; it does not stop in a few days. To check if anxiety is secondary to other pathologies, tests, even blood tests, can be useful.