Studying Psychology

[Bcorn]

I'm graduating soon with B.A. in psychology and thought I would hang around and see if I can help anyone while learning from poeple's stories and experiences.

 

[jefferylee]

Hello and Welcome B,

I'm new here myself,so I don't know how much you can be of help,but I'm sure you can learn a hell of a lot here! As a soon-to-be professional,I do know that you could go to GiveAnHour.org to volunteer your services.This is a group of various types of therapists who donate an hour a week to council returning vets from Iraq and Afghanistan,led by a wonderful woman in DC named Barbara Romberg.Check it out.

Peace and Hope,
jefferylee

 

[Blues in NYC]

I hope my response doesn't sound unnecessarily harsh or defensive. The majority of members who come here, sufferers and carers alike, come because they need to be here.

It's good you are gaining a degree and a broad base of knowledge in your field of choice. And it's good you'd like to apply that knowledge to the real world and or get some further exposure. But, your initial post triggers a bit of fight in me. I am unsure what your intentions are. And I feel the need to voice a few requests, to protect myself and this place that I value:

Please be respectful that this forum represents an invaluable tool for me in my fight to rebuild a life worth living. Please do not come here trying to save anyone. Please do not come here trying to practice psychology. And please do not treat this space as a classroom. This is not a game. This is my health. This is my life.

If you can respect these boundaries, then welcome to the forums. As is suggested time and again to many new members, whether they be sufferer, carer or as in your case, budding enthusiastic professional: Read. Read. Read. And when you are done reading, read some more. You will learn alot about this disorder in the various sections of this forum.

(And please note that in this post I'm only speaking for myself as a member of this forum. I do not pretend to represent the opinions of either the administrators, the moderators or my fellow forum members.)

~ Blues

 

[Bcorn]

Thanks for the welcome Jeffery!

And thank you for your reply, Blues. I can assure you that I am here to help in any way I can by listening and caring and maybe I can offer some insight or just my opinion at some point in order to do something positive for someone.

I understand your concerns and respect them as well as this space. If I had to state one specific reason for being here, it is to show that people just care about other people and want to help where they can. I do not suffer from PTSD and I know I can never understand what is like without being there but I have gone through a severe depression and I got through it by opening up and surrendering secrecy and privacy to someone else who really wanted to help me.

For all the differences in Depression and PTSD, they do share the need to talk about things and willingly accept the fact that not everyone wants to do any harm and some even genuinely want you, specifically, even if you are a perfect stranger today, to be on a path where things are getting better from day to day.

I am not entering a carrer in anything psychology related but I have learned a thing or two and can share it. I do not intend to force my thoughts on anyone nor do I plan to take advantage of anything. I feel that it is everyone's interest for us all to work toward making this a world where we can resolve conflict in productive, compassionate, and respectful ways and the arena where this matters is limitless.

 

[Mina]

Hi, BCorn - welcome to the forum. Congratulations on your upcoming graduation! :clap:

I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm actually very interested in what psych students are being taught about PTSD in school. From having it, we understand from an insider's perspective...but what's the "textbook" teaching on us? My little sister just graduated with a rehab psych degree, and I'm hoping to have a discussion with her at some point (or borrow her book(s)), but personally I am clueless as to what somebody would learn about us and PTSD in a class. I'm interested to know.

 

[liv now]

Hi Bcorn and welcome. I too am new to this forum. I am feeling particularily brave tonight so I might share a bit. I apparently have Ptsd (In a bit of denial today). at the very least I suffer from dissociation, the survival mechanism I learnt in childhood to cope with trauma and near death experiences. Until 7 years ago I didn't know I disssociated. In fact I didn't even know what it was until I started to feel emotions and sensations in my body and freaked out thinking something was wrong with me. I also remember looking at myself in the mirror in total shock at the person looking back at me. I hadn't REALLY looked at myself since I was a teenager (I was 27 at the time). Now seven years along and after lots of intense therapy and hard work I have come to understand why I dissociate and what my triggers are. In fact I have even managed to work through some of my triggers to the point that they are no longer a trigger. (this is why I believe ptsd is curable) I believe that the reason I have made so much headway is because "I opened up and surrendered secrecy and privacy" to a caring therapist. For me what kept me stuck and triggered was not opening up to my real fears. My secrecy kept me stuck in childhood beliefs and not owning my traumas. Whilst it has been difficult owning my past and feeling so vulnerable sharing with my therapist it has been the most healing thing. I feel more of a person rather than an invisible member of public. I still have a way to go, but I can see and feel my progress and for the first time ever am proud of myself. thank you so much for listening. feel free to comment. if not that is fine too. Cheers!