Apply Dsm-Iv to William Styron Essay Example for Free

Apply Dsm-Iv to William Styron Essay He chronicles â€Å"the leaden and poisonous mood† (Styron, 1990) that occupies most of his days. He reflects his diminished interest and pleasure towards â€Å"exceptionally island’s pleasure†, his â€Å"beloved home†, writing and other activities that he used to enjoy. He wonders how his friendly place seemed so hostile and forbidding. As a writer it felt helpless and painful to him when he found out â€Å"the writing becomes more difficult and exhausting, finally ceased† because depression has made him unable to concentrate. Styron’s statement of â€Å"two or three hours of sleep I was able to get at night† indicated that he suffered from insomnia and the everyday sleepless was â€Å"a rare torture† to him. It was clear that his insomnia evolved from middle insomnia to severe insomnia just right before his hospitalization (Andreasen Black, 2011). Styron also stated his slowed psychomotor functions that manifested in â€Å"slowed-down responses, near paralysis, psychic energy throttled back close to zero†. Styron further describes his mental illness severity as â€Å"reached the phase of the disorder where all sense of hope had vanished, along with the idea of a futurity†. While these particular descriptions depict Styron’s hopelessness and despair, he also proposed a question â€Å"Why wasn’t I in a hospital† which implies his later voluntary hospitalization and improvement in his illness. In addition, Styron constantly thinks about death and suicide evidenced by â€Å"Death, was now a daily presence†. His house has also become a place that was filled with possibilities of committing suicide. These core symptoms in Styron’s case defined major depression and has presented for more than two weeks (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Styron stated by himself that there was no manic episode occurs. And there were no evidence for a Mixed Episode. Although it was clear that client’s alcohol abuse history and his overuse of sleep medication play roles in his depression client’s depression are not due to the direct physiological effects of the substances or any general medical condition (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). It is interesting to address that client’s symptoms are not better accounted for by Bereavement but the unresolved grief Styron had toward his mother can be consider a major factor that contributed to his depression. The childhood trauma and the unresolved grief will be discussed later in this essay. In Styron’s case his depression began gradually during the six to eight month time frame. â€Å"Styron is on point in his astute description of milder dysthymic states that evolve into physiologically engaged forms of sever, endogenous depressions† (England, Ganzer, Foster, Tosone, 2006). Based on client’s current situation it is reasonable to give Styron â€Å"moderate† with current GAF score of 65. Styron stayed in hospital for nearly seven weeks and discharged with an improvement in his illness and his functions. All of his statements of â€Å"I began to get well, gradually but steadily† â€Å"the fantasies of self destruction disappeared† â€Å"suicidal notions dwindled then disappeared† â€Å"had first dream in many months† indicated that he was in the process of Partial recovery. Not only he started to feel â€Å"peace† in his mind but also he was able to attend hospital group activities. Styron has high adaptive level of defensive functions at current state. The understanding of the causes of depression has evolved over centuries. While Styron was detecting his â€Å"forgotten or buried events† that underlay his depression it will be important to look into his case through the biopsychosocial lens. From biopsychosocial model perspective the three major factors which all play a role in causing depression are biological, psychological and social factors. There are three aspects that contribute to Styron’s biological factor: genetic, alcohol use and medication. Based on Styron’s memory, his father, a shipyard engineer, suffered from clinical depression. When Styron was a young boy he have witnessed his father’s depression and hospitalization. Recent genetic research supports earlier studies reporting family links in depression (Pittenger Duman, 2008). If one or both of child’s parents have a vulnerability to depression, then it can be transmitted to the child. Therefore Styron’s father’s depression can be viewed as a risk factor to Styron’s later depression. In the narrative of Styron, he stated his dependence on alcohol and the overuse of Halcion for his sleeping problem. Excessive alcohol consumption significantly increases the risk of developing major depression (Gottlieb). Similar to alcohol, the increased risk for developing depression in benzodiazepines might be due in part to effects of drugs on neurochemistry, like decreased levels of serotonin and norepinephrine (Pittenger Duman, 2008). Styron himself acclaims that â€Å"more significant factor† (Styron, 1990) to his depression was the death of his mother when he was thirteen. In order to view psychological factor in Styron’s case Styron’s early mother lost has strong affect on his depression. Attachment theory predicts a relationship between depressive disorder and the early bond between the child and parents. Particularly the experiences of early loss, separation may all lead to insecure internal working models (Ma, 2006). To Styron, the death of his mother has â€Å"created nearly irreparable emotional havoc† (Styron, 1990) for him. This huge hole in his life may lead to his insecure and self-worthlessness. This insecure internal working models manifest through depressed individuals often blaming themselves for negative events and may not taking credit for positive outcomes. Styron reaction towards can be interpreted as he subconsciously felt he was not worthy of the honor (Marowitz, 2009). Regarding Styron’s own insight of â€Å"incomplete mourning† (Styron, 1990) he is right about the unsolved grief can keep bring the â€Å"insufferable burden of rage, guilt and sorrow†. â€Å"The Styrons were a dignified Southern WASP fanily and open displays of grief were tacitly discouraged† (England, Ganzer, Foster, Tosone, 2006). Since Styron was stuck in the phase of unresolved grief and using rage, guilt, and sorrow as the fuel for his work he never really learned a correct way to release his negative repeating emotions. Social factor in Styron’s case may be his social isolation during his early life from childhood to adolescent. As an only child in the family Styron’s social support can only come from his depressed father and mother with terminal illness. There was no one to share the burden and loneliness with him. As a pre mature and gifted child Styron went to school’s grade that did not match his developmental stage.

Help Remember The 1980s :: essays research papers

You're an '80s child if... 1) Snap bracelets were always getting you in trouble at school. 2) You played with "My Little Ponies". 3) Friendship bracelets were ties that couldn't be broken. 4) You’ve ever read Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, The Babysitters Club, or Sweet Valley High. 5) You know all the words to "Ice Ice Baby". 6) You wanted to be The Hulk for Halloween. 7) You had a crush on one of the New Kids on the Block members. 8) You wanted to be on Star Search. 9) You can remember what Michael Jackson looked like before he had Plastic surgery. 10) Heaven forbid you wore one of those T-shirt rings or a scrunchi on one side of your shirt during your youth. 11) You were styling with your French rolled pants. 12) You wore multiple pairs of socks in the middle of the summer just so you could Be "hip" 13) You had puff painted your own shirt at least once. 14) You owned a doll with 'Xavier Roberts' signed on its butt. Cabbage Patch Kids! 15) You knew what Willis was "talkin' 'bout." 16) You know the profound meaning of "Wax on, Wax off" 17) You were upset when She-ra, Princess of Power, and He-Man cancelled. 18) But the commercials in between were for Barbie and the Rockers and you knew all the words to all their songs. 19) You can remember watching Full House and Saved by the Bell for endless hours, back when they were new episodes. 20) You have seen at least 10 episodes of Fraggle Rock. 21) You hold a special place in your heart for "Back to the Future." 22) You know where to go if you "wanna go where everybody knows your name." 23) You wanted to be a Goonie. ("Goonies never say die.") "Yes!" 24) You remember Madonna in her cone stage. 25) You knew "The Artist" when he was humbly called "Prince." 26) You even wore fluorescent-neon clothing... 27) You could break dance, or wished you could. 28) You remember when ATARI was a state of the art video game system. 29) You remember M.C. Hammer. 30) You can still sing the rap to "Fresh Prince of Bel Air". 31) You own any cassettes. 32) You owned a pair of LA Gear, Keds, or Converse tennis shoes. 33) You carried your lunch to school in a Gremlin or an ET lunchbox.

Pop Culture’s Influence on Dating Essay

What’s the best part about dating? The rush of getting to know a new person? The hope that it will lead to something more lasting? For some people it’s the dream to find their true love and have them sweep them off their feet. For others it’s finding a person who doesn’t mind a more casual relationship. Most of the time, they return home only to think about what might have happened if their life went as well as the scripted ones they watch all of the time. They wish that they had a team of writers planning the next move in their romantic lives, and had award winning actors take on their role in life. These people have become victims of the modern age in dating. Be it movies, television, or books, pop culture has helped men and women set unrealistic expectations for dating and romance. We all know that the silver screen puts the rose-colored glasses over romance, but it is how they portray dating in many different genres that is really skewed. Horror movies are expected to end badly, and it is no exception for dating in this movie style. Typically the young couple are terrorized on a date by some knife-wielding maniac out for revenge. That can lead to many assumptions, depending on how the movie ended. If the couple was killed during the course of the film, then it can be concluded that the good die young. But if they both survive (and there isn’t a sequel haunting them) then people may start to believe that true love is formed by going through a traumatic experience with someone. Often times in Horror films, the couple goes out to get some privacy, only to find themselves the killer’s first victims. Not many people get the wrong idea about dating from Horror movies, granted, but what about the plucky love interest for everyone’s favorite Superheros? Mary Jane Watson, Gwen Stacy, Pepper Potts, Peggy Carter, Lois Lane, and Jane Foster to name a few. These women have made a name for themselves by being charmed by Superheros. Their men (Spiderman, Iron Man, Captain America, Superman, and Thor, respectively) are either super strong, super smart, an alien, or any combination of the three. If that d oesn’t give people the wrong idea about romance, then the writers aren’t doing their job. The strong, but constantly endangered, women are intelligent and attractive, leading the â€Å"hero† in the audience to long for the power to fly in and save them from any and all perilous situations. With people wanting a hero, and heroes waiting for their fem fatal, no one is going to make it out of this dating game alive. Superpowers aside, perhaps the most disillusioning movie genre is the Romantic Comedy. Quirky but lovable characters are thrust together in strange situations and they always come out of it with the love of their life. This genre has capitalized on the nice-guy finally getting the girl, the best friends realizing that they were made for each other, and fairy tale endings that warm the audience’s hearts. Men and women alike are fans of the Romantic Comedy, in part because they’re designed that way; the actresses are all attractive or funny, the actors are both, and the script is written for both men and women. Whether or not they admit to it, everyone enjoys a good â€Å"rom-com† after a long day of disappointment, and why not? The protagonist always comes out on top, and there’s always that one great date following all of the duds. For as long as they’ve been around, movies have helped the public set impossible goals for dating, but then television came along and sped up the process. From play dates to wedding dates, television has given a â€Å"Step-by-Step† guide to dating, particularly in shows such as Boy Meets World, Friends, and How I Met Your Mother. In Boy Meets World the viewers watched as Cory Matthews grew up, fell in love, and lived his life. Cory’s â€Å"love-of-his-life† was Tapanga Lawrence, a girl that he started calling his wife in Pre-School. Their relationship went through rough patches, but someone always knew that it was meant to be. The idea that one can meet (and keep) their first love from their childhood days is almost as improbable as thinking that Superheros can swoop in and save the day. Against all odds Cory and Tapanga actually survive dating through High School, and marriage in College. Young children are taught through weekly episodes that true love can be found on the playground, and that while it is imperfect, it is eternal. Boy Meets World was a family oriented show, but what about the shows that were geared more towards the working adult? Friends was a television sitcom that followed the lives of six friends. Viewers watched as their favorite friend fell in and out of love. Rachel and Ross had an on-again, off-again relationship that confused everyone, including the actors. Their relationship was based on attraction but the way they treated each other was, at times, cruel. This couple was volatile at best, and a running joke for viewers; â€Å"Are Ross and Rachel together this week?† Another couple in the show occurred later on in the series, and provides a foil to Ross and Rachel. Chandler and Monica’s relationship was built on friendship and as such was more stable. They were the fun couple who’s lines were joking and who always put the other first. The show was casual with its approach to dating, with non-regular characters coming and going throughout the series. Other shows were not as simple. Soap Operas fall in line with the over-dramatization of romance and dating, and there are many shows that focus on finding love. How I Met Your Mother is literally the drawn out retelling of how Ted Mosby found the mother of his children. These shows, while entertaining and sometimes informative, tell men and women that their true love can be found in everyday places such as work, at a coffee shop, or even on the playground. Television is guilty of helping with today’s dating misconceptions, however the biggest offender is literature by far. â€Å"Bodice Rippers† may not be the only things leading to unrealistic ideas about love; everything from Shakespeare to the Teen Romance section in today’s book stores share some of the blame. Romeo and Juliet is perhaps the most well-known romance story of all time. The main characters are teenagers who pledge their love to each other, despite being from warring families. They kill themselves for love that they think is forever but, historically had they lived and been allowed to marry, one of the lovers would have had an affair or died of natural causes early on in their marriage. Poetry of that time was romantic and well written as well. It really is a pit y that most of those poems were written about love affairs with already married people. They spoke of undeniable attraction, and how they really shouldn’t be denying themselves the love of the other person. Romance novels from later centuries tell readers about an odd sensation of love-at-first-sight. â€Å"Our eyes met, and I knew right then and there that we were meant to be together forever.† This idea is the drug of romance novels, it is what gets readers hooked and coming back for more. People have spent countless hours pouring over books with lines like that acting as major plot devices. Most readers swoon over the muscled heroes, dreaming of being in the heroine’s place. Teen Romance novels take this idea and make it even more impossible. They write in supernatural beings for the awkward teenager to fall in love with. Even if they take away the fantasy element, at heart the stories are improbable. For the most part, teenagers in High School don’t know what romantic love is (or if they do, it is never forever). Teen Romance novels teach teenagers that the love of their life is waiting for them in their Biology class, is the partner on a History assignment, or is the loner who they see in the library everyday. Teenagers who read these books get the idea that they can find a true love in the hormone-ridden home of disappointment that is High School. Escaping the real world by reading isn’t bad, but letting the fiction influence the thought process never ended well for anyone. Pop culture isn’t inherently evil, but when it comes to dating and romance, it is probably best to stop drawing parallels with real life. Movies, books, and literature are supposed to be used as ways to escape reality, not as guidelines for how to live. It would be a little ridiculous to put disclaimers before movies, shows, and books reading â€Å"Warning: Relationships portrayed in this are fictional, and not based on real life† but it’s starting to feel necessary. Not every story has a happy ending, and even those who do aren’t forever. If the public could just learn to stop accepting pop culture as gospel, stop looking for their soul mate where they â€Å"never would have expected†, then the dating world would be a better place. A place where true love doesn’t mean a love against all odds, but a love that is real. Real love is when a couple can get into arguments, be mad at each other and that isn’t the end of the relationship; when it isn’t all rainbows and roses but they’re happy with each other. No one wants to watch a movie about that, but then again, no one wants to watch a baby being born and they film â€Å"the miracle of life† every day. Maybe if more movies, TV shows, and books were realistic, more people would enjoy dating.

Racism And The Holocaust And Forgotten Fire By Adam...

There were 1.6 billion Muslims in the world as of 2010 – roughly 23% of the global population and Islam continues to be the fastest-growing major religion (Pew Research Center). Islamophobia and hatred towards Muslims has also been on the rise. â€Å"Islamophobia is prejudice towards or discrimination against Muslims due to their religion, or perceived religious, national, or ethnic identity associated with Islam† (Bridge.Georgetown). In our history we have witnessed many horrific acts of hatred and genocides such as the Holocaust and the Armenian Genocide, to society and today s people that was all in the past. In the books, â€Å"Night† by Elie Wiesel and â€Å"Forgotten Fire† by Adam Bagdasarian illustrates the conditions of victims having to go through these genocides, this shows the severity of prejudice and how affects people s lives. The reality of it is that times have not changed that drastically and theses bloodcurdling events have seemed to repe ated themselves in a new period of time with a new group oppressed people. Innocent people everyday are being targeted because of their religious backgrounds. These stereotypes of Muslims and Islam have become so widespread and the world s perspectives have changed drastically. Society is undoubtedly witnessing a rapid uprising of a new era of hatred and genocide, just like in the Holocaust and the Armenian Genocide in the form of Islamophobia, media propaganda, and false representations of Muslims being terrorists. In this era, our