PTSD

I woke up this morning from a nightmare.  The nightmare was about my mother's death which occurred 20 years ago.  The results of the dream were anxiety and a generally bad feeling.  I felt guilty.  These feelings stayed with me throughout the morning.  Could this be an example of a symptom of posttraumatic stress disorder?  What is PTSD?
Posttraumatic stress disorder is an anxiety syndrome resulting from the occurrence of severe external stress beyond what is usual or  tolerable for most people.  It is a complex disorder arising from cognitive, biological and psychosocial factors. 
Stressors are rape, military combat, natural disasters, physical accidents involving loss of life  or a loss of a body part of part or its functions.  Victims of criminal assault may suffer from this disorder.
What's it like? A person re-experiences the trauma by having recurrent intrusive recollections of the event or recurrent dreams of the event; even feelings associated with the event.  An individual may suddenly act out or have the feeling the traumatic event is reoccurring.  This may happen when an environmental factors or thoughts "triggers" or creates a stimulus of the trauma. In the case of a soldier a car may backfire reminding him of the sound of a gun shot.  The autonomic system reacts and in some cases heart rate increases and blood pressure goes up.
Overall the individual may suffer from a lack of feeling or a numbing of responsiveness to their surroundings.  They withdraw from the world.  There is pronounced apathy in one or more of their significant activities. 
There may be related factors including physical injury. Depression and anxiety are common. Avoidance of social situations may be present.  There is a risk of self-medication through the use of alcohol, opiates or other mind numbing drugs. 
So no, I do think I suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder.  The key is when I review my reaction to the anxiety provoking dream I look at how  it effects me. I ask myself the questions how do I cope with the distressful memories.  Am I able to put the memories behind me and to on to enjoy other activities of the day.  Do these distressful dreams happen often.  Will I fall into  a deep depression because of my memories. Based on my answers to the questions I asked myself I can conclude I do not have PTSD.

Locus of Control

Locus of Control

The “Little Engine That Could” is a childrens book that most of us have read ourselves or we read it to a child.  The premise is I that I think I can do it so I can do it.  

Locus of control is a term coined by Julian Rotter. He was a prominent social learning theorist.  Locus of control means there is a general expectation of the degree to which individuals control their outcomes. Individuals with and external locus think that luck, fate or chance are responsible for what happens to them. The one with external locus of control think they have no control.  Those individuals with an internal locus feel their success or failure is due to internal or personal factors. Of course most people fall in the middle and under some circumsances believe in themselves in other situations the individual think someone or something else is responsible for their problems.

This concept is very important in analyzing the personalilty. This one simple idea is applied to everything from the grade a student will make on an exam to the personality disorder that may haunt them throughout their lives.

One author of a sociology book named Maghaddam used two quotations attributed to Shakespeare as an example of internal or external locus of control.  In Julius Ceasar act I scene two, it is written “The fault dear Brutus is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings.”  Which would be an example of internal locus control. Maghaddam cites Romeo and Juliet as an example of an external locus of control.  He summizes that Shakespeare portrays two “star” crossed lovers that decide to take their own lives as being determined by external factors which are beyond their control.

Interestingly the locus of control may even determine who will vote and who will not cast a vote.  Will the person who thinks they can personally make a difference vote or will it be the person who believes that the government is corrupt and voter fraud rampant and believes they can not make a difference in the outcome of the elections?

Think about health.  Who has the better chance of adding two years to their life span? Is it the individual that believes exercise and good nutrition is a health factor within their control and practice it?  Or is it the individual who believes health is determined by genetic factors and nothing they personally do that will determine the outcome of thier life expectancty or have an impact on the length of their lives.

True a positive attitude or a negative attitude does go a long way in determining the outcome of an endeavor, but it may be an oversimplification and in reality success or failure may be determined by much more complex mechanisms. It would be wonderful if the problems individuals could be changed with an attitude adjustment. If it were as simple for us to succeed as it was for the “little Engine That Could”.

Martin Luther Quotation

A contrast essay

“I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess."  In this quotation the protestant preacher, Martin Luther stated he has lost his material possessions but what he has turned over to God he still owns. What do his words mean to him?

What do we hold in our hands? Our material possessions like homes, cars, computers, televisions even our loved ones. These are things most of us work hard for. We think “Things” define us and it is not uncommon for us to want to keep up with the Jones. We think things are what will make us happy and our loved ones happy to the extent that we might even think we are loved because of our possessions. The bible nor Martin Luther have to remind us that we can not take our money with us when we died. Everything is not temporal including our bodies we are also spiritual beings. Much that guide us through life are spritual blessings.

What are these spiritual blessings Luther is refering to?  God is love. I know we all learned that lesson in Sunday school or from many of the other religious groups ways of teaching their young people. Love is a very important blessing from God. If we Love God with all our hearts and minds we will love and may even be loved in return. Love mean you take care of the young and the elderly, the sick, the hungry, the poor. Love your neighbor as yourself do not wish for a bigger car or a prettier wife. In John 5:18 it states that “We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born or God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them.” We are blessed with the peace of God, which transcends all understanding and will guard your heards and your minds and this cannot be taken away or destroyed.

Martin Luther is explaining that our material possessions will pass away but we will still have the blessings from God. Blessings which cannot be taken away. Common sense and holy records confirm this concept. Peoples actions also go a long way towards proving that individuals who are blessed by God and love their neighbors are not going to steal from them or kill them.

The protestant reformer, Martin Luther stated he held may things in his hands and he lost them all. He also believed that what he placed in Gods hands he will possess forever.

However

There is always a “however.”  Each situation has its benefits and its drawbacks.  In the field of market finance we find a compelling example that supports this thesis.

The roaring twenties was a decade which the American economy saw a rapid boom.  In fact America’s bull markets, such as the New York Stock Exchange had  become so financially inviting by 1927 that even America’s middle class poured its money into the financial forums. Unfortunately on October 4, 1929 the booming twenties came to an abrupt halt when the The York Stock Exchange crashed.

The crash had many negative consequences.  Most notably, the stock market crash of 1929 launched America into the Great Depression, a time of starvation and unemployment for millions of American citizens.The widespread optimism of the 1920’s quickly turned into an almost suicidal pessimism. Indeed the Great Depression represents the crippling consequences of the stock market crash of 1929. 

However, Franklin Delano Roosevelt established institutions and regulations to prevent future economic catastrophes.  Cognizant of the crashes causes, such as pool corruption, overpriced stock values and margin buying, Roosevelt implemented the Social Security Act, the FDIC and stricter rules monitoring credit.  His aggressive policies not only ameliorated the uncomfortable climate of the Great Depression but also laid the groundwork for a safer, more successful economy.

The American public also realized the many positive results of the stock market  of 1929.  In particular, American citizens now have an entirely different fiscal outlook from the one they had before the crash.  Speculators have proven to be more prudent and insightful, as they often research market trends before investing. Perhaps most importantly American investors are not as easily swayed by popular optimism and eager advertisement.

While the stock market crash of 1929 was the embryo of the Great Depression, the crash also set the foundation for a sounder economy. If we recognize the good and the bad of the crash we are destined to make fewer economic mistakes. 

essay draft sat 23

My pet dogs are a big part of my existence. They are both a joy and a curse. Mostly I enjoy them and they keep me from being lonely, in other words they are a joy more than a curse.

Mojoe, my male yorkie, is the protector.  He is always on ready to join in the fray when Twinkie, the youngest female, sounds the alarm.  Twinkie is the youngest and the smaller of the three. She is very affection and a bit bossy. Star, the oldest yorkie, finest characteristic is her intelligence.  She is very independant but at the same time she minds me. Reluctantly at times but she will do what I tell her to do.  I spent more time with her when she was a puppy, verbalising and trying to teach her the name and color of toys. I guess that is why she is so smart. I swear it seems she is able to read my mind. Even when I try to hide my actions and body language she reacts to my intentions. It is really amazing to me. All three dogs get along well and rarely fight.

Come to think of it they are a unit. Each adds something different that complement the other and help me. They are not really yappers, meaning they are not inclined to bark for no apparent reason at all. I encourage them to bark when there is a visitor, when they hear an alarm or even if an animal strays into the yard.

They are beneficial to me because they demand walks.  The walks I take them on are probably the best exercise I get and when the weather permits I walk them daily.

Curse? I can think of very few negative things to say about my animals. I do not like long coats and they must be groomed on a regular basis.  Their coats never seem to look neat long. They beg for food when I eat, but that can also be interpreted as company during meals. They creat a lot of housework, but on moderate days they are good about letting me know when they need to go outside.

In conclusion it has to be acknowledged that my pets are very important to me. They do create a lot of extra work but the return is great. My three yorkies make me very happy.  

200 Words Traffic

200 words
I moved from a moderately large town to a rural area ten years ago. One of the first things I noticed and enjoyed was the amount of traffic and the different pace of traffic. The roads are rarely packed with drivers. Traffic jams are uncommon. I love the 25MPH and 35MPH speed limits in town. Very rarely an individuals drive unsafely on the 55MPH zoned roads or act like they just hopped off the interstate. 
The only disadvantage is there is not an interstate within 20 miles, because that puts a lot of strain n the roads by large trucks.  The secondary road evidently serves as a bypass that connects my city with a larger town. That town has the big box stores which I like to shop at so I often make that trip. The advantages outweigh the negatives. In the town I once lived in it was convenient to hop on the interstate and cross town. I know several people who were killed in automobile accidents taking that route.  As an older person the interstates are dangerous for me because it is hard for me to merge in traffic. I should never get on an interstate to drive.
I do not remember the last time I was caught in a traffic jam here in my town. In Macon one road I traveled was parallel to an interstate an it was not uncommon to see cars backed up for miles. There is merging even on secondary roads in the Macon area.  In Athens a main road going through the town involves merging.
Yes, I will have to admit that one of the things I like best about my new town is the fact the driving conditions are most suited to my age and driving abilities. It is much safer and enjoyable to drive on the back roads of Northeast Georgia than it is in the larger cities and on the interstates of Georgia.   

Alzheimer's Disease by Jackie Alexander RN

I once had a neighbor that lost his cat on a regular basis. I could hear him calling the kitty; see the old man walking around his yard searching for the cat. Then one day I saw him standing still under a tree weeping in obvious distress. I walked over into his yard approached him and asked him what was wrong. He told me he was lost and could not find his way home.
Alzheimer's disease is a very sad disorder. It is one of the most tragic and painful conditions of the aging individual.

What is Alzheimer's?  According to Tabers medical dictionary it is a chronic, progressive, degenerative disorder. To break it down: chronic means, all the time or continuous, Progressive means it relentlessly travels in stages from bad to worse.  Degenerative means to continuously deteriorate or impair. Cognative refers to our ability to think or reason, to remember or make judgement calls.
Examples of cognitive deterioration can be a 45 year old hard working man fails a job evaluation and gets fired. The most common example people like to use is that grandmother forgot she was cooking and burned the house down. A 95 year old whose has a perfectly good driving record begins having minor accidents.

Me, I have learned to make 3 copies of my keys. I tape charts and messages on my refrigerator door. Charts keeping track of medication times and doses. Messages of important, even minor events to keep track of. Out of a fear of hungry animals I keep several full bowls of food and water available at all times for my dogs and cats. Am I am implying that I might be developing dementia? Yes, though the text books state it is not necessarily a part of natural aging, I personally think anyone who lives long enough will develope some degree of symptoms.  Anyone who lives long enough will get Alzheimer's it simply depends upon what degree and how it is coped with; how quickly death comes.

When family or society despair institutions are made available. A sad situation, but to be fair it is very difficult to care for an unattractive individual that no longer remembers who you are; who may not be as well behaved or potty trained as a terrible two year old and who needs the 24/7 care of an infant.  A large, still strong man, or woman can be dangerous. I knew of a case that the caregiver only gave into the expense of nursing care after several of her bones got broken.  I am sure the judicial system has special health care jails in which to house them in the event a serious crime has occurred.

What can be done?  There are no cures on the horizon except death. A few very expensive drugs with dubious value have been developed. Only a person who has been a caretaker for a terminal patient of any type disease realises just how lax the opioid laws really are. Of course heaven is the hope for those who die before they have forgotten the names of Jesus, Muhhamud, or Yahweh.

To recount some of the numbers: The number of individuals diagnosed with known cases of dementia are that for every 5 year passage of time beyond age 65 the number increases or doubles. In other words at 65 one in 10, at 75 to 85 yrs of age  one in 5 and after 85 one in 2 people may be diagnosed with Alzheimer's at any one time. Alzheimer's can effect those persons in the so called pre senile
stage as young as from 40 year to 60 years of age to the extent that judgment may be effected even impaired. Yes, Alzheimer's is a very sad and deadly disorder.