Research-RowanRat

Posted on May 5, 2021 by rowanrat

The Power of Music

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the term conspiracy theories? If it is along the lines of “crazy,” “dramatic,” or “nonsense,” then you have a similar opinion compared to the vast majority. These theories have been around for as long as we can remember. Oftentimes with conspiracy theories, it involves the exaggerated ideas resulting from reading too far into something. While it may seem probable that the idea of specific lyrics containing themes of mental illness is embellished, that is not the case. 

Mental illness has gained a poor reputation in today’s society. This is as a result of the influx of people claiming that they have certain illnesses, especially depression and anxiety. This makes the idea of mental illness being apparent in song lyrics that much more unbelievable. However, being that music is a form of communication, there is a guaranteed reflection of the artist’s mental state in their creative writings.

Communication comes in many forms.Take a look at musicians for example. The songwriter uses nonverbal communication to create the lyrics of their song. By doing so, they’re letting out their emotions and putting it into a musical piece. A singer will use verbal communication by singing. While the audience is listening to a song that may have some deep content, they are listening to the musicians’ work of personal therapy. By creating their music, they were communicating their feelings which improved their mental health in some type of way. 

To begin with, we must understand the true meaning of conspiracy theories. According to wikipedia, it “refers to a hypothesized conspiracy with specific characteristics, such as an opposition to the mainstream consensus among those people who are qualified to evaluate its accuracy.” Rather than this information being understood as factual, it is instead represented as opinion based. In the International Review of Social Psychology, “A ‘Conspiracy Theory’ Conspiracy Theory? A Mixed Methods Investigation of Laypeople’s Rejection (And Acceptance) of a Controversial Label,” “The label ‘conspiracy theory’, while part of everyday media discourse, is considered by many as problematic.” There is a divide between those who do and don’t believe in conspiracy theories, and that divide plays a significant role when it comes to music artists and their believed mental situations.

There is a common link between creativity and mental illness. Many songs reflect the type of life an artist has. Further, one’s mental health is a significant part in one’s life. Therefore, it is more than likely that if an artist suffers from some type of mental illness, it will show in the songwriting of those artists. Meg Hutchinson describes her experience with mental illness and how it affects her music. Hutchinson suffers from bipolar disorder. She explains how in her song, “The Living Side” she expresses how she promises to stay on the living side. This proves that mental illness is commonly displayed in the lyrics of their music.

Music being understood as having healing abilities is not news and has been used as such since the times of Aristotle. However, the first official documented practice of using music for therapy was in 1789 through “Music Physically Considered,” an article in Columbian Magazine. Further, throughout the 1900s this practice gained popularity where there were multiple programs introduced. In 1903, the National Society of Musical Therapeutics was founded by Eva Augusta Vescelius. Next, in 1926, the National Association for Music in Hospitals was founded by Isa Maud Ilsen. Another, in 1941, the National Foundation of Music Therapy was founded by Harriet Ayer Seymour. Considering music therapy as an organized clinical profession truly began in the 1940s. Flash forward to today, there are around 5,000 certified music therapists in the United States.

There are many songs with dark lyrics that are a result of the artist having mental illness. Eminem suffers from depression and his song, “Stan”, writes “You coulda rescued me from drowning / now it’s too late, I’m on a thousand downers now, I’m drowsy / and all I wanted was a lousy letter or a call.” Another by Eminem, “Rock Bottom” writes “My life is full of empty promises and broken dreams / I’m hopin’ things look up; but there ain’t no job openings / I feel discouraged, hungry and malnourished” Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day suffers from panic disorder and his band’s song, “Basket Case,” writes “Sometimes I give myself the creeps / sometimes my mind plays tricks on me / it all keeps adding up I think I’m cracking up / am I just paranoid or am I just stoned?” Morrissey of The Smiths suffers from depression and his band’s song, “I know It’s Over” writes “Oh Mother, I can feel the soil falling over my head.” All of these songs demonstrate how mental illness affects and is apparent in the lyrics of those artists who are suffering.

Another example is an artist with the name of X. Ari. She is a singer-songwriter and suffers from anxiety, depression, PTSD, and insomnia. Some lyrics she has created include, “There was no dim light at the end of the tunnel and every part of my being thought this was the end. If I only knew that so many people have similar struggles, I would not have felt so alone. Perhaps I would been able to recover sooner had I not been so ashamed.” As you can see here, she is openly discussing her mental illness in this song. This is an example of lyrics that describe the current state of their lives. There isn’t much digging needed to find examples of some sort of mental illness here. However, this is a good example of how music is used as an outlet for mental illness and has a significant impact on the lyrics created. Also, this just shows that not only was she able to express her feelings, she is acting as a real life example of someone who has effectively used music as more than just a leisure activity.

What is mental health? According to mentalhealth.gov, “Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act.” Having good mental health will enable you to perform well in day-to-day life. I conducted an interview with a student at Rowan University who suffers from anxiety and depression. Because of her poor mental health, it affects her academic performance, sleep, and bodily health. Her anxiety causes her to procrastinate and because of this procrastination, her grades suffer. Further, my participant experiences issues regarding sleep. She states, “When I get anxious about grades, if I’m failing or something like that, my brain will just move a thousand miles per minute and it’s just bad…” Her mind is consumed with stress and anxiety about her classes which is keeping her up at night. Sleep is essential to mental and physical health. Due to her poor sleeping habits, she’s developed severe migraines. 

My patient has confessed that she doesn’t talk to anybody about her issues. She feels that she is a burden by talking to friends or family members so she deals with it on her own. This is a common reason why people choose not to get help. Using my patient as an example, she experiences a great amount of issues as a result of poor mental health and not communicating it. This interview was more of a therapeutic conversation for my patient. She spoke about a lot of her issues and what has been bothering her. Through this short 30 minute conversation we also put together a list of things she can do to help her deal with her anxiety and depression. She even stated at the end of the interview how it felt good to get it off her chest. This proves how communication is key, and by communicating, it can better one’s mental health. After this interview, she is going to reach out to one of our school’s psychologists and get the help that she needs.

Mental illness is a significant issue in today’s society. At Rowan University, 50% of all students felt severely depressed to the point that it had a negative impact on their ability to function. 15% of students at Rowan met the criteria for major depression. Moreover, 20% of all students have been diagnosed or treated with some form of mental illness. These students need to communicate and talk to somebody. Rowan University offers therapy and counseling, however, it is not well known. I myself suffer from anxiety and depression. I never used to talk to anybody and decided to keep it all inside until I exploded. I spoke with one of our school psychologists and from the first session, I felt instant relief. I also didn’t realize how bad it was until I said it aloud. Once I did, I not only felt the satisfaction of letting it all off my chest, but continuing to communicate with my psychologist enabled me to work on my issues. There is a direct cause and effect of communication on mental health, and it should be enforced for our wellbeing.

The power of talking is immense when it comes to catharsis. According to Value Options, “Talking leads to a catharsis, which means a feeling of relief. The charged feelings within us become less charged. Nothing has changed that caused the suffering in our lives, but talking has drained off some of the pain and this brings relief.” If somebody is experiencing mental illness, they are already experiencing a great deal of negative emotion. By keeping those feelings inside, those emotions continue to get stronger and create more stress. As stated by Mental Health Research, “Chronic stress increases the risk of developing depression and anxiety in some people.” This can easily be treated through the use of communication. 

Further, you can take that communication and share with others. An excellent source is therapy. By going to therapy, you can let out all of your feelings and what has been bothering you. A therapist is there to listen and help you. Without communicating, you are unable to properly process what is going on in your mind. This will cause you to develop mental illness that could be detrimental. Good Therapy states, “Therapy can help improve symptoms of many mental health conditions. In therapy, people also learn to cope with symptoms that may not respond to treatment right away.” By using communication and speaking to a therapist, you are putting yourself on the right track for self improvement. It is essential to understand that you are not alone and you should not be dealing with all of your issues on your own. By letting these feelings remain in your mind, they will eat away at your brain and body and pull you under. 

Humans not only desire, but require communication. Close your eyes and imagine the following scenario. You have built up anger and you feel it weighing on your chest. Seconds…minutes…hours…days pass by, and your emotions continue to pile up. Until one moment your body can no longer take it and you snap. You let go of all of your bottled up feelings. All of a sudden those emotions leave your body. Did you feel light? Did you sigh of relief? Communicating your feelings results in improved mental health. Because of this, you are able to process and deal with those feelings without being so overwhelmed.

There are many ways of noticing that someone is experiencing mental illness other than simply stating the fact. The term therapy is often understood as talking out your feelings to a professional therapist which leads to a possible diagnosis. This is not the case, however, where there are many outlets that one can express what they are going through. One example of this is music therapy. Through this kind of treatment, psychologists are able to find whether or not a patient is experiencing some type of mental illness through this artistic form of expression.

Emotional expression includes but is not limited to regular one on one conversation and that is something that must be understood. Today, more than ever, people are experiencing mental illness at alarming rates. For those who do need assistance, they should be aware of the many resources available that can help their given situation. Many are reluctant or apprehensive about classic verbal therapy which stops them from getting the help they need. Music therapy is surely a more appealing type of treatment and if more people knew that this is an option, it can save the lives of those suffering.  

With this type of therapy, one is able to analyze the type of music created to understand an artist’s self-concept and rehabilitative needs. Further, one is able to see those issues in the lyrics of their music. By examining an artist’s work, a professional is able to notice psychological and developmental processes where they may have not been able to notice in other ways. Because of this, there are great benefits for the artists combining analytic approaches of song analysis with an experiential, arts-based investigation.

As stated by the AMTA, “Music Therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program.” Not only is music therapy beneficial for the clinician to better understand their patient, it is also helpful for the patient to let go of these emotions as well as receiving the help they need at the same time. Music therapy is especially advantageous for those who experience issues with communication. Activities that are included in such treatment are singing, dancing, creating music, or by listening to music. By doing so, patients are able to express their feelings in a creative and entertaining way. 

In an article, J. Wonya speaks of the scenario involving the suicide of Chester Bennington following Chris Cornell’s death. She says, “A few years later, I overheard a coworker talking about how she didn’t believe Chester killed himself, and that it was a “setup” to get more record sales”(medium). There were many theories going around of how he wasn’t actually depressed. However, this is not the case, and can be proven through the lyrics he has created. For example, in his song, “Crawling,” he states, “crawling in my skin, these these wounds, they will not heal…to find myself again, my walls are closing in…discomfort, endlessly has pulled itself upon me distracting, reacting against my will I stand beside my own reflection. It’s haunting…” Based off of these lyrics, it is apparent that Chester Bennington was dealing with some troubles, more so than the average feelings of sadness.

In similar fashion, let’s take a look at some more proof by various artists who have been diagnosed with some type of mental illness. There are many songs with dark lyrics that are a result of the artist having mental illness. In the first place, Eminem has been diagnosed with depression and his song, “Stan”, writes “You coulda rescued me from drowning / now it’s too late, I’m on a thousand downers now, I’m drowsy / and all I wanted was a lousy letter or a call.” Another by Eminem, “Rock Bottom” writes “My life is full of empty promises and broken dreams / I’m hopin’ things look up; but there ain’t no job openings / I feel discouraged, hungry and malnourished.” These lyrics reflect Eminem’s diagnosis of depression through the negative phrases he encompasses in his music. Secondly, Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day has been diagnosed with panic disorder and his band’s song, “Basket Case,” writes, “Sometimes I give myself the creeps / sometimes my mind plays tricks on me / it all keeps adding up I think I’m cracking up / am I just paranoid or am I just stoned?” Through this song, Billie Joe Armstrong includes his personal feelings and thoughts that continue to go through his mind. In addition, Morrissey of The Smiths has been diagnosed with depression and his band’s song, “I know It’s Over” writes “Oh Mother, I can feel the soil falling over my head.” All of these songs demonstrate how mental illness affects and is apparent in the lyrics of those artists who are suffering.

In an article titled, “Stop Reading Too Much Into Things!(You’re NOT as Intuitive as You Think” by Counseling for men, it is expressed that, “When it comes to being intuitive, I believe people are a lot worse at reading into things than they think.” This statement confirms that when you are reading into things, you are not correct in your assumptions. Moreover, you should stop reading into things all together. This will prevent any incorrect presumptions. However, not everything is as it seems. A sad song written by an “emo” band or artist is just written for the sake of their theme. But that’s not always the case. If you were to halt any sort of investigation, you will be unable to find potential proof. And in this case, the truths of what’s going on in the artist’s minds.

As has been noted, it is completely understandable that searching for hidden clues in song lyrics that reflect some sort of mental illness is rather excessive. A song may be sad, chaotic, or fearful, but to assume that it is as a result of showing signs of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, or other illnesses does seem to stretch the truth. These beliefs are fathomable, but it is important to realize that it is not the case in this situation. There is a common link between creativity and mental illness. Many songs reflect the type of life an artist has. Further, one’s mental health is a significant part in one’s life. Therefore, it is more than likely that if an artist suffers from some type of mental illness, it will show in the songwriting of those artists. With that being said, before making a decision that will deem something unlikely, have an open mind. Some conspiracy theories may be beyond belief, but not all.

References

Additional informationNotes on contributorsMichael ViegaMichael Viega. (n.d.). What’s in a song? Combining analytical and arts-based analysis for songs created by songwriters with neurodisabilities. Retrieved March 06, 2021, from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08098131.2016.1205651

American music Therapy association. (n.d.). Retrieved March 08, 2021, from https://www.musictherapy.org/about/musictherapy/

Armitage, D., & Doughty, B. (2020, November 03). Stress and our mental health – what is the

 impact & How can we tackle it? Retrieved April 03, 2021, from   https://www.mqmentalhealth.org/stress-and-mental-health/?lang=en_us#:~:text=This%20long%2Dterm%20stress%20can,conditions%20like%20anxiety%20or%20depression.

An interview with The Singer-songwriter and mental Health Advocate, X.ARI! (n.d.). Retrieved March 06, 2021, from https://music.allaccess.com/an-interview-with-the-singer-songwriter-and-mental-health-advocate-x-ari/

Chester Bennington’s life story and the influence of his Dark passengers. (2021, April 11). Retrieved April 12, 2021, from https://thedawnrehab.com/blog/chester-bennington-life-story/

Conspiracy theory. (2021, April 10). Retrieved April 12, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conspiracy_theory

How talking helps. (n.d.). Retrieved April 03, 2021, from

 http://www.valueoptions.com/solutions/2011/11-November/story5.htm

Landau, E. (2013, August 23). When patients have ‘music emergencies’. Retrieved March 08, 2021, from https://www.cnn.com/2013/08/23/health/music-therapy

Mental illness and CREATIVITY: Singer songwriter Meg Hutchinson on bipolar disorder and medications. (2019, August 12). Retrieved March 06, 2021, from https://talentdevelop.com/3949/mental-illness-and-creativity-singer-songwriter-meg-hutchinson-on-bipolar-disorder-and-medications//* custom css */.tdi_98_160 .tdb-author-name-wrap{ align-items: baseline; }.tdi_98_160 .avatar{ width: 20px; height: 20px; margin-right: 6px;, Bartleet, L., By, & Bartleet, L. (2020, December 08). 50 songs about depression. Retrieved March 06, 2021, from https://www.nme.com/list/50-songs-about-depression-1109

Nera, K., Leveaux, S., & Klein, P. (2020, October 19). International review of social psychology. Retrieved April 12, 2021, from https://www.rips-irsp.com/articles/10.5334/irsp.401/

Raypole, C. (2020, February 17). Why should i go to therapy? 8 signs it’s time to see a therapist.

 Retrieved April 03, 2021, from https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/why-should-i-go-to-therapy-8-signs-its-time-to-see-a-therapist-0118197#:~:text=A%20therapist%20can%20help%20support,it%2C%20and%20how%20to%20cope.

Stop reading too much into things! (you’re not as intuitive as you think). (2020, June 23). Retrieved April 12, 2021, from https://parkslopetherapist.com/stop-reading-into-things/

Wynona, J. (2020, June 25). Conspiracy theories ignore music artist’s mental health – office hrs. Retrieved April 12, 2021, from https://medium.com/@writerontheradio/conspiracy-theories-ignore-music-artists-mental-health-office-hrs-d90f10b3cdae

What is mental health? (n.d.). Retrieved April 03, 2021, fromhttps://www.mentalhealth.gov/basics/what-is-mental-health

50 songs about depression. Retrieved March 06, 2021, from https://www.nme.com/list/50-songs-about-depression-1109

/* custom css */.tdi_98_160 .tdb-author-name-wrap{ align-items: baseline; }.tdi_98_160 .avatar{ width: 20px; height: 20px; margin-right: 6px;, Bartleet, L., By, & Bartleet, L. (2020, December 08).

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White Paper – mrmba1

Posted on May 4, 2021 by mrmba1

Working Hypothesis:

  • Learning and playing music through drumming or otherwise have positive effects on musicians’ lives.
  • Edited: Performing and practicing musicians live a longer, healthier life.

Source 1: Berchicci, Marika. “Benefits of Physical Exercise on the Aging Brain: The Role of the Prefrontal Cortex.” 2013. https://bit.ly/3vLcyyH

This study done by the Department of Human Movement at the University of Rome discusses and discovers that increased physical activity in later stages of life can help to preserve brain function, especially in the prefrontal cortex. This can be used to tie exercise to mental benefits before tying exercise to drumming and finally drumming to these benefits.

Source 2: Britton, Luke Morgan. “Insomnia, Anxiety, Break-ups… Musicians on the dark side of touring.” The Guardian. 2015. https://bit.ly/3wGzYGy

Discusses the straining mental demands of professional musicians as well as how it negatively impacts their social life. This source can be used to actually emphasize the positive mental and social impacts of being a professional or touring drummer.

Source 3: De La Rue, S. E. Energy Expenditure in Rock/ Pop Drumming. 2013. https://bit.ly/39qRuVl

Discusses the rigorous physical exertion found from drumming, and compares drumming to multiple “real” sports such as swimming or cycling. It continues to describe a study incorporating several drummers of many ages and skill levels that aimed to identify the amount of energy used as well as how physically demanding drumming actually is, and if it qualifies as exercise. This can be used to highlight many of the positive physical effects that drumming can have on people.

Source 4: Halevi-Katz, Dana N. “Exposure to music and noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) among professional pop/rock/jazz musicians.” 2015. https://bit.ly/3nQeIKG

This article described the immense amounts of sound waves that come from being a professional musician or even a casual drummer and how damaging they can be on the players’ ears. This can be used to provide the dual purpose of introducing a negative effect of drumming (hearing loss), as well as the steps required to prevent this negative from happening in the first place.

Source 5: Holt-Lunstad. “Loneliness and Social Isolation as Risk Factors for Mortality: A Meta- Analytic Review.” 2015. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691614568352

The study discussed the negative impact of social isolation, and found that humans who lacked meaningful social interactions had a higher risk of heart diseases, and in turn a higher risk for early mortality. Since professional drummers often require many hours of practice and can easily get lost in this practice. This can be used to display the argument that points out the possible devastating social effects of being a professional drummer.

Source 6:

Source 6: Kopp S., Maria. Where psychology meets physiology: chronic stress and premature mortality. 2003. https://bit.ly/3szmFp

This study found that high levels of stress led to premature death and other health risks. A simple yet powerful conclusion, this evidence was used in my rebuttal when discussing the dangerous mental effects of being a drummer. Being the drummer requires a lot of responsibility which can come with immense amounts of stress, and this study displays the effect of that stress. This can be used to explain the negative aspects of stress that come with being a professional drummer or other musician that’s relied upon.

Source 7: Penedo, Frank J. “Exercise and well-being: a review of mental and physical health benefits associated with physical activity.” 2005. https://bit.ly/2QUyQir

This study explores the benefits of physical exercise and how it related to a healthier and longer life, reducing risks for things such as cardiovascular diseases and arthritis. This can be used to help readers understand the benefits of exercise before relating drumming to those benefits to get a deeper understanding of how drumming can be healthy in the long term.

Source 8: Perkins, Rosie. Making music for mental health: how group drumming mediates recovery. 2016. https://bit.ly/3sBRysO

This article follows mentally ill patients and recovering addicts through drumming treatments. It found that participating in these rhythmic, therapeutic drum circles sped up recovery and made that patients feel better mentally. This source can be used to display the overwhelming evidence in support of the positive mental effects of drumming.

Source 9: Selvanetti, Alberto. “Overuse tendon injuries: Basic science and classification.” 1997. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1060-1872(97)80031-7

This article listed numerous tendon injuries caused by overuse and constant stress. It described the different types of tendon injuries as well as what causes them. This can be used to describe the negative physical effects of drumming, as well as to provide some insight into how to prevent or postpone many of these injuries.

Source 10: Stoeber, Joachim, and Dirk Rennert. 2008. “Perfectionism in School Teachers: Relations with Stress Appraisals, Coping Styles, and Burnout.” Anxiety, Stress & Coping 21 (1): 37–53. https://bit.ly/33hYccR

The study describes school teachers and how their perfectionism leads to stress and burnout, however I believe it works just as well to provide negative effects of perfectionism in musicians and artists. It talked about how the constant unrealistic aim for perfection caused immense levels of stress and even caused the teachers to experience burnout. This study can be used to bring attention to the detrimental mental effects of being a professional musician.

Source 11: Vardonikolaki, Aikaterini. “Musicians’ Hearing Handicap Index: A New Questionnaire to Assess the Impact of Hearing Impairment in Musicians and Other Music Professionals.” 2020. https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_JSLHR-19-00165

This article discusses hearing loss and the dangers of extreme decibel levels that come with being a professional musician. It goes into more detail about the Musicians’ Hearing Handicap Index (HMMI) which is the recommended decibel levels of stage monitors for musicians. The article can be used to display the destructive power of drumming on the ears of the player.

Definition

  • Drummers seem to know something that most others don’t: the key to a healthy elongated existence. Drumming can have benefits equal to that of extreme sports, while simultaneously refining the mind, body, and spirit. It seems counterintuitive

Causal

  • Drumming is a great means of physical exercise. It is also a great mental workout when it comes to coordination, and a perfect social amplifier and medium when it comes to the community of performing music. Assisting in all aspects of health, drumming is a great choice to lead a healthy, long lasting life.

Rebuttal

  • Social inhibitors of drumming can be seen mainly through famous drummers of the twentieth century, where the pressure has gotten to them. Physically, there are all kinds of injuries that can be caused from this activity, some of which are irreversible such as hearing damage.

Current State of Research

  • Overall I am happy with the state of my research paper, as I believe it reached the conclusion and had the effect that I sought for. I feel as though there is still refinement that can be done, however in its current form I believe it to be beneficial and enjoyable to read for those who wish to learn about the benefits of drumming. It was enjoyable to take this path and follow research about my topic, and I feel as though the end result is something to be proud of.

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Definition Rewrite – mrmba1

Posted on May 4, 2021 by mrmba1

The Drums of Youth

Many people consider the drumming lifestyle to be one of rebellion and impulsive life choices. Drummers of any band have a bad reputation of being the crazy, risk taking animal that the Muppets have declared them to be. However drummers seem to know something that most others don’t: the key to a healthy elongated existence. Drumming can have benefits equal to that of extreme sports, while simultaneously refining the mind, body, and spirit. With people like Charlie Watts from the Rolling Stones still drumming at the lively age of 79, and an orchestral drummer by the name of Viola Smith living and rocking out until her passing at the age of 107, there must be something that non drummers are simply missing out on- a long, healthy, and happy life.

To first understand drumming’s physical benefits as a means of exercise, it’s important to look first at the benefits of exercising alone. Everyone understands that exercise is healthy and good for the body, but to understand more clearly, Frank J. Penedo goes into extreme detail in his study “Exercise and Well Being: a review of mental and physical health benefits associated with physical activity.” Through examining multiple subjects and data, Penedo concludes, along with Jason Dahn, that “physical inactivity doubles health risks,” and “such inactivity during middle age appears to shorten the lifespan.” It has a clear benefit and association with extended life expectancy and health. Exercise on its own is able to keep one’s body at peak performance, or at least in better shape than no activity. It can, as Penedo states, reduce risks for cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and arthritis in later years, and these are merely the physical benefits associated with exercise.

Physical activity in later years also assists in preserving the mind and mental state of individuals. A lack of activity or exercise can cause slower reactions and response times as well as lead to decreased motor coordination. In a study performed by Marika Berchicci et al titled “Benefits of Physical Exercise on the Aging Brain,” it was found that physical exercise is particularly important from middle age onwards when it comes to this metal preservation aspect. Berchicci states that “in middle-aged and older individuals, moderate-to-high levels of physical exercise has beneficial effects on the planning and execution of a response.” It is clear that continued and consistent activity can result in prolonged mental alertness and proficiency in addition to preserving motor skills by activating the prefrontal cortex, as Berchicci has concluded. 

The benefits of exercise have been explored, it’s easier to understand how physical activity, especially in those of older ages, can help to facilitate a healthier and in some cases elongated lifestyle. Now it is possible to look onto drumming and become aware of just how physically and mentally demanding it truly is. Several studies, such as those by Rosie Perkins and De La Rue explore the physical side of drumming and are able to conclude just how demanding it truly is, comparing it to that of equally demanding sports and other means of exercise. With drumming being compared this way, it makes the claim that drumming leads to a longer life that much more understandable and real.

References

Berchicci, Marika. “Benefits of Physical Exercise on the Aging Brain: The Role of the Prefrontal Cortex.” 2013. https://bit.ly/3vLcyyH

De La Rue, S. E. “Energy Expenditure in Rock/ Pop Drumming.” 2013. https://bit.ly/39qRuVl
Penedo, Frank J. “Exercise and well-being: a review of mental and physical health benefits associated with physical activity.” 2005. https://bit.ly/2QUyQir

Posted in Definition Rewrite, mrmba1 | Leave a comment

Definition – mrmba1

Posted on May 4, 2021 by mrmba1

The Drums of Youth

Many people consider the drumming lifestyle to be one of rebellion and impulsive life choices. Drummers of any band have a bad reputation of being the crazy, risk taking animal that the Muppets have declared them to be. However drummers seem to know something that most others don’t: the key to a healthy elongated existence. Drumming can have benefits equal to that of extreme sports, while simultaneously refining the mind, body, and spirit. With people like Charlie Watts from the Rolling Stones still drumming at the lively age of 79, and an orchestral drummer by the name of Viola Smith living and rocking out until her passing at the age of 107, there must be something that non drummers are simply missing out on- a long, healthy, and happy life.

To first understand drumming’s physical benefits as a means of exercise, it’s important to look first at the benefits of exercising alone. Everyone understands that exercise is healthy and good for the body, but to understand more clearly, Frank J. Penedo goes into extreme detail in his study “Exercise and Well Being: a review of mental and physical health benefits associated with physical activity.” Through examining multiple subjects and data, Penedo concludes, along with Jason Dahn, that “physical inactivity doubles health risks,” and “such inactivity during middle age appears to shorten the lifespan.” It has a clear benefit and association with extended life expectancy and health. Exercise on its own is able to keep one’s body at peak performance, or at least in better shape than no activity. It can, as Penedo states, reduce risks for cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and arthritis in later years, and these are merely the physical benefits associated with exercise.

Physical activity in later years also assists in preserving the mind and mental state of individuals. A lack of activity or exercise can cause slower reactions and response times as well as lead to decreased motor coordination. In a study performed by Marika Berchicci et al titled “Benefits of Physical Exercise on the Aging Brain,” it was found that physical exercise is particularly important from middle age onwards when it comes to this metal preservation aspect. Berchicci states that “in middle-aged and older individuals, moderate-to-high levels of physical exercise has beneficial effects on the planning and execution of a response.” It is clear that continued and consistent activity can result in prolonged mental alertness and proficiency in addition to preserving motor skills by activating the prefrontal cortex, as Berchicci has concluded. 

The benefits of exercise have been explored, it’s easier to understand how physical activity, especially in those of older ages, can help to facilitate a healthier and in some cases elongated lifestyle. Now it is possible to look onto drumming and become aware of just how physically and mentally demanding it truly is. Several studies, such as those by Rosie Perkins and De La Rue explore the physical side of drumming and are able to conclude just how demanding it truly is, comparing it to that of equally demanding sports and other means of exercise. With drumming being compared this way, it makes the claim that drumming leads to a longer life that much more understandable and real.

References

Berchicci, Marika. “Benefits of Physical Exercise on the Aging Brain: The Role of the Prefrontal Cortex.” 2013. https://bit.ly/3vLcyyH

De La Rue, S. E. “Energy Expenditure in Rock/ Pop Drumming.” 2013. https://bit.ly/39qRuVl
Penedo, Frank J. “Exercise and well-being: a review of mental and physical health benefits associated with physical activity.” 2005. https://bit.ly/2QUyQir

Posted in Definition Categorical, mrmba1 | Leave a comment

rebuttal rewrite-honeysucklelilac

Posted on April 30, 2021 by honeysucklelilac

The Best Option For The Environment

Thrift stores are the best places for clothes to go so their wearable lifetime extends beyond the first owner. These secondhand stores are not only the most convenient and popular places for clothes to be dropped off but also the best environmentally friendly option. There are other ways for consumers to dispose of their clothes that include throwing them away so they end up in landfills and take years to break down. People could also drop them off at recycling centers so they can be turned into other items such as upholstery and seat stuffing but the carbon emissions are extremely large. Recovering the energy used from burning textiles sounds like an okay idea until you look at how much energy is used to burn the materials. These alternatives don’t accomplish increased longevity of the lifespan of clothes like thrift stores. 

Throwing clothes away is the least environmentally friendly option because most clothes contain manmade fibers that don’t break down as easily and they release toxic greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide and methane. Smart Guide to Climate Change author Christine Ro makes the point in “Can fashion ever be sustainable?”, that as much as 10% of greenhouse gasses come from human activity. Carry Somers, founder and global operations director of the nonprofit organization Fashion Revolution in an interview for Wbur “The Environmental Cost of Fashion,” notes that “Even extending the life of our garments by an extra nine months of active use would reduce the carbon, water and waste footprint by around 20% to 30% each.” According to the US census, “There are currently more than 25,000 resale, consignment and Not For Profit resale shops in the United States.” Donating clothes to thrift stores is the most convenient way to recycle old clothes. 

Textile recycling is when fabrics are collected and then reprocessed into useful products. This process is better than throwing clothes away, but the carbon waste and greenhouse gasses emitted is still much greater than donating clothes to thrift stores. In a study done for MDPI by Toshiro Semba, Yuji Sakai, Miku Ishikawa and Atsushi Inaba titled, Greenhouse Gas Emission Reductions by Reusing and Recycling Used Clothing in Japan, the CO2 emissions of clothes that were “reclaimed” or thrifted was only 2.10×109kg. To compare, from the same study it was found that the CO2 emissions from clothes that were used for textile recycling was almost double at 4.01x 109kg. There are thrift stores located in every town across America meaning, there is easy access and common knowledge as to where the closest one is in relation to an individual. If people go to drop off their clothes at a thrift store in their town that’s close enough to them that they can walk to, they wouldn’t even be contributing to releasing carbon emissions from driving a car. According to the EPA the average carbon emissions for a car per year is 4.6 metric tons. To put the carbon emissions of a car into perspective when comparing it to the emissions from textile recycling, there are only about 4100 kilograms in 1 ton. In one year, a car emits about 4.4×106 kg of carbon emission in comparison to textile recycling’s 4.01×109kg. 

Recovering the energy used from burning textiles is a way to recycle clothes but doing so raises environmental concerns. A study done for the Royal Institute of Technology, Environmental Assessment of Textile Material Recovery Techniques by Lena Yohannan found that the main benefit of incineration is that textiles don’t need to be separated and the collected waste can be brought directly to the incineration plant. However, when textiles are incinerated in large amounts there is the potential issue that the packed textile particles can leave material about it un-ignited. Incineration of textiles causes negative impacts on the environment because of the ashes, both bottom and fly away in addition to other emissions. It’s also important to note that the study done by Yohannan found that most of the energy being used came from non-renewable energy sources. Yohannan shockingly notes that, “When only considering the combustion of the cotton and polyester content in 1 ton of textile waste, 785 kg of CO2 is found to be emitted.” When you incinerate clothes, plastic is being burned which contributes to the emission of CO2.

After examining other avenues of getting rid of clothes from one’s closet it has been found that donating is the best option. From a convenience standpoint, finding a thrift store is much easier than finding a textile recycling bin or incinerator as they are the most accessible places to drop off old clothes. Textile recycling causes more CO2 emissions than dropping clothes off at a local thrift store. Burning the textiles can create energy that can be reused but it takes more energy to burn the clothes than it makes up for. 

References

Can fashion ever be sustainable? Retrieved May 01, 2021, from Can fashion ever be sustainable? 

Greenhouse gas emissions from a typical passenger vehicle. (2018, May 10). Retrieved May 01, 2021, from Greenhouse gas emissions from a typical passenger vehicle.

Semba, T., Sakai, Y., Ishikawa, M., & Inaba, A. (2020). Greenhouse Gas Emission Reductions by Reusing and Recycling Used Clothing in Japan. Sustainability, 12(19), 8214. doi:10.3390/su12198214

Young, R., & Hagan, A. (2019, December 03).The environmental cost of fashion.  Retrieved May 01, 2021 

Posted in honeysucklelilac, Portfolio HoneySuckleLilac, Rebuttal Rewrite | 2 Comments

rebuttal argument-honeysucklelilac

Posted on April 30, 2021 by honeysucklelilac

The Best Option For The Environment

Thrift stores are the best places for clothes to go so their wearable lifetime extends beyond the first owner. These secondhand stores are the most convenient and popular places for clothes to be dropped off. There are other ways for consumers to dispose of their clothes that include throwing them away so they end up in landfills, dropping them off at recycling centers so they can be turned into other items such as upholstery and seat stuffing and recovering the energy used from burning textiles.
Throwing clothes away is the least environmentally friendly option because most clothes contain manmade fibers that don’t break down as easily and they release toxic greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide and methane. Smart Guide to Climate Change author Christine Ro makes the point in “Can fashion ever be sustainable?”, that as much as 10% of greenhouse gasses come from human activity. Carry Somers, founder and global operations director of the nonprofit organization Fashion Revolution in an interview for Wbur “The Environmental Cost of Fashion,” notes that “Even extending the life of our garments by an extra nine months of active use would reduce the carbon, water and waste footprint by around 20% to 30% each.” According to the US census, “There are currently more than 25,000 resale, consignment and Not For Profit resale shops in the United States.” Donating clothes to thrift stores is the most convenient way to recycle old clothes.
Textile recycling is when fabrics are collected and then reprocessed into useful products. This process is better than throwing clothes away, but the carbon waste and greenhouse gasses emitted is still much greater than donating clothes to thrift stores. In a study done for MDPI by Toshiro Semba, Yuji Sakai, Miku Ishikawa and Atsushi Inaba titled, Greenhouse Gas Emission Reductions by Reusing and Recycling Used Clothing in Japan, the CO2 emissions of clothes that were “reclaimed” or thrifted was only 2.10x109kg. To compare, from the same study it was found that the CO2 emissions from clothes that were used for textile recycling was almost double at 4.01x 109kg. There are thrift stores located in every town across America meaning, there is easy access and common knowledge as to where the closest one is in relation to an individual. If people go to drop off their clothes at a thrift store in their town that’s close enough to them that they can walk to, they wouldn’t even be contributing to releasing carbon emissions from driving a car. According to the EPA the average carbon emissions for a car per year is 4.6 metric tons. To put the carbon emissions of a car into perspective when comparing it to the emissions from textile recycling, there are only about 4100 kilograms in 1 ton. In one year, a car emits about 4.4×106 kg of carbon emission in comparison to textile recycling’s 4.01x109kg.
Recovering the energy used from burning textiles is a way to recycle clothes but doing so raises environmental concerns. A study done for the Royal Institute of Technology, Environmental Assessment of Textile Material Recovery Techniques by Lena Yohannan found that the main benefit of incineration is that textiles don’t need to be separated and the collected waste can be brought directly to the incineration plant. However, when textiles are incinerated in large amounts there is the potential issue that the packed textile particles can leave material about it un-ignited. Incineration of textiles causes negative impacts on the environment because of the ashes, both bottom and fly away in addition to other emissions. It’s also important to note that the study done by Yohannan found that most of the energy being used came from non-renewable energy sources. Yohannan shockingly notes that, “When only considering the combustion of the cotton and polyester content in 1 ton of textile waste, 785 kg of CO2 is found to be emitted.” When you incinerate clothes, plastic is being burned which contributes to the emission of CO2.
After examining other avenues of getting rid of clothes from one’s closet it has been found that donating is the best option. From a convenience standpoint, finding a thrift store is much easier than finding a textile recycling bin or incinerator as they are the most accessible places to drop off old clothes. Textile recycling causes more CO2 emissions than dropping clothes off at a local thrift store. Burning the textiles can create energy that can be reused but it takes more energy to burn the clothes than it makes up for.

References


Can fashion ever be sustainable? Retrieved May 01, 2021, from Can fashion ever be sustainable?
Greenhouse gas emissions from a typical passenger vehicle. (2018, May 10). Retrieved May 01, 2021, from Greenhouse gas emissions from a typical passenger vehicle.
Semba, T., Sakai, Y., Ishikawa, M., & Inaba, A. (2020). Greenhouse Gas Emission Reductions by Reusing and Recycling Used Clothing in Japan. Sustainability, 12(19), 8214. doi:10.3390/su12198214
Young, R., & Hagan, A. (2019, December 03).The environmental cost of fashion. Retrieved May 01, 2021

Posted in Causal Argument, honeysucklelilac | Leave a comment

Reflective – iwantpopsicle

Posted on April 28, 2021 by iwantpopsicle

Core Value 1. My work demonstrates that I used a variety of social and interactive practices that involve recursive stages of exploration, discovery, conceptualization, and development.

I definitely met this core value to my fullest ability. When writing my Definition Argument, I spent plenty of time scouring for viable information. When exploring something as big and broad as borderline personality disorder, I made sure to do plenty of time exploring. There is a lot of information, strict definitions, and personal testimony that can be gathered when exploring the subject of BPD, and there are also a lot of places on the internet to find that. I found that is was somewhat difficult to provide a conceptualization of borderline personality disorder without it seeming overwhelming and confusing, so I utilized a lot of other people’s definitions and descriptions and tried to condense it down into my own.

There was also a time when I had finished writing my essay, but noticed that I was lacking in developing my idea. My argument seemed kind of vague in some areas, and I went back to strengthen my point by being more specific about how there is a stigma affecting a specific group of mentally ill individuals, and how those people suffer within themselves.

Core Value 2. My work demonstrates that I read critically, and that I placed texts into conversation with one another to create meaning by synthesizing ideas from various discourse communities. 

In my Stone Money Essay, I ended up analyzing a few texts/audio sources and placing them into “conversation” with each other by pulling from their understanding of money and how it exists. I analyzed a source about the people of Yap Island, and how they use their massive stone disks as currency. Being that these stones have no inherent value, it takes time to understand how they use them as currency. This brought me to the conclusion that currency is completely made up and subjective to each group of people. I also used a source that described Bitcoin, and how it was a completely made top currency with fluctuating value. By comparing these two sources and places their main ideas adjacent to each other, I could further strengthen my claim that money is completely made up.

One thing I think I could have done better is make that comparison more of a “conversation” and make a paragraph where I directly compared the ideas of all my sources while showing their differences along with their similarities. This would have made my claim much stronger.

Core Value 3. My work demonstrates that I rhetorically analyzed the purpose, audience, and contexts of my own writing and other texts and visual arguments.

In my Visual Rhetoric assignment, I successfully analyzed the purpose and context of the video that I was presented with. I was tasked with visually breaking down every single frame of an advertisement for the COVID vaccines. First of all, I wanted to analyze the purpose. I described how the kids in the shot were shown to be extremely happy that they could finally see their grandma, and how both of their parents were extremely satisfied with it. The grandma also spent most of her days missing her grandkids, so this was the climax of the ad when she could see them. I wanted to mention this because it shows that the purpose of the ad is to emotionally appeal to you, and make you want to get vaccinated.

In my analysis, I didn’t directly state the audience of the of the video, but in my Definition Essay I did. I made my intended audience very clear by focusing on the healthcare provider stigma, as well as the general population stigma and making references to both at multiple times in my essay. The audience was made extremely clear in every paragraph, and I made sure to even provide direct quotes of my intended audience exhibiting their stigmatizing viewpoints.

My Visual Rhetoric assignment did however provide context for the video I was presented with. By the end of my analysis, you can very clearly tell that the video is about COVID vaccination and how it will allow for virus prone elderly people to see their grandkids again. I did a good job of making this as clear as I possibly could, especially since I had no audio to work with in this case.

Core Value 4: My work demonstrates that I have met the expectations of academic writing by locating, evaluating, and incorporating illustrations and evidence to support my own ideas and interpretations.

In my work, I never used any illustrations to support my writing, but I utilized a plethora of academic and general sources. I spent a lot of time on each of my works digging through the internet to find viable sources to support each of my works. In my Rebuttal Argument, I most properly exemplified this. I found several academically credible opinions and facts and used them against my target audience after citing and explaining them. I used the opinion of a doctor speaking against those who suffer with BPD to prove that he is wrong by describing the actual symptoms of BPD, and how co-morbid conditions are the only way that his claim that those with BPD are violent can be credible.

I also did this in my Visual Rhetoric assignment by describing every single frame of the video I was presented with to support my interpretation of everything I was seeing. My initial interpretations ended up being correct because I analyzed every single frame and everything that was occurring in each frame.

Core Value 5. My work demonstrates that I respect my ethical responsibility to represent complex ideas fairly and to the sources of my information with appropriate citation. 

This is the core value that I feel as though I achieved the best. All of my assignments represent academic integrity and credibility, and utilize appropriate usage of potentially powerful information. My Causal Essay was definitely the most important task to make sure I met this core value with. In my Causal Essay, I defined a lot of different Borderline Personality Disorder traits, and paired them with different stigmas associated with each. I had to make sure that this information was accurate in order to remain credible and effective in my approach to my argument. All of the information regarding the causes of the stigma towards those who suffer from borderline personality disorder was supported by an academic source with factual information. The reason that this was so important is that I needed to make sure that I represented BPD sufferers as accurately as possible. I didn’t want to misrepresent them and provide false reasons as to why the stigma is invalid and unfounded. If I provided false information for such an important claim, I would be ethically wrong and someone could use my information against me to victimize someone, which was the opposite of my objective.

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Annotated Bibliography – iwantpopsicle

Posted on April 27, 2021 by iwantpopsicle

Borderline Personality Disorder

Background: Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a disorder characterized by a pervasive pattern of instability in affect regulation, impulse control, interpersonal relationships, and self-image. The cause of this personality disorder is only somewhat known currently, but it seems to stem from physical, emotional, and sexual abuse as a child. About 1-2% of the general population is affected by this disorder, and about 10% of people with BPD commit suicide. This is a very high number of people considering how that number relates to the total number of individuals that have it. Individuals with BPD require significantly more mental health resources than those with other common mental health disorders, because BPD causes severe psychosocial impairment and makes it hard to live a normal, functioning life. 

How I used it: I used this source to detail what characterizes Borderline Personality Disorder. I identified most of the diagnostics for the disorder, and touched on the causes of the disorder developing in early childhood. I also identified how common the disorder is, and how many people commit suicide as a result in order to paint a picture of just how severe BPD can be for sufferers. This helps me emotionally appeal to my reader and make it a point that those with BPD suffer intensely.

The Lifetime Course of Borderline Personality Disorder

Background: When people with BPD are not seen in a formal mental health treatment setting, they are often seen when in times of crisis. This leads people to believe that those with BPD are constantly in crisis and are never recovering. The truth is that while those with BPD do suffer intensely a lot of the time, their condition is proven to improve over time with proper treatment. BPD can be effectively treated with Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Being that BPD stems from childhood trauma, it can be reliably and validly diagnosed in adolescence. Risk factors for developing BPD in adolescents include maternal-child discord, maternal BPD, and depression. In a 10 year study of 668 patients, researchers found that the patients had improved with their condition over the 10 year period while being treated. 

How I used it: With this source my goal was to identify the stigma, and help neutralize it with facts. Those with BPD are stigmatized because they are believed to be in crisis at all times. But this is not the case. They tend to improve with time and therapy, therefore the stigma is much less valid. I also identified that BPD can be diagnosed in childhood, since it develops in early childhood, in order to show that treatment can begin at a young age and potentially completely reverse the process before it becomes too ingrained in one’s personality.

Effectiveness of Partial Hospitalization in the Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Researchers took 38 patients that were diagnosed with BPD and placed them into two different groups. One group received partially hospitalized care, while the other group received standard psychiatric care. The measures that they were looking for included frequency of suicide attempts and self harm, inpatient visits and their duration, depressive symptoms, anxiety, interpersonal function, and social function. At the end of the study, they found that psychoanalytically focused partial hospitalized treatment was significantly more effective than standard psychiatric care. Patients in the partially hospitalized group showed significantly less frequent self harm, and much improved depressive symptoms.

How I used it: This study shows that there is a definite change in the severity of Borderline Personality Disorder symptoms with proper treatment. This reduces the validity of the stigma towards these individuals by showing that they can recover and learn to behave differently with proper treatment. I wanted to use a study that shows the direct comparison between effective and ineffective treatment in order to prove my point that there is help out there that works. I wanted to logistically appear to my reader by showing that there are effective treatment plans to steadily help BPD sufferers.

The Stigma of Personality Disorders

Background: Borderline Personality Disorder is shown to be the most stigmatized mental disorder, and also has the most research related to its stigma. Individuals with mental illness are viewed to be at fault for their mental illness, and it is portrayed that they somehow choose to exhibit these symptoms. Despite efforts to combat this stigma, research shows that the situation has not improved over time, and people still continue to stigmatize the mentally ill. Some of those with personality disorders are afraid to seek treatment for their mental illness in order to avoid being labelled as “crazy”. This creates a very hard life for those who are struggling, as they are afraid to even get help in the first place. Those with BPD are shown to “self-stigmatize” and view themselves as insane, or unhelpable. This causes them to have great shame in their disorder and for their lives in general. Research shows that some psychiatrists may avoid telling their patient that they have BPD, in order to help them avoid stigmatization from the system.

How I used it: I wanted to highlight a specific part of the stigma that can easily be debunked in order to strengthen my argument. The argument that people with BPD are at fault for their behaviors can be quickly debunked by analyzing the symptomatology of someone with BPD. They struggle with impulse control and emotional regulation, therefore they can’t be blamed for most of the times that they act out or feel out of control. I also wanted to appeal emotionally to my reader by highlighting the shame that these people feel as a result of the stigma and their distorted perception of themselves.

Click to access 2016-sheehan-the-stigma-of-pds-wfcdbbajayss.pdf

Why go to the emergency department? Perspectives from persons with borderline personality disorder

Background: Those with BPD are treated differently by healthcare professionals due to their diagnosis. Sulzer (2015) found that healthcare providers describe patients with BPD as “difficult” and a “pain in the ass”. They will stigmatize patients for the very behaviors that they are trying to correct, such as manipulative, attention seeking, and suicidal tendencies. These things are outside of the patient’s control, and they wouldn’t be in the doctor’s office if they could help it on their own. Those with BPD have a very limited ability to cope with intense emotions, and this can make them hard to treat. When they are blamed for these behaviors, it perpetuates the stereotype that those with BPD are just attention seekers and choose to act the way that they do. BPD is characterized with feelings of intense loneliness and fear of abandonment, so when healthcare providers make this worse by giving sufferers less than adequate service, it just exacerbates these awful feelings.

How I used it: With this source I wanted to identify the perpetrators of the stigma: the healthcare system. By directly quoting nurse’s statements on BPD sufferers, it shows how cruel healthcare professionals can be regarding BPD sufferers, which makes my reader feel bad for them. I also wanted to identify that these behaviors are outside of the patient’s control, which makes it even worse for someone to call them “a pain in the ass”. I made sure to point out that denying service to someone with BPD just makes their symptoms worse, and creates a vicious cycle.

Borderline Personality Disorder in the Emergency Department: Good Psychiatric Management

Background: Borderline Personality Disorder patients are frequent visitors to the emergency room. They represent a whopping 7% of all ER visits. They represent a unique set of challenges. This is because they are easily frustrated, and have a hard time communicating their feelings properly. They are likely to present recurrent suicidality, making them repeat visitors to the ER. They are often advised to visit the ER when their safety is in question, but this can sometimes be counterproductive due to the stigma surrounding them in the healthcare system.

How I used it: I used this source to show how wide reaching this stigma is. Being that 7% of all psychiatric ER visits are made up of BPD patients, it shows how large and serious this issue is. If almost all of these patients are experiencing stigma from healthcare professionals in their most dire time of need, they will get sucked into the vicious cycle and never get the help that they need. I wanted to show that these people are stuck in between a rock and a hard place when it comes to their treatment. I used this to appeal emotionally and logistically by showing how the suffering of BPD patients continues, and how many individuals the stigma can affect.

Click to access 2016-bpd-in-the-emergency-dept-wfouhjdgxack.pdf

The Stigma Associated with Borderline Personality Disorder

Background: Healthcare professionals have been shown to either limit the amount of BPD patients that they see, or refuse to treat them altogether. Professionals sometimes treat patients with BPD, without the proper training to treat someone with BPD. Not only do patients leave feeling misjudged and improperly cared for, but professionals may feel as though they are inadequate in their abilities. This is an important thing to note about the source of the stigma. Patients are also sometimes labelled as a treatment resistant, and dropped as patients. This is because the doctors aren’t trained to handle them and understand them.

How I used it: I wanted to show how the stigma can also affect the doctors as well by making them feel inadequate. This further shows the damage that a general stigma can cause. I also wanted to identify a point of improvement, where doctors should be specially trained to deal with BPD patients if there are so many of them showing up for help. If doctors aren’t trained to help someone, they can’t effectively do so. 

Evil Genes

Background: The writer claims that crimes are often committed by those with severe personality disorders. Those with antisocial personality disorders commit deliberate acts of cruelty towards others. Borderline personality disorder sufferers are categorized in a more complicated way. They have intense feelings of love, and tend to use this to their advantage to make people they are close to vulnerable. 

How I used it: I wanted to disprove the notion that people with borderline personality disorder are inherently violent. They typically get grouped in with other personality disorders, and this is unfair. They are often confused with ASPD sufferers, and are wrongly identified as violent. Those with BPD tend to make social interactions harder for themselves, and manipulate people emotionally. They aren’t normally violent on their own. ASPD sufferers on the other hand are almost always violent, and can often be considered psychopaths. This is an important distinction to make.

“Evil Genes”

Personality correlates of criminals: A comparative study between normal controls and criminals

Background: This study tries to find the answer to the question of whether or not criminals are born with their tendencies, or if it comes later down the line. It is believed that individuals who do not get much social interaction tend to develop antisocial personality disorder, and thus are more prone to psychopathy. A person’s personality is the main factor that dictates how they think and act according to their internal thoughts and emotions.

How I used it: I wanted to further highlight the differences between ASPD and BPD. This author identified the violent tendencies of ASPD sufferers, and the cause of the disorder. I used this to show how the development of these two disorders is highly different, and the results are therefore different.

Personality disorders and violence: What is the link?

Background: Antisocial personality disorder and borderline personality disorder have been found to be strong correlates in the propensity of crime. These two personality disorders tend to exist comorbidly at a higher rate than most other personality disorders. These personality disorders tend to cause irresponsibility, failure to conform, and deceitfulness. When there is a comorbidity between these two disorders, individuals have a hard time externalizing and internalizing emotions at the same time, which can in return cause them to feel violent and act out.

How I used it: I wanted to point out the fact that BPD alone does not inherently make someone violent, but comorbidity with ASPD almost always does. While both disorders share some symptoms in common, they are not the same. However, when they both exist in one person, it can make someone act extremely irrationally and uncontrollably. This proves my point that the stigma towards BPD specifically is not rational if there are other disorders to blame in a comorbid diagnosis.

https://bpded.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40479-015-0033-x

Posted in iwantpopsicle, Portfolio IWantPopsicle | 2 Comments

Research Position Paper – iwantpopsicle

Posted on April 26, 2021 by iwantpopsicle

The Stigmatization of Borderline Personality Disorder

Borderline personality disorder is often considered among the most emotionally painful (for sufferers and those affected by them) personality disorders. BPD is often diagnosed on the basis of quite a few symptoms and behaviors. BPD is a serious mental disorder with a characteristic pervasive pattern of instability in affect regulation, impulse control, interpersonal relationships, and self-image.(Lancet 2004) It is known to affect about 1-2% of the general population.

We don’t use parenthetical citation notes in this class.

Follow the guidelines for in-text citation in APA style.

APA Citation
Citation Mechanics

Borderline personality disorder causes severe impairment in the sufferer’s life. They struggle daily with controlling their emotions, thoughts, and actions. They often describe having wild mood swings, making it difficult to describe their exact feelings at any given moment. Their opinions and outlook on life situations are prone to change rapidly and uncontrollably, making it hard for them to maintain a positive or consistent outlook on almost anything, especially when it comes to social relationships. They tend to exhibit a behavior which  is known as “splitting”, in which they will view every situation in black and white, rather than with gray areas, like a neurotypical individual. This is especially evident in their interpersonal interactions. They can go from idolizing or being absolutely infatuated with someone, to hating them in a split second. While this is out of their control, it is especially painful for those close to them. They also tend to have difficulty managing these thoughts, which tends to make them feel out of control or to self label themselves as “crazy” or “insane”. This can make it hard for sufferers to feel like they even know themselves, and have a hard time establishing their own identity, which is rapidly shifting and unstable.

Periods and commas go inside the quotation marks. Always.

Those afflicted with this disorder tend to seek professional help, especially in times of great crisis. According to Robert S. Biskin’s academic article The Lifetime Course of Borderline Personality Disorder, Sufferers of BPD are often seen only when in times of crisis, if they are not already part of a long time treatment program. This leads many to have the impression that those with BPD are constantly in crisis and are never recovering, which in turn causes mental health professionals to stigmatize these individuals and give them little to no real treatment. However, research shows the opposite of this.

Article titles require Quotation Marks, not Italics:

According to Robert S. Biskin’s academic article “The Lifetime Course of Borderline Personality Disorder,” sufferers of BPD . . . .

In the McLean Study of Adult Development, a group of 290 patients originally hospitalized at McLean Hospital with a diagnosis of BPD, were assessed 6 months after the start of the study, and then annually for 10 years. By the end of the study, 85% of patients described a 12 month or longer period of symptom remission and improvement. This proves that with proper care and treatment, sufferers of borderline personality disorder do have the potential to make significant progress and live better lives.

In a similar study by the American Journal of Psychiatry, a group of 38 patients diagnosed with borderline personality disorder were placed in either partially hospitalized care, or standard psychiatric, appointment based care. Both groups were measured on their frequency of self harm or suicide attempts, number of inpatient admissions, and their own measures of depression, anxiety, and interpersonal function. The partially hospitalized group of patients showed substantially decreased negative symptoms when compared to the group met with standard psychiatric care. This shows that specialized care for these individuals is key to helping them improve their condition significantly and properly. 

According to Lindsay Sheehan’s psychiatric article The Stigma of Personality Disorders, stigma can be described as a range of a lack of eye contact, to complete ostracization of an individual belonging to a stigmatized group. Due to public attitudes towards mental illness, the mentally ill are often seen as to blame for their behaviors, as if it is their conscious choice to act out. Not only is BPD among the most stigmatized of all personality disorders, but it is also the most researched in terms of Stigma.(Sheehan 2016) When asking nurses in Israeli psychiatric hospitals about their views of different mental health patients, they showed the most negative attitudes towards those with Borderline Personality Disorder. Another study showed that psychiatrists tend to exhibit the least empathy towards those with BPD. 

This is a very complicated issue not only because of the poor treatment, but for the reason that this knowledge completely discourages sufferers from seeking help. Why would you seek help, when you know the person helping isn’t going to do their job? This is the kind of helpless mindset that those with BPD often have not only towards their lives in general, but also their healthcare providers. There needs to be established trust and transparency between patients and mental health specialists, as this is the only way effective treatment can occur.

In Amanda Vandyk’s original article titled Why go to the emergency department? Perspectives from persons with borderline personality disorder, she states that most healthcare providers describe that patients with BPD are “difficult” and “a pain in the ass”. This kind of attitude shows that a portion of clinicians clearly dread dealing with these patients. They have also been found to describe patients as “attention-seeking” and “manipulative”. Those with BPD suffer from intense feelings of loneliness, despair, and fear of abandonment. This directly triggers an emotional response due to these fears. 

The most important thing to remember about individuals with BPD is that they never choose to act the way that they do. The symptoms of BPD are extremely intense and uncontrollable. Sufferers struggle to survive in their own skin with these symptoms, which is why they seek licensed professionals to help them. If they could control these feelings, thoughts, and behaviors, they wouldn’t be in a psychiatrist’s office multiple times a week looking for assistance. Understanding and acknowledging the struggles of those with borderline personality disorder is imperative to treating them. Healthcare professionals need to take the time to evaluate these people respectfully and develop better strategies to treat and handle them. With a personality disorder mainly characterized with a fear of feeling hopeless and alone, turning a sufferer away rather than helping them pushes them down a hole they will have a very hard time climbing out of on their own.

Despite how cruel the stigma of this mental health affliction is, it doesn’t exist for no reason. People with BPD are admittedly uncontrollably troublesome, incessant, and hard to control. The frequency of their suicide attempts is often seen as attention seeking, and people hospitalized from their BPD are often discharged faster than any other group of patients in a hospital. (Sheehan 2016) This is because of their emotionally extreme and outrageous behaviors.

Those with BPD have a lot on their plate, as we already know. They can’t control their emotional responses nearly as well as an average person, and their moods never settle to a stable position for very long. They have to hide their diagnosis out of fear of people finding out and labelling them crazy, or distancing themselves from them. With a constantly cluttered mind and dysregulated emotions, they are like a time bomb waiting to explode any second into impulsive behaviors galore. 

We see insanely high rates of hospitalization from this group of mental health patients. They make up 9% of all psychiatric emergency room visits in the US. (Hong 2016) Despite being stigmatized, these individuals still seek the care of emergency providers. It may seem counterproductive to do this, but the answer is depressing, but unfortunately true. These people have absolutely nowhere else to go when they NEED help. The critical emotional state that BPD sufferers are internally capable of reaching is very dangerous. While in this state, they can and will make very impulsive decisions. This can include sex, rampant drug use, or even attempted suicide. They can’t be trusted to be left alone. For this very reason, they need to be observed, protected, and controlled for the time that they are hospitalized. This makes the stigma they receive almost unavoidable, which makes a double edged sword: Go to the ER to protect your own life while being treated like a nuisance, or stay home and risk hurting yourself or even others.

One of the reasons that ER staff become so irritated, annoyed, and tired of borderline personality disorder patients is due to the frequency of visits, comorbidity of symptoms, and their attitudes. According to Victor Hong MD’s journal Borderline Personality Disorder in the Emergency Department: Good Psychiatric Management, “High rates of comorbidity (mood disorders, anxiety disorders, substance use disorders, and eating disor- ders) among BPD patients further complicate matters. BPD patients are often advised to visit the ED when in crisis and when safety is in question, but experiences in the ED can dam- age the patient and undermine treatment progress.” BPD related visits often end up becoming seriously complicated due to either misdiagnosis, or other conditions presenting themselves. BPD sufferers often present symptoms of various other mental health conditions. This includes Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Chronic Depression, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. This can make treatment and diagnosis very tricky and complicated for doctors.

BPD patients are also very frequently showing up to the ER. BPD remains one of the most common hospitalized mental health conditions. Those with BPD have a very hard time functioning on their own, and need to rely on emergency services when they need it. Symptoms of BPD fluctuate in severity from patient to patient, but anyone who is previously untreated is going to have much more intense and prevalent symptoms than someone who has been in therapy before.

In author Cameron Hancock’s article The Stigma Associated with Borderline Personality Disorder, he claims “Individuals experiencing BPD are also frequently labeled as “treatment resistant” and dropped as patients. But when this happens, it reinforces the common misconception that reaching out for help is hopeless. It can also intensify symptoms that caused an individual to seek help in the first place…” Knowing this, it makes it no surprise that sufferers keep coming back for more. BPD patients go to the emergency room when it is absolutely necessary for their survival. This means that they are in an emotionally vulnerable state in every single way possible. They already have a hard time communicating when they aren’t even necessarily in crisis, so this is magnified by a considerable amount when they are barely hanging on to their lives. This can make it very difficult for doctors to help them, as they might try and refuse help from the doctor. At some point, the effort might seem meaningless or futile to a doctor and he/she may just give up on the patient. “The emotional dysregulation and hypochondriasis so com- mon in BPD patients can lead to hostility and dysregulation in their mental health providers. The often inadequate in- terview spaces, lack of appropriate disposition options, and limited time with which to assess patients in the psychiatric ED only heighten the tension.” (Hong 2016) Doctors can also end up even being hostile towards patients. Not only is the BPD patient feeling potentially hostile, but this can spark that behavior in the doctor out of pure frustration. This dynamic can be very dangerous physically, mentally, and emotionally. From this situation, the displayed behaviors from the patient will only escalate further and further. In their most critical time, they are expecting to be given tender and gentle care to help get them back to health. When a doctor responds in such a hostile manner, it can seriously damage the patient’s ability and willingness to continue with the given care.

Even if this is wrong from a professional or moral perspective, it does make sense. Possibly the worst part of these situations is that it just reinforces the BPD sufferer’s distorted worldview of perceived abandonment, making them even harder to treat in the future. This cycle continues to repeat, doctor after doctor, until the person in question has absolutely no idea of where to go from there. With clear causes identified as to why BPD patients are stigmatized, we may be able to begin to help both doctors and patients find a healthy middle ground when it comes to treatment.

The stigmatization of individuals diagnosed with borderline personality disorder does not end in the emergency room or the doctor’s office. The stigma really becomes a serious issue when it lends itself towards criminal activity, and the unjust perception that criminals are often BPD sufferers.

A lot of criminal activity is either blamed on psychopathic personality traits, or entirely attributed to personality disorders in general. This leads to the general perception that those with borderline personality disorder, or other personality disorders, are inherently capable of criminal activity, on any scale. While it is absolutely possible that someone with a personality disorder can commit any kind of crime, be it violent or just petty, it is not solely those individuals that perpetrate criminal activities.

Psychologist Melvin Konner, M.D., Ph.D. states “In essence, day-by-day evil is done by people with certain severe personality disorders…” he also claims “The thing about them though, is that they often love intensely and inspire the love of others. That’s what makes them powerful and what makes the people around them vulnerable. Their love is intense, controlling, unreliable, and toxic.” when referring to BPD patients in specific. While it is possible that there are criminals committing crimes on a daily basis that fall into the category of a borderline personality diagnosis, it cannot be concluded that all day-by-day crime is committed by those with personality disorders.

First, we need to examine the personality traits of those with borderline personality disorder that may lead them to commit crime. Individuals with BPD have a lot on their plate when it comes to impulse control and emotional regulation. These people typically have a very hard time controlling their impulses, and this symptomatology can vary in severity from person to person, similar to how it would in a neurotypical group of individuals. The difference between impulsivity in those with borderline personality disorder and a neurotypical individual is the response to those impulses. Those with BPD may have a hard time rationalizing avoiding a dangerous activity, or one that puts others in potential danger. Being that this emotional impulsivity exists stronger in BPD patients, it can paint the picture that they are more prone to committing crimes. However, this is not necessarily the case.

In the article Personality Disorders and Violence: What is the link? by Richard Howard, he claims “Moreover, antisocial/borderline PD comorbidity has been found to be strongly associated with degree of severe violence perpetrated by personality disordered offenders.” There are so many factors that need to be taken into account when generalizing a population of mental health patients, especially comorbidity. Comorbidity is the existence of multiple factors that play into the result of a given negative situation. While borderline personality disorder has never been found to be conclusively violent or inherently criminally motivating, antisocial personality disorder has been found to be a driving force in criminal activity. People with antisocial personality disorder tend to act carelessly and completely disregard the safety, feelings, and well-being of everyone around them. This is not characteristic of borderline personality disorder. When two conditions exist within the same person, it becomes nearly impossible to blame one aspect of their personality for their actions, which leads to a generalized viewpoint of all aspects of their personality playing into their violent/dangerous behavior.

In psychologist Sudhinta Sinha’s academic article Personality correlates of criminals: A comparative study of normal controls and criminals she says “If we scrutinize the life histories of people who commit and are convicted of real, or victimizing, crimes, especially the histories of recidivist criminals, we find that the criminal’s personality has become organized around the principle of attacking, going against, and taking from people as his/her way of relating to them. Early in life, he/she learned to take what he/she wanted. Once the personality is so organized, he/she repeatedly commits crime, and he/she does so compulsively.” This is the typical case when it comes to criminals: their behavior stems from a long history of acting out, or being horribly abused. When looking at borderline personality disorder, we don’t find this to be the cause. Individuals with borderline personality disorder usually begin to show symptoms of their condition after childhood neglect, sexual trauma, and physical abuse. The structure of someone with borderline personality disorder by itself is different than someone who is a violent, psychopathic criminal. Those with BPD tend to regress, rather than progress into someone who is violent. Their behaviors often serve as coping mechanisms and a way to defend themselves, and this doesn’t make them act out violently. Borderline personality disorder is not often categorized as violent, or maliciously cruel, while psychopathic disorders such as antisocial personality disorder are. 

Konner claims that those with borderline personality disorder use their intense emotions of love and attachment to their advantage, and this helps them make those around them vulnerable and emotionally compromised. While this is a true tendency of those with borderline personality disorder, it does not suggest criminal activity. These behaviors are often primarily exemplified in interpersonal relationships, rather than unprovoked crime or violence. The damage that these behaviors cause is limited to emotional damage in another person, not physical violence. Generalizing BPD sufferers in with all other personality disorders and their related crimes therefore does not carry any real weight.

NEEDS REFERENCES

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Reflective-Icedcoffeeislife

Posted on April 26, 2021 by icedcoffeeislife

Core Value 1. My work demonstrates that I used a variety of social and interactive practices that involve recursive stages of exploration, discovery, conceptualization, and development.

Throughout this writing class, my writing has been pushed to be better improved through the process. With the professor giving detailed feedback, help make it clear on how to develop my thesis throughout the paper. Taking the feedback that was help shape how i approach when I came to editing my writing. Looking at the abundances of sources that I had collected throughout the process of my research. This core value is demonstrated in my White paper, due to the amount of edits and how to constantly change throughout the semester. The white paper was the hub of where all my essays came from, that was where I got my sources and started to shape my essay. 

Core Value 2. My work demonstrates that I read critically and that I placed texts into conversation with one another to create meaning by synthesizing ideas from various discourse communities. 

This was something that I kind of struggled with throughout the class. Having to connect my sources into my thesis was challenging because if I did not read enough of the article, then it had a chance of not helping out my essay. Taking this information and trying it in a real life situation  was not the easiest thing to do. I think the paper that shows how I demonstrated this the most is my Causal argument because I had to connect my sources to my thesis in different ways to convince the reader of my thesis. I was able to make the connection between anxiety and swimmers, and will make it clear on how anxiety is being developed in swimmers today. 

Core Value 3. My work demonstrates that I rhetorically analyzed the purpose, audience, and contexts of my writing and other texts and visual arguments.

My original thesis for my argument was focusing on how anxiety affects swimmers. Where over time it has changed and gotten more specific how it affects swimmers and how it is overlooked most of the time. I need to make it clear that not every person is the same and that they will not be effected the same way as another person, but they will deal with anxiety in some way. This is best shown in my definition argument. I described the different ways that anxiety can affect a swimmer and how swimmers may deal with it. I made clear in my writing that I was giving a lot of detail into my argument to make the purpose of it clear to my audiences. In a way, they were able to understand why it is important to look at swimmers with anxiety. 

Core Value 4: My work demonstrates that I have met the expectations of academic writing by locating, evaluating, and incorporating illustrations and evidence to support my own ideas and interpretations.

Through all of my work this semester, I felt like I supported my ideas and opinions very well with the sources I had found. This is best shown in my Causal Argument, I was able to make clear connections between how anxiety can affect swimmers. I used both techniques of having an academic tone in my writing, well also keeping my voices clear throughout the essay. Well writing my causal argument, it brought a new perspective on how anxiety is looked at in swimming, making it hard for swimmers to ask for help. I found sources that would help make this clear to the readers and how they might change their mind.

Core Value 5. My work demonstrates that I respect my ethical responsibility to represent complex ideas fairly and to the sources of my information with appropriate citation. 

I feel that I was successful in all three of my arguments in how I represented the ideas. This is something that I have understood better throughout the semester. With some help from the professor, I can make sure that I am not making a simple mistake when I’m citing sources. Looking at different grammar techniques and looking over my writing more carefully, help me have a better understanding of how to make my work look better. In my definition essay and my annotated Bibliography, this can be seen how I have made improvements over the semester. Throughout this class, I have learned that making clear statements and proper citations made it possible for me to create a flowing argument.

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