This is a collection of weekly responses I wrote for my quiz sections in this class. During the course of the quarter, we covered a lot of textbook material, but what was really interesting was reading outside articles about issues relevant to class. Topics included: the stigma surrounding mental health; the uneven rates of suicide rates in black children; goal-setting; Munchhausen-by-proxy; schizophrenia; and over-diagnosis of ADHD. I remember coming to the first section of the class, and coming away feeling invigorated and excited to be a part of such an intellectual and compassionate group. It made me excited for what the future holds for me if I do choose to pursue clinical psychology, because I would get to help people.
This is a case study I wrote for Demi Lovato, one of my favorite celebrities who has dealt with tons of mental health issues including addiction, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, and self-harm behavior. I got to take on the role of a clinical psychologist, outlining Demi's lifestyle and history, symptoms, and what disorders were suggested by those symptoms. It was just a silly simulation, but I felt like I was able to really learn a lot about Demi not as a broken individual, but instead as a human being with struggles. It reminded me about all the sh*t people have to go through in life, and how everyone is deserving of support when it all gets to be too much.