As I begin this blog, I am hit with this huge feeling of how uncomfortable this still seems to be, blogging that is. I was thinking of what to write about, what to say and what not to say, how much info to provide......All of a sudden I am taken back to my Abnormal Psych. class last summer.
I had the most fantastic instructor. He presented the info. in such a way that really made me want to hear more!! There was a lot of class participation and sharing that was equally as good. I have spoken to him several times since the summer, and he is just as wonderful now as he was then!
He did suggest that I journal. We discussed some things I really needed to talk about, and he suggested that one way for me to express my feelings would be for me to journal. I am hugely verbal, but there are certain people that are not open to this. He knows who I am talking about! I did this for awhile, and then stopped due to time restraints. I came up with this excuse all by myself!! I write like I talk, so I could be journaling for a very ling time.
Anyway, where I am going with all this is that maybe if I continued with the journaling, this whole blogging thing would be easier, and not cause me anxiety. So, as I resume an old habit, hopefully this will be less stressful!!!
I know longer want to "fix" people. I want to understand them. This particular instructor taught me about depression, and how it looks from the individual. We had a family wedding in August of last year, and a gathering was held at my house the day after. Lots of people, conversations, laughter, swimming. It was just fun. At least from where I was sitting!!!
I remember wondering why a certain individual didn't join in, connect, or even attempt to participate. It was so frustrating to me--to think how someone can be around so many family members, both young and old alike, and look like they wished the ground would open and swallow them!!
Opening the shades to let the sun in, is not really what a person with depression needs. Being around a whole slew of people is uncomfortable and exhausting. A nap is preferred. Talking about issues is my way of communicating, but this is not for everybody. I hope to be able to recognize depression in people that I may see on fieldwork, and remember that my quick fix is not their quick fix.
So as I plan to pick my journal up again tomorrow morning, I am again thankful for the suggestion. I no longer want to fix people, just understand them. As we have talked about in class this semester, there are certain ways to speak to individuals with different forms of MI. Just learning about different approaches will help us as OTA's to respond in the best way in order to treat our clients. I believe that a bit of encouragement and a reminder that they are necessary to the activity or to the group, is a good place to start. This is probably a good place to start for those that are not in our groups!