Psychopathology

5.1 Discussion: The Quest and the Questioning

Getting Started

Consider the following:

My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts, sayeth the Lord. And My ways are beyond anything you could imagine! For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:8–9

How do we grow and gain in the power of knowledge and wisdom? When we do attain knowledge, how do we ascertain whether it is accurate and true? What can we use as our litmus test for truth? Is there a difference between wisdom that is attained through the heart and the strengthening of our faith and the knowledge that is attained through our thoughts and the strengthening of our minds?

These are just a few of the important, and foundational, points to ponder as we continue our quest and our questioning.

Upon successful completion of the course material, you will be able to:

· Discuss head-knowledge and faith-knowledge.

· Share the similarities and differences between the ways of knowledge.

Resources

· Bible

Background Information

As we read about the infinite wisdom of our God, it seems it would be wrong to even pose a question! Yet, there are so many things of concern to us—how to conduct ourselves in new situations, how to interpret passages of scripture, and how to determine the right course of action during times of decision making. These are the quests of the mind that present us with a myriad of questions.

However, this quest of the mind does not include questions about the existence of God. That kind of knowledge, faith-based knowledge, must come first. The quest does not include questions about God’s goodness or His infinite wisdom and grace. These things must also be in place before the quest can even begin.

Thus, before we can grow closer to God, before we can begin the quests of the mind and revel in them in their fullest, the questions of the heart, the faith-based questions, must be addressed. These questions of the heart are foundational to our journey. When we don’t have the questions of our faith in God firmly determined, we are like a ship without a rudder, a traveler without a compass, a builder without a blueprint. Lost, traveling in circles, going nowhere, and building nothing of worth.

However, when the questions of the heart are answered and our faith in the existence of a Living God has been solidly determined, the journey has meaning and the creation has structure and sound sense. It is from the port of faith that we launch our lives.

By our faith we question and by our faith we receive answers. That is the quest and the questioning.

Instructions

1. Navigate to the Discussion page and respond to the following prompts:

a. What is the difference between the knowledge of the mind and the wisdom of the heart?

b. Do you believe your life has the “rudder” of faith to guide you? Why or why not?

2. Your initial post is due by the end of the fourth day of the workshop.

3. Read and respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings, as well as instructor follow-up questions directed to you, by the end of the workshop.

4. Your postings should also:

a. Be well developed by providing clear answers with evidence of critical thinking.

b. Add greater depth to the discussion by introducing new ideas.

5.2 Discussion: Schizophrenia

Getting Started

Imagine you are sitting on an airplane, having just lifted off on a three-hour flight, and you strike up a friendly conversation with the person next to you. This person seems easy to talk with and is interesting. As the conversation unfolds, he tells you more about his life, including being diagnosed with schizophrenia. You pause, not certain how to respond to this disclosure. Your thoughts start racing. You don’t really know much about schizophrenia beyond the tidbits you’ve heard about in movies and the media, but you’re pretty sure it isn’t safe to be sitting next to someone with this condition, especially for the next three hours! You look for a break in the conversation, say you are tired and need to sleep, put in your earbuds, and hope you make it to your destination alive.

While this example might seem more reactionary than the typical response, it drives home the point that most people just don’t understand schizophrenia. Contrary to popular belief, schizophrenia is  not a split or multiple personality. It is listed as a psychotic disorder in the DSM-5. A psychotic disorder is defined as a condition where a person loses contact with the here-and-now reality of what is happening. For example, a person may hear voices or have a strong belief in things that are not true. The person might believe that someone is trying to communicate with him through the television, or that she has superpowers, or that the FBI is bugging his home. The behavioral results of this jumble of confusing thoughts, images, and sounds can be disconcerting to those who don’t understand that the person is not able to control these breaks with reality. It doesn’t help the stigma we attach to schizophrenia when we learn that a number of people who have committed high-profile mass killings later went on to be diagnosed with schizophrenia. It is true that those with schizophrenia can be unpredictable, and some might be dangerous if their symptoms are not treated. But it is not the case that most are violent.

Another myth about people with schizophrenia is that they are intellectually inferior to the average person. They might struggle with attention, learning, and memory issues, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t smart. You may be familiar with the film  A Beautiful Mind, which followed the life of Nobel Prize-winning mathematician John Nash. Nash struggled for years with symptoms of schizophrenia before being accurately diagnosed and treated. Or Brian Wilson, co-founder of the Beach Boys music group, whose journey with schizophrenia was depicted in the recent film  Love and Mercy. Even the brilliant Albert Einstein, the German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of relativity, had a son with schizophrenia.

In this discussion, you will have the opportunity to learn more about schizophrenia, debunk some of the myths that surround this condition, and hopefully emerge with greater compassion for those struggling with this serious but highly treatable condition. The great news is that the vast majority of those who are properly treated can live normal lives.

Upon successful completion of the course material, you will be able to:

· Describe common characteristics and misconceptions about schizophrenia.

Resources

· Textbook:  Modern Psychopathologies: A Comprehensive Christian Appraisal

· Article: Schizophrenia

· Video: Elyn Saks, A Tale of Mental Illness . . . From the Inside

Background Information

Read Chapter 13 in the textbook and the assigned article, then watch the video to be adequately prepared to participate in this discussion. Because there are so many negative stereotypes in the collective imagination about schizophrenia and psychotic disorders in general, you are encouraged to enter this study of psychotic disorders with an open mind and see it as a disease of the brain instead of something that was self-inflicted or brought about by poor parenting. This type of open-mindedness is usually a good starting point for facilitating empathy.

Instructions

1. Review Chapter 13 in your textbook.

2. Read the article,  Schizophrenia .

3. Review the video,  Elyn Saks, A Tale of Mental Illness . . . From the Inside .

a. A transcript is available on the website.

4. Navigate to the Discussion page and respond to the following prompts:

a. How do you think most people in the general population would define schizophrenia?

b. What percentage of the general population do you suspect think that those with schizophrenia are violent or a potential danger to others? Why do you think they have this perception?

c. Have you ever known someone who was diagnosed with schizophrenia? If so, what was your experience with that person?

d. In your opinion, how should the church, and Christians in particular, view those with schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders?

5. Your initial post:

a. Should be between 400 to 500 words.

6. Your postings should also:

a. Be well developed by providing clear answers with evidence of critical thinking.

b. Add greater depth to the discussion by introducing new ideas.

c. Provide clarification to classmates’ questions and insight into the discussion.

5.3 Assignment: Reflections on the Curiosity Conversation with Pastor or Counselor

Getting Started

As you know, psychology is a fascinating discipline of study. In fact, psychology is consistently one of the top majors in schools around the world. And most who designate psychology as their major have some idea of what they want to do with that degree.

Here are some of the top reasons people give for going into the broad field of psychology as a profession:

1. I want to help others. This the first reason most psychology majors give in response to the question, “Why psychology?” This is a great motive and a noble one for entering the field. With increasing concerns about large-scale decline in mental health due to broken families, modern-day stressors, and fewer local and national resources to meet these increasing mental health needs, we need people who are passionate about helping others and making a difference in the world.

2. The job outlook is good. This stems from the previous point. With increasing mental health needs, there will be an ongoing demand for people willing to step into the trenches, so to speak, to treat, support, and help others with mental health needs. The field of psychology is wide open for all positions, from entry-level jobs for people right out of school to seasoned professionals with a doctorate degree who are teaching or doing clinical work.

3. I want to better understand my own behavior. Although this reason isn’t always stated out front, it is a significant motivating factor for people going into psychology-related professions. We all want to make sense of why we do what we do. Some of us come from families that have helped us make sense of life pretty well. By the time we reach adulthood, we feel fairly well equipped to have meaningful relationships, have built a strong work ethic, and have learned to persevere amid adversity. But the mental health profession is heavily populated with people who have come from difficult backgrounds.

This isn’t surprising if you think about it. A strong desire to make a difference in other peoples’ lives often is rooted in our own struggles. Something about another person’s challenge resonates within us; it is familiar because of what we’ve experienced and it causes us to feel empathy, a cardinal trait of competent people-helpers. This is why you see many former substance abusers working in the addictions field or those who experienced early life trauma working with trauma victims.

As you are working on your degree in psychology, it is natural for you to ask the same question: What do I want to do with my degree once I complete it? For most, it’s not an easy question to answer at this point in your training. One of the best ways to get more clarity is to talk with someone already in the field doing work that attempts to understand why people do what they do.

That’s where this assignment comes into play. In Workshop Two, you were instructed to set up a curiosity conversation with someone who spends the majority of their working time doing mental health counseling. This conversation, ideally, was done with a pastor or professional counselor who has at least two years of professional experience.

The goal of the conversation is to get a better understanding of what counseling entails. This assignment is your report on the findings of that conversation.

Upon successful completion of the course material, you will be able to:

· Explore the approach of a pastor or counselor to their work as a people-helper.

Resources

· Textbook:  Modern Psychopathologies:  A Comprehensive Christian Appraisal

· Video: Criteria in Choosing Counselors

Background Information

You were prompted to ask four standard questions of the person you had the curiosity conversation with as a base for understanding the profession and work of counseling. You were also encouraged to ask additional questions that seemed important or relevant to you, your area of specialization, and/or your particular interests. These additional questions and responses should be reflected in your responses to this assignment.

Instructions

1. Read Chapter 15 in your textbook.

2. Review the video,  Criteria in Choosing Counselors .

a. A transcript is available on the website.

3. Using critical thinking in your assessment, summarize your findings and reflections on the Curiosity Conversation you had with a pastor or professional counselor.

4. Respond to the following:

a. Whom did you conduct the interview with? Give their credentials, the amount of time they spend each week counseling others, the number of years of experience they have, and whether they have an area of specialty.

b. How did they choose to be a counselor? What intrigued them about this type of work?

c. What do they find most satisfying about counseling others?

d. What do they find most challenging about working through people’s problems?

e. Do they ever use a strengths-based approach in their work with people? If so, what would one example of this approach look like?

f. List other questions you asked and provide brief responses to each one.

g. Based on your interaction with this counselor, would you feel comfortable seeing this person in therapy if you needed help with a particular issue? Why or why not?

5. Your assignment should be four to five pages in length.

6. While this assignment is more of a summary of the conversation you had, you might use outside sources. If so, be sure to cite them in  APA Style  format in the text of your paper and on a reference page at the end.