Thanks to James Gordon for permission to use this Photo.
While National Guard (NG) troops are serving longer deployments than ever before, there is still little research examining the effects of these deployments affect compared to active military troops. In the September 2008 issue of Anxiety, Stress and Coping, a study presents the results of research into the extent of combat exposure, severity of post-deployment psychological symptoms, and general interpersonal functioning in 50 NG soldiers who served a 12-month deployment in Iraq from 2005 to 2006.
The results indicate that combat exposure and post-deployment post-traumatic stress symptoms in this sample are greater than those in NG veterans of past military operations, and similar to those of full-time soldiers in current operations. Furthermore, the patterns of interrelationships between combat exposure, psychological symptoms, and interpersonal variables were similar to those detected in prior research on military troops. These results suggest that NG veterans of current military operations may require the same psychological resources as active duty veterans. Given that NG troops are less integrated into the military structure, specific outreach efforts may be needed to help NG veterans to receive such services.
Romeo Vitelli
Creator of Providentia Ashworth Contributing Blogger
*A man who has lived a fascinating life, Dr. Romeo Vitelli spent fifteen years as a staff psychologist in Millbrook Correctional Centre, a maximum-security prison run by the Ontario government. In 2003, he successfully escaped prison and went into full-time private practice and currently also serves as a Disaster Management volunteer with the Red Cross. He is one of the web’s most respected and trusted sources in matters of psychology. We here in the Ashworth community are honored to share with Dr. Vitelli’s gifts with our students and would like to express our gratitude to him. Visit Providentia to learn more about the life and work of Dr. Romeo Vitelli.
I was reading Dr. Laura Freberg’s excellent psychology blog today and was happy to see a podcast interview with psychologist John Cacioppo. Mr. Cacioppo recently authored an interesting book on lonenliness entitled, Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection.
The most intriguing part of the interview for me was the commentary from Kristin Graham, an Army Captain who insightfully discusses the complex effects of loneliness within the context of military personnel attempting to readjust to society after serving in wartime.
I was reminded of our Ashworth military students and families stationed all over the world as I listened to Captain Graham’s analysis. I encourage everyone to take a few minutes to listen to this podcast. I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Thanks.
Daniel Goleman is perhaps best known for his critically acclaimed book, Emotional Intelligence. In this video, Goleman presents some of his theories as to why we as human beings are not as compassionate as we could be.
The concept of “emotional intelligence” has always fascinated me and I think Goleman is quite masterful at deconstructing the pieces of the emotional psyche. Are there moments from your everyday life that illustrate Goleman’s points regarding compassion? If so, please share them with the rest of your student community.
Thanks to Paul Goyette for permission to use this Photo.
I just finished reading Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection, which is coming out towards the end of August. The book summarizes, in very accessible terms, thirty years of work by John Cacioppo of the University of Chicago and his colleagues.
It’s initially hard to get past the title. William Patrick, John’s coauthor, relates how a friend reading an early manuscript found the word “loneliness” to be disturbing, even more so than “rape,” “murder,” or “death.” This reaction fits perfectly with the major theme of the book–we humans are a very social bunch, and being cut off from other people, as in solitary confinement, might be the very worst punishment of all.
What I especially liked about the book is the constant, seamless integration of what we call “perspectives” in psychology, harkening back to William James. In other words, the neuroscience, social psychology, and cognitive science is all woven together so that you get the big picture. In other writing, John has compared psychology to a symphony, with the different perspectives contributing to the whole of our understanding just as the score, musicians, instruments, and conductor join together to produce fantastic music. He and William have definitely succeeded in bringing this integration to the study of loneliness. Given the all-too-frequent Balkanization of psychology into little subdomains, this approach is refreshing and informative.
Like William’s friend, I found myself feeling sad at times while reading the book. I don’t consider myself a lonely person, as I am blessed by having a close family and good friends. But I know a lot of lonely people, and reading the various case studies brought these people to mind in a vivid way. The sad mood lifted, however, when John would throw in some of his modest and self-deprecating humor, as in his description of his trip to “Grenada.” Enough said. You need to read the book to find out the rest. (more…)
WOW! Some experiment. Now, as to what the experiment teaches or doesn’t teach is the ultimate question.
It has been 35+ years since that experiment was done. There have been loads of changes in the prison system since the Stanford experiment. So, what happens today when you put good people in a bad situation? Well, there are a lot of factors that affect how that good person will react. For example, I know a person who was an exemplary citizen and that individual ended up serving 2 years in a state facility. That person was considered a model inmate, worked in the law library, and when released became heavily involved in criminal law and the justice system.
So, I think that how a person reacts to that environment depends a great deal on how their inner psyche has developed. I do not believe that most “good” people will deliberately injure someone simply because a person in authority has told them to do so.
I have many examples from a life of military and exposure to criminal inmates that debunk that ideology. But, those are simply my thoughts. GREAT video.
Thanks to Gaetan Lee for permission to use this Photo.
Renowned as one of the most gifted, original, and charismatic thinkers in the world; V.S. Ramachandran is a neurologist with an almost preternatural understanding of the brain’s deepest mechanisms and the nature of consciousness.
Ramachandran’s insights into such facinating enigmas as phantom limb syndrome, synesthesia, and capgras delusion continue to both inspire and puzzle the psycho-scientific community, while his entertaining presentations always promise to dazzle even the most cynical of audiences. Check out the following video from the TED conference. Lose your mind.
Ryan Rode
Interactive Services Manager
Ashworth University
I don’t know what passes for official nowadays. The data is the exact same data that has existed for 30 years. Yes, these authors are acting like they FOIA-ed the second Zapruder film, but let me assure you it’s the same old data. These authors did the exact same study in 2002. So have twenty other groups. This is not new.
But it is news. The question is why.
I have a side question. Why is it that when an article says something works, people are suspicious of bias, but when an article says something doesn’t work, everyone thinks it’s objective science? IT’S ALL BIAS.
People are completely missing the point of this paper and all the other recent re-investigations, the true social and clinical consequences of them. For example: they’re saying antidepressants are no good. Ok. What do you think doctors are going to use instead? Psychoanalysis? Nothing? They’re going to prescribe antipsychotics. Are you listening to me? I’m not even saying this is clinically wrong to do, but do you not see the setup? Abre los ojos, man. (more…)
Recently I was contacted by an associate producer from the Dr. Phil show. Are they seeing if I’d be a good guest? It certainly appears like that’s a possibility. So, in addition to getting some very desperately needed help from Dr. Phil and his team, I may one day soon be able to give my bastion of loyal readers a quasi-insider’s view of the show and its’ process. All I can say is, pray for me, and, for now, enjoy this correspondence, edited, of course, for privacy reasons: (more…)
Thanks to Eduardo Vedia for permission to use this Photo.
I once worked with an athlete on the U.S. ski team with Olympic aspirations. The problem was that he was “burned out” and unable to perform at his customary high performance level. This athlete had heard about my success as a sports psychologist helping athletes who were going through this difficult stage and contacted me. After hearing his story, I agreed to work with him. My first effort was to help him get in touch with what he was experiencing. He didn’t want to leave the team, but thought he had no other option.
I began by dealing with the issue of time management to see if he could find the extra time he needed for other desired activities. I also recommended that he take about three weeks off from his sport simply to rest his mind and body. Obviously, his coaches did not respond to this strategy with much enthusiasm. Once they realized that the alternative was to remove him from the team, they consented to giving him some time off. We used this hiatus to work on relaxation strategies and stress reduction. I also helped him rediscover why he was skiing in the first place. By the time he returned to his sport, he felt renewed and invigorated. He was back to his old self.
Many athletes who yield to the initial impulse to get away from their sport when burnout symptoms set in are left with a lifelong sense of regret and dissatisfaction. They always wonder what might have been if burnout had not robbed them of the pleasure of competition and the pursuit of victory. For those willing to seek the intervention of a skilled and understanding sport psychology consultant, the result can be quite positive. It really is possible to “have it all”—high-level achievement and a life outside one’s sport.
Take a moment to consider your own athletic experiences and the negative feelings you may have had at times about participating in your sport(s). Ask yourself if the decisions you made at the time were the right ones for you. Would you have made other choices if you knew then what you know now? Whatever your response, never forget that life is ahead of you, not behind. There’s still time to “get it right.”
Special thanks to Joe_Boyce-Burgess for permission to use this photo.
My son is allergic to green peas and his reactions are life threatening. He is intolerant to a lot of other foods as well, and as we’ve found out, so am I.
We changed our family diet some years ago now, for the sake of us all. I used to cheat, but I also kept track of my diet, and after a while my wife noticed that when I ate certain foods I would become very depressed 2 days later. (Almost to the hour.) Unfortunately chocolate was the worst! She mentioned this bizarre discovery to our allergy specialist who said “Yes, food does cause mood swings!”
Food allergies and intolerances are very different things. Food allergies trigger the immune system, and the sufferer’s body reacts, for example with swelling or hives. Food intolerance is about thresholds. You can eat the foods that you’re intolerant to, but you’ll have a reaction if you go over your threshold. Food intolerance is very common; much more than people seem to realize.
The reactions can be amazing. In me the intolerance causes depression. My wife feels bloated and lethargic. The kids get aggressive and irritable. Other people report anxiety, panic attacks, suicidal thoughts, obsessive compulsive behaviour and even social phobias. Migraines and stomach aches are also common. (more…)
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