Archive for March, 2010
Bad Eggs and Short Pants: A tragicomedy in an act of fear.
pathways March 3rd, 2010
Once upon a time and to this day, all over the world, at various points in human history there has been a struggle between the dark and the light. It exists still, and is felt as separation, but only in human consciousness, within the small confines of the brain. It is there that it is recognized, nurtured, paid attention to, codified, understood, acknowledged, worshiped, verified and made manifest. Outside of the human experience, knowledge of this does not exist. It is seen by Ego, the force of survival. We don’t just make the distinctions based on the idea of survival verses non survival, to further ensure the continuance of the species and therefore the quest, we tell ourselves moral stories about it all as well. We make separation distinctions like me/you, us/them. We believe in separation from the source of us as much a we believe in our beliefs and thoughts.
We are the force that agrees with our thoughts and beliefs, but we are not the actual thoughts and beliefs. We are more than that. Indeed we are spiritual beings having a physical experience and who knows what else. It is the human story, a balancing act of love and fear. Are we uniquely designed to choose between love and fear thereby breaking through the illusion against the energy of on and off? Without off there could be no on. Without fear, everything would express love only and so, there would be no recognizable love. Opposing forces are the calling card of the physical plane. The physical plane of existence depends, in fact on the principles of on and off, light and dark, positive and negative, love and fear. Here is a delicate balance of opposites. Here is but one aspect of God presence. When I say God, I am speaking of an energy, a verb, an evolving consciousness. The closest human emotions to knowing God are Love and compassion. The word emotion, from Latin, is emovere < e-, out +movere, move>. Emotions move thoughts and feelings out and connect spiritual with physical. Emotions contain valuable lessons allowing our unique gifts to function.
Whatever you are comfortable calling it, higher power in twelve step language, Love, God, that which made the heart beat, the source behind the driving force of Spring, seeks recognition, and acknowledgment as I believe God does, and we are the creatures who have evolved a consciousness capable of knowing God. So everything in creation is imbued with God’s Code through our unique ability to receive this connection. God witnesses herself through our ability to explore her. Our DNA has evolved in order to adapt God’s code, or consciousness and physically converts and expresses God in God’s search to be witnessed and known. This self introspective system seems to only function within human witnessing and not out there in the other species, the world or Universe. I my opinion, this is why were are here: simply to know Love. Creation is highly efficient and makes no spare parts. Because of this ability, and its uniqueness to us, I believe it is why we are here.
Why else would the Universe spew out such creatures with this one unique function? There is one thing I was taught from the organized religion that I do believe, is the truth. That is, that God is Love. I believe that Love is God and that Love is our source.
For a variety of highly distorted reasons and cover-ups, the word and concept of God has become laden and such an issue for so many people. There are those who believe in the value of their beliefs and there are those who became jaded and felt deceived by their religions and blame Love (God) for this. God never made a single religious concept. All of God’s proclaimed messengers have primarily been about Love. I am more comfortable referring to God as Love. So if you were to ask, I would say I believe in Love Consciousness. Love consciousness is here, and felt by us in this physical plane, as its physical receptor. Whether or not I tune in is my choice, but it none the less is working through me. We are in God’s physical expression. I suspect that there are an infinite number of fields and that God is manifest in all of them. As we evolve with our human consciousness we are, in a sense, surfing back to the source, that is, to Love. God’s code is written for consciousness. Why else do we have this unique distinction? How smart, it is to make us not just recycled stuff for the sake of breeding and supporting the physical plane. But we have the added feature of introspection, ethics and choice. Choice may be where God or Love consciousness is embedded. The source of all creation is in each one of us but we are hypnotized by our thoughts and beliefs and bound by the laws of the physical world. We choose between Love and fear in fact, with everything we do.
It is only when Love represents something scary (like telling the truth when we believe the truth will cause suffering), that we choose behaviors that are ultimately self-destructive and spiritually toxic. We are dis functional when we gain comfort from behaviors which arise out of fear. Allowed to continue, then we are looking at addictive behavior. Addictive behavior is the handiwork of fear and focusing away from your true nature as a product of the Love of the Universe.
Top Ten Reasons Why Your Life May Not Be As You Want It To Be
pathways March 3rd, 2010
- Resistance
- Believing in and telling lies
- Setting yourself up
- Not being in charge
- Listening to and believing in fear
- Over identifying in false states of awareness (trances)
- and Forgetting your true nature and origin
- Low self esteem
- Harboring delusions about attachment and surrendering
- Maintaining a toxic mind and body
Some more thoughts about Career Counseling
pathways March 3rd, 2010
It is true that career counselors must be aware of the client’s needs and issues that are specific to him or her culturally; where he or she is along the career decision making process. Additionally, it is worth knowing “where they are in establishing different levels of confidence” so that as counselors we can “enhance self-efficacy” (Laureate Education, 2007). This theory embraces the idea that confidence, interest level, and the belief that one is capable of the task at hand play a pivotal and integral role in deciding career-paths.
The developmental approach to career counseling, in specific, Super’s Life-Span Theory acknowledges that influences other than chronological age influence career development. The instruments associated with this theory examine interests, values and skills. I believe that it is important to be aware of the issues involved in this kind of assessment because until a client is clear about the values s/he possess, s/he cannot achieve satisfaction, in my opinion.
Special populations like those in recovery from drug addiction, and who in many cases are starting over, are often just finding out what are his or her true values. Some individuals are so conditioned by strong external influencing powers and are not even aware of having values, let alone what it is that they are. The Minnesota Importance Questionnaire (MIQ) (1981), measures needs and values in order to predict satisfaction. I am a student who has never been in the field but I will hang my future license on the theory that one’s values and beliefs must be in sync in order to feel purpose and lasting happiness. In my opinion, satisfaction also depends on living a life that is harmonious with one’s beliefs and values.
Values are backed-up by behavior, in my opinion, because no one does anything again and again without some perceived or real benefit. Therefore, if I am a traditional Roman Catholic, working at an abortion clinic, presumably, I would be experiencing various forms of unhappiness and dissatisfaction because what I do from day to day conflicts with my core beliefs. It is when my values and beliefs are not harmoniously synchronized, that I am feeling out of balance. My entire life could end up compensating for this inner conflict and result in a host of illnesses as a result. Therefore in conjunction with a values assessment I believe one must also look at the client’s underlying beliefs.
The Career Beliefs Inventory (CBI) helps clients to understand the perhaps ancient and hidden beliefs that a person still adheres to even when those beliefs hinder satisfaction. Krumboltz (as cited by Capuzzi & Stauffer, 2006) said: “What appears to be inappropriate or self-defeating behavior may become understandable when one discovers the assumptions and beliefs on which each person operates” (p.127). Straightening out a client’s beliefs is essential in determining how to assist him or her in career choices. I believe that these two tests are especially beneficial to my special population because when people are rebuilding their lives, doing so with a strong and self-aware foundation is more likely to produce lasting success.
References:
Capuzzi, D., & Stauffer, M. D. (2006). Career counseling: Foundations, perspectives, and applications. Boston, MA: Pearson Education.
DVD
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2007). Vocational psychology and counseling. Baltimore: Author.
Depression & Dysthymic Disorder~ What’s the difference?
pathways March 3rd, 2010
The associated symptoms of Dysthymic Executive disorder are similar to those for a Major Depressive Disorder (DSM-IV-TR, 2000). In Dysthymic Disorder common symptoms include feelings of inadequacy; generalized loss of interest or pleasure; social withdrawal; feelings of guilt or brooding about the past; subjective feelings of irritability or excessive anger and decreased productivity (including activity and effectiveness). Vegetative Symptoms are less common for Dysthymic Disorder than for clients in a Major Depressive Disorder. Additionally, up to 75% of clients with Dysthymic Disorder for more than five years will develop into Major Depressive Disorder (DSM-IV-TR). The differential diagnosis between dysthymic Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder is made “particularly difficult by the facts that the two disorders share similar symptoms and that the differences between them in onset, duration, persistence, and severity are not easy to evaluate retrospectively” (p.379).
According to the DSM-IV-TR it seems to be a matter of severity and interference in a person’s life that most distinguishes the difference between the terms Dysthymic and Major. “Dysthymic” is like a starting point, whereas “Major” implies great, significant and deeply important. The symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder are cognitive, behavioral and physical and can derail a person’s normal functioning. The symptoms for Dysthymic disorder are less persistent, and not so interwoven within the client’s worldview and experience of self.
Aside from overlapping cluster symptoms, additionally to further complicate the creation of an accurate diagnosis other associative disorders, such as anxiety, can be present and occur co morbidly. “At the diagnostic level there are very high levels of co morbidity between mood and anxiety disorders” (Butcher, Mineka & Hooley, 2007, p.231).
Overlapping symptoms are associated with milder forms of depression and Major Depressive disorder. The client may show many severe symptoms such as feeling physically tired having: trouble concentrating, feelings of worthlessness, low energy and feeling somewhat estranged from normal activities, and/or responsibilities.
In truth, the etiology of depression is complicated and multidimensional, thus offering a distinction between Dysthymic and Major Depression that is blurry at best. Without the distinguishing criteria of severity, interference, and losing all interest in what previously brought pleasure, up to a point the symptoms are almost interchangeable.
Depression can occur during any stage throughout a person’s lifespan. The main symptoms of Major Depression Disorder are depressed mood (persistent sadness and depression, and /or feeling down); crying; sleep problems; weight loss or gain; psychomotor agitation or retardation; suicidal ideation; poor concentration; low self-esteem, and feelings of worthlessness or guilt; fatigue and several subtypes like melancholic, catatonic, or psychotic features (Spark Chart, Abnormal Psychology, 2004).
Dysthymic disorder has similar symptoms; only they are much less severe.
References:
American Psychiatric Association. (2000). DSM-IV-TR. Arlington, VA: Author.
Butcher, J. N., Hooley, J. M., & Mineka, S. (2007). Abnormal psychology (13th ed.). Boston: Pearson Education.
SparkChart, 2004. “Abnormal Psychology”. Barnes & Noble : USA
