Mr. Joyce Takes on the World

Disorder Vs. Reaction             As my time in abnormal psych class ends, I’m reflecting on the most important thing I’ve learned from that class.             The DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) has a very long, contradictory history. The title itself sounds like a guide book for fixing your car. Instead, it’s a list of mental maladies, and their symptoms. It doesn’t list how to treat the disorders, or why the disorders occur. All it does is give a description of each form of mental illness. Depression, Bipolar Disorder, and Anxiety Disorder are all there. There’s even been a few disorders that were removed, and some that have recently been added. It’s a fluid document that is capable of being changed. These changes occur due to politics, culture, and the persistence of pharmaceutical companies. That doesn’t mean that psychology is quackery, or that...

Draper's Mourning for Icarus  Part of me is embarrassed by how I've felt in the past two months. Every insecurity I have has come to the surface. My greatest fear is that I'll drive people away with them. They are my imperfections that usually have caused relationships to end. Though, truth be told, the people who couldn't accept that I'm not perfect aren't the sort of people I should have been around anyway. Part of me is reminded of what Samuel Beckett once wrote, "I suffer, but cannot remain silent." Another part of me wishes I'd just kept my mouth shut, and stayed calm. Like I should have known better by this stage in life. It wasn't just my mother's death, but everything else that has followed it. The uncertainty has caused me to shift from my usual, rational self, to being somewhat irrational. I don't want people to see that side of me, ever. Sometimes I can't help it. I think I've experienced so much ...

Courage (The Cardinal Virtues Part Three) We're all on a hero's journey. The dragons we face may not have scales. The lands we visit may not be exotic. We may not have to carry a sword; except for the one forged by our own iron will. I have worn armor though, or many kinds. I have no doubt that in the future I will travel to many lands, and face many dragons. I also have no doubt that I will tame them. Why carve up a rare species when you can learn from it? Does the knight always have to slay the dragon? That being said, I may look good in dragon skin boots.  Know where I can score a pair? House Targaryen? Were they at New York Fashion Week? Moving along... If you have anxiety you'll know this is a tough one to practice. The world is an uncertain place. There's no guarantees, no security. Even stepping out the front door can be a challenge. But without the risk nothing is gained. The alternative is to live a life that is not only cir...