Descriptive Essay Essays - Psychotherapy, Therapy, Furiously Happy

Descriptive Essay My life has been one struggle after another. Dealing with depression was not as easy or as fun as a ride on a slide. It was more like a sickening spin on the merry-go-round; it felt like I was holding on for dear life and spinning so fast my hands were loosing grip. My therapy sessions were a revolving door. I went in and came out, hoping it to be the last, but only to face another session. It all started around the tender age of 13-just getting into my teenage years. I battled with my identity. It felt like I was walking against a strong wind. I knew I was adopted ever since I understood what that meant, but I wasn't happy knowing this. I began going to therapy with my family, only to find myself angrier than a punished child. I attempted suicide twice in that few months, and finally manipulated my parents into taking me out of that therapy. For the next two years, I kept any negative feelings undercover, not opening my shell to anyone. By the beginning of my junior year in high school, I couldn't keep it in. My emotions exploded like an overheated bag of popcorn. More suicide attempts were made. I was taken to our local hospital where I was put in the psychiatric unit and diagnosed with major depression. This news hit me like a bug on a moving car's windshield. I didn't know this was a sickness. I was released and forced to start individual therapy. I became very close to my new therapist-she made me laugh and helped me to solve little problems. Although things were looking better, there were a lot of problems still hovering over me like vultures around road kill. I again tried killing myself and was sent back to the hospital. This time, I was released into an intense therapy group for teenagers. These sessions were every weekday for either four or eight hours. My self-esteem went down, and I seemed to have made more problems for myself-getting into drugs. I made it through nearly two months of this intense therapy, and came out happier and feeling less depressed. I went back to bottling up my anger and sadness in order to stay out of therapy, but a gang rape on me ripped apart the barrier. Once again, I was injuring myself and back in the hospital. I returned to the powerful group therapy with even lower self-esteem than before. Not happy with my appearance, I became anorexic. I lost a lot of weight, and began looking like a starving child from Bosnia. My therapist forced me to slowly start eating again; however, noticing the slightest weight gain led me to eat and then purposely vomit. My therapist caught on to my bulimia and began monitoring my eating before, during and after. I felt trapped. I finally realized if I didn't want to live, I would have succeeded in my suicide attempts. I gradually discovered what I had to live for, and I was sick of being labeled as depressed. I decided I wanted help. Today, I still visit a another therapist every once in a while, and I am currently getting off my medications. I finally feel free; I am no longer struggling to hold on to the slippery bars of the merry-go-round. The revolving door is now a one-way door, and I have left the building. Good-bye, depression. Hello, slide.

Roman Catholic Essays

Roman Catholic Essays Roman Catholic Essay Roman Catholic Essay Essay Topic: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings SHORT ANSWER STUDY QUESTIONS I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings Note to the teacher: The narrator is referred to as Marguerite in the questions that deal with her memoirs, since that is how she refers to herself throughout the book. In instances where the author is sharing her beliefs and philosophy, she is referred to as Maya Angelou. Chapters 1-6 1. In what style is the book written? 2. What happened to Marguerite at Church? 3. What was Marguerites dream of what she would one day look like? 4. With whom did Marguerite and Bailey live at the beginning of the book? Why? 5. How does the author say she felt in later years about the stereotyped picture of gay song-singing cotton-pickers, and why? 6. What happened that caused Uncle Willie to lay low one night? 7. Describe Marguerites relationship with Bailey. 8. Describe the living conditions for the whites and Blacks in Stamps. 9. Describe the experience Momma had with the powhitetrash children when Marguerite was ten years old. 10. Describe the second incident with Sister Monroe, and its effect on Marguerite and Bailey. Chapters 7-12 1. Describe the incident in which Momma was referred to as Mrs. and its effect on the Black community. 2. What, according to the author, was the one thing about the whites that was most enviable? 3. What was Marguerites concept of God? 4. What reaction did the Christmas gifts from her parents cause in Marguerite? 5. What happened to Marguerite and Bailey when she was seven? 6. Describe the Baxter family. 7. How did Marguerite get the name Maya? 8. How did Mr. Freeman treat Marguerite? Chapters 13-17 1. What happened to Mr. Freeman? 2. What happened to Marguerite as a result of the rape and Mr. Freemans murder? 3. What happened to Bailey and Marguerite after the doctor said she was healed? 4. Describe Mrs. Bertha Flowers influence on Marguerite. 5. Why did Momma beat Marguerite and Bailey? 6. How did Marguerite feel about Mrs. Cullinans shortening her name to Mary? 7. How did Marguerite get out of working for Mrs. Cullinan? 8. Why had Bailey stayed out so late when he went to the movies? Chapters 18-21 1. What is the authors theory about peoples belief in divine intervention? 2. What revolutionary action took place at the revival? 3. What was the effect of the Black fighter, Joe Louis victory over his white opponent? 4. How did Marguerite become friends with Louise Kendricks? 5. Why was the friendship with Louise so important to Marguerite? 6. Describe Baileys relationship with Joyce. Chapters 22-24 1. How did Marguerite feel about the ghost stories that the customers told in the Store? 2. How did Mrs. Taylors funeral affect Marguerite? 3. How did Momma interpret Mr. Taylors vision/dream of his dead wife? 4. Why did Marguerite receive presents from Momma, Bailey, Louise, and others? 5. What happened at graduation that gave Marguerite a presentiment of worse things to come? 6. Describe the graduation speaker. 7. What was Marguerites reaction to the graduation speech? 8. What happened to get Marguerite back into a better mood? 9. How did the white dentist treat Mommas request to have him take care of Marguerites toothache? 10. What retribution did Momma demand of Dr. Lincoln for his treatment of her and Marguerite? Chapters 25-29 1. What did Maya Angelou think was the real reason Momma took her and Bailey to live in California with their parents? . What was the enigma of which Maya Angelou spoke? 3. What was the secret world given to Marguerite by Mrs. Flowers? 4. How did Bailey and Marguerite feel about their mothers nervousness on the drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco? 5. How did Bailey and Marguerite learn there were other people in the world? 6. Describe Vivian Baxters personality. 7. What two events happened at this time in Marguerites life? 8. What happen ed to the population of San Franciscos Fillmore district during the early months of World War II? 9. How does the author describe Miss Kirwin, her teacher at George Washington High School? 10. Who, according to the author, is the hero in the Black American ghetto? Chapters 30-33 1. Where did Marguerite spend her summer vacation? 2. Describe Marguerites relationship with Dolores. 3. What insight did Marguerite have into her fathers personality on their trip to Mexico? 4. What happened to her father while they were at the Mexican bar? 5. How did Marguerite and Daddy Bailey get home from the Mexican town? 6. What was Marguerites fathers reaction when he found out she had a car accident? . How did the fight between Marguerite and Dolores start? 8. What did Marguerite do when she left her fathers friends house? 9. Describe Baileys and Mothers relationship at this point. 10. How did Mother and Bailey resolve their feud? Chapters 34-36 1. What job did Marguerite want to get, and was she successful? 2. How does Maya Angelou describe the change in her when the spring classes began? 3. According to the author, what forces assault the young Black female? 4. According to the author, why does the adult American Negro female emerge as such a formidable character? . What new problem did Marguerite face as a result of reading The Well of Loneliness? 6. How did Mother respond to Marguerites questions about her body? 7. What was Marguerites solution to her still-present concern over her sexual preferences? 8. What happened to Marguerite as a result of her seduction of the good-looking young man? 9. How did her parents react to her news? 10. Explain Vivian Baxters statement: See, you dont have to think about doing the right thing. If youre for the right thing, then you do it without thinking.

Baumans Self Preservation and Moral Duty and William C. Levins Assignment

Baumans Self Preservation and Moral Duty and William C. Levins Ideology - Assignment Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that ownership is a social affair, the owner can deny access to property while a non-owner has to ask for permission. Ownership allows the owner to become independent of another’s power, hence it is perceived as an enabling faculty. â€Å"It extends one’s autonomy, freedom, action, and choice† (Bauman, 2006, p. 128). Connecting this with ownership and self-preservation, Bauman says that man’s ultimate goal is to eliminate the competition and to gain control of goods. Because such interaction is a zero-sum game, the winners get to dictate the rules of the game while the losers suffer. In this view, the poor are viewed as â€Å"lazy, slovenly and negligent†¦[they are] lacking in character, shirking hard labor, and inclined to delinquency and law-breaking† (Bauman, 2006, p.130). In this view, there is no room for moral duty which â€Å"finds its expression in the consideration of the needs of others† (Bauman, 2006, p. 131). If man were to fulfill his moral duty, then he will have to exercise self-restraint or voluntarily renounce his personal gain. The bureaucracy which was supposed to ensure that resources are allocated wisely are neutral, according to Bauman, hence, it acts based on rationality. It seems that â€Å"every person had ‘a job to do’, a problem to be solved† (Bauman, 2006, p.133). When a man does not do his job, then he will suffer because of it. Because of this view, the bureaucracy is â€Å"made to service inhuman purposes†¦[it has the] ability to silence moral motivations and†¦[appeal] to the motive of self-preservation† (Bauman, 2006, p. 134). By acting rationally, a man can make correct choices that directly addresses his need for self-preservation and self-enhancement. Levin’s discussion of ideology directly relates to this need for self-preservation. According to him, â€Å"ideologies suit to change the times, a nd people can change the ideologies to which they subscribe† (Levin, 2001, pp. 241-242), depending on a person’s best interest. The changing ideologies are used to justify the actions of a group of people who are actually working to achieve their goals which based on the values that they have.