Self Reflection

1. How do you think you are doing so far in your senior project and why?

• I think I am doing much better than I expected to. I have been able to find articles based on psychology and biological stand-points. This has made understanding the fragile minds of those affected significantly easier. Overall, I believe that I deserve a P at the very least. I know I often receive notes on my research checks to write more notes, but I feel that there are some articles that have the exact same information as several others I have already read. This makes me feel like there is not much of a point to it.

2. What one thing have you done well on and why?

• Since I am doing presentations for my service learning, I have been preparing regularly. I feel like if I had to present tomorrow, I could do so without a problem. 

3. What is one thing you would like to improve on and why?

• I feel like I could improve on the quality of my notes by trying to get different information. You can only be intrigued by the same explanation of cognitive-behavioral therapy so many times. Although, I have already attempted to do fix this by ordering books from the library. 

Science Fair Proposal

Hypothesis:
If a city has a high community crime rate (significantly more than nation's average), a large minority population, and those crimes are violent, then the cities' schools will have lower California Standardized Test scores.

My dependent will be cities with low violent crime rates, and their CST scores.
My independent variable will be high violent crime rate and the population there.
My control will be the CST and the year of those scores versus the crime rates of that year.

This relates to my essential question because it show the connection between education and the possible cases of post-traumatic stress disorder that have gone undiagnosed. I chose to aim it at children because they are more susceptible to PTSD, if exposed to a violent or life threatening situation.

Since this experiment is solely based on previous research my equipment will consist on online databases from the FBI and the Bureau of Justice. I am going to collect data about different cities, and categorize them based on their violent crime rates. Then, I will put them into subgroups based on their demographics. From there, I can proceed by looking at their test scores. I am aware that population changes throughout the years, so I will be looking at that again later while looking at the scores. Right now, my goal is to gather information of about 20 cities, but I'll see how that works as I do this.

This will be under the Behavioral/Social Science category.

What I've Learned So Far...

What have you learned how to do since you started working on your senior project?

• Though I can not diagnose, I can identify different signs for different mental disorders. 

Evidence: This is a diagram I created using information from my research. 

What research helped you to do this and how?
It was an accumulation of several articles, but http://www.ptsdsupport.net/ptsd_treatments.html was probably one of the most helpful.

Independent Component 1 Plan Approval

1) For my independent study component, I will be starting a peer mediation group at Golden Springs Elementary with Griselda Solis. In order to lead this group, I will learn techniques in the Peer Mediation elective. Mario Ruiz, a fifth grade teacher at Golden Springs who has a background in psychology, will be working with us to start this program. The goal of the peer mediation group at the school is to teach children how to deal with bullies, everyday conflict that they may experience, and coping skills they can use for every situation. 

2) Besides the sessions that we will have starting February, we will need to set up several meetings to prepare and organize. These meetings will be listed in a meeting log, along with the sessions which will be about an hour and a half every week. 

3) As you may recall, my EQ is "What is the most effective way to treat post-traumatic stress disorder?", but because of the confidentiality issues, I cannot sit in while therapy is being performed. My alternative, and possibly an answer to my EQ, is to try to prevent it. By showing kids coping skills, I could research one of the methods used in the military, prevention. 

What is your EQ?

What is the most effective way to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)?

Define the words in your EQ to make sure we are on the same page regarding what your EQ means.

By "most effective" I mean what helps people get their life together the fastest. 

What are some possible answers to your EQ so far?

So far, EMDR, support group therapy, and pharmacological approaches.

What has been your most important source and why? Be Specific. If it is a person, name them and what they do, if it is an article, book or video, name the title and author.

The most important sources I have so far are my first interview, WebMD, and the Defense Center of Excellence. My first interview, Gina Tarango, has been a psychologist for more than ten years. She explained the importance of detail, and the connection of everything. She also gave me a book on somatic therapy, which I will look into later. The WedMD article "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)" has the different stats on how different demographics are affected, and the symptoms that they show. The Defense Center of Excellence article "PTSD: Treatment Options" has the various treatment methods, and in what scenarios they're used for. 

Second Interview Questions

1. What do you think about me doing peer mediation to fulfill my service hours? Why
2.  What do you think I could do to get the most out of this experience?
3. What tips or warnings could you give me about doing peer mediation for children?
4. What age group would you recommend for a beginner like myself?
5. The person I previously interviewed said that she had to do a variation of service learning to get her degree. Did you have to? If yes, what did you do to fulfill them? 

Presentation Reflection

1. In what way did the first interview affect your presentation? Please explain, be specific and use an example. 
Mrs. Gina Tarango made a very good point about the fact that people overlook traumatic events and are later misdiagnosed, because they do not realize how those events hurt them. It is necessary to find the source, because without it there is no way of knowing what to treat. Although clinical depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are two every similar disorders, but the treatment for them are significantly different. Eye Movement Denationalization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is very effective for PTSD patients, but does nothing for the clinically depressed. Even the group therapy they are placed in is specifically linked with their disorder. Because the treatment  of the disorder is determined by the diagnosis, it is important to diagnose patients correctly. 


2. What would you say stood out about your presentation and why?
I think what stood out of my presentation is the fact that was very interactive. The whole thing was based on the class's prior knowledge, and it's purpose was to expand on it. Most people already know the basics of depression and trauma; it's the technicalities that confuse people. 


3. What was the most challenging to do and why?
Being able to keep track of time, and getting more that 1/3 of the class to cooperate were probably the most difficult parts for me. I had timed it prior to presenting, but I expected a lot less awkward silences, and underestimated the amount of time to clear the air between the two. People weren't as willing to cooperate with me as much as I hoped they would, and time flew by so much quicker when I was up there. I hope I can fix this later on by giving myself more time to talk and explain myself. 

Blog #3

Objective: To enlighten the students in the difference between trauma and depression symptoms. I will also differentiate between depression and sadness. I feel that as a nation we have become much more aware of depression symptoms, but neglect the fact that trauma happens to more than just war veterans.

1) I will begin the presentation by asking the class about depression symptoms, and giving them 30 seconds to tell me everything they know. I will write down the answers on a poster board labeled "Depression".

2) Give the class an other 30 seconds to give me trauma symptoms they know about. Again, I will write the answers down, but this time on a poster board labeled "Trauma".

3) I will give a minute long explanation on the difference between the two.

4) I will check for understanding by giving them 2 minutes to read three scenarios, and making them tell me which one is depression, trauma, and just being sad.

Resources/Materials:

• 2 poster boards
• A marker
• A cooperative class
• A timer

Interview Check

Who are you interviewing and why?

• I am interviewing Mrs. Gina Tarango, Dr. John Keith Smith, and Elaine Miller-Karas. Mrs. Tarango is a marriage and family therapist who has been in the field for more than ten years. Dr. Smith has been a clinical social worker and a therapist for more than fifteen years, and has treated a number of trauma patients. Ms. Karas is the co-Director and co-founder of the Trauma Resource Institute in Claremont. She has also been in the field for more than twenty years, and has been a first responder in disasters including Thailand after the devastating tsunami and Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina.  

What additional questions will you ask them? 

• Does this profession allow you to lead a comfortable lifestyle?
• How did you decide on your career?
• What traits or skills do you feel are important to being a good therapist?
• How did you start working in therapy?

Blog #1

What is your topic? Why?

• Have you ever met a person who has gone through such a horrific experience their life revolves around fear, anguish, and anxiety? Traumatic experiences can happen to anyone, and can make those affected take a turn for the worst. Many of them are considered crazy, when all they really need is help. Getting the help, however, is not always easy, but being help is possible. Helping people overcome whatever hardship they have endured is something I really want to do in the future. That is why I feel that my topic, Treating Trauma Victims, is important. 

What do you hope to accomplish after studying this topic all year? Be specific and use examples.

• As the saying goes, "If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen.", but there is no way to know if you can take it until you try it. That goes with anything. After all, things aren't always what they seem. By getting a better feel of what it's like I hope to get more familiar with psychiatry as a career. Although I want to help people, I understand that there is a difference between good intentions and good deeds. Trying to do a good deed with little knowledge or skill can often make the situation worse. With this in mind, I want to assure myself have what it takes by knowing what it takes. That way I can help my future patients, or avoid a tragic ending by choosing another career.