Senior Project Reflection

(1) Positive Statement

Out of my entire senior project I have say that I am most proud of my Two-Hour Presentation, because I was not entirely sure I could do it. When it was finally over, I was ecstatic. Just knowing that I could do it felt great. I also was surprised at the decoration of the classroom; I had not expected for them to work out so well.

(2) Questions to Consider

a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your 2-Hour Presentation (self-assessment)? Why?

For my 2-Hour-Presentation I feel like I deserve an AE. It was full of useful content and the activities were easy to relate to both the answers and the students. Though some of the activities were personal, people were still willing to do them.

b.     What assessment would you give yourself on your overall senior project (self-assessment)? Why?

I think that my overall senior project should be a P, because I have done mostly P work throughout the year. I have had my ups and downs, but overall it should balance out into a P.

(3) What worked for you in your senior project?

Being able to chose the topic that I wanted to research so that I could easily relate to it was really helpful. 

(4) What didn’t work for you in your senior project?

Having all of first semester be about Model Assembly, because I felt like I lost a lot of time doing that. I also felt like there should have been more time in between big assignments.

(5) Finding Value

PTSD may be a very specific disorder that effects only a fraction of the population, but the treatments for it can be applied to everyone's daily life. Everyone has some level of distortion in their perspective in which Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy could be useful. Everyone is exposed to stress and should know how to respond to it in a positive way. Learning about these methods and how they work has allowed me to take a look into my everyday life and ask myself whether or not I am going about it in the best way possible. Though I know that I am not, I also know of how I can change that. Learning about PTSD has given me the ability to be more critical about sensitive situations. This has given me more confidence about my ability to go become a psychiatrist in the future.

2-Hour Presentation

Click here for my template.

Service Learning

Literal ·
This is my Log
Mrs. Ortega was my supervisor.
I was in charge of making PowerPoints and presenting them along with Griselda S. We also created a video with the help of Liam R. and the juniors, Priscilla W. and Dominic Z.
Interpretive
The most important thing I gained from this experience was the ability to problem solve by being able to separate myself from a situation. By being able to see how the problem looks through an observers point-of-view it is easier to break it down and find what is working and what simply needs to change. I also found that the knowledge I accumulated from it allowed me to understand the importance of cognitive-behavioral therapy.
Applied
Because this service learning allowed me to expand my knowledge of problem solving and peer mediation, I was.able to use that knowledge to find something that could work best, even with the variety of people that we're talking about.
Mrs. Ortega was my supervisor.

Independent Component 2

 Click here for my log.
Literal
I, Jo, confirm that I have completed my Independent Component which represents 30 hours of work.
I have learned, as well as been an advocate for Denim Day. Through this I have been able to see how often traumatic events can occur. I have acquired knowledge that I can pass down to my friends and family to keep them aware of what is truly going on.
Interpretive
By teaching people about sexual abuse, we have been able to make it less shameful for those who have experienced it. Most of the stigmas are created by ignorance. The idea that all victims are male, or that victims are to blame in any way is simply absurd, but are disturbingly common. I spent a great deal of time talking to my mother about the subject. She was raised in a small town in Mexico where many parents would disown, or even go as far as selling, their daughters if their virginity were ever in question. She still feels as though victims are to be held responsible for sexual assaults, though she knows it's not right, it's the idea that was implanted in her mind when she was just a child. This is exactly what we are combating, and it wasn't until I started getting involved that I realized it was going on in my own home.
By becoming an advocate, I found that I needed to learn more. Do more research on what we think is true, and what actually is true. Sometimes, you won't believe what you'll find. For example, the statistics that show that 84% of those raped knew their attacker, and 57% of the rapes happened on dates seem extreme, made-up even, but they aren't. That's why people need to be made aware. For more facts and myths click here.
Applied
Overall, this helped me answer my EQ by allowing me to take time to research sexual abuse stories, and how the legal system works with victims. This gave me a better idea of what to expect with someone who has been through that process. It has also help me get an idea of how preventing PTSD should be.

Helping 2013

Interviewee: Priscilla West
April 24, 2012 1:50PM


 What ideas do you have for your senior project and why?

• Priscila: I was thinking of doing film, but specifically documentaries. If not, I could do cheer because I'm going to be in cheer throughout senior year. I was in cheer for nine years and I love it so it wouldn't be a problem. If I do documentaries, I would like to focus on social issues like the California Public School System, or rather the state of it. 
• Me: You already know how you're getting your hours?
• Priscilla: Yes, for cheer I know a place and I could volunteer to get my rates deducted. 
• Me: How about for film?
• Pris:  I don't know how I would get hours for film, but I want to get into sociology so it would help me. I could take a film class, but I'm in ROP this year, so I wouldn't be able to do that.
• Me: You could take a class at Cal Poly.
• Pris: Yes, but I don't know if I can get one for both semesters. 
• Me: Make sure to look into before you give up on it. 

 What do you plan to do to complete the 10 hours of service learning (working with an expert) which is due prior to senior year starting?  

• Pris: I have two hours for cheer already. I have a private lesson for it. For film, I have a friend that knows the director, and I've met him before so I can call him up and see if I can help out on the set or do anything. It needs to be with a professional right?
• Me: Service learning needs to be done with a pro, but if you really, for film, you can make your own as your independent component. If you met with a professional to get feedback on your work you could document it and present it as evidence of work. 

 What do you hope to see or expect to see when watching the class of 2012 present their two hour presentations?

• Pris: I hope to see things I can learn from, whether it is about their topic or how to present. I hope that it's hands on and we don't just sit there for an hour and a half doing nothing. 
• Me: I like that you want it to be hands on, because some people don't want to do anything. Please, encourage your classmates to bring the required materials. I would cry if I was expecting people to bring something and they showed up empty handed. Also, come on time for everyone's sake because it looks bad on you, and it distracts the presenter. 

Do you have any other questions?

• Pris: How many different components are there?
• Me: It's hard to count them because there are components that go on through out the whole year. Basically there are Independent Components 1 and 2, four interviews, science fair, and research is counted as a components. 
• Pris: How crazy is the work schedule?
• Me: Personally, I have been on a really crazy work schedule because everything just snow balled. You look at the schedule and you think "Oh, this isn't due until next month," and you focus on what's due at the moment. The problem is that these projects take weeks and you end up waiting until the last minute. If I could redo this whole year, I would have sat down and planned out how and when I was going to finish each thing. It's really up to you if you want to take this advice, but I really wish someone would have warned ma about how easy it is to get caught up in the daily work and forget that you need to do 30 hours worth of work for independent components or how busy your interviewee's schedule may be, or even that finding reliable research material can take a while unless you can buy a book. Try to never underestimate how long something will take. Ask the current seniors how long it took them to do these things to get an idea of the average time. Prepare yourself!

Answer 3: Relaxation Therapy

My essential question is: What is the most effective way to treat PTSD?

Thesis:  When a person with PTSD is taught to respond to stessors by using the techniques they use in relaxation therapy, they are able to continue with their daily lives.

•  PTSD is primarily an anxiety disorder that is triggered by stressors. They way that the brain stores a traumatic memory is different than a regular one, which is why the memory is remembered in bits and pieces. When those bits and pieces come back in a flashback, the person having the flashback begins to show signs of a panic attack. (www.medicinenet.com)
• Even once a person has gone through therapy, the flashbacks can reoccur, and there are no medications on the market that specifically combat flashbacks. ( The PTSD Breakthrough by Frank Lawlis) This means that although there are some SSRI's that help people combat anxiety, there aren't any that help combat the flashbacks themselves. If a person does not know they have the power to stop them, they will continue having them. 
• Relaxation therapy teaches people to stop intrusive thoughts, and control their minds using their body (Dr. Shahin). When a person is panics, it is normal for them to stop breathing. When this happens, their body furthers the extent of the anxiety by sending off fight-or-flight signals. This can lead to a very scary reexperience, which can leave a patient weak and feeling unsafe. 

Independent Component 1

I, Jo, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.
I completed thirty hours worth of research on PTSD. This means treatments, stories, the military's effort to combat it, and traumatic narratives.

My independent component allowed me to take a deeper look into the mind of a person with PTSD with both sympathy and scrutiny. The various sources I collected during this time helped me acquire a wider range of perspectives and approaches. I have learned how to be sympathetic and still be able to search for key words that demonstrate the presence of a symptom. I had to make sure I was taking the most thorough notes possible because my sources were mostly library materials.

The vast amount of research I studied help me get a better grasp of symptoms and treatments for PTSD. This research changed my perspective of the disorder so far as to convince me that pharmaceutical approaches were necessary. Before taking a deeper look into PTSD, I truly believed that it should be up to the person. With the survival stories I have encountered throughout my research I now know the importance of approaching the disorder with every resource available.

3-Column Chart

3-Column Chart.

Room Creativity

1. To meet the room creativity requirement I plan on making a relaxing environment by using aroma therapy and having lamps instead of using the lights. In every psychologist's office I have ever walked into there is a calm and relaxing atmosphere. I believe this is important to making people feel safe and comfortable. 
2. For my answer one (Biological Approach) I want to have people find the spot in the brain that is responsible for each action. I think I could print out some accurately draw picture of the brain and have them label them. For my second answer (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) I want to give them a worksheet.

Answer 2

What is the most effective way to treat PTSD?

If a person is suffering with PTSD, then they should receive Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy to help them cope with their emotions and feelings of loss of control.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy is one of the fastest working therapies. It takes about 16 sessions. (National Association of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapists) This is great for people who cannot afford going talk therapy that can take years before any progress is developed, and it also helps people get back on their feet at a more reasonable speed.

Focuses on establishing a feeling of control on how one feels and reacts rather than external forces. This allows people to cope with guilt, and get past their experience and think about the future, which are often major obstacles with PTSD patients.(Post Traumatic Stress Disorder by Peggy Thomas)

Because CBT uses homework assignments and stresses the importance of practicing the skills learned, the knowledge acquired is learned more effectively. It’s like trying to learn a social science concept; it doesn’t really make sense until you relate it back to the real world. (The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Sourcebook by Glenn R. Schiraldi)

The Product

As of March, the product of my senior project is that I can now look at a traumatic narrative and not feel as emotionally involved with it. This is a product of both the information that I have been gathering for the past six months and peer mediation.

The research I have been doing has been helping look at PTSD as a medical problem. It is almost like when a small child breaks their arm. Of course, the child is going to be in a great deal of emotional distress, but unless someone can give that child medical attention neither the arm nor the distress will be relieved. Before looking into the medical aspects of PTSD, I could only see myself as a person who wanted nothing more but to relieve the child from the emotional distress. Now, I feel I am at a state where I want to do both, because I realized how connected they are. Peer mediation helped me get started on the idea that what may seem like something minor for me can be very important for another person. This reminded me of a video I watched about the Baby Briana Lopez story (a law-changing child abuse case from New Mexico) where one of the first responders said, "You'll either become too callous, or you'll become jello. You can't do this job well unless you're in the middle." This helped me get more to the middle. Now, I can look at a traumatic narrative and see what symptoms it may produce, or listen to people's problems without thinking they are over-exaggerating.

Fourth Interview Questiions

1. What is the most effective way to treat PTSD? 
2. What do patients respond to the most/least?
3. What specific medications do you prefer? 
4. What is a common misconception you would like to clarify about PTSD?
5. What treatments do you feel is not effective?
6. What do you think about the way PTSD is diagnosed?
7. What is the treatment processes like from a doctors' perspective?
8. What is the most difficult thing to do as a doctor?
9. What is the most difficult part of the treatment process as a patient?
10. What do you do to keep yourself from being overwhelmed?
11. What do/can you do to keep patients from quitting a recovery program?
12. What is the most rewarding part of this?
13. What schools do you think have the strongest psychiatry programs?
14. What do you think about  exercises such as yoga and tai chi for someone suffering from PTSD?
15. What are the pros/con of having a patient take SSRI's for long periods of time?
16. What is the most important step in the recovery process?
17. How does you personal background benefit you when treating people PTSD?
18. What is the most important step that friends and family of a person suffering from PTSD should take?
19. What should friends and family of a person with PTSD never do to that person?
20. How do you know when a person is fully recovered?

Independent Component 2 Approval

For my second Independent Component I will be educating myself and others about sexual abuse through the Project Sister Organization. I plan on fulfilling my hours by being involved with the Know It Forward Club that meets on a weekly basis. Though the underclassmen can only stay for their assigned lunchtime, we often stay afterwards discussing various factors of sexual abuse. I realize this still leaves a hole, but we are expected to volunteer for Denim Day almost all day after school adding anywhere from 7-10 hours in.
Sexual abuse awareness relates to my essential questions in a number of ways. Firstly, it helps combat the ever present idea most of us like to have that these things can't happen to us, and the feeling of loneliness if produces for those who do find themselves in that situation. All this leads to people having the courage and motivation needed to start treatment for PTSD. Secondly, I can research the theory of "pre-exposure" therapy. This is a therapy that many first responders must take because it is thought to help prevent PTSD. Basically, making people aware of what can happen and what you can do about it takes away a lot of the shock that come from these experiences.

 My log can be found here: log.

Independent Component 1

Here is my log, and click  to see my notes.

Literal
I, Jo Ruiz, affirm that I will complete 30 hours of work by March 20. I am aware that this is past the due date, but it's the best I can do at the moment.
Though I have yet to complete my independent component one, I have gotten relatively far in my research. I read Why Gender Matters by Leonard Sax, The PTSD Breakthrough by Dr. Frank Lawlis, and I am starting The Source of All Things by Tracy Ross. I have also attempted to create a diet plan that fits Dr. Lawlis's recommendations without the use of supplements, but have come to discover this might not be possible.

Interpretive
Though it may not seem like much, reading these books takes much more time then I had anticipated. Because these are library books, taking extensive notes is essential. It would be impossible to memorize all the fact and numbers, so I felt like I had to write everything down. This of course, made for notes that have too much. I figured it be better to write down too much than too little. The work I had been attempting to do with the diet plan seemed like a great way to show what I learned, but I have been unsuccessful due to bias what were supposed to be nutritional websites written by enthusiast. (My favorite was one that said American diets damage auroras.) I have learned quite a bit, though. I found myself understanding why PTSD has to be treated in so many different ways, as well as possible proof that cognitive-behavioral therapy works. However, I would like to take a look at the studies that Dr. Lewlis used as evidence before introducing other people to his methods.

Applied
This research has helped me look at my question with a different idea of the possibilities.

Presentation 2 Rough Draft

20 Minute Presentation Rough Draft

Answer 1

   My first answer is that there is yet to be an effective treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. It's actually quite disappointing. Most of the treatments available are psychological approaches, yet researchers agree that it is a biological problem. The hormones released into the brain during intense levels of stress cause a chemical reaction so big that the brain has a sort of melt down. Epinephrine and norepinephrine (the chemicals released) are known to help people do extraordinary things, when the right amount is released. Over production of these chemicals also attacks the brain and induces confusion and memory loss.
  As far as the psychological approaches goes, most methods treat it like depression or anxiety. Even the medications used are also known to be effective for depression and anxiety, not the actual affliction itself. For example, if a person is having a hard time keeping up with day to day needs because of PTSD, the only options would be to put them in a cognitive-therapy class or put them on Paxil and Zoloft.
   My answer to this would be to fund scientific research on PTSD. There needs to be a medical approach to this problem.



Sources
Butler, Katy. "The Biology of Fear." Psychotherapy Networker July-Aug. 1996. Alt-PressWatch. Web. 14

Oct. 2011. <http://search.proquest.com/docview/233311531?accountid=10357>.

Lawlis, Frank. The Ptsd Breakthrough The Revolutionary, Science-based Compass Reset Program. Napville: Source, 2010. 7-19. Print.

Service Learning

For my service learning, Griselda and I have been preparing to present to the fifth grade class of Golden Springs Elementary on bullying and conflict resolution. Our contacts include Mrs. Ortega and Mario Ruiz (a fifth grade teacher at Golden Springs). So far I have accumulated a total of 19 hours and 50 minutes in preparation. This includes researching, making the powerpoint that we're using for the presentation, meetings, and rehearsals we've done for the presentation.

Third Interview Questions

1. How do you feel about the effectiveness of current PTSD treatments?
2. Would you be more likely to put someone on medication or in group-therapy? Why? Would the cause of PTSD or gender of the person change what treatment you would give them?
3.   When seeing a patient with multiple conditions (i.e. PTSD, alcoholism, and extreme anxiety) do you prioritize to address first?
4. Where do you see the developments in the research of PTSD going in the next ten years?
5.  Do you have preferences over Paxil or Zoloft? Why?
6.  How do you, personally, develop a treatment plan for a patient with PTSD?
7.  People diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder usually suffer from at least one other affliction. Are there any specific afflictions that you noticed are common in PTSD patients?
8.  When treating a person with PTSD with talk therapy, how often do you typically see them?
9. What treatments have the most side-effects?
10. When are PTSD patients easiest to treat? When are they most difficult?
11. What treatment do you usually get the best results from?