Author Archives: Elise Barbara Kaslander

Just a Little OCD

4 Replies

A little anxiety or stress every now and then is completely normal. Sometimes stress can actually be a good thing, if it is constructive. For example, some students tend to work better when they’re “under pressure”. However, too much stress or anxiety can be bad and dangerous if it constantly interferes with your daily life.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a form of an anxiety disorder. OCD is a persistence of unwanted thoughts or obsessions that lead you to engage in senseless rituals or compulsions that cause you distress. These obsessions raise your anxiety and the rituals or compulsions are generally done to try to lower the anxiety. A lot of people have minor forms of OCD but this disorder really can become a huge issue if the obsession controls your life. For example, the video we watched in class about the woman who wouldn’t open doors or touch anything with her hands and would constantly wash them.

A lot of people can relate to having a little form of OCD with certain things. My sister constantly makes fun of me for my little obsessions. I have a weird thing with times and numbers. The volume on the TV, my Ipod, or anything else has to be a multiple of 5. Honestly, I have no idea why but if it’s not, it drives me insane. The same goes for the time I set my alarm for in the morning and the time I actually get out of my bed – it must be a multiple of 5. Or if I put anything in the microwave. When I’m home, if I’m in the kitchen with my sister, she’ll deliberately put something in the microwave for 33 seconds, instead of 30 because she knows it will bother me. I actually usually go and change the time for her.

I know my little obsession might seem weird and abnormal but it’s really not that big of an issue. I don’t let it in anyway interfere or affect my daily life. It doesn’t stop me from doing anything I would normally do and like I previously stated, it’s normal to have a little stress or anxiety over certain things.

My First Memory

1 Reply

Most of us can pinpoint our “first memory”. However, as we learned in lecture, a lot of times our first memories are really just stories that have been told to us. We hear these stories so many times that we actually believe they are a part of our memory. We learned that most likely our memories don’t begin until we are about 4 years old. Yet, so many of us beg to differ.

My first memory is when I broke my arm when I was 3 1/2 years old. Now, after learning in class that memories don’t usually begin that early I really started thinking about whether or not that was my first memory. But I still believe it is my first memory because I was alone when I broke it. I had been in my family room, trying to reach for a book on the shelf. I couldn’t reach it so I climbed on a chair and reached over to get the book. But I slipped and landed right on my arm. I didn’t cry though. I just got up and started walking around my house looking for my mom. She was on the stairs with my younger brother, tying his shoelaces. The only way my mom could tell that I had broken my arm was because my bone had popped out of place. My next memory is when she took me to the doctor after I fell and the doctor had to pop my bone back into place. All I remember is screaming in pain.

After learning about memory in class, I started to question what I thought was my first memory. But I still believe this memory truly is a memory of mine, and not just a story that was told. The pain I felt and the fact that no one really witnessed me actually falling and breaking my arm gives me confirmation that this was my first memory.

Nature vs. Nurture

Leave a reply

Ever since the beginning of the scientific study of behavior and mental processes (psychology), the concept of Nature vs. Nurture has always raised many questions. The idea of Nativism or Nature is that our thoughts, ideas, and characteristics are inborn. Basically, everything about us is just something we were born with. On the flip side, the idea of Empiricism or Nurture is that knowledge is gained through experiences and our senses. It is the idea that the way we are raised and our surroundings influence our personalities and lives. Most people and psychologists will agree that both of these ideas affect people and their lives. But many people also can’t decide which plays a bigger role.

I look at my family and I have no idea which influences us more – Nature or Nurture. I have two brothers and a sister. We were all raised together by our two loving parents. I’d say with my siblings and myself, we all have similarities, as well as differences. One of our biggest similarities are our morals and values. I believe this is because of the way our parents raised us. We are devote Catholics because we were raised going to Church every Sunday but now that we’re older we choose to be. Would we be Catholics if we weren’t raised that way? Who knows. But I believe Nurture has definitely influenced this part of our lives.

Another aspect in my family’s lives is sports. We all love sports, both watching and playing. This makes me wonder if it was because we grew up with sports or if we just have a natural love for them. My dad played college football which my older brother is now doing as well. While my younger brother plays college basketball. Although I don’t play a college sport, I still love watching all types of games. But is that because I grew up always watching my brothers or do I just have an inborn love of sports? This is just one of the many examples that may never be completely resolved with the ideas of Nature vs. Nurture.

I took a psychology class in high school and ever since I first learned about this Nature vs. Nurture concept, I have been intrigued. I want to know which plays a larger part in someone’s personality and way of thinking. However, I don’t think we ever will completely know which has a greater impact. I do believe we are born with certain characteristics but then again I also believe that the way you are brought up really affects someone as well.