Importance of Psychological Education

[Fluffy Princess Unicorn]

This is an old entry that I wrote in an impassioned state after thinking about a news story I read. The topic was somewhat touched on in the Random Thought thread, so I decided to post this to make a few points, since the discussion around therapy and psychological education reminded me of it.

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I keep preaching this constantly, repetitively, everywhere I go...but I believe that implementing psychological health education into the standardized education system is a positive solution to so many of society's problems.


If you need some context, this is what inspired the following thoughts:
https://lawandcrime.com/crime/this-i...their-throats/


More awareness needs to be spread about the ways mental health issues manifest into the society. Part of mental health stigmatization is that psychology is only for those who are ill, those with disorders, and/or those with traumatic psychological injuries. That is comparable to saying physical exercise is only for people with diabetes, obesity, etc. Just like physical health, I strongly support the notion that mental health is for all of us, it's something we all need self-care in just as much as physical self-care. Just as it's not only those in bad physical shape who need exercise, it is not only those with conditions who need psychological maintenance. We brush our teeth, we shave, shower, urinate, and so forth, all as physical health maintenance. What mental health maintenance practices are we implementing into our lives?


These types of tragedies aren't personal. I don't mean to sound insensitive; I myself endured childhood abuse of each of the types, so I'm fully capable of empathizing with the personal detriments when I say that, and I'm not minimizing or invalidating the personal impact. What I'm instead suggesting is that the problem is bigger than our own personal lives. In other words, I think this story highlights the shortcomings of society to protect others from these kinds of parents, and any others who are close to the children, in our society. We watch it on the news, we read the stories of what happens on a daily basis, we feel anger and sadness for the victims, and we implement punishments (if the perpetrators are caught), but what do we do as a society to prevent things? Each time we shake our heads and say, "there are crazy people in this world," then go on with our day, we are failing. While we can't punish people for crimes they haven't committed, those in the professional field know there are almost ALWAYS warning signs that were missed, indicators that we should have at minimum exercised caution about trusting the wrong person. People don't just go to bed mentally sound (and benevolent), then wake up the next morning and brutally stab their own children. There are signals that are given off.


In the USA, at very least...there IS no education pertaining to abusive households. There IS no safe place for you to go tell someone, even if you (as a child) actually can recognize what's happening at home is wrong. Furthermore, there is no education that tells people, "If someone is suffering from delusions, it's important to contact a professional and seek help/screening for them, as it could become dangerous. Do not leave those with delusions alone with children." Those 4 young babies—not one of them older than age 4—didn't have to die so tragically.


As I was reading, and it described their wounds...no baby should go that way. Not unless it's got razor sharp teeth, red demon eyes, sprouts devil horns, and is coming after everyone to eat them. That is when you can dismiss it as "the work of the devil," but unless that happens, we as a society must examine where we went wrong in protecting those who can't control what households they are born into. The last thing they saw was their blood covered mother, who they were supposed to trust, who was supposed to take care of them, taking their lives. They saw their dead siblings, they heard their siblings' screams, they felt both physical and emotional anguish. That 7-year-old is forever traumatized by what he witnessed. That's not just some tragedy that happened because there are sick people in this world. The father knew that several weeks prior to this event, she was hallucinating and suffering from delusions, and that she was talking about how someone was trying to come harm her babies. There were warning signs.


Why do we hear so much about the aftermath of unfortunate events such as those, but never a thing about the signs that they might happen? People fear and lack trust when they've been close to situations like this, also, but it's not because of the trauma. It's not because there are untrustworthy people out there, even. It's because they don't know how to identify who is a threat and who is safe anymore.

[Fluffy Princess Unicorn]

I keep preaching this constantly, repetitively, everywhere I go...but I believe that implementing psychological health education into the standardized education system is a positive solution to so many of society's problems.

To establish further clarity into what I'm saying...what I mean is that the basics should be taught. Things like "What constitutes as a red flag?" "How do you identify narcissistic behavior?" "How should we cope with our emotions / what are healthy coping strategies for dealing with them?" "What kind of indicators should we look for to know if someone who is mentally ill might also be dangerous?" (As opposed to stereotyping that all mentally ill individuals are dangerous.)

[FreelancePoliceman]

"How should we cope with our emotions / what are healthy coping strategies for dealing with them?"

The rest of what you're saying is about how to identify dangerous people and doesn't need any new science of "psychology." But I'm troubled by this. There are ways you can say it's best not to handle your emotions, because if you kill someone out of passion or something that might cause problems for you or people you care about once you've returned to normal. But no one should tell you how you should process emotions, and it's dangerous to allow them this power. Why should they not say "stop grieving your mother; get back to work [so you can pay me]"? After all, isn't your being sad bad and being "well adjusted" good? Why not try to just throw out everything unpleasant? Why not define grief or anger as unhealthy and suppress these emotions by medication or therapy? In fact, elation can also lead to instability; why not try to remove that too?

If you view emotions as something to be "managed" or "processed" this is what I think you're left with. What's the goal you have in mind? You "process" them into what?

[Bethanyclaire]

Yes, it’s unbelievable that they don’t teach basic mental health strategies to school age children. It’s the only way you can guarantee that young people will be aware of mental health inequality and aware of the support they deserve and self-respect they should feel. Teachers are given safe guarding training but like you mention, when they spot the signs it could be too late. Maybe it should be a compulsory subject with an exam- meaning teachers will have to make sure they teach it well, similar to how we had to study ICT up to aged 16 and take an exam.

Psychology is an extension of various other subjects which are taught…it just hasn’t become the norm to teach it because the people in power don’t want people to be enlightened and literally ‘think for themselves’.

I bet they teach it in parts of Northern Europe.

[Fluffy Princess Unicorn]

The rest of what you're saying is about how to identify dangerous people and doesn't need any new science of "psychology." But I'm troubled by this. There are ways you can say it's best not to handle your emotions, because if you kill someone out of passion or something that might cause problems for you or people you care about once you've returned to normal. But no one should tell you how you should process emotions, and it's dangerous to allow them this power. Why should they not say "stop grieving your mother; get back to work [so you can pay me]"? After all, isn't your being sad bad and being "well adjusted" good? Why not try to just throw out everything unpleasant? Why not define grief or anger as unhealthy and suppress these emotions by medication or therapy? In fact, elation can also lead to instability; why not try to remove that too?

If you view emotions as something to be "managed" or "processed" this is what I think you're left with. What's the goal you have in mind? You "process" them into what?

I think your concerns are understandable, and they seem to come from an honest place. I also think these are good questions to ask.

I might not be the absolute best person to give a response to this, seeing as how I have limited knowledge, but what I do know is that "throwing out emotion" isn't how one becomes "well-adjusted." When I say we should be taught how to process our emotions, what it means is that we need to learn that, for instance, emotional invalidation is toxic, what we can do as an alternative to suppressing and repressing, etc. It's really more about avoiding what is damaging and then replacing the maladaptive coping strategies with strategies that will help us to actually heal, and so on. Studies have shown that repeated emotional invalidation during childhood may be one of the causes of Borderline Personality Disorder. Studies also show there are adverse effects on health, including physical health, when emotions are repressed/suppressed. Yet, these maladaptive coping strategies are instinctive to people.

Why should they not say "stop grieving your mother; get back to work [so you can pay me]"?

Not only does it result in repression/suppression, but it also just doesn't actually work. It's like feeling depressed, and someone saying, "just smile." It's unhelpful. It doesn't make that depression actually go away. Emotions must be processed and dealt with in order for us to actually heal from them. "Stop feeling that" is the equivalent of smacking your PC to fix it when something goes wrong with it. Just as there are ways to actually troubleshoot, analyze, diagnose, and then fix the PC, there are also specific ways to heal and be well-adjusted.

[godslave]

I agree ! I think there are two things that should be taught (between age 11 and 15) in any education system :

1) Basic Survival Skills.
2) Basic psychology

[Fluffy Princess Unicorn]

I agree ! I think there are two things that should be taught (between age 11 and 15) in any education system :

1) Basic Survival Skills.
2) Basic psychology

True! What kind of survival skills? Are we talking money management and all of that, or like how to build a fire?

I think the laws of where you are should also be taught.

[adage]

I don't think this is a great idea.
What is basic psychology? There's no two people who'll come up with the same answer.

I live in a place where I was shoved psychological help in the face since 12-13 and it was more harm then good because it wasn't aimed at someone like me. I didn't need that but was told that's all there is and everyone's the same.
It's far too easy to fall into one-size-fit-all on this topic.
It's even difficult to find any sort of health practitioner who's not stuck in that track around here.
I'm not the only one to have received help unfit for me, and a lot of people are asking for more help and "better" help by their own standards, it's a huge mess.

Even just a month ago, I would have said it was the better option because I still wanted to believe in that.
It's like all systems, it's all cool and novel and shiny and then there's so many flaws, so many broken pieces everywhere.
A few people walk some path, decide it's better because it helped them, and build walls so everyone's stuck going that way.

People are gonna seek, learn, change when they are ready, not because school tells them to. And for some, it will be never, or in another life hopefully.
Lord, kids don't care that much about the content of class anyway.

Also, the thing I would have prefered learning in primary school is proper posture and how to walk the right way not to ruin my back, lol. It's better now but it would have saved me years of pain.
It might sound stupid for some people, but I needed books with very precise instructions to learn that.

[Fluffy Princess Unicorn]

Yes, it’s unbelievable that they don’t teach basic mental health strategies to school age children. It’s the only way you can guarantee that young people will be aware of mental health inequality and aware of the support they deserve and self-respect they should feel. Teachers are given safe guarding training but like you mention, when they spot the signs it could be too late. Maybe it should be a compulsory subject with an exam- meaning teachers will have to make sure they teach it well, similar to how we had to study ICT up to aged 16 and take an exam.

Psychology is an extension of various other subjects which are taught…it just hasn’t become the norm to teach it because the people in power don’t want people to be enlightened and literally ‘think for themselves’.

I bet they teach it in parts of Northern Europe.

The bolded is why I joke to people, "Never date an American. Americans are fucking nuts." They are more educated about psychological matters than USA in general there.


Part of why I'm so passionate about this subject is that it protects our youths. They cannot protect themselves from their own parents, they cannot control what household they are born into, and they are so innocent, yet so fragile. I believe responsibility falls into the lap of society to do more about it, simply because it is only society (and the way it is structured) that actually has the power to do anything, and also because society is affected. Many children have no awareness of mental health inequality, like you said. It's why many abused children don't recognize the fact that they are being abused. They think the abuse is normal. It sets them up for so much failure in life, as they then grow up to accept abuse (thinking it's normal) from peers who are also unhealthy. It sets them up for trauma bonding (which is bad for various reasons), all kinds of disaster. It then spreads from one generation, to the next, then the next, then the next.

[godslave]

True! What kind of survival skills? Are we talking money management and all of that, or like how to build a fire?

I think the laws of where you are should also be taught.

Yes, the kind of stuff everyone should know and could save your life in extreme cases, an hostile environment or if the smartphone ran out of battery while one is lost in a forest, the desert and such. ahah !

[Fluffy Princess Unicorn]

I don't think this is a great idea.
What is basic psychology? There's no two people who'll come up with the same answer.

I live in a place where I was shoved psychological help in the face since 12-13 and it was more harm then good because it wasn't aimed at someone like me. I didn't need that but was told that's all there is and everyone's the same.
It's far too easy to fall into one-size-fit-all on this topic.
It's even difficult to find any sort of health practitioner who's not stuck in that track around here.
I'm not the only one to have received help unfit for me, and a lot of people are asking for more help and "better" help by their own standards, it's a huge mess.

Even just a month ago, I would have said it was the better option because I still wanted to believe in that.
It's like all systems, it's all cool and novel and shiny and then there's so many flaws, so many broken pieces everywhere.
A few people walk some path, decide it's better because it helped them, and build walls so everyone's stuck going that way.

People are gonna seek, learn, change when they are ready, not because school tells them to. And for some, it will be never, or in another life hopefully.
Lord, kids don't care that much about the content of class anyway.

Also, the thing I would have prefered learning in primary school is proper posture and how to walk the right way not to ruin my back, lol. It's better now but it would have saved me years of pain.
It might sound stupid for some people, but I needed books with very precise instructions to learn that.

I don't have time to give this the proper response that it deserves yet, but just wanted to comment real quick before I forget...I honestly can't think of a single topic that society does agree on. Things just go through debates, discussions, voting, refinements, etc.

[Hot Scalding Gayser]

basic mental health education should be mandatory class in elementary school. I can get behind that. So much of our public education system sucks & needs revamping tho it's not just that. You are trying to help save it, I think the only way to save it might be to just completely abolish it for an entirely new system, but that's super idealistic. Like I said before I don't think it's a good idea for a bunch of people with so many clashing values being in one spot like that... many of us learn on our own rather than in a Te system.

And I still think therapy is mostly a Fi valuing thing so you might be biased with that. I could see a Fi valuer really like being intimate with somebody like that on a one or one setting. Even if it's not that intimate- still feels like it's fueling their Fi. Just because something works for many individuals doesn't mean it's gonna work for everybody, but when u ask laws to be changed you are getting 'everybody' on board which causes problems itself because it's a law now , so here comes the Umbridges and Ratcheds etc. This of course doesn't mean I want to get rid of all laws just because I have Te polr lol.

I think I'd rather just dance at the gay pride parade in an annoying Fe way myself. Which a therapist might say that's just me always putting a bow on things or minimizing issues or being too carefree and wanting to have fun & entertain/be entertained instead of 'going to work' - but I just want tomorrow to be better than today.... /cue Kylie song.

[Hot Scalding Gayser]

Psychology 101 in college felt so easy and basic when I took it... there's no reason that couldn't have been in elementary school tbh. It probably already is in some schools idk? Maybe based on where u live/ur community. There was a lot less bullying in the richer uppity high school I went to compared to the one in my home town. More money & funding for programs to help people etc. Everything comes about money in the end sadly not enforcements, cuz they only get enforced properly in certain cities and districts....

[Bethanyclaire]

it's better to teach SOME psychology or the basics than none at all. If people can't see that then I don't think they realise how lucky they are to know about something like socionics and be on a forum where they can reach out for support and discuss mental health topics/ their problems openly. I think people underestimate how little knowledge some parents pass on to their kids. Without basic knowlegde, you don't really know to look for more..

It's just really unfair than some teenagers leave school and have happy lives in their twenties and others don't. I don't just say this as someone who was unhappy, I've seen other people struggling too. In a decent society, 18 year olds would leave school on a much more even playing field than they do here in the UK atm. British schools teach you how to be a highly productive worker and citizen, but not how to be happy on your journey getting to that point lol. I think teaching children about basic emotions and what they mean, why they feel them, how hormones and fight/flight works/ Maslow's hierarchy of needs, stuff like that is one good way of helping young people stay on track and not waste too many years of their life figuring out how to take care of themselves. Those years in your twenties should be either happy or productive, not wasted feeling alone, alienated or like you have to to accept horrible situations.

It probably will happen- but it's taken too long.

[Aquamarine]

it's better to teach SOME psychology or the basics than none at all. If people can't see that then I don't think they realise how lucky they are to know about something like socionics and be on a forum where they can reach out for support and discuss mental health topics/ their problems openly. I think people underestimate how little knowledge some parents pass on to their kids. Without basic knowlegde, you don't really know to look for more..

It's just really unfair than some teenagers leave school and have happy lives in their twenties and others don't. I don't just say this as someone who was unhappy, I've seen other people struggling too. In a decent society, 18 year olds would leave school on a much more even playing field than they do here in the UK atm. British schools teach you how to be a highly productive worker and citizen, but not how to be happy on your journey getting to that point lol. I think teaching children about basic emotions and what they mean, why they feel them, how hormones and fight/flight works/ Maslow's hierarchy of needs, stuff like that is one good way of helping young people stay on track and not waste too many years of their life figuring out how to take care of themselves. Those years in your twenties should be either happy or productive, not wasted feeling alone, alienated or like you have to to accept horrible situations.

It probably will happen- but it's taken too long.

As a person who's parents didn't teach them any of this and spent my first couple of years as an adult in extremely shitty situations, I approve this message lol

[Bethanyclaire]

As a person who's parents didn't teach them any of this and spent my first couple of years as an adult in extremely shitty situations, I approve this message lol

yep let’s get the reality check out the way before the discussion goes in various directions

[Bethanyclaire]

Oh and I think it’s especially important because there is so much conflicting and unreliable information (some good stuff too!) on the internet. Think it’s important to have some guidance before reading any of that

[Hot Scalding Gayser]

School sucks because it's so commie but the real world is capitalist - it does absolutely nothing to prepare people for how the world is really like. And they gatekeep college by making it expensive and not everybody has the privelege to go - and even when they do get in via scholarships, they might not know how to properly utilize it like what @inumbra pointed out before.

I could write walls of text about how horrible this situation is, but it's better to leave the point succinct because that's it in a nutshell really. If we had a communism system that worked - it would be a non-issue, but we don't. And if they actually taught you how the world was really like more in school instead of SJW crap ((and they only SJW straight white woman anyway more than anything, they can't even do that right)) - we'd be a lot healthier over all.

[lookin4waifu]

I’m pretty sure a large reason it’s not taught in public schools/ before university usually is due to religion.

[marooned]

Sorry I was here! I am becoming more SJW now because of what the Republicans are doing and the active harm against people based on their identity groups. FL and TX are the most notorious offenders. I used to love the idea of Florida, ever since Dexter lol. But the hellscape desantes is creating there I would never want to live in. I embrace CRT and trans rights bc the alternative is death and TX and FL have made this clear. The Republicans need to be destroyed. I hate them.

I am utterly against removing anyone's freedom and rights. I am utterly against capitalism. I am becoming an anarchist. Though I also tell myself I need try deradicalize but the problem is... The right wing is radical, the whole party... We have to fight them I don't know what to do

PS what I mean by embracing is that I already accept it but I have a few ti quibbles and ti is very important to me. These quibbles are not to àffect voting for people having rights. As long as this country isn't equal none of us are safe. The Republicans will never address it or work to extract our thorns, how the US is built on a legacy of racism, genocide and slavery.

I want a real democracy. I want real equality. It doesn't exist here. It's all a fucking lie.