Ashley

Ba'al, I found this video very interesting. I think Schwartz has relevant findings, but comes to the wrong conclusions about how to "fix the problem." He doesn't mention that it is possible to easily contend with a vast amount of options--which would take a method of organization to sort out the viable from the non-viable options. To go with that, you would also need a healthy dose of self-esteem to be able to cope with making mistakes, and opting to learn from them rather than despair. So, if you pick salad dressing that sucks, you don't beat yourself up for being a lousy decision-maker; you don't buy that same salad dressing again. It's a mental thing. It seems that Schwartz takes that unhappiness as an unchangeable factor in his "paradox of choice." While it is true that a lot of choices can make it harder to choose, there are ways to make choosing easier. If someone goes to the doctor and receives two options of care, he or she has the option of how to spend his or her money on health. For someone who values money over their health, or deems the sickness of little significance, they may choose an "option A." For someone who values health over money, or deems the sickness of great significance, they may choose an "option B." When you have a method attached to a value, choice becomes much easier. If you know you hate creamy dressing, try the Italian. But if you want to expand your tastes, try a basalmic that you've never tried before. Then--is price an issue? If it is, you buy the least expensive. If it is not, you buy the best that money can provide. Are calories an issue? If yes, then tie this information in with the price and type of dressing. If no, then less qualities have to be fulfilled. Of course, the situation can becomes a mess if you don't know what your values rank as, or if you have little self-esteem. But I'd rather have bad dressing in America than good dressing in Somolia.

Your distaste reminds me of, well, me...about a year ago. I was really pissed off at doctors for pushing medications, angry at the companies that advertise to consumers, and scared that this was seemingly an inevitable part of the profession (psychology) that I am going into. I've thought a lot about medication since then. When I was thirteen, I was diagnosed with major depression after a series of upsetting events. A doctor advised me to take Lexapro, and I refused. I had what I felt just reason to at the time; my mother is bipolar and has Chrone's disease, which supposedly warrants a cocktail of drugs in order for her to live somewhat stably. I was terrified of the range of effects they could have on someone--especially my mom. I refused to take any sort of drug for five more years. I saw myself as sticking it out, and said to myself that I would just try harder not to be sad. I said that I wouldn't give up until I had exhausted all options and applications of will to try and eliminate the depression. Along comes freshman year of college. I have to leave because I have an eating disorder and because I am terribly depressed, and I am overwhelmed. I can't function at this point because I'm nutritionally compromised and can't comprehend words. I go into inpatient treatment three times. I gain a substantial amount of weight by the second inpatient stay, and I am less motivated--if that is possible, and I don't know what to do. I finally "cave." I tell my doctor I will take an antidepressant. She recommends Lexapro. I have a good laugh at that one. The Lexapro worked, for the most part. I didn't feel less sad, but I felt okay. I didn't have terrible anxiety or ruminate endlessly about my body image (tied in to the depression). Eventually she ups the dosage. I realized that it makes me "numb," for the most part. I feel really happy sometimes, but I still do get sad. I decide to go off the drugs and feel terribly sad and anxious for about a week. I cried for no reason every night. After all is said and done, I don't regret taking Lexapro. I had to try to know. But when I took it, it helped me at a point in which I thought there would be no relief from the never ending thoughts and rules and memories swirling around. I was able to work more in therapy while I was on it. I could talk and let it out--because I hold things in, otherwise. For that reason, the antidepressant was very helpful. I don't think that medication alone can solve depression, but medication can be a useful addition to talk therapy, when things get desperate enough to warrant it. But I don't advise you to go "cold turkey" on your medications, or your profession. Think about what you're doing, and why you're doing it. If you're pissed off that you're going into sociology and Ayn Rand says that it's wrong, it's worse to give up on something that you like but don't want to admit you like because someone else doesn't like it. Be careful especially with the medication. Symptoms can take up to a month to reappear after the medication is removed from your body, and some medications can cause seizures or other physical/emotional problems if stopped immediately. Are you seeing a therapist or talking to your psychiatrist? A good therapist can make a huge difference. Mine lights a fire under my butt whenever I try to backslide. She doesn't solve my problems, but helps to remind me why I have/am working on them. I don't know the background to your story, so I can't presume to understand fully. That's the advice and experience I have to share.

Michael, Thanks for the welcome! It sure does seem like a friendly place. Sounds like a good read--Ms. Kuffel hit the nail on the head about that journey. I would say that I have had a hard time, too, letting go of the "fat-girl" mindset. When you get too sick with an eating disorder, you literally cannot think straight from the nutritional deficiencies. I had to overcome a distortion in which my standard of "fat" was seriously deranged. I'm grateful for CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). When someone explained to me that thoughts can drive behaviors and emotions, a light bulb clicked. I'm much more careful to question those kind of thoughts and reframe them now. Let me know how the book is when you finish it; I might pick it up. Michelle, Yes! Being able to "show" what you're talking about in words feels great ('specially when you have some talent to do them!). I do this when I'm writing notes in class--drawing out little doodles to help me focus on what concepts mean. Shane, Congratulations on the mascot! May I ask what your mascot was? I had a really compact version of Atlas that had minuscule print when I first read it (it was about 700 something pages). Now that I have a larger version, it is much easier re-reading Atlas. If you can, try and find one of the paperbacks that's the 1000+ version of it. Bigger text=easier to read. Try it out in chunks; think of it like a series of books all compacted into one big edition . Phillip, Ew! I would have to vaccuum all the rice pieces out of my sheets. I try to keep them separate, haha. The meowing is a talent I picked up on when I was in middle school. I have been a cat person for most of my life, and at the time I had a kitten named "The Squish" (yes, there's a story behind the name). One day The Squish was meowing at me, so I meowed right back! It's pretty realistic--tricks most cats, excepting the semi-wild toms. I just love getting a good laugh out of people when someone's looking around going, "Where is that CAT?" Haha...Uni? I've never payed attention to brands! Where does one find "Uni?" Adam, Thanks! Just being my silly self, per usual. He's busy taking summer-classes! He's going to grad school in the fall for mathematics.

Hi everyone! My name is Ashley, and I decided to join the forum--on my real name, that is. I tentatively signed up a few days ago with a variation of my name, said to heck with it, and then signed up again with my true identity (I apologize to the moderator!). I've been reading around for a week or so, and I figured I might as well register so that I can join in talking . I'm a 19 year old college student in the U.S.,and I am majoring in Health Science with a minor in Psychology. I'm most likely looking at entering a graduate program in either Behavioral Neuroscience or Clinical Psychology--but not completely sure, yet! I just know that I love learning about the relationship between mind and behavior, and I'm convinced that in a healthy human, there's an incredible amount of control by the first towards the second. I became acquainted with Ayn Rand four years ago while reading Anthem in a High School English class. A friend gave me his copies of The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, but they ended up on the bookshelf until college. Last year I met my boyfriend, who encouraged me to finish Atlas. I did mostly out of sheer curiosity (I knew I liked Anthem, but even with a love of reading, Atlas looked daunting). The second time I met him, he was wearing a shirt that said "Richard Halley: School of Music" and refused to explain the meaning; he stated only that I would find out in due time what his shirt meant. Of course, I did find out, and I am quite glad I did! The first thing that attuned me to Objectivism is that I've never bought into the popular social scene or "way of life." I don't drink, I don't party...none of the college hullaballo. And I really figure I'm not missing out. My interests include reading in bed all day, playing the flute voraciously, and drawing all the time. Oh, and I also occasionally rant about how much I love sushi. Another reason I am interested in Objectivism is because I've fought to battle my own past demons, amongst them, depression and an eating disorder. Rand's philosophy is definitely something that's helps carry me through the rough times, and helps me better enjoy the good times. An experience that has definitely convinced me of the viability of Objectivist philosophy was the methods I began to use in recovery from the eating disorder, namely honesty and individualism. In treatment, I did a lot of therapy-work to find out where I messed up (and where other people messed up and I wasn't accountable), how I could fix my present, and what I could look forward to in the case that I did choose to change. It has been a pretty rewarding journey, and one I'm still travelin' on. I've come to the conclusion that I cannot have both an eating disorder and a productive life--so I think I'm on the right track. So, long story short: I'm here !