text:
- Arjuna Nagendran
- London
- United Kingdom
This conversation is closed.
What experiences have made you more comfortable with mental health disorders?
What things make you fearful of mental health disorders? And what experiences have made you more comfortable with it?
In the quest to dispell stigma, how can we help our society grow out of its fear?
Oct 28 2012: As a child I lived in a little town in Colombia, called Sibaté. Since there isn´t a good public health care sistem in Colombia, every case of mental illness in the main city was taken to little Sibaté, because in this town a team of nuns had founded a mental health care institution for poor people. On Weekends the nuns would let the mentally ill people that were not aggresive go out and visit the town. So we (children) became used to sit in the park on Sundays and have these weird conversations with people that had wild fantasies or could answer the craziest questions in the world. I think I learned a lot from those persons. I came to think that we all live not very far from this frontier and that it is o.k. so. And that people that have accepted their mental illness are sometimes much more easy going than people that try desperately to be seen as "normal".
Skye Kelly
Oct 14 2012: Realizing that we are all the same- seems so simple. My father was schizophrenic and growing up around that and seeing when he was unmedicated how people would dismiss him- how it ended up that I had to move away to be able to function myself. For a while I was in denial, but ultimately that with other struggles helped me see that everyone- even people that make me very uncomfortable- are a part of this world the same way I am, they are the same as me- no better no worse. I make eye contact, I listen, I share- with people no matter who they are or if they seem to make sense or not. Seeing yourself in them no matter how different you *think* you are- then everything is less "weird" "bad" or "wrong" and more just a different shade.
- +4
Oct 20 2012: Thanks for the honesty Skye. I completely agree; the idea that all of us are just as much of this world is a powerful one. Being deprived of having your existence acknowledged is probably one of the most hurtful things you can do to someone.Nov 9 2012: What refreshing perspectives are represented in these posts. I couldn't agree more, that 'labels' are more destructive than beneficial. And who are the labels beneficial for? The doctors, the system of so-called mental health professionals and society to put these folks in a box. Meanwhile 'these' so-called sane folks use lobotomies, shock treatments and chemical castrations of all kinds to 'render' these misfits 'controllable'.
Read R. D. Laing's seminal work, The politics of experience to better understand the depths of absurdity of what we call 'NORMAL' , the misplaced basis of much of our mental health.
I would suggest that as much damage as labels do to the labeled, they do far more damage to the Doctors and society, as their ability to 'see' clearly is shrouded in a deep fog of ignorance, profits and quick fixes. How many savants have we destroyed in our system of boxes and labels? How many doctors have trouble sleeping as they remember the pain and suffering of their 'lobotomies and chemical castrations'? Who are the victims and who are the perpetrators? How far as our 'science' of psychiatry come since the days of Germany during world war 2?
I applaud the ladies here who question the broken system of labels. Let me add my name to the list who agree with that conclusion.
Human behavior and consciousness isn't deterministic. We all have free will, and where there is a will, there is a way.
Comment deleted
Nov 11 2012: Yes. I like that you like being you. Skip the label and just be. If nothing else it is interesting.
Ezra Scarlet
Nov 11 2012: I would like state I agree with craig that we shouldn't label people. Though that doesn't mean we should stop psychiatric treatment for people. I fully understand what it's like to have a mental and be judged for it, and understand the need for mental health though my experience. To start off use of shock-treatment has been strictly forbidden in all mental institutions second I know a lot of people with in the mental health fields none of them seen, or condoned lobotomies. If you're make claims please put in current facts about the Issue's.Nov 11 2012: I do in fact have adhd, which I must take medicine for due to the fact that I'm considerable less able to function in my life. I can honestly say I don't like taking meds and prefer I didn't means to control the disorder, and I did in fact stop takes the meds for quite a some months. This unfortunately had serious negative effect's Adhd is basically Attention Deficit Disorder meaning I lack focus. This doesn't mean all adhd is the same and shouldn't be classfied as such. For instance my flaw is that I get exceedingly so one track focused that my mind goes into a trance and my brain moves on autopilot which causes me to lose the essential sense of my surroundings. Unlike my brother who can not focus on any tasks not even playing games outside. Unless it it involves watching TV or which I recently found out just Watching and listening to my ipod. Then he was able to maintain complete focus for awhile.
- +1
I digress my flaw inevitable caused me serious short term memory loss, at such levels that could be confused with having dementia. In my last month of not taking medicine I lost my Key's, My boyfriend's Key, Spare Keys, Id, Shoes, notes, as well as forgetting to complete certain essential tasks.
Which oddly combined with special K cereal, caused me to lose a good appetite and I ended up starving myself of essential Nutrients. Now my boyfriend has banned me Special K and all other diet food seeing how it turned me into a zombie. Again I disgress. Point being is that I have flaws on which I need to take medicine for.Nov 11 2012: Though I don't believe people make accurate claims when they say they have adhd. One because everyone tends to daydream or lose focus once in awhile, this isn't adhd nor should people claim it as such. If that were the case anyone who has ever being caught up reading a book they found interesting has ADHD. adhd Implies that constantly daydreaming or constant racing mind causes a person to detrimentally forget things because they lack the ability to come out of that trace.
The large claims of ADHD has positives and negatives one people are more excepting of the disability. Second is that people with ADHD are believed to be incapable of simple task of need of constant help. I often deal with such belief's and prove to people that I am in fact capable. People worry that I'll will burn down my appartment because I will forget to turn off the gas or that I would die in a car accident because I would be lose train of thought.
I would comment more on this But really tired.Nov 8 2012: I grew up about half a mile from a large mental hospital. Seeing patients was part of everyday community life. It never dawned on me that I would deal with mental health personally. I came by bipolar honestly, apparently and as I found out after I was diagnosed, it runs in the family. I have determined to roll with it. The creative energy of hypomania lets me be outgoing and social, the introspection of depression has given me a philosophical space. When the high or the low get too intense, I turn to my counsellor and my psychiatrist for a combination of talk and drugs to help moderate life. Personally, I have committed to making my condition as "normal" as I can. I would not be hesitant to acknowledge having diabetes or heart problems so I simply state that I am bipolar. Let people think what they will, if enough of us say it out loud maybe it will no longer carry the stigma. I am optimistic and there is nothing to lose. Truth is I am bipolar and inevitably it will out.Oct 28 2012: The experience that made me become most comfortable with my own and other's people mental illness was one conversation I had with a neighbor, a veteran, that in a moment of clarity he said: "People say I am crazy and treat me like I do not know what I am doing. No one knows how hard and so much smarter I have to be in order to live independently with my condition". It was like finding a mirror. So liberating.
Then we joked about how the majority of people and care providers that give us treatment have NO IDEA how is to be in our heads. They cannot imagine the same way I cannot imagine thinking "normal" without the days floating around me. For me that conversation gave me more acceptance and made me conscious that us, those who live with mental conditions, have some sort of a special culture unfamiliar to many. That gave me comfort.
Nov 8 2012: I love your experience and wonderful conclusions. You are so right about a different way of thinking. I flow in and out and occasionally visit that sort of normal space. Reading your comment made me feel more okay about the difference. Thank you.Oct 14 2012: I've been working in Mental Health for several years as a counsellor.
I got into that because I have a mental health problem myself (moderate to severe depression), which I figured would give me a good understanding of others with similar problems. It has made me very comfortable in the presence of those who also suffer - and as a kind of symbiosis of understanding, has made me more comfortable with myself in the process.
There is much truth in Jung's statement that: "...the wounded healer refers psychologically to the capacity to be at home in the darkness of suffering and there to find germs of light and recovery..."
I realise that in admitting this in open forum, I may be leaving myself open to those who stigmatise. But then stigma is profoundly weakened in the face of openness.
chen xin
Oct 14 2012: i think i have a slight stigma .how can i get rid of it ?
- 0
Oct 14 2012: Do not hurry to grow to know and then to blow , just be as you are becouse knowledge and grow does not mean you are in the peak of humanity. Maybe later you will realise how beautiful childhood was or not, depends on how happy you was that time you were playing or learning so do not worry ... be happy. If you wanna be with us be but think that if feel unconfortable maybe you should come back later or be with those you feel well. I have made this application http://www.dacicop.ro/ for this purpose. You can help, this is why China has 50000 people (the great Internet firewall) to protect people of harm from "outside" and is good and bad becouse protection should be graduated and let down as you grow up :) .Oct 14 2012: Hi Xin - When do you notice the stigma? Is it exclusively related to people with mental disorders?
chen xin
Oct 14 2012: sometimes i put my attention to one question .i think and think ,if i can not get through .i may have a head.and feel wrong with myself .
- 0
Fritzie -
Oct 11 2012: I am grateful that there is no longer such a stigma that people are afraid to seek the help that could improve not only their quality of life but that of their families and loved ones.
- +3
I think what has made mental health challenges more accepted is that so many more people openly share that aspect of themselves alongside everything else they are. When I was young, I never remember anyone talking about being bipolar, and now I know lots of people who are.
Many people also realize at this point that some of the most creative people who have ever lived have had mood disorders.
There is a wonderful book on creativity and mood disorders by Kay Jamison of Johns Hopkins Medical school, I think, called Touched with Fire.
Oct 11 2012: Re suffferers coming forward.. For what are likely multiple reasons (including stigma) 90% of those with schizophrenia are untreated in developing countries.
Globally, we have a lot of work to do.
Oct 11 2012: I don't hear many people talk about being schizophrenic. It is mood disorders people seem to share a lot.
Oct 11 2012: Schizophrenia is common, affecting ~ 0.5-1% of us, depending on your exact qualifying criteria, but that's about 1 in 100, which I think is a lot!
Even with respect to mood disorders, depression for example. the figure is still high - 50% do not get treatment globally - and one of the 3 big factors this is put down to is social stigma. (The others being lack of resources and lack of trained providers).Oct 11 2012: I have a simple question .... can you say if I am schizophrenic or not if you talk to me like now and would you belive in your feelings or an entire school system represented by a psychiatric doctor. Will you be blind and obey to a doctor paper and sign or you will want to know and maybe help one such person.
I can give you also a foto copy of my diagnostic and I will ask then? Do you belive in what you see or your self perception and feelings about a person. Is a choice to belive in yourself and to belive in an entire medical school. Chose one, I am already "out" - "of my mind" :) but more can come if you do not take care of people around you and ask yourself, who will lose and who will have a lot of income in the next years for the simple matter that we do not love each other and take care of us.
Oct 11 2012: Schooling in any subject can only provide a framework, useful for learning from the collective past.
Experience is the only thing that will fill in the gaps for the individual, to allow them to handle the future in a way as tailored to an individual as possible.Oct 14 2012: So from your point of view individuals have "gaps" and you play a role in a scene and make this kind of scenes untill you do not see the "gap" to the the individual and if do not love that individual you give him more of your "gaps" as to say becouse I am sure love has nothing related to knowledge and only freedom of love and without borders like your "gaps" (or haps or caps - how I should say ?) can make happy anyone on Earth and also your ancestors and future family (or generations ... i should say :) ) . Think about .....
Oct 14 2012: Perhaps I wasn't expressing myself well, I think you've misunderstood.
When I refer to "gaps" I refer to the disparity between all collated knowledge from books, teaching and the unique case of each individual. To help someone holistically, the medical professional needs to combine their theoretical knowledge with experience from multiple previous patients, and then tailor treatment to the unique needs of the individual. Medication is not the only treatment, in psychiatry in particular a lot of emphasis is placed on the biopsychosocial model - and even this can be tailored to what is the particular way, at that particular time that will help that particular person best.Oct 14 2012: I can make you a small poem for the "doctors" with bad intention.
Can a hap with a cap ,
cover an imaginary gap?,
If you hurt and you are so alone
And can not throw into anyone the bone?
Maybe you should have someone
And show how is to love and done.
Gail .
Oct 11 2012: .
- +3
Brother and sister with schizophrenia
Another brother and sister with bipolar
Mother life-long clinically depressed
Husband just diagnosed with dementia
I don't know how comfortable I am with all of that (given the impositions in my life) but I certainly am used to it and find no shame in it.
How to help erase the stigma: I'm not sure. I would prefer that we correct the deficiencies in our cultural norms so that at least some (if not most) of these diseases can be precluded. In the meantime, perhaps movies that present the mentally ill in a more favorable light, or characters seeking professional help and transforming their lives through acceptance of the illnesses. We hear about the most dangerous, but not about the non-dangerous.
Eric Brosch
Nov 9 2012: We assign such special status to the brain among all the organs. People who would not think twice about being diagnosed with a disorder of the lungs, kidneys or heart cannot accept the fact that the brain can be "broken" too. Likewise, there is medication which can help treat those maladies of the brain just as there is medication for thousands of other physical issues. When we can see that the brain is an organ like any other and, as such, subject to physical imperfections, we can start to de-stigmatize mental illness.Nov 8 2012: I think unless you have been directly affected by mental illness in your life it is extremely difficult to even begin to understand a person, or feel comfortable with their mental health disorders. For me I have experienced mental illness (schizophrenia) in my family and have seen first hand how this illness can appear to drastically change a person. Also my partner of 4 years suffered with bi-polar and again the changes in his personality were dramatic. When he was on a high he could be the happiest person in the world but on a low it was virtually impossible to get two words from him, which initally is hard to reconcile. I think the thing you come to realise is the mental illness is just that an illness. In the end the person you know (or are if you suffer yourself) still exists their true nature remains unchanged even if to others or even yourself sometimes its difficult to see. Accepting this for me makes it much easier to understand and be comfortable around mental illness. Just as you would not blame a cancer sufferer or amputee for a bad day, its the same with mental illness.
- +2
Sarah M
Oct 30 2012: I worked in Mental Health for 5 years. I absolutely loved it and I loved the people I worked with. My clients lived in Licensed Boarding Houses and I provided recreation and leisure to my clients and took them out into the community.
- +2
Only once in 5 years was one of my clients so unwell that I felt a threat. I can honestly say I got so much more out of my clients than they ever got out of me but I am sure they think that they were getting more out of me. They enriched my life with their Resilience, Humor, Stories and Outright Craziness. I have heard it all and will never be shocked again at anything anyone tells me as I have heard the most amazing, outrageous stuff.
I use to get up for work every morning happy to be going to work and I still think of my clients often with a smile on my face.
Yes Psychosis is scary I wasn't dealing with people with Psychosis I was working with people out of hospital who were of varying ability who were trying to be part of society again.
Always remember that perfectly sane people can commit the worst of crimes.
Mental illness does not mean danger most of the time and sadly most of them are more intent on hurting themselves rather than others when unwell.Oct 26 2012: I think that the media is to blame for the mass stereotyping of mental disorders and have made people very scared of these people. Thanks to shows like criminal minds, CSI, and other media mental illness is portrayed as crazy people who could snap in a minute and go on a mass killing spree. I am very comfortable with mental illness because I am a 4th year psychology student in university, so I learn about these disorders and am very aware of the horrible bias these people face everyday.
Roy Bourque
Oct 23 2012: My first wife was the victim of abuse. She had all the earmarks of what religion would have called demonic possession. A religious friend walked me through what could've been a nightmare until her death from an accident. This friend even foresaw her death and prepared me for it in advance.
- +2
I recognized that my first wife had multiple personalities. I also recognized that the abuse she endured was probably the cause. For this, I gained much from the experience. My love for her overcame any fear that I might have felt.
I had another friend that was hyperactive and had a lot of built in anger. He had been put on Ritalin as a child and often given additional doses to shut him down. He felt that his childhood had been robbed from him. He would talk tough and even violent that no one had better mess with him. I discovered that his demeanor was a survival ploy. I told him that his demeanor was sabotaging his ability to make friends that could help him out in life. Gradually he began to listen and realized that I was on his side. In time, he softened up, which helped him land a job and things improved for him.
I have another friend who is also hyper. When I first met him, he couldn't stay focused on anything. He was considered a misfit by the community. My talking to him helped me to understand him, and as this went on, I was able to mentor him to a more responsible person. He just needed someone who was willing to listen (and not charge him $$$ for it).
I read a book by Dr. Arthur Janov called "The New Primal Scream" that talked of how early childhood trauma can lead to mental disorders. Once the trauma is exposed, the disorders generally fade afterwards. For those who are not born with brain disorders, there is hope if your are willing to listen. I've learned not to judge one's behavior, but to listen for clues that underlie the behavior. I find that they recognize when someone shows that they care, and it brings about a change in their demeanor.Oct 20 2012: I am compelled to add one more comment: Until relatively recently, homosexuality was officially considered a mental health disorder by our medical, governmental, and social establishments. Nothing could be further from the truth, as is now officially accepted by these same establishments that once punished and vainly tried to treat these "conditions". Fundamentalists notwithstanding.
Seeing this happen within our own lifetimes makes me suspect that perhaps other "mental health disorders", maybe even many of them, are not actually disorders.
I also have to add that we live in an insane society racking up huge debt and perched on the edge of nuclear destruction for 50+ years. It is hypocritical for society to call a person crazy because they have a mental health disorder, when our society itself is insane. It can't make a valid judgement about sanity, as the homosexuality issue has proven.
Oct 21 2012: Good points Danger!Oct 20 2012: It is a sad fact that self actualization and spiritual evolution grace many people only after experiencing some level of horrific experience - often involving life threatening issues. Steve Jobs commented on this in his awesome Stanford address, and there are some studies that suggest that accident victims may experience more life satisfaction than lottery winners. I almost feel like calling them accident winners and lottery victims though, given the five year outcome in terms of self actualization.
When bad things happen to us, we have a tendency in our society to overly medicate ourselves and protect ourselves to the extent that, sure maybe the drugs allow us to continue moving through life being a good citizen, but I worry we will not gain the life lessons we need to learn from our own lives. How many of us reading this right now are on anti-depressant or mood altering drugs? This can result in mental illness. Some call this "soul loss", and they attempt to cure this condition through a soul recovery. That is an approach I am very interested in personally.
Our pharmaceutical industry is paying our elected officials to ensure that they continue making huge profits by selling more and more drugs, which I think further exacerbates the issue and gives us a "prescription" for disaster.
In some cultures, notably many indigenous cultures, the crazy people are the shamans giving the culture wisdom and healing. Interestingly, finding yourself called to being a Shaman is somewhat of a curse as well.
There is an interesting movement called the "Mad Pride" movement - about legitimizing the spiritual process some of us feel called to go through as our life's learning process.
With all of that said, I totally support using any healing modality possible to cure mental health disorders. My main point, is that it is the very full experience of life itself which has made me more comfortable with mental health disorders.
Nov 5 2012: Life is for living. Life is an adventure. If it were easy they would never call it adventure. I am, in my own belief, right where my deity wants me to be, because as I grow and develop through it I will be able to minister to and console and edify those who see me or may be going through a hard time. To build up another is a calling from God. To strengthen the weak and help the downtrodden...but how do we empathize with such if we never experience it for ourselves? I'm beginning to think of this life on earth as a boot-camp for a later existance.Oct 20 2012: As a person with psych labels (note plural) I would like to add the following. Sometimes having an episode can make life really strange. Sometimes I have a lot of energy and other times I don't. Sometimes I seem to be able to engage with other people really well and other times I don't. I agree with Ruby Wax about the stigma. My life opportunities have been drastically affected - you may or may not see it as a blessing that I cannot get credit or life insurance. Sometimes I really wonder who is insane. People literally stop seeing you as having any potential once you have a pscyh. label. I also viewed Vikram Patel's talk and added my comments about the role of talking therapies like counselling. I do have neurological issues as well and there is a huge crossover in the two. The meds are not benign. Lithium is nasty, risperidone makes you produce breast milk now seems long-term use of some antidepressants may lead to early dementia. So I would advocate for a combination of talking therapy with meds to a minimum for severe episodes and a bit more love, support and understanding. Am a person not an animal. Used to be places for people like me in communities, creative people with ideas but less and less so in a world where you need cold hard cash to pay the bills. So grateful for community based care in the U.K,. and closure of the asylums. Think people are scared possibly because they may think 'well that's what I am like some of the time, am I insane ?' then others may project their own stuff (note tech term from psychology) on to someone else. Nurture, support and tolerance not blame, shame and isolate. Also note the lack of family support and friends for people on psych wards, gentleness helps when someone is having a psychotic break, ever consider a patient might actually be very frightened hence fight or flight. BTW Gullivers Travels written after a psych episode I understand and so many creative people. It's all about different ways of seeing.
Oct 20 2012: /
Who couldn't use a little holistic therapeutic haven? Label me crazy but I like that idea. Do your best to shrug off the shame game. Everyone can afford more tolerance, support, gentleness. Some of us have more scary strangeness happening than others. Some of us engage with others better than others. When I'm not feeling able to engage with others I make sure I am my own best friend. I know what shame is and I know what it feels like and I don't wish that on you or anybody.
Thank you for writing, Elizabeth. I like how real you are here and the way you talk about how things are for you. I'm glad you have that community based care and that its working out for you.
Oct 21 2012: Problem is Mark it's not. Psych label 16 years old. Serious consequences. Less than a person legally, not allowed to do jury service and any court case dismissed by Crown Prosecution Service as 'unreliable witness'. Discrimination in allocation of welfare benefits. Inadequate health care leading to permanent physical disability, spinal op should have happened max 6 months after notification of same. Second disc collapsed in 15 month wait. Serious permanent neurological damage plus meds possibly damaged renal system and now body struggling to cope with pain meds let alone psych meds. Son now 16 my main carer for years and now potential eating disorder. Not having 'career' in mental illess for him. He is brilliant at Maths and wants to be engineer or architect not my carer. Not 'the cervical myelopathy' in bed 2 or 'higher functioning manic depressive' in the community. Graduate Goldsmiths College London 2002 Creative Writing Course then episode stopped progression. Graduate Foundation Degree Integrative Counselling. Enrolled University of Greenwich, spinal surgery potentially ending final B.A. My life ruined, no access to credit or life insurance. Liability for employment but luckily unable to fill shelves. Not giving in to psychosis as escape, psych wards a living hell. Just like Ruby Wax and Stephen Fry but 'non-celebrity'. As a middle aged woman become invisible, humour an ego-defense for truly painful reality.
Nov 5 2012: Well Elizabeth, i too am aware of the way people treat you differently when you are a little different mentally. depression has been a lifelong battle for me although it wasn't diagnoed until after military service. My mom battled it all her life. Both of my brothers are recovering alcoholics as was my Grandfather. My dad had PTSD from Korea and taught it well to us kids. But still, through all of my weirdness and depression and creative bursts and MS, I have discovered a couple of things. It has made me extremely adaptable. Darwin didn't say it was the fittest that would survive, it would be the most ADAPTABLE that would survive. Those of us with "The Label" need not totally follow societal norms and we will be better able to adapt AND think outside the box we have been so conveniently excluded from. I don't miss their version of reality a bit even though I have to play the game daily. yes, the exclusions are painful but they allow for self growth within ourselves. That which does not kill me makes me stronger.Oct 13 2012: Hello Arjuna,
I have been comfortable with many different "types" of people my whole life, because I am fascinated with human behaviors...mine included! I love observing and exploring human behaviors from many different angles.
Years ago, I had the opportunity to coach kids who were competing in the special olympics. The kids I was teaching to ski, were labeled mentally disabled.....mostly Down's syndrome. They were all some of the most enthusiastic, energetic, joyfull and unconditionally loving people I have ever encountered! That was my first interaction with a large group of people labeled with mental disorders.
Their demeanor was so delightful and encouraging to all of us, that we (the coaches) often wondered and asked each other....who is teaching who here! The experience really opened my eyes and heart to see something very different than a "disorder". If we could all have the enthusiasm and love those kids shared with us, what a wonderful world it would be:>)
Elizabeth Gu
Oct 13 2012: What a wonderful experience it is, right? :-)
- +1
Experiences surely teach us a lot more than we think...
I wish I could have that kind of meaningful experiences in the near future..
One experience of helping a person with mental disordor was actually quite demanding and even stressful...
But that was a special case with kinda long story ...
Anyway, those kids would also be happy when they realize(I believe they probably will) there was a person who found hope in their hearts. :)
Oct 14 2012: Yes indeed Elizabeth....a wonderful experience.
You are in luck my dear one!
The 2013 winter special olympics are going to be in So. Korea!!!
Here is a link with information about volunteering. They need all kinds of people with various skills and talents, so DO IT Elizabeth if you can:>)
Elizabeth Gu
Oct 14 2012: Wow....I didn't know these opportunities...!
- +1
Thank you so much, Colleen :D
I'll first find out what I can do through skimming through those websites.
If there's any question on that matter, I'll send you an email via 'TED contact' to see if I can get your advice...! :)Nov 8 2012: Any news Elizabeth?
As I recall, one of the sites had a link to connect you with information regarding opportunities in your area. That is what I did with special olympics. I was involved in the state pre-qualifiers. The state special olympics that year happened to be at the ski area close to my home (Northeast USA) while the finals were out west. I really hope you can participate....it's a wonderful, very fullfilling experience:>)
You are welcome to contact me any time....I enjoy our conversations Elizabeth:>)Nov 6 2012: Hi Colleen,
Long time no see. I hope you're keeping well.
Being very familiar with Down's Syndrome it makes me really uncomfortable, not to say angry at the least, when I see it related to words such as mentally disabled or mental disorder. I strongly believe there is a huge difference between people suffering from mental health issues and people with down's syndrome. Let's encourage people to stop using such labels and yes, let's all allow ourselves to appreciate the authentic enthusiam and love they so generously always share.
Nov 8 2012: Hello Helena....always nice to connect with you:>) I am well...hope the same for you?
It is not comfortable for me either Helena, when people are labeled. I was labeled for awhile after my near fatal head injury. Medical professionals told me and my family that I would never be "normal" again. As I began to recover, I was curious to find out what that meant for me the rest of my life, so I did a lot of research and study regarding mental disabilities.
What I discovered, is that we all experience many so called "disabilities" at some level, sometimes in our lives. We all experience fear at some point, on many different levels, we are all paranoid on some level, at some time in our lives, we have "up" and "down" times, so we may all experience manic/depressive behaviors on some level, we are all often obsessed with something or someone...who knows when this becomes obsessive compulsive.....etc. etc......
Thankfully, all the cognitive testing I experienced as the brain healed showed no permanent cognitive challenges. As a matter of fact, tests indicated that I was high average/superior AFTER the brain was damaged.....don't know how THAT happened!!!
My experience with the head injury and subsequent exploration, research, and study, gave me even more information that tells me that labeling anyone is not always a good idea. I think/feel that to evaluate someone and possibly labeling for the purpose of helping to support someone with their function or dysfunction may be an acceptable use of labels. Other than that, I see us all more the same than different:>)
Nov 9 2012: HI Colleen,
I'm very well, thank you.
I simply have issues with the connotations involved in the word disabled and some of the meanings the dictionary offers, that's all. I personally think labels do a lot of damage. On the other hand, I believe the general sense of "fear" in relation to this topic, comes from uncertainty. If we were informed about the different conditions people may experience, the fear would be less and therefore people would have the chance to interact with one another more comfortably.Nov 9 2012: Hi again Helena,
I understand, feel the same way, and I also agree with you that fear is a major factor with this topic. Information certainly helps us understand various conditions of the human body/mind and if we could realize more about different levels and degrees of various conditions, it might be helpful to our understanding. As has been mentioned already on this thread, many people who supposedly have mental disorders have a great deal to offer us if we can really be with them without fear.
Aja B.
Nov 7 2012: Testing replies...
- 0
Comment deleted
Nov 11 2012: You are an inspiration. I have a mental illness and over and above that, I am dealing with a step daughter who is an alcoholic and clinically depressed. I am going to share your thoughts with her. She is so hard to reach and feels like everyone is trying to tell her what to do. Your approach seems to value doing rather than being told. I love it. Thank you.Nov 9 2012: That's a great question!
I know a kid with mild epilepsy who's father was able to 'cure' him through the removal of heavy metals. So I looked into heavy metals and their impact on our bodies, and that it can account for both mental and physical disorders, which then made me think that everyone we meet including people we may have known for all our lives may not actually have much choice on who they are or how they think, and therefore not really 'themselves'.
So I figure everyone is normal and doing the best they can with what they have.Nov 7 2012: Perhaps, my experiences as a student nurse before have made me see people with mental disorders in a different light. As part of the learning process, we were tasked to stay in a mental facility and take care of patients with various conditions - schizophrenia, dementia, bipolar disorders,etc. I used to have this fear of being harmed by these patients, having the stereotype that they are rather banes of the society. But how was I able to outgrow that fear?Being knowledgeable of what these people are going through and above all, empathy. It is believed that once we put ourselves on the shoes of others, taking it in the figurative sense of course, we learn to understand them.When we leave our own boxes and see things in a different perspective, that's how we begin to see the bigger picture.
Also, we need to put into consideration that the etiology of some of these disorders is unknown. These people or most of them do not even understand what they're going through.Nov 5 2012: I haven't seen anyone note the differences between mental disorders based in brain anatomy/physiology and problems based on poor coping skills, or on attitudes/beliefs/habits that lead people into behaviors that do themselves or those around them harm, or to growing up in a dysfunctional environment or family, or suffering from a physical illness that leads to behavioral signs & symptoms (some severe vitamin deficiencies, infections, endocrine disorders for example).
Consider people with clinical depression - some can get a lot of relief from cognitive behavioral therapy and/or medication, others who have different brain chemistry may react badly to meds and/or get no relief from therapy strategies.
People with severe brain disorders like schizophrenia, rapid cycling bipolar disorder, autism spectrum disorders or other severe brain disorders can be very difficult to interact with - most folks just don't understand how to interact with someone who perceives reality very differently than they do themselves, or who isn't perceiving external reality at all well when they're in the grip of overwhelming and often terrifying hallucinations. It's awfully hard for many people to "see the other person's point of view" even when that other person is within the same range of common or normal brain function and behavior.
Until the 20th century hardly anyone thought that hallucinations, obsessive/compulsive behavior and other far-out-of-the-usual-range behaviors were rooted in physical diseases and such behaviors were often assigned supernatural causes - and treatments. Less severe behavior issues were often simply dismissed as "That's the way s/he is." It wasn't until medications that could influence psychotic behaviors were discovered and brought into use that anyone thought that severe mental disorders could be brought under control at all - sufferers here in the US were institutionalized and expected to remain in that environment for life.Nov 4 2012: my experience taught me not to get connected to any thing eternally in physical sense, besides
nothing happens as we plan, but it gets connected the way we want.
in fact the commands are followed by us, the results too are decided by source of invisible intelligence.
it is just like ice cube wants to know what is water?
Steve C
Oct 26 2012: I have gotten much from reading Ty C. Colbert, Edward Barrie, James W. Prescott, Thomas Szasz, and Dr. Patch Adams.
- +1
I have also gotten much from talking to others with various "afflictions," and seeing their lives and problems, and how they continue to strive.
"how can we help our society grow out of its fear?" By connecting; not merely connecting via web links & tweets, but by consideration & trust. By choosing to spend time and energy with them. And by being truthful & accountable; give and take.
Mary Bourque
Oct 22 2012: I was labeled and thrust into the world of mental disorders as a young child. I became more comfortable with mental health disorders, when I discovered people who had them were kinder, and far less judgmental of me. I had myself hospitalized in a place with colorful characters, just to escape bullying.
- +1
I never liked the term "mental Illness," and even now it is hard to define myself in this way. I spent my late childhood in a residential school, where I was told that kids who wind up there are the hopeless cases. They are the ones society including their own families "throw away." I know that I was loved by my parents, so I decided that this particular mental health professional, a self-declared picture of mental health was in fact suffering from a frighteningly deranged God complex.
It is hard to be comfortable with such a label. My own family thinks my depression is just laziness, though it is harder for them to ignore the recurrent panic attacks. Panic attacks have physical manifestations, so I suppose on some level, panic disorder seems less like a mental illness.
As a child, I had a psychologist who told my Mother not to let anyone label me. Oops, too late. Every therapist, psychologist, and psychiatrist created more and more labels.
I agree with Ruby Wax that stigma has to go. I believe one in four people are diagnosed with a mental disorder, but I see shades of all kinds of illness in "normal" people.
I agree that my anxiety has nowhere to go in this toxic society we have created for ourselves. Long term exposure to poison makes people sick. Those with greater sensitivity to such poison will get more sick.
On the brighter side, I no longer feel shamed by others who look down on me for my illness. Especially regarding certain members of my family, I figure if they don't get it by now, any more explanation (excuses according to them) is wasted on them.
If someone is afraid of me due to their own ignorance, I'm happy to chase them away.
Renessa Bak
Oct 21 2012: was give the thought, let go, let life, and learn, from all you live through, Its the process of coming into your own, clearing all you have learned out, and practicing the art of being, it is then consciously assimilating, as to what you see as best for you. . to not live in another's shadow . . . too oft, people are panic struck. . it all begins with losing our power, having our feelings dismissed, oft send to nurseries where we have to fend for ourselves, from way to early in life. told what and when and how to do. . it all about the narrowing our views, which in truth, are exploding with insights. school windows were shut down. . to prevent daydreaming. oops, that when the iniverse is downloading massive loads of insights to you, or just delightful scenarios, to heal your mind from having been so overtaxed that it simply tuned out from within, for a speedy recovery.by gazing at the sky, not denied. . . the shadows of our never being let live in our own light, snaps . . and every time life gets too much. . .we unravel much due to lack o sleep tearing through the nights as we did when waking up to the world that had not been kind to you, up to that point
- +1
Oct 21 2012: Deep insights coming out.
Oct 21 2012: thank you. I've looked at the big picture first since I began framing in jigsaw puzzles at 7 on being a 900 piece puzzle and presently I am awed by all that is coming to light with the TedTalks.
I always begin with no matter you views or discipline in life, we are all speaking of one and the same universe of which we are all give our own views and perceptions, each of which broadens our outlook on life through retreating from fields of conflict and peacing it all together . . so far, its working like a charm, on all which has come to light . . about bringing the light years down to earth. which is our clearing the way for youth, whose health and well being are severely taxed when we force our views on them through schooling, instead of letting them guide us with their insightfulness and fresh ideas.
Renessa Bak
Oct 21 2012: From the moment of conception, every cell of our being takes form out of the store of memories, imbedded on our being upon which our parental linage back to the dawn of time the our spirits began to fabricate the dream. . wonder, if that was the fitting word. the mind let dance on wings of wonder. singing itself in matter, igniting the galactic lights at the convergencess of consciousness. . oozing all from all and popping up in a 50 50 recombine. . diversifying with every generation. . youth, picking up on where we have evolved to. and with fresh minds, untrained eye, as so many have spoke of in the tedTalks . In all o nature, and even life, we clear way for the new growth. .
- +1
Many hands make light work . . or is it work light. . which ever. . through advancess and automation, take the work out of living .most are keeping busy because they cannot stomach the thoughts they have. as life is a constant process of assimmilation, with the universe constanty feeding you the easy outs, sadly, they are all relegated to the fairy land department. .
I had the following down when I started over. the whole of creation is a grow from within. Humanity so taxes its body mind and spirit, that each day, it needs take time out to . . defrag or defrazzle. . in a massive nightly blitch, without a beep out of you, thank you kindly. Catch your second wind and soar like a wondering albatross o'er all, that's left others stumped, for life. ALL humanity is about, are the thoughts which came to mind in the sweet by and bye . . giving way to the present, now concreted into matter, by those who enshine the laws and fence in all the years of our youth . .
go take a walk and like on the forest floor for a spell. . . make music, and soothe the busyness of your mind. . . play shaman, break the spell with music. and what the cosmic B-Line we all have , like wise, change its tune
Nov 5 2012: Very well said! To quiet the busyness of the mind....I find that solitude within nature helps me amazingly. I am a Christian but not like most other Christians out there. My church is nature and God's creation surrounding me, where I become one with the Creation, where I come home to the reality of life. Not the realities imposed on us through societal pressures but the reality of being a singular, unique work of creation meant to be a BEING not a DOING. I AM what and who I am. My personality traits and oddities are my own and they make me ME. Am I insane. No, maybe. Do I battle severe depression? Yes but I ALWAYS win. never go into a fight allowing for the possibility of defeat, you will lose. Go into a fight KNOWING and SEEING yourself as the victor before the first blow is ever struck...you WILL WIN. EVERY TIME! Mental illness, maybe. mental strength and endurance, unquestionably. let me be me rather than NORMAL any day. I am a fringe rider. I ride the fringes of normality so the loonies that know me and like me can feel a little more normal about themselves and all the straight arrows like me because they feel like they are associated with a wild child. Yahoo, what a ride! Let's rock-n-roll in our peculiarities!
Mark Hurych
Oct 20 2012: /
- +1
Experiences. Thoughts. Insights?
Every time I see (really notice) a failing of mine in any respect, I become more ready to accept something like mental illness as part of the way someone operates because of bad chemicals or bad wiring or both. Many many people (myself included) are buried under baggage of some kind or another and "mental failings" is a kind of baggage. The strange thing about persons is that we can drive ourselves insane. How is that even possible? We are wired to have the ability to synthesize happiness. We can actually envision grand and glorious things and then later ignore this wonderful ability as if it didn't matter.
Our pets are happier than we are.
I think the problem of not being comfortable with mental illness stems from the very boundary of our self. Play a game of same and different. Are you a loser? Are you a winner? How much like a loser are you? How much like a winner? Is being happy more about making the right choices or about accepting as OK the choices you've already made?
We don't have a clue about how to be excellent persons. But our boundary of self can expand to include everything and everyone. If I change the fear from "will I fail by being like" THAT CRAZY PERSON (obviously a loser) to "will I fail to be a hero to this part of me that obviously needs my help" I win.
Jill Bolte Taylor (wonderful TED talk) had her stroke of insight. I once fainted and awoke in such a state (giddily happy to be alive) that I thought about this frail crazy temporary thing we call life in a different way from then on.
Life is great. We should be ready to do more for our mental well-being.
That "crazy person" IS me. That psychotic is me. That depressed person is me. That paranoid person is me. Will I fail to be a loving hero when I'm needed?
Nov 5 2012: Well stated Mark. We ARE all of us. Will I choose to be happy or sad? Will I choose to walk in love or hate. Am I too good to help that odd person or might I be missing the chance of a lifetime to know a unique and interesting person that adds value to my life> May I be allowed to add value to theirs? It is an honor to give up 0oneself for the enrichment of another. Those are life's true values.Oct 20 2012: My mother suffered from mental illness for most of her life, depression, drug abuse, borderline personality disorder until she finally succeeded in ending her own life when I was 17 years of age. This experience has given me a profound sense of empathy for anybody that has or is currently experiencing mental illness.
I am now a doctor and I am currently doing a rotation in psychiatry based in the same inpatient unit that I visited my mother in on more than one occasion. I know that because of my past experience I am much more empathetic towards the patients I care for and perhaps I have a little more insight into the impact that mental illness has not just on the patients but also on their families.
What has made me more fearful of mental health disorders? Since becoming a doctor I understand the reluctance of other health professionals in coming forwards and seeking treatment due to the stigma associated with mental illness. It's not like a broken leg, or even heart failure, these illnesses generally garner sympathy. Mental illness often does not.
One of the most frustrating parts of mental illness for me relates to my work. Psychiatric notes are kept separate from medical notes (for which there are some good reasons to do this), but at the very least, when I am treating a patient, I would like to know what illnesses afflict their mind as well as their body because the two are not mutually exclusive, they are deeply intertwined and you can not treat one without treating the other. This separation is mostly due to the abhorrent stigma associated with mental illness.
How can we help society grow out of its fear? A start would be for those who have experienced mental illness, either in themselves or others close to them, to begin conversations, to discuss the stigma they have felt or seen and to be willing to share. I feel this is even more important for people in what are considered "professional" jobs. Sharing is the start...
Oct 20 2012: Thanks for sharing Katie. I'm also on my psychiatry rotation at the moment - your points about the seperation of medical and psychiatic notes is something that frustrates me too. It's a bit of a paradox really, because the "good" reasons are to stop any prejudice against the individual, the converse being that you almost perpetuate a distinction by submitting to its effect.
Sharing is indeed the start - the work done by Ruby is a great example :)Oct 21 2012: Know that you and those like you are very much appreciated.
Over the years I often visited close family staying in psychiatric hospitals. The few that really care they really do the job and make a difference. I'm gratful to them.Nov 5 2012: Katie. or Dr. Katie, sorry, you earned your title, I, as a person dealing with major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorders chronic Reactive Arthritis and recently a diagnosis of Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis, that has really hit the depression and everything else hard...anyway as one of thi=ose folks I say THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart. Yes I battle mental illness, as does most of my family, but we can and are still able to live fulfilling productive lives. We just have to bend or break a few of the rules to pull it off. Being WEIRD is just fine with me. Neuropsych eveals put my intelligence at to top enf of the bell curve, way out there in the upper 98-99%. That scares the shit out of me. I always knew I was reasonably bright but nw it explains my wierdness and difficulty relating to others. It explains why I devoured books on ALL topics as a kid. I was always very good at math though I hated it, but I did find it useful for my scientific education and Physics. But all my life , I've been wandering around wondering why I seemed so different and strange to everyone around me. I'm a proud nerd, that thinks differently than other folks. I'm wired differently. And that's JUST fine with me. keeps everyone else on their toes because they never know what the wild eyed bearded weirdo is gonna say or write next. Pair-o-dice!
Juniper Blue
Oct 14 2012: How to support society in dispelling the stigma of mental health disorders:
- +1
Open and honest communication and increased education is critical. We need to discuss mental health just as we would discuss diabetes or cholesterol. We, as a society need to understand that mental health is simply another facet of our physcial health and there is no shame in living with a mental health condition. We must strive to find more effective and compassionate ways to care for ourselves and eachother. Also, the more people step forward, (just as Ruby Wax adn Elyn Saks have courageously done here at TED), the more people will see that the faces of mental health (wellness and "illness") may look very much like our own. We also need to eliminate the myth that one person is "healthy" while another person is "sick." Throughout our lives, we are likely to experience various blends of everchanging levels of wellness, recovery, resilience, robust thriving, remission and pathology.
One could argue that we all live in a state between "sanity" and "insanity" as we struggle to fully understand ourselves and truly comprehend the world around us and our place in it.
Oct 14 2012: I am until someone make harm to me and all the bad thoughts (and not only) make me suffer. Kidding ..... I was child also you were child also and we were happy until ..... Think about ....Oct 14 2012: If you think that people that define mental health are the very healthy .... you are wrong but they have more tools to oppress you or me and I do not say that problems do not exists but they are aggravated or hidden until they blow up (see what happened in America in highschools when they give them pills and after they are totaly lost). Is like they hide the bad and let it out when they need to have more financing and those kids maybe have only small problems at first .... Think about ..Oct 13 2012: I'm crazy. I've got the papers to prove it. Those papers give me the right to pontificate on this subject. An estimated 30% of the world.s population are functiional psychopaths. How many sociopaths have you met in your lifetime? . How many nuerotics? Lots. How are we treated. Ask any monosexual , male or female, in montana today. Or ask the black man walking home from work one night in georgia in 1931. So how should we be treated? With kid gloves. We are dangerous because we are unpredictable. But I am predictable. I know what sends me over the edge. Knowledge is power.Recognizing the danger signs I can at least retire and rebuild my shattered self-image. Try to imagine what it feels like to know that at any moment you could lose consciousness while your body continues to do....something. Imagine the long nights waiting for the knock on the door that signals the arrival of the police at the door with questions about your whereabouts. last night and you can't tell them. What can you do? Respect the sufferer as you would any other person who is dealing with a personal tragedy. Lastly, remember that as uncomfortable as it is to be around him,
it is more painful to be him.


text:
Skip to Section Subnavigation Skip to Page Content
For first-year and transfer students.
Associate and bachelor's degree programs for men and women 4 full years out of high school.
Elementary, middle level and secondary certification for men and women with a bachelor's degree.
Skip to Page Content
Our goal is to help Wilson students and alumnae prepare for law school and guide them through the admissions process. Wilson College provides excellent preparation for any student wishing to attend law school. Its strong liberal arts curriculum with an emphasis on writing and speaking is highly valued by law schools.
Wilson students have the unique opportunity to take advantage of the college's admissions agreement with Vermont Law School. Under this agreement, Vermont Law School will automatically admit any Wilson student to its JD, MSEL or joint JD/MSEL programs so long as the student meets a reasonable set of criteria. This is a very exciting and distinctive opportunity for our student body! Check out the Vermont Law School Wilson College Agreement tab below.
There is no pre-determined major or course of study law school applicants need to pursue in order to be successful. While law schools do consider the academic rigor of your chosen course of study, they view majors equally, from Veterinary Medical Technology to English to Political Science. Any of Wilson's broad range of majors, and the academic rigor required therein, will help students gain the skills they need to succeed in the legal profession.
If you are a prospective Wilson student, you are encouraged to email the pre-law advisor with any questions you may have about Wilson's pre-law advising program. If you are a Wilson student or alumna who is planning to attend law school, please email the pre-law advisor to set up an appointment to discuss your future plans.
The following links will be useful to students throughout the pre-law advising process. Issues and questions addressed include: Is law school right for me? What should I be doing to prepare for law school? Are there any classes I should take? What is the timeline for the application process? Are grades and LSAT scores the only criteria that matter in admissions? What's a personal statement and what are law schools looking for? How should I go about getting letters of recommendation? How should I decide where to apply?
Wilson College values personalized, one-on-one advising between faculty and students. This personalized advising is certainly available to you throughout the pre-law advising process, and we encourage you to take advantage of it.
The Benefits of a Legal Education
At the end of law school, you will have earned a J.D., Juris Doctor, which can, as you may have heard, open many doors. You can use your J.D. in government, higher education, business, and many other fields.
Pursuing a law degree is an investment in your future. Starting salaries at big firms can exceed $100,000, while lower paid non-profit and social justice work can be highly rewarding. The legal employment market is currently strong, with over 90% of lawyers receiving employment within 9 months of graduating.
A Brief Reality Check
The reality of the legal profession is not what you see on TV. Lawyers often work long hours, including evenings and weekends. Many consider their work to be monotonous and painstaking. The profession can be both stressful and highly competitive.
Regarding salaries, depending on the type of law practiced, size of the firm, and location, your earnings may not meet your expectations. For example, lawyers employed in the public interest field, those who work for smaller firms and in smaller towns will earn much less than those who work for big firms in big cities.
Also, a legal education can be very expensive. As a result, many lawyers may feel compelled to take jobs with high salaries and high stress at big firms, rather than pursue social justice work. New lawyers, the majority of whom are not making over $100,000, feel severely burdened by their debt load.
Facts and Statistics
For the class of 2007, according to the National Association for Law Placement (NALP)
Poor Reasons
There are some very common (and not very good) responses to the question, "why do you want to go to law school?"
These include:
What is wrong with these statements? They contain erroneous assumptions about the legal profession and/or lack sufficient reasoning to attend law school. For example, while law school may be intellectually challenging, legal jobs can be technical and tedious. While many lawyers do make a lot of money, many also earn modest incomes. Also, there are many professions in which you can help people, change the world, and make a lot of money. The question then becomes, why pursue a legal career as a means to those ends? And given the amount of debt incurred, potential law students need to seriously reconsider the prudence of using law school as a "fall back" plan.
Good Reasons
There are many good reasons for wanting to attend law school. It is up to you to articulate your own unique reasons, but here are some examples:
Characteristics of Good, Satisfied Lawyers
Do a significant number of these traits characterize you? If so, the legal profession may be a good fit for you.
Next Steps
What can you do to tell if law school is right for you? Consult the next section, "Preparing for law school: 10 Things to Do." These steps will guide you in exploring the field of law as a possible career path, as well as give you some helpful advice if you've already determined that a legal career is right for you.
If you are a freshman or sophomore, you may be asking yourself, "Are there things I should be doing to prepare for law school?" The answer is yes, though they are not necessarily law school-specific. Here is a list of 10 things you can do to make yourself a stronger candidate for law school admission.
#1 Pick a major you like and excel in itOnce again, law schools are not interested in whether you pursued a law-related major. However, they are interested in how well you do in your major, so pick something tailored to your abilities and talents, as well as your interests. A double major and a long list on minors will not necessarily help you.
#2 Build and maintain a strong GPAIt is important to get good grades during your first and second years of college. If you do not, it will be very difficult for you to make up for it during your remaining years. Since GPA is one of the most important considerations in admissions, building a strong one early cannot be underestimated.
#3 Pursue activities and take on leadership rolesLaw schools are interested in your extracurricular activities, as they do seek well-rounded candidates. Pick several activities in which you can get really involved and take on leadership roles, but do not overwhelm yourself to the extent that your grades suffer. Schools will also be interested in your summer jobs and service activities.
#4 Take a wide range of classes that allow you to develop writing, research, and analytic skillsIt cannot be emphasized enough that these skills are exceedingly important for your success in law school and the legal profession. You should take classes that will hone these skills. Also, law schools will consider the variety and depth of the courses you took. For example, if you didn't leave the art department in your years at Wilson, this will cause admissions councilors to question your interest, motivation, and intellectual curiosity.
#5 Take a couple of law-related classesWhile undergraduate law-related classes do not necessarily reflect the content of law school courses (in difficulty, depth, or method) it would not hurt to take a couple of such courses. If you discover you absolutely hate reading cases and doing legal research, or develop a strong distaste for the subject matter in general, you may want to reconsider your reasons for going to law school.
#6 Get to know a few faculty members wellThe purpose of getting to know faculty members is so that they can write you good letters of recommendation when the time comes. A letter from a professor you know only superficially will not be very helpful to you. So, take smaller classes with these faculty members, participate in their classes, and stop by their office hours.
#7 Talk to friends, relatives, and Wilson alumnae who are in the legal professionThis is a fantastic way to get the inside scoop on the legal profession and learn what the glossy law school brochures won't tell you. Be sure to come up with specific questions and ask them to be perfectly honest in their assessments.
#8 Purse an internship at a law firm or legal organizationThis is another fantastic way to really get to know the legal profession from the inside. I cannot think of a better way to help you determine whether this profession is right for you. On the one hand, it may reinforce your law school ambitions. On the other hand, this experience may shatter your preconceived notions about what the profession is like.
#9 Research job titles and descriptionsStudents who express interest in applying to law school are often not aware of the range of jobs that will be available to them. Do research and discover possible, specific jobs you may like to pursue.
#10 Keep it clean and stay out of troubleFor law school and for life, be sure to keep the information about you on the Internet unobjectionable. So, clean up your MySpace, Facebook, blogs, and whatever else may be out there. Law schools do check these places and do make admissions decisions based on what they find there. You should give them no reason to question your character. Also, stay out of trouble with the law. Any offenses on your record— underage drinking, DUIs, reckless misconduct, and so forth—you will have to report on your application. And you will have to be honest here, as your law school applications will be examined when you fill out your background check information for the bar exam. In many cases, academic misconduct (plagiarism, honor violations) and any other university-related disciplinary actions will also be submitted to law schools in the form of Dean's reports.
The American Bar Association (ABA) does not recommend any particular major or group of courses to prepare for a legal education and Wilson does not have a specified pre-law curriculum. Rather, students should pursue a rigorous course of study that interests and challenges them. However, the ABA states that there are bodies of knowledge that students can acquire prior to law school that will provide a sound foundation for a legal education. These include analytic and problem-solving skills, critical reading abilities, writing skills, oral communication and listening abilities, general research skills, task organization and management skills, and the values of serving others while promoting justice. The ABA recommends that individuals interested in pursuing a legal education should seek educational, extracurricular and life experiences that will assist them in developing these attributes. There are many courses at Wilson that are designed to hone these skills. The following is a partial and not exhaustive list of such courses. But please keep in mind that none of these is actually required to get into law school and that Wilson does not offer a pre-law major.
BUS 124 Introduction to Management
BUS 225 Business Law
BUS 260 Business Leadership & Service
ECO 101 Introduction to Macroeconomics
ECO 102 Introduction to Microeconomics
ECO 303 International Economics
ENG 101 Written Communication
ENG 108 College Writing
ENG 112 Business Writing
ENG 210 Advanced Exposition
ENG 212 Technical Writing
ENV 204 Environmental Policy
ENV 217 Environmental Stewardship
IS 370 International Law
MCM 110 Effective Speaking
MCM 120 Interpersonal Communications
MCM 303 Media Law and Ethics
PHI 121 Ethics
PHI 207 Private Values and Public Policy
PHI 209 Ethical Issues Today
PHI 220 Environmental Ethics
PHI 222 Logic
PHI 226 Business Ethics
PS 120 American Government
PS 204 Intro to Law
PS 310 Women, Minorities & Law
PS 318 Constitutional Law
SOC 120 Intro to Sociology
SOC 225 Social Problems/Inequalities
SOC 230 Deviance & Criminal Justice
SOC 234 Conflict Resolution
THE 100 Techniques of Acting I
Yes, there is an ideal timetable applicants should to follow in order to maximize their chances of getting into law school. The following is a timeline that will take applicants through the process from spring semester of their junior years forward. The formal application process should take about 10 months--from registering with LSDAS (Law School Data Application Service) and for the LSAT in January to submitting the final applications in October.
Spring Semester of Junior Year:
Summer between Junior and Senior Years:
Fall Semester of Senior Year
Spring Semester of Senior Year
LSDAS, Transcripts, and Application Forms
LSDAS: First things first: You must register with LSDAS (Law School Data Assembly Service) before you can even begin applying. LSDAS was created to centralize and standardize undergraduate academic records for the law school admissions process. Nearly all ABA-approved law schools require you use LSDAS. The LSDAS prepares a report for each law school to which you apply. This report will include items such as an undergraduate academic summary, all LSAT scores and writing sample copies, copies of letters of recommendation, and all transcripts.
There is a fee, over $100, for signing up with LSDAS. However, information about possible fee waivers is available on www.lsac.org. Your membership is good for five years.
Transcripts: You must send transcripts from all institutions attended, including undergrad and graduate schools, professional schools, summer schools and evening courses, schools from which you took college-level courses while in high school, and schools that sponsored off campus or overseas study. If you have more detailed questions, refer to http://www.lsac.org/Applying/lsdas-requesting-transcripts.asp
You must have the institutions send official transcripts directly. Transcripts sent by you will not be processed. Be sure to use the form on the LSDAS website.
Actual Applications: Through LSDAS, you will have access to the electronic applications for all ABA-approved law schools. This is the easiest and most streamlined way to apply. In most cases, you will incur additional application fees for individual law schools.
Grades and LSATs
Are grades and LSAT scores the only things that matter in admissions decisions? No, but they do constitute a threshold requirement. That is, if you have numbers that are far below their averages, schools are not likely to consider your application. However, just because your numbers meet a school's expectations does not mean you will get in. Your personal statements and letters of recommendation matter very much in making final decisions. However, grades and LSATS do matter tremendously, so take them seriously.
For consistency between schools' grading systems, LSDAS will convert your grades from all institutions attended (up until your first undergraduate degree was received) into a standardized score. Grades excluded from conversion include withdraw, incomplete, and passing grades within pass/fail or credit/no credit systems. LSDAS has a very detailed policy regarding grade conversion, so please check with them if you have more specific questions.
The LSAT is a half-day standardized test that is required for admission to all ABA-approved law schools. It is a skills test that assesses analytic abilities. Studies have shown the LSAT is an accurate predictor of performance during the first year of law school, which is why admissions officers rely on it so much in making decisions.
The LSAT consists of 5 sections, each 35 minutes long: one reading comprehension, one analytical reasoning, two logical reasoning, one experimental test question section (not scored). There is also a writing sample section that is not scored but is sent to law schools. LSAT scores range from 120-180, with 180 being the highest possible score.
You should spend a significant amount of time studying for the LSAT. You should either purchase test preparation books or take a commercial prep course. The downsides to commercial test preparation courses are that they are expensive and instruction can be of varying qualities. However, the course may be the best option for people who have problems managing time, need extra help, or need an extra push. It is absolutely fine to not take a test prep course, so long as you devote a significant amount of time to studying. Months before you plan to take the test, work out for yourself a study schedule and do not let anything interfere with the blocks of time you have carved out to study. Under no circumstances should you take the LSAT unprepared or "just to see how you will do." Law schools will see each score and you will probably have to explain a very low score in an addendum (see below).
Should you take the LSAT more than once? Ideally, you would take the LSAT once, having prepared in advance. If you think your score is an accurate reflector of your ability, you should not take it again. However, the LSDAS recommends that if you truly believe that your score does not reflect your ability—if you woke up with the flu the morning of the test, experienced severe anxiety, or had a death in the family—then you should re-take the test and be sure to explain the discrepancy in scores in an addendum.
Law schools will look at each LSAT score, but schools have varying policies about what to do with multiple scores. Some schools combine them while others only consider the high score. Consult each school for its policy.
Personal Statements
Your goal here is to develop a statement that is personal. The personal statement is essentially your interview. This is the main opportunity for law schools to get to know you as a person: your background, your passions, your challenges, your ambitions, your inner strengths. They will be looking for what makes you stand out from other candidates with similar GPAs and LSAT scores. The personal statement is not an, "I want to go to law school because..." essay. Instead, it is an interesting story about you that highlights the non-quantifiables, or information that is not already available elsewhere in your application. This is your chance to make an impression.
Personal statements are usually two double-spaced pages or 500 words in length, but be sure to check with individual law schools for specific requirements.
To begin the composition process, you should spend more time thinking than writing. Consider experiences and feelings that are memorable to you. This is a time for personal reflection. During this time of thinking and brainstorming, also try free writing, journaling, or just writing down random thoughts. Do not sit down at a computer, without having thought through your essay, and start composing the statement.
First and foremost, personal statements help law schools determine if you write well. Can the applicant use the English language properly? These statements should be absolutely free of spelling and grammar errors, so proofread carefully. Can the applicant organize, develop and tell a relevant story? You should follow the general guidelines for writing essays. Your personal statement needs to have an introduction, body and conclusion, and you need to substantiate your claims. That is, you need to back up your claims about yourself with real evidence and concrete examples.
Be honest. Be sincere. Be confident. The tone should be positive overall. Any negative information you feel the need to discuss should be included in your addendum (see below).
Be sure to have a close advisor or trusted friend read over your personal statement. However, understand that it is not their job to write it for you. Be flexible. Be prepared to draft and re-draft. The best personal statements often result from multiple drafts.
What not to do in personal statements:
Letters of Recommendation
Law schools want to see academic letters of recommendation written by faculty members from whom you have taken courses. At least one should be from your major department, if possible. The reason for this is law schools are interested mainly in your academic abilities: your writing, class participation, how you compared to your peers, etc., and faculty are uniquely situated to assess these things.
Non-academic letters are less helpful (from college administrators, employers) although they may be necessary if you have long since graduated. If you plan to delay your application to law school, be sure to have faculty members write letters for you before you leave college and keep them on file (LSDAS, where you will upload your letters to be sent to law schools, will hold letters for five years).
You should ask faculty members in person and well in advance of the deadline, "Do you feel that you know my work well enough to write a strong, positive letter for my application to law school?" You will want to make sure that the answer to this question is a definite, 'yes.' A superficial, cursory or negative letter will not be helpful to the applicant. Once again, this is why it is very important to get to know faculty members well during your academic career (see "Preparing for Law School: 10 Things to Do").
The following is a list of information you should give your faculty recommender to assist her/him in writing a letter:
As your deadline approaches, be sure to politely follow up with faculty or check your LSDAS account to see if the letters have been submitted.
Finally, be sure to write a thank you not to each of your recommenders. Once you have decided where to attend, be sure to tell them.
What is an addendum? It is an optional attachment to your application. You should use an addendum to explain negative or questionable aspects of your application. Reasons to complete an addendum would include a low grade or series of low grades, a criminal record, disciplinary actions, "holes" in your record that are unaccounted for. If composed properly, an addendum may help ease any concerns an admissions committee may have about your record.
An addendum should also not be a novel. Keep it short: a paragraph or two will suffice. It should clearly state the circumstances of the situation you are addressing. Do not make excuses for yourself. Do not whine or cast blame. But do be sure to show that you have taken responsibility for your actions and that you have learned from your experiences. An improperly composed addendum can actually hurt your application.
Once submitted, check with each law school to make sure your application is complete.
Clean up your Internet profiles (Facebook, MySpace, blogs, etc.). Admissions officers do check these.
If you are applying to a school that is geographically distant from Wilson or where few Wilson students have applied or attended, it does not hurt to send directly to the law school admissions office information about Wilson, such as a brochure or description of the curriculum. Attach a note asking that the information be included in your file. This does not hurt and can actually be useful to admissions counselors.
There are no rules governing where to apply to law school. You do not necessarily need to follow the "reach schools, good chances, safety schools" paradigm that you may have used during the undergraduate admissions process. The most important steps are to consider what you want from a law school, research schools before you apply, and then apply to the schools that fit your needs, interests, and goals. However, you should also be sure to apply to some schools where you do have a reasonable chance of getting in.
There are many things to consider when deciding where to apply. Here is an excellent, comprehensive set of criteria that NAPLA (Northeast Association of Pre-Law Advisors) has devised to help students through the process of deciding where to apply.*
National/Regional Schools: Does the school attract applicants from across the country and abroad, or are most students from the region in which the school is located? Do most students want to work throughout the country or in the school's region following graduation?
Location: Is the school in an urban area or in a suburban/rural setting? Is it part of university or independent? Are there other graduate schools nearby? Is the school in a place you would want to be for three years and where you would be willing to work following graduation, depending on employment opportunities?
Faculty/Classes: What are the academic and experiential backgrounds of faculty? How accessible are they? What is the faculty-student ratio, the number of full-time vs. adjunct faculty, and the number of female and minority faculty? How many students are in each course? Are classes taught in the Socratic method or lecture?
Facilities and Resources: Is the school affiliated with a university? Do students have access to courses from a range of academic disciplines to supplement their legal curriculum? Is the library large enough to accommodate holdings and permit students to conduct research and study? How helpful is the library staff? How accessible are electronic databases such as Lexis and Westlaw? In general, do the facilities provide a comfortable learning environment?
Student Body: What is the size of the entering class? What does the admissions profile tell you about the quality of the student body? Where did students study as undergraduates and what are their geographic backgrounds? Is there diversity in interests and personal/cultural backgrounds? What is the overall atmosphere–are students friendly or overly competitive? Is there much interaction with fellow students outside the classroom?
Special Programs: What courses are available in specialized areas? What joint degree programs of interest to you are available? What are the opportunities for practical experience, including clinics, internships, etc.? Can you "write" on to law reviews in addition to be selected based on class rank? What specialized institutes, journals, or organizations exist in your areas of interest? Does the school demonstrate a commitment to women and minorities through special programs?
Career Services: What advising and resources are available to help you find a job? Is career counseling available? How many employers recruit at the law school and who are they? What percentage of the class has positions at graduation? In what types of positions and geographic areas are they employed? What is the percentage of graduates holding judicial clerkships? What assistance is given to students not interested in working in law firms? What is the bar passage rate for recent graduates? How involved are alumni in career activities?
Student Life: Is housing provided for first-year students? If not, does the school offer assistance in locating off-campus housing? Is the school located in a safe area? What is the cost of living? What types of cultural opportunities are there? Does the school provide recreational facilities? What is the general ambiance?
Costs: What are tuition, housing, and transportation costs? Is financial aid exclusively need-based, or are merit scholarships available? Does the school offer a loan forgiveness program for public interest lawyers? What is the average debt burden for graduates from this school?
There are ways to minimize your cost of attending law school and to keep down the debt you incur. Apply to schools where you will be in the top part of the applicant pool; schools may give you a merit scholarship to attract you. Also, public schools are usually less expensive, and even if you are not a resident of a state in which a school is located, you can sometimes pay in-state tuition after your first year.
Reputation: A number of factors contribute to a school's reputation, including faculty, facilities, career services, and the reputation of the parent university. Though a number of law-school rankings are available, most factors evaluated are not quantifiable, and therefore you should not perceive the rankings as accurate or definitive.
Selectivity at law schools, however, is one factor that can be quantified; you can gauge a school's relative selectivity by comparing the number of applicants accepted to the overall number of applications....
Schools can be divided roughly into three groups:
* NAPLA Pre-Law Guide (NAPLA Inc., 2007). Permission to use this content has been granted to non-profit educational institutions.
In the summer of 2008, Wilson College entered into an "articulation agreement" or admissions agreement with Vermont Law School (VLS). Under this agreement, Wilson College students will be automatically admitted to VLS so long as they meet the following entrance requirements:
Edward Wells, Associate Professor and Chair of the Environmental Studies department, was instrumental in bringing about the VLS articulation agreement with Wilson. Professor Wells has been affiliated with VLS in various capacities. Students, prospective students, and alumnae can contact him with more detailed questions about VLS.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Full-text searches of global company filings
Morningstar Document Research streamlines public company research by providing navigation tools for its global filings database. Users can choose to search by keyword with the help of multiple filters or use advanced multi-criteria queries to pinpoint content within a document. The pre-formulated searches in Knowledge Base jumpstart the search process for hot topics and industry-specific issues. Users can also save searches and automatically receive real-time filings alerts.
Researchers can use this online resource to quickly search for information used in addressing SEC regulatory and GAAP reporting requirements, drafting legal agreements, due diligence, compensation benchmarking and competitive intelligence.


text:
Prof. Rob McClung on NHPR's "The Exchange"
Prof. Rob McClung was a guest on The Exchange on NHPR. The topic of the April, 23, 2015 broadcast was "The Science of GMOs: Possibilities And Limitations."Read More
Prof. Rob McClung was a guest on The Exchange on NHPR. The topic of the April, 23, 2015 broadcast was "The Science of GMOs: Possibilities And Limitations."Read More
Prof. Eric Schaller and New York Times best-selling author, Jeff VanderMeer were the featured speakers a MIT Communications Forum on April 6, 2015.Read More
We are pleased to announce that the honors students in the biological sciences will present their research findings in seminars that begin on May 12th. All are welcome to attend. Please click on the photograph below to link to the full schedule.Read More
Researchers in Professor Becky Irwin's lab have found that some compounds in floral nector reduce parasite loads in bees sixty to eighty percent. These findings were highlighted in the February 26, 2015 issue of Nature.Read More
Prof. Zhaxybayeva shows that the deep biosphere is teeming with microbes that have been exchanging genetic material for eons.Read More
Professor Amy Gladfelter's lab was selected by the American Society for Cell Biology to create a video about the work being done in her lab to understand human biology using simple fungi - their "key companions."Read More
Four biology majors from the Class of 2015 were inducted into Phi Beta Kappa on November 11th.Read More
Professor Mary Lou Guerinot talks with Dartmouth Now about improving the nutritional quality of plants through her work with a small plant in the mustard family, Arabidopsis thaliana.Read More
EEB Prof. Nate Dominy uses art to construct an ecological history of egypt.Read More
Professor Olga Zhaxybayeva is one of 2014 Simons Investigators in Mathematical Modeling of Living Systems. This support enables the long-term research of "outstanding theoretical scientists."Read More


text:
I was wondering what you all felt about the use of families in books?
Let me try and explain. I have read a lot of books and series of books, but I often find that a winning formula falls flat when a main character is given a family. If a bachelor, or spinster detective gets married or even has a boyfriend/girlfriend, it can totally change the way that character is able to act or react.
It seems to me that most successful books in series have some main character who is, for whatever reason, alone.
I mentioned detective fiction and think that it is particularly noticeable there. I have known authors introduce a wife and then manage to lose her a couple of books down the line. And I've known some books where I dearly wish the author would dump the partner.
This is not the same as the occasional sibling or family member who happens to crop up now and again. Those are often very welcome.
Can you think of any successful introductions into a series?
My thought was Sybil to Sam, but Sam was still an unformed character when he met Sybil. And Sybil has the grace to stay at home, out of the way, and not ask too many questions about what Sam has been up to.
What are your thoughts - if any, on this subject?


text:
SANDESTIN — Midnight magic will light up the sky over the Village of Baytowne Wharf once again as 2012 gives way to 2013.
The popular New Year's fireworks show will begin with a burst of color and music that won't cease for a solid 15 minutes in one of the area's largest holiday displays, said Alan Meyers, the assistant director of Baytowne Wharf who oversees the display.
"Every second there is something going up in the air," Meyers said. "We dread having any empty sky."
Preparations for the big night began months ago when employees sat down and tried to compile a music list, he said.
When all was said and done, they ended up with about 30 songs ranging from Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" to Elvis Presley's "Suspicious Minds."
"No one has the same taste, but we're all looking for the same end result," Meyers said. "It's anything that anybody would want to listen to."
The playlist was sent to Pyro Shows, the company that produces the fireworks, to match up 30-second clips with corresponding explosions of light and color.
The result will be more than 600 shells shot into the sky from a tower behind Baytowne Wharf.
Final preparations for the big show will begin about 6 a.m. New Year's Eve. Five employees will place the devices in the desired locations and connect them to various firing boxes used to shoot off the fireworks.
Later that night, employees will sit with the boxes and flip the switches one by one to release the fireworks as they hear cues Pyro Shows placed in the music.
Meyers, who has worked on the fireworks display for seven years, said the process can be nerve-wracking because he always has to be prepared for a dud or one facing the wrong direction.
"Sometimes it's just a matter of luck," he said. "(But) when you hit that last shot and you hear nothing but roar and applause … that's what it's all about: the memories for the guests."
This year's show will begin at midnight, even if it rains, Meyers said. He added that it will be well worth staying until the end.
During the last minute, more than 230 fireworks will be shot off. Meyers said it will be clear to visitors when that moment comes.
"We end with a bang," he said with smile.
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Katie Tammen at 850-315-4440 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow her on Twitter @KatieTnwfdn.


text:
Adoption, same-sex marriage and adoption, family law, marriage, divorce
Children's rights, children's advocacy, custody issues, juvenile justice, immigrant children matters, child welfare system, children involved in sexual abuse, physical abuse, neglect
Constitutional law, governmental authority, presidential power, foreign policy, federalism, state's rights, civil rights/liberties.
Consumer rights, consumer protection, consumer laws, consumer risks
Copyright, intellectual property, library issues, Internet issues
Defamation, false claims, libel, slander
Disability rights, Americans with Disabilities Act, employment discrimination
Domestic violence, prosecution of batterers, defense of battered women, criminal law and sentencing, criminal procedure, prosecutorial policies, community policing, non-punitive responses to crime
Employment discrimination, labor issues
Global warming, environment, energy, "green" issues, governmental response to climate change
First Amendment issues, civil rights/liberties, Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Religion
Landlord-tenant issues, renter's rights, low-income housing
Human rights, international human rights, international law, foreign policy
International law, foreign policy, conflict of laws, international family law
Judges, judicial power, Supreme Court judges, Supreme Court history, Supreme Court power
LGBT issues, same-sex marriage, same-sex adoption, gender issues, discrimination, employment discrimination
Marriage, divorce, domestic partnerships, children's rights, custody, alimony, parental responsibility
Presidential power, terrorism, homeland security, torture laws, Guantanamo Bay
Supreme Court, Supreme Court justices, judges, judicial power, presidential power, Supreme Court history, Supreme Court power, constitutional law
Taxes, income tax, tax on wealthy, capital gains, inheritance taxes, tax on gifts, taxation of corporations
Terrorism, homeland security, torture laws, Guantanamo Bay, presidential power
Wills, trusts, estates, distribution of property and assets
To schedule interviews with Hofstra Law faculty, contact Andrew E. Berman, director of communications, by calling 516-463-4142 or by email.
121 Hofstra University
Hempstead, NY 11549-1210
tel: 516-463-5858
fax: 516-463-1017