This day was the first day of summer semester, and I think I am absolutely crazy to have signed up for any classes at all. But, they were there, and I needed them, and they weren't there for the fall, so it was too much to resist.
The good part about it is that I'm finally getting to the really good stuff. Abnormal psychology. Psychopharmacology. Research Methods. Wait. No. Not research methods. I mean, it's an absolutely necessary class. The only reason I can tolerate it is because the professor is excellent.
I love both of the other subjects. We, meaning the scientific community in general, still don't know enough about mental illness. A lab test doesn't really exist for schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder, or anything like that. We can give a person a blood test and tell them if their blood sugar is low, or what type of influenza they may have, but no such test exists for mental illness. It largely depends on observation, speaking with the patient, and speaking with the loved ones around the patient. Sometimes, brain imaging can tell us things, such as whether or not a person is a psychopath. This is still relatively new, but the brain of a supposed psychopath will show activity in different areas than the brain of someone who isn't. You can read about it here:
http://www.businessinsider.com/what-a-psychopath-brain-looks-like-2015-7
Interestingly enough, the man who ran this study also scanned himself and found out that he himself was probably prone to psychopathy. If you want to see a chilling example of this condition, watch the movie Nightcrawler starring Jake Gyllenhaal. Excellent performance and portrayal of a mentally disturbed individual. Disclaimer: This is a movie, and the character he portrays is pretty extreme.
So, because it's the summer semester, it's short, and I have a ton of reading ahead of me. If you don't hear from me for a few months, it's because I'm stuck to my chair and have completely lost track of time.
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