Friday, August 31, 2018

It's Difficult to Be Healthy



There is limited, but not enough, significant action when it comes to major issues facing us like global warming; income inequality; nuclear threat, and racism. Likewise, there is hardly any focus in the media or congress , except for an article in the newspaper or magazine when it comes to obesity; opioid epidemic; air and water pollution; paucity of regulation when it comes to the food, pharmaceutical,  and beverage industry; lack of physical activity and  mental and physical health. These gigantic concerns provide a backdrop for an article titled “New Hope for Alzheimer’s” found in the August 20, 2018 edition of Time.
Thanks to NFL football. the MCI acronym or mild cognitive impairment is on the minds of many, especially parents and their concern about whether or not to allow their children to play football. Unfortunately, the MCI diagnosis is increasing and currently found in about 10 to 20% of Americans 65 years of age and older. The good news is that many with the MCI diagnosis will not necessarily progress to dementia. However, about 5 to 15% of those with MCI do progress to Alzheimer’s disease. Also, older men are about 50% more likely than older women to develop MCI. However, more women develop Alzheimer’s disease than men.
Although MCI impairment does not have a strong genetic or familial component, the major risks are to no surprise- lifestyle factors. 1. Having a vascular risk factor is a powerful predictor of those that proceed from MCI to dementia. 2. Having three or more of: excess weight, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, low “good “HDL cholesterol and high blood sugar markedly raised the risk of MCI of people 65 and older. 3. Women over 75, who had a sleep disordered breathing and sleep apnea are twice as likely to develop MCI or dementia, compared to women without these conditions. 4. Regular vigorous exercise - 45 to 60 minutes a day, four times a week improved cognitive functioning in a group of people with MCI. And those getting moderate physical exercise like brisk walking, swimming, yoga, aerobics, strength training in mid-life, are 39% less likely to develop MCI.
Mild Cognitive Impairment Due to Alzheimer’s disease is a new diagnosis. Another concern is the diagnosis of dementia. Although dementia is not a specific disease, it is a group of symptoms caused by different disorders that affect the brain. For example, Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 75% of all the dementias for adults reaching age 65.
To Be Continued

Monday, August 27, 2018

Ego Identity and Young Mothers Part 4



Being unmarried, pregnant and dependent affects her child’s psychological development in that the mother’s identity was flawed with a sense of role diffusion. What values of right and wrong did the young child incorporate? What did he/she learn about choices and consequences? Generally, a mother and father dynamic, provides the child with a better opportunity for the development of an appropriate gender role. If the young mother was unable to be independent and had difficulty separating from her family, then it is more than likely that she is going to pass that  personality trait on to her offspring. Likewise, if she was unable to accept herself, that’s not a good formula for the development for healthy self-esteem of her child as the apple does not fall far from the tree. Her lack of acceptance for self can also be passed on to the child by her being overprotective. Overprotective mothers are commonly hostile mothers, and restrict their child’s freedom. By being over protective, these rejecting mothers likely employed an exaggerated denial of their indifference and rejection.  Difficulty knowing herself, has negative consequences for child rearing in that her anxiety and ambivalence, regarding decision making ,make it difficult for the child to  develop trust with his mother.
We have too many disturbed children, adolescents and young adults per statistics on antisocial behavior, poor school achievement, depression, drug use, suicide gestures and suicide behavior. A major understanding of why these statistics happen to the child, goes back to child rearing practices as personality is primarily formed within its first five years of development. This fact places tremendous responsibility and consequences on both parents. Mothers initially establish a symbiotic union with the youngster. It is in this most critical phase, that correct loving, nurturing and psychological based mothering is necessary. Because of this delicate and important period, state funds should be made available for the young, less educated, identity diffuse mothers. It’s clear that major changes are necessary if these psychological problems are going to be reversed. Parenting, takes more than stating that you view yourself as conservative or religious.
Perhaps the state could divert dollars from the overstuffed defense budget and create and implement a realistic parenting program for our future resources. This program would require professionally male and female trained non minimum wage staff; sufficient housing; additional education and/or career choice training opportunities; and creative and competent, psychological and medical care. There are certainly enough experts in government; at the universities; and local government to address this challenge. It might be unpopular to suggest that parents are failing, but it is a realization. Let’s start at the beginning and attempt to break this vicious cycle of ineptitude, inappropriate and misinformed parenting.

Sunday, August 26, 2018

Ego Identity and Young Mothers Part 3


I concluded, from my research, that non-pregnant teenagers did not have the same concerns about their femininity; thought more clearly about their own     values and personal ideology,  were more  self-accepting [egocentric, determined, outgoing] and able to perceive their behavior patterns more  clearly [less denial]; and had less negative worries about their present and future self.
The non-pregnant were also better adjusted psychologically; more dominant [aggressive, confident, forceful, strong]; more sociable [Intelligent, talkative, self-confident}; had a stronger need for achievement within the structured environment [efficient, loyal, reliable, reasonable]; and were more intellectually efficient [clear thinking, confident, logical, rational].
No one can argue the child rearing is not difficult and our countries future is based on the optimum development of this natural resource. Yet, it is overlooked and not addressed enough. It’s as if all women were born to be natural mothers. I beg to differ.
Briefly, some characteristics that correspond to healthy development, since the mothers personality is of prime importance for the child’s personality growth. A mother’s sense of ego identity is extremely important as it means that her values, ideas relating to career, morality, intellectual efficiency, independence and her sense of self in the present and future become clearer and more coherent.  The mother’s development of conscience, ego ideal and identity development, require meaningful and significant interjections and identifications. They are necessary and play a significant role for her and her child throughout the life cycle.
To Be Continued

Saturday, August 25, 2018

Ego Identity and Young Mothers Part 2



To provide insight into the importance of ego identity on the personality development of young, limited educated mothers, I turned to my research that I presented to a professional   association of therapists and school psychologists years ago. In my study, 19 never pregnant adolescents were compared to 19 pregnant adolescents. Both groups were matched according to intelligence and  level of education attained by both father and mother. In the non-pregnant group, 84% of the parents were married and 16% divorced .For the pregnant teens, 53% of their parents were married and 26% divorced. Another difference were that 88% of the mothers, of the never pregnant adolescents, were employed in non-manual occupations compared to 50% of the mothers in the mothers to be group.
Ego identity is an important component in the development of personality. According to Erich H. Erikson, the major task of adolescence was to form an identity by successfully completing [by synthesizing and integrating all previous social roles as well as by incorporating the many new identifications and additional roles] these tasks so the adolescent can develop a sense of ego identity. This means that the adolescents are expected to become increasingly clear about their commitments and values in the areas of personal relationships, career choice, morality, ideology and sex as they prepare for their adult role. If unsuccessful, the adolescent developed a sense of role diffusion instead.
The success or relative lack of success, in this ego identity stage of development, has implications for dealing with the next stage of psychosocial evolution as well. The adolescent in the next psychosocial stage was expected to master the intimacy versus isolation task.  When successful, the adolescent then should be clear about who she is and what she stands for, if she is to establish a mutually satisfying intimate relationship in preparation for marriage. Ego identity personality components follow.
The statistically significant results of my research were as follows: 1. Pregnant teenagers had higher scores associated with identity diffusion. 2. Pregnant teenager’s drawings were more feminine. 3. Non pregnant teens perceived their behavior with less distortion 4. Non pregnant youth had higher self-acceptance scores 5. Non pregnant had less maladjustment scores 6. Non-pregnant had higher dominance scores 7. Non pregnant had higher sociability scores 8. Non pregnant had higher intellectual efficiency scores.
To Be Continued

Friday, August 24, 2018

Ego Identity and Young Mothers

An article titled “Data on Mothers Reveal Schisms across America” in the August 5, 2018 edition of The New York Times highlighted another major concern facing our country. For instance, the age of first time mothers varied according to level of education and geography. Analyzing birth certificates since 1985, they found that women with college degrees, on average, give birth to children 7 years later than women without a degree .These degree women were in their early 30’s while non degree women were in their early 20’s. Moreover, first-time college educated mothers were older and lived in the big cities and on the coasts while the less educated resided in rural areas, the Great Plains and in the South. The researchers found that the first time, less educated and living in the rural areas, Great Plains and South mothers were more conservative and religious; had younger grandparents who lived nearby; were unmarried; had difficulty affording birth control; were economically challenged with unplanned pregnancies; did not consider abortion; and were without a nearby medical provider . These mothers also had identity formation difficulties, along with a dependent personality. Regardless of age, becoming pregnant is easy, but caring full-term and child rearing is difficult. We know that the nutritional and emotional state of the mother is of major importance for her and her embryo. Also, the quality of the mother’s relationship with her partner adds another important positive dimension. On the other hand, the older mothers, the researchers reported, tended to be liberal; splitting bread winning and caregiving responsibilities with men; had middle-class wages; had more years of earned money for investment in children’s lessons and their college accounts, had advanced in their careers before giving birth; tended to be married and were less likely to be divorced. To Be Continued

Sunday, August 19, 2018

Bo's Mental life Part 3

A lack of perfection occurred when Michigan had a punt blocked while playing Missouri in 1969. The following week, in practice, Bo had his players perform numerous punting drills. In fact, he boasted that he would pay a player who could block a punt. Then, the unforgivable happened, and a punt got blocked. Coach Schembechler believed that Jim Brandstatter made the mistake allowing the punt to be blocked. Bo, ran after Brandstatter and caught up to him, yelling, spitting and berating his player. Even though Coach Jerry Hanlon, told Bo that Jim was not at fault, Bo told him that Jim needed it anyway. Once again we see the power of the emotional need for perfection and the fear of failure reality. In other words, the unrealistic drive for perfection and fear of failure go hand-in-hand. Another example of the identification and introjection was illustrated by Bo’s father was when the senior Schembechler was taking a civil service exam for a job promotion. He found out that his competition had the test questions prior. The senior Schembechler went into a rage about how unfair that was. However, playing by the rules were modeled and Incorporated in Bo’s psyche. While Michigan’s head coach, Bo was told of an alumni booster who paid a player to cut his mother’s grass in Buffalo. At the time, the NCAA would have penalized the Wolverines for violating one of their rules. Schembechler told Fritz Seyferth working in the Ad’s office to take away the boosters football tickets, and to that overzealous booster from the football program. The ground floor for Identification, introjection, ego ideal, conscience and self-begin early in the development of one’s mental life. It’s like the standard is set and we add to it with the identification of numerous idols, celebrities, literary figures, stars and so forth throughout a lifetime of experiences. For Bo, there was nothing greater than the roar of the crowd; the adulation; the team; the mastery -satisfaction and all the positive feelings fulfilling his personal ambitions. The losses and all the accompanying negative feelings like guilt, unworthiness, disappointments and shame fueled his fear of failure and drove him in an attempt to obtain perfection. His teams became his family. At times, being human, he was unjust to himself as well. For more about Bo Schembechler and his Wolverines, check out Bo’s Warriors Bo Schembechler and the Transformation of Michigan Football.

Saturday, August 18, 2018

Bo's Mental life Part 2

As an adolescent, Bo did have a fantasy and in his imagination and dreams, he was pitching in the seventh game of the World Series. In reality, Bo had an opportunity to become the hero for his high school baseball team. Bo was brought in as a relief pitcher with the bases-loaded in and all-important playoff game. Unfortunately, Bo gave up a hit that cleared the bases; his team lost; the team was knocked out of championship contention; and Bo never pitched again. Bo, in his psyche, let down his coach, teammates, school, self, and of course mother .In his conscience, he felt a tremendous amount of guilt and shame along with negative self-talk. Within one’s conscience and ego ideal, one’s sense of self gets established. That game loss resulted in being “bad” with tremendous behavioral consequences. It set up and reinforced the dreaded mechanism for fear of failure. Bo’s fear of failure was significantly reinforced again when he played in an all-important and the most physical high school football game of his life. Again, he experienced failure when his team lost that game 7-0. Bo cried after that heartbreaking loss. Those defeats and negative feelings were implanted in the memory of his conscience forever. Psycho dynamically, this was a narcissistic injury for Bo. Other heroes, identification figures, and ego idols for Schembechler included legends from Notre Dame Football like Knute Rockne-the Gipper, The Four Horsemen, and Elmer Layden. Bo wanted to be a star and play football for Notre Dame, but was not recruited. Instead, he was recruited by Sid Gilman from Miami of Ohio. Gilman was fired, and then replaced. Bo’s head coach became Woody Hayes. Once again, another major disappointment and the fear of failure was highlighted and reinforced in Bo’s psyche as he did not become a football hero for the fighting Irish. Bo, essentially learned from Woody Hayes about compensating for the fear of failure through practice and the endless repetition of do overs. Football, like other sports has the human element of making mistakes. Woody, in order to minimize mistakes and shoot for perfection or mastery, ran the same offensive play over and over. The same football repetition occurred when Bo took over as head coach for the University of Michigan. Further, Coach Schembechler had the players performing unorthodox and gut wrenching conditioning during the winter. Once again, one has to become stronger than his opponent and hope that it protects and is a defense against failure. To Be Continued