The Way We Are Madalyn Moorhead Everyone is shaped by their experiences and those they have shared those experiences with. Do you ever wonder what lifelong impact those two factors can have on a person? I often ask myself why others are the way they are when I see them react to a situation and analyze how they react rather it be positive or negative. Due to this curiosity, I fell in love with Psychology. Clinical disorders, which are defined by conditions that can affect mood, thinking, and behavior, are what I could really spend hours learning about. Disorders such as Anxiety, Depression, PTSD, Narcissism, Autism, and so much more can have such an immense impact on a person’s life. Some people’s cases of mental disorders are unrecognizable, and others are quite visibly impacted. I want to know how others brain interprets and processes information and why. Having dealt with Anxiety personally, I know a lot about what your brain tells you and how it can take over your life. Nonetheless, there is so much more I don’t know and that excites me. The list of symptoms for just one disorder can be quite overwhelming. From struggles with social interactions, lack or increase in appetite, to being unable to leave the bed. Many view those who struggle with Mental Health and Clinical disorders as weak or begging for attention, mostly because their illness is not always visible from the outside. A quote by David Dreman said, “Psychology is probably the most important factor in the market-and one that is least understood.” Statistic studies carried out by professors say that “1 in 4 adults suffer from the impacts of mental illness in the U.S. every year. Roughly 11% of youth in the U.S. suffer from Depression, and in 2020 45,979 people committed suicide and 1.20 million attempts were made.” Signs aren’t always obvious, and I believe that’s why many discredit the facts about mental illness. During COVID, however, the effects of isolation, fear, and worry became very apparent, and people began to acknowledge there really was a mental health crisis in our country. By now you may be wondering if there are so many scary statistics about Psychology, why are you so interested? Well, yes, there is a big problem, but there’s also wide variety of ways to treat them. Psychotherapies can consist of so many different techniques that can retrain a person’s brain away from negative thoughts. Through my personal therapy sessions, I have improved so much and learned that life can be scary, but it can be an amazing journey when you push yourself. Sigmund Freud, the creator of Psychoanalysis said, “Out of your vulnerabilities will come your strength.” Being able to allow someone to be vulnerable and therefore allow them to be more of their true selves sounds so rewarding. I want to help others on their journey and not be afraid to live life to the fullest, like my psychologist helped me. Our minds are an amazingly complex place that I want to learn as much as possible about to help others. I cannot wait to be a Psychology major and begin learning the why, what, and when of the brain. It is something I am truly passionate about and have made it my mission in life to help others through the field of psychology. To help them learn why we are the way we are.

The Way We Are Madalyn Moorhead Everyone is shaped by their experiences and those they have shared those experiences with. Do you ever wonder what lifelong impact those two factors can have on a person? I often ask myself why others are the way they are when I see them react to a situation and analyze how they react rather it be positive or negative. Due to this curiosity, I fell in love with Psychology. Clinical disorders, which are defined by conditions that can affect mood, thinking, and behavior, are what I could really spend hours learning about. Disorders such as Anxiety, Depression, PTSD, Narcissism, Autism, and so much more can have such an immense impact on a person’s life. Some people’s cases of mental disorders are unrecognizable, and others are quite visibly impacted. I want to know how others brain interprets and processes information and why. Having dealt with Anxiety personally, I know a lot about what your brain tells you and how it can take over your life. Nonetheless, there is so much more I don’t know and that excites me. The list of symptoms for just one disorder can be quite overwhelming. From struggles with social interactions, lack or increase in appetite, to being unable to leave the bed. Many view those who struggle with Mental Health and Clinical disorders as weak or begging for attention, mostly because their illness is not always visible from the outside. A quote by David Dreman said, “Psychology is probably the most important factor in the market-and one that is least understood.” Statistic studies carried out by professors say that “1 in 4 adults suffer from the impacts of mental illness in the U.S. every year. Roughly 11% of youth in the U.S. suffer from Depression, and in 2020 45,979 people committed suicide and 1.20 million attempts were made.” Signs aren’t always obvious, and I believe that’s why many discredit the facts about mental illness. During COVID, however, the effects of isolation, fear, and worry became very apparent, and people began to acknowledge there really was a mental health crisis in our country. By now you may be wondering if there are so many scary statistics about Psychology, why are you so interested? Well, yes, there is a big problem, but there’s also wide variety of ways to treat them. Psychotherapies can consist of so many different techniques that can retrain a person’s brain away from negative thoughts. Through my personal therapy sessions, I have improved so much and learned that life can be scary, but it can be an amazing journey when you push yourself. Sigmund Freud, the creator of Psychoanalysis said, “Out of your vulnerabilities will come your strength.” Being able to allow someone to be vulnerable and therefore allow them to be more of their true selves sounds so rewarding. I want to help others on their journey and not be afraid to live life to the fullest, like my psychologist helped me. Our minds are an amazingly complex place that I want to learn as much as possible about to help others. I cannot wait to be a Psychology major and begin learning the why, what, and when of the brain. It is something I am truly passionate about and have made it my mission in life to help others through the field of psychology. To help them learn why we are the way we are.