Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Hello!

Today, I’ll talk to you about different treatments for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

The article I chose is called “Obsessive-compulsive disorder. What treatments work for obsessive-compulsive disorder?”, and it tells about treatments for OCD, specially talking therapy and some drugs, as antidepressants and antipsychotics.

It starts with talking therapy. This is called Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and it’s a mixture between two important psychological theories: Behaviourism and Cognitivism.  

The first one refers to the different ways psychologists can help people to live with their condition. The second one refers to how people think about the world, and how these thoughts are related to reality. 

So, this mixture will produce a therapy that pretends the person confronts the things that makes his/her anxious. This part of the therapy is called “exposure”. After this, the therapist asks to the patient to perform a behaviour that makes his/her anxious, for example, touch a dirty thing. The psychology helps to the person to cope without the compulsive behaviour, as wash his/her hands. This part of the therapy is called “response prevention”. The therapist gives homework to the patient that he/she have to do between every session.

For children, this therapy is the first treatment they have to follow.

Everything I say is supported by a lot of investigations.

Then, the authors refer about some kinds of drugs which can help to controle this disorder. The most important are antidepressants, specially “Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)”. This is a drug that increases serotonin, a chemical messenger that improves the signals between neurons. A little amount of this chemical could be one of OCD causes. These are the most successful and used drugs, although these cause some side effects.

When antidepressants don’t work, people take antipsychotic drugs. These help to have fewer symptoms of OCD too. These drugs have side effects too, but they are more dangerous.

 
Electroconvulsive therapy isn’t so used, so I won’t refer to it.

In my opinion, talking therapy must be the first option. When is doesn’t work, drugs are a good option, but both therapies must be together. 

Bye!

My favorite dish

Today, I’ll talk to you about my favorite dish.

My favorite food is costillar and pure. I like it because it’s a typical chilean dish. I’ve eaten this dish a lot of times, but I remember a special occasion. A long time ago, I went to a beautiful place, Pomaire, with all my family. It was a great moment, because we aren’t a united family, so these instants are very valuable for us. In this occasion, we had lunch in a nice restaurant, so typical. I remember the dish was enormous, I think it was the biggest dish I have ever seen. It was delicious. I couldn’t eat full, although I really wanted to eat it, buy my stomach didn’t allow it.

My favorite flavour is the mixture that pure and costillar make. Pure tastes so softly, so it can accompany any dish, and costillar is so juicy, so they make the perfect mix.

I think this dish can be eaten with a little chili. Really, I don’t know what kind of wine is the most appropriate. I don’t understand so much about it.

I have never cooked this dish. I’ve cooked pure, but costillar, never. I think it`s a great dish for a family lunch, or a lunch with friends. I don’t recommend it for dinner, because it can cause discomfort.

I really love this dish, because it’s delicious, and because it remind me a lot of beautiful moments that I lived in my life, with people that I love.

Bye!

My city

Today, I’ll talk to you about Santiago, and the places that can be visited.
I think Santiago is a beautiful city, so there’s a lot of places that a foreigner tourist can visit.

First, La Moneda Palace. This place is related to very important moments in our history, as Coup d’état. Also, it’s a beautiful building. It has long gardens. If you’re lucky, you can see Mrs. President, Michelle Bachelet.

There’s a second place a tourist can go. Central Market is a very typical place, where people can eat fish and shellfish. Also, there’s a big market where people can buy fruits and vegetables, for example.

Third, ‘La Piojera’. La piojera is a typical restaurant. In this place people enjoy the most typical food, as pernil or arrollado huaso. Obviously, you can’t go out without drinking ‘Terremoto’. It’s great!

Fourth, San Cristobal hill. It has a lot of places to visit. You can go to Metropolitan Park, where you can visit Virgin Mary sculpture. Also, you can go to the zoo, where you’ll find all kind of animals. It’s one of my favorites places.

Fifth, Bellas Artes museum. I think it’s one of the most beautiful museums of Santiago. You’ll find very important paints and sculptures, which were painted by chilean and foreigner artists.

There’s a lot of neighbourhoods to visit, as Bellavista or Republica. In there, you’ll have fun!

Bye!

'A un metro de ti'

The last film I saw is called ‘A un metro de ti’. Its plot was about a man and a woman who met each other when they were children, and some years later, they met again by chance, but they didn’t remember that meeting. Immediately, they felt a special bond, so they started a friendship that they confused constantly. Sebastián was a chef who lived in Spain for a long time. He decided to come back to his country and he opened a restaurant. She had a girlfriend who was chef too, but she aspired to something better than that, so their relationship wasn’t easy for them. The woman was called Paula. She was a secretary who was fired recently, so she felt her life was terrible. Also, he lived with her boyfriend, but he didn’t work, so she had to keep up with all of her home expenses. They both felt that their lives were incomplete, so these circumstances caused they felt an attraction to each other that they tried to control as long as they could. 

I liked it so much. First, because it’s so beautiful. The story is simple; it might be the story of a normal person, as me or anybody. Second, I liked it because it was filmed in a lot of places that are very important for me so I remembered a lot of moments when I saw it.

I went to see it at SANFIC Movie Festival with my best friend, so the company was incredible. It was a great day. I recommend this film absolutely. It’s a nice story, so simple, and the actors are fantastic. Really, it’s one of my favourite films.

Transantiago: Before and After

Today, I’m gonna talk about Transantiago System.

Transantiago started on February 10th, 2007. Before that day, we could see yellow buses on Santiago streets. Since that day, everything changed. We could see long lines of people who wanted to go home, but they couldn’t. They had to wait for hours to get on the buses. Everybody was angry, because they felt absolutely humiliated. The system changed the way to travel in the city, because in the past, people could get on one bus and arrived to their destiny, but now, it is not possible. People have to get on a bus, and then, they have to get off and get on another bus. It has been my experience. Really, I didn’t use that means of transport, because usually, I used the subway, but I could feel the change, because suddenly the subway turned into the most important means of transport, so everybody use it. I have to wait a long time to get on the train and we were all squashed together in the tube and it is so uncomfortable.

The old system wasn’t a great system, but it was easier. We didn’t have to change from a bus to another, so we took a shorter time to arrive to our destiny. But everything isn’t so bad. I think the bip! card is a good way to pay the ticket. Now, drivers can concentrate on driving. Also, now drivers earn a basic salary independently of how many people get on the bus. I think that is great.

I think Transantiago has changed for better. Now, there are more buses than in the past, and buses frequency has improved. Obviously, it is not enough, and I hope problems can be resolved soon, for example, buses frequency has to improve everyday, because people are all squashed together yet.

Bye!

A country I'd like to go

Today, I’ll write about a country I’d like to go. 

I’d like to go to France, because it’s a beautiful and interesting country. I don’t know so much about France. I just know about some places that I’d like to visit, as Eiffel tower or Louvre museum. In psychology, we can found Lacan’s school. He was an important follower of Psychoanalyst Theory who developed Freud’s foundations. I’m not psychoanalyst, but this theory is very important, so I think every psychologist have to know something about it.

In there, I’d like to travel all over France; Paris, Marsella, Orléans, etc. I’d like to visit a lot of incredible places, as Eiffel tower. This is a so romantic place, so I’d like to go with a boyfriend or something like that. Also, I’d like to visit triumphal arch and Louvre museum, but the thing I'd like to do the most is sail through the Sena.

Obviously, I’d like to study there, in Sorbona University, for example, because I could increase my knowledge, and I could get important work opportunities. Also, I’d like to work in France, but for a little time. Really, I’d like to work here, in Chile, because I think I have to contribute to my country’s development.

Bye!

Good and bad points

Last term, I learned a lot of things. For example, I discovered psychopathology’s world. I studied some mental disorders and how to diagnose. For the first time, I could see some patients, so I learned about how to interview.

Also, I studied the most important foundations of development and social psychology, and a little approach about neurohistology, but I didn’t like it very much. I think it was a bad point.

In my free time, I enjoyed a lot of great movies that I’d wanted to see since some years ago. “All about my mother” and “Bad Education” are my favourites. The plots are so difficult and many of them are taboo themes, for example, homosexuality or pedophilia.

Also, I read some novels, such as “El Túnel” or “A Orillas del Río Piedra me senté y lloré”. I used to forget psychology, at least for a little time.

I tried to spend my free time with my friends, because the first year in University I couldn’t see them so much, because I was always so busy. We went out as much as I could, and we tried to remember the old days. I really enjoyed their company.

I had to face some family problems that in the past were a little painful, but now, I think they were so useful for my life.

I think that’s all. Good bye!