6/7/11

a mid summer night's dream project home

A Midsummer Night’s Dream
































John E. Fitzgerald Jr.

Frank Williams

English III ISP Honors

Wednesday, June 01, 2011

















Love is a feeling that can almost simultaneously be turn on and off with a quick thought. It turns on when you don’t need it, when you do need it, and when you already have love. It is just a confusing nature of us humans. Same thing happened with the confusion of love within “A Midsummer’s Nights Dream.”































• Theseus

• Hippolyta

• Egeus

• Germia

• Lysander

• Demetrius

• Helena

• Robin Goodfellow

• Oberon

• Titania

• Nick Bottom

• Peter Quince

• Francis Flute

• Robin Starveling

• Tom Snout

• Snug

• Philostrate

• Peaseblossom

• Cobweb

• Mote

• Mustardseed



John E. Fitzgerald Jr.

Frank Williams

English III honors

Wednesday, June 01, 2011



A Midsummer Night’s Dream



A Midsummer’s Nights Dream is about a love quadrilateral. The main characters are Puck, Oberon, Titania, Lysander, Demetrius, Hermia, Helena, Egeus, Theseus, Hippolyta, Nick Bottom, Peter Quince, Francis Flute, Robin Starveling, Tom Snout, Snug, Philostrate, Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Mote, and Mustardseed. Puck “Also known as Robin Goodfellow, Puck is Oberon’s jester, a mischievous fairy who delights in playing pranks on mortals. Though A Midsummer Night’s Dream divides its action between several groups of characters, Puck is the closest thing the play has to a protagonist. His enchanting, mischievous spirit pervades the atmosphere, and his antics are responsible for many of the complications that propel the other main plots: he mistakes the young Athenians, applying the love potion to Lysander instead of Demetrius, thereby causing chaos within the group of young lovers; he also transforms Bottom’s head into that of an ass”(Sparknotes).



The character Oberon, “The king of the fairies. Oberon begins the play at odds with his wife, Titania, because she refuses to relinquish control of a young Indian prince whom she has kidnapped, but whom Oberon wants for a knight. Oberon’s desire for revenge on Titania leads him to send Robin to obtain the love-potion flower that creates so much of the play’s confusion and farce”(Sparknotes). My favorite character is Lysander, he is, “A young nobleman of Athens in love with Hermia. Although Hermia’s father refuses to let her marry Lysander, Lysander believes that love must conquer all obstacles, so he persuades Hermia to run away from her home and family with him, into the forest”(Sparknotes). Lysander is like an average teen love story. He loves a girl whos father doesn’t like him and they plan to run away to be together. Even though most of the time it doesn’t work, it is still noble of him.



Demetrius is a player in modern slang, or he just can’t make up his mind. He is, “A young nobleman of Athens. In the past, Demetrius acted as if he loved Helena, but after Helena fell in love with him, he changed his mind and pursued Hermia. Emboldened by Egeus’s approval of him, Demetrius is undeterred by the fact that Hermia does not want him” (Sparknotes). Hermia the girl he loves but has no change with is, “Egeus’s daughter. Hermia is a beautiful young woman of Athens, and both Demetrius and Lysander are in love with her. Hermia defies her father’s wish that she marry Demetrius because she is in love with Lysander. She is unusually strong-willed and independent—refusing to comply even when Theseus orders her to obey her father—and resolved to elope with Lysander. Hermia is also the childhood friend of Helena (Sparknotes).



Helena the girl that Demetrius acted as though he loved is, “A young woman of Athens in love with Demetrius. Helena has been rejected and abandoned by Demetrius, who had claimed to love her before he met her best friend, Hermia. Consequently, Helena tends to speak in a self-pitying tone. Moreover, she puts herself in dangerous and humiliating situations, running through the forest at night after Demetrius even though Demetrius wants nothing to do with her”(Sparknote). Egeus, the father of Hermia, “A respected nobleman in Theseus’s court. Egeus complains to Theseus that his daughter, Hermia, refuses to marry Demetrius, Egeus’s choice for her. Egeus’s wish to control his daughter is quite severe—he asks Theseus to impose the death penalty on her if she refuses to marry Demetrius. Theseus, however, reduces the penalty for noncompliance from death to life as a nun” (Sparknotes).



Theseus is, “The duke of Athens. Theseus is a hero from Greek mythology—he refers to the fact that he’s Hercules' cousin at one point—so his presence signals to the reader that the play takes place in a mythical Greek past. At the beginning of the play, Theseus has recently returned from conquering the Amazons, a race of warrior women, and is about to marry the conquered Amazon queen, Hippolyta. Because of this impending wedding, the mood of the play is one of holiday festivity, characterized by a heightened sense of erotic expectation and anticipation. Theseus himself projects confidence, authority, and benevolent power” (Sparknotes). Hippolyta is a very strong woman, “the legendary queen of the Amazons, engaged to marry Theseus. Although Hippolyta is marrying Theseus because he defeated her in combat, she does not act at all like an unwilling bride. Theseus is very courtly in his manner toward Hippolyta, and she is unfailingly deferential toward him” (Sparknotes).



Nick Bottom is an innocent civilian that got dragged into every by mistake, “The overconfident weaver chosen to play Pyramus in a play that a group of craftsmen have decided to put on for Theseus’s wedding celebration. Bottom is full of advice and self-confidence but frequently makes silly mistakes and misuses language. His simultaneous nonchalance about the beautiful Titania’s sudden love for him and unawareness of the fact that Puck has transformed his head into that of an ass mark the pinnacle of his foolish arrogance” (sparknotes). Peter Quince is, “A carpenter and the nominal leader of the craftsmen’s attempt to put on a play for Theseus’s marriage celebration. Quince is often shoved aside by the abundantly confident Bottom. During the craftsmen’s play, Quince plays the Prologue (Sparknotes).



Francis Flute is one of those manly men that aren’t afriad to look weak. He’s the, “The bellows-mender chosen to play Thisbe in the craftsmen’s play for Theseus’s marriage celebration. Forced to play a young girl in love, the bearded craftsman determines to speak his lines in a high, squeaky voice” (Sparknotes). Robin Starveling is really not a big part in “A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream”. He is the costume designer/tailor in the craftsmen’s play for the marriage. The wall in the play within a play is Tom Snout, “The tinker chosen to play Pyramus’s father in the craftsmen’s play for Theseus’s marriage celebration. Tom Snout ends up playing the part of Wall, dividing the two lovers” (Sparknotes).



Snug, a lion is just a caring loving man, too caring, “The joiner chosen to play the lion in the craftsmen’s play for Theseus’s marriage celebration. Snug worries that his roaring will frighten the ladies in the audience” (Sparknotes). Philostrate, “Theseus’s Master of the Revels, responsible for organizing the entertainment for the duke’s marriage celebration” (Sparknotes). The fairies whom are Peaseblossom, Cobew, Mote, and Mustardseed can all be categorized at once. They all wait on Nick Bottoms every whim because Titania tells them to do so.

The play was composed between 95-96, and I mean 1595-1596. This is an old piece of artwork that the author William Shakespeare wrote. Before we get into that though, let’s get a basis to which Shakespeare was and still is. He was born about 1564 and passed 1616 on his 52 birthday. We cannot totally pin point a date he was born because they did not keep records of births then. The earlier record was when he was baptized on the 26th of April 1564. So typically his baptized date is considered his birth date also. During his life, he wrote about 37 plays and 154 sonnets. We all know what plays are, but sonnets are, “poems of fourteen lines using any of a number of formal rhyme schemes, in English typically having ten syllables per line” (About.com).

Now “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is the base of three love couples. Theseus who is the duke of Athens and Hippolyta who is the queen of the Amazons. Theseues dethroned Hippolta to take over their land and now he is marring her to create a superior race. Lysander who is in love with Hermia but Hermia’s father doesn’t want her to marry him. Helena who is in love with Demetrius but Demetrius does not love her, he is in love with Helenas good friend Hermia. These are the three love couples and you can already see the problems going on in the relationships.



Now since Theseus over throne Hippolyta, why would she want to marry him? She doesn’t; she is being forced too but does not act hostile nor negative towards him. She just goes with the flow of the relationship. This may be because she knows she and her people are in the grasps of the Athenians. In modern time, something like this would never happen. My theory of why she is doing this is to save her people. Saving them by soothing what Theseus does with the land. She knows after awhile from being married, she can persuade Theseus to do certain things. Or this can seen a forced true love where someone is forced to marry someone else and eventually feeling grow and the couple stop pretending to like each other and really start too.



Lysander and Hermia are so called Romeo and Juliet of the play. Their love is true and pure, pure as a teenagers love carelessly thrown around. Since Hermia’s father doesn’t want her to marry Lysander, she is either destined for death or to be a nun. Hermia’s father wants her to marry Demetrius who her father thinks is a very noble man. Her father has the authority to choose who she marries because she is his property. He also has the power to do what he wants with her, either to behead her or make her a nun for life.



The man known as Demetrius is seen as a mischievous and womanizer because he is said to wooed Helena with his moves but this left her. He did all the work necessary to make the girl fall in love with him but then he changes his mind and decided to pursue Hermia who is already in love with Lysander. How did Demetrius get Hermia’s father’s approval knowing about Helena? My best bet is your best bet.



Since Hermia’s father doesn’t approval of Lysander, he gives her a month to think about it and if she changes her mind then they will go on with the wedding, if not then who knows what will happen. Then Lysander tells Hermia about his aunt that lives in the woods. The woods that are outside of Athens. If you are outside of Athens, then Athenian law does not apply to you. She would then be able to marry Lysander no matter what.

Hermia and Lysander sneaks into the woods at night fall so it is less noticeable. Hermia also tells Helena about her and Lysander’s plans are. Helena wishes her the best of luck and off is Hermia. Helena then tells Demetrius about what Hermia and Lysander have in plan. Demetrius then runs off into the forest too. He thinks he can win over Hermia from Lysander. Since Helena is in love with Demetrius, she also runs into the forest after him.

In the forest the men from Athens sets up their play for the wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta. Mean while the super natural characters start to come into action. Oberon is angry at Titania because she stole an Indian boy from a kings and wants to do what she wishes with him. Oberon wants the boy for himself to accompany him through the dangers of the forest. All Titania does is put flowers in his hair. After Titania walks away, Oberon tells one of the fairies to get a flower on the other side of the world. The flower was the creations of cupid’s arrow that was misguided by a moon beam that was head towards a virgin. The flowers used to be white, but are now purple from the arrows poison. If the flower is obtained and the juices from it are put into the eye lids of someone, the first living creature that they see they will fall in love with.

Oberon also tells the fairies to put the juice into the Athenian boy’s eyes. Oberon is talking about Demetrius, but the fairy sees Lysander instead. While Lysander is sleeping on the ground, Helena walks by and doesn’t know if he is dead or alive. She wakes him up and he falls in love.

Mean while, one of the fairies also changes the head off one of the play actors to that of an ass; a donkey. While walking, he trips over Titania and she falls in love with him. They make love and tell the fairies to take care and get him anything he needs. The love poison also finds its way into Demetrius eyes and makes him fall in love with Helena once again.

This is not the end of the play even, there is still much to go. The poison from cupid’s arrow represents love at first sight. Also that love is like a child, always making foolish mistakes. The people in the play believe in love at first sight. To believe in cupid is a sign that they do not believe they have control over their love emotions.



Works Cited

“Also known as Robin Goodfellow, Puck is Oberon’s jester, a mischievous fairy who delights in playing pranks on mortals. Though A Midsummer Night’s Dream divides its action between several groups of characters, Puck is the closest thing the play has to a protagonist. His enchanting, mischievous spirit pervades the atmosphere, and his antics are responsible for many of the complications that propel the other main plots: he mistakes the young Athenians, applying the love potion to Lysander instead of Demetrius, thereby causing chaos within the group of young lovers; he also transforms Bottom’s head into that of an ass”(Sparknotes).



“The king of the fairies. Oberon begins the play at odds with his wife, Titania, because she refuses to relinquish control of a young Indian prince whom she has kidnapped, but whom Oberon wants for a knight. Oberon’s desire for revenge on Titania leads him to send Robin to obtain the love-potion flower that creates so much of the play’s confusion and farce”.(Sparknotes.com)



“The duke of Athens. Theseus is a hero from Greek mythology—he refers to the fact that he’s Hercules' cousin at one point—so his presence signals to the reader that the play takes place in a mythical Greek past. At the beginning of the play, Theseus has recently returned from conquering the Amazons, a race of warrior women, and is about to marry the conquered Amazon queen, Hippolyta. Because of this impending wedding, the mood of the play is one of holiday festivity, characterized by a heightened sense of erotic expectation and anticipation. Theseus himself projects confidence, authority, and benevolent power.”(Sparknotes.com)



“A respected nobleman in Theseus’s court. Egeus complains to Theseus that his daughter, Hermia, refuses to marry Demetrius, Egeus’s choice for her. Egeus’s wish to control his daughter is quite severe—he asks Theseus to impose the death penalty on her if she refuses to marry Demetrius. Theseus, however, reduces the penalty for noncompliance from death to life as a nun.”(Sparknotes.com)



“Egeus’s daughter. Hermia is a beautiful young woman of Athens, and both Demetrius and Lysander are in love with her. Hermia defies her father’s wish that she marry Demetrius because she is in love with Lysander. She is unusually strong-willed and independent—refusing to comply even when Theseus orders her to obey her father—and resolved to elope with Lysander. Hermia is also the childhood friend of Helena.”(Sparknotes.com)



“A young nobleman of Athens in love with Hermia. Although Hermia’s father refuses to let her marry Lysander, Lysander believes that love must conquer all obstacles, so he persuades Hermia to run away from her home and family with him, into the forest.”(Sparknotes.com)



“A young nobleman of Athens. In the past, Demetrius acted as if he loved Helena, but after Helena fell in love with him, he changed his mind and pursued Hermia. Emboldened by Egeus’s approval of him, Demetrius is undeterred by the fact that Hermia does not want him.”(Sparknotes.com)



“A young woman of Athens in love with Demetrius. Helena has been rejected and abandoned by Demetrius, who had claimed to love her before he met her best friend, Hermia. Consequently, Helena tends to speak in a self-pitying tone. Moreover, she puts herself in dangerous and humiliating situations, running through the forest at night after Demetrius even though Demetrius wants nothing to do with her.”(Sparknotes)



“A “puck” or mischievous fairy who delights in playing pranks on mortals; he is sometimes referred to simply as Puck. Robin is Oberon’s jester, and his antics are responsible for many of the complications that propel the play. At Oberon’s bidding, Robin sprinkles “love juice” in the eyes of various characters to change who they love, but he makes mistakes in his application that create conflicts Oberon never intended. Though Robin claims to make these mistakes honestly, he enjoys the conflict and mayhem that his mistakes cause.”(Sparknotes.com)



“The king of the fairies. Oberon begins the play at odds with his wife, Titania, because she refuses to relinquish control of a young Indian prince whom she has kidnapped, but whom Oberon wants for a knight. Oberon’s desire for revenge on Titania leads him to send Robin to obtain the love-potion flower that creates so much of the play’s confusion and farce.”(Sparknotes.com)

“The beautiful queen of the fairies. Titania resists the attempts of her husband, Oberon, to make a knight of the young Indian prince whom she has taken. Until Oberon gives up his demand, Titania has sworn to avoid his company and his bed. She is less upset by the fact that she and Oberon are apart than by the fact that Oberon has been disrupting her and her followers' magic fairy dances.”(Sparknotes.com)



“The overconfident weaver chosen to play Pyramus in a play that a group of craftsmen have decided to put on for Theseus’s wedding celebration. Bottom is full of advice and self-confidence but frequently makes silly mistakes and misuses language. His simultaneous nonchalance about the beautiful Titania’s sudden love for him and unawareness of the fact that Puck has transformed his head into that of an ass mark the pinnacle of his foolish arrogance.”(Sparknotes.com)



“A carpenter and the nominal leader of the craftsmen’s attempt to put on a play for Theseus’s marriage celebration. Quince is often shoved aside by the abundantly confident Bottom. During the craftsmen’s play, Quince plays the Prologue.”(Sparknotes.com)

“The bellows-mender chosen to play Thisbe in the craftsmen’s play for Theseus’s marriage celebration. Forced to play a young girl in love, the bearded craftsman determines to speak his lines in a high, squeaky voice.”(Sparknotes.com)

“The tinker chosen to play Pyramus’s father in the craftsmen’s play for Theseus’s marriage celebration. Tom Snout ends up playing the part of Wall, dividing the two lovers” (Sparknotes.com)



“The joiner chosen to play the lion in the craftsmen’s play for Theseus’s marriage celebration. Snug worries that his roaring will frighten the ladies in the audience” (Sparknotes.com).



“Theseus’s Master of the Revels, responsible for organizing the entertainment for the duke’s marriage celebration” (Sparknotes.com)



“poems of fourteen lines using any of a number of formal rhyme schemes, in English typically having ten syllables per line” (About.com).



































Bibliography



Crowther, John, ed. “No Fear A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2005. Web. 2 Jun. 2011.



R. Moore. "A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Introduction." eNotes: A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Ed. Penny Satoris. Seattle: Enotes.com Inc, October 2002. eNotes.com. 2 June 2011. .



Friedlander M.D. Ed. “Emjoyinh “A Midsummers Night’s Dream”, By William Shakespeare.” pathguy.com. 2 June 2011.



Bevington, David. "'But We Are Spirits of Another Sort': The Dark Side of Love and Magic in A Midsummer Night's Dream". A Midsummer Night's Dream. Ed. Richard Dutton. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1996. 24–35.



Buchanan, Judith. 2005. Shakespeare on Film. Harlow: Pearson. ISBN 0-582-43716-4. Ch. 5, pp. 121–149.



Howard, Jean E. "Feminist Criticism". Shakespeare: An Oxford Guide. Eds. Stanley Wells and Lena Cowen Orlin, eds. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. 411–423.

4/12/11

OCD project notes/research used for project

What is OCD?


-When was it discovered

-who discovered it

-popular people in history that may have or had OCD



what is anxiety?

-When was it discovered

-who discovered it

-popular people in history that may have or had OCD



Terminology used with the ideas of OCD.

-OCD

-obsessed

-washers

-checkers

-doubters/sinners

-counters/arrangers

-hoarders



What are the symptoms of OCD?

-Unwanted behaviors

-Unwanted thoughts

-Checking person, place, or things repeatedly.

-Constant counting

-Do things a certain amount of times

-Making things extremely orderly but makes no sense of the order to anyone else except the one person

-Pictures, words, images, or scenarios that the person cannot get out of their head(disturbing nature)

-Thinking about the “What if’s” in life.

-Hoarding of objects, pets, clothes, trash, etc.

Not touching anything publicly used for fear of germs.

^Just an overview.



What are some of the most abnormal behaviors of someone with OCD?

Even numbers of steps- Some people count their footsteps to make sure they move each leg the same amount. You can point these people out if you see them constantly looking at their feet or counting/mumbling numbers as they walk. Ex: I always start walking on my right foot and i always end on my left.



What are other disorders similar to OCD?

Tic Disorders/ Tourette Syndrome-

Trichotillomania (Compulsive hair pulling-

Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)-

Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder(OCPD)- Both have problems with making long lists, having things perfect(perfectionism) and hoarding.

Asperser’s Disorder and Autism- Both have routines/ habits and obsessions interests in certain persons, places or things.

Impulse control Disorders- Both have great urges to repeat certain habits and have problems paying attention.

Psychotic disorders/ Schizophrenia- Both Psychotic disorders/ Schizophrenia have strange or bizarre thoughts and thoughts that include sexual, violent and or religious topics.



What age group is most likely to have OCD the most?

From the ages 15 to 44 are the ages that people mostly suffer from a mental illness. Children are most common to ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Kids between 7 and 12 is when they normally become diagnosed with OCD. There are an estimated 1% of all children in America experienced an OCD disorder, ritual, or obsession.



What kind of medication do people use for OCD?

Two types of medication that is proven to be the most effective with OCD are “tricvlic antidepressants (TCAs) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

Some specific band drugs are listed below:

Clomipramine (Anafranil)

Fluoxetine (Prozac)

Fluvoxamine (Lovox)

Sertraline (Zoloft)

Paroxetine (Paxil)

Citalopram (Celexa)



How likely is a child to get OCD if a parent has it?

There is no real statistic but children with parents that have OCD are much more likely to develop OCD later in life. Even if you cannot be seen, some children when they grow up develop a certain amount of the OCD habits like perfectionism.



Examples of people with OCD habits.

Obsessions:

1. Fear of dirt or germs

2. Disgust with bodily waste or fluids

3. Concern with order, symmetry and exactness (Perfectisum)

4. Worry that something has been done wrong.

5. Fear of thinking evil/sinful thoughts

6. Need of constants reassurance.

7. Fear of harming someone or something.

Compulsion

1. Cleaning/grooming: Washing hands, showering and brushing teeth.

2. Checking drawers, door locks, and appliances to make sure they are off, shut or locked.

3. Repeating actions like going in and out of a door, sitting down and getting back up, and touching something several times.

4. Ordering and arranging items in certain ways

5. Counting to certain numbers, letters over and over again.

6. Hoarding items like trash.

7. Always asking for permission and approval.



*Product 1: Statistics of different scenarios of people with OCD.

• Approximately 2.3% of the population between ages 18- 54 suffers from OCD, more than any other mental and emotional based challenges such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or panic disorders. Approximately 1 in 50 people are affected.

• Half of the people in America with OCD are considered severe cases.

• OCD is found in all ethnic groups. Both men and women are equal. But in children, OCD is more prevalent in boys.

• 1/3 to a half of all sufferers will find OCD rooted in childhood, with a fractional percentage showing signs of OCD as early as pro-school. In most cases, symptoms of OCD will start to show as a teenager.

• The age of onset of OCD is 6-15 for males and 20-29 for females. New cases of OCD after 40 are rare.

• The average age of people with OCD is 19.

• Less than 10% of people with OCD will seek effective treatment.

• Most people will go years without treatment (6-9) before seeking any form of treatment due to embarrassment and denial.

• OCD is not a consistent condition, it changes over time. There may be periods where the symptoms disperse and seem to go away but then come back. Others can see a steady increase in intensity and frequency of the obsessions.

• People with OCD are often diagnosed with other conditions such as social anxiety, anorexia, nervosa, bulimia nervosa, tourettes, trichotillomania, generalized anxiety disorder, ADHA, Asperser syndrome, Di-polar,…etc.

• There is a higher risk of substance abuse and addiction of those who have anxiety disorders.







*Product 2: Probability of people having OCD due to age, sex, location, parents …etc.



*Product 3: Display of graphs of data collected and researched.











*Product 1: Expository essay on OCD.



Have you ever thought you were obsessed about something? Have you ever seen someone else obsessed about something? You most likely have, because 2.8% of all Americans have obsessive-compulsion disorder (OCD). You’ve probably heard of this disorder before but only have an extreme point of view for it as people hoarding animals, trash, and useless items. Not everyone who has OCD goes to extremes; many like me just have an algorithm on how to do things a certain way so it makes other things work faster and run smoother.

What is OCD even? Obsessive-compulsion disorder is a form of an anxiety disorder. An anxiety disorder is a psychological and physiological involving people’s minds, behavior, and the function of living systems as far as distinguishing the chemical breakdown of the mind or other living organisms. An anxiety disorder is used by doctors to cover up many different problems. If a doctor tried to write a list of everything wrong with a person, the paper could be four miles long. There are countless anxiety disorders out there like panic, OCD, post-traumatic stress(PTSD), social anxiety; phobias that can be listed a separate problem for each phobia, and generalized anxiety disorder. That is just a couple. Symptoms of anxiety can be panic, fear, uneasiness, obsessive thoughts, nightmares, ritualistic behaviors, problems sleeping, and muscle tension.

In history, there was no thing as anxiety or OCD. There was only a very general view of mental illness. These mental disorders could be a crazy man or just someone who was born deformed or mentally handicap. In ancient Greece and Rome, mental illness was thought of being caused by spirits or demons. Early Babylonian, Chinese, and Egyptian civilizations viewed mental illness as possessions and used exorcisms. Sometimes its involved beatings, restraint, and starvation to try and drive the spirits, soles, or demons out from their victim. One ancient scholar did not agree with the theory of mental illness. Hippocrates believed in natural origins. That the mental illness was a natural cause from the body. He also did not try to drive demons out of a body. He tried to rehabilitate a person through rest, bathing, exercise, and dieting. Another ancient scholar named Plato saw mental illness as experiences that shaped an adult’s behaviors. Up to about 1910, habits that reflected OCD were still seen as possessed from the devil. Then a man named Sigmund Freud attributed the habits as Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior. Then behavior was changed to disorder, this is how OCD came along. He saw these habits as “unconscious conflicts that manifest as symptoms”. Now in modern time, people know everything they did in the past was uncalled for because we learned about it more.

The world has also learned about the brain activity of OCD patients. They have not fully found that cause but they have found hints and clues. Studies of people with OCD show that with brain scans, their brain activity is different than other people. They have different circuitry within certain parts of the brain like the striatum. People diagnosed with OCD also have an imbalance of dopamine and serotonin chemicals in many regions of the brain. Dopamine’s chemical formula is C6H3(OH)2-CH2-CH2-NH2. It has many functions in the brain such as behavior, cognition, voluntary movement, motivation, punishment, and reward. Serotonin’s chemical formula is C10H12N2O. It is actually not a hormone. It is said to be linked with feeling of happiness or well being. It is stored mostly in the gut where it regulates intestinal movements, the rest of it if found in the CNS in the body.

There are many very famous and historic figures in the United States that had OCD. There are a few like Albert Einstein. He suffered from dyslexia. He also had very bad memory; he would forget the months in a year but would solve the hardest mathematical problem in no time. Charles Darwin also had OCD. His symptoms are still unknown but he is said to have symptoms showing by the age of sixteen and became incapacitating around the age of twenty-eight. Thomas ‘Stonewall’ Jackson who was a confederate general during the Civil War also had OCD. His symptoms are also not listed but it is know he had it.

There are categories for some OCD habits. The category of “Obsessed” is used when someone is fixated on an object or subject. That is all they think about. This could also be a general label for all OCD patients as well. Another group of OCD behavior is called “Washers”. This is for the large kind of people who keep extreme cleanliness. They wash, scrub, and disinfect everything. They do this in fear of their children getting sick, the house getting too messy, and for other reasons as of what other people will think of them if they see a dirty house or a piece of dirt on their hand. “Checkers” is a community of people who double, triple, and quadruple check thins as doors, locks, where their children are, and if someone is ok. They check to make sure appliances are off, the house alarm is on, and if they turned off their car lights. “Doubters/Sinners” are similar to “Checkers” but not fully. “Doubters/Sinners” do check things over and over again but then think that something bad will happen or they will get in trouble if they do not. They think the worst of thinks in all situations. Now “Counters/Arrangers” are the kind that need everything put symmetrically. Everything is lined up perfect on the shelf, the chalk on the board is all the same length, and nothing is out of order. This also goes with the principle of “Perfectisum”. Hoarders are the most popular classification of OCD habits. It’s so famous because it is so extreme and the show “Hoarders” on “A&E television” show the inside struggles from it. Hoarders are collectors of anything. Some collect specific things such as animals, trash, dolls, or just things in general like junkmen. In intense cases, their houses become cluttered with all the items. Cluttered enough that you cannot go through the house without leading and avoiding objects without knocking them down.

You can even organize the symptoms of OCD even more by categorizing them into “Obsessed” and “Compulsions”. Obsessions are things like the fear of dirt, disgust with bodily waste/fluids, and concern with order, symmetry and exactness; other words (Perfectisum). Compulsions are things like cleaning, checking things, repeating actions, and asking for permission and approval.

There is so much to do with just the mental illness of OCD. It branches off in so many directions it’s hard to keep up. You can always learn more. Before you know it, you might want to be a psychologist.





Obsessions:

8. Fear of dirt or germs

9. Disgust with bodily waste or fluids

10. Concern with order, symmetry and exactness (Perfectisum)

11. Worry that something has been done wrong.

12. Fear of thinking evil/sinful thoughts

13. Need of constants reassurance.

14. Fear of harming someone or something.

Compulsion

8. Cleaning/grooming: Washing hands, showering and brushing teeth.

9. Checking drawers, door locks, and appliances to make sure they are off, shut or locked.

10. Repeating actions like going in and out of a door, sitting down and getting back up, and touching something several times.

11. Ordering and arranging items in certain ways

12. Counting to certain numbers, letters over and over again.

13. Hoarding items like trash.

14. Always asking for permission and approval.









*Product 2: Power point of all other information collected within other subjects.





*Product 3: Perswasive Essay on the positives of OCD.



Introduction

Are you lazy? Maybe you should have OCD. OCD is Obsessive-Compulsion disorder. It is an anxiety disorder that make you do something longer than it is necessary or more times than necessary. There are different levels of OCD though, from mild and down, it’s not too bad of a thing.

1st reason- You get stuff done; not being lazy

Some people are obsessed with cleaning. Cleaning is always good to a degree. If you wake up everyday and clean your television or vacuum your carpet, then you’ll have it for a long time.

2nd reason- Everyone needs some kind of anxiety

3rd reason- Id the ocd symptoms are positive, you can be a great effect on others

Closing









*Product 1: What’s different with brain activity in normal people and people with OCD?



The world has also learned about the brain activity of OCD patients. They have not fully found that cause but they have found hints and clues. Studies of people with OCD show that with brain scans, their brain activity is different than other people. They have different circuitry within certain parts of the brain like the striatum. People diagnosed with OCD also have an imbalance of dopamine and serotonin chemicals in many regions of the brain. Dopamine’s chemical formula is C6H3(OH)2-CH2-CH2-NH2. It has many functions in the brain such as behavior, cognition, voluntary movement, motivation, punishment, and reward. Serotonin’s chemical formula is C10H12N2O. It is actually not a hormone. It is said to be linked with feeling of happiness or well being. It is stored mostly in the gut where it regulates intestinal movements, the rest of it if found in the CNS in the body.





*Product 2: What medicine is used to treat OCD?

Two types of medication that is proven to be the most effective with OCD are “tricvlic antidepressants (TCAs) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

Some specific band drugs are listed below:

Clomipramine (Anafranil)

Fluoxetine (Prozac)

Fluvoxamine (Lovox)

Sertraline (Zoloft)

Paroxetine (Paxil)

Citalopram (Celexa)



*Product 3: What are other disorders/diseases that are linked or similar to OCD?

Tic Disorders/ Tourette Syndrome-

Trichotillomania (Compulsive hair pulling-

Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)-

Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder(OCPD)- Both have problems with making long lists, having things perfect(perfectionism) and hoarding.

Asperser’s Disorder and Autism- Both have routines/ habits and obsessions interests in certain persons, places or things.

Impulse control Disorders- Both have great urges to repeat certain habits and have problems paying attention.

Psychotic disorders/ Schizophrenia- Both Psychotic disorders/ Schizophrenia have strange or bizarre thoughts and thoughts that include sexual, violent and or religious topics.



Product 1: How different societies viewed mental illnesses and how they viewed it over time.



In ancient Greece and Rome, mental illness was thought of being caused by spirits or demons. Early Babylonian, Chinese, and Egyptian civilizations viewed mental illness as possessions and used exorcisms. Sometimes its involved beatings, restraint, and starvation to try and drive the spirits, soles, or demons out from their victim. One ancient scholar did not agree with the theory of mental illness. Hippocrates believed in natural origins. That the mental illness was a natural cause from the body. He also did not try to drive demons out of a body. He tried to rehabilitate a person through rest, bathing, exercise, and dieting. Another ancient scholar named Plato saw mental illness as experiences that shaped an adult’s behaviors.





*Product 2: What societies thought about OCD in different times?



Up to about 1910, habits that reflected OCD were still seen as possessed from the devil. Then a man named Sigmund Freud attributed the habits as Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior. Then behavior was changed to disorder, this is how OCD came along. He saw these habits as “unconscious conflicts that manifest as symptoms”. Present day, people think of OCD as a mental illness that could be moderate or greatly bad. When people think of OCD now, they think of extremists that pick their skin, hoard animals/trash, touch a door knob seven times or are very clean, un-germy people.



*Product 3: Who in American history could have/ had OCD?



There are many very famous and historic figures in the United States that had OCD. There are a few like Albert Einstein. He suffered from dyslexia. He also had very bad memory; he would forget the months in a year but would solve the hardest mathematical problem in no time. Charles Darwin also had OCD. His symptoms are still unknown but he is said to have symptoms showing by the age of sixteen and became incapacitating around the age of twenty-eight. Thomas ‘Stonewall’ Jackson who was a confederate general during the Civil War also had OCD. His symptoms are also not listed but it is know he had it.









Ideas:



http://www.brainphysics.com/ocdfaq.php





http://anxiety.stjoes.ca/obsessive.htm





http://www.ocfoundation.org/relateddisorders.aspx

OCD SIP2 PRESENTATION

Expository Essay



OCD Project

ISP

4/7/2011 9:10:59 AM





Have you ever thought you were obsessed about something? Have you ever seen someone else obsessed about something? You most likely have, because 2.8% of all Americans have obsessive-compulsion disorder (OCD). You’ve probably heard of this disorder before but only have an extreme point of view for it as people hoarding animals, trash, and useless items. Not everyone who has OCD goes to extremes; many like me just have an algorithm on how to do things a certain way so it makes other things work faster and run smoother.

What is OCD even? Obsessive-compulsion disorder is a form of an anxiety disorder. An anxiety disorder is a psychological and physiological involving people’s minds, behavior, and the function of living systems as far as distinguishing the chemical breakdown of the mind or other living organisms. An anxiety disorder is used by doctors to cover up many different problems. If a doctor tried to write a list of everything wrong with a person, the paper could be four miles long. There are countless anxiety disorders out there like panic, OCD, post-traumatic stress(PTSD), social anxiety; phobias that can be listed a separate problem for each phobia, and generalized anxiety disorder. That is just a couple. Symptoms of anxiety can be panic, fear, uneasiness, obsessive thoughts, nightmares, ritualistic behaviors, problems sleeping, and muscle tension.

In history, there was no thing as anxiety or OCD. There was only a very general view of mental illness. These mental disorders could be a crazy man or just someone who was born deformed or mentally handicap. In ancient Greece and Rome, mental illness was thought of being caused by spirits or demons. Early Babylonian, Chinese, and Egyptian civilizations viewed mental illness as possessions and used exorcisms. Sometimes its involved beatings, restraint, and starvation to try and drive the spirits, soles, or demons out from their victim. One ancient scholar did not agree with the theory of mental illness. Hippocrates believed in natural origins. That the mental illness was a natural cause from the body. He also did not try to drive demons out of a body. He tried to rehabilitate a person through rest, bathing, exercise, and dieting. Another ancient scholar named Plato saw mental illness as experiences that shaped an adult’s behaviors. Up to about 1910, habits that reflected OCD were still seen as possessed from the devil. Then a man named Sigmund Freud attributed the habits as Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior. Then behavior was changed to disorder, this is how OCD came along. He saw these habits as “unconscious conflicts that manifest as symptoms”. Now in modern time, people know everything they did in the past was uncalled for because we learned about it more.

The world has also learned about the brain activity of OCD patients. They have not fully found that cause but they have found hints and clues. Studies of people with OCD show that with brain scans, their brain activity is different than other people. They have different circuitry within certain parts of the brain like the striatum. People diagnosed with OCD also have an imbalance of dopamine and serotonin chemicals in many regions of the brain. Dopamine’s chemical formula is C6H3(OH)2-CH2-CH2-NH2. It has many functions in the brain such as behavior, cognition, voluntary movement, motivation, punishment, and reward. Serotonin’s chemical formula is C10H12N2O. It is actually not a hormone. It is said to be linked with feeling of happiness or well being. It is stored mostly in the gut where it regulates intestinal movements, the rest of it if found in the CNS in the body.

There are many very famous and historic figures in the United States that had OCD. There are a few like Albert Einstein. He suffered from dyslexia. He also had very bad memory; he would forget the months in a year but would solve the hardest mathematical problem in no time. Charles Darwin also had OCD. His symptoms are still unknown but he is said to have symptoms showing by the age of sixteen and became incapacitating around the age of twenty-eight. Thomas ‘Stonewall’ Jackson who was a confederate general during the Civil War also had OCD. His symptoms are also not listed but it is know he had it.

There are categories for some OCD habits. The category of “Obsessed” is used when someone is fixated on an object or subject. That is all they think about. This could also be a general label for all OCD patients as well. Another group of OCD behavior is called “Washers”. This is for the large kind of people who keep extreme cleanliness. They wash, scrub, and disinfect everything. They do this in fear of their children getting sick, the house getting too messy, and for other reasons as of what other people will think of them if they see a dirty house or a piece of dirt on their hand. “Checkers” is a community of people who double, triple, and quadruple check thins as doors, locks, where their children are, and if someone is ok. They check to make sure appliances are off, the house alarm is on, and if they turned off their car lights. “Doubters/Sinners” are similar to “Checkers” but not fully. “Doubters/Sinners” do check things over and over again but then think that something bad will happen or they will get in trouble if they do not. They think the worst of thinks in all situations. Now “Counters/Arrangers” are the kind that need everything put symmetrically. Everything is lined up perfect on the shelf, the chalk on the board is all the same length, and nothing is out of order. This also goes with the principle of “Perfectisum”. Hoarders are the most popular classification of OCD habits. It’s so famous because it is so extreme and the show “Hoarders” on “A&E television” show the inside struggles from it. Hoarders are collectors of anything. Some collect specific things such as animals, trash, dolls, or just things in general like junkmen. In intense cases, their houses become cluttered with all the items. Cluttered enough that you cannot go through the house without leading and avoiding objects without knocking them down.

You can even organize the symptoms of OCD even more by categorizing them into “Obsessed” and “Compulsions”. Obsessions are things like the fear of dirt, disgust with bodily waste/fluids, and concern with order, symmetry and exactness; other words (Perfectisum). Compulsions are things like cleaning, checking things, repeating actions, and asking for permission and approval.

There is so much to do with just the mental illness of OCD. It branches off in so many directions it’s hard to keep up. You can always learn more. Before you know it, you might want to be a psychologist.























References:

Arch Gen Psychiatry/Vol. “Mapping Structural Brain Alterations in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.” Archpsych. July 2004. April 7, 2011. < http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/61/7/720.pdf>

Amal Chakraburtty, MD. “Anxiety & Panic Disorders Guide.” Webmd. February 09, 2009. April 7, 2011. < http://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/mental-health-anxiety-disorders?page=3>

Bartz JA, Hollander E. “Is Obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety disorder?” PubMed. May, 2006. April 7, 2011. < http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16455175>

Benedict Carey. “Unhappy? Self-Critical? Maybe You're Just a Perfectionist.” Nytimes. December 4, 2007. April 7, 2011. < http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/04/health/04mind.html>

The OC & Spectrum Disorders Assn., Susan F., The OC Foundation, The Nat'l Institute of Mental Health, Solvay Pharmaceutical's Community Eduction Publications, Chris Vertullo's OCD-L mailing list, and the Prodigy medical support board. Expert Consultants: S Saxena, MD and K Maidment, PhD. “Most Frequently Asked Questions About Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).” BrainPhysics. April 7, 2011. < http://www.brainphysics.com/ocdfaq.php>

3/24/11

GoodReads book review # 5

Stoner & SpazStoner & Spaz by Ron Koertge

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book is about a boy who is pretty much an outcast. He doesn’t have too many friends, has an over protected grandmother, and has cerebral palsy. He has an obsession with movies. He is a spaz in our society. He was at the movies once and while he was coming out he saw a fellow classmate named Colleen. She is a drugged up teen with a jock boyfriend that wears ripped rights, neon miniskirts and has a very broad range of tattoos over her body. They talk a little and his grandmother ends up giving her a ride home when she comes and pick him up. She climbs in the car and the first thing she does is stick her head out of the window and puke down the side of the car. When she put her head back in, she lays it on his shoulder. Right there, the boy has a feeling that his life is going to change greatly. The author Ron Koertge tells the story about two lonely teenagers that no one really cares about. They treat each other with respect like no one ever has before, like two normal humans.



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1/13/11

GoodReads Book Reivew # 4

His Robot GirlfriendHis Robot Girlfriend by Wesley Allison

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book is about a man who is about to retire. It takes place in the year 2032 and a lot has changed since our time. Cars are fueled by hydrogen, there are robots working in stores and fast food restaurants, and the average temperature is about 125 degrees Fahrenheit.

The man is 50 years old. Has had a wife and kids. The kids have grown up to live their own lives and his wife pasted when the kids were before their teen years. The man is a below-high school-teacher. The kids there bring e-readers for all their work. He is happy where he is, but is getting tired of being lonely. The lifestyle he leads is very boring. He goes to work, goes home, eats, sleeps, watches TV, and falls asleep again.

He sees that there are these new home robots called Daffodils. They are not very cheap, but everything is not cheap here. There is a very great inflation on the economy at that time. These robots are for everything. They can cook, clean, do earrings, learn, and everything else a robot had do. They can be ordered by the specific body shape, hair color, nails, feet, butt, and face. Everything can be customized. He orders one, and she becomes his girlfriend. She does not act like a robot. She speaks in a normal tone, walks normally, and is very gentle. There are a few things she does not do like sleep, eat, nor does she need to be plugged in to recharge. She drinks a glass of water occasionally for energy. The book does not say why, but I think it’s because she’s powered by hydrogen and she break the water down to obtain the hydrogen. She learns emotions also. She does question something’s but if told so she will do anything if commanded.

This is just a look into the future. Back in the 30’s, science fiction was about going to the moon, and putting satellites up in orbit around the earth. Those things came true later in life. It’s just a matter of time until robots are an everyday thing. They will take over many of the jobs that we have today; because they are free labor, a slave. People above 40 may not see this kind of life style, but I sure will live to see it. This was a great book of someone else’s perspective of the future.





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