SOCIAL ISSUE 4

ANXIETY
AWARENESS
1

PSYCH2GO
ISSUE 4 SEPTEMBER
2016

Cover Art by Liz Rust

Created by Teresa Johnson
 Social anxiety can often feel isolating, or as if you're disconnected from the
world around you. I wanted to convey that isolation by depicting a person who
breaks the pattern of a crowd. They don't quite feel comfortable, they feel as if
they stick out like a sore thumb, and the number of people around them is
overwhelming. This anxiety persists despite the fact that nobody is even
paying attention to them.
– Liz Rust

Cover artist of August Issue

from U.S., Minnesota
(lizrust.com)
 Psych2Go

2 WAIT, WHAT EXACTLY IS "PSYCH2GO"?

Psych2Go started as a blog to feature short psychology facts in the format of memes
(text-posts that are rapidly spread around the internet). Our mission was to brand
ourselves as a forum/platform for people to get quick psychology information to further
discuss and debate about the posts. We wanted to create an open forum of discussions
to help foster critical thinking about research methods and limitations.

To accomplish that, the Psych2Go team is transparent about the fact that we don't
always post legitimate psychology information, but only do so in order to get people
to really question ALL our posts and think on an analytical level. Sometimes what you
think is true is actually not true and sometimes what is not true is yet to be supported
by research.

We have found that understanding research methods and having an open and
encouraging forum for all of this is essential. Several Facebook groups have also
been created, already aiming at this - including groups that allow people to express
their creativity like our “Poetry” and “Doodle” group, and our “Research and Writing
Discussion” group which creates discussion among expression of ideas, and academic
assistance.

As time went on, it made sense that Psych2Go should start providing supplementary
materials such as sources, references, as well as some explanation to our viral meme
posts that are featured on our Tumblr (as you’ll see an example from the “Psych to
Go” article in this magazine issue) which generates large discussion from audience
members. From these realizations to include more material content, psych2go.net, the
sister site was born.

When we started, Psych2Go had a team of 10 writers and published over 200 articles
within less than 2 months and received over 1 million page views. And the articles
followed a specific format:
1. Intro
2. Bring up research.
3. Identify the research methods and the limitations
4. question for our readers

This format is aligned with our mission statement to analyze research, create
discussions, and provide the resources needed to facilitate those discussions.

Then, as time went on, we thought about implementing a mentorship program to help
further facilitate this learning process for our younger audiences (since a majority of
our readers were not yet psychology students).

And that’s where psych2go.net is today! We have editors, mentors, and intern writers,
who our Human Resource team has a very close relationship with and helps them every
step of the way.

Our goal is to become the go-to site for psychology, writing, help, research, studies,
and so forth. Psych2Go serves as an easily accessible and inclusive platform for our
young audiences.

Tai Tai
Manager and Creator of Psych2Go
Psych2go@outlook.com
Psych2go.tumblr.com
Psych2go.net
ISSUE 4

Artwork by: Liz Rust

 Psych2Go

HELLO!
As a special part of the “Psych2Go” team, we believe that this magazine sets itself
apart from other science magazines out there. Understanding this magazine is not in a
traditional “magazine” format gives our magazine a creative and unique feel.

This was made by a collection of young entrepreneurs from all over the world. This
publication includes international contributors from places like Slovenia, The U.K., the
Netherlands, the Philippines, Canada, and people within various places of the U.S. like
New York, Maryland, D.C., Tennessee, and California.

Keep in mind that not all of us are trained professionals in the Psychology field, but
simply people that are intrigued by Psychological concepts, only wanting to pass our
research along, while involving people to talk about their personal experiences, as well
as informing an audience with interesting Psychological facts.

We hope that you enjoy this collaborative publication that acts as an extension of our
online blog, psych2go.net, and we ask that you get involved with this entrepreneurial
organization as well! After all, Psychology is the science that’s all about you, and as a
growing company, we’re offering the opportunity for you to grow with us.

Teresa Johnson
Editor-in-Chief, Manager & Coordinator of Psych2Go Magazine
(https://twitter.com/teresaxjohnson)
ISSUE 4

Artwork by: Drew Borja

 Psych2Go

6
 ISSUE 4

CONTENT
About Psych2Go / 2
Hello Message / 4
Meet the writers /10
Psychology in the news /13
Interview with a Psychology student /14
Social Psychology / 16
Exploring mental health / 18
Significant people that endured mental illness / 22
LGBTQA Psychology / 24
Music Psychology / 26
Personality Psychology / 28
Developmental Psychology / 30
Autism Spectrum (S.E.E.P.) Special, Exceptional, Extraordinary, People / 32
Animal Psychology / 36
Forensic Psychology 38
Art Submissions Winner / 40
Career Building / 42
Outside Submissions / 44
Psych2Go Community Photography/ 48
Social Anxiety Awareness Project / 50
Entertainment/Games Section / 52
Projective Psychology / 54
Book Review / 58
Creative writing / 60
Psych to Go / 62
Debunking Psychological Myths / 64
Advice Column / 65
Mental Health Hotlines / 66
Thank you to contributors / 68
Readers Testimonials / 70
Psych2Go's Community Challenge / 72
MEET
THE
WRIT
T
TERS
Artwork by: Drew Borja
 Psych2Go

Hello all! I’m Sneha and I’m currently pursing my Master's degree
at University of Pennsylvania's School of Design and I’ve been
10 practicing Arts & Design for around 5 years. My work inclines toward
a palate of textures that influence the organic and structured notion
of spaces around me. Recently, I completed a Diploma in Learning
Disorders Management and Child Psychology.
U.S. (Pennsylvania)

Sneha
Hi, I’m Sophie! I’m currently doing my BSc in Communication
and Media, but I have always been interested in psychology. I am
especially interested in criminal psychology and how the mind of
a psychopath works, but I am also interested in personality, social,
and child psychology.
Netherlands

Sophie
Hi, I’m Teresa and I attend the University of Maryland College Park
as a junior undergraduate transfer student and have declared
Journalism as my major. I would ideally love to move to NYC by the
time I graduate to tackle jobs within the social media and journalism
fields when launching my career. I love writing, communicating, and
self-expression. In my free time, I love to sing, draw, write, attend
shows, meet new friends, and explore new places. I started working
with Psych2Go by making videos for their YouTube channel, but now
have graduated to become editor-in-chief of this magazine!
Teresa
I'm Imogen, I'm 21 and going into my final year of an MSci in
Psychology and Psychological Research. I work as a staff writer
and a HR rep for psych2go.net, and I love learning and teaching all
things psychological. I hope to one day become a researcher, and I
love forensic, child and animal psychology!
The U.K.

Imogen
I'm a sophomore/junior at American University, and I’m majoring
in Psychology with minors in Spanish Language/Translation and
Business Administration. I love blogging and crafting, as well as
watching YouTube like it's my job. I'm super excited to be a part of
this magazine, and I can't wait to see where this adventure takes
me!
U.S. (Maryland)

Lauren
Hello, I’m Larissa, and I’m a third year Psychology major working
towards a minor in Law and Society as well as Ethics and
Philosophy. Some of my greatest passions in Psychology include the
topics of eating disorders, self-harm, psychopathology, and forensic
psychology. When I’m not working or doing homework I enjoy
watching Netflix, sleeping, reading, playing with cats, and writing!
U.S. (Minnesota)

Larissa
 ISSUE 4

Hi! I’m Kayleigh. Besides having a passion for writing, learning new
things and gathering interesting facts (Did you know the majority
of lizards can’t run and breathe at the same time?), I love creative
things like drawing and making jewelry. I'm currently studying at
11
University and in my free time I can be found listening to music,
reading and writing, or browsing the internet.
Netherlands
Kayleigh
Hi I'm Hannah. I have my BSc in Psychology and I'm completing
my post grad in journalism at the moment. I’m fascinated by
human sexuality & sexual behavior, and the science behind mental
illness. I enjoy editing papers and long runs on the elliptical. My
two hedgehogs keep me motivated, and they say that they hope you
enjoy our articles and magazine! Just know that whenever you read
something by me, a hedgehog was nearby.
Nova Scotia

Hannah
I’m Sheena, and I study Psychology BSc with the University of the
Highlands & Islands in Scotland. Being both the kid who grew up
reading encyclopedias and the ‘Agony Aunt’ friend, I’ve always been
interested in how what happens in our heads affects the way that we
live our lives, and in practicing acceptance (and hopefully spreading
it too!).
The U.K.

Sheena
Being a media student, I am a huge supporter of anti-consumerism
and media awareness. In my spare time you can find me reading
(especially fantasy literature), listening to music, watching
Japanese anime, taking long walks in the nature and most often
writing. Above all I am simply a girl, madly in love with stories in all
shapes and sizes.
Slovenia

Katja
Hi there! I'm oftentimes described as a shy girl with a quick wit.
Amazingly, I've managed to channel my passion to different facets
of art and psychology, and blended my two loves. A firm believer that
you never stop learning
Philippines

Risha
I began having an interest in Psychology when I was 12 and will
attend University of Ottawa for a Joint Honours. Major in Linguistics
and Psychology. I have a design business dedicated to combining
mental health with physical health to raise awareness and stomp
out the stigmas. In my free time, I enjoy singing and song writing.
Ontario, Canada

Dancia
 Psych2Go

I'm Tyra Davis, a middle school English Teacher living in NYC, but
I've always been a writer at heart. Although my background is not
12 in psychology, I have suffered from anxiety and depression in the
past, which brings with it a lot of experience dealing with negative
feelings and emotions. I hope to bring some of this experience to
light in my advice to our readers.
U.S (New York)

Tyra Advice Column Team

My name is Laura Corona and I am 21 years old. Currently studying

Communications and soon will begin working my way into becoming
an American Sign Language Interpreter.
U.S. (California)
Advice Column Team

Laura
Hi I'm Lauren, I graduated with a degree in psychology and a
masters in counselling. I've been a youth worker, a counsellor and
currently I'm working towards becoming a social worker. I wanted
to be apart of the magazine as I know what it's like to struggle with
your feelings and I want help where I can. That's my passion in life.
My other passion is art. I post videos of my digital art on YouTube in
the hopes of creating a relaxing space for others. You can find me at
Rad Little Drawings.
Northern Ireland

Lauren Advice Column Team

I love writing about subjects regarding the mind. I'm a straight-A

tenth grader in high school, pursuing my dream of becoming an
author one day. In my free time, I read, write, and talk to my friends.
U.S (Texas)

Kimiya
Hi! Jessica here. I'm a psych major in college working on my junior
year. I've been inspired to study psychology by my passionate high
school teacher but my favorite topic is the brain. I'm studying hard
to research and learn to help others.
U.S (Maryland)

Jessica
Hello! My name is Gabriel, and I’m a psychology major at William
Carey University. I plan to get my Bachelor’s degree in 2017. After
that, I aspire to obtain my Master’s degree and my or PsyD. I plan
to become a psychiatrist or a Christian counselor. My hobbies
include making candles and selling them on Etsy, reading, and
listening to music. I love learning about mental illness and
other branches of psychology. I’m very excited to be a part of
this magazine, and I hope I am able to help people through my
writings!
U.S (Mississippi)

Gabriel
 ISSUE 4

Hi, I'm 21 years old and in my final year of a degree in Psychological

Research at the University of Birmingham. In my spare time I play
football, watch all the films and tv shows on netflix and occasionally
write short stories.
13
The U.K.

Jamie
Hi! I’m Liv Mitchell, I currently study a Masters in Psychology at the
University of Birmingham in the UK. I’m originally from Shropshire
in England, and I have a real interest in intellectual disabilities and
special needs.
The U.K.

Liv

By: Hannah Bennet

IN THE NEWS Artwork by: Sohaina Maratita

One recent post in the news that is There have also been a few articles
psychologically related lately was lately that detail the “psychology of why
the theory behind what causes an people like things.” It basically details
eating disorder. In New Zealand, they that all different humans have difference
approached what the causes were, preferences for the things that they like,
whether it was a kind of “diet gone bad”, and while nobody is really the same,
a mix of psychological, biological, and people develop their interests influenced
social influences, or just something in by a lot of social and cultural factors.
the brain that isn’t processing correctly. For example, some people grew up with
a certain genre of music played in their
Some other articles are regularly home and likely feel a sense of nostalgia,
discussing the psychology of why people and like that type of music when they
are supporting and how the mind of become older.
Donald Trump works. The Atlantic did
an overview of what kind of behaviours
were observed in earlier interviews
with Mr. Trump. It conclude that Trump
moves through life knowing that he is
consistently being observed. It goes into
detail about what parts of the big five
traits he possesses. For someone in the
public eye so often it is an interesting read
about what MAY be going on in somebody
who has the power to draw in audiences
from both support and outright hatred.
 Psych2Go

14 INTERVIEW

Yasmine
Amatul-Khaliq
In this issue of the magazine
we will be interviewing Yasmine
Amatul-Khaliq from the Univer-
sity of Michigan – Dearborn
located in the United States.
They are studying for their bach-
elor degree, majoring in psy-
chology, and minoring in sociol-
ogy. Right now they’re in their
first year.

Tumblr: ya-hayatii.tumblr.com
Instagram: AANIQofficial
Attends the University of Michigan

Psych2Go: What’s the program like a revolutionist and a peace maker.

and how much does it cost?
YAK: The program is excellent, and it is
very affordable, though my scholarships
pay for most of it. The education is ex-
cellent also, just in this first year I have
learned so much from the courses.
Psych2Go: What’s your goals in terms of
career?
YAK: My career goals are actually a bit
different from the average psych major.
My goal is to do something revolutionary
with my education having to do with un-
derstanding the human mind, why peo-
ple act the way they do, and the society
as a whole (where the sociology comes
in), then spark a revolution. I believe that
psychology’s contributions can extend
beyond understanding the origins and
nature of violent conflict, to promote non-
violence and peace. I see myself as being
Pysch2Go:What advice would you give to
aspiring psych2go students?
YAK: My advice is to really get into the
“psychology” mode. If this is really what
you want to do, you are going to have to
put your heart in to it because no matter
what part of the psychology field you are
going to go into, you are going to have
people trusting you with their hearts,
emotions, and mentalities, and you are
going to be helping people for the better
in one of the most important ways.
Pysch2Go: What got you interested in
psychology?
YAK: Even though I want to use psychol-
ogy wide scale, I still would also like to
do what a regular psychologist does and
listen to people and help them, because I
vowed to myself that if I was ever given
 ISSUE 1
4

the power to do so, I would keep as

many people from feeling unimportant, 15
hurt, depressed, and/or spiritually tired
as much as I could. All the things I felt
and went through growing up, I’d like to
keep as many people as possible from
feeling the same way.

Psych2Go: What is your favourite psy-

chology fact/research study?
YAK: My favourite psychology fact/study
would be something that I read ear-
ly in my first semester of college called
“Bringing science to bear- on peace,
not war,” which basically talks about the
studies that have been done that shows
that war is not inevitable, and that psy-
chology research should be used to pro-
mote peace among communities and
nations.

Psych2Go: What is one thing a student

should know about studying psychology?
YAK: They should know that it takes a
lot of dedication. A lot of your psych 101
classes will differ greatly from someone
else’s, but whether you are only learning
terminology or actual methods in psy-
chology, stay dedicated.

Psych2Go: And what is one thing a stu-

dent should know about studying at Uni-
versity?
YAK: Studying at university is pretty in-
timidating, because the work is very high
level and a lot is expected from you, but if
you got into the university, then there’s no
doubt in my mind that you can’t handle it.
 Psych2Go
16 A PARADOX TO STABLE RELATIONSHIPS
The Sruggles, the Rises and the Final Goal
of Dealing with Social Anxiety
By: Paul Travis
Artwork by: Pilar Chavez
It’s a complicated a feeling. You have
two choices, one of which tells you to
go take the chance in a social gathering,
but on the other hand a tightness in your
chest is deeply blocking you. It begins to
make your mind tangled into one big cra-
zy disaster. You have a million different
play outs of how the situations will turn,
both good and bad leaving you exhausted.
You become one big crazy disaster. Social
Anxiety is no joke because it can lead to
some serious depression and fear.
What Is Social Anxiety?
Social Psychology
Giving my outgoing personality not many
know I suffer like the 15 million others
out there. A complex life filled with much
overthinking and blessings. According to
studies, Social Anxiety doesn’t choose
a gender because both men and wom-
en suffer equally. I asked myself if I am
anxious to be part of the public why is my
calling to serve it? The answer was I had
to conquer my fear if I wanted to be hap-
py, fall in love and live the fullest life!
The age range begins at 6, and it doesn’t
stop there. Anyone at any giving time can
become diagnosed with this form of anx-
iety. All it takes is one major situation to
trigger it in your subconscious and it’s
like a domino effect. I remember mine,
first grade kick ball. I couldn’t kick for
my life and my first time ever the ball slid
underneath my foot, all the kids laughed.
From there I was one of the last kids
picked. They would scream, “Move in!” I
never wanted to go gym class again. I was
the one being laughed at, surrounded by
a bunch of kids who would be my class-
mates until I graduate. After countless
fails the unthinkable happened, I was
sick of hearing their comments and my
foot kicked the ball giving me my first
homerun. One side of me was petri-
fied for their eyes to be watching, but the
other wanted victory.
The amazement here was even though
the social aspect sent fear through my
entire body, I never gave up on kicking the
ball to prove them all wrong. I mean yeah
it didn’t get much easier for me as the
years went on because those very mo-
ments caused an eclipse over my shine
that I eventually removed. I also remem-
ber on the playground someone threw a
ball at my head knocking me to the con-
create and I started to cry, I was labeled
as the cry baby for five years. Even though
I never wanted to go near those people I
had no choice, showing me I could con-
quer my fear of social anxiety.
Many people who suffer with this are shy
until you get to know them. Standoffish
until you show them you are kind. Have
a sensitivity inside their hearts, but also
a strength many can’t even imagine. They
are very stubborn, but will eventually
do it. With patience and time, if you give
them a chance they become the best peo-
ple you will ever come across. They will
care deeply for you because their time
isn’t just spent on everyone.
When it comes to a romantic partner that
is where you are in the center of a battle-
field. You crave the romance, but won’t go
out, and if so it’s not like you can random-
ly walk up to the cutest person you see. At
the end of the night you just go home and
fantasize about him or her embracing
your deeply complex heart like a romance
movie. Thank the lord for dating apps be-
cause I wouldn’t have met my boyfriend.
Even then it takes the person suffering
time to go hangout with the individual.
 ISSUE 4

It’s hard to maintain friendships expect 17

with few close people. Many who suffer
have a hard time with jobs as well. The
fear of everyday social interactions is
intensified in the minds of people who
have social anxiety. The judgment that
one fears will be placed upon them is as
simple as walking. The only way to truly
conquer Social Anxiety is to do it like I did
in first grade when I kicked a homerun.
It took sometime, but I ended up in a full
circle. Other great methods are talk ther-
apy, or antidepressants.

You must surround yourself with people

who have patience, understanding, com-
passion and a good soul. Not everyone
will know the struggle you are dealing
with. At times you may come off as high
maintenance, complicated, even a bit lazy
or crazy. The truth is you’re dealing with
the most complicated relationship of all,
and that is the one with yourself.

Sources cited:

https://socialanxietyinstitute.org/what-is-social-anx-
iety

http://socialphobia.org/social-anxiety-disorder-defi-
nition-symptoms-treatment-therapy-medications-in-
sight-prognosis

https://socialanxietyinstitute.org/top-10-list-rea-
sons-social-anxiety-causes-depression
 Psych2Go

18

SOCIAL ANXIETY
AWARENESS MONTH By: Teresa Johnson
Artwork by: Sohaina Maritita

Social anxiety is only one of the
varying forms of anxiety and can prevail
in even the most seemingly confident
people. Social phobias present feelings of
discomfort centered around interactions
with others in fear of being judged. No
one likes being judged, but when social
anxiety is involved, it creates an invisible
mental shield; where it can provoke dif-
ficulties when communicating with peo-
ple, even if you happen to know them very
well. Every person falls along the extro-
verted and introverted scale to some de-
gree, but even if you are considered a very
outgoing individual, you may find yourself
indecisive to follow through with plans in
situations where you are required to hang
out with someone.
Example: A friend texts you that you ha-
ven’t seen in a long time. You know you
always have a great time with said in-
dividual, however, when it comes time
to hang out them, a feeling of impend-
ing doom washes over you. This feeling
might cause you to not want to get to-
gether with them anymore. It’s not that
you don’t want to see this person, but
more so the pressuring concept of seeing
them after so long can become a hinder-
ance to your mental health. This pressur-
ing feeling might be activated because it
could be daunting to think about how this
person may perceive you in the present
time compared to when they last saw you.
Or the thought of meeting up with them
could create anxiety because you’re not
sure if the two of you would mesh as well
— now that you’re at a different stance in
your life per say.
It should be known that not everyone
experiences social anxiety to the same
degree, and a certain amount of anxiety
in social occurrences is actually healthy,
as it helps you take action in unhealthy
situations. It’s your body and mind’s way
of paying attention to its surroundings
especially when focusing on new circum-
stances.
So what causes social anxiety? It’s actu-
ally a mix of a few factors: your genes,
the chemical balance in your brain, and
what occurs through your own life ex-
periences. Based on scientific studies,
anxiety can be inherited to an extent,
and if your parents experience a kind of
anxiety disorder, you are more likely to
also have it. Studies like that of (Blair et
ISSUE 4
al., 2008) show that certain areas of
your brain, such as the amygdala, which 19
is responsible for memory and emotions,
can be found more active when a person
experiences social anxiety. Certain med-
ications used to treat social phobia are
said to affect the neurotransmitter levels
in your brain, however it isn’t confirmed
that these different levels are a contrib-
uting factor to this anxiety disorder. Dif-
ferent environments can contribute to
social anxiety in the situations a person
may be put in. If a person constantly feels
like they’re being judged in a particular
situation, such as a family gathering, the
anxious feeling may become more auto-
matic, triggering a social barrier between
certain individuals.
An estimated fifteen million Americans
experience social anxiety according to
Anxiety and Depression Association of
America, and it is more commonly found
in women than men. This may be due to
the fact that women are more prone to
be judged in society for their appearance
through the media’s depictions.
If you are experiencing social anxiety,
health care professionals, such as psy-
chologists and psychiatrists, are always
able to help an individual cope with the
stresses of social anxiety through coun-
seling or medication if a case becomes
impairing or severe.
The most effective treatment for social
anxiety is cognitive behavioral therapy
(CBT) which is when a therapist works
together with the individual to develop
strategies for counteracting anxiety and
helps to restructure your thinking in sit-
uations that would usually accentuate the
symptoms of social phobia.
Sources Cited:
Blair, K., Shaywitz, J., Smith, B. W., Rhodes, R., Geraci,
M. R. N., Jones, M., et al. (2008). Response to emotional
expressions in generalized social phobia and general-
ized anxiety disorder: Evidence for separate disorders.
American Journal of Psychiatry, 165, 1193-1202.
Social Anxiety Support. (2016). Retrieved September
02, 2016, from http://www.socialanxietysupport.com/
disorder/#what
What Is Social Anxiety Disorder? Symptoms, Treat-
ments, & More. (n.d.). Retrieved September 02, 2016,
from http://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/
mental-health-social-anxiety-disorder?page=2#1
Social Anxiety Disorder. (n.d.). Retrieved September 02,
2016, from https://www.adaa.org/understanding-anxi-
ety/social-anxiety-disorder
 Psych2Go
20
WHAT IS BORDERLINE
PERSONALITY DISORDER?
By: Hannah Bennet
Artwork by: Trina Laya
Borderline Personality disorder,
or BPD for short is a serious mental
illness that revolves around the inability
to manage emotions effectively. It
is regularly diagnosed by unstable
moods, problems regulating emotions
and thoughts, impulsive and reckless
behaviour, and unstable relationships
with other people.
There is a list of 9 criteria used in the
Exploring Mental Health
DSM to diagnose BPD. Patients need to
display only 5 of the 9 symptoms to be
diagnosed. The nine symptoms are:
The fear of abandonment. Feeling
terrified that they will be abandoned or
left alone. Something like a loved one
getting home later than usual from work
can cause intense fear.
Unstable Relationships. People with
BPD tend to have relationships that are
both intense and short lied, so falling
in love very quickly, expecting the new
relationship to make them feel whole,
and become quickly disappointed when
it doesn’t. The relationships of a person
with BPD will seem either absolutely
perfect or horrible, with no relationships
being just “ok”.
Unstable or unclear self-image. The
sense of self in someone with BPD
is usually quite unstable. Sometimes
they feel good, other times they will
hate themselves or view themselves as
evil. Generally there is a lack of a clear
definition of who you are, so you may
frequently change jobs, friends, goals,
and etc.
Impulsive or self-destructive behaviours.
People with BPD may engage in harmful
and sensation seeking behaviours,
especially when they’re upset. These are
And what are the
treatments?
not necessarily things like cutting
or hurting themselves, but things like
impulsive overspending, binge eating,
shoplifting, or overdoing it with drugs and
alcohol.
Self-harm. Both self-harm and suicidal
behaviour are common in people with
BPD. Suicidal behaviour can include
thinking about suicide or making threats
and gestures, as well as taking attempts
on their own lives. Self-harm includes the
things that are purposely hurting oneself
without intent to cause death.
Extreme emotional swings. One
moment, feeling happy, the next angry or
dependent. They’re intense but pass very
quickly.
Explosive anger. People with BPD often
struggle with having a very short temper
and intense anger. Trouble controlling
themselves once they’ve been set off.
Being suspicious or out of touch with
reality. Often people with BPD will
struggle with paranoia or suspicious
thoughts about others’ motives. It’s
possible that people with BPD could
dissociate in times of stress.
Chronically feeling empty. They may feel
like there is a hole or void inside them. At
extremes they may feel they are nothing
or nobody. Regularly they may treat it
with drugs or food unsuccessfully.
So those are the nine criteria for a BPD
diagnosis. There are a lot of options
for self-help with BPD but upon initial
diagnosis it is best to deal with an
experienced professional. Some of the
most effective treatments of BPD are:
Seeing a qualified therapist. Therapy
can be an essential tool when living with
any form of mental illness. Dialectical
behavioural therapy can be effective in
 ISSUE 4

helping those with BPD. Cognitive

21
behavioural therapy can also be effective,
as well as schema focused therapy. Make
sure you are comfortable and safe with
your therapist, and ensure you can talk to
them without feeling judged.
Medication can sometimes be effective
in treating some of the symptoms, but
therapy is the main treatment. Some
mood stabilizers can help people with
BPD. It is usually only considered if you
are at risk to yourself, begin hallucinating,
or have been diagnosed with both BPD
and another illness.
So there you have it, an explanation of
what exactly BPD is, and what kind of
treatments are available. If you feel you
experience these symptoms, please
seek the assistance of a qualified mental
health professional.
 Psych2Go

22 Significant People Enduring Mental Illness in Psychology History:

THE LIFE OF VIRGINIA WOOLF

By: Katja Stojic
Artwork by: Natalia Mitiuriev

“I am in the mood to dissolve in the sky.”

She is one of the greatest female healing and she was practically
writers and modernists yet her life was addicted to it. She started writing at an
anything but great. As a child, Virginia
was assaulted by two of her half-
brothers and that kind of damage caused
an irreparable damage to her mental
health. During her life she suffered from
depression and even attempted suicide
on multiple occasions. Yet she managed
to produce works that are read and
appreciated even today.
Exploring Mental Health

Virginia Stephen was born on the 25th of

January 1882 in Kensington, London, to
a relatively wealthy, upper middle class
family. For both of their parents this was
their second marriage and all together
they had eight children. Virginia started
telling stories as a child, making up
adventures to fill the hours before their
bedtime. The children were on a strict
schedule but were still happier than most
children in that era who were mainly
raised by their nannies and governesses.
The atmosphere in the house was vibrant
and lively and they had plenty visitors to
keep them company.
When she was only six years old, Virginia
was sexually molested by her half-
brother Gerard. However, sexual assault
was not something people talked about
in those days for it was a secret not to
be shared with others and the little girl
felt disgusted, humiliated, ashamed and
most of all guilty for what happened.
Since she couldn’t share this with anyone
(the men in the family were supposed to
protect her yet one of them assaulted her
and her mother would never believe this
had happened) she did the only thing she
could do – suppressed it and pretended
like it never happened.
Writing was her eternal attempt at self-
early age and was very perceptible to
feedbacks (her mother’s opinion meant
everything to her). When she was only 13
years old, her mother died and this was
a tragedy to a girl who only just entered
puberty. This meant she lost her final
protection and besides being in terrible
pain, she also felt angry and hateful.
Virginia couldn’t cope with such strong
opposing emotions and so she stopped
feeling at all. That summer after her
mother’s death was crucial because
she had her first breakdown – she was
hearing voices, had terrible headaches,
raging heartbeat and was awfully upset,
nervous and afraid of people. Also, she
felt completely useless.
When her beloved sister Stella died a few
years later, her condition only worsened.
She began to rely more and more on
her other sister Vanessa. That period
also had the greatest influence on her
 ISSUE 4
because of her half-brother George.
He was most cruel to her, forced her to
accompany him to social events, verbally
abused her and did everything he could
to fit in their social circles. To the outside
George was a protector of the family, a
brother but also a father figure. What
they didn’t know was that he was also a
lover to both his half-sisters.
Because of his constant abuse Virginia
never felt at home in her body again. Soon
after her father died, she suffered another
breakdown and tried to kill herself for
the first time. She threw herself out the
window but since it wasn’t too high, she
wasn’t seriously damaged. The main
reason for her nervous breakdown was
George’s repetitive molesting.
When she got better she started off her
writing career. By moving to Bloomsbury
the Stephens’ children finally got rid of
George and a happier time was upon
them. They met a lot of educated people
and talked about philosophy, art and
literature. However everything changed
when Virginia’s brother Toby died and her
sister Vanessa married. Before she could
finish her first novel she began feeling
sick again and was even institutionalised.
After returning home and moving to
another house with her remaining
brother, Virginia soon met her future
husband Leonard Woolf who was well
aware of her problems and medical
condition. He and Vanessa even advised
Virginia not to have children right away
because they were afraid she couldn’t
handle it. This was devastating to her
– she believed she failed as a woman.
Instead she focused all her energy into
writing which was the only way to express
herself honestly. Writing gave her a sense
of purpose and each time she finished a
book she felt lost and depressed.
The treatments she received didn’t work
and she had to be forced into taking even
a bite of food. Soon she attempted suicide
again and just barely survived. After that
Leonard took her to the country where
private nurses looked after her. Virginia
however, was mean to the nurses and
refused to sleep or eat. Occasionally
she still had hallucinations and for
23
a while couldn’t stand to be around her
husband. When she finally recovered,
Leonard made sure she ate enough,
rested and left parties early to prevent
anything like that to happen again.
Finally, her first novel got published and
she continued working.
The last four years of her life were tough
and brutal. She felt like she couldn’t
confess her feelings to anyone and soon
couldn’t even write anymore. The war
only made it worse and moving to the
countryside made her lonely. Finally she
gave in, went to a nearby river, filled her
dress pockets with stones and walked
right into the water. Her body was found
three weeks later but everyone knew she
killed herself because she wrote letters
to her husband and sister.
All in all, Virginia Woolf led an interesting
yet hard life. The damage that was caused
to her as a child and a young woman was
so vast that she never truly recovered.
Part of the problem was that the society
in which they lived in wasn’t so open as
to discuss domestic violence. Still she
was fortunate enough to be married to
a man who loved her though this wasn’t
enough to make her want to live. Writing
was the only thing that kept her afloat and
despite all her problems she became one
of the greatest authors of her time and
will always be remembered as such. It is
a pity that she had to suffer through so
much that she eventually decided to end
her life.
Sources cited:
Duda, Sibylle; Pusch, Luise F. (1995). Nore ženske
(Wahnsinns Frauen). Ljubljana: Krtina
 Psych2Go
24
SOCIAL ANXIETY
and The Closet
By: Risha Mae Ordas
Artwork by: Sydney Diamond
The LGBT+ community has made
great progress over the years and its
efforts to push for equal rights has
become one of the most iconic paradigm
shifts the world has ever experienced.
All over the world, the acknowledgement
of their rights has been overwhelming
and responses have been widely positive,
with the right to marriage and union as
some of the most celebrated rights that
the community has recently gained, a
right they should have always had; but
the battle is far from over.
LGBTQ+ Psychology
Although the progress is clearly shown
in the macro level, much work is still
left to be done in its micro scale – the
individual lives of the members of
the community. As much as there is
worldwide recognition and acceptance
for the LGBT+ community, hate is still
alive and well in the hearts of some
individuals, and this hate often manifests
itself physically. People who identify
themselves as something other than
straight and cisgender are frequently
bullied and assaulted, resulting in them
developing fear and anxieties about other
people and their interactions with them.
It’s not uncommon to be conscious of
your actions when you are in public,
but with the constant threat of being
attacked, whether it be physically or
psychologically, the fear and the anxiety
can become social anxiety.
According to Dr. Thomas Richards of the
Social Anxiety Institute, social anxiety is
the fear of interaction with other people
that brings on self-consciousness,
feelings of being negatively judged
and evaluated, and, as a result, leads
to avoidance. It is the fear of being
judged and evaluated negatively
by other people, leading to feelings of
inadequacy, inferiority, embarrassment,
humiliation, and depression.
Let’s break it down.
Back in 2011, the Gay, Lesbian, &
Straight Education Network (GLSEN)
reported that 82% of the LGBT+ youth
had problems during the previous year
with bullying about sexual orientation,
and that of the bullied LGBT+ youth,
44% experienced physical harassment
and 22% experienced stronger violence.
Statistics show that the LGBT youth suffer
more from cyber bullying in Western
parts of the world.
In places where homophobia is deeply
entrenched in the ideologies and beliefs of
the culture itself, bullying is a walk in the
park compared to the cruel punishments.
People are ridiculed, stoned, physically
and psychologically abused for their
sexual orientation and/or gender identity.
A large proportion of these result in the
death of the individual, in their own hands
or of the hands of the law.
Isn’t it unforgivable that it is illegal to be
yourself in some countries?
Hence, the closet.
People often hide themselves in the
closet, for fear of being judged for a
part of their personhood. It takes a toll
on their psyche, to live in constant fear
of being judged just because they don’t
identify as the norm. Oftentimes, these
individuals feel so lost, alone, and with no
one to turn to that they are often forced to
try and cope on their own, causing them
to withdraw and to avoid compromising
situations. They might put their lives
 ISSUE 4

on hold because of the build-up

of anxiety and fear caused by others’ 25
reactions to their identity, and that is not
how people grow and mature to become
the best people they can be.

The best thing we can do is to create an

environment where they feel safe to be
themselves, a place where these people
can claim and be proud to belong to the
community without the fear of being
judged or based, and with the love and
support of the people around them.

The world has already progressed into a

more accepting kind of mentality, open
with ideals and impeccably sharp with
its faults that need correcting. The closet
is a difficult place to live in. It’s dark and
it’s cramped. These practices should
already be outlawed, and as much as
there are differences in the beliefs and
the principles of each individual, there
needs to be some degree of respect, for
it is also their right for their opinion to be
respected as much as yours.

We should all remember that at the end

of the day, love will always win.

Sources cited:
https://socialanxietyinstitute.org/what-is-social-anx-
iety
https://nobullying.com/lgbt-bullying-statistics/
 Psych2Go
26
Music Psychology
Insomnia: a disorder that
makes it hard for people to go to sleep.
About ten percent of adults suffer from
insomnia and, unfortunately, there is
no cure. However, there are treatments
available to help you sleep better. One
of those treatments is music therapy.
“Music has been shown to improve sleep
quality and duration, as well as reducing
the amount of time it takes to fall asleep.
It also lessens sleep disturbances” (Reed,
2015). “One study found that 45 minutes
of music at bedtime for three weeks
resulted in longer sleep duration, shorter
time to fall asleep, higher perceived sleep
quality, and less daytime dysfunction”
(Clark, 2015).
One important thing to
consider is the type of music you choose
to help them sleep. Slow music, such
as classical, will help you go to sleep
both easier and longer. This is because
slow and mellow music relaxes the
mind. Ideally, you would want to listen
ØDE TO SLEEP:
How Music
can help
Insomnia
By:Gabriel Taylor
Artwork by: Fieni Aprilia
to a song that does not drastically
increase or decrease in volume; this
would cause less stimulation in the
brain, making it easier to go to sleep. For
example, music that sounds like waves in
the ocean or a gentle rain can help put
your mind at rest and cause you to drift
off to sleep. The recommended music to
listen to should have a rhythm of about
60 beats per minute. According to polls
conducted by Spotify, Ed Sheeran is the
most popular artist to sleep to. It is also
recommended that you use speakers to
play music instead of earbuds due to the
fact that music playing directly in your ear
may stimulate your brain more, making it
harder to go to sleep.
One benefit of using music to
help a person sleep is the lack of side
effects. There is no worry of addiction
or withdrawal symptoms, and, perhaps
best of all, it is free. With prescription
medication, you have to manage your
doses properly. You may also suffer
unpleasant side effects from taking
 ISSUE 4

the medication, and even worse

symptoms if a dose is skipped. However, Music may trigger feel-good 27
with music, the only side effects are
sleeping better and having a better mood. chemicals in the brain.
It is uncertain how exactly
music helps you sleep, but some think
it may be have to do with the chemicals
in your brains reacting to relaxing
music, among other reasons. “While the
reasons why music can help you sleep
better aren’t clear, it may have to do with
the relaxing effect that a good song can
have, or the fact that music may trigger
feel-good chemicals in the brain. Music
can have real physical affects, too, by
lowering your heart rate and slowing
your breathing.” (“How music can help
you sleep better,” n.d.)
Like all forms of therapy, this
may not work for everyone. Everyone
reacts differently to every form of
medication or therapy technique;
therefore, this may not be helpful at all to
you. Nevertheless, it is known to be one
of the best ways to conquer insomnia. So,
before dismissing music therapy, try it, if
only for a few minutes. Hopefully, those
few minutes will turn into a few hours.

Sources cited:

Clark, C. (2015, September 16). Does music help you

sleep? How to help insomnia by listening to music.
Retrieved May 17, 2016, from Fatigue, Lack of En-
ergy, http://www.naturalhealthadvisory.com/daily/
fatigue-lack-of-energy/does-music-help-you-sleep-
how-to-help-insomnia-by-listening-to-music/
How music can help you sleep better. Retrieved May 20,
2016, from Bedtime Routine, https://sleep.org/articles/
sleep-music/
Reed, M. (2015, April 30). Music can help treat insom-
nia. Retrieved May 17, 2016, from https://www.azumio.
com/blog/health/music-treats-insomnia
 Psych2Go
28
PERSONALITY
AFFECTED
BY
SOCIAL ANXIETY
Social anxiety is an anxiety disorder
which is thought to affect around 12% of
people in the UK. Like a lot of disorders,
there are various ways that personality
traits can affect social anxiety. It could be
that certain personality traits influence
the likelihood of developing social anxiety,
it could be that certain personality traits
influence help-seeking behaviour in
Personality Psychology
people with social anxiety, and it could
also be that certain personality traits
affect how people with social anxiety
react to treatment. This article will look
at the research surrounding these traits
and their role as a risk factor, including a
possible biological explanation.
It appears, like many other disorders,
personality traits may be risk factors
for social anxiety disorder. This topic
has been heavily researched, with many
researchers looking at different models of
personality to find out which best relates
to social anxiety, and which traits could be
considered as risk factors for the disorder.
Kotov, Gamez, Schmidt & Watson (2010)
conducted a meta-analysis of all these
types of studies in order to determine
any robust trends. They looked at studies
specifically looking at the big three/big
five personality models. They found 175
studies to include in their meta-analysis,
highlighting how well researched this
area is. They also looked at studies that
included depression and substance
abuse. They found that high neuroticism
and low conscientiousness were related
to all three disorders. Furthermore, low
extroversion was specifically related to
social anxiety disorder. Agreeableness
By: Imogen Bowler
Artwork by: Pilar Chavez
and openness were not related to
any of the disorders examined.
Clark, Watson & Mineka (1994) conducted
a study looking at more specific
personality traits, such as temperament
and self-criticism, as well as larger, more
general personality traits. They looked
at which of these traits were risk factors
for social anxiety. They found “negative
affect” (such as high neuroticism) was
a general risk factor for all disorders.
Furthermore, some traits were specific
risk factors for anxiety, particularly social
anxiety. Some of these include high
anxiety-sensitivity, attributional styles,
and self-criticism. Both of these studies
show just how important personality
traits can be in the development of social
anxiety.
But why is it that these relationships
occur? How do certain personality traits
affect the likelihood of a disorder to occur?
It seems there could be a biological basis
to it. For example, Melke et al (2001)
provided a possible explanation for this
idea. They found that anxiety related
personality traits (specifically psychic
anxiety, muscular tension, psychasthenia
and a lack of assertiveness) were related
to a polymorphism in the serotonin
receptors. It is a possibility that this
polymorphism is the cause, or at least
a contributor, of anxiety disorders
(including social anxiety).
In conclusion, personality traits have
been shown, time and again, to be related
to the likelihood of the development of
 ISSUE 4

a disorder. These personality traits

are risk factors, and both general and 29
specific personality traits have been
suggested as risk factors for social
anxiety. Finally, this relationship could
be driven by biological factors, and
researchers have actively looked into
exactly how this could work.
Sources cited:
Clark, L. A., Watson, D., & Mineka, S. (1994). Tempera-
ment, personality, and the mood and anxiety disorders.
Journal of abnormal psychology,103(1), 103.

Kotov, R., Gamez, W., Schmidt, F., & Watson, D. (2010).

Linking “big” personality traits to anxiety, depressive,
and substance use disorders: a meta-analysis. Psycho-
logical bulletin, 136(5), 768.

Melke, J., Landén, M., Baghei, F., Rosmond, R., Holm,

G., Björntorp, P., ... & Eriksson, E. (2001). Serotonin
transporter gene polymorphisms are associated with
anxiety related personality traits in women. American
journal of medical genetics, 105(5), 458-463.
 Psych2Go
30
Small Children, Big Developments
By: Kayleigh Herber
Artwork by: Dhyian Faza Khalisa
When children are young, there are
lots and lots of changes going on in all
aspects life. Not only do they learn to
walk and talk, they also encounter many
emotional milestones. The exact juncture
at which these milestones occur is, of
course, unique to each child. Therefore it
is important to note that the indications
in this article are just averages. These
milestones do, usually, occur in the same
order for each child.
The First Six Months
Developmental Psychology
When a baby is born, he/she is emo-
tionally underdeveloped. In the first
few weeks, a baby can show distress by
crying, but is not able to indicate what
they’re feeling using more ‘sophisticated’
methods. By one month of age you’ll be
aware of the fact that babies are actual-
ly very prone to crying and that they will
generally be distressed. They will either
be craving food or attention and are like-
ly to get tired by late afternoon. After all,
infants need around 16-18 hours of sleep
everyday. After two months, a baby first
starts indicating whether or not they’re
enjoying something.
For example, they will show some form of
excitement at the sight of a toy or parent/
caretaker. This is also the age at which
they start exhibiting what is called a ‘so-
cial smile’, a grin-like smile which indi-
cates that the baby ‘realizes’ that smil-
ing gets them more attention and care.
At three months, a baby is more able
to show excitement and may even start
showing signs of boredom when bored by
a stimulus. He/she smiles more often but
may also show frustration when not tend-
ed to. At four months, a baby really starts
to laugh occasionally, and will sometimes
start gurgling with pleasure.
Another interesting development is
that he/she may start showing the first
signs of anger. At five months, a baby
is able to show primitive resistant be-
haviour, like turning their head away from
something they dislike. Furthermore, at
six months, a baby might match its emo-
tions to other’s, like smiling when the
mother does. Fear and anger may also be
more apparent around this age, although
this varies greatly from child to child.
Six To Twelve Months
At seven months of age, a child will show
both fear and anger, as well as defiance,
affection and even shyness. At eight
months, children become more able to
distinguish between separate emotions
and in this way lesser ‘mixed’ emotions
might appear. Children will also start be-
having emotionally, like distinct individu-
als. It won’t be incorrect to say that they
start to develop more of a personality. At
nine months, a child will be more apt at
showing negative emotions when they’re
restrained. When a child is tired, they
will start actively searching for others for
comfort.
Another special milestone is that they’re
able to recognize themselves in a mirror.
At ten months, small children will show
intense negative and positive emotions
and start showing more curious be-
haviour. They will be testing things out,
or reaching out for things that interest
them. At eleven months, a baby will show
greater variability in emotions and indi-
vidual differences will become even more
clear. Some children may even insist on
feeding themselves as opposed to letting
other people feed them.

Twelve To Twenty-Four Months.
After the first year, children are able to
experience and display much more com-
plex emotions. For example, at twelve
months of age, a child may show distress
when others are distressed or cry when
something is not to the child’s liking. The
first signs of jealousy are likely to emerge
at this stage. More positive developments
also take place; children have been ob-
served to smile and laugh at their own
cleverness and may even enjoy looking
at themselves in the mirror. At fifteen
months, children become a bit more car-
ing towards other children of their age
group and show a preference for certain
pieces of clothing.
They start to indicate what they like
and dislike, and show frustration when
they get dirty while playing. At eighteen
months, children might throw temper
tantrums and may be stubborn and shy
at times. They also start to show some
signs of shame when they know they’ve
done something wrong. Another ador-
able development is that they will ac-
tively start to show a strong preference
for a particular object, like a blanket or
stuffed animal, which they use to soothe
themselves. At twenty-one months, chil-
dren will start to make some effort to
control negative emotions and situations.
This age is also the time when children
start to understand parents’ values.
At twenty-four months, a child can get
consciously upset by dreams, as well as
respond to other people’s moods much
more appropriately than before. They will
also start to identify themselves by gen-
der and their first name.
Of course, emotional development
doesn’t stop after the first twenty-four
months, but this time does lay a founda-
tion for later life. After this period of time,
children will continue to develop how
they experience and display shame, joy,
embarrassment and other complex emo-
tions. They will start to understand how
emotional display rules work, and how
two or more emotions can be felt at the
same time. They will have more interac-
ISSUE 4
tion with other children, and grown- 31
ups apart from their parents, which may
also influence development. Emotional
development never really stops; from
birth, to puberty, to their first serious
relationships, it is all a part of emotion-
al development and will be different for
everyone.
The time indications in this article are just
averages and are not meant to be strict
boundaries. Deviation from these are not
meant to be judged as either good or bad
based on this article. A professional is to
be consulted if you suspect abnormal de-
velopment of a child.
Sources cited:
Kopp, C. B., & Bean, D. L. (1994). Baby steps: the”
whys” of your child’s behavior in the first two years. WH
Freeman.
Leman, P., Bremner, A., Park, R. and Gauvain, M. (2012).
Developmental Psychology. Berkshire: McGraw-Hill
Education, pp.158, 195.
Saarni, C., Campos, J. J. & Camras, L. (2006) Emotional
development. In W. Damon & R. M. Lerner (series eds)
& N. Eisenberg (Vol. Ed.). Handbook of child psycholo-
gy: Vol. 3. Social, emotional, and personality develop-
ment (6th edn, pp. 226-299) New York: Wiley.
Sroufe, L. A. (1996) Emotional development: The orga-
nization of emotional life in the early years. New York:
Cambridge University Press.
Emotional development
doesn’t stop after the first
twenty-four months, but this
time does lay a foundation
for later life.
 Psych2Go
32
S.E.E.P
Understanding the world of Thomas
S.E.E.P. (Special, Exceptional, Extraordinary People)
People that I personally know don’t know
much about my older brother, and at one
time I was too young to understand why
my brother was the way that he is, but I’ve
learned a lot as I’ve grown up – therefore
I’m more comfortable talking about his
story. It’s not something I know how to
specifically bring up in conversation, but
I thought that this would be the perfect
opportunity to really delve into a subject
that I don’t talk about as openly as others.
Writing about something that I’m this
deeply connected with also helps me
to convey exactly what I’ve faced when
having a sibling with autism.
My oldest brother Thomas, now thirty-
three years old, lives with my family
and I in a small town in Maryland, right
outside of the D.C. area. For a while when
I was younger, he was placed into a group
home in a different area of Maryland
where a caregiver would take care of him
with a few other younger men. For about
ten years, he was moved around a series
of homes. I never fully got to understand
what my brother was like in his early
twenties, or even his late teenage years
because of this seclusion from him that
I felt. He had to be moved to these
By: Teresa Johnson
Artwork by: Teresa Johnson
places because my other brother,
Andrew – only eleven months apart from
me – and I were very young at the time,
and Thomas would have violent hormonal
outbursts in his teen years. My parents
feared he would hurt me and Andrew,
as he was already accountable for a few
altercations that dealt with threats and
fights towards my parents. So for a few
years as it seemed, my oldest brother
seemed like a very distant part of my life.
It was always routine to visit him, but it
was always so incredibly bizarre to me
that I had an older sibling who I didn’t
know that well, and who was also living
somewhere else. Now that I’m older I
could see why moving him had to happen
for my parents’ sake, but as a young
child, it was very difficult to grasp. Don’t
misunderstand me though, I love my
brother very much. However, for a good
ten years, it was hard to see how he really
fit into my life as the oldest sibling.
My brother, Thomas, was diagnosed with
autism when he was very young. As other
children reached certain milestones, he
was late to grasp them. This became a
different and alerting sign to my mother
which made her realize more of his
differences as he grew older. A story that
I will never forget that breaks my heart
is one where my mom told me back in
middle school, he was bullied to the brink
where he ran out, crying, into a highway
where he was almost hit by several cars
all because people didn’t want to play
with him and would taunt him, calling him
names like “retarded.” I have a strong
amount of hate for this term because it
is one of the worst things you can call
someone – even with their differences.
As my brother grew older, his hormones
seemed to change the way he
 ISSUE 4

acted. My brother was on a lot of to see him smile at something funny,

psychotropic medication for a long time or answer me in a complete sentence, or 33
in his teenage years, and medication even read a book aloud. He is one of the
can have side-effects which could have sweetest people I know even though he is
affected the chemical balances within different than the majority of people you
his brain, and further affected his will meet. My brother makes me realize
responsiveness to conversation. Taking how important it is for family to stick
this into consideration, I think that change together, and he has definitely made me
in hormone levels play the biggest role a wiser and stronger person.
in his development with how responsive
he is, and his cognition of being able to
physically engage with general motor
My brother was one of my
skills. inspirations for starting this
magazine. The concepts of
His mental disability doesn’t particularly psychology are so captivating,
have a name, instead it can be identified
with the effects that the disorder
and the way that people live with
presents within his daily life. Some days psychological disorders, such
he seems to be lost in a completely as autism, shows how different
different world, all made up in his head. other’s lives can be compared to
To reach that undiscovered world from an
outsider’s perspective, I’ll occasionally
what is perceived as normal.
ask him what he may be thinking about.
{Have a story that you want to contribute
One time I caught him laughing about
to the magazine?
a thought in his head and after asking
We accept submission stories about
him what he was laughing at, I actually
facing autism in your life. Feel free to
got him to tell me that it was “the man
email teresajohnso3@gmail.com for
upstairs.” Agreeably, that might sound
inquires.}
like something out of a horror movie—yes
feel free to chuckle, I did at first—but my
family and I only live in a one story house
with a basement, and we were already in
the upstairs portion. I asked him to draw
what he was thinking about, and he drew
a set of stairs and a man without a face,
not anyone in particular, just a stick figure
without a face. It makes me wonder if
these things that he imagines are two-
dimensional figments of his imagination,
or are actually present in the room with
three-dimensional characteristics. He is
kind of like the younger brother I never
had in a sense. He loves to color and
draw, and build puzzles, as well as read
and type, but he has to be prompted and
watched to make sure he doesn’t get too
caught up in the “things” going on in his
imagination. Usually they distract him
from real world activity, and you have
to remind him several times to keep
his mind aware of what’s happening in
reality. It seems to carry him away a lot,
but when I can get him to snap out of it for
a short time, it’s a really beautiful thing
 Psych2Go
34 INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES
AND THE CRIMINAL
JUSTICE SYSTEM
By: Liv Mitchell
Two studies in the United Kingdom
and United States have found that
persons with intellectual disability are
over-represented in the prison population
(Hayes et al., 2007; Loucks, 2007).
Though, compared with the general
population, individuals with intellectual
disability tend to commit less serious
crimes, leading to shorter sentences
(Zhang et al., 2011), the rate of recidivism
amongst these individuals is found to be
S.E.E.P. (Special, Exceptional, Extraordinary People)
higher than in their counterparts without
disability (Hayes, 2007). One reason for
the over-representation may be due to
the disadvantages faced by persons with
intellectual disability, such as lower rates
of education and employment, less social
support and lower socioeconomic status
than the general population (Oshima et
al., 2010). Another reason, as argued
by many scholars, may be that the set-
up and procedures within the criminal
justice system do not accommodate for
the particular needs of individuals with
intellectual disability (Holland et al.,
2002), making them more likely than
peers without disability to be caught, to
stand to trial, to be sentenced and to be
incarcerated.
Though there is a sufficient lack of
research on the first-hand experience
of individuals with intellectual disability
in the criminal justice system, what is
available suggests that some of these
individuals feel afraid and trapped in a
‘revolving-door’ system. One commonly
occurring theme in qualitative research
on the topic is that individuals have a
lack of understanding of both what is
happening to them, and why (Leggett et
al., 2007). Under police interrogation,
many reported confusion surrounding
the fact that if they said anything
it may be used against them,
explaining that this misunderstanding
often lead to fear. Alongside fear, many
individuals expressed a sense of anger
towards the way they were treated by the
police during interrogation: individuals
felt overwhelmed by ‘shouting’, and felt
they were not given a chance to ‘calm
down’ or ‘think straight’ (Leggett et al.,
2007).
Another theme which has been raised
is that individuals felt alone, and did not
know who to turn to for support when
in custody, commenting, for example,
‘I don’t get anything offered and I never
ask’ (Talbot, 2010, p.37). It has also been
observed that persons with intellectual
disability are generally uncertain about
where they would seek help and support
as they prepared to leave prison; Talbot
(2010) noted that some individuals seem
to have very high, somewhat ‘unrealistic’,
expectations of the probation/criminal
justice social work. Some individuals
showed an uncertainty about what to say
or do when at the police station and in
prison: one participant in Talbot’s study
(2010) commented that-in response
to a question concerning prison rules-
‘you know the rules when you break the
rules’ (Talbot, 2010 p.37). This particular
participant reported that these feeling
of uncertainty lead to destructive coping
mechanisms in prison.
Though it is important to stress that these
findings from research on the experience
of individuals with intellectual disability
in the criminal justice system are
limited, they do raise concerns about the
treatment of these individuals in these
settings. There is a clear lack of research
in this area; some researchers have
 ISSUE 4

commented that recruitment of

participants can be particularly difficult Some of these individuals 35
given the need to revisit a very distressing
experience for the individual. Despite this, feel afraid and trapped in a
a focused attempt for further research ‘revolving-door’ system.
is needed to get a clearer picture of the
experiences and support available to
individuals with intellectual disability
who are ‘caught up’ in the criminal justice
system. The implementation of routine
practice that safeguard and advance the
rights of individuals seems critical.

Sources cited:
Talbot J. (2010) Prisoners’ voices: experiences of the criminal
justice system by prisoners with learning disabilities. Tizard
Learn Disabil Rev, 51,–41.

Hayes S. (2007) Missing out: offenders with learning disabilities

and the criminal justice system. Br J Learn Disabil, 35:
146–53.
Oshima K.M.M., Huang J., Jonson-Reid M. & Drake B. (2010)
Children with disabilities in poor households: association with
juvenile and adult offending. Soc Work Res, 34: 102–13.

Zhang D., Barrett D.E., Katsiyannis A. & Yoon M. (2011)

Juvenile offenders with and without disabilities: risks and
patterns of recidivism. Learn Individ Differ, 21:12-18.

Leggett J., Goodman W. & Dinani S. (2007) People with learning

disabilities’ experiences of being interviewed by the police.
Br J Learn Disabil, 35: 168–73.

Loucks N. (2007) Prisoners with learning difficulties and learning

disabilities–review of prevalence and associated needs. London,
Prison
Reform Trust.
 Psych2Go

36

THE SECRET
Animal Psychology

SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE
OF CROWS
By: Jamie Moffatt
Artwork by: Sydney Diamond

People have a tendency to project
human-like intelligence on animals, as
anyone with a pet can testify. In reality,
animals rarely show consistent signs of
advanced cognition. I am always touched
and amazed at my dog’s intelligence when
he recognises me after I’ve been months
away from home. That being said, I’m just
as amazed when he chases a tennis ball
I only pretended to throw. Chimpanzees,
Dolphins and even Elephants have always
been popularly lauded as the brainiest of
beasts, but there is one animal which has
demonstrated intelligence far beyond
what many would expect.
Crows, along with close relatives such
as Ravens and Magpies, have repeatedly
proven their intelligence in psychological
studies. These gifted birds can use tools,
plan ahead and recognise themselves in
a mirror (for a review of crow cognition,
see Taylor, 2014). The cleverness of crows
is particularly striking in studies of social
thought.
The ability to remember past social in-
teractions is a staple of social cognition.
Without the capacity to remember past
relations, making friends and avoiding
enemies would be very difficult. This abil-
ity was studied in crows with an intriguing
experiment which took place at the Uni-
versity of Washington (Marzluff, Wells,
Cornell, Withey & Craig, 2010). Research-
ers wore a variety of unique (and rather
ugly) masks while they caught several
crows on the university campus. Each
crow was tagged before being released
immediately. Afterwards, the research-
ers would occasionally don the masks
once more and walk around the campus.
Upon seeing the masked researchers the
crows would screech and even swoop at
them, but each crow only reacted to the
same mask that had been worn when it
was captured. The remarkable birds re-
membered what had been done to them,
and crucially, they remembered who had
done it for up to three years after the
event.
Another indicator of social intelligence
ISSUE 4
is the ability to project experiences 37
onto others.
This is the basis of empathy. If you see
a friend stub their toe, you might laugh,
but you also wince a little knowing just
how painful it is to catch your toe on a
doorstep (then you laugh some more of
course). Crows may also possess the
skill to project their experiences, albeit
in a less complex manner. Members of
the crow family are well-known for hiding
food in caches to keep it safe from oth-
er birds looking for a tasty snack. To add
to this, some crows will re-hide food in a
new cache if they are seen hiding the food
the first time (Emery & Clayton, 2001).
However, the birds only re-hide food if
they had stolen food in the past. Innocent
crows, who had never stolen a scrap of
food in their lives, wouldn’t bother. The
criminal crows projected their own expe-
riences of thievery, recognising that other
crows were perfectly capable of stealing
their own food.
Animals lack language, so it is incredibly
difficult to determine their intelligence.
Crows cannot sit an IQ test, as adorable
as that would be, nor can they be asked
about their thoughts. This has led some
researchers to turn their beaks up at the
suggestion that crows can demonstrate
human-like intelligence. However, with
findings that crows can hold grudges and
can understand the thinking of others,
the research suggests that crows are
not simply winging it. Whilst not quite as
intelligent as humans, crows clearly de-
serve their place alongside Dolphins and
Chimpanzees as one of the most gifted
creatures on the planet.
Sources cited:
Emery, N. J., & Clayton, N. S. (2001). Effects of experi-
ence and social context on prospective caching strate-
gies by scrub jays. Nature, 414(6862), 443-446.
Marzluff, J. M., Walls, J., Cornell, H. N., Withey, J. C.,
& Craig, D. P. (2010). Lasting recognition of threat-
ening people by wild American crows. Animal Be-
haviour, 79(3), 699-707.
Taylor, A. H. (2014). Corvid cognition. Wiley Interdisci-
plinary Reviews: Cognitive Science, 5(3), 361-372.
 Psych2Go

38 FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY

A DIFFERENT
KIND OF
JUSTICE
Forensic Psychology

By: Larissa Grundmanis

Artwork by: Lea Sophia Hopfenmüller

For many victims of crime,
understanding why an individual
commits a crime is at the core of what is
felt deep inside. The basic understanding
of what may happen to a perpetrator
after committing an offense is to send
that individual to prison – but what
happens afterwards? Various offenses
have differing sentences, but for more
severe offenses (i.e. murder) having the
perpetrator released after they have
‘done their time’ can cause the victim
much inner turmoil. To combat this
turmoil, many may wish to have the
criminal locked away in prison for the rest
of their life, but there is another method
that has been recognized in aiding victims
of various crimes: restorative justice.
Restorative justice is a method used by
various justice systems that emphasizes
the positive impact of creating a
cooperative environment where both
victims and perpetrators are able to meet
when possible (there are times where
meeting is impossible, in which case
other methods are utilized). According to
the Centre for Justice and Conciliation,
four pillars exist that help create the
positive foundation of restorative justice:
inclusion of anyone involved (i.e. victims,
perpetrators), encountering the other
side (having everyone state the emotions
that arose from the crime), making
amends for the harm, and reintegration
into communities. While the victim may
never truly forgive the perpetrator for
the offense that was committed, meeting
with them helps the victim view the other
as more of a human being, rather than as
a non-feeling malevolent being.
Some may ask, “Does this method
truly work?” To answer that, Lawrence
W. Sherman and Heather Strang
conducted a literature review on the
difference between restorative justice
and criminal justice (where perpetrators
are sentenced to punishment of some
kind). They noted several key findings: it
lowered the number of repeat offenses,
more satisfaction was felt within
both the victims and the perpetrators
when restorative justice was used, it
reduced victims’ post-traumatic stress
symptoms, the anger victims’ felt against
the perpetrator was lowered, and this
form of justice works to a greater
ISSUE 4
extent when the crime involved an
individual (i.e. murder) rather than mere 39
objects (i.e. property damage). However,
there are always outliers when speaking
of anything and so this will never always
be the case.
This method has not only been used in
the criminal justice setting – it has also
been implemented in various schools.
When used in an educational setting the
basics of restorative justice are similar:
students are brought together with their
peers so that each may discuss (through
mediation) and ask questions about
difficulties that are occurring, generally
between two students. For schools
that have been able to successfully
implement a restorative justice program
great positives have been achieved. They
have seen a reduction in bullying and
student conflicts, fewer suspensions and
expulsions, and students ultimately state
that they have felt not only safer within
their school, but that their happiness
level has risen.
Clearly, restorative justice is an idea
that should be taken into greater
consideration when dealing with any
type of conflict. There are times in which
the victim and perpetrator are unable to
meet for some reason (i.e. the victim has
extreme post-traumatic stress) and so it
is always important to see what the victim
wishes to do in any situation. However,
when this method is utilized, a clear
improvement can be seen throughout
many different studies in terms of
recidivism rates and feelings of hatred
towards the perpetrator – even when
used in school settings. Even though
there will always be individuals who wish
to stick with a traditional criminal justice
system, perhaps restorative justice will
help bring the world closer together.
Sources cited:
A restorative justice agency. (n.d.). In Insight
Prison Project. Retrieved from http://www.
insightprisonproject.org/a-restorative-justice-agency.
html
Davis, M. (2015, October 29). Restorative justice:
Resources for schools. In Edutopia. Retrieved from
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/restorative-justice-
resources-matt-davis
Lesson 1: What is restorative justice?. (n.d.). In Centre
for Justice and Reconciliation. Retrieved from http://
restorativejustice.org/restorative-justice/about-
restorative-justice/tutorial-intro-to-restorative-
justice/lesson-1-what-is-restorative-justice/
 Psych2Go

40
3
 ISSUE 1
4

41
ART SUBMISSION WINNER
THEME:
“Social Anxiety”

HI! I’m Nina! and well this is my piece on social anxiety - hope you like it!

I think the piece portrays the theme in a way that you think of every thing
you want to say, all the stores you make up in your head, yet you never
say a word of it in fear of judgement. You refuse to make a phone call or
go up to the cashier, it takes a lot of will power to have social interactions.
Overcoming anxiety is hard and most people in their life time will face it,
however it should not define you. Taking little steps towards social expe-
riences is the way to go, you don’t have to hop straight into a party with
people you don’t know but instead maybe take 10 minutes to call instead
of 30. Its all helps in the long run. It can get better.

- Nina Salami
http://fall-and-imagine.tumblr.com

Thanks a ton for this opportunity to show my art!

If you would like to have the chance to win and have your art
showcased in our next issue, be on the lookout for the next art
theme which will be posted on our social media!
 Psych2Go
THE TIMELINE
42
Major selected? Check. Classes
planned? Check. Plans after graduation?
Check...?
On the way to grad school...or not; either
way it’s time to do some serious planning.
By junior year you should have an idea
about career goals and start thinking
about what you’re going to do after you
graduate. This is when you should start
talking with your advisor and seeking
advice from professors that have been
through the path you decided. Other
faculty could also direct you to graduate
The Timeline
programs and potential mentors for
graduate study and research. For the
summer prior to senior year, time to work
on applications!
In the SUMMER you should:
- Search for graduate programs in your
field and start writing a list
- Guidebooks and online sources from
your university are a big help!
- Consider visiting some of the schools
and tour the campus
- Research graduate fellowships to
prepare applications
These usually have early fall due dates
Start drafting a statement of your
purpose or your personal statement
Determine which standardized tests you
need to take and write down the dates
Think about taking a prep class so you
can do both during the summer so you
don’t have to worry sending test scores
(some come out late in the fall)
Make sure your transcript is accurate and
complete. Also check how long it usually
takes to send these in for applications
for
grad school
By: Jessica Jang
Artwork by: Natalia Mitiuriev
Considering a GAP YEAR? It’s great
because it:
- Provides a meaningful experience to
assess strengths and career interests
- Helps to answer the questions: what do
I want and how do I get there?
- Builds skills that are transferable to
workplace or graduate school
- Refreshes you for school to avoid feeling
burnt out
- Allows you to save up money for
graduate school by working but if that’s
not for you...
- Different types are available so you can
create the best combination
Alternative Work Experiences – This
is a job that doesn’t have to do with
your major or career goals but it helps
with obtaining valuable skills for any
job. Possible options include: teaching
abroad, internships or part-time work in
the U.S. or internationally.
Volunteering – This provides a different
type of experience that can be done
locally, regionally, nationally, or even
internationally. Lots of organizations
provide students the opportunity to give
their time in community and service
projects. Possible options include:
building houses and other buildings in
the U.S. or around the world, community
aid to low income families and areas or
providing assistance at a local shelter.
Learning Opportunities – Studying
abroad in a foreign country or a semester
at sea provide other options that also
include traveling with studying.
Traveling – The oldest you will be is
right now and this will help you explore
beyond your home! Possible ideas: hiking
the entire Appalachian Trail, a road trip
across the country, backpacking across
Europe, or exploring parts of Asia.
 ISSUE 4

- Some of these also offer other benefits March 1st) 43

such as stipends, housing, and/or tuition
assistance! During FEBRUARY and MARCH
- You’ll start receiving letters that offer
- Adds to your resume that you should admission, a spot on the waiting list, or a
highlight to graduate schools to polite decline so make sure you wait until
employment recruiters you hear from all the programs before
you make your decision
If you’re thinking about it: - You might also receive interview
- Plan ahead of time for the programs you invitations (Even if it is optional this might
want since it takes about six months help you give more information about the
- Be sure to meet specific deadlines for program)
what you want to apply for - You should also check your FAFSA form
- Consider the questions: Why do you for need-based financial aid
want a gap year? What do you want to
gain from your experience? What type of For APRIL:
gap year experience do you want? - Visit schools that have offered admission
to get a feel for the campus and meet
In SEPTEMBER: with certain individuals to help make your
- Continue talking to faculty mentors to decision
discuss graduate programs to add or - Generally, most students accept one of
remove them from your list their offers by MAY 1st
- Also discuss your personal statement
draft Not everyone is the same but this is a
- And request letters of recommendation general idea of when to think of certain
- Collect forms and materials you need to stages of graduate school or your gap
apply, register for online applications year. Congrats on getting this far and
Prepare for completing applications imagine how far you can go! Wishing
you the best of luck!
For OCTOBER:
- Take or retake any standardized test you
need
- Write and revise any writing samples for
your applications. This could be scholarly
writing or a research paper
-Find out which programs need
transcripts early (before fall grades are
posted)
- Complete and submit applications with
early deadlines or rolling admissions
(programs that allow submissions during
a certain amount of time instead of one
deadline)

In NOVEMBER:
- Submit transcript requests at your
registrar’s office in person or online
- Turn in applications with DECEMBER or
JANUARY due dates

For JANUARY:
- Complete and submit applications for
programs with late deadlines (Usually
 Psych2Go

44

SOCIAL ANXIETY
story
January: Social Anziety Awareness Month
Community Submissions:

By: Tijn Koebrugge

Artwork by: Fieni Aprilia
 ISSUE 4

Personally, I always thought social can do something a bit better. This

anxiety was weird, I mean I never really
was an outgoing child, but being afraid
of socialising eh… I just didn’t like it,
but yeah I wasn’t necessarily afraid of
it. Well it changed for me, and to be
exact it changed on the 3rd of May 2013
5 minutes past midnight when I had my
first fully fledged anxiety attack. My entry
into the world of anxiety was harsh,
without a single warning I was strangled
by an invisible ghost holding me down day
after day.
Luckily I have a mother who had the same
thing, so I was at a psychiatrist fairly
soon and after trying out some different
antidepressants, my life got better after
about a year. The main anxiety was
gone, like the random anxiety that all
of a sudden kicks you in the nuts with a
“SUPRIIISE lets be scared of absolutely
nothing and fall on the ground shaking
and crying”, and I also managed to pass
for my high school finals in one go while
switching medication. So I’m still bloody
proud of that and it helped me massively,
it added to my recovery and self-esteem.
But now let’s carry on to what I want to
say. In the year I started with my anxiety
disorder I was launched into the magical
world of Tumblr, and especially the side
of Tumblr where the “different” people
go to… the mental health, anxiety and
depression groups if I can call it that. I was
shocked to find out most of the things I
normally thought were just quirks of me,
was actually the social anxiety brooding
on the inside. Because I could lay awake
in bed cringing about things that must
have happened around 10 years ago by
now. And not just thinking “hehe that was
silly” but getting incredibly angry over
it, cursing and mentally/physically self-
harming over something I said or did all
that time ago.
is what I still experience. Because 45
of personal reasons I needed to stop
studying, but my friends all continued.
So I feel utterly useless, think nothing of
myself and that I’m a waste of my time,
my friends’ time and basically the time
running in the universe for about 138
billion years.
This is what everyone needs to know. Even
though we may feel like we don’t want to
do anything, we may seem lazy… but we
aren’t. There is something fundamentally
wrong, and the best you can do is accept
the problems and offer help. Just small
things as assuring they’re not a problem
might sometimes be enough to brighten
someone’s day that was dark due to
social anxiety. Don’t force people to go
out, just offer a hand, and if needed a
shoulder to cry on. Because in my opinion
people with social anxiety are one of the
friendliest people I have ever met and
they are certainly worth the trouble of
asking them out and take time for them
alone instead of waiting for them to take
the initiative. And well, trying to make
someone with social anxiety feel happy,
simply trying to cheer them up, is never
really “going through trouble”.

Or when I forced myself to call someone

to hang out. I knew, especially when I was
drowning in a dark pool of depression it
sometimes helped to go out, talk or play
games with someone. But I couldn’t...
I would think of calling them for hours,
“Yeah let’s call them” and about 10
seconds later “let’s not call them, they
don’t like you and you will get an anxiety
attack there and you are only a burden.”
Being jealous, too jealous if someone
 Psych2Go
46
XENOPHOBIA IS NOT DEAD..... YET
By: Merna Abdelsalam Ahmed
www.facebook.com/Mima.Al.Nag
Artwork by: Lea Sophia Hopfenmüller
So by now you should have a pret-
ty good idea about phobias in general.
Now, we shall discuss one phobia in par-
ticular known as Xenophobia. It is usu-
ally associated with the terms ‘racism’,
‘discrimination’ and ‘human persecu-
tion’. These terms are used to describe
cases of unjust and cruel treatment of an
individual or a group of people because
of their religious or political beliefs or
their race. Possessing strong emotions
of dislike or even fear of people from a
Community Submissions:
different country/culture of one’s own
is being Xenophobic. However, believing
that people of other races are less sig-
nificant than one’s own is being racist.
Although it might appear that these is-
Xenophobia
sues do not actually trigger abusive ac-
tions as much in real life when compared
to earlier decades, they do affect many
people nowadays whether we admit it or
not. “That’s not true! At least I personally
don’t do that”. But when we look closely
around us, we will find that Xenophobia
and/ or racism are evident wherever we
go. In fact, most probably we have been
Xenophobic or racist at least once before
without realizing it.
By definition, Xenophobia is the hatred
or fear of foreigners that is exhibited
through discriminatory, sometimes even
violent, behavior. According to studies,
some of the causes of Xenophobia are the
fear of loss of social status and identity;
a perceived or real threat to economic
success; the self-reassurance of one’s
national identity at times of national cri-
sis (Harris, 2001); the perceived feel of
superiority; and finally the poor cultural
awareness (Mogekwu, 2005). The insuf-
ficient and inadequate intercultural
information that those individuals have
that they become Xenophobic, and start
perceiving foreigners as a threat, as stat-
ed by Mogekwu (2005). See a pattern? It’s
all a matter of perception, obviously. Xe-
nophobes believe that non-citizens pose
some sort of a threat to their own identity
and individual rights, and so it can be ar-
gued that Xenophobia is connected to the
concept of nationalism, which is the feel-
ing of loyalty to and pride of one’s country
accompanied with a sense of superiority.
“So what is the significance of all of this
information?” you might wonder.
Let’s look at some of the statistics re-
ported by the Office for Democratic Insti-
tutions and Human Rights in 2014 alone.
But first, let’s look at the definition of a
hate crime as suggested by the ODIHR.
A hate crime is a crime “motivated by
prejudice”, which threatens individuals’
security and might even lead to serious
national security challenges. The fol-
lowing figures are the cases of racism/
xenophobia out of the total number of
hate crimes reported by police: 43,113
out of 52,853 cases in the UK, 3871 out
of 6385 cases in the US, 2039 out of 3059
cases in Germany, 678 out of 1662 cas-
es in France, and 413 out of 596 cases in
Italy. Other cases of hate crimes include
anti-Semitism, bias against Muslims, and
bias against members of the LGBT com-
munity. More information is available on
the Organization for Security and Co-op-
eration in Europe website.
On the bright side, people these days are
becoming more and more aware of the
 ISSUE 4

world surrounding them, including

its different cultures, sexualities, and 47
religions. We should learn to accept each
other with all our differences. Yes, these
words you have heard thousands of times
before. How cliché! Yet, if there is a 1%
chance that raising awareness could help
reduce racism and Xenophobia, then let’s
be cliché. Take Martin Luther King, Nel-
son Mandela, and Gandhi as an example
of people who have worked so hard to
fight racism through their movements,
speeches and manifestations. Fortunate-
ly, we have the magical World Wide Web,
through

which we can connect with “others”.

Those whom we perceive as different
or odd. Connection is key to mutual un-
derstanding and respect. Interaction is
critical for us to become more culturally
sensitive. And finally, it will help everyone
of us to live in peace when we decide to
be more open towards other’s differences
as well as our own.

Sources cited:

Harris, B. (2001) ‘A Foreign Experience: Violence, crime

and xenophobia during South Africa’s transition’, CSVR.
Mogekwu, M. (2005) ‘African Union: Xenophobia as poor
intercultural information’, Ecquid Novi 26(1): 5-20.
Racism and xenophobia. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://
hatecrime.osce.org/what-hate-crime/racism-and-xe-
nophobia
 Psych2Go

Psych2Go Community Photography

48
Nicholas Bowers
Photography
Nickbowersphotography.tumblr.com
www.facebook.com/nicolasbowersphotography
Psych2Go Community Photography

Model: Victoria

These visuals represent the feeling of anxiety and overall

feelings of stress and tension, bringing the experience and
mental aspect of social anxiety to a tangible medium.

Social anxiety is something which plagues a plethora of differ-

ent people; tormenting and taunting without remorse.

– Nicholas Bowers, Washington

 ISSUE 4

49

Model: Kaiza
 Psych2Go
50 Claudyne: A Social Anxiety
Awareness Project
By:Jackie Martinez, Colorado
Social Anxiety is one of the most
known type of anxiety disorders out
there. Many adults, teenagers, and even
children are affected everyday but some
of them don’t know if they actually have
the disorder. Unfortunately, I am one
those affected people, but today I want
to talk about one of my closest friends
A Social Anxiety Awareness Project
Claudyne.
I met her in the fourth grade and ever
Community Submissions:
since then, we’ve gone to school together
to this day. Growing up she was the little
girl who would always stay behind while
others were filled with energy and I have
to say this is what drawn me into her; we
both have the same traits. Throughout
the years I was very lucky to be her
friend. Claudyne is just the type of person
who will say random things to make you
laugh in weird situations, she’ll always
listen to your problems and might as well
cry with you, but what’s more important
is that she will agree upon joining you
to have fun… if her anxiety decides not
to control her that day. People don’t
understand the fact that social anxiety is
a legitimate disorder that can effect the
functioning of a person’s daily life. Social
Anxiety can take us away from enjoying
ourselves out there in the real world, it
takes our freedom away to enjoy things.
From personal experiences I come from
an immigrant family and I’m an only child
which means I have to help my parents
interpret information by talking in
English and Spanish back and forth. My
mind always starts to race, my hands and
neck start getting sweaty and probably
one of the things that affects me the
most is that I have a stuttering problem.
If I’m stuttering I can’t make eye-contact
with either my parents or the person I’m
talking to. These are just some of the
anxious tendencies I go through everyday
and I am aware of the fact that there are
other people out there who have differing
and even more intense symptoms than I
experience.
I had asked a few questions to Claudyne
about how social anxiety effects her, and
I’m very positive people who have social
anxiety can definitely relate to this:
Q: What made you realized you had social
anxiety?
A: I was always a very quiet and shy kid;
I kept things to myself a lot since I can
even remember, but I realized I had social
anxiety around 7th grade when I had
more friends and they always wanted to
go out to do things. I couldn’t really do
anything without feeling uncomfortable
with the activities they were going to do,
I felt scared around people in the places
we went to and I would feel exceedingly
pessimistic. I always thought about the
things people are saying about me (even
if they weren’t talking about me) I’d jump
to conclusions and think of the worse
possible outcome.
Q: What is it that scares you the most
about the public?
A: What scares me the most is almost
everything of my surroundings, the people
around me, sounds and what not. I get
scared awfully easily so anything while
 ISSUE 4

I’m out is just terrifying; loud noises misunderstand us for; we don’t let
and people looking at me or just simply people take advantage of us. 51
trying to ask things or order food. I get
high anxiety when I go out but sometimes
my friends are very kind and reassure me
that it’s okay or ask things for me.

Q: If you had the power to change

anything about you, what would you
change? Would you change traits to be
more confident and open?
A: Again, I’m a timid and awkward
person. Just that can usually prevent
me to do simple things like doing a class
presentation or asking for something
without wanting to breakdown. So if I
could change anything about myself
I would try to be more outgoing and
confident that way I can do those simple
tasks. I’m starting to be more comfortable
and loving to myself; accepting this is
difficult but I know that I could possibly
overcome it somehow and that’s a work
in progress.

Social Anxiety is something very serious

that many of us should start paying
attention. Us who are students in school
have trouble learning because of the
simple things we’re afraid to do! Not all
teachers are very strict and hard pushing
but I do strongly believe that more of
them should be more accepting towards
students. That also means we have to
step out of our boundaries sometimes to
talk to our teachers about our disabilities
we can’t control. No matter what type of
disorder we have, serious or not serious, I
believe that all of us can make it through.
Time is passing slow, I understand but
one day it’s going to slip so fast that we
Model: Claudyne
won’t even remember how long it felt.
So I’d advise everyone who is reading
this to go out and get a fresh drink, grab
a couple of friends, and go out on a nice
walk. We all need to breathe a little.

*Credits to my friend Claudyne Morales

for participating in my mini Q&A and the
rest of this project.
Pictures were taken by me. These
pictures symbolize the fact that we
can all have fun and enjoy ourselves
when we have disorders people can
 Psych2Go

52
QUIZZES
 ISSUE 4

53

Please see answers on page 69!

 Psych2Go

Created and Designed by: Genevieve Bedell

http://sketchy-macrocosm.tumblr.com/
 ISSUE 1
4

Created and Designed by: Genevieve Bedell

http://sketchy-macrocosm.tumblr.com/
 Psych2Go

Projective Psychology
56
The HTP Projective Test
INTERPRETATIONS By: Risha Mae Ordas

A projective test is a personality test The Velvet Submarine

designed to let a person respond to am-
biguous stimuli, presumably revealing
hidden emotions and internal conflicts
projected by the person into the test. The
magazine has previously handled with
one projective test, the Rorschach test for
a few issues, but for this issue we would
like to introduce a new projective test:
The House-Tree-Person Test or more
commonly referred to as the HTP test.
The HTP test is a projective test designed
to measure the aspects of a person’s
personality by using three drawings from
the client, a house, a tree, and a per-
son. It offers a holistic perspective of the
person based on the representations of
the drawings, but for this section of the
magazine, we have asked our readers
to submit one of three drawings of their
choosing.
This person recognizes the importance
of the presesence of others and their re-
lationships with them. Although they are
quite private with their lives in general,
this person is open for interpersonal re-
lationships. But, there might be tension
within the person, or in their relation-
ships. Perhaps there are concerns with
their foundations? Or maybe tensions
with other people, maybe about security
or dependency.
Tree

Like the previous projective test that the

magazine featured, this is only for recre-
ational purposes, and the interpretations
that are in this section may not be 100%
accurate because of some limitations
posed by the method of submission and
assessment. But for our dearest readers
who have submitted, thank you so much
for your cooperation and I hope that you Laura Hernandez
can take a grain of salt from this. The drawing may depict the person want-
ing to be productive, but there seemed
House to be a lack of goals, but there are im-
provements with that already. The per-
son seems to lack something that would
ground them and may be undergoing
some tensions.

Victoria Weaver
There is great motivation that this per-
son possess, but there are the lack of
long term goals. Having said this, this
person is passionate, so that whatever
they would decide to be their goal, they
would do their best to reach for it no mat-
ter what. Although this person might be
undergoing tensions at the moment, this
does not stop them from wanting to be
productive.
Person
The drawing may depict that the person
is introverted, probably seens as cold or
aloof. They may have the tendency to be
persons who withdraw from their envi-
ronements and would tend to be unin-
terested in perceiving their environment.
This person might have unsure ideas on
their self concept, which might be a fac-
tor of their anxiety, but this person has a
strong sense of control, and would often
strive for it. They would also be charac-
terized as having assertive and decisive
behavior.
ISSUE 4
Elijah Dean Takas 57
There are several elements in the draw-
ing that depict that this person is anxious
about a lot of things, which could be about
social acceptance, wanting to know more
about what you need in life. Perhaps you
are still young and you need to experi-
ence more in life to answer this? Other
elements would imply that this person
is introverted, and has strong inclination
for impulsive behavior, and sometimes a
feeling of insecurity.
Eliya
The striking thing about this drawing, is
that it’s missing the bottom half of the
body, which may indicate the anxiety and
insecurity of the person. This person may
have difficulty adjusting to social situa-
tions, but is very much open and empa-
thetic towards people and situations. This
person has a strong sense of ambition
and works hard to strive for love and af-
fection, although they might be quite im-
pulsive at times.
 Psych2Go

58
BOOK REVIEW:

CUT (2000)
By: StrangeSilverPhenex on tumblr
Book Review
 ISSUE 4

Cut by Patricia McCormick is about The version of Cut I have has a

a girl named Callie and her struggle
with self-harm. It takes place in a mental
hospital called Sea Pines, which the
“guests” call Sick Minds. The beginning of
the book starts with Callie talking to you,
the therapist, during Individual therapy.
The way the book is written is a mix of
1st and 2nd person, which I find very
creative and sets the mood and tone of
the book very nicely. You, the reader, find
out about Callie’s family and past during
these sessions, but Callie doesn’t like to
talk, so instead, she just answers in her
thoughts whenever you (the therapist)
ask a question.
59
little segment at the end of McCormick
explaining that she went to S.A.F.E
(Self-Abuse Finally Ends) Alternatives
Facility and had the girls there read the
manuscript. She says they were pleased
to see their story published. I really
enjoyed reading this book and would
recommend it to anyone who has a day or
a weekend to spare to sit down and read
this amazing book.

Then a new girl by the name Amanda

shows up during Group Therapy, who
also has “behavioral issues” as Sea Pines
calls them. When Claire, the group leader,
asks her if she would like to share why
she was sent to Sea Pines, she takes off
her sweat-shirt, exposing her past scars,
alarming the other girls. She goes on a
rant about how she just doesn’t get why
people make a big fuss of it, that what
she’s doing is no different than a tattoo
or a piercing. When she finishes, Claire
asks her if she can control her impulses
to which she replies yes. Then she asks
Callie the same question. Callie nods, but
because no one really knew what Callie
went to Sea Pines for, the other girls were
all shocked.

The story goes on to Callie getting a call

from her mother about how she seems
to be resisting treatment by not talking.
After the phone call, Callie starts talking
to you, the therapist, during Individual
therapy.

The plot then follows Callie’s recovery,

with Amanda sometimes being helpful,
and sometimes not. I feel that Patricia
McCormick accurately described how
it is to struggle with self-harm, even
though I never have. She also describes
the other character’s disorders with what
I feel as acute accuracy, for example, the
scene with Becca hiding her brownie in
her pocket when she thought nobody was
looking.
 Psych2Go

60 ROTTEN
Sometimes I’m drowning in loneliness
Others I wallow in my victory of self-
sufficiency
The rollercoaster goes up, slowly, slowly
Mind your step.
Until it bursts down in agony

One drop of water

Hear the sound of falling
Beating of my heart
Cannot hear, too loud
Fear does not allow me to be

Night, lying in bed

Wide awake for my mind has its own coffee
shop
Not being able to escape myself
I listen to the sound of my thoughts
Silence is loud.

My eyes, closed, do not find what they search

Brightness of the night is killing me
The orchestra is playing loud
My involuntary presence does not bother them
For I am their guest of honour

The sound of silence, somehow so loud

My existence put on hold
Heart aching inside of me
Tears invisible on pale skin
Screams mute to my surroundings

Does it show?
Does my face reflect what lies beneath?
Look in the mirror
Vague reflection
Only a girl with a mask on her face

Doll, so pretty on the outside yet empty on the

inside
Do you shout in silence?
Eyes filled with gap
Long for people to
Look and see

Wishing for the freedom of the night

Mystery of unclear lines
The sweet feeling of relief
Why do I wish for the sky to turn black
When I cannot wait to be dusk again

Thoughts, fuzzy in sub consciousness

Cannot break through
Waiting for them to catch me and say
Hey, you okay?
I jump in my final gasp of despair.

Poem by: Katja Stojić

 ISSUE 4

SEARCHING 61
FOR ANSWERS
What is wrong with this world today?

Nobody tries anymore

Nobody cares anymore

Nobody is passionate anymore

How did we get this way?

Now so lazy

Now so defiled

Now so ignorant

Why are we where we are?

Some have pain

Some have joy

Some are numb

Do we deserve where we stand?

Some are average

Some are in power

Some are barely living

Then again

Where are we?

Poem by: Dancia

 Psych2Go

62
PSYCHOLOGY
TOGO
BRAIN REJECTION

By: Lauren Miedel

 ISSUE 4

All of us have had to deal with rejection

in some form. It may be from a failed job 63
interview, a potential partner, or being cut
out of a group activity. What happens next
will sound familiar to many: “just get over
it.” Yes, the super-helpful advice given to
us by those trying to help more often than
not just results in an aggravated sigh and
the knowledge that it’s not that easy.

However, science shows that it’s not

that easy to just get over it. Studies, like
those by Raffensperger, have shown that
“social rejection causes activity in the
brain dorsal anterior cingulate cortex
(dACC) and the memory of a break-up
stimulated the dACC, as well as the
sensory regions of the brain, suggesting
that the brain interprets emotional
responses as similar to physical pain”
(2012). When someone experiences a
rejection, the dACC responds in the same
way it responds to an actual pain.

Because of this phenomenon, it’s possible

to conclude that one needs to heal from
rejection in a similar sense. Maybe
that doesn’t mean putting a bandage
on something and waiting for skin to
heal, but it does mean that reminders
of the painful event will continue to
be so until something happens that
regains confidence or restates a person’s
importance. As an example, if someone
experiences a breakup, the brain will
continue to register it as physical pain
until the person moves on.

I believe that the theory that someone

can just “get over” rejection stems from
the general idea that problems regarding
the mind are less important than those
regarding the body. Hopefully, as we learn
more about how the brain and mental
state of people are integral to everyday
life, people will be more understanding
when rejection occurs.
 Psych2Go
PSYCHOLOGICAL MYTHS
64
Introverts
By: Kimiya Monfared
Artwork by: Trina Laya
Many people believe that the label
“introverted” is a synonym for “shy”.
However, this is false because of several
reasons. Conversation, performance, and
leadership are just three of the differences
between shyness and introversion.
In a typical day, an introvert won’t initiate
conversation, but once a conversation
has been initiated with them, they run
with it. An introvert will continue to
speak to whoever approached them and
in turn, listen to what they have to say.
If a conversation is initiated with a shy
person, he/she will usually remain quiet
and listen to what the initiator has to
say, rather than continue and add to the
Debungking Psychological Myths
conversation. This is not always the case
but more than often than not, it is.
Performance is another way to distinguish
an introvert from a shy person. Shy
people don’t participate in activities that
put them in the spotlight and make them
the main focus of the situation. Someone
who is shy won’t go for the lead role in a
musical or for the solo part during a choir
concert. An introvert, however, can do
these things with no problem. If they’re
doing something they love, they’ll go for
it.
Leadership is the final of the three
examples of differences between
introversion and shyness. Though in both
cases, it is difficult to land a leadership
position due to how “quiet” each type
of person is. Nonetheless, there is a
difference in the want of a leadership
position. A shy person won’t seek out
the lead post but an introvert might. The
personality of the introvert is the deciding
factor, but since they are not particularly
apprehensive they will go for what they
want.
According to the Oxford dictionary, the
psychological definition of an introvert is:
“a person predominantly concerned with
their own thoughts and feelings rather
than with external things”.
The Oxford dictionary definition of shy
is: “being reserved or having or showing
nervousness or timidity in the company of
other people”. The dictionary-definition
difference between “introvert” and “shy”
is clear. When it comes to the social
difference between an introverted person
and a shy person, it is cloudy to someone
not familiar with psychology. Just
because a person is introverted doesn’t
mean he/she dislikes talking to people as
a whole. An introvert might spend their
Friday night at home playing piano while
a shy extrovert will go out with friends but
won’t talk.
Imagine comparing a rectangle to a
square. To a young mind, the two appear
the same. They both have 4 sides, no
curves, and 4 right angles. However, to an
expert mind, the two are very different. A
square has 4 equal sides and a rectangle
does not. A rectangle can be considered
a square and a shy person can also be
considered an introvert, but this is not
always the case.
With the examples shown, introversion is
obviously different from shyness. Though
there are similarities, they are still very
different. Conversation, performance,
and leadership are just three instances
in which introverts are different from shy
people.
 ISSUE 4
ADVICE COLUMN
“Whenever my friend is stressed
she doesn’t want to eat and sometimes
forgets to eat.
As a friend, I am very concerned about
her. I don’t want to come to the point
where she will become sick and ill. I
want her to be healthy and happy.
What is some advice you can offer me to
help her?.” - Anonymous
Hey there, I’m sorry your friend is going
through a rough patch right now and of
course you feel concerned. I’ve been in
that situation with a friend as well. She
was either too upset or too stressed to
eat and would always feel weak. She
made up so many excuses at first about
not eating but I started talking to her a
bit more and it was mostly about how her
day was going and how she was feeling.
From my experience, the more I talked to
her, the more trust I gained until she was
finally able to talk about her more serious
problems. People don’t always stress out
about the same things, and sometimes
something that may be stressful for
one person can seem easy or hardly
problematic to another.
It’s always helpful to put yourself in their
shoes or try and see it from their point
of view. Another helpful tip is patience.
Like I mentioned, people stress about all
kinds of things so just talk with them and
let them know you’re there for any type of
support. Even being able to express their
feelings to someone can help a person
who feels stressed. I felt that showing
my friend that I truly cared about her
and letting her know about my concern
helped her see that she did have to focus
on her health too. Little by little she was
able to eat more and she’s still working
on that till this day. I hope all this helps
and that your friend is able to relax a bit
more. You can be her reminders to stay
positive at times. Wishing you both the
65
best! for yourself as you are giving
to others.
LAUR
A
“Any advice to stop procrastinating,
and start having a good working to-do
system, would be highly appreciated!!”
- Anonymous
Hi anon. Staying organised can be
difficult sometimes and it’s easy to
feel overwhelmed with a large task.
Sometimes it’s very easy to bury your
head in the sand, so we’ll done for
being proactive in staying on top of
things! Getting a task done regardless
of what it is comes down to steps. Break
everything you do into small chunks that
are easy to manage. For example, if you
have an essay to do it needs broke into
two halves, research and writing. Then
each of those categories needs to be
broken into topics to put into the essay.
By completing smaller tasks things are
more manageable than tackling one big
task. Time management is important,
plan how you need to spend your time
where. For this I also recommend a day
to day diary so that you can write daily to
do lists as well to ensure that you don’t
forget anything. Bullet journaling might
be of interest as this is an efficient system
designed to maximise productiveness.
Good luck anon, you can do it.
LAUR
EN
 Psych2Go
66
Mental Health Crisis Lines
Suicide hotlines by country:
Argentina: 54-0223-493-0430
Australia: 13-11-14
Austria: 01-713-3374
Barbados: 429-9999
Belgium: 106
Botswana: 391-1270
Brazil: 21-233-9191
China: 852-2382-0000 (Hong Kong:
2389-2222)
Costa Rica: 606-253-5439
Croatia: 01-4833-888
Cyprus: 357-77-77-72-67
Czech Republic: 222-580-697, 476-701-
908
Denmark: 70-201-201
Egypt: 762-1602
Estonia: 6-558-088
Finland: 040-5032199
France: 01-45-39-4000
Germany: 0800-181-0721
Greece: 1018
Guatemala: 502-234-1239
Holland: 0900-0767
Honduras: 504-237-3623
Hungary: 06-80-820-111
Iceland: 44-0-8457-90-90-90
Israel: 09-8892333
Italy: 06-705-4444
Japan: 3-5286-9090
Latvia: 6722-2922, 2772-2292
Malaysia: 03-756-8144 (Singapore:
1-800-221-4444)
Mexico: 525-510-2550
Netherlands: 0900-0767
New Zealand: 4-473-9739
New Guinea: 675-326-0011
Nicaragua: 505-268-6171
Norway: 47-815-33-300
Philippines: 02-896-9191
Poland: 52-70-000
Portugal: 239-72-10-10
Russia: 8-20-222-82-10
Spain: 91-459-00-50
South Africa: 0861-322-322
South Korea: 2-715-8600
Sweden: 031-711-2400
Switzerland: 143
Taiwan: 0800-788-995
Thailand: 02-249-9977
Trinidad and Tobago: 868-645-2800
Ukraine: 0487-327715
More specific mental health lines:
USA
Depression: 1-630-482-9696
Suicide: 1-800-784-8433
LIFELINE: 1-800-273-8255
Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386
Sexuality Support: 1-800-246-7743
Eating Disorders: 1-847-831-3438
Rape and sexual assault: 1-800-656-
4673
Grief: 1-650-321-5272
Runaway: 1-800-843-5200, 1-800-843-
5678, 1-800-621-4000
Post Abortion: 1-866-4394253
Child Abuse: 1-800-422-4453
UK
Childline (for anyone under 18 with any
problem): 08001111
 ISSUE 4

Mind infoline: 0300 123 3393 e-mail:

info@mind.org.uk 67
Mind legal advice: 0300 466 6463 legal@
mind.org.uk
Eating Disorders: 0845 634 14 14 e-mail:
help@b-eat.co.uk
Eating Disorders for under age 25:
08456347650
Bereavement: 08444779400 e-mail:
helpline@cruse.org.uk
Frank (information and advice on drugs):
0800776600
Drinkline: 0800 9178282
Rape Crisis England & Wales: 0808 802
9999 1 e-mail info@rapecrisis.org.uk
Rape Crisis Scotland: 08088 01 03 02
India
Self Harm:00 08001006614
Suicide: 022-27546669
Canada
Kid’s helpline: 1-800-668-6868

International text based help:

imalive.org
crisischat.org
blahtherapy.com
7cupsoftea.com

Artwork by:
Jeffrey Bigelow
Mental helpline provided by:
riseandtry.tumblr.com
 Psych2Go
68
THANK YOU!
The contributors & Digital Research team:
Rhonda Marie – U.S. (Kentucky)
Tai Tai - Canada
Analucia Guzman –Guatemala
Holly Schaefer-U.S. (Pennsylvania)
David Bradley- U.S. (Massachusetts)
Megan Altemus- U.S. (Louisiana)
Carolyn McCormick – U.S. (North Carolina)
Game Designers:
Jade Li- The U.K.
Sadia Nadeem-U.S. (California)
Editors:
Brandon Michael-U.S. (Ohio)
Jo Collinson- The U.K.
Elizabeth Bailey- U.S. (Maryland)
Miles Underwood-The U.K.
Angelina Coronado- U.S. (New Jersey)
Helen Warriner-The U.K.
Teresa Johnson-U.S. (Maryland)
Imogen Bowler- The U.K.
The graphic designers:
Ken Samonte – New Zealand
kensamonte.tumblr.com
Pilar Chavez – Mexico
sugar-levels.tumblr.com
Jane Shi – Singapore
Janerart.tumblr.com
Ruth Estipona – Philippines
r-gie.tumblr.com
Ale Caballero – Mexico
Dashingdollsintothewoods.tumblr.com
Jeffrey Bigelow – U.S. (New York)
shallowfeelings.tumblr.com
Instagram: Vapor_Wave
Fiensh (Fieni Aprilia) – Indonesia
www.behance.net/Fiensh
novusvultura.tumblr.com
Anne Vu – Australia
facebook.com/ayveephotos
https://ayveecreative.wordpress.com/
Craig Alexander – The U.K.
Chillibyte.wordpress.com
Katherine Fosso- U.S. (Indiana)
sunsinourhands.tumblr.com
Trisha Mae Laya – Philippines
https://www.behance.net/shathree
Sohaina Maritita – Northern Marina Islands
http://gunningtwice.tumblr.com/
Lizzy Barrett - Netherlands
http://lizzybarrett.nl
Drew Borja – Philippines
drewborja.co
Laura Mulrooney – U.S. (Virginia)
http://lellypad.tumblr.com
Dhiyan Faza Khalisa – Indonesia
http://sasakhalisa.tumblr.com
Lea Sophia Hopfenmüller - Germany
miss-katz.deviantart.com
Misha Sung - Australia
http://mishasung.wordpress.com/
Comic Contribution:
Genevieve Bedell
http://sketchy-macrocosm.tumblr.com/
Issues of the Psych2Go Magazine come
out Quarterly (four times a year) because
we want to make sure we deliver the
best compilation of Psychology related
material to you. All of the people that
have contributed to this entrepreneurial
project as a part of the Psych2Go
community, have worked very diligently
and hard to produce this publication.
Everyone was such a vital asset to its
production and none of this is possible
without everyone’s willingness to
participate! We’d love to hear your
feedback! Send us a message at
psych2go@outlook.com telling us what
you think of the magazine!
Be sure to keep up to date with Psych2Go
and check out the next issue of our
magazine coming out April 2016
Teresa Johnson
 ISSUE 4

69

Pre-order the next edition of Psych2Go Magazine,

or check out the rest of our psych series now at
http://psych2go.bigcartel.com!
 Psych2Go
70
READER TESTIMONIALS
Testimonials
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Psych-
2go’s first magazine for ADHD aware-
ness month, for their first magazine this
is a very strong start, unfortunately it isn’t
without its problems. I was surprised to
find that the barrier to entry is quite low,
literally anyone with little to no back-
ground knowledge of psychology or any of
the social sciences could pick this up and
read it if psychology is something you’re
interested in. This magazine covers a
plethora of thought provoking topics from
separation anxiety disorder, to autism, to
martial arts, and even tips for interviews
so it’s filled with things everybody can
take something away from.
The magazine is very colorful with many
illustrations throughout so it doesn’t feel
like you’re reading a college textbook.
However, many of the pdf pages follow
this format where there are two normal
pages crammed together on one page,
Psych2Go Issue 1
a nice idea but there are some in-
stances where I feel it doesn’t quite
work (for example page 37). I don’t know,
it just bugs me when one page is full but
the page next to it is half blank (or half
full if you’re feeling optimistic). The last
two paragraphs on page 19 clash a bit
with the art on the page, it’s a minor is-
sue but I feel that it should be mentioned.
Also, I wish that the font for the citations
were a little darker, so they’re easier to
read (especially pages 66 & 67 with the
suicide hotlines). Page 15 in particular
has a few font related problems, page
14 & 15 have an interview with a college
student but surprisingly there’s no use of
quotation marks at all for her responses,
even though the text is a different color
the questions have the same sized font as
her responses, and there’s even a part on
that page where it transitions from her
responses back into the next section
 ISSUE 4

of the interview with the same font

styling(end of page 14 to the beginning of 71
page 15). That’s definitely not to say it’s
all bad, I love how all the colors pop out
at you and grab your attention I also enjoy
the pictures and imagery used for every
section of the magazine.

You can tell that the people writing this

put a lot of effort into it and genuine-
ly enjoy what they do, this is expressed
through the use of more personal dia-
logue to connect with the reader rather
than just reading the information to you.
Despite my few complaints that I feel may
hamper your experience if only a little bit,
I have no doubt you will still enjoy reading
through this magazine as much as I did.

(Obligatory not-so obligatory review

score) PSYC out of PSYCH

- Callestere

Hello,

Honestly I think that you guys had an

amazing idea of creating a dynamic and
more fun access to the psychological
world, something with good source and
using a language that is not too formal,
which makes easier and accessible for
anyone to read, Its just really amazing.
I’m brazilian and I found you guys through
tumblr, it was really great for me because Want to write a review of our most
like some people who work in the maga-
zine I dont act in the psychology field but
recent issue of Psych2Go Magazine?
I always had a great interest on it. Con- Send your reviews to
grats for the magazine, its awesome!! psych2go@outlook.com
Keep it up!

(Sorry about my english)

-Love, Marina.

Hi! I received a digital copy of magazine

one and I loved it. It was really informa-
tive. It had great articles and it was inter-
esting throughout!
Keep up the great work :)

- Mareena
(http://a-fat-dragon.tumblr.com)
 Psych2Go

72 Psych2Go’s
COMMUNITY CHALLENGE
Psych2Go's Community Challenge
ISSUE 4

73
Thank you for purchasing
Psych2Go Magazine!

Thank you for your purchase of Psych2Go Magazine!

Join our community challenge:

When you receive the magazine and are a user of social me-
dia, feel free to post your photo with the magazine, or some
creative way you may be using it – whether it’s in the class-
room, showing a friend, or even posing with the publication!
Be sure to tag Psych2Go in it so we can see your post!
Feel free to use the hashtag: #Psych2GoMag as well!
Feel free to send images to teresajohnso3@gmail.com as
well so we can credit you and repost your photo if you decide
to share your enthusiasm!
DonÕt forget to follow us on psych2go.net,
and our other social media!

Teresa Johnson
Editor-in-chief of Psych2Go Mag
Communications & Journalism Student
E-mail: teresajohnson575@gmail.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/teresajohnso
Twitter: @teresaxjohnson
 Psych2Go

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