Blog #15- End of Semester Reflection

Of the topics and information that we have covered this semester in the course, what has been the most impactful and interesting?

Although there were some topics that I enjoyed more than others, I think I have to say that my favorite topic covered this semester definitely has to be in module 4 dealing with sexual health. I'm not exactly sure why I enjoyed this one more than the others, but I think it has to do with the fact that I'm really intrigued by psychology and why people do certain things and act certain ways. In this module it covered everything from stereotypes dealing with homosexuality to the importance of communication in an intimate relationship. My thoughts on homosexuality and the debate on nature vs. nurture is simply this: I believe that a person can easily be convinced that they are one thing when they may not be. I don't necessarily think that nature plays a major part in a person being gay. I believe that a person can be nurtured into being gay, meaning that people can have a strong influence on a persons decision about their sexuality. Now, dealing with communication in a relationship... all I can say is make sure you have it!! :) I'm not a love expert, but I think that you can't have a fully functional relationship without communication in it. Overall, I really enjoyed almost every topic we covered this semester so to pinpoint one just wouldn't be accurate.

One last thing, thank you to all my classmates for your comments on my blogs throughout the semester. Good luck with everything! :)

Sincerely,
Carla V Keeley

Blog #14

What can a woman do to reduce her risk of assault?

I think a woman can do a lot of things to reduce her risk of assault. For starters, be aware of your surroundings! A lot of girls don't pay attention to things around them because they are too busy talking or texting on their cell phones all the time. The reason I say that is because not too long ago, a girl was kidnapped walking out of a convenience store one night because she was on her cell phone and didn't realize a man was following her.

I have three sisters and we're all in college and sometimes we get out a little late so my mom has always kind of been a worry-wart about us! She has always taught us that when we're in an unfamiliar place and we're alone, to put our phone down and have our keys ready just in case. That's probably the best advice she can give us considering there are so many creepy people out there now-a-days! So, a simply thing a woman can do to avoid assault is to simply be aware of her surroundings. Also, a woman should chose carefully who she decides to hang out with. Some people may not always appear to be who they seem to be...

Carla Keeley

Blog #13

Is it better to put drug addicts in jail or to send them to mandatory drug treatment programs?

This is an interesting question, I think. Is it better to send an addict to jail or to a treatment facility...hummm?? Well, in Lindsay Lohan's case I think it's better to just send her to jail!! That girl just won't learn her lesson! But seriously, with someone that actually cares about getting better I think it would be more beneficial to send them to a treatment facility to get better. Sending a person with a addiction problem to jail just doesn't seem logical. I say that because if a person really truly has a problem, what good is it going to do sending them somewhere where every other person has an addiction problem as well?? Being addicted to a drug isn't just something that goes away over night... I'm assuming. ;) Judging by the stories I hear and the movies I see, a drug addict, most of the time, wants to get better but unfortunately believe that doing drugs is the only thing that can make them happy. So to answer the question, unless you are Paris Hilton or Lindsay Lohan I think the best method to helping a drug addict overcome their addiction is to send them to a treatment facility to get better. :)

Carla Keeley

Blog #12

Have you ever known someone with a mental illness? How did/does the illness impact his/her life? What have you learned about this mental illness just from knowing them?

Unfortunately, one of my aunts has a mental illness. She is what most people know as a hoarder which is a form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or otherwise known as OCD. She really isn’t as bad as the people they show on the TV shows, like the one called Hoarder’s: Buried Alive but it can be pretty consuming at times. She doesn’t hoard trash or random items, but what she does love to store is all kinds of stuffed animals.  Everyone thought at first that she just collected them, but soon the collection took over her life. Everywhere she goes she just has to buy a stuffed animal. For example, when she goes to the mall she almost always comes back with a dozen different stuffed animals. At first, her stuffed animals would only take up her spare bedroom, but as time passed it started to take over her whole entire home. My family and I try and work with her every day to help her get through this illness. We believe that one day she will get better if we just stay by her side and keep supporting her to get better.

Blog #11: With Our Future In Mind

• If everyone lived "with our future in mind", do you think that we would live differently?

I like this question. Just the other day I was having a conversation with my family about how the world would be if we all thought about the future and what it holds for us. If only we knew what kind of cars we would be driving or what clothes we'd be wearing. What type of music will be popular or what new laws will we have? Sometimes, if I think about the future too much I start to get a little nervous. The reason is because since I don't have any kids yet, I'm sure my future children will have to face these new challenges which makes me a little uneasy. I know our "world" isn't horrible, but it's also not the best. I think that if everyone focused more on what our future had in store..... it still wouldn't affect how people live. It's sad to say, but in my opinion I don't think people really care about the future a whole lot. If people truly cared about the future, than we wouldn't see as much pollution and carelessness with our environment. I think this question not only points out our "environmental" future but I also think it points out our "social" future. How are people going to be and act 50 years from now?... If we're even here 50 years from now..... :/

Carla Keeley

Blog #10

What factors can influence women to adopt healthier lifestyles and engage in preventative behaviors so as to reduce their risks of cardiovascular disease and cancer?

First of all, I’d like to say that I think the biggest factor that should influence women to have healthier lifestyles should be the death rate women have facing cardiovascular disease.  The text states, “Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women, regardless of racial or ethnic group”.  The leading factors that cause this disease to be prevalent in woman are mainly smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity. 

Cancer is another huge factor as to why women should obtain healthier lifestyles.  Cancer is the second leading cause of death in women. This disease cannot always be explained but many feel that obesity, alcohol, tobacco, and poor diet can contribute to greater risk.

Preventatives are almost as easy as just enjoying life.  Some steps to a healthier lifestyle include stop smoking, having safe sex, limiting alcohol, eating properly, and maintaining an appropriate weight and a healthy diet.

Carla Keeley

Blog #9: What Should a Friend Do?

What should a woman do if she has a friend whom she suspects to have an eating disorder? What if the friends denies it?

For this blog, I am going to speak as if I were the friend that had the eating disorder... mainly because I was that friend once. About five years ago, I was going through a really tough time with my self-esteem. My boyfriend had just broken up with me and I thought it was because he thought I was fat. I immediately went into this state of mind where I just needed to lose weight one way or another! I began starving myself and on top of that I became bulimic...two very dangerous combinations. I knew it was bad for me and I knew it could kill me but I was in complete denial. I had a really close friend at the time that would tell me to stop all the time. She would check out books at the library and print off things from websites just to show me what could happen if I didn't stop. Even with all that I still didn't want to stop what I was doing because it was providing immediate results which was what I wanted...at the time. Some time went by and I started to realize that my hair started to slowing fall out every time I brushed it. I think the final straw for me that made me quit doing what I was doing would definitely have to be the time I threw up blood. That's when I realized I had to stop or I was going to die.

The reason it is SOOOO hard for me to lose weight now is because that was the only way I knew how to lose weight. I've gotten married since then and I can say that the reason I am healthy now is because of my husband. Losing weight has always been a struggle for me but especially because I don't know how to do it the right way. I am working really hard now though to do it right.

So to answer the question...don't give up on her. :)