With in my articles and blogg the readers will find shorter glimpses of my experiences alongside my journey from a healt care worker (nurse assistant) to my studies in psychology of the natural sciences, biomedical studies and my studies in the humanistic science in psychology. My carreer startes at a nuresry homes department of senil dementhia, and included cases of hysteria, psychopathy and lobotomized. The latter client was a mindopener to psychiatic inpatient's situations, and an example of the history of psychiatry that my first studies in psychology introduced me to. Learning the personal story of the impatient and about the history of psychology gave me abroader and deeper understanding of the impatient. Hence, I also adjusted my behaviour accordingly. Like a baby, or and autistic client who needs to learn to see the broader picture, gradually and suddenly the impatient realized that I understod the challenges with communication and motivation. Tactile touch werent insignificant to the client. At the countrary a tactile touch could be the difference between moving a massive unmovable body to lets say "starting the engine" an let it move on its own terms. Neurological connections cooperated adequately if adquatley touched. One simple touch and the client began to talk, adequately, and cooperated normally, the embodied psyche awakened. According to the clients previouse story lobothomy should never have ben executed. This relation inspired my studies in psychology, and emphasized the importance of having adequate understanding. In my professional work, this is the starting point of my studies in humanistic sciences of psychology.
Thereafter also I have sufferd from deep traumas executed by sadistic minds and eager, and every single one have done so out of their envy and greed, wrapped in their own defence mechanisms due to their past unresolved childhood trauma. My childhood was excellently filled with loving care and respect for the individual's integrity and skills.
"With the head under the arm and the arm in bandage"
(Lillebjørn Nilsen, Norwegian song writer)
That said, my professional development has also been coloured by the consequences of my trauma, and many interesting phenomena has risen herof. I studied these phenomena too. Fore instance, when I after my surgeries woke up to find my self speaking English fluently and my Norwegian words were very difficult to find. And after that, when I found them, the Norwegian words sounded strange. I had to spend much energy in uncovering their embedded meaning. As soon as I did, Norwegian and English words stumbled out of my mouth in meaningful sentences to me, but maybe not to the listener. Furthermore, I had to invest my energy in distinguishing Norwegian words from my English, and reestablishing my Norwegian language. While so doing, my English language suffered a similar crumbling process. My first experience of such happed long before my professional studies, but reoccured after each surgery that followed the years therafter. During my studies I underwent five life saving surgeiries and had a ferritin level that commuted between 4 and 10. My body's capacity to write and be was under severe pressure. During this period I did my master studies and wrote my final master paper. In the concluding phase, when at work as a nurse assistant, I accidentally fell down a flight of stairs and my neck was knocked out of position. After that I have worked both with and against my will due to threats and demands fom a lawyer (if I didn't take on the mission he wanted me to do for him), and demands for public work-oriented measures at the same time as the neck injury is in the process of founding a new stability, and finding its way back to its normal position. Painful indeed, as it was, and still is, I also experienced the medical and psychological sciences' insight in the phenomena of experiencing (or interpreteing) physical pain..in the long run..habituation occurs, or in other words forgetting how "no pain" really feels like. Physical pain gives symptoms at a variety of levelse, and are not always interpreted as pain..
My writings and production of self-help products gives meaning to me, and I hope these also adds meningfully into the life of yours.
The suffering that can be avoided, is our ethical duty to do whatever we can to avoid and prevent, and resolve.. The suffering that cannot be avoided, make them your measure .. and don't forget the ethical dilemms that follows in each footstep alongside this process..
(Victor E Frankl, a prolific psychiatrist, and a WWII survivor).
Life has always a bright(-er) side.
Find yours, or Create one with good intent!
Humanistic psychology counts!
Astrid Elsie Klungseth, BSc, MPsych
Seven years of studies in psychology and medicine/biology.
A member of the APA Div. 032 - Society of Humanistic Psychology
