Christine Relos Abnormal Psychology – Dr. McDaniels
Self-Reflection Paper 2
In our Abnormal Psychology class, I wouldn’t necessarily say that what we learned
changed my beliefs but rather strengthened them as I learn more about people’s behaviors and
motivations, but more importantly, I have learned more about myself and how I respond to
things. There were times when what we talked about caused me to think more about life and
think more about how mental illness can be helped. This semester was a really tough one for me.
I had to deal with moving to a completely strange place, leaving family behind in California,
adjusting to my new role as a wife, and suffering through a miscarriage. There were a lot of
times when I felt like giving up, I felt lonely, alone, and misunderstood. I felt like nobody was
able to understand what I was going through and at the same time, I did not want to bother
anyone with my problems. My main fallback and habit during stressful times is self-harm. I think
about suicide a lot, although I know I will never do it again, it debilitates me and causes me not
to be able to do anything but be stuck in tunnel vision. All the vent up frustration, anger,
disappointment, I direct towards myself which I know is not healthy but I try to catch myself
whenever I feel the urge to do these behaviors. Keeping this class and at least showing up and
listening to your lectures have been one of the things that has helped me to continue moving
forward. I know I have messed up this semester badly but what I am taking out of it is more
important than anything: that I can continue getting through whatever obstacle comes my way,
even if it seems impossible and at times it seems like the world is not a place for me to live in…
No matter how hard it seems and how weak I feel, that I have it in me to wade through it, even if
it’s sloppy… Everything is just a phase.
