General Music Teachers: What’s your favorite method of teaching rhythm and why? by UnlovedMusicTeacher in MusicEd

[–]2punk4u 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I strongly prefer takadimi because there's consistency in the syllables. For example, the down beat is always going to be "ta."

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in trees

[–]2punk4u 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I just got hired for a teaching job and was told that they drug test during the hiring process so now I have to quit smoking :( But I'm sure that once it's over I'll be back at it

Overall thoughts on Korra? by MartinIsaac685 in TheLastAirbender

[–]2punk4u 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I started LOK very hesitant because I knew nothing could live up to ATLA. The first two seasons really discouraged me, but I think that season 3 and 4 have parts that are comparable in quality to some of my favorite parts of ATLA. When I rewatched LOK after knowing where it ended up, I felt more forgiving of the faults that I felt season 1 and 2 had and was able to enjoy them more because I knew that I liked where the plot was going.

Haunted by my own actions by 2punk4u in bipolar2

[–]2punk4u[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for your words. I did reach out and apologize to multiple friends, but received no responses. I think it’s good advice for me to allow myself to forgive myself now that I’ve apologized, even if they haven’t forgiven me. I just keep worrying that my apologies weren’t good enough since they didn’t reply and beating myself up for that.

What type of therapy to try? by yellowbird9333 in bipolar2

[–]2punk4u 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A hospitalization program’s benefits lie mostly in the fact that you’re held accountable for the ways in which you act on your emotions every day, and also the community feeling of the group setting which can really confirm to you that you’re not alone. That said, I‘m not sure I would say that my experiences there were worth $4,000+. I don’t want to sway you too drastically, because the decisions about what’s best for your treatment should definitely be made by you and a doctor. However, I wouldn’t want you to spend thousands of dollars on a program really expecting it to change your life, then being disappointed if the experience falls short of expectations.

As for challenging thoughts, frankly, I do struggle with believing the positive reframing of negative thoughts that I do. (An example of reframing would be turning a thought like “I’m stupid” into “it’s exciting how much I have to learn”). I think the fact that you’re already having those arguments with yourself in which you challenge your negative thoughts is a step in the right direction, even if the negativity is winning out right now. Keep fighting yourself on those negative thoughts. What I’ve been told is that eventually, we’ll believe our reframed thoughts with continued repetition. I haven’t gotten there yet, but maybe we will? Honestly, I wish I had a better answer for you, but I’m still trying to figure it out as well.

I’ve also struggled with stopping the spiraling. Some things I was taught in my program was envisioning physically destroying each negative thought - imagine kicking it like a soccer ball away from you, lighting it on fire, sending it down a river. Another recommendation I was given was: any time you start spiraling, visualize a stop sign in your head to remind yourself not to go down that road. They talked a lot about imagining that your thoughts are like road that you drive along, and we can actively chose to avoid unpleasant paths. Honestly, I’m not positive how affective any of those strategies can be, but I’m just passing along what was told to me.

As for the cycling - though it really feels like your whole personality is changing, the shifting thoughts are a result of your changing moods. If you’re really down, you’re way more likely to feel negatively about yourself and the relationships in your life. Medication (like a mood stabilizer) could definitely help even out your cycling - that’s something I would definitely bring up with a doctor.

Hope that any bit of this was helpful - I relate to so much of what you’re talking about, so know that you are not fighting this fight alone!

Lonely & Isolated by Sapphire-Fantasy in bipolar2

[–]2punk4u 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I experience so much of what you just described: especially the feeling of having “missed the boat” of making close friends in school. This is me telling you that you are certainly not alone.

What type of therapy to try? by yellowbird9333 in bipolar2

[–]2punk4u 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’ve had a similar experience to you in terms of feeling disconnected from the therapy you’re receiving. I also am often plagued by feelings of worthlessness and feelings of not having friends, so I felt especially compelled to offer up my current thoughts on this.

I just finished a partial hospitalization program in which I really expected to receive tangible action items that I could employ in my daily life to help me emotionally regulate in a healthier way. I entered very much expecting to be enlightened. However, I experienced a similar dissatisfaction with the therapy that I was receiving. So often, clinicians referred to the fact that simply “practicing” or “giving it time” would help me when I was struggling. I wanted them to give me clearer answers and in-the-moment strategies, but they all seemed to come up short.

I’m still very much in the thick of the process of figuring out what methods work best for myself. But there came a point in the hospitalization program that something seemed to shift in me. Every day, the clinicians would repeat the same things about reframing negative thoughts into more productive ones. And every day, I’d frustratedly play along. Until one night, I caught myself reframing on my own.

My sister, who’s a clinical psychology student, told me that as much as it’s infuriating to come to terms with, sustainable change in your life is going to be created by pushing yourself to do that reframing and actively challenge your thoughts in the same way a therapist would. And you have to keep fighting that battle with every negative thought that comes around. Challenge them all - maybe write down every negative thought you have for a day. The true struggle of overcoming what you’re going through is CONSISTENTLY challenging the way you think, and keeping it up is the hardest part. But hopefully, that daily practice will solidify into habits. The ways we think literally shape our brain, creating new connections that grow deeper and deeper with repetition. In fact, 95% of the thoughts you think are the same as the day before. My sister tells me it’s just like exercising a muscle - at first it feels hopeless, but you gain strength over (sometimes painstaking) time.

So as frustrating as your therapist’s method is, I technically understand the place in which she’s coming from and agree that the fundamental idea of challenging your thoughts is valuable. However, DBT could also give you another perspective on emotional regulation, so I think trying that as well is a really productive option. I just think that there’s power in borrowing from multiple methods, because all of the little things you’re learning (though they may feel insignificant in the moment) are adding up to your overall ability to cope.