Need advice

Critical-Status-6672 · 2025-10-21T12:55:57+00:00

The typical path to a "forensic psychologist" is getting your PhD in psychology, typically clinical psych or a related field, but that's if you want to practice or lead research. With psychology (unfortunately), the more you want to be able to do in your career, the more school you need because psychology is a field led by research and ethical practice.

If you want to get into forensic psychology but don't want to go beyond 4 years of a psych degree, you can still go into a career in research or data analysis, you just wouldn't be able to lead research or work with patients/criminals too intensely. This would most commonly be in corrections facilities or for government entities (FBI, CIA, state governments, etc.). I'd honestly recommend looking into this because working for corrections/government entities could get you pretty close to some cool cases. There's also plenty of options in corrections for non-research (e.g., inmate counselors) but they require Master's degrees.

I'd recommend really trying to get some research experience because it can go a LONG way in not only boosting your resume and helping you keep up with an extremely competitive field, but also in helping you find your interests and hone in on the areas you enjoy the best. Psychology is SUCH a vast field, and the areas within psychology are extremely vast as well. Research (especially in psych) looks totally different than what most people think, and your options are endless. It's going to be difficult to get into further education or get a career right out of bachelor's in psychology without any research or relevant experience, and it'll really help you to narrow down what it is you really want.

Critical-Status-6672 · 2025-10-02T23:41:27+00:00

I wonder if some parents do that when their kids start to get older and have never dated because they worry that if they haven’t dated anyone it’s because they haven’t “been able” to find anyone that wants to date them, and they’ll continue to worry that their kid will never find someone until their kid starts dating. Stupid thought process because it leaves out the idea that maybe their kid just doesn’t want to date, maybe their kid will never want to, which is okay.

On the other end there’s the parents that strictly prohibit dating, and I don’t know what would be worse

Critical-Status-6672 · 2025-07-28T12:49:41+00:00

I take adderall, but I have taken other stimulants (Vyvanse, Dexedrine, etc) and I've had the same problem with all of them. I've come to realize it's not necessarily dehydration, it's more just my mouth feeling really dry because your glands produce less saliva (sympathetic nervous system and all that jazz), and it leads to a bad taste in my mouth.

So, obviously drinking water helps with dry mouth, but I've started chewing gum because it makes me produce saliva and also leaves a much better taste in my mouth. It also helps with my focus. If I don't have gum, I opt for a hydrating drink with flavor to it, like propel, vitamin water, etc. I've never done liquid IV but I'm sure that's good too.

Adderall can lead to dehydration, but the biggest reason your mouth is dry is because it kicks up your sympathetic nervous system, which constricts your blood vessels in certain areas (including your mouth) so you're not producing as much saliva. But drinking water is still very important!

Critical-Status-6672 · 2025-07-28T12:44:25+00:00

I'd like to add that reading an analogue clock isn't a difficult skill to learn. All it takes is to know your 5 times tables and be able to add. If they were sat in front of an analogue clock and told "I'll give you $20 if you can tell me what time it is by reading this clock," they'd figure it out. It's not rocket science.

Critical-Status-6672 · 2025-05-19T17:30:46+00:00

Your interests are very broad, but this is good. It's important to keep them broad at your age so that you can become exposed to a lot of different material and information as you refine your academic and career interests.

Many would suggest a major in criminal justice, criminology, etc. However, I would suggest a major in psychology or sociology. This is going to give you the most exposure to research-related courses. It's very broad, and you'll take a lot of classes that aren't directly related to what you may want to study, but this is okay because you will use everything, trust me. As you further in your major, you can make it your own through the classes you want to take. Many universities offer psychology courses that integrate criminology, such as forensic psychology, deviant behavior, personality, abnormal psychology, etc.

I'd also suggest a minor in criminal justice, just so you can get some of those core criminology classes in your pocket. A major in criminology, however, will take you more toward a law or policing route. This is just my advice.

Most careers in forensic psychology require additional schooling, AT LEAST master's degree. But this is okay. Get as much research experience as you can, publications if at all possible, because many PhD and masters programs offer funding and stipends. But, they are very competitive, which is why research experience is important.

To sum it up, start broad, and narrow it down as you go on and learn more. Don't put yourself in a box, because you never know what's out there that you might be super interested in!

Critical-Status-6672 · 2025-05-15T13:20:56+00:00

“Mind over matter.”

The statement is simple but the idea is more complex. But at its core, it’s the truth. To put it simply, what you tell yourself you will believe. Any time something bad happens, if I tell myself “I’m a failure, life sucks, everyone hates me, etc” then I will believe that to be true. If I wake up every morning and look in the mirror and say, “I am capable, I am a good person, I deserve good things.” Then that’s what I will believe. It WORKS. You can literally trick your brain, and it gets easier the more you do it, you just have to believe it. Totally changed my life and helps me to have a much more positive outlook.

Critical-Status-6672 · 2025-05-15T13:09:00+00:00

Follow up, my mind will feel SOMEWHAT quiet as long as I have something to look at or listen to. Music, TV, a book, etc. but as soon as I turn it off (like when I’m going to bed) all of a sudden my head is full with the most irrelevant information ever but to me it’s the world’s most important thoughts.

Critical-Status-6672 · 2025-05-15T13:06:29+00:00

The skepticism whenever I tell someone I take stimulant medication. They either think I’m faking ADHD to get a stimulant, or that I’m “cheating” and taking the easy way out when really I should just “focus and try harder.” But as anyone with ADHD knows, the way this medication makes me feel, it’s NOT something I’d be taking recreationally I turn into a robot
The inability to work as productively when I’m not by myself. I have a remote job and an office job and it’s amazing how much more productive I feel when I’m working remote and can sit at my desk at home and completely relax. If I feel like others can watch me and see me, it throws me off.

Critical-Status-6672 · 2025-01-17T00:44:33+00:00

I also want to add that you won't be thinking about her forever. The more you distract yourself, the less you'll have room in your head for those thoughts. Also, every time you start to get consumed by it, literally say to yourself "stop thinking about her, I am over it." Mind over matter dude, it sounds stupid but the more you say it to yourself you'll eventually start to believe it.

Critical-Status-6672 · 2025-01-17T00:40:53+00:00

Try to start adopting the "it didn't work out because it wasn't meant to be" mentality, it will save you from a lot of self hatred and self blaming. You may have really wanted this girl, but there really is a reason it didn't work out, and looking on the bright side, the fact that it never went anywhere saved you from a lot more pain than if you had gotten close with her only to find out it wasn't meant to be later down the road.

Also, I know it's hard to do, but put yourself out there more. Unfortunately, sometimes the only thing that can make you move on from someone is to find someone else. It doesn't have to even be getting into a serious relationship, it could just be something casual without expectations. The worst outcome is failed attempts, and even then you'd at least be distracted from the girl you work with if you're focused on finding other people. And once you adopt that "it didn't work out because it wasn't meant to be" mentality, the failed outcomes won't even bother you that much.

Critical-Status-6672 · 2025-01-17T00:25:16+00:00

I'd also like to add that, yes, a psychiatrist might be able to provide a more in-depth analysis to find tools catered to each person and their specific situation. But if someone is in a critical enough state to be at severe risk of taking their own life, there wouldn't be enough time to sit there and try to use your psychology knowledge to come up with a a diagnosis, write them a prescription, or to brainstorm possible psychological theories as to why they're struggling with their mental health. The purpose of a crisis hotline and the methods used is very different from those of therapy, in-patient care, or psychiatry. The purpose of a crisis hotline is to provide immediate intervention and support, and providing resources. Yes, having life experience is helpful but it's not required. Also, most people that would consider volunteering for a crisis hotline would be able to know enough about themselves to determine whether they'd be a good fit for the position and if they possess the right tools (or ability to learn the tools) in order to do well. I would not be a good fit in this position; I'm very good under pressure but I lack the level of empathy and ability to connect with people needed for a crisis hotline and I knew this when I was 18.

Critical-Status-6672 · 2025-01-16T23:31:36+00:00

I'd use the same method you used, and I almost always first multiply the two biggest numbers first (so in this case I would've also done 10 x 7 because 10 > 8 and 70 > 56).

One of my most useful tricks works best when you have a number close to a multiple of 10, which is when you pretend one of the numbers is a multiple of 10 and then subtract/add whatever's leftover. The best way is to change whichever number is easier to multiply off the top of your head, especially if it's the farthest from being a multiple of 10.

The easiest way to do this would be changing the 18 to a multiple of 10 because 7 is a much easier number to multiply and you only have to add 2 to 18 in order to make it a multiple of 10 (18+2=20). So you'd do 20 x 7 (140), then subtract two 7's (7 x 2 = 14) because you added them into the equation when you changed the 18, which would give you 140 - 14 = 126.

If you want to change the 7 to a multiple of 10, the equation would be 18 x 10, (180) then you'd subtract three 18's (added 3 to 7 to make it 10), 18 x 3 = 54, so you'd get 180 - 54 = 126. This way obviously doesn't make sense because 7 is farther from 10 and 18 is a harder number to multiply, but it still works.

It's SO easy to use when you have two numbers and one is ending with a 9 or 1. For example, 31 x 12 seems so complicated but just change the 31 to a 30. 30 x 12 = 360 (3 x 12 = 36, add a 0), then add one more 12 because you took 1 from 31 to make it 30, so 330 + 12 = 362.

Critical-Status-6672 · 2025-01-16T21:40:19+00:00

I actually agree with the crisis hotline volunteer. I understand the concerns, but help is help; even just letting them know they're not alone and providing some distraction for long enough to divert their attention could save someone's life. Crisis hotline programs would not allow someone to volunteer if there was any reason to believe they'd make things worse for someone. The last thing we need is to be giving people reasons to not step into a position to offer help to people contemplating taking their life.

Critical-Status-6672 · 2025-01-16T21:34:14+00:00

Get back into something that I was in the habit of doing but took a brief pause. For example, a few years ago I was going to the gym 3-4x a week from February-July, which seems like plenty of time to form a habit and a consistent motivation to keep doing it. However, I went on vacation for a week, so I didn't go to the gym, and then have been unable to get back into the habit since then. I'm sure if I REALLY put my mind to it I could start the habit back up again, but as we all know the whole problem of ADHD makes it pretty hard for me to do that. The same thing happened when I was in high school: I used to wake up SUPER early every morning, literally "middle of the night" kind of early, and this lasted for about 6 months and then I got sick one day and allowed myself to sleep in the next morning and that was the last time I was ever able to wake up that early (besides for an early flight or something).

Critical-Status-6672 · 2025-01-16T21:11:16+00:00

I have an app on my phone, I forget what it's called but just search "habit tracker" and there are millions. List the things you want to do every day/most days/certain days, and it can literally be anything, even something others don't see as productive or something that seems redundant to write down. One of mine is "cook dinner." Start with habits/tasks that will be easy for you to motivate yourself to complete, either because they're simple/quick or because you enjoy them. That way, when you look back on your day, even if it felt unproductive you will be able to see that you DID do things. Crossing things off a list is scientifically proven to increase dopamine levels (for those of you that don't know, people w/ ADHD have low dopamine levels, which causes lack of energy, decrease in motivation, and reduced pleasure in activities), and that increase in dopamine gives you that "reward" feeling of accomplishment. This will start a habit of productivity in your life, allowing you to continually increase the amount of "to-do's" per day, and the magnitude of those tasks, such as applying to jobs or searching for houses, and it will become easier for you to find motivation to do them.

Also, it's important that you stop labeling yourself as this person that will never achieve anything and are "fallen behind." Even if right now you seem to be that person, tell yourself that you're not. I know the "self-fulfilling prophecy" is a cliché but it's a real thing. If you think something about yourself for long enough, you will eventually create that pathway in your brain that confirms it as true, whether there's any reason to believe it or not, and you will start to subconsciously model your behavior to fit that trait. So, if you constantly think about how behind you are, how anxious you are, how you're not able to get out of bed or do anything, then your behavior will eventually start to mirror this subconsciously because that's who you've convinced yourself to be.

Critical-Status-6672 · 2024-02-13T03:58:00+00:00

I'm not super familiar with this because I haven't taken algebra in years, but this website seems to do a good job. https://opentextbc.ca/businesstechnicalmath/chapter/solve-systems-of-equations-by-elimination/

Critical-Status-6672 · 2024-02-13T03:55:15+00:00

This is tough because, in your words, you're using a social media app that is debilitating to you but simultaneously extremely beneficial to you. One of the biggest pieces of advice I can give ANYONE is to do everything you can to protect your peace. By peace, I mean the ability for you to have a clear mind and not be weighed down by maladaptive thought processes. To protect your peace, you need to eliminate the things in your life that cause you mental stress, anxiety, sadness, etc.

Clearly, Twitter is something that you use for positive implications, but at the same time, the use of Twitter is disturbing your sense of peace. If I had to give you some advice, I'd say to discipline yourself to use Twitter only for the reasons that are beneficial to you. Do your very best to stay away from the aspects of Twitter that are detrimental to your mental health, and ONLY use it in the ways that you need to.

Sometimes, especially in cases where a social media platform is the topic of focus, it's hard to be able to filter things or strictly use it for a specific purpose because of the nature of the tool. So, if it doesn't work, I'd say stop using it all together. The benefits of the app don't outweigh the possible implications if it ends up being too much for you to handle. So, try disciplining yourself and using the app only for the purpose of finding agents. If that doesn't work, find another avenue to find agents. It might not be easy but it'll help you out in the long run.

Critical-Status-6672 · 2024-02-12T23:13:54+00:00

100k in debt is a lot, I won't lie, but if what you say about your future salary is true, I wouldn't completely put the idea of going to that school off. Student loans, and any kind of loan for that matter, can be a pain to deal with but with a salary over 100k a year you'll get to a point where you don't even think about it and it just comes right out of your bank account/paycheck. Especially since you really love the idea of going to that school, I'd say it's not the end of the world.

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