Psychology journal articles and research overview

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My results showed a disease-free life expectancy of 81.9 years, an overall life expectancy of 90.4 years, and a biological age three years younger than I actually am. Just over a year ago, I committed to making some healthy lifestyle changes, and that assessment makes me feel as if they may be paying off with better health. However, I do not feel that the results are an accurate reflection of my probable health future. While the assessment tool asked me about my own health, it did not ask about family history. I have a strong family history of two types of highly hereditary cancers, heart disease, and diabetes. While I would love to make it to 81.9 years of age disease-free, I simply do not think that will happen.

I am self-directed in my personal relationships. I see many people settle in their romantic relationships, friendships, and relationships with family, but I do not think that mediocre is an appropriate relationship standard. While I keep a pretty wide network of acquaintances, I am trying hard to make sure that I work on strengthening friendships with people who are able and willing to provide the same level of support in a friendship that I am able to provide. This has meant letting go of some "user" friends, whose company I enjoyed, but it has led to an improved quality of life.

Journal Entry 2: Self-Affirmation am already a very positive person. I think that I am a good person who deserves good things, but I have had an inordinate amount of unusually tragic things occur during my lifetime. I could choose to dwell on the fact that having all of these things occur to one person is so statistically improbable that it seems like I am cursed, but I do not. Instead, I purchase a Mega-Millions ticket at least once a week, and remind myself that since I have had several negative "billion-to-one" type things happen in my lifetime, I am due for a really positive "billion-to-one" type thing. Of course, I am not planning my financial future with those imaginary lottery winnings, but it helps me remember that anything is possible. I take that approach in all areas of my life, and really do not see a way for me to be a more positive person.

Journal Entry 3: Health Habits

My results suggested that I would live to 87 years, which seems like a perfectly good life expectancy to me. The results suggest that I do not handle stress very well, which is certainly true. The results say that I need to reduce my workload in order to extend my life expectancy, but I do not anticipate being able to do so for a pretty significant period of time. Little habits, such as always using sunscreen and always flossing would improve my health; I already do these things, but am known to miss them from time-to-time. Like many people, my biggest health struggle is keeping a healthy weight, but I am currently working towards that goal.

Journal Entry 4: Volunteerism am a very active volunteer. I was motivated to participate in volunteer work because of a desire to help other people. I researched the local opportunities and decided that I would be a good crises counselor. I grew up in a violent home and decided to volunteer with people who are dealing with the after-effects of violence in their lives. As a result, I volunteer with a local rape crises center. I knew that I would be too close to the issue if I volunteered with children or adult victims of family violence, but thought that I had enough life experience to really empathize with people who felt as if some part of themselves had been destroyed by violence. I am motivated to continue with my volunteering experience because of a caller I had one night when I had hotline duty.

The caller had been raped several years before and was a repeat caller, who just needed to talk when the nightmares came. In the morning, at the end of my volunteer shift, she phoned me back to thank me and to tell me that, after talking to me, she had been able to sleep through the night for the first time in years.

Journal Entry 5: Partner Abuse

Take the Domestic Violence Screening Quiz at http://psychcentral.com/dvquiz.htm. andshare your thoughts on living with domestic violence. How could you help, and what would you say to a friend who was experiencing domestic abuse?

My domestic violence screening score was a 3. I am not in an abusive relationship and have committed myself to never being a victim or perpetrator of domestic violence. If I had a friend in a violent relationship, I would offer support and assistance, if asked for it. I would be nonjudgmental and not push him or her to leave his or her partner or make other decisions that I would feel would be more conducive to his or her health or welfare. I understand that it takes the average battering victim 7 attempts to leave before leaving a batterer and that, at least for battered women, the threat of deadly violence is the greatest immediately following breaking up with a batterer. However, if that friend had children who were being exposed to the violence, I would immediately inform the police and child protective services. I do not agree with the position taken by many domestic violence organizations that battered women should not be threatened with state-sanctioned removal of their children if they expose their children to abuse in a home. I believe that both parents are responsible for the health and welfare of their children and that an adult's state of victimization does not excuse them from the primary obligation of keeping their children physically and emotionally safe. Every person should memorize the number to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, 1-800-799-SAFE, which can place people in contact with their local domestic violence assistance organizations. In my area, one such organization is the El Paso Center Against Family Violence. It works with victims, providing emergency shelter, legal assistance, counseling, children's services, therapy, and legal and non-legal advocacy. Furthermore, it also coordinates a battering intervention and prevention program with domestic violence offenders. One can reach them at.