Importance of Mental Health Awareness
Every year, about one in every five Americans which is 43.8 million people suffers from mental disorders. These days, it is hard to publicly address mental disorders especially because several people associate them with a derogatory stereotype. With these challenges becoming more prominent, it's important that we bring mental health to the forefront of the discussion and have open dialogue around it. In addition to importance, we will discuss the definition of mental health, different mental disorders, and effects of mental health.
First of all, what is mental health? The importance of health to the country's development should not be underestimated. Health as described by the World Health Organization (WHO) is a condition of complete physical, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being, rather than merely the absence of illness or infirmity. WHO describes mental health as "mental well-being" in which the person recognizes their own talents, can manage everyday pressures, and perform productively. It is the basis for human well-being and the effective development of a society in this productive way.
In relation to this subject is a mental illness which is according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a serious disorder that has a negative impact on how a person thinks, feels, and behaves. The most common example of this is the anxiety disorder which already affects 18.1% of people in America every year according to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America (ADAA). The symptoms can be short-term or long-term where they can impair a person's capacity to interact with others and work on a daily basis.
So why is mental health important? Both mental and physical health are essential components of general well-being. Both of them are closely linked where many forms of physical health issues, including long-term conditions like stroke and heart disease are developed by mental disorders, especially depression. In the same way, the prevalence of chronic illnesses will raise the risk of mental disease. This is a serious problem and it is important to treat this immediately. If mental health is abused, it may contribute to socioeconomic issues such as unemployment, addiction, family problems, violence, and financial difficulties. Not having a healthy mind leads to a big risk of immune dysfunction. Those who already suffer from other medical illnesses and have the symptoms of depression have a worse prognosis than those who do not. From these results, it is significant to protect one’s mental health to maintain a healthy body, manage life’s pressure, contribute to society, work and communicate well, and make the most of your abilities (Medline Plus).
In the United States, mental disorders are among the most common health problems. So, how common is this health problem? The data from Centers of Disease Control and Prevention states that at some point in their lives, more than half of people will be diagnosed with a mental illness or condition. Also, in any given year, 1 out of every 5 Americans will suffer from a mental disorder. A severe debilitating mental illness has affected 1 out of every 5 children, either now or at some stage in their lives. A severe mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression, affects 1 of every 25 Americans.
What are the causes of mental illness? The causes are early difficulties in life, such as trauma or a family history of abuse, experiences of other long-term (chronic) medical conditions, such as cancer or diabetes, usage of alcohol or drugs, feeling of isolation or limited number of friends, and genes or chemical imbalances in the brain. If someone experience one of these causes, then more likely, their mental health will suffer mental disorders. It is better to take action immediately rather than let it slide, thinking it will heal over time.
As mentioned earlier, anxiety disorder is the most common disorder of the mind. As stated in the article written in Davis Behavioral Health, people with anxiety disorders feel distressed and frequent panic and apprehension. Although many people experience these feelings, for example, during a job interview or a public speaking event (as a natural reaction to stress), people with anxiety disorders experience them often and in situations that are usually non-stressful. Another one, according to ADAA, for children between the ages of 13 and 18, 25.1 percent of children suffer from anxiety disorders. Untreated children with anxiety disorders are more likely to perform poorly in school, miss out on valuable social interactions, and indulge in drug abuse, according to research. This disorder can co-occur with other disorder like depression and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). To avoid experiencing mental disorders and to have a healthy mind, surrounding oneself with people, being able to open up to them is one of the ways recommended. So, it is really important to take care of one’s mental health.
There are treatment methods used for treating mental disorders. For anxiety disorders, professional treatment will benefit the vast majority of people with anxiety disorders. Several tried-and-true methods have worked such as therapies, complementary and alternative treatment, and medication. These methods are used by most doctors around the world. Getting treatment for mental disorders will help not only the patient, but their family and friends as well. Living with mental illness will still be a struggle, but with the right medication, it can be much easier to handle, helping you to experience all life has to offer without your illness getting in the way.
Mental health is important. By enhancing sleeping habits, the immune system, and lowering pain levels, good mental health may also benefit physical health. Having your mental health issues addressed will help you be more productive by helping you to concentrate on everyday tasks and providing you with the ability to complete tasks on time. Mental health problems, if left untreated, can lead to academic failure, family disputes, crime, and even suicide. Families, neighborhoods, and the health-care system all pay a high price when mental health conditions go untreated. It’s a sign of courage to ask for help.
Impact of COVID-19 on Tourism and Hotel Management Industries
As the cases of affected patients by Covid-19 increase, economic rates of tourism and business decreases. Job activities are limited as well as the interaction outside. Tourism and Hospitality are sectors greatly affected by this ongoing crisis. Not only is the society crippled, but also the organizations in the country.
COVID-19 marks the greatest crisis for the tourism industry. International tourist arrivals dropped by 72 percent in January-October 2020 compared to the same timeframe last 2019, owing to sluggish virus containment, low traveler morale, and significant travel restrictions still in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the latest issue of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. Between January and October 2020, arrivals in Asia and the Pacific fell by 82 percent. This ten-month period saw a 73 percent decline in the Middle East and a 69 percent drop-in Africa. International arrivals dropped by 68 percent in both Europe and the Americas. In 2020, the expected fall in foreign tourism will equate to a loss of around 1 billion visitors and US$ 1.1 trillion in tourism receipts. This drop in international tourism could result in a global economic loss of more than US$ 2 trillion in 2019, accounting for more than 2% of global GDP (W.H.O., 2020).
Due to this phenomenon, tourism management’s adaptation capacity in every country is challenged. Safety and hygiene protocols are strictly implemented. Wear of face mask and face shield is advised, as well as using alcohol and soap that kills germs and bacteria. Trips outside are prohibited, only short tours are allowed. Only OFWs are allowed to go overseas, with proper submission of safety and health requirements. Limited personnel only are allowed inside an airport. Tourists are suggested to stay indoors for a couple of days or are quarantined to guarantee the safety of everyone.
The pandemic additionally impacts the hotel industry due to lockdown, canceled bookings, travel ban, social distancing, and job loss. More than 50% of reservations were shut down in every part of the world. This resulted to profit fluctuation since the demand declines but they still need to pay for the fees for services, salaries of the employees, and other expenses. According to the study of Solomon (2020), the bookings in Ethiopia’s hotel have fallen to 43% and the room expenditures decreased to 30.5%. Moreover, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) addressed the issue of surpassing 50 million jobs that might be jeopardized because of this pandemic.
The hotel management must organize respective plans – during and after the occurrence of COVID-19. Primarily, they should always consider the safety of their employees and customers
at all times. Constantly sanitizing the whole area will let them feel at ease. Some hotels are promoting innovation such as providing 24/7 medical coverage to their guests. Soria (2020), CEO of Cohosting provided several strategies tackling the flexibility, hospitality, and security of every hotel. They are keeping a close eye on the publicity strategies used by the major hotels to deal with the new standard brought on by COVID-19. The massive use of technology can be used to market the hotels and thus limiting the contagious effect of COVID-19. Several hotels – big or small, maybe on huge loss right now, but adapting to the new normal and constantly providing strategies can turn this misery into opportunity.
Tourism and hotel management industries are vital factors for the country’s economic growth. But as the crisis of COVID-19 begun last 2019, these sectors were greatly hit by the pandemic. The impacts to both industries are severe thus counter-measures are provided by the government agencies to prevent any further damage.
References
Mensah, I. (2020, May 13). Unpacking the Impacts of COVID-19 on Tourism and Repackaging the Hotel Service. Hospitality Net. https://www.hospitalitynet.org/opinion/4098657.html
Solomon, M. B. (2020). The Impact of COVID -19 Pandemic on Hospitality (Tourism & Hotel Sector) and Mitigation Mechanism in Ethiopia review. Agri Res & Tech: Open Access J., 25 (1): 556290. https://doi.org/10.19080/ARTOAJ.2020.25.556290
Soria, A. (2020, May 21). Strategies for the Hotel & Tourism Industry during the “New Normal” of Covid-19. Les Roches. https://lesroches.edu/blog/strategies-hotel-tourism-industry-new-normal-covid-19/
World Health Organization. (2020). Impact Assessment of the COVID-19 Outbreak on International Tourism. https://www.unwto.org/impact-assessment-of-the-covid-19-outbreak-on-international-tourism
Maria's Aftereffect
Puerto Rico was under a hazard exposure last 2017. They were hit by a tropical storm that in just a span of 48 hours became a Category 5 hurricane called Maria. The impact caused by its winds is 155 mph with levels of 9-11 ft of storm surge. This devastating storm rips out the infrastructures and power lines leaving the entire island with no electricity and water.
According to Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (Masterson et.al.), the physical capital includes the human, agricultural, and structural vulnerabilities. Maria destroyed a lot of infrastructures, power grids, water stations, bridges, and roads which resulted an overall physical capital loss of around $95 billion. Since then, others suggested to invest primarily in infrastructure like roads, electricity, and bridges. As well as in data gathering to support the community, and to improve their decision-making in case of emergencies.
Maria brought upon an estimate of 3,000 death tolls and 3.5 billion people live in the dark. Most of them have no roofs nor water that exposed them to several risks and illnesses. In terms of agricultural vulnerability, it destroyed about 80% of the territory's crops, resulting in $780 million of losses. Due to the aging power plants just before the hurricane wreak havoc, the recovery of electricity took several months. Almost 90% of the houses were annihilated leaving around $18 billion of losses of structures.
In terms of social vulnerability, two barrios in Puerto Rico used social capital in reducing the vulnerability of the country by preparing post disaster response. Organizations were established which evaluated the main challenges of natural hazards, which will lessen the damage of the next calamity. Others suggested to invest primarily in infrastructure like roads, electricity, and bridges. As well as in data gathering to support the community, and to improve their decision-making in case of emergencies.
What happened in Puerto Rico is an example of a natural and man-made disaster. Natural because of the hurricane Maria and man-made because of its poor economic stability and bunch of government loans even before the disaster occurs. From Rodin’s resilience framework, being aware of one’s situation and vulnerabilities will provide initial disaster response to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, since knowing beforehand the weaknesses of a community will lead them to come up with a better plan and decision. And being adaptive, in order to improvise in the face of challenges will help them be resilient.
Elite Netflix Series on Social Factors
According to Warran, “Social Problems: Who makes them?” social problems are “social” in the sense that the public recognizes them. Issues like drugs and unjustified killings catch the eye of society, making them “social”. One person is not enough to categorize it as “social”. But sometimes social problems depend upon how people perceive them. For example, if society acknowledges poverty as a misfortune, then it is not a social problem. But if it is a reason why most people tend to do unlawful acts, then it is a social issue. The common social issues are drug addiction, issues about family, peer pressure, and religion. One of the many series that portrayed these issues is the TV series from 2018 entitled Elite. This series from Netflix deals with different issues that affect the behavior of the characters. Issues that talk about drugs, family, religion, and relationships are part of the series.
Last 2018, Elite was noticed in the public. The series was created by Carlos Montero and Dario Madrona. Elite delves into teen drama ideas and themes, as well as more progressive topics and alternate viewpoints on the genre's clichés. They cover a wide range of sexual themes. Critics and viewers alike lauded the, with many hailing it as a "guilty pleasure" and praising its writing, acting, and depiction of adult themes. They also portrayed social issues about family, sexual relationships, drugs, and peer pressure. Each character in the series are dealing with these problems, and thus became a factor for the flow of the story.
One of the huge factors that influence the development of a person is its social class or status. The person’s experience of being labeled as poor class influences his self-esteem and his relationship with others (Russell 59). And it can be seen in the series. The series *Elite* covers the power of wealth and discrimination. The three scholars - Samuel, Christian, and Nadia receive discrimination because they belong to the lower class. For instance, Lucresia who is a daughter of a diplomat, and other rich students tell their families that they want to expel Nadia, a studious Muslim if she still wears her hijab. Nadia obeys because she needs to graduate there and go to a prestigious college. There is a scene where Lucresia tries to bribe her teacher for her grades but eventually backfires and she ends up in the principal’s office which shows that not everything can be bought with money. This makes Silvia Quer, the director of Elite drawn to the well-developed characters in this series. Moreover, the editing from the luxurious class is taking turns to the story of the poor families like the main character Samuel. Due to their status, his brother sell drugs to get a big sum of money that made him rot in jail for several months. Samuel is very angry with his brother when he finds out he’s selling drugs. Since his brother is not around, he learns how to take responsibility at a very young age. He becomes a working student to save money for their everyday lives and for the bail of his brother. In terms of the show’s visual style, the characters explicitly show how their dressing can mirror their social status. For instance, Lucresia and Carla show their sophisticated aura through their dresses, shoes, and accessories while the scholar, Samuel mostly wears his worn-out shirts and polo. The use of technology in this series brings also an impact to degrade someone else’s self-esteem. For instance, Valerio caught Nadia and Guzman hooking up so he recorded it and brought it to his stepsister Lucresia. Her sister then uploaded it that made Nadia the talk of their school and thus degrading her self-worth.
The ones who are always on the top of the social status are the ones with fame, money, and power. Ordinary people are no match for them in every aspect. That is the way everything works. You got money, you’ll get what you want or get away with anything. From the article entitled “The psychology of social class: How socioeconomic status impacts thought, feelings, and behavior” by Manstead (267), evidence shows that those with lower subjective social class are also lower in their sense of personal control, and it also suggests that this reduced sense of control relates to a preference for situational (rather than dispositional) attributions for a range of social phenomena, including social inequality. Those who grow up in lower‐class environments are likely to have fewer resources available to them, and as a result, have weaker beliefs about their ability to control their outcomes. People in the lower class tend to belittle themselves, let be pushed by other people. It shows in the TV series itself.
Family is another factor that influences the growth of a person. In this series, the characters are defying their parents and choosing to be who they are. For example, Nadia and Omar who come from a conservative Muslim family disobey their family’s culture and fight for their freedom. Another example is Ander, the principal's athletic son, does not feel the passion to play the sport his father and coach trains him to. His father knows his capabilities and pushes him to do well in this sport but Ander hides the fact that he despises playing it. Moreover, there is a big expectation coming from the wealthy family of Lucresia. They are expecting her to always excel especially in her studies that led her to feel pressure and be competitive. The character of Cayetana, who becomes a scholar because her mother is working as a janitor in their school, grows up serving others that she wants to experience being served too. She also wants to feel belong because she comes from a broken family so she disguises herself as a rich student to blend in and experience the luxurious life with plenty of friends. Her mother knows that what her doing is wrong but she still let her do it because she thought that will make her daughter happy. This shows that there are parents who will tolerate the attitude of their children even though they know that it is wrong. There is also a big change in a person’s behavior when the death of his someone special comes. In *Elite*, Guzman’s sister – Marina, suddenly died and they do not know who killed her. This fires up Guzman’s rage to kill. He has this urge to seek vengeance for the one who killed his precious sister who is also pregnant.
Since Lucresia is the daughter of the Mexican ambassador of Spain, it’s already a given that she should achieve greater things compared to others. Coming from a well-known family, the name “Hendrich” should not be dishonored. While Ander’s family expects him to do well in sports. He is a man, and playing sports is a man’s thing. Her mother is the principal of the school, so high expectations from him are unavoidable.
From the article entitled “Are you weighing your child down with the burden of your expectations?” by Sharma, children are here in the world to find their own purpose and create their own path and the role of parents is to merely support them in this process. Expectations can really make the environment toxic for their children. It is hard to have a positive mindset when your movements should justify their expectations.
A deeper factor lies within the culture of a person. Brown and Singelis (354) said that culture affects the individual's psychological behavior and impacts the communication with other peers. *Elite* shows the dark side of being tied to tradition and norms. One example is the Muslim siblings – Nadia and Omar who have challenges in growing up and hope to experience life without the shackles of their culture. They are unable to attend a party, be in a relationship with other religions or sexes, and other forbidden laws in Muslim. Unable to withstand the suffocation because their father cannot understand them, they started lying and rebelling against their parents. In addition, *Elite* breaks the sexual stereotyping of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and every aspect of LGBTQ+ culture. In particular, the forbidden gay relationship of Omar and Ander, the lesbian parent of Polo, polyamorous relationships between Carla, Polo, and Christian, and the reflecting of Polo about his sexual orientation.
As of today, the LGQBT+ or Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community is growing all over the world. Written by Ali, “Same-Sex Sexual Activity & Lesbian and Bisexual Women”, Same-sex sexual activity is a taboo subject for many Muslims. People agree that Qur’an prohibits all same-sex sexual activity and the Islamic law suggests punishment for it. This issue is still ongoing in some parts of the Muslim world.
But the article posted by Dr. Kugle, the Qur’an gives rules for relationships between men and women, but it doesn’t set rules for same-sex relationships. With this said, it doesn’t prohibit relationships of the same gender. This issue is present in the TV series. Omar is from a Muslim family and his father is very conservative. He hides his sexuality to avoid conflict. This behavior causes him to deal with drugs to leave home.
In the TV series *Elite*, social factors like social class, family, and sexuality incorporate with the behaviors of the characters. The development of those issues influences their actions. Everyone's attitude depends upon the issues they're dealing with. Their own experiences make them satisfied or disturbed. The emotions of the characters escalate as to their satisfaction. They come running down when things don’t go their way. Like how satisfied Lucresia is when she gets what she wants because of her social status. Or how it is hard for Ander to do sports just to not disappoint his family' even though he does not want to. These factors clearly affect one's human behavior and mindset in life.
References
Ali, Kecia. “Same-Sex Sexual Activity & Lesbian and Bisexual Women.” *Brandeis University*, 10 Dec. 2002, https://www.brandeis.edu/projects/fse/muslim/same-sex.html.
Brown, William J. and Singelis, Theodore M. “Culture, Self, and Collectivist Communication: Linking Culture to Individual Behavior.” *Human Communication Research*, vol. 21, no. 3, Mar. 1995, pp. 354–389, doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2958.1995.tb00351.x.
Dr. Kugle, Scott Siraj al-Haqq. “Sexual diversity in Islam: Is There Room in Islam for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Muslims?” *Muslims for Progressive Values,* 2010, https://www.mpvusa.org/sexual-diversity.
Manstead, Antony S. R. “The psychology of social class: How socioeconomic status impacts thought, feelings, and behaviour” *British Journal of Social Psychology,* Feb. 2019, pp. 267–291, doi:10.1111/bjso.12251.
Russell, Glenda. “Internalized Classism: The Role of Class in the Development of Self.” *Women & Therapy*, vol. 18, no. 3, 1996, pp. 59-71, doi:10.1300/J015v18n03_07.
Sharma, Maullika. “Are you weighing your child down with the burden of your expectations?” *White Swan Foundation,* 20 Oct. 2015, https://www.whiteswanfoundation.org/life-stages/childhood/are-you-weighing-your-child-down-with-the-burden-of-your-expectations.
Warran, Andrew. “Social Problems: Who Makes Them?” *The Open University*, 2016. https://www.open.edu/openlearn/ocw/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=4498&printable=1
Addiction and Recovery: A Deeper Understanding
We sometimes don’t understand why some people just can’t stop doing things, as if they’re on replay or repeat like some song on a playlist. They keep it on, and on, and on until they don’t know the word “satisfaction”. Right now, repetitive behaviors are neglected because for others, it seemed just like a hobby or their leisure. But when these behaviors get out of hand, it’s already an addiction. Addiction can’t be stopped immediately. It can’t be controlled right away. But it is not incurable. In this paper, addiction to gambling will be discussed, along with its models and social works.
**Gambling**
Gambling is a very serious addiction. It consumes one’s time and most of all, money is needed to be able to play. And it’s not about how rich or skilled you are, it’s all about luck. Cockfighting is a sport in which two roosters fight each other in a small arena. Both animals will fight until one of them can’t continue anymore. In other states, this sport is still illegal. But men can’t simply let the sport go. They still find ways to conduct the said activity. Some play it on their lawns, others conduct it on secluded farms. It became man’s addiction.
One man was interviewed due to his addiction to cockfighting. As of this moment, since the pandemic, everything done outside became available online. So does cockfighting. It became online as well. Online gambling on the sport of cockfighting became a trend right now. According to the man, he already knew the sport cockfighting when he was in his mid-20s. Back then, it was just for entertainment when he was bored. He would go to some arena where the sport is being held, and would bid his cash money. Sometimes he wins, but mostly he doesn’t.
He became addicted when he lose his job. Instead of staying at home, alone, he would rather spend his money on roosters inside a ring. And since he became addicted, he would sometimes borrow money from his relative just to have cash to bet. But when his wallet is really empty, he would just pay the entrance fee, then watch the fight. He would not bet on any of the roosters. The effect of his addiction to his family was, according to him, his family members tend to adjust on spending money. They became thrifty. But the worst of it was they were forced to give money to the man, when the man asked for some.
Right now, he is currently playing the online cockfighting. The man became part of some online business regarding this sport. He would encourage some of his co-lovers of cockfighting into playing the online gambling, and he would earn from it. But sometimes, he becomes a player too. He would watch from his monitor how the roosters try to kill each other. His money on the e-wallet will either decrease or increase since he’ll bet. His family become accustomed to his addiction to gambling. They learned that they can’t forced him to stop his gambling. From time to time, they would advise him to take it slow, before he runs out of money.
**Current Theories of Addiction to Gambling**
From the American Heritage Science Dictionary, addiction is the habitual or compulsive involvement in an activity, such as gambling.
**Excessive Appetites Model.** One of the most comprehensive accounts of addiction is the excessive appetites model, according to Orford. It is based on a dynamic model of many overlapping determinants that may provide more or less resources for indulgence. It also suggests that a variety of personal roles. Humans are at risk of forming deep attachments and keeping in check of their behavior. It proposes that addiction can be related to “appetite” for some experiences and the initial desire towards the stimuli can change into uncontrollable pleasure if one experience a certain amount of need for it. Accordingly, ‘addiction’ is referred to as ‘appetitive consumption’. This model distinguishes that non-drug forms of addiction can be true, such as sex, gambling, and exercise, as the initial desire, feelings of being needed and destruction of social control are related to these kinds of stimuli. This model suggests that the development of this appetite can give growth to new motivations for activity in the form of secondary emotional cycles, which gives neuroadaptation, not giving up in losses, and having secrets or continuous lying.
**Pathways Model.** Pathological gambling according to Blaszczynski and Nower, is a "persistent and repetitive maladaptive gambling behaviour," which is marked by an inability to suppress gambling impulses and has psychosocial repercussions. The pathways model of pathological gambling considers the different variables that contribute to the development of pathological gambling. This includes the factors like psychological and biological. It claims that advances in this area are vulnerable by failure to distinguish between gambling problems and problem gamblers, vague definitions, and a tendency to assume that pathological gamblers form similar population with similar psychological principles applying to all members of the class. It claims that addictive gambling is caused by three main pathways which are behavioural conditioning, cognitive instability, and impulsive behaviors. The principle aims to clarify only problems regarding gambling and it doesn't answer the treatment process explicitly.
**Social Work**
Gambling and other kinds of addiction have a negative impact on people’s life. However, this can be treated by the social services who are skilled in dealing with the behaviors involved with their addiction.
**Birmingham’s Services.** There are several rehabilitation centers in Birmingham, Alabama that specialize in people who are having drinking problems and drug addiction. The site rehabs.com provides the list of places where you can find treatment. An example is the Department of VA Medical Center in South 19th Street which specializes in treating detox and outpatients. The other one is Castle Craig Rehab, a private organization which arranges residential treatment for addictions like gambling. The rehab may cost you a penny and you don’t even have any health insurance but there are low cost and free centers available in the area. You can find them in the site freerehabcenters.org and search the Birmingham’s location. One of them is The Salvation Army Family Birmingham Rehabilitation Center located in Shuttlesworth, which is an adult rehabilitation program for ages 21 and above dealing with addiction. They provide inpatient programs where you must reside to the center for the remainder of your service.
**Process in Securing Treatment**
There are processes involved in receiving rehabilitation for the treatment of the person currently having an addiction.
**Finding Rehab Centers.** Supposed that the person involved confessed his addiction and is ready to get some help. The next thing he should do is to search for the rehabilitation centers that is specializing in his condition. Then, determine if he wanted to be treated in the facility or in his own home.
**Counselling.** After finding treatment center, they will not get you in counselling. The social workers will provide series of therapy that allows them to be free and be respected without being judged. First, they will be assessed for the professionals to understand their patients’ backgrounds because addiction is a complicated issue. They will undergo series of interviews before the therapy and learn what affects the patients. For gambling addiction, the best medication will be psychotherapy that helps the person’s cognitive behaviors and management (Korn & Shaffer, 2004). Second, the social workers will develop a detailed recovery plan for their patients that may take months or years. The clients may be treated as an inpatient or outpatient, or needs a support from their family or peers. Third, after following the schedules, the social workers must ensure the patients maintenance where they ensure that the arrangements for treatments are followed. Most of the clients meet them once a week for counselling and some of the clients are participating in a group therapy.
**Evaluating Achievement.** Following recovery, you have the option of continuing to receive care at home through aftercare counselling and therapy programs. While aftercare is voluntary, recovered patients who use it have a better chance of completing long-term recovery.
**Major Barriers to Treatment**
There are several barriers why addicted people are hesitant into treatments but here are the major obstacles that we will really encounter.
First is the financial problem. Not everyone is gifted with luxuries. There are many people who don’t have money for treatments. However, there are many rehabilitation centers that offers budget fee or free services for them. The next one is the stigma and discrimination (Institute of Medicine, 2002). The clients are ashamed and scared of what people will say to them. They are also in denial that they are addicted. The stigma is there and will never be removed but we can reduced it through educating the society about addiction.
**Conclusion**
The case of addiction must be taken in as serious manner. The stigma of just letting it go since it’s not physical sickness or not that dangerous that it can lead to death must be halted. The movie “Flight” is one example of how addiction can cause your life miserable. It is about the pilot, Whip Whitaker who is a pilot and is addicted to alcohol who is sentenced for investigation regarding the plane crash where he led on that accumulated six deaths. The major reason why the plane crash is because of the engine failure but because he is the captain, the investigation exposes his drinking habits and toxicology analysis and his life starts to crumble. People like Whip should not be left alone as they need to accept themselves that they are addicted into something and they can’t control it. They will be in denial at first and constantly say that they will stop their habits but not. Good thing, there are people that is helping Whip in his situation. There are his colleagues who is keeping him in tabs that he will not take any alcohols. There is also his acquainted Nicole, who is a drug addict but eventually took counselling and open meetings to have her life start over. Nicole wanted to help Whip and invited him to open meetings but Whip doesn’t want to. What led Whip to accept that he is intoxicated to alcohol? It’s when the judge asked him if his colleague who is a flight attendant that died that impact is the one who consumed the alcohols found in the plane. Here comes the sense of guilt and acceptance. However, after he confessed, he said that he feels free. That’s the magic of acceptance and giving up lies. There will be a time when the addicted person will accept it and we must be by their side to aid them what will happen from then. They need guidance - be it in spiritual form or from his peers. Let them know that there are multiple treatment centers out there that is available for insured or uninsured people. Lastly, what happened to Whip after he confessed his addiction? He is sentenced to jail but the good thing, he is sober and all his problems just drift off. He became the speaker who is leading the talk in the open meeting and helping other people to overcome their addiction or other problems. And the best part that I learned from this movie? It is that everything happens for a reason. You might be intoxicated now to any form of addiction but there will come a situation that will make you stop doing that.
**References**
American Addiction Centers Editorial Staff. 2020. *How Can I Go to Rehab Without Insurance?* https://www.rehabs.com/blog/how-can-i-go-to-rehab-without-insurance/
*Birmingham, Alabama*. Free Alcohol, Drug and other Rehab resources in Birmingham. https://www.freerehabcenters.org/city/al-birmingham
Blaszczynski, A., & Nower, L. (2001). *A pathways model of problem and pathological gambling*.
Institute of Medicine. (2002). *Reducing Suicide: A National Imperative*. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/10398.
*Drug & Alcohol Rehab Centers, Counseling, & Support*. Start Your Recovery. https://startyourrecovery.org/treatment/rehab-centers/alabama/birmingham
*ExcessiveAppetites*. Changing Minds.org http://changingminds.org/explanations/behaviors/addiction/excessive_appetites.htm
FSU Online. (2019). *How Can Social Workers Treat Addiction Effectively?* College of Social Work. https://onlinemsw.fsu.edu/blog/2019/12/04/how-can-social-workers-treat-addiction-effectively
*Gambling Addiction Treatment and Rehab.* Addiction Helper. https://www.addictionhelper.com/treatment-rehab/gambling/
Hardey, S., Thomas, S., et.al. (2021). *What Are the Barriers to Accessing Addiction Treatment?* https://americanaddictioncenters.org/rehab-guide/treatment-barriers
Korn, D.A, & Shaffer, H.J. (2004). *Practice Guidelines for Treating Gambling-Related Problems.* Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling.
West, R. (2013). *EMCDDA Insights: Models of addiction*.
Paramore: Born For This Canon Music
“Ain't it fun? Living in the real world…” Ain’t it right? To others, it is true. But for some, it isn’t. We live in a generation where listening to music can be a way to isolate oneself to find peace or serenity. It can calm our nervousness. Or sometimes, it makes us want to believe in love again. The versatility of music is unique. And it depends on its beat, tempo, lyrics, singer, and many more factors that creates sound. The lyrics above are from “Ain’t it fun” (2014) by Paramore. They started modestly enough in Franklin, Tennessee, where Hayley Williams met brothers Josh and Zac Farro after moving to town from Mississippi, according to Andrew Leahey's biography on AllMusic.com. Williams, who was already a powerful vocalist at the age of 13, entered a band founded by the Farro siblings and local guitarist Taylor York. Soon after, she quit the band and signed with Atlantic Records as a solo artist, but she had a falling out with the label over the direction of her music. Josh and Zac Farro, as well as guitarist Jason Bynum and bassist Jeremy Davis, were all recruited for the job (All Music).
According to Paramore-Music.com, a band member's girlfriend attempted to describe their practice as paramour during one of their rehearsals (secret love). The musicians agreed to alter the spelling slightly, and thus the name Paramore was born. The first song they have written was “Conspiracy” (2015) (Paramore-Music). But right now, Paramore composes of three member: Hayley Williams, Taylor York, and Zac Farro. The band has 5 albums. From Master Thesis of Claudia Gielis entitled, “*It’s not a Fashion Statement. An Exploration of Masculinity and Femininity in Contemporary Emo Music*” The first one is *All we know is Falling* (2005) which is their debut album but with songs such as “All We Know” (2005) and “Emergency” (2005) they skyrocketed to fame. *Riot!* (2007) is Paramore’s second album. With their debut album, Paramore had already gotten a lot of attention from the general public, but this album expanded their fan base even further. Their third studio album *Brand New Eyes* (2009) again shows signs of the band maturing. This is expressed in their lyrics, which takes on query and challenging ideas. They do not take anything for granted, but they are willing to investigate and explore things. *Paramore* (2013) is Paramore’s fourth studio album. Before they released this album, they had taken a short break. During this time, emo has left the mainstream as the third wave ended. Paramore left emo as well. Paramore have created a new sound for themselves, leaving emo behind and turning to pop music instead. With this album, they reaffirmed their place in the charts. *After Laughter* (2017) is Paramore fifth studio album. Their sound has again completely changed. They can still be considered as a pop band, but they have also taken ideas from different genres. What sticks out is the 1980s vibe. They are heavily influenced by 1980s new wave and synth-pop, which shows in their music videos. That’s why I’m wondering why Paramore is not included in the canon. Just their song “Born For This” (2015) is screaming for their notability. Here are some factors why it is born to be included in the pop music canon.
**Born for breaking the gender stereotypes.** Paramore, a band with a female vocalist, performs the emo genre that encompasses both masculinity and femininity in their songs. As stated by Claudia Gielis in "It's not a fashion statement. An Exploration of Masculinity and Feminity in Contemporary Emo Music," Paramore has a different point of view, as it takes on a female perspective. This perspective shows the harm that comes with certain types of masculinity. In addition, Hayley advises her female listeners to go away from men with such behavior as these women are placed in subordinate positions. It is okay to stand up for yourself and thus transcend the gendered stereotype. She has rejected hyper-femininity multiple times, but the lyrics indicate that this comes with age. She came across as naive and inexperienced on her first album, but this naivete and inexperience gradually faded on subsequent albums. She matured along with the lyrics and representation of the band (Gielis 2018, 82).
**Born for their beats.** One of Paramore's hit songs, “The Only Exemption” (2010) is a soft rock song that can make you tap your hands in every strum of the guitar. It has soft beats that when you group them into a recurring pattern, can define a meter (Meter, Grove Music Online). As the piano starts in the beginning and gradually getting louder during the chorus and the bridge, we can notice that there are three beats in a measure and the quarter note gets the beat. This means that this song has a time signature of 3/4, classifying it as a triple meter. This meter is common in genres like ballads and classical music but rare in rock and jazz. However, as we can see, this meter really suits the style of Paramore which is a soft ballad that provides musical diversity to the album.
**Born for their tempo.** Taking the song, "The Only Exemption" as an example again, we can notice its slow tempo played at 48 BPM (andante). This slow tempo creates a harmony with the lyrics that tells you a heart pounding story. Hayley Williams, the vocalist explained to Kerrang! in 2009:
I’ve never written lyrics like this before. The first verse is about where I think the fear to be open or vulnerable started. Ever since the first story in Kerrang!, everyone has known about my family issues and domestic whatever, it’s something that’s kinda stayed with me and I’ve learned from. I played this song to my mom and there were tears. It was kind of embarrassing (Genius).
**Born for their instrumentation.** When was the last time a xylophone was featured prominently within a mainstream hit? Certainly, the instrument isn’t commonplace to popular music. In “Ain't It Fun,” it takes both the front and the center, offering both of the song's key instrumental hooks. This gives the song a distinct tone, allowing it to stand out and resonate amongst its mainstream contemporaries. The xylophone's "light" quality, combined with its associated melody, gives the section its pop nature in the song's intro. Within two seconds, a distorted electric guitar is added to the mix which puts the Rock vibe into effect. In the verse part, the bass is present. The bass's driving nature bends toward the rock side, while the bass's flourishes give the segment a funky twist. For the chorus, the upfront distorted guitars and driving drums provide the section with its retro ‘90s Alt Rock vibe. The xylophone hook and later the guitar accentuates the section's pop quality. The chugging electric guitar brings the rock, the flourishing bass brings the funk, and the synth adds a subtle electro-pop vibe to the segment (Hit Song Deconstructed).
**Born for their texture.** In this homophonic song - “The Only Exception”, the vocals are being the main melody while the instruments are backing it up. As one acoustic guitar is playing at the start, the texture seems thin and it gradually becomes thicker when other instruments came through.
**Born for their timbre.** The album, “Still Into You” (2013), according to Taylor York of MTV News, served as an introduction to the broad variety of styles and sonics explored by the trio on Paramore. It has been described as a power pop rock with Gotye-like skeletal guitar lines, alternative dance glockenspiel, and synths. It was written in the key of F Major and features a backbeat on the drums instead of the heavy guitar riff that Paramore is known for. The bass guitar, compared to an acoustic guitar with a clean or non-distorted sound, produces a resonant and piercing timbre. Taylor York said:
“Still Into You” came from our old way of doing things not working anymore; it came out of frustration. We’d be frustrated, and then we would just randomly play something on an instrument and it would spark something. 'Still Into You’ started [with] an organ part, and somehow it turned into this pop song. It took a cool shape that is different for us, I don’t think you can be too worried that it’s different, because this is what we believe in, and we’re excited about it (Genius).
**Born for their vocals**. The vocalist of the band, Paramore, is Hayley Williams. According to the article in Diva Devotee, she has a vocal type of Light-Lyric Soprano and a vocal range of Bb2-A5-A6. For instance: she can deliver speedy and flawlessly-timed phrasing that is clear and concise “Misery Business” (2007); or be powerful, sturdy and bright enough in tone to cut through instrumentation “Ignorance” (2001). To any of these styles, Hayley is able to apply a wide, developed and rolling vibrato that rings like a bell “Brick By Boring Brick” (2009). When Hayley performs "The Only Exception," her head voice has a thick, clean, and full timbre. It's easily accessible from the rest of her range, and despite its lack of use, it demonstrates excellent control. She also has power over registering whistle that can be carried for long periods of time. Overall, Hayley is a versatile vocalist with a wide range of tones and timbres to work with.
The band, Paramore, can be part of the pop music canon because it has the qualities of being a pop music. Their meter, tempo, instrumentation, texture of the songs, timbre, and their vocals were discussed and they clearly qualify. Compared to other artists, this band has it all. Their vocalist is a soprano with wide variety of tones and timbres in her voice. The group also has members who can play instruments like guitar and drums, as well as keyboard. Their music expresses different kinds of emotions one person can have. All kinds of genre are present. They can be rock, emo, pop, rock pop, and more. The audience can’t help but listen and jam to their sound. Paramore also have fascinating music videos that incorporates connection and excellent visual performance, lyrics, and music. Most importantly, their lyrics are speaking to every kind of people. It is powerful that it can change the mood of a person and make them feel something. The impact of their songs are clearly signs that Paramore can belong to pop music canon. Paramore is born for this.
Hi there, thank you for reading :)
Journalism: Tainted by Truths?
Journalism is a job where expression of opinions and telling all the truths are important. Awareness is a vital weapon every citizen must have. And to be aware, journalists are needed. Delivering the news is the job of the journalist. There are 5 core principles of ethics in journalism. There are: truth and accuracy, Independence, Fairness and Impartiality, Humanity, and Accountability. Also, deception in journalism is sometimes necessary in order to collect information. It is important for the reporters to have ethical obligations to their sources. A journalist is ethically obligated to maintain privacy when it comes to confidentiality of records.
Being aware of the incidents in a society is the people’s job. And delivering the news is the job of the journalist. Journalism serves as the key to convey one’s feelings, findings, and truths. As time goes by, it is tainted by lies, money, and power. There are 5 core principles of ethics in journalism. There are: truth and accuracy, Independence, Fairness and Impartiality, Humanity, and Accountability. One ethical principles of journalism is independence. It means having their own voice. And that also means no plagiarism. Here is an example of paraphrasing the passage from a source. Original passage: “The stock market crashed on October 29, 1929, a Tuesday, the most disastrous session on Wall Street to date in a month of turmoil.” (*The Worst Hard Time*, by Timothy Egan.) The following is *not* plagiarism: “The stock market crashed on Tuesday, October 29, 1929, following a month of economic jitters.” Next sample shows how reporting can be ethically irresponsible. Journalists should be aware of the impact of words and pictures of news to other people. “Oliver Sipple became a hero in September 1975 for helping thwart an assassination attempt on then President Gerald Ford. In the ensuing press coverage, he was outed as being gay and his mother disowned him.”
Deception in journalism is sometimes necessary in order to collect information. According to Elliot and Culver, journalists have acted deceptively if they attempted to initiate or sustain a false belief, or if they have allowed another person, with whom they have a special relationship, to initiate or sustain a false belief. Journalists need to observe and gather data for stories, and in doing so they pretend to be someone else. For example, A reporter pushes through a crowd of spectators and steps over police barricades at a crime scene, saying, "Let me through, I'm a doctor." Deception here is allowed. On the contrary, when journalist write stories that includes false statements just to be informative, deception is ethically wrong. For example, Reporters write news art: sies about the man who saved the President's life by knocking a gun from that hand of a potential assassin. Although the reporters know that the man is gay, they withhold that information.
It is important for the reporters to have ethical obligations to their sources. According to Australian Journalist Association, an ethically responsible reporter knows how to interpret and report truthfully for consistency, justice, and complete transparency of all relevant information. An ethically irresponsible reporter obfuscate important evidence or placing a skewed emphasis on them. For instance, a Chinese reporter was arrested because he was accepting bribes and fabricating facts as announced by the Global Times (2013). This is an irresponsible way and should not be allowed. Injustice Watch journalists exposed the facts to let the public knows it even though there is a possibility of lawsuit (Uoregon, 2020). This led them to get the Ancil Payne Award.
A journalist is ethically obligated to maintain privacy when it comes to confidentiality of records. According to the case of Lewis (2010) about the invasion of privacy that resulted to the victim taking her life. The victim was currently in turmoil when she read the article that brought back all her nightmares and suffered a depressive disorder. This is a result of an irresponsible journalist where they are used by the government to mask the ignorance and corruption and claiming to be defending security while, in fact, they are attempting to escape embarrassment. An ethically responsible reporter should not be swayed by this and should know the responsibility that he hold when that article is published.
Treatments for Depression
According to the World Health Organization (WHO, n.d.), there are more than 264 million people nationwide that are experiencing the common mental disorder called depression. In psychological field, the term is known as the Major Depressive Disorder or MDD.
As the number of people affected by this disorder increases, various treatments were considered. This study included the four common therapies with their corresponding studies in treating the depressive disorder which are: Effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for child and adolescent anxiety disorders across different CBT modalities and comparisons: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (Sigurvinsdóttir, A. L et al., 2020), Efficacy of interpersonal psychotherapy for depressed adolescents (Mufson, L. et al.,1999), Effectiveness of Brief Psychodynamic Therapy with Children and Adolescents: an Outcome Study (Gatta, M. et al., 2019), and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Young People and Their Careers: a Mixed-Method Feasibility Study (Racey, D. et al., 2018). Through these studies, the efficacy of various treatments for Major Depressive Disorder will be discussed. They will be subjected to variables like age group, trials/intervention, and efficacy in order to compare their advantages and disadvantages. The most effective treatment will also be studied.
**Trials/Intervention**
In every treatment, trials are conducted to determine the progress and improvement of the patients. At each stage of cognitive behavioral therapy, at least nine sessions provided by trained therapists under regular supervision, a description of the specific treatment was required (Sigurvinsdóttir et al., 2020). For the Interpersonal therapy, a 12-week clinical trial was conducted to patients who met the criteria for DSM-III-R major depressive disorder (Mufson et al., 1999). Another treatment called psychodynamic therapy is used for handling MDD. For the diagnostic assessment, two types of intervention were given: children and adolescents allocated to Group 1 (N = 26) were offered individual psychodynamic psychotherapy alone, whilst youths in Group 2 (N = 31) were offered individual psychotherapy, accompanied by parental support (Gatta et al., 2019). Lastly, an article discussed the intervention made by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) (Racey et.al (2018). The design was a mixed-method service evaluation of an eight-session MBCT program for adolescents who were recovering from depression. The course was a manualized eight-session group intervention.
From the articles previously mentioned, therapies have their own distinct advantages. Cognitive behavioral therapy can be done individually or by group (Sigurvinsdóttir et al., 2020). In IPT, A “blind” evaluator who assess the symptoms, social problem-solving skills and functioning of the patients (Mufson, et al., 1999). In psychodynamic therapy, the awareness of unconscious mechanisms was improved and to enhance their capacity to fight anxieties and depression (Gatta et al., 2019). For MBCT, parents are included in the treatment session. They were given support in coping up with their children’s disorder. The longest treatment given to patient is the psychodynamic therapy, with an average of 20-40 sessions. It was followed by interpersonal therapy.
The disadvantages of these therapies are as follows: for CBT, even though the session can be made into groups, it does not address wider problems about families that often have importance to the patient’s well-being. For IPT, the interaction between the evaluator and patient is important. If the patient isn’t honest and willing to be cured, then the treatment won’t work. For PDT, since unconscious mechanisms are improved, which relies on the unconscious mind, this treatment trusts on theoretical constructs that are hard to prove. For MBCT, this treatment requires maintenance for every session to produce best results.
**Age Group**
Depression is a serious mental problem that can happen to any ages and generations. In here, all therapies focused on treating adolescents. The CBT study included adolescents who have primary diagnosis of depression aged 18 years old and below (Sigurvinsdóttir et al., 2020). The IPT study involved 48 clinic-referred kids aged 12 to 18 years old (Mufson et al., 1999). Meanwhile, PDT consisted of 57 young people around 6 to 18 years old and was accompanied by their parents (Gatta et al., 2019). Lastly, the MBTC study recruited children from 14 to 18 years old who are having acute episode of depression (Racey et al., 2018). It is observed that all of their studies showed positive reactions to the treatment of depression. It appeared that all of the therapies are effective in improving the mood, problem-solving, and social skills of the adolescents. It is also significant that the issues are addressed in their early age instead when they entered the adulthood. This will prevent the suicidal attempts of mentally-challenged teenagers. However, it is showed among the studies that cognitive behavior therapy is the most useful therapy for any age group especially in adolescents. It has a successful rate of 50-70% after the intended trials. In contrast, all the therapies found challenges in the age group since they are still children who lacks will to overcome the depression. Due to this, some participants didn’t complete the modules or protocols in every therapy. For instance, 48 out of 57 adolescents agreed to participate in the free treatment of interpersonal therapy but 32 only completed the procedures (Mufson et al., 1999).
**Efficacy of the treatments**
It is important to know the efficacy or effectiveness of every treatment so that the patients will feel more confident and safer in taking them. All the studies showed the efficacy of all four therapies in minimizing depressive symptoms and improving the mental health of the patients. The adolescents showed a noticeable decrease in hostile behavior and became more socially active. Each treatment has different sessions in curing the patients. CBT composed of at least nine sessions (Sigurvinsdóttir et al., 2020), IPT with 13 sessions (Mufson et al., 1999), PDT with 20-40 sessions (Gatta et al., 2019), and MBTC with 8 sessions (Racey et al., 2018). The patient’s improvement showed in 12 weeks using IPT while adolescents improved after 12 months using PDT. From these results, it is showed that PDT has the longest time and CBT with the shortest duration. Because of this, cognitive behavioral therapy became the first-in-line suggestion for people with depressive disorder. However, all of the related researches lacked more studies. A more enhanced cognitive behavioral therapy would be more effective if the sessions are increased to 15 (Sigurvinsdóttir et al., 2020). The same goes for the study of psychodynamic therapy (Gatta et al., 2019). More sample is needed for IPT study since they only have 24 patients (Mufson et al., 1999). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy studies lacked comprehensive data regarding the background of the patients (Racey et al., 2018). Nevertheless, all of the therapies succeeded in giving effective results even with limited data. What more if there are sufficient information and researches in the future.
Various therapies are used for treating the Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Most common among them are Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Interpersonal Therapy (IPT), Psychodynamic Therapy (PDT) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). These therapies are discussed according to how they are conducted, the age group which these treatments are commonly done, and the efficacy of the treatments. PDT was identified as the treatment with longest session. Patients diagnosed with MDD are mostly adolescents. All treatments showed improvements on the patients’ condition. And the most efficient is the CBT because it has the shortest duration of session among the four.
The Black Heeled Woman
Hi! I'm back! I have this short horror story entry in story-making. Here is the video version :) Belated Happy Halloween!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ORPAwwNf4c_9Gey7mPdpqnct6pxrJemQ/view?usp=sharing
It was around 7 pm and our class just ended. I’m walking alone on an empty road seeing the frayed street lights. Suddenly, I heard laughter. I looked around and saw a girl standing beside the broken street light. It’s quite dark so I don’t know who she is and why she is laughing at me. Then the street light began flickering.
It’s her – again. Her laugh became louder as she came to me while holding a scissor. In just a snap, my long hair was gone just because they thought I’m weird.
At home, I hugged my pillow and didn’t even dare to look in the mirror. I cried all night until I heard the sound of the heels growing louder and louder. She’s here. I looked at her and saw her beautiful long hair, a pair of dark eyes, and her black high-heeled shoes. No one can see her beside me but she’s always there for me. She hushed me and asked me what happened. I told her everything and the next morning, confusion was written on my face.
That girl who cut my hair was missing. Our professor said that she’s not feeling well. But, I heard her friends saying something about her hair – that her hair was shaved when she woke up in the morning. I suddenly thought of the black heeled woman. It must be a coincidence…right? But it’s not. It happened again and again. When someone makes fun of me, I always tell it to that woman, and right after that, the same thing would happen to them. I know it’s not right but it feels amazing that someone got my back. But the bullying doesn’t end there. It just became terrible.
That night, the same time at 7 pm. I am alone, cleaning our room when the door just suddenly opened up. The girl who cut my hair entered with her gang. I’m really freaking out and all of my body started trembling until I saw the black heeled woman outside the door. That made me feel less nervous. That’s what I thought.
That shaved girl went to me and gave me a hard slap. She said that it is all my fault. No! She started this! I’m trying to fight back but her gang is holding me. They started cussing me. I’m screaming for help but that black heeled woman is just standing there in the corner watching me suffer. My face felt numb. Are they not done yet?
With all of my strength, I kicked her hard which made her head hit the corner of the table. The blood started gushing in. No, it’s not my fault. I looked up to the black-heeled woman and she’s smiling at me proudly. Her friends went to her and looked at me furiously. The other girl suddenly brought out a knife and they started trapping me.
I am screaming for help but the black heeled woman is nowhere to see. I’m alone. I guess this is the end until I heard the girls screaming. I looked into their frightening faces as they hurriedly ran out of the room. And there I saw two bodies on the floor - lifeless and saw my hands full of blood rushing down to my black heels.
99 days before Christmas 👀 So fast!
By the way, to those who are wondering how the pointing system works in ReadCash, you should check this out:
https://read.cash/@Jane/read-thisfreezing-of-points-is-not-all-about-power-user-upvote-and-random-rewarder-6cacd1dc#comment-671bf402
Good afternoon! Baymax or Minion? 🤔
Lucky 7 (Music Edition) - Winners
Here are the winners for the Lucky 7 Music Edition.
Congratulations to the top 7!
**Top 7 ($0.01) -** @Jihan
**Top 6 ($0.01) -** @Breeenz
**Top 5 ($0.01) -** @erikapmtn
**Top 4 ($0.01) -** @bheng620
**Top 3 ($0.02) -** @Breeenz (again? you're so lucky dude 😂) *blame the app
**Top 2 ($0.02) -** @AceMichael
**Top 1 ($0.03) -** @jshidg
**Proof:**
And here are also the top 7 commenters. Congrats for winning $0.01 too:
@Makkyy6275 - that's one of my favorite anime OST!
@CelestineJ - Yes, love that song too!
@Mars_byahera - one of the classics 💖
@Akhoxiimj - Another classic of OT12. I'm so glad there is an EXO-L here. Sehun's my bias :)
@Cy-cy - Yes Beyonce!
@rose08 - it's my parents' jam :>
@psychie - Yes! Amen!
Congratulations! Comment down your article that you want me to upvote :) I'll wait until 24 hours.
Check the entries here: https://read.cash/@annoftheroses/lucky-7-music-edition-entries-f1ef8922
Check the game here: https://read.cash/@annoftheroses/lucky-7-music-edition-closed-9598e200
`By the way, I'm going to resume the game when my points will start going back to normal. It's been a week when I'm having issues with my points. I don't have any penalties so I don't know how or why. The fund I'm giving you now is the fund I'm getting in my 1-2 days here plus the upvotes/sponsorships given by other kind people to me :)`
Thank you again for participating and supporting! Have a blessed day!
I'm going to draw the Lucky 7 now 😊 Good luck everyone 🍀
Lucky 7 (Music Edition) Entries
Good afternoon guys! Please check if you are here 😊
I'll draw this later at 7 PM (PHT)
**Game link :** https://read.cash/@annoftheroses/lucky-7-music-edition-9598e200
Good morning beautiful people!
Lucky 7 (Music Edition) - CLOSED
Welcome to the Lucky 7!
Every game, I'm going to have different mechanics so kindly read it first okay?
How to Play:
**Comment your favorite** ****music/artist or your current LSS song****
**Mention** ****four (4)**** **friends**
**Maximum of** ****three (3)**** **entries per user**
**Example:**
I will use the app **"Spin The Wheel"** to draw all the winners.
Prize: https://read.cash/@annoftheroses/lucky-7-closed-f9e03310#prize
1st draw - $0.03
2nd draw - $0.02
3rd draw - $0.02
4th - 7th draw - $0.01
Bonus prize/s - $0.01
**Yes, there is a bonus prize. I will pick the comment/s that I like. The number of bonus prize/s will be subjected to change :)**
**When will it end?**
Tomorrow, ****September 16, 2020**** **(7 PM** Philippine Time)
**Have a good day and best of luck for everyone!**
To those who want to see how the game works, you could visit these links:
Lucky Game (1) - https://read.cash/@annoftheroses/lucky-7-closed-f9e03310
Lucky Game (1) Draws - https://read.cash/@annoftheroses/blessed-lucky-7-winners-69f92bda
Blessed Lucky 7 Winners
Thank you for everyone who participated in this game :)
Here are the lucky 7 who won this game starting with the 7th draw:
**Top 7 ($0.01) -** @Saha99saha
**Top 6 ($0.01) -** @Rahim420
**Top 5 ($0.01) -** @marieofhtemiah
**Top 4 ($0.01) -** @Breeenz
**Top 3 ($0.02) -** @Cy-cy
**Top 2 ($0.02) -** @Mariene.Avery
And the first one I draw was:
**Top 1 ($0.03) -** @shingshang22
Here are some proofs guys 😊
And I picked my favorite five quotations from those who didn't win :)
**Congratulations on sharing your best quotations. You guys won $0.01 each:**
@damelindz
@daphne17
@Shella23
@Sajib
@jshidg
**Congratulations!**
To claim your prize, kindly comment down the link of your best article so I could upvote it. You have 24 hours to claim it.
Thank you for participating. To those who are not picked. Don't lose hope, okay? God bless!
You might want to subscribe if you want to be updated in other games :)
Another game here:
https://read.cash/@annoftheroses/lucky-7-music-edition-9598e200
What 2020 did to us
We have different experiences but this year is really too much for us.
**We're victims of Taal Volcano eruption**
**My grandma went back to heaven**
**Didn't have a chance to march on stage for our graduation**
I will tell the first one first.
Ever heard of **Taal Volcano eruption** that happened this 2020?
**We're part of that. We're victims.**
I remember that day way back January. I'm just chatting with my friends when I feel our house is shaking. **Not once, not twice, but I lost count of it already.**
And then we saw a huge pile of clouds at the back of our yard. But it's not clouds. It's from the volcano.
My friends are worried and said that we should immediately evacuate there. I said that we're 14 km away from it and I thought it would not be that harmful to us **UNTIL it started raining ashfalls**.
Hours passed by, it's still raining hard of ashfall and the earthquakes are no joke too. I thought our small house would not make it. I can see some breaks within our walls and the people here are having headaches because of the shakings.
I'm really worried about what is going to happen. We have our grandma who is bedridden, and when there is a huge aftershock, my father would carry her outside.
And then the night came, no one was able to sleep. My parents are talking to someone and suddenly said that we should pack our things. That early morning, **2-3 AM, we decided to leave** our humble homes and joined our neighbor who has a car to evacuate.
And I'm really shocked to see what's outside. The ashfalls are all over. I thought we're living in a black and white world. I can't see anything. The smell is really baaaad.
We're really thankful for them for sharing that little space for our family to reside in their car.
At first, we don't know where to go. But God is really kind. One of the co-workers of our neighbor owns a small apartment and she's really kind to let us stay there. We can't really go to the evacuation area because of my grandma's condition so we're really blessed to be able to stay there.
When we got to that apartment, it feels surreal. I think I'm just dreaming and having a nightmare. I can see my cousins sleeping soundly as the shakes here are weaker than our place, **they are just children but they already experience this.**
I also see my parents, and worries are painted on their faces. We're also worried about our cat since we can't find him at home.
And the greatest question arises. How can we survive this? But God and the people are really generous and kind. The owner of the apartment gave us things that we could use like an electric fan, cartons, and such. Some of my friends also came and gave relief goods. The barangay officials there are also kind to give us clothes and free foods every day.
We also fetched some of the things, gave food to some animals that were left of, and fetch our cat when we've got the chance since the alert level falls.
And here is what we saw.
What an event to start the new year right? Our very special place was turned to dust. I know everything has a reason and it's my favorite quotes of all. But having to experience this is really new to us and we will never forget that we are part of this tragedy.
But the best thing that did it to us is we became stronger. We rise as one. The generosity of the people is showing up. We're acting like real humans :)
And one early morning when we are still on evacuation, my ninang cried as she said that our grandma died.
This is my entry to @Dangerous_Fly , since the topic is something about moments we cannot forget. I really can't forget this one since it's still fresh. If you want to share your moments too, you could check it out too!
https://read.cash/@Dangerous_Fly/a-moment-to-remember-10-giveaway-6cc8b0a4
Lucky 7 - Entries
Pleasant afternoon RC players! Kindly check if your usernames are here in the roulette. If not, maybe you should read again the mechanics. Please do check too if you really followed the mechanics but you're not listed here.
As I said, I will use this Spin The Wheel App from the Play Store.
As you can see, I still haven't spin and use it :)
Comment down if your entries are here and if you have any clarifications :)
**Game link:** **https://read.cash/@annoftheroses/lucky-7-f9e03310**
I'll draw this at 3 PM PST. Best of luck to everyone!
I'm going to move this to 3 PM since I have something to do later on. I'll enter your entries so you could check it out :)
Game link: https://read.cash/@annoftheroses/lucky-7-f9e03310
There's a new spam button. Do you also see it? What will happen if that will be clicked? Will it automatically move the comment to spam or what?
Prize sent for Would You Rather question 😊 Congrats for the 14 of you! And to all who participated, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts!
I'm going to pick the entries for this game now. Thank you for joining!
https://read.cash/@annoftheroses/would-you-rather-closed-48b772e8
I will pick the winners today for these games. So for those who still wants to join. Go ahead and enjoy 😊
https://read.cash/@annoftheroses/lucky-7-f9e03310 (will draw on 4 PM PST)
https://read.cash/@annoftheroses/would-you-rather-de919328 (will pick winners after lunch, more than 2 hours from now)
Rainy Morning
It's still raining here but not that hard compared to the past hours.
So I took some shots when it suddenly stops for a while.
Rain drops really looks amazing to plants right? It makes the plant looks fresh!
This flower is still blooming. Hope they'll grow well.
My favorite shot. Really like the bitter gourd's flower.
Good morning there doggie! (he's from our neighbour) I just took a quick shot of him since it started raining again.
Good morning again RC fam 😊
Time to cuddle someone - or something 😂
Good morning RC fam! It's so cold here and it's raining. What about in your area?
Keep safe and have a nice day!
15 Psychological Facts
While scrolling on my social media, I came across the 26 psychological facts from 8Fact and I picked my top 15. Here are they:
The people who give the best advice are usually the ones with the most problems.
The way a person treats restaurant staff reveals a lot about their character.
People who have a strong sense of guilt are better at understanding other people's thoughts and feelings.
Men are not funnier than women: they just make more jokes, not caring whether other people like their humor or not.
Women have twice as many pain receptors on their bodies than men, but they have a much higher pain tolerance.
If you can't stop your stream of thoughts at night, get up and write them down. This will set your mind at ease so you can sleep.
Doing things that scare you will make you happier.
The average amount of time a woman can keep a secret is 47 hours and 15 minutes.
When you hold the hand of a loved one, you feel pain less keenly and worry less.
Intelligent people tend to have fewer friends than the average person. The smarter the person is, the more selective they become.
Marrying your best friend eliminates the risk of divorce by over 70%, and this marriage is more likely to last a lifetime.
Being alone for a long time is as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
Travel boosts brain health and also decreases a person's risk of heart attack and depression.
People look more attractive when they speak about the things they are really interested in.
When two persons talk to each other and one of them turns their feet slightly away or repeatedly moves one foot in an outward direction, this is a strong sign of disagreement, and they want to leave.
**Do you agree with these? What's your top pick?**
One of my favorite is no. 7. I'm really not comfortable in sleeping alone since I have a bad experience to it when I'm still a kid. But now that I'm not a child anymore, I like to overcome my fear. It's really hard at first but eventually, I did it. And I'm really glad and proud of myself.
For those interested in games, I have ongoing games here:
https://read.cash/@annoftheroses/lucky-7-f9e03310
https://read.cash/@annoftheroses/would-you-rather-de919328
Good evening guys! @erikapmtn is giving away $0.02. Just follow her mechanics in this link: https://read.cash/@erikapmtn/giveaway-1dc51e92
Have a nice day everyone! Good night.
I've seen so many giveaways today, wow! If you haven't join my games, you could join here:
https://read.cash/@annoftheroses/lucky-7-f9e03310
https://read.cash/@annoftheroses/would-you-rather-de919328
I will draw it tomorrow so you could still have the chance.
And for those who are having their giveaways or games, you could post it in the comments section :) I also want to join hahaha.
Good evening and have a blessed day!
Since it's already evening here and it's time to chill~~
Currently playing:
"
I'll never go far away from you
Even the sky will tell you
That i need you so
For this is all i know
I'll never go far away from you
"
Do you know this song by Eric Santos?
@annoftheroses
