Posts by Nicole Barrett76

Andrew Peterson2 Asks:
And what exactly is your motivation for seeking to root the device? Is there some specific, underlying purpose driving this decision?

gentlecyclist16 The user states:
Have you attempted this yet—either by using the Magisk APK or through a computer?
Is there truly any greater pursuit than seeking absolute control over one's own device? Does anyone else find themselves searching for that elusive sense of digital freedom through tools like Magisk?

slydriver5 The individual states:
Would it not be more prudent to attempt the rooting process via Magisk?

I am considering rooting my device because my young nephew has been busy installing, uninstalling, and reinstalling a massive amount of games from the App Store. Ever since I acquired this phone, I have been unable to install any kind of AdBlock until I manage to get Magisk running. Now that the boy has truly made a mess of things, the device stutters constantly and runs incredibly slowly. Is there any way to restore its former speed?

I find myself wondering if my USB cable is even long enough to connect this device to my computer so I can attempt to root it using Magisk. To be perfectly honest, I have little interest in iOS devices, nor do I particularly care for macOS computers; all I truly desire is to simply turn them on and have them function as intended.

Perhaps I shall investigate what can be accomplished using Magisk.

wearycrane15 said:There was one located over by Kennedy Plaza—down on that street near the intersection where the main boulevard meets the highway. I actually got mugged by someone there once; I have no idea if that spot is even still open, though.

In those long-forgotten, prehistoric days, there once existed a massive deficit within the economic faculty.

bluedrifter45 said:Does anyone actually know what psychological testing looks like in practice? I suppose it’s just a mountain of multiple-choice forms, based on what I’ve heard, along with some repetitive reciting of stories and numbers, and then that's it, plus the interview. Is there anything else to it, I guess?

I recall visiting a neurologist over at Cedars-Sinai back in 2001, where she spent several hours conducting various tests on me.

Greetings, everyone!

I will be traveling to Washington, D.C. this coming Monday. Could anyone recommend a repair shop where I might get a tablet rooted, provided the shop is located relatively close to the Mayo Clinic?

Specifically, I am looking within the vicinity of the Mayo Clinic, Quincy, the holy land, Kennedy Square, or Subic Street... somewhere in that general area.

If there aren't any options near those specific locations, where would be the nearest service center capable of rooting a device?

I hope this bit of information helps clarify my request... I am working with an 8-inch Alcatel Pixi3 that was provided to me as a loyal AT&T customer.

Richard White8 said:What kind of diagnosis is GAP? Unfortunately, those psychologists can't do anything besides send you right back to the psychiatrist for your meds. Catatonic schizophrenia is when a patient stays frozen in one position, standing rigid for hours without moving.
Command hallucinations are more common in paranoid schizophrenia.

GAD stands for Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

I didn't actually need any medication, because the prescriptions my previous psychiatrists provided were perfectly sufficient for my needs. Was I not simply in search of someone willing to sit with me for an hour, or perhaps even just forty-five minutes, to truly listen to what I had to say?

And yet, during my next appointment, I am handed one of those questionnaires, I accidentally check the wrong box, and suddenly—poof!—I am being sent straight back to the psychiatrist. Is it not simply too much to ask for a little genuine empathy?

Richard White8 said:It wasn't because of that one. I know that specific test; it's 200 questions long. Who knows what else you checked? I marked down that I hear voices and see things that aren't there, and they didn't label me a psychotic—just someone with ego dysfunction.

Well, she didn't tell me anything at all. Even so, she sent me right back to the psychiatrists and wrote GAP on my chart as the diagnosis. It was the exact same one two different psychiatrists had already given me. And frankly, both of them are far too obsessed with their own power; one of them even went as far as publicly meddling with "veterans' PTSD pensions."

It truly is such a shame that the clinical psychologist referred me back to the psychiatry department, because she is quite literally the only competent professional among all the psychologists and psychiatrists at this local county hospital I'm stuck with.

-------------------

I believe I read somewhere that patients with catatonic schizophrenia supposedly suffer from command hallucinations.

Richard White8 said:Interesting. If that's the case, they should start incorporating it into psychiatric diagnosis. Right now, how do they diagnose? Through conversation, observation, intuition.
Then they send you for psychological testing. But once those results come back, the psychiatrist doesn't even bother reviewing them. They just skim them and continue doing exactly what they were going to do anyway.

My own psychiatrist told me repeatedly that she is limited in everything, especially when it comes to prescribing medication. She claimed she has no actual instruments to measure anything and that she’s basically picking drugs blindly, like a blind hen pecking for grain.

Why don't they use brain scans like that for someone sentenced to 25 years for murder committed under the influence of auditory hallucinations? The forensic experts couldn't agree on a diagnosis, so he went straight to prison. He might have actually been ill, or he might have been faking it.

A few years back, I sat down with a clinical psychologist to go through one of those endless psychological evaluations. It was just a mountain of yes-or-no questions. One question asked whether I would lose control of my bladder in front of an authority figure. Naturally, I checked "No." Another question asked if a man should be the primary decision-maker in an emergency situation. Of course, I checked "Yes." After reviewing my answers, the psychologist concluded that my profile contained far too much pathological material, suggesting that I belonged with a psychiatrist rather than her.

I would honestly bet my life that she reached that conclusion simply because of how I answered that second question.

I mean, really...

Richard White8 said:No one in my immediate or extended family has ever suffered from schizophrenia or psychosis. I developed it out of thin air. Well, not exactly out of thin air—it was more gradual. It started with intense anxiety, social phobia, and a fear of people lasting several years—and then suddenly, the voices and auditory hallucinations arrived. Regarding schizophrenia, hallucinations are the primary symptom, along with disorganized speech. But psychiatric diagnoses aren't like an MRI or a blood test. Multiple psychiatrists can change the diagnosis for a single patient. One will say it is schizophrenia, while another will claim it isn't. There was actually a recent trial involving someone who committed murder under the influence of voices. They conducted a forensic psychiatric evaluation.
Psychiatrists fought among themselves. One expert testified that he had diminished capacity; another insisted he didn't. Ultimately, that individual received 25 years in prison for murder.
They simply lack a definitive instrument for assessment. Most of what they learn comes from what the patient tells them and what the surrounding environment reveals about their behavior. They observe things through conversation with the patient—how they speak, how they think. The whole thing is built on shaky ground.
You could walk into a psychiatrist's office and tell them you suffer from depression, that you can't get out of bed, that you hear voices, and that you want to end your life. They will hand you a diagnosis of severe depressive episode with psychotic symptoms. And a pile of medication. You don't have to take them. You could repeat that you are suffering from depression for ten years straight and apply for Social Security disability benefits. They have no way to measure depression or verify whether the medication is actually working.

I actually believe that things in psychiatry are much more measurable than people think. Just the other day, I was reading about a patient in either England or the USA who was seeing a female psychiatrist. As their sessions progressed, this woman developed an intense bond with her doctor, and the doctor felt the exact same way about her. This connection manifested as a profound maternal transference and countertransference.

The doctor actually presented this case openly at some symposium or conference, and they performed MRIs on both her brain and the patient's brain to see how they reacted while talking to one another or discussing shared interests. It turns out that the doctor's brain responded in the exact same pattern as a mother's brain does when interacting with her young child.

For the life of me, I can't find the link to that article again. Does anyone feel like googling this
?

Richard White8 said:For private options in Cleveland, I know of a practitioner through a friend who attended group therapy with Dr. Girotto for five years. My friend claims it was helpful, despite being hospitalized five or six times during that period. When he was in the hospital, his psychiatrist advised him to stop attending that group because they utilize psychodynamic methods (based on Freud), which she claimed involves too much introspection and psychological digging, potentially causing harm in certain cases.
Subsequently, my friend saw Dr. Petris, also privately in Cleveland. He is quite expensive. One session costs $133. He went about five or six times. Primarily, the psychiatrist does all the talking while you occasionally chime in. He isn't seeing anyone now, and he is doing fine.

A truly skilled psychiatrist actually functions in the opposite manner; they ask the questions, allowing the patient to lead the narrative. A proficient professional—whether a psychiatrist or a psychologist—subtly guides the patient through the session without being overbearing. They must also ensure that the conversation doesn't dwell too long on a single subject, because there is such a thing as a formal thought disorder, even if thoughts themselves lack a physical shape. This manifests as an overly expansive, viscous way of thinking. While a patient might wander endlessly through a single topic with a chaotic web of associations, a talented therapist uses skillful guidance to steer them back toward a structured and healthy flow of thought.

David Flores68 said:You say it’s worth a shot, but does anyone actually know if that is strictly within the law?

Why not? An old medical professional who practiced here until just a few years ago once told me that if I truly wanted to—and if it made sense for me—I could travel all the way from the Midwest to San Francisco to see a specific doctor. Every patient covered by Medicare has the right to visit whichever hospital they choose within the United States. There might be a handful of institutions that serve as exceptions, but don't exceptions simply serve to prove the rule?

Harold Anderson3 said:Would you mind sharing which medications you're currently on?
I've always felt it’s a bit nonsensical to ask someone, "Are you hearing or seeing things that aren't there?" Because if they actually are experiencing hallucinations, then to them, those sensations are completely real, making it impossible to give a simple "no" answer. You can really only gauge the situation by observing how a person interacts with the world around them.

Furthermore, even if hallucinations occur, albeit rarely, should a patient not be placed under twenty-four-hour observation for a full month just to catch a single episode? Assessing a patient's state of consciousness, particularly during an initial psychiatric evaluation, is such a delicate, difficult, and sensitive endeavor, is it not?

I recall back in 2002 when a psychiatrist was attempting to determine if I suffered from any disturbances in consciousness; she feigned confusion while typing on her computer and actually asked me to correct her text! (She had skipped several lines in the following paragraph). I corrected it and returned to my seat. She then informed me that I showed no psychotic symptoms or disturbances in consciousness and that I was perfectly oriented.

But here is the catch: I am quite visually impaired, and I made sure to inform her of that immediately. It is also true that I find it somewhat more challenging to orient myself when entering an unfamiliar indoor space for the first time (though this isn't the case with outdoor environments). Had I not emphasized so clearly that my vision is poor and that I was due to my poor eyesight disoriented... or rather, temporarily incapacitated in my ability to use my sight for a few seconds, who knows what she might have written, or perhaps even suggested that I be held in the hospital?

At the time, I possessed a completely sound mind; I was merely facing immense stress at work and wished to consult a psychiatrist to prescribe some sedatives or sleep aids, since psychologists lack the authority to do so. And then, as part of my own personal growth, to pursue therapy with a psychologist.

Have you ever heard that individuals with epilepsy can experience a type of "object consciousness"? Is it not fascinating that they can function in such a narrowed state of awareness for days or even months before anyone notices something is wrong?

Of course, I only realized much later that my psychiatrist hadn't actually been confused while typing. Once I figured that out, I began digging through library books—this was long before the era of the Internet—to understand what kind of test that was, and how it was possible that she called me over to fix text when all she really needed to do was position the cursor in the blank lines and hit the delete key enough times to create spacing between paragraphs.

Ultimately... those who search, shall find. That is to say, those who seek answers will eventually uncover them. And especially now, in an age where information flows freely across the Internet, won't they find them even faster? It was while I was scouring medical encyclopedias in a library that I discovered that fact about epilepsy.

David Flores68 said:Is it actually possible to choose which doctor we see?

But why on earth shouldn't we be able to? I have personally decided to see an endocrinologist at Rib, specifically Tanja Škorić, who completed her specialization in Manchester before choosing to return home to America. At our local Vinogradski facility, they seem to rotate specialists out as frequently as a revolving door, and frankly, I am tired of the inconsistency. I have been receiving care there my entire life, and I am already forty-three years old!

One should start by visiting a general practitioner. If you have already been seeing a specialist but now wish to transfer to a different hospital, you really ought to emphasize this to them if you need a valid referral—especially if you are traveling from outside Washington, D.C. In truth, navigating the paperwork for a referral can be quite a headache, so it is often much simpler to just request the initial referral right from the start.

Simply find out the correct email address for scheduling appointments and attach your referral to the message. You just need to provide your full name, your mailing address, your contact information, and specify which physician you would prefer to see; truly, it is as simple as that.

I can only hope that Dr. Škorić will continue to accept me as a patient at Rib. Otherwise, this will simply become another endless cycle of wandering aimlessly from one frustration to the next, only to find ourselves back where we started. Regardless, I believe it is a pursuit well worth attempting.

Rebecca Rivera3 said:Nicole Barrett76, your question is... well, complicated. However, research has demonstrated that a human hug can reduce fear and anxiety, which provides a certain level of support. Ultimately, it comes down to the individual doctor and how willing they are to cross that line to offer comfort while waiting for an injection to take effect. Whether such an act is considered moral or immoral depends entirely on the specific details and the circumstances surrounding the situation.

For instance, the psychiatrist I saw would know that doing something like that would be inappropriate, because even his initial demeanor was unprofessional—the way he looks at me makes it impossible to ignore. I can see a hidden desire in his eyes as he types away at his computer... that's why I avoid male doctors. Honestly, I don't have to look far to see this pattern; none of my male friends have ever wanted to be "just friends"—eventually, everyone wants more. It seems like men have a genetic predisposition toward it; I honestly wonder how any of them manage to stay monogamous.
And of course, I ended up having to see a male psychiatrist at the local medical center. I don't really have a choice; I either go or I don't... haha, though usually, I just don't go.

Here is what I have decided to search for online if I want to find a truly substantial answer to my inquiry.

"psychosis" "injection" "hug" "fear" -insulin

But, if by any chance you happen to have a link or a document on your computer regarding research on this matter, please do send it my way. You can reach me via private message or at piskavac@gmail.com.

Rebecca Rivera3 said:Nicole Barrett76, your question is... well, complicated. However, research has demonstrated that a human hug can reduce fear and anxiety, which provides a certain level of support. Ultimately, it comes down to the individual doctor and how willing they are to cross that line to offer comfort while waiting for an injection to take effect. Whether such an act is considered moral or immoral depends entirely on the specific details and the circumstances surrounding the situation.

For instance, the psychiatrist I saw would know that doing something like that would be inappropriate, because even his initial demeanor was unprofessional—the way he looks at me makes it impossible to ignore. I can see a hidden desire in his eyes as he types away at his computer... that's why I avoid male doctors. Honestly, I don't have to look far to see this pattern; none of my male friends have ever wanted to be "just friends"—eventually, everyone wants more. It seems like men have a genetic predisposition toward it; I honestly wonder how any of them manage to stay monogamous.
And of course, I ended up having to see a male psychiatrist at the local medical center. I don't really have a choice; I either go or I don't... haha, though usually, I just don't go.

thank you Rebecca Rivera3 for the response. I have mostly seen female psychiatrists in the past. Although, I would love to try seeing a man. It doesn't even have to be a psychiatrist; it could be a clinical psychologist. But one male neuropsychiatrist I saw briefly used to churn through patients in record time. He could barely listen for ten minutes.

I don't hold any prejudices that male psychiatrists are better than female ones. That isn't my reasoning. I simply want to experience a male approach once. I believe approaches differ because male and female thinking patterns are distinct, even after years of schooling, experience, and rigorous training.

The issue with hugging is the double standard. If a female psychiatrist were to hug a male patient, it likely wouldn't be judged at all. But if a male psychiatrist hugs a female patient... well, that's where things start to get messy.

It seems to me that over the last 10-15 years, women have taken over the majority of the psychiatry profession. What are your thoughts on this?

-------------------

I have a question regarding how to help a friend who suffers from schizophrenia. He is taking several potent medications for his condition, but it seems his liver isn't functioning properly because his complexion has taken on a strange color. To make matters worse, even the medication cannot fully prevent him from believing his delusions and hearing voices.

He is terrified that his mother will be put in a nursing home, that his house will be taken from him, or that his Social Security benefits will be seized; he also fears being recorded and, because he served in the military, that enemy combatants will come looking for him. Fortunately, that last delusion is the least common one. But he simply cannot stop talking about the others.

He will soon be starting monthly antipsychotic injections, and hopefully, that will provide some relief, but I am deeply concerned.

A mutual relative of ours says he tries to reason with him every day to dispel these delusions. He claims he is perfectly fine until he turns on the television. He can't even watch anything on TV because he believes people on the screen are going to do the terrible things he describes. Otherwise, he would give anything to hang out with the group. He has no trouble treating people or going out occasionally, but I assume he struggles socially because few people truly understand him.

Jose Ward4 said:But man, don't you get it? An injection just numbs the symptoms. It helps in the moment, sure, but at the end of the day, the real question is: what is that person actually terrified of deep down?

It is certainly beneficial if an injection can alleviate symptoms and ensure a patient becomes cooperative and coherent. When a patient is gripped by intense fear, they might even be willing to cooperate, yet such a sudden surge of terror can completely paralyze their intellectual functioning, making it impossible for them to provide even the most basic coherent responses.

The specific object of the patient's fear is irrelevant to my inquiry. My question remains: the patient is experiencing profound terror and, as a result, is seeking physical contact. Is physical contact permitted for patients in such a state?

Matthew Castillo5 said:They probably play it very safe and avoid doing anything like that, mostly because things like hugging or caressing could easily be misinterpreted as inappropriate sexual contact.

Picture this: you ask a nurse for comfort, she gives you a quick hug, and right at that exact moment, your girlfriend, wife, sister, or mom—who might have just stepped out to handle some paperwork in the lobby—walks in. Suddenly, you've got someone reacting with pure outrage and potentially attacking either you or the nurse, verbally or physically. It's a nightmare scenario.

You actually asked something pretty similar on a different thread over on a political forum once. Why is this weighing on your mind so much?

I don’t recall ever asking that on the politics forum, so if there were any responses back then, they have completely slipped my mind. My curiosity stems from something I read quite some time ago—I believe it was a psychiatrist who remarked that no ordinary fear can truly compare to the sheer terror experienced by those living with schizophrenia.

And consider this scenario... if an injection only requires five minutes to take effect, what is the alternative? Is it better to leave a patient alone to endure those five minutes of pure, unadulterated trembling and dread? (Of course, we aren't just talking about schizophrenia here; it could simply be a "mere" panic disorder)

The idea of a hug is certainly open to interpretation. However, if I were to see a family member being held by the hand or gently comforted by a psychiatrist or a nurse—provided they were tucked away in a quiet, private space far from the prying eyes of passersby—then I truly wouldn't find any reason to make a fuss about it.

In fact, I would be deeply moved to see someone show that level of care for one of my own family members.

I have a question that doesn't strictly belong here, and while I am unsure where else to post it, I felt it would be foolish to start an entirely new thread just for this inquiry.

Suppose a deeply terrified patient arrives at a psychiatrist's office and, driven by intense fear, begins demanding physical contact from the doctor or perhaps a nurse. If the physician administers an injection with anxiolytic properties, there will inevitably be a period of waiting before the medication takes effect.

In such a delicate moment, would doctors actually embrace the patient, offer a comforting pat, hold their hand, or engage in some other form of soothing touch?

@blueheron7... from my perspective as a layman, what you have described sounds more like she might be dealing with a combination of schizophrenia and epilepsy.

I recall reading somewhere—or perhaps it was just a common belief at one point—that schizophrenia and epilepsy were thought to be mutually exclusive. It is almost as if they are physiological antagonists; for instance, one cannot simultaneously suffer from a common cold while also battling heatstroke. They simply do not coexist. Yet, I cannot help but wonder: could her condition actually be a complex intersection of both schizophrenia and epilepsy?

Harold Anderson3 said:So, where are you planning on seeing your therapist? Which hospital are you heading to? You have to be careful because those places can be incredibly aggressive sometimes; they can practically beat the life out of you just to make you comply. In my experience, they haven't been quite that heavy-handed, but it really bothered me when they kept insisting that I was living a totally normal life and that I was just like everyone else. The problem is, whenever I actually step out into the world or head into the office, it becomes glaringly obvious that I’m not quite like the rest of them. My doctor explained that this kind of reassurace—this attempt to convince me everything is fine—is actually part of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and apparently, it’s supposed to work. It’s a strange feeling, knowing they’re essentially feeding me a little white lie just so I feel better, even if it isn't strictly true. But honestly, it feels like whenever there's a choice between whether a patient actually *feels* good or just *acts* calm, they’ll always choose the latter. As long as you're acting quiet and composed, they're satisfied, even if you're going through absolute hell on the inside. That’s why I feel like most of them end up prescribing way more medication than is actually necessary. It’s just a messy way to do things.
It’s entirely possible that the fax machine caused you some grief, especially if you were following the wrong steps. But hey, what's done is done. Honestly, I wouldn't have been able to wrap my head around it either, no matter how much of a math whiz I might be naturally. Some things are just plain too difficult.

Jose Ward4 spent some time studying physics over at the College of Science, though he didn't quite stick it out until graduation.

Can you even begin to fathom the psychological state of patients suffering from schizophrenia thirty or forty years ago, back when a psychiatrist was treated like God and held absolute authority over you?

Nowadays, at the very least, any patient dealing with a medical condition has the ability to research their condition through the Internet.

According to professional standards, a psychiatrist should never show surprise at anything a patient says during a session. Years ago, when my therapist attempted to prescribe an antidepressant, I asked her whether, given my specific symptoms, an antidepressant could potentially exacerbate certain issues—specifically because it triggers euphoria, hyperactivity, and heightened irritability. She took such a sharp, audible breath that even with my poor eyesight, I could tell by the sound alone that she was stunned. She looked at me and asked, "How did you know that?" I think I told her I had read it in a book, but she didn't even hear my answer.

I actually learned about that rule regarding maintaining a neutral demeanor from a book by Dr. Nade Žanko - Intervencia regarding crisis therapy. Or something to that effect. I read that book somewhere around 2001 or 2002.

Jose Ward4 said:I hear you, I really do. Look, I'm sorry, man. I'm just not having a good day today. It’s always like this whenever I leave a session with my psychiatrist. Please don't be mad at me. I truly wish you nothing but the best. This woman just wrecks me. It’s honestly getting unbearable. And honestly? All these psychiatrists and psychologists... they just throw diagnoses at you that don't even exist just so they can play around with their expensive medications. It's all about the profit. They're all part of the same system. See? Now I'm apologizing and trying to relate. It's taking me a while to finally pull myself together. I think even my primary care doctor noticed, because I showed up at her office looking like a complete wreck. She's known me forever; I've been there a million times. She knows how I breathe. She actually rushed out after five minutes to head toward the hallway where the specialist's office is. I'm not even sure. I just don't feel right when I go to see her, and I always come back feeling broken. I'm only starting to feel human again now that I've watched "normal life" on CNN. That actually helped ground me a bit. It'll probably take me two or three days to fully recover and start functioning normally again. She just breaks me down and makes me feel like I'm losing my mind. You can't truly know a person in five minutes. Sure, they might judge how you act, how you feel, or what you think in those five minutes, but they have no idea what a person is actually going through. You need to spend real time with someone. It’s all wrong. It's all just a way to make money and build a corrupt society. It's all lies. It's just about them getting rich while we suffer. I've been thinking more and more lately that I was already hitting a breaking point back when I was in college. Back at the College of Science. I really think that if I hadn't enrolled there, I wouldn't even be doing this stuff today. Sorry again.

Please, try not to be so hard on yourself. If it was meant to happen—if you were destined to fall ill—then it would have happened regardless of your choices.

I am not entirely sure which major you chose at the College of Science. However, if your studies focused on biology, and if that knowledge touches upon microbiology in any way, perhaps there is a path toward becoming a lab technician? You could work analyzing blood, urine, or stool samples, operating the diagnostic machinery and issuing reports.

Sure, the work might feel a bit tedious at times, but at least you would be distanced from the crowds.

Alternatively, you might be able to transition into that role provided you bridge the gap between your degree and medical school training—assuming, of course, your background is in biology or chemistry.

No matter how useless your education feels right now, you still hold a massive advantage over anyone who only finished high school.

Oh, goodness! Let us hold fast.

I am currently being tormented by tinnitus. Is it not strange how the buzzing in my head can become so incredibly loud?