Journal Writing and Personal Experience - Essay Example

I have difficulties when working with patients, who suffered from the post-traumatic disorder. It was not easy to make a proper diagnosis of this illness as it has its own peculiarities. I was confused at the beginning, but then I started to fix the history of every patient I was working with. This helped me understand a lot about this disease. Moreover, it helped me become interested in this particular state. The main difficulty of understanding the nature of the post-traumatic disorder is the fact that it represents the consequence of something (Bracha, 2006). This consequence often comes long after the danger passed, thus it is sometimes not very easy to understand the reason for the illness (Newton, 2009). Fear is a natural reaction, when the person is in danger, it helps the human organism to prepare the proper reaction to danger and the corresponding defense.

However, post-traumatic disorder represents a reaction that is different from natural fear in a dangerous situation. This reaction is damaged and, as I noticed, it appears suddenly, in the middle of the day and long after the danger passed. Here I got a question that was fixed by me at once: what is the best way to find out the reason for the post-traumatic disorder is. I applied to other physicians and looked for the answer on the Internet. I noted all the findings and made the conclusion that the conversation with a person and psychological tests are the best way to reveal the reason. When I was fixing this conclusion, I suddenly got another question: what if the person would not like to share this information. It usually happens in cases, when the issue is personal (sexual offending, etc.). When I investigated the new question, I came to the conclusion that hypnosis is the best way in such a case (Schechter et al, 2008). It helps to take the reason out and then the doctor may find a way to make the person talk about it.

I noted all my experiences. When I was doing that, I suddenly got many new questions that helped me to become a good expert in treating the post-traumatic disorder. I understood that “journal writing is a supreme way to record your own life’s journey. It is a way to discover what matters to you and even what and how you think. It is the gloriously self-directed source of inner development” (Dowrick, 2009, p.2). I knew how to treat it, but I did not know how to make the right diagnosis and reveal the problem. Now I know that. When I get a new patient, I always look through my own notes and they serve as the best textbook for me.

Journal education helps adults grow as specialists in the field they choose. It helps develop the ability to think critically and creatively and turn specialists into researchers. It is no need to say that new achievements in any field are often made by the people suddenly without any preparations. It is not right to repeat the phrases you found in the textbooks, but it is important to think these things over and even doubt them. Textbooks can’t teach everything, they can only help in learning. If a person is not ready to express his conclusions orally, he may write them down and then share them with somebody. It is important to note the thoughts not to lose them because one of these thoughts can be really valuable. If a person thinks critically and notes down his conclusions, he automatically grows into a researcher, who can bring many benefits to our society. Read More