8 Ways Psychology Can Save Lives

Disclaimer: The information on this article/video is not intended to be a substitution for
diagnosis, treatment, or informed professional advice. You should not take any action or
avoid taking any action without consulting with a qualified mental health professional.

8 Ways Psychology Can Save Lives

Are you aware that there’s this impression that when you are a psychology major, you
become an instant mind reader? Sometimes people have this assumption that as a psychology major, you should know what’s running through another person’s head.

But that’s always not the case, the truth is, people who have knowledge in psychology
merely have a deeper and clear understanding about another person’s response towards his
environment.

Knowledge in Psychology can be your saving grace as it can give protection against mind
games, emotional traps, guilt trips, power trips and abusive relationships.
Moreover, as a psychology major you are more receptive to other people’s feelings,
especially for those who need a hand.

So here’s the 8 ways Psychology can save lives.

1.Ability to reflect and detach
Detachment does not imply shifting from the driver’s seat to the passenger’s seat. It is about
becoming a better observer of yourself and others. In any situation, asking what is best for
everyone involved, can shed much-needed clarity.
For instance, according to Sabine Sonnetag,an author which says that psychological
detachment and practicing reflection has been shown to decrease exhaustion, psychological
strain, depressive symptoms, health complaints, and sleep problems, while increasing life
satisfaction.

2.Reliable self awareness
Self-awareness is important in how we understand ourselves and how we relate to others
and the world. Being self-aware allows you to assess yourself in relation to others.
According to Tasha Eurich, an organizational psychologist, it is intentional and better to
understand your thoughts, experiences and emotions, as well as how others see you.
–enhanced leadership capabilities and capacity. Greater self-awareness also may give you
better workers and team players, who are less likely to lie, cheat and steal.

3.More Introspective
It is an ability to do self-examination, analyzing yourself, examining your personality and
actions, and contemplating your motivations. Meditation is an example of introspection
because it allows you to try to understand your feelings. This will allow you to take a step back and see the larger picture, which may help you avoid
anxiety.

4.More Empathetic
Empathy can motivate you to support others, which benefits social relationships. Things that
help you with your social relations. It is an ability that you can learn and hone. “Empathy is
described as knowing another person’s experience by imagining yourself in the other
person’s situation,” according to Hodges and Myers in the Encyclopedia of Social
Psychology.

5.Can make practical decision
Good decision-making abilities come in handy in life, especially when you are indecisive
about the choices available. Although indecision can have a negative impact on how you
feel, it is important to learn ways for making decisions in tricky situations. According to
Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky in prospect theory with real human behavior, it is a powerful prediction of how individuals choose between risky options.
While you may not be able to predict the result of a decision before making it, you can be
confident that you have given it careful consideration.

6.Capable to deescalate dangerous situation
Good communication is important for settling, resolving, and de-escalating a situation.
Show your understanding by expressing empathy.
According to a community group produced by Ambulance Tasmania in Australia, it is not
your responsibility to make the person stop being angry, but it may help the person feel more
at ease. Only then will you be able to consider how to handle the situation and their
concerns effectively.

7.Ability to decode behavioral changes
You will understand not only how people change, but also how to help people in their efforts
to change. According psychologists Carlo DiClemente and James O. Prochaska, the
understanding of the ways of change in behavior has been used to develop in many ways
and interventions that focus on the individual’s choice and changes in behavior.

8. Understand the impact of good parenting According to zerotothree.org, good parenting means taking an approach that is sensitive to children’s individual needs and addressing the typical challenges that arise in early childhood with empathy and respect. It is a way that nurtures the physical, emotional and social development of the children. This relationship lays the foundation for the children’s personality, life choices and overall behavior.

…

What sets Psychology apart from other subjects is that a lot of people seem to have this notion that the things people learn from formally studying Psychology are “common sense” bits of information, causing people to dismiss the course as unnecessary. The most important part of learning psychology is knowing that human behaviors and views of the world, the past and future and humanity are all colored by many different factors from within and around them. While that may also sound “common sense”, it becomes very easy to forget that when a person attempts to make sense of things that happen to the person himself and to others. When a person explains a child’s learning delay as a result of ‘low IQ’. When a person complains that people with depression are ‘mentally weak’. When a person assumes that simply removing a drug addict’s access to drugs will rid them of their addiction. When a person believe ‘an addict will always be an addict’ When a person views people and makes sense of them as either black or white studying psychology changes that.

Background in psychology trains you to not just get the different areas to understand behavior. From the natural to the surrounding which allows psychology majors to view a person’s condition from common view at a time and backs it up with reliable evidence. Giving a more accurate definition of the world than just a “common sense” explanation.

Reference:
https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/the-mechanics-of-choice

http://ambulance.tas.gov.au/community_information/handsoff/de-escalation_techniques

Psychology, Psychodynamic Theory, Homework, Psych 403, DCRUST

Sonnentag and Fritz, 2007; Siltaloppi et al., 2009; Sonnentag et al., 2010

https://www.zerotothree.org/espanol/positive-parenting-approaches
….
Thank you for watching. If you enjoy this video, leave a comment, like the video, hit
subscribe and notification bell so you’ll be updated to the latest video.