Meaningful Event, Essay Example

Mental Health as A Behavioral Technician

In my experience as a registered behavioral technician, I have had many interactions with clients with mental issues. These psychological issues range from autism, suicidal, depression, among others. I have also been trained worked to work closely with doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists, and nurses in taking care of these patients. In most cases, as one of my primary duties, I was providing care for patients with the above mental issues. The age of the patients under my supervision ranged from 40 to 65 years. Ten of these patients were suffering from suicidal thoughts and depression.

I acquired the meaningful experience of interacting and handling these patients. It was a challenging time for me, and it called for my full attention and observation skills. One particular event that brought meaningful experience in my career is my interaction with a violent female patient. The whole experience gave me multiple sentimental and scary episodes. Through the psychiatrists and doctors, I learned how to calm her down whenever she threatened to attack herself or me physically. I would employ the calming mechanism, and with time, I was able to handle the patient on my own. These skills helped me understand the patient, and at some point, I gradually stopped fearing her. After this experience, I now consider myself a skillful behavioral technician who can handle a patient with any mental illness.

I consider the experience very noble. This is because it transformed and equipped me with the skills and knowledge to take good care of patients with mental issues without risking my life. My interaction and experience with the female patient have made me learn a lot about mental patients’ treatment. I got a chance to interact with her since her admission to the time she was dismissed. I discovered that suicidal and violent patients require undivided attention from skilled caregivers. I have also appreciated that proper coordination by all the stakeholders is most essential to diagnose and observe what a patient needs.

Research on Underage Drinking on Campuses

As a college researcher, I took part in volunteer research on the effect and consequences and effects of underage drinking in the San Diego area. It was personally hurting to discover that more than 80% of the young kids with alcohol problems end up engaging in criminal actives in society. Consequently, these kids end up being caught up by law most lose their lives and go to prison before they hit the age of 25. Through the research, I was able to identify a meaningful excruciating event of my classmate who was struggling with alcoholism. I have worked as a volunteer in research on the usage of drugs and alcohol among underage college students. I, therefore, was fortunate to interact with students from different colleges within the San Diego area. The age of most of these kids ranges from 15 to 18. From my observation, these kids indulge themselves in alcohol and drugs without their knowledge.

From my observation, I experienced a meaningful event about my classmate, who was struggling with alcoholism and drug use. The young man was 16 years old and was raised by her single mother. His father died of a road accident due to drunk driving. During his childhood, the boy witnessed domestic violence from his dad, which impacted his life greatly. Due to depression and family problems, he gave in to peer pressure and ended up using drinking as a coping mechanism. When I met him during the volunteer practice, I observed that his manifestation of “cry for help.” I decided to intervene and guided him throughout the program. The main objective of the volunteer practice was to establish a platform where individuals with drug issues could be assisted out of the addiction. I worked closely with psychiatrists and counselors to formulate an effective program that curbs and change the situation in the area. The whole program allowed me to acquire hands-on experience on issues related to drug issues and alcoholism.

This research has helped me understand my area better, and as a college student, these findings will be of great use in trying and make a change in my community. My interactions with the victims have given me an insight why drinking problem has been so abundant in my area or anywhere in the country. The findings and the result of this result have helped me understand the situation of my school mates who are struggling with a drinking problem.