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MentalOctopie9
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Number of ratings34 Number of reviews27 Listens toTo Teens LanguagesEnglish Listener sinceOct 27, 2022 Last activein last month GenderMale PathStep 55 People helped80 Chats134 Group support chats9 Listener group chats1 Forum posts10 Forum upvotes15
Bio

I am MentalOctopie9, a 16-year-old male currently in school. I am truly grateful to live in a society where organizations like 7Cups exist and I feel obliged to do my part. I have grown up in a highly adverse environment, something I would be happy to elaborate on if requested, which led me to discover my passion in psychology. Since I have since earned a diploma in forensic psychology and a certification in counseling for children and adolescents. I am based in South Africa, which comes with its obstacles but I remain compelled to offer assistance. I think that I can bring a more diverse approach to 7Cups while also learning priceless skills that are in dire need here.

Recent forum posts
The Dominance Hierarchy; how to measure success to defeat feelings of inadequacy Part 2: The Psychology of The Hierarchy
Anxiety Support / by MentalOctopie9
Last post
 December 20th, 2022
...See more Good day fellow 7Cups users. I am pleased that you are joining for part 2 of this 3-part series. Last time we explored exactly what a hierarchy is; I now hope to navigate through the complex psychology of how a hierarchy is such a fundamental part of life. Researchers have studied the neuropsychology of many different of life for decades which has led to many phenomenal discoveries. One of the many things found was that across many different species, the serotonergic systems amongst them were all very similar. This how why we can find similarities amongst ourselves, and the primates mentioned in the part 1. One of the things this system does is record the perceived hierarchical position, it may or may not be accurate, but it certainly has an impact on us non-the-less. When we have lost a battle and plummet to a low position. We are biologically adjusted to protect ourselves from the more threatening high-ranking members. Our body lowers serotonin output in order to cause more anxiety. Anxiety primes our body to be in a constant state of high arousal (our state of emotional state is measured on a complex spectrum, one vital feature is its stimulation on our body), releasing flight/fight hormone to help defend ourselves from a possible attack. It also makes us hypervigilant to avoid a surprise attack. Being at the bottom of the hierarchy is certainly not a fun place, being constantly physiologically prepared to defend yourself certainly has its consequences. It consumes an unmaintainable amount of energy which compromises other bodily function, even to the point it may weaker your immune system. On the opposite side of the hierarchy, serotonin inhibitors become more active. We are on the top so there is no need to be constantly prepared for a fight in the absence of threat. We become relaxed and confident, having time to plan to maintain this position. Hierarchical structures in society are a primordial instinctual behavior that we simply cannot be relieved of. The solution to this issue may be presumed as simply “be more competent and you won’t be punished”. However, that fails to resolve anything. If you become more skilled and gain a higher rank; someone else falls, those are simply the laws of a hierarchy. We would simply make the hierarchy a more competitive place (whether that is a good or bad thing is different discussion, but it does not solve the problem at hand regardless). Drawing to a close in part 2, we have answered the questions that were originally sparked however another one emerges. How does one avoid the dreaded life at the rock bottom of the hierarchy?
The Dominance Hierarchy; how to measure success to defeat feelings of inadequacy Part 2: The Psychology of The Hierarchy
Anxiety Support / by MentalOctopie9
Last post
 January 6th, 2023
...See more Good day fellow 7Cups users. I am pleased that you are joining us for part 2 of this 3-part series. Last time we explored exactly what a hierarchy is; I now hope to navigate through the complex psychology of how a hierarchy is such a fundamental part of life. Researchers have studied the neuropsychology of many different of life for decades which has led to many phenomenal discoveries. One of the many things found was that across many different species, the serotonergic systems amongst them were all very similar. This show why we can find similarities between ourselves, and the primates mentioned in part 1. One of the things this system does is record the perceived hierarchical position, it may or may not be accurate, but it certainly has an impact on us nonetheless. When we lose a battle and plummeted to a low position. We are biologically adjusted to protect ourselves from the more threatening high-ranking members. Our body lowers serotonin output in order to cause more anxiety. Anxiety primes our body to be in a constant state of high arousal (our state of emotional state is measured on a complex spectrum, one vital feature is its stimulation on our body), releasing flight/fight hormones to help defend ourselves from a possible attack. It also makes us hypervigilant to avoid a surprise attack. Being at the bottom of the hierarchy is certainly not a fun place, being constantly physiologically prepared to defend yourself certainly has its consequences. It consumes an unmaintainable amount of energy which compromises other bodily functions, even to the point it may weaker your immune system. On the opposite side of the hierarchy, serotonin inhibitors become more active. We are on the top so there is no need to be constantly prepared for a fight in the absence of a threat. We become relaxed and confident, having time to plan to maintain this position. Hierarchical structures in society are a primordial instinctual behavior that we simply cannot be relieved of. The solution to this issue may be presumed as simply “be more competent and you won’t be punished”. However, that fails to resolve anything. If you become more skilled and gain a higher rank; someone else falls, those are simply the laws of a hierarchy. We would simply make the hierarchy a more competitive place (whether that is a good or bad thing is a different discussion, but it does not solve the problem at hand regardless). Drawing to a close in part 2, we have answered the questions that were originally sparked however another one emerges. How does one avoid the dreaded life at the rock bottom of the hierarchy? This will be answered in the final part.
The Dominance Hierarchy; how to measure success to defeat feelings of inadequacy Part 1: The Introduction to The Hierarchy
Depression Support / by MentalOctopie9
Last post
 January 5th, 2023
...See more Good day fellow 7Cups users. Many people suffer from feelings of inadequacy when battling disorders such as anxiety, depression, trauma, and for numerous other reasons. This can cause heightened anxiety (especially regarding performance), lack of trust, and harsh/ unhealthy self-criticism. In fact, this problem is so significant that in severe cases it can manifest into a disorder of its known which known as Avoidant Personality Disorder (AVPD). Today I will delve into what exactly is happening when we feel inadequate and why/how these feelings arise. When we think about how our society is structured; it is largely based on a hierarchy, and if that seems barbaric to you; it’s probably because it is! Our arboreal, four-legged primate friends also share this system. Monkeys are found in troops, consisting of varying amounts; however, it is not the feeble, plod-along infrastructure one might initially suspect. In fact, each monkey is assigned a hierarchical position within the troop. This sophisticated system is well understood by the members, which is something we humans cannot relate to. Let’s make a scenario, your child is in a crisis and s/he needs immediate surgery; you’re going to want the best surgeon possible to save her/his life, but what differentiates a surgeon from a bin collector (s/he would be much cheaper after all), when in essence; you may know very little about surgery and what qualifies someone to conduct surgery. It comes down to the simple equation of accepting that you must trust that the qualification this surgeon has earned makes him/her more competent than the bin collector by elevating his/her hierarchical position; your entire decision has been made based on a trust in the hierarchy you consciously did not know existed. We can monitor behaviors such as the distribution of resources throughout the troop; low-ranking monkeys will often have food stolen from them, not guarded (or even kicked out for being a liability) when injured, bitten, and chased away from resource-rich areas until more royal members are satisfied. Playing along with a very common and harsh saying among us humans: the rich get richer while the poor get poorer. The alpha male is constantly on the lookout for trouble and the overall muscles in the group. Somewhat comically, it is not the male who is truly respected as the head (despite his showboating), but rather the alpha female who is ultimately followed. The offspring also inherit the position of their parents. This anthropoidal behavior can even be found in the youth. When the newborns are rescued and left without a mother, we can see troops forming and hierarchical positions being lost and earned (without being predisposed by their ancestors) right in front of our very eyes, a truly fascinating process! We can see the popular monkeys take shape, from them being best at what is most attractive at that age. Unfortunately for our cool little monkeys, these values shift, and they often cannot shift with them. At this point in their life, they had always been on top. Therefore, when this new criterion emerges it simply does not suit their skillset; they collapse and fall to the bottom of the hierarchy as they simply fail to adjust because they never had to in their youth (which is the time to learn skills like perseverance and flexibility). It seems impossible to deny the similarities which beg many questions, what are the consequences of this hierarchy? Why do we share this behavior with supposed unsophisticated beings? Both of which will be answered in part 2.
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