Citizen Journalism Ethics And Responsibilities

Because professional journalists must write, edit, and cross-check news at a far faster rate than citizen journalism, the overwhelming phenomenon of citizen journalism has had a profound impact on the media profession, putting pressure on the ethics and profession of journalism as a consequence.

Source: pixabay.com

 

What Is Citizen Journalism

The phrase “citizen journalism” is frequently used to describe news reporting by regular people. For a long time, the active role of citizen journalism was a relatively new phenomenon in the twenty-first century.

The development of internet connectivity and the availability and portability of technological devices have greatly increased the range of mass communication and news engagement options available to the entire population.

Literally speaking, it refers to the gathering, composition, production, editing, and dissemination of such information and news by those without formal journalism training. This frequently entails having the ability to report current events faster than the typical professional journalist.

Citizen Journalists And Criticisms

Citizen journalists are people from all walks of life who use their smartphones, tablets, portable computers, camera from cell phones, and other cutting-edge electronic devices to gather, share, and critically evaluate news from Weblogs, Wikis, and other information-sharing internet pages. They may need to gain a background in traditional journalism or the mainstream media. With today’s devices and technologies, news can be shared instantly around the world in only a few seconds, taking only a minute to spread.

Given that it allows news items to circulate freely, citizen journalism is unquestionably a highly valued asset of the modern era. This enables coverage of most worldwide occurrences that would otherwise be unattainable for professional journalists.

This could be problematic as, from an ethical perspective, citizen journalism also offers information that is uncontrolled and uneven in terms of distribution and accuracy. When citizen journalists uploaded the films of the horrific wild act, they were unaware that anyone may use the internet these days, regardless of age or gender. As a result, any violent or sexual video can circulate without any limits.

Career journalists or independent journalists frequently criticize citizen journalism for needing more professional training and orientation regarding the media’s guidelines, ethics, customs, and procedures. Despite the enormity of the obstacle, more is needed about how it will affect journalism ethics and the profession as a whole.

The Need For Ethics in Citizen Journalism

Without focusing on journalism ethics, the literature currently in publication emphasizes modern and sophisticated technical methods of newsgathering, its creation, and delivery. When covering a particular topic, citizen journalists fail to maintain the conventional journalistic principle of objectivity, and only journalists with formal training can comprehend the ethical standards that apply to news editors and journalists.

The impact of citizen journalism on reporting ethics is a perennial topic of discussion even on different forms. The theory is applied to investigate and assess the effects of the actions of using online social networking platforms or social media platforms ( such as twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube) as news and information sources.

Even if there are situations that no ethics standard can address, citizen journalists must have a code of ethics and be open about the information they wish to release to the new media public. These are some of the major issues that need to be addressed regardless of the ethical standards that they follow.

Source: pixabay.com

Consent

Personal information should, in general, never be disclosed to the society without the subject’s permission. A key factor in evaluating whether an individual’s right to privacy is violated by publishing an aspect of the private life of someone is consent.

To preserve social media users’ or online users’ confidentiality, autonomy, and oversight, informed consent is crucial in substantial social media research. It is a crucial component of excellent practice and an overall ethical and legal concept representing an individual’s right to decide what happens to their body.

Be Aware of Individuals’ Rights

Individuals have a right to know when they are the subject of professional journalism reports, how the data they provide will be utilized, and how it will be presented. One should identify himself as a citizen journalist if participating in an event in that capacity. Given their purpose for being there, offer them the freedom to choose whether or not to speak with the reporter.

Furthermore, one must notify and obtain permission before using any comment from an interview for any purpose other than plain reporting or if the person plans to publish it in a piece of commentary. Individuals have a right to know how their views and public opinion or opinions will be used.

Since the primary framework for safeguarding an individual’s constitutional freedoms and directing the ethical practice of journalism is informed consent, information obtained unethically cannot be used for various reasons in different settings.

Informed consent and agreement with the photograph’s aim, intended usage, and dissemination to the public are crucial key concepts for the general public and citizen journalists to grasp. The conditions under which consent is gained must guarantee that the person is neither persuaded nor forced.

Transparency

The public’s confidence in the media’s reporting is at an all-time low in this era of “fake news.” This issue has worsened in recent years due to increased social media and internet usage. The amount of false information on internet sites has skyrocketed, making it challenging to distinguish the real from the false.

News outlets need to change how transparent they are. The public’s perception of news will improve if media platforms and outlets are more open about where they get their material and how they create their stories.

Corruption might be attributed to this lack of digital media ethics and transparency in the media. A way to lessen unethical and unlawful behavior in the interactions between news organizations and the traditional media is through media transparency and media ethics.

Authenticity And Accountability

People who oppose transparency in reporting indicate a different perspective on what can be accurately interpreted in the news. Generally, ordinary citizens’ journalism does not follow this guideline, making it more difficult for the truth to be the “truth.”

Communicating properly and expressing goals and intents to their audience is crucial for citizen journalists. Finding the goal of journalism guided by aspirations, activities, plans, and ideals is crucial in this regard. Acknowledging mistakes made by citizen journalists is crucial, as is striving for improvement in future reporting.

While there are undoubtedly valid reasons why ordinary people choose to publish anonymously, it’s important to remember that journalists have a fundamental duty of care to their audience. Citizen journalists only allow the public to hold them responsible for any errors they make if they offer a method for people to contact them or offer corrections.

Citizen journalists should publish an example of apology if individuals point out significant errors, such as when they alter events, omit details from the article, or use information that was not present in the first place.

Fact-Checking

Confirming the accuracy of unresolved reports and claims is known as fact-checking. It can be carried out before or following the information is made available or circulated. One way to accomplish this is to carefully and methodically go through the text line by line to seek any inaccuracies or anomalies that might have escaped notice during the first reporting process.

Remember that if people base their actions on inaccurate data, they will make unwise choices that may have unforeseen consequences.

In a broader analysis of human nature, communication, and people’s interrelationships, it is crucial to go beyond current narratives of “facts” and “fake news” and current social and political situations. Fact-checking is a curious method that requires critical inquiry. Citizen journalism is only worthwhile with it.

Remember, false information is deadly. Even if citizen journalists are disseminating information they have obtained from others, they must verify the accuracy of the material before making it public. This frequently entails posing follow-up queries that enable them to corroborate facts and provide explicit source attribution.

The public’s daily benefit is the primary responsibility of citizen journalists. It gets problematic when they publish statements they cannot independently verify, particularly if they could be interpreted as slander, libel, or other offenses.

As before, fact-checking only ensures that an entire population will choose to disregard all proof of facts, but in the absence of such efforts, citizen journalists cede control of each fact to other individuals. The importance of maintaining various factors of skepticism for one’s own and other humanity’s continued existence is emphasized via fact-checking.

Source: pixabay.com

Reporting On Vulnerable Subjects

Citizen journalism aims to provide information and inform the public about present-day issues and affairs through news articles and multimedia reporting. They inform people about everything happening around them that they require or desire to know.

It entails writing or presenting compelling news and feature articles that appeal to viewers on a personal level. Journalists’ core values include objectivity, truth, and accuracy. It is advised that citizen journalists be detached from the faiths, organizations, or nations they belong to reduce the possibility of prejudice in their reporting.

However, professionals reporting on young children and other equally vulnerable persons raises significant ethical and legal considerations. Doing background quantitative research, including looking into potential legal consequences, is usually good if citizen journalists are engaged in a story involving kids, legal action, criminal behavior, medical information, or other highly sensitive material.

Thoughts To Consider

Regardless of the idea of training, one should always follow personal ethics when sharing any kind of news, especially if it conflicts with professional ethics. It is important to constantly ask oneself if what they are doing will not hurt someone, whether on purpose or accidentally.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Anxiety Of Freelance Journalists

As a result of evolving technological trends that have enabled millions of people worldwide to pursue this kind of profession, freelance journalism is growing in popularity.

Given the chance to work from anywhere and make money, becoming a freelance writer or journalist has become a more and more common career choice. It is with difficulties and dangerous situations, though.

When engaged in a project, many freelancers frequently experience anxiety since they are unsure of their potential for success or potential to affect their audience negatively. Typically, during the learning process, obstacles may arise, such as financial difficulties, lower gig economy, less side hustle, and low pay. Thus, talking about these problems with friends, family, or professionals is a must.

Source: pixabay.com

Since anxiety is the core of your overall health, it is critical to recognize how important it is to manage both your mental and physical health. However, you must first detect and pinpoint the causes of freelance journalists’ concerns.

Thinking You’re Not Good Enough

With the freelance market being a community of skilled and talented individuals, creating a startup business and landing a job becomes a tough battle. With that, usually, as a writer, you would often start out asking yourself if you are good enough, especially because you know that the competition in the freelance world is tight.

There are a lot of talented writers out there who are for sure better than you or at least know things the same as you. Constantly thinking about this can put pressure on your mind in all aspects. It can instill fear and depression at the same hours. 

When you become too worried about your skills or writing ability, you would question even your best asset or even begin to develop imposter syndrome. Sadly, this is not an ideal habit, especially when you know you can also do what others can do.

The fear and anxiety about being “not good enough” is a distraction that somehow takes you away from your ultimate goal: to expand your horizons and become one of the best journalists in the freelance life.

Taking Too Many Roles

Certain responsibilities come with being a freelancer that most employees would find too time-consuming. If you do not contract out these tasks, you will have your own personal accountant, professional assistant, and planner.

You may be surprised to learn how difficult it may be to balance your client’s job with all the other things in the background while you operate as a freelancer. You should anticipate experiencing uncontrollable anxiousness when you have a demanding client on top of the pressures of freelancing writing.

You will undoubtedly feel more inclined to let go and stop caring about your client, your boss, or your work. However, these may also exacerbate your current mental health problem.

You have a lot of responsibilities as a freelancer. It’s up to you to oversee the day-to-day operations to complete tasks. You must keep tabs on and oversee your finances, compensate other freelancers you recruit, organize your work, make and send bills, interact with clients, plan ahead of time, and finish the tasks at hand!

Your mental health deteriorates when you are unable to handle everything at once. You will feel more motivated to give up and cease caring about your job, client, or supervisor. These, nevertheless, can also make your existing mental health issues worse. You may suffer from inadequate sleep, you won’t be able to give yourself a break, and of course, you’ll focus on putting your feelings on the line.

 

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Having Problems Managing Your Time

You and many other freelancers working throughout the entire world (whether they are living abroad) have the same issue. One of those is that when you operate virtually from another location that isn’t designated as a workspace, keeping your business account and personal life apart might be challenging.

Because of the anxiousness in your head, you frequently find yourself attempting incessantly and unsuccessfully to give up on the tasks at hand since you cannot manage your time well. You might even consider yourself a failure if you can’t talk about the issues and can’t figure out how to accomplish things your way, to the point where you shut yourself in your room and stop communicating with your loved ones.

As a freelancer, time management is usually a problem, especially when clients are (again) extremely demanding. Multiply it by five, and you have a client who needs you to always respond to them. That will be the motif of “all hell breaks loose” for you.

Regretfully, the majority of independent contractors find it difficult to maintain a healthy balance between work and personal life, and this issue lies at the core of many or most of their psychological problems. Be aware that defining the hazy boundary between your house and place of employment can be challenging. It’s easier to mentally get away from work if your home and workplace are separate significantly.

Dealing With Writer’s Block

At some point in their lives, most writers deal with and encounter writer’s block at different phases of the writing journey. These lead to issues. One common roadblock that worsens the more you work on it is writer’s block. You try to sit down at your work surface, look at your computer, and force yourself to write anything because you know you have to write. Just get anything going, but the words still need to appear. You probably won’t write at all the longer you sit there feeling angry that you’re not writing stories. You may need help and support with how to begin the story, or you may lose steam in the latter stages of the chapter. That might be upsetting and anxious-inducing, particularly if you’re on a deadline.

You undoubtedly want things to be perfect before you write anything down or use a keyboard. You never start because you keep trying to make things flawless in your mind. But the struggle is real, and you can’t just convince yourself to write something because you know you have to.

What You Can Do To Overcome Writer’s Block

The method of getting past writer’s block is sensitive, individualized, and frequently quite emotional. Some issues about its cause are sometimes out of your control. Unfortunately, you can’t just get rid of it in an instant. Ultimately, it comes down to overcoming self-doubt and having faith that one’s efforts will be rewarded.

Here are some of the things you can do.

Getting To Know Yourself

Understanding your natural working style might help you in finding a job where you thrive. Determining what suits you will take time to figure out. Some freelance writers with anxiety, for example, may find that working in a busy newsroom allows them to put their worries aside and focus entirely on their full time work, whereas others can’t imagine anything worse.

Conversely, you shouldn’t necessarily give something up completely if you truly love it but discover that some parts of it make you anxious. It’s uncommon to find the right fit right away, so it doesn’t always imply you shouldn’t try your hand at journalism just because you thought you were failing at it.

If the first assignment you have as a freelance writer isn’t what you desire or is not something you are comfortable working on, that’s okay. Don’t let that stop you. List what you enjoy and dislike, and then work to fit a career into that.

Source: pixabay.com

Seeking Help From Others

When your anxiety starts to make sense, you may need outside assistance to become well. You may often feel unworthy because of things like thinking back on your previous experiences, attempting to solve problems pertaining to your freelance work, and planning for growth. These may cause you to shy away from journalism entirely.

Sometimes, there’s still an additional issue even after you’ve arrived and begun your profession as a freelance journalist. Maybe the idea of trying to live up to the expectations of a publisher was just so depressing that it made you lose interest in becoming a journalist and made your anxiety unbearably intense.

Thankfully, asking for assistance is acceptable in that situation. Some editors or other authors would be happy to help when you’re having trouble. You just have to try to connect with them because sometimes they only want you to reach out.

Developing Mechanism To Cope

Ten percent of anxiety comes from experiences, and ninety percent comes from reactions. Looking closely, you’ll see that nothing reduces tension and anxiety more quickly than doing something. Let’s face it. Writing is a creative and intimate process.

Anxiety starts to surface When you devote all your time, energy, and ideas to your writing. You fear that a potential client won’t recognize the passion and effort you dedicate to your writing. Naturally, this is not going to occur. Although it’s unlikely that you’ll hear back from a possibility, the worry persists.

You may always establish helpful and healthy coping techniques if you suffer from intense anxiety. There is regular exercise. Exercise lowers stress levels and enhances immune system health and cognitive performance. In addition, there are other artistic endeavors like dancing, crafting, drawing, or anything else that helps you decompress when you’re not writing.

Final Thoughts And Takeaways

Gaining experience as a freelance writer will greatly reduce your worry because it’s comparable to programming yourself. You know yourself, your capabilities, and your limitations.

However, you may need to think about getting professional help and speak with a therapist or counselor if anxiety takes precedence. Take action because you know that your anxiety is preventing you from succeeding as a freelance writer, not because you believe there is something wrong with you.

Frequently Asked Questions

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The Real Trauma Therapist – So That Journalists May Know

 

Source: gcu.edu

In simple terms, an actual trauma therapist is a certified mental health provider who has had extensive training, guidance, and clinical experience almost exclusively with trauma. The trauma therapist is most probably a social worker, mental health counselor, or psychologist. An authentic trauma therapist is not a person who has had only passive experience dealing with trauma, meaning that a therapist who has dealt with just one or two patients, despite focusing on trauma, does not make him a trauma therapist. More particularly, the next paragraphs will provide you with a clearer perspective of what to look for if you want help from a trauma therapist.

Characteristics Of A Real Trauma Therapist

  • The trauma therapist should have comprehensive applied knowledge of the course of acute and posttraumatic stress. An awareness of post-trauma reactions that emerge and develop through time is a tremendously vital facet of managing trauma. The therapist should be aware of the things he should watch out for and the best ways to manage their patients’ indications. He must be very well-informed of these areas of diagnosis and management.

 

  • The trauma therapist should have trained in a dedicated setting focused on trauma. This usually implies that the therapist has finished an extended-length workshop or residency in a trauma center or facility, emphasizing trauma psychology. To validate this, check the therapist’s about page. It will have to mention acquiring training and clinical experience in a veteran’s administration, community trauma facility, or hospital. If you are still uncertain, investigate the therapist’s whereabouts regarding where he could have trained or worked exclusively on trauma.

 

  • The trauma therapist has managed numerous trauma cases. As mentioned above, having worked on one or two trauma patients does not qualify him to be a real trauma practitioner. Trauma psychology is a very focused aspect of psychological practice. This necessitates that the therapist must have substantial experience in dealing with a range of trauma cases from beginning to end to be considered proficient and capable of offering trauma treatment.

Source: sbtreatment.com

  • The trauma therapist must have a comprehensive understanding of the effects of trauma on an individual’s life. This can only be achieved by gaining an extensive familiarity with trauma and its management, as this is the basis of relevant education and experience in the field. The truth is that if you were working with an unauthentic trauma therapist, that therapist wouldn’t be aware of what real trauma responses really look like. This implies that he would not be able to comprehend the struggles that his patient is going through, he won’t know the appropriate questions to ask and the elusive features, statements, and behaviors to watch out for. Only an authentic trauma therapist has the depth and extent of training and education that enables him to be accurately and meticulously provide treatment and management.

 

  • The trauma therapist will not typically administer cognitive behavioral therapy. CBT is indeed the foundation of some of the trauma treatment regimens. However, a therapist who teaches his patients CBT techniques for managing their trauma is not a real trauma therapist, meaning that he does have methods that would help his patients. Still, he is not educated in the treatments and techniques focused exclusively on recovery from trauma.

 

  • The trauma therapist must complete at least one or more (with any luck) evidence-based trauma treatments or EBTs. These are therapies that have experiential proof that support their efficacy. Luckily, trauma management is composed of three EBT techniques that are extremely effective in decreasing trauma indications and assisting the patient in getting back their quality of life. The techniques include Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Prolonged Exposure (PE), and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT). A real and reliable trauma therapist must be an expert in at least of these three techniques. However, ideally, he should be experienced in all three as they are not precisely interchangeable.

Source: medicalxpress.com

  • The trauma therapist must have a certification in trauma management. Training for this can be unclear. Other practitioners unfairly claim that they are trained in a specific treatment technique because they have had some experience with trauma therapy. For instance, maybe the treatment was the main subject in a graduate course lecture, or perhaps the therapist had a chance to observe a senior practitioner as he was administering the treatment several times. This does not, in any way, equal the scope and definition of training. In its most proper use, the word ‘trained’ means that the practitioner has been educated, has practiced, tested, and almost always utilizes trauma treatments. Because of this, it would be better to be working with a therapist who holds a certification in one or more areas, including the three techniques mentioned above.

Conclusion

Generally speaking, it is vital to find an expert for most mental health issues, but this is particularly true with trauma because of its extremely specialized nature. Also, the most major matter for the patient is typically the outcomes. There is a higher likelihood of you obtaining positive outcomes if you work with a therapist who knows what he is doing and is confident that he can help you.

 

 

Therapists Agree: Journaling Is Beneficial For Mental Health

 

Source: medium.com

When you were still young, you might have had a diary kept out of sight so that mom or dad won’t see. Your diary was a space or place to admit that you were scared or anxious without being criticized or judged. It probably felt great to release all those emotions and thoughts out of that head of yours and jot them down on paper. It seems that the world becomes more vivid.

Then after a few years, you might have ceased writing on your diary – just when you started going to college. However, the principles and benefits remain. Now writing a diary is known as journaling. It is merely writing down your emotions, opinions, and thoughts to understand them clearly. And if you try tackling depression, anxiety, or stress, journaling exercises can be an interesting and healthy idea. It helps you take control of you how you feel and enhance your mental health. Indeed, therapists and counselors agree!

Mental Health Benefits

Journaling daily is a wonderful hobby to get into. Surely, any time you spare journaling is worth spending, but the most suitable practice is consistent everyday journaling. Some famous people with depression also use journaling as a coping mechanism for depression.

There are numerous benefits to practicing a regular journaling habit, and this includes the following:

  • It pushes you toward your objectives, encouraging you to realize your dreams and visions.
  • It provides you an opportunity to go through life’s stressors and learn to leave irrelevant things behind.
  • It fosters learning by keeping a record of the key principles and teachings that a person discovers and helps him recall them successfully.
  • It stimulates and improves one’s creativity in ways that inconsistent journaling just can’t equal.
  • It increases one’s general sense of gratitude and sensitivity to small and big things you should be thankful for.
  • You become a better writer, and you get to discover your voice.
  • It helps one recognize things that he didn’t pay attention to before, like his thought patterns, factors that influence his behaviors and emotions, and other imbalances in his life.

Journaling Tips

Below is some advice for these young people who are aspiring to become journalists and deal with the anxiety of freelance journalists.

Try Writing Daily. Spare a few minutes each day to write. This will certainly help you maintain a routine of journaling.

Source: granitemountainbhc.com

Use It The Way You Want It. You don’t necessarily have to share what you’ve been writing to anyone – not if you don’t want to. But if you would like your family and friends to understand you better, you can perhaps let them read parts of your journal.

Jot down Whatever You Think Helps You. You don’t need to follow instructions in sentencing when you do your journal. It doesn’t have to be as structured and organized as a document or paper. It’s your private space and place to talk about whatever helps ease the stress, anxiety, and negative feelings inside. Don’t worry about criticism or judgment. Nobody will do that here.

Make It Convenient. Keep your notebook (or just a paper) and pen with you all the time. Whenever you want to jot down how you feel, you can. If you don’t want to keep bringing a paper with you, make it easier by journaling on your smartphone.

If you are certain that you want to start (or perhaps restart) your journaling journey, but you don’t know how to, there are several great suggestions, tips, and pieces of advice here that you could find beneficial.

First off, below are some ideas that you can try when you just don’t know where to start in your journey, and deal with the potential anxiety of freelance journalists.

Affirmations. When you’ve run out of thoughts and are frustrated about your self-worth, try to write affirmations or positives. You can write ‘I am skilled and talented’ or ‘I am a great writer.’ You will eventually find something to jot down about, plus improve your mental health.

Gratitude. Writing with gratefulness is a great practice. It also pushes you to kick-start your journey towards journaling regularly, especially if you feel trapped. Just write about areas or people in your life that you are thankful for.

Delving Into Your Anxiety. This could appear negative, but actually, it can be a therapeutic and purgative experience. We frequently feel doubtful or anxious, which is not helpful to alleviate our irrational concerns and issues. Write about your anxious feelings and delve into them until you find their underlying cause.

Conclusion

Source:sheownssuccess.com

Your journal or diary – however you want to call it – is only for you, and remembering this can open opportunities for you to freely expose your honest and entire self onto your paper (or phone). Try it today! You’d only spare a few minutes of your day, and then you’ll discover the benefits.

Have you been journaling? What have you reaped positively from it? If you’ve seen the gains, let your loved ones know how they, too, can heal from their hurts or simply get through the day without sleeping on the stress or anxiety.

Thank you for your time, and happy journaling!

 

Mental Health Issues Of Journalists Through Counseling

About 70 percent of journalists said they were experiencing mental disorders. More than a quarter of the participants reported symptoms of sleep problems like insomnia, poor concentration, and worrying. And this is a classic diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder.

More on mental illnesses and mental health conditions here.

Professional Counseling Can Help Identify Issues Prevalent Among Journalists

About 70 percent of reporters said they were experiencing mental disorders.
Source: pexels.com

State of Journalists’ Well-Being And How They Affect Their Daily Lives

Some personality disorders, like a split personality, Schizophrenia, and dissociative disorders, could be caused by alcohol and recreational drugs addiction. Their effects include mania, loneliness, phobias, and lower self-esteem. People who suffer from the aforementioned need contact, care, guidance, and support from their family and friends.

A quick talk in the morning could help them cope with the person’s thinking, psychological crisis, or mental condition. That’s why it’s critical for loved ones to learn and increase their knowledge about professional advice and feedback, as knowing this information affects relationships with the person struggling with psychological disorders. But accessibility to printed pages and online psychological health pages could pose an issue. So be sure to contact your local psychologist first.

Identifying Psychological Disorders Journalists May Not Be Aware Of

Moreover, counseling can help journalists by identifying their psychological disorders, like Bipolar Disorder, Mood Disorder, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Personality Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, etc., and mental health concerns due to environmental stressors or natural disasters that they’ve experienced. A counselor can offer a diagnosis of their mental disorder and emotional condition or emotional disorders. Once diagnosed, they can also devise treatment plans, prevention, and medication and provide coping strategies in the long run.

Common Psychological Issues Among Journalists They Should Take Seriously

Consulting a counselor can help journalists determine symptoms as simple as confused thinking and disorders. Additionally, seeking a counselor can help understand their feelings, like feeling sad, and identify the issues that affect their well-being. Here are the most common psychological disorders experienced by journalists.

Mental Conditions Of Journalists Not To  Take For Granted

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Journalists who cover traumatic events have a high risk of developing social and psychological disorders, such as PTSD. This is especially true for journalists covering war, disasters, and health crises. Symptoms of PTSD suffered by journalists include physical and psychological distress (panic attacks, etc.) and intrusive recollections of the events. They may also deliberately avoid reminders of the traumatic event. There is also a new phenomenon called trauma-related OCD, in which a patient develops obsessive-compulsive disorder after experiencing trauma.

Source: pexels.com

Anxiety And Depression

Following the coverage of trauma, tragedy, and disaster, journalists can also suffer from depression and anxiety disorders. Frequent exposure to emotionally shocking situations can result in restlessness, irritability, feeling on edge, self-harm, paranoia, significant impairment, hearing voices, and poor mental health overall. Journalists may also experience low moods, negative thoughts, and difficulties in controlling their worries or fear. In worse cases, they may also engage in self-harming behavior and may have frequent thoughts about death. Everyone, regardless of age, rank, or race, is susceptible to psychological issues; famous people with depression are evident, despite their accomplishments in life.

Eating Disorders

With pre-existing cognitive health conditions, journalists may also experience eating disorders. Although not thoroughly explored, they may start to develop serious psychological illnesses. Frequent exposure to traumatic events or their obsession with food and body weight usually causes this. If left untreated, eating disorders may result in serious health consequences.

Sleep Disturbances

Journalists also suffer from sleeping problems. The nature of the job does not allow him to sleep enough. However, journalism is not just about sleep deprivation. Continuous exposure to upsetting and traumatic events can also impair sleep continuity. They may have recurrent dreams and nightmares related to their coverage, like sexual assault, opting for them not to sleep. It can cause trouble falling or staying asleep such as insomnia.

Stress and Burnout

According to a study in 2016, younger journalists with less journalism experience have a higher risk of having stress and burnout syndromes. Being on the front of the disaster response also exposes them to the gravity of the work, which increases risk resulting in fatigue and exhaustion. With this, stress and burnout are also major factors contributing to their psychological issues.

How Does Cognitive Health Counseling Help?

Consulting with a professional, such as a trained counselor, can help journalists improve their psychological health and well-being. For instance, counseling can promote personal empowerment. Since one of the common features of their work is being exposed to tragedies, counseling can also provide them hope and acceptance of their experiences.

Further, counseling can also help them develop personal insight into the situations they’ve endured. As front liners in delivering news, journalists are often placed not to do anything but report. Counseling can help them dissect their thoughts about the situation and improve their life skills in dealing with these instances, particularly when faced with mental illnesses or anxiety disorders in the subjects they cover. Understanding the types of mental conditions can equip them with the necessary emotional tools. They can also gain coping strategies particularly beneficial when they report on sensitive issues like eating disorders.

Future Psychological Wellness Issues To Consider For Journalists

More importantly, a counselor can help them prevent future issues. Most counselors will also not practice a single approach. Instead, they will be using different principles to fit the needs of journalists best.

Some of the most common psychological counseling approaches include:

      • Psychoanalysis
      • Person-centered psychology
      • Cognitive therapy
      • Dialectical-behavioral therapy
      • Rational-emotive behavioral therapy
      • Acceptance and commitment therapy
      • Existential psychology
      • Individual psychology

Counseling helps with disorders. In doing so, a counselor can help journalists set goals for personal growth.

Following certain steps to eliminate significant distress is important to achieve mental stability. For instance, they can help them identify their stressors to reduce their exposure to them effectively.

Source: pexels.com

A counselor can also help them find tools to manage their mental health problems effectively. They can advise them to engage in meditation techniques and other healthy practices to improve their overall mental health and quality of life.

Final Thoughts on Counseling

Counseling is a process where a counselor and patient, in this case, a journalist, work together to explore their issues and possible treatments. It also helps individuals develop the skills, mood, person’s thoughts, and mindset necessary to face challenges and enhance their psychological health. For an emotionally taxing job in journalism, having stable mental and emotional well-being is crucial. Consulting a counselor is advised if the burden of a psychological disorder is too much to handle.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Are The 7 Main Cognitive Disorders?

There are numerous cognitive disorders, but seven of the most common ones include Major Depressive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, and Schizophrenia. Each disorder has distinct symptoms, and they can significantly interfere with an individual’s ability to function in daily life if left untreated.

What are the top 3 psychological issues in teens?

Teens’ biggest mental health difficulties include depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. These challenges frequently have complicated social, biological, and environmental causes. Early mental health care may reduce these disorders’ long-term effects. Parents, schools, and healthcare professionals must collaborate to offer kids health information and services.

What are 5 psychological issues?

Depression, anxiety, bipolar illness, schizophrenia, and OCD are prevalent psychological disorders. Mental disorders impair emotional and cognitive well-being with various symptoms and severity. Psychotherapy and medicine are commonly used together. Effective mental health care requires awareness and early diagnosis.

What are the 4 types of psychological disorders?

Depression, anxiety, psychosis, and personality disorders are the primary psychological illnesses. These mental disorders have different symptoms, causes, and treatments. Some take longer to treat, while others respond better to short-term therapies. Mental health specialists help diagnose and treat accurately.

What are the top 10 psychological health issues?

Depression, anxiety, bipolar, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, and borderline personality disorder are the top 10 mental health difficulties. Various mental diseases need specific diagnosis and treatment. Improved prognoses for these disorders need public awareness and mental health support systems.

What can cause psychological disorders?

Genetic predisposition, environmental stress, trauma, and biochemical imbalances may cause psychological problems. These complicated elements frequently need a comprehensive approach to treatment that includes medicine, counseling, and mental health support. Misinformation or lack of health information might worsen these diseases.

How can you tell if someone is mentally ill?

Extreme mood swings, chronic melancholy, social seclusion, and strange behaviors might indicate mental illness. Mental health professionals may utilize interviews, exams, and medical history reviews to diagnose. Mental illness stigma makes it hard for people to seek treatment, making awareness and early intervention vital.

What is poor cognitive well-being?

Poor cognitive health may affect memory, attention, problem-solving, and logic. It may be a symptom of sadness or anxiety and adversely influence quality of life. Professional examination and mental health assistance can discover underlying problems and choose the best therapy.

How can I heal my psychological disorder?

Medication, psychotherapy, lifestyle modifications, and mental health support are commonly needed to treat psychological disorders. Long-term management is needed for bipolar disorder. Always visit a doctor for a proper diagnosis and personalized therapy.

How much stress is too much?

Stress that hinders everyday functioning creates physical symptoms like headaches or stomachaches, and harms mental well-being is regarded as “too much.” It may cause or worsen sadness and anxiety. Mental health professionals should be consulted for severe stress.

How can I improve my psychological health?

Behavioral health improvement requires prevention and intervention. This includes eating well, exercising, practicing mindfulness, and getting mental health help as required. Effective psychological well-being management requires accurate health information and early intervention.

How do you treat mental health issues?

Mental health concerns are addressed with medication, counseling, and lifestyle modifications. Common treatments include CBT, antidepressants, and supportive therapy. See a doctor for a complete diagnosis and customized mental health therapy.

What are good mental habits?

Active exercise, enough sleep, mindfulness, and supportive social relationships are good mental habits. These routines promote emotional and cognitive health and avoid mental illness. Prioritizing these practices helps build mental wellness.

How can I fix my psychological health naturally?

Exercise, a nutritious diet, mindfulness, and enough sleep improve mental wellness. These strategies may help, but they work best alongside medical treatments for mental problems. Medical professionals can provide a thorough treatment strategy.

Why psychological health is important?

Psychological health affects almost every element of life, from relationships to job performance to well-being. Poor mental health may cause chronic illness and worse quality of life. Understanding its relevance and fighting for improved mental health policies and support systems requires public knowledge and accurate health information.

PTSD Among Journalists: Understanding Prevalence and Counseling

This article will focus on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

According to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the lifetime prevalence rate of PTSD among journalists is as high as 28.6 percent. Let’s learn more about it.

journalist using a very expensive camera
Source: pixabay.com

Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, causes people to relive terrors in the journalism field. Now, more than ever, journalists who are first responders face numerous feelings related to post-traumatic stress disorder experiences. After going through a traumatic event negative thoughts will inevitably follow after. Living those kinds of events develops psychiatric disorders, and seeking trauma-focused psychotherapy and a support group can prevent it or help people recover.

According to the US Department of Veterans Affairs, the lifetime prevalence diagnostic and statistical manual rate of PTSD among journalists is as high as 28.6 percent.

They also have a lifetime prevalence of PTSD at 21.4 percent. This is said because journalism needs you to expose yourself to and be aware of all the events in the world, including those that are undeniably ugly and ruthless, like intimate partner violence, as well as life-threatening events. Being a journalist requires you to process, rewrite, and retell the story of oppression and injustice.

What Is The Extent Of PTSD Prevalence Among Journalists And How Important Is Counseling?

It is extremely important to note that the prevalence of the PTSD is higher for journalists than for the general population. Because of this, especially if you are a journalist, you might want to consider counseling. It is an effective treatment that can help journalists determine the symptoms and identify its causes. A mental health professional can provide a treatment plan to address dysfunctional behavior and disturbing thoughts brought about by suffering from a terrifying event or when experiencing interpersonal violence.

Talk therapy can be a great way to cope after a traumatic event happened. Experiencing interpersonal violence can have a lot of effects on a journalist. Substance use, shell shock, or having distressing dreams can be other side effects. They can seek cognitive behavioral therapy to make the person confront the inner battles they face.

Determining The Symptoms In Journalists

Similar to the symptoms of PTSD, journalists can experience intrusive memories, avoidance, and negative mood symptoms and thoughts.

Because journalists are likely to develop the disorder, they can also have varying degrees of physical and emotional reactions to the event. These symptoms can have a significant effect on social relationships.

Counseling Available For Journalists

Consulting a counselor can help journalists determine the symptoms of PTSD and its severity. A counselor can help them identify these symptoms to devise a treatment plan tailored to their mental health needs.

Having Intrusive Thoughts And Memories

A journalist with intrusive memories may have recurrent and unwanted distress from the traumatic experience. They may also have frequent flashbacks as if they were presently reliving the moment. Journalists can also have dreams and nightmares about the traumatic event. Just reminding them of the memories can cause severe physical and emotional reactions. They may have extreme outbursts from time to time. A memory or a loud noise can also trigger a journalist with PTSD. This can be overcome by taking an anxiety pill or other medications, although not everyone can be receptive.

Journalists have a prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder at 21.4 percent. This is because they expose themselves and need to be aware of all the events in the world.
Source: pixabay.com

Avoidance Of The Traumatic Event

Most people who develop PTSD, including journalists, may also deliberately avoid talking about their traumatic memories from sexual violence, sexual assault, serious injury, natural disaster, or even being war veterans and military personnel. They may also suffer from similar symptoms such as trouble sleeping, emotional processing, anger outbursts, depression, ongoing trauma, suicidal thoughts, control symptoms, and adjustment disorders. Another significant symptom is avoidance, which causes them to intentionally avoid people, places, and activities that trigger stress hormones and remind them of these traumatic memories and negative thoughts. For instance, journalists and famous people with depression and PTSD may avoid watching the news about events dealing with angry outbursts, physical assault on very young children, veterans affairs, psychiatric disorders, natural disasters, sexual assaults, and other horrifying incidents.

Negative Changes In Mood And Thought Process

Aside from the symptoms mentioned, people develop negative behavioral symptoms and physical symptoms even before treatment. They may project traumatic events and negative thoughts on themselves or the people around them. These individuals will also manifest hopelessness about their future and other mental health problems if they develop PTSD. Although it affects people differently, once these mental disorders prevail, they will experience traumatic events and negative thoughts and have difficulty developing and maintaining relationships. A person may feel detached from their family and friends and require family therapy or group therapy to bring back positive emotions for blood relatives for more than a month. Eventually, they retain the negative emotions to feel numb and may lack interest in their hobbies and everyday activities.

In terms of their overall process, they may also have significant memory problems, arousal symptoms, physical assault tendencies, avoidance symptoms, physical symptoms, and other mental health problems for more than a month. According to the National Center For PTSD, individuals who develop the disorder may have a hard time remembering the crucial aspects of the traumatic moment.

Reacting Physically And Emotionally To Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders: Treatment

There are also changes in the physical and emotional reactivity symptoms observed in individuals who develop PTSD. For instance, a journalist reliving the experience may be easily startled or frightened and don’t respond effectively to changes — those are a couple of reactivity symptoms. Moreover, one of the reactivity symptoms seen in journalists who develop PTSD as well is that they may always be on guard even in the medical community — as if they are presently in danger.

These individuals can also engage in self-destructive behavior at times, even among family members. For instance, they like even dealing with unhealthy drinking, reckless driving, sleep problems, or substance abuse. Some may also have difficulties with mental illness, concentrating, and other mental health problems. They may react aggressively when the mental health problems coming from the traumatic experience come to light. During the process of treatment, they can feel guilt and shame over the event.

Identifying Mental Disorders And Their Causes

Although it affects people differently, and there are no standardized and universalized causes of the development of PTSD in journalists, similar traumatic events, important aspects, and risk factors can be analyzed to determine the development of PTSD. Attending a counseling session can help journalists identify the root causes of their traumatic experiences. A counselor can help them address these specific events leading to the severity of their developed symptoms.

According to the Mayo Foundation, because of the nature of their job, journalists are prone to vicarious trauma. Vicarious trauma, also known as secondary stress, can be attributed to people exposed to:

    • Crime and accident scenes
    • Hospitals
    • War zones
    • Humanitarian and natural disasters

The Impact Of Interviewing Victims

According to Mental Health Services Administration, interviewing victims of these tragedies can also pose a traumatic risk to their mental disorders. When these violent incidents cannot be processed immediately with a briefing, it can result in developing traumatic event avoidance symptoms and eventually PTSD.

Source: pixabay.com

Aside from developing PTSD, journalists can also experience burnout. Burnout can lead to anxiety and disorganized sleeping patterns. PTSD can also lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms such as excessive eating or non-eating behaviors. The national library can be a good place to look for these behaviors.

Experiencing vicarious trauma is not similar to burnout, but it can be related. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, counseling can help identify the difference between PTSD caused by vicarious trauma and the burnout that accompanies the disorder.

Types Of Counseling And Therapy For Journalists Who Develop The Disorder

The main goals of therapy for journalists are to help them alleviate their symptoms and teach them strategies to deal with symptoms. Along with the progression of the treatment plan, counseling can help them restore their self-confidence and self-esteem to face their trauma.

Most of the therapies used to manage the symptoms are using the cognitive-behavioral therapy approach. It involves rewriting thought patterns to change behavior effectively. Here are the most common types of counseling and therapy used for treating individuals.

Cognitive Processing Therapy For Those Who Develop Symptoms

In cognitive-processing therapy, you will discuss how post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affected your daily life. Your counselor may ask you to write a detailed narration of the event. This activity will help you examine how your thought process works with the trauma. And identify methods to deal with and live with PTSD.

Prolonged Exposure Therapy For Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

In prolonged exposure therapy, your counselor may require you to confront the things reminding you of post-traumatic stress disorder. Your counselor can help you develop breathing techniques to ease the anxiety and emotional distress related to the event. The purpose of this session is to expose you to the disorder without avoiding it gradually. Eventually, you will develop resilience towards these situations.

Other Types of Therapies For Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Some of the therapies your counselor recommends, if you need one, include:

    • Stress Inoculation Training
    • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing

Whatever type of approach your counselor deems fit, they can help mitigate symptoms. Some counselors can also prescribe medications to control the “fight or flight” response to ease the symptoms and calm your nerves.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is PTSD?

PTSD is a mental health illness that may follow a stressful event or experience. These include war, sexual assault, natural catastrophes, and catastrophic accidents. Flashbacks, nightmares, and extreme anxiety, which are some of the PTSD symptoms, impair everyday life. Treatment should be applied effectively to prevent long-term psychological anguish.

Who gets post-traumatic stress disorder?

People of various backgrounds may acquire PTSD. While it’s often linked with military warriors, it may impact any trauma victim. Personal mental health history, the severity of the traumatic event, and lack of rapid help might increase post traumatic stress disorder risk. Importantly, not all victims of traumatic events acquire the disease.

How long does post-traumatic stress disorder last?

Some people suffer symptoms of PTSD for months, others for years. Mental health, trauma severity, and therapeutic effectiveness often determine it. Prognoses improve with early diagnosis and treatment.

How is post-traumatic stress disorder detected?

A full clinical examination, including psychiatric interviews and psychological evaluations, frequently detects PTSD. The main goal is to detect PTSD symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares, and hyperarousal. Exposure to traumatic events and symptom self-report questionnaires are also employed. Proper diagnosis requires a mental health specialist.

Are there effective ways to treat post-traumatic stress disorder?

Multiple methods may treat post traumatic stress disorder PTSD. Psychotherapy, like CBT and pharmaceuticals, are the most prevalent techniques. These treatments aim to reduce PTSD symptoms, promote mental health, and teach coping skills. Sometimes, counseling and drugs work better together.

Why do some people experience post-traumatic stress disorder and other people do not?

Post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD is influenced by resilience and psychology. A robust support system, adequate coping techniques, and previous mental health might also affect PTSD risk following a stressful event. Genetic predisposition may contribute to the risk.

Does post-traumatic stress disorder go away?

Symptoms of PTSD may be addressed, but some may last a lifetime. PTSD may not vanish, but therapy and medicines may improve the quality of life. Symptom persistence depends on trauma severity and mental health.

What happens if post-traumatic stress disorder is left untreated?

Post-traumatic stress disorder may cause severe psychiatric disorders and impair daily functioning if left untreated. It may be detrimental to relationships, employment, and overall health. Untreated PTSD may also result in depression, anxiety, and substance abuse.

Is post-traumatic stress disorder brain damage?

PTSD is not a brain injury, but evidence suggests it may damage brain structure and function. It changes the brain’s stress response and emotions, but not physically. Understanding that PTSD a treatable mental health condition, not a brain injury, is crucial.

Can post-traumatic stress disorder change your personality?

PTSD may modify behavior and emotions but not personality. Untreated post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD may cause anger, social disengagement, and other personality changes. Early treatment is necessary to manage these symptoms and potential personality changes effectively.

What are the 5 signs of post-traumatic stress disorder?

Flashbacks, nightmares, acute anxiety, avoidance of reminders of the trauma, and hyperarousal characterize post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD. These symptoms of PTSD may profoundly impair everyday life and health.

What does PTSD do to a person?

PTSD may cause distressing, traumatic thoughts and sensations. It may significantly affect social, vocational, and interpersonal functioning, lowering the quality of life. Flashbacks, extreme anxiety, and avoidance behaviors contribute to ongoing suffering.

How do you know if you have PTSD?

See a healthcare provider if you have flashbacks, nightmares, acute anxiety, and avoidance behaviors after a traumatic event. PTSD-focused psychiatric interviews and psychological evaluations are employed to diagnose the condition.

How do you calm PTSD?

Treatment for PTSD frequently includes counseling and medication. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness techniques, and medications such as antidepressants can reduce symptoms of PTSD. Consultation with a mental health specialist is vital for a customized treatment plan.

Is PTSD a form of anxiety?

While PTSD and anxiety disorders share elements of stress and terror, they are distinct conditions. Anxiety disorders may have various causes, but PTSD is specifically caused by a traumatic event. However, PTSD often leads to symptoms of anxiety.

Celebrities Battling Depression and FAQs About Mental Health

According to my parents, I indulged in the beauty of classical music before I even entered the world. After all, both of them were part of a famous orchestra in New York. When my mom got pregnant, she still insisted on joining the team. Since it was not a taxing job, my mother joined every concert they held as a classical pianist until her ninth month, when she could no longer walk up to the stage and see the keys due to her belly. When I was born, I would always say asleep whenever my father played nursery rhymes on the violin.

Because of my musical upbringing, everyone expected me to follow in my parent’s footsteps and not be like other kids my age who were into rock or, worse, pop music. Although I knew that saying this might upset many readers, I had to tell honestly for context that they despised the latter with passion. My father did not think it should be considered music at all, especially when she heard some pop singers (I refuse to mention names!) who practically ate their words, so nothing but air and oohs and aahs came out.

I shared my parents’ views about pop music throughout my childhood. I would scrunch up my nose whenever I heard songs like that at the mall and would ask Mom and Dad to take me home and play some Mozart or Debussy for me. My snobbish attitude towards music caused me not to have many friends back then, too, but I did not care about that. All I think about is the importance of classical music in my personal life because that’s part of our family’s legacy.

Demi Lovato made her battle against depression public.
Source: pixabay.com

A Shift In Perspective

My views only got rocked when I was flipping through channels one weekend, and I caught a few bars of a song playing on the Disney channel. It went like this: “This is real; this is me. I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.” I was aware that it was a pop song, but the lyrics were so relatable that I had to defy my own rules and flip channels backward to find Disney and hear the rest of the song.

Don’t get me wrong, I still love classical music, and the perfection of every melody and classical instrument are still the ones I would choose over some pop songs. But there is something in this type of music that made me want to engage and listen to them. It was then that I realized it was all about the lyrics of the song that impacted me. It was the whole point of delivering and conveying a message through the form of music. I was hooked, honestly, because that was the time music for me began to have its clear meaning.

In truth, the male part of that song was almost unbearable for my ears, but I sat through the number because the girl – Demi Lovato, as I read in the end credits – puts so much emotion in the song. I searched about her that day and found out that she was a new artist who wrote most – if not all – her songs. There was still no Spotify or iTunes or any music-sharing platform back then, so I had to ask my friend if her mother could buy Demi’s album (Don’t Forget) for me. Then, once I got it, I would play it in secret in my room.

Since I was only 13 years old then, I hardly connected with many of Demi’s songs about love or a broken heart. Despite that, her tunes were catchy, and her voice was captivating. It was not like the airy sounds that pop stars in the early 2000s (and now past 2016) used to produce. When Demi came out with songs like Catch Me, Gift of a Friend, and Every Time You Lie in her Here, We Go Again album; I was completely sold. I came clean with my parents about my secret love for her music. 

I thought it was about time for me to tell them that a new love for pop music was starting to get into me. I explained to them that it is not at all near the classical music that they both loved, but these pop songs have so much meaning to them. The songs are not only a combination of tunes and music rhythm but rather a song that reflects different types of emotions.

In all fairness to my parents, they tolerated it, especially whenever they would catch me humming it in the car. I continued to follow Demi’s career and felt that her lyrics showed more of her mental health issues, specifically depression, as the years passed. Then, she released a Sober song, which was ironically about her no longer being sober, and realized what depression could do even to famous people like my idol.

Demi Lovato playing the piano in one of her concerts.
Source: pixabay.com

Understanding Depression

Hearing all songs of Demi is somehow like looking into a mirror of a person that wants to be saved. Her choice of words in her songs makes me feel sorry for her. I didn’t know how to express it, but I somehow felt like her life is too much to handle. Knowing that she’s a star, I thought it would be impossible for her to struggle with depression and stay bothered. But that is where I understand that mental health issues do not consider exemptions.

People worldwide, regardless of whether they are famous or not, will deal with emotional and mental health problems, including depression. Sometimes, whether they like it or not, they would have to face their demons, continue to struggle, and find ways to get better. Some people with depression experience it briefly, while others carry that burden for their entire life.

Depression, also known as major depressive disorder, in Demi’s point of view, is cropping because it makes her indulge in negative coping mechanisms.

What Is The Number 1 Cause Of The Mental Illness?

Neurological changes caused by substances, stress, and other factors are the primary reason behind depression. The death of a family member can also be a cause of depression, especially when a close loved one such as a sibling, mother, or father dies unexpectedly.

Are Celebrities More Prone To Cognitive Problems?

Yes, celebrities and famous people are more prone to depression than regular individuals, considering they are always under public scrutiny. Famous people with depression exist, though they tend to mask it well. Celebrities such as Dwayne the Rock Johnson, Katy Perry, Academy Award Winning actress and pop star Lady Gaga, Kristen Bell, First Lady Michelle Obama and more have also shared their stories when they experienced depression. Actors like Jon Hamm have also publicly suffered through depression.

What Gender Has The Highest Rate Of Cognitive Issues?

Females have the highest rate of depression. First-time moms are prone to having postpartum depression after childbirth. Model Chrissy Teigen, wife of John Legend, even told Glamour magazine about her experience with postpartum depression. It is living proof that celebrities are just like everyone else who is prone to experiencing mental illnesses.

What Is The Percent Of Individuals That Has Mental Health Problems?

Approximately 6.7% of U.S. adults suffer from deep depression.

What Age Group Has The Highest Depression Rate?

People between the ages of 18 and 25 record the highest rate of depression.

At What Age Does Anxiety Peak?

Anxiety peaks between the ages of 30 and 44.

Demi Lovato on guitar.
Source: pixabay.com

What Is The Most Stressful Age?

According to studies, people experience the highest level of stress at 36 years old.

Can Anxiety Shorten Your Life?

Yes, anxiety can undoubtedly shorten your life, given that it can push you to make awful choices that may endanger your well-being. Severe cases can manifest suicidal thoughts, which might also lead to them having a suicide attempt. Each year of September 10, World Suicide Prevention Day is observed as a worldwide commitment to monitoring and preventing suicide around the world.

Does Anxiety Get Worse As You Age?

Age does not guarantee the worsening of a person’s anxiety. Still, older people may experience it more than younger ones.

Do Cognitive Issues Get Worse With Age?

No, mental health problems, such as depression, do not get worse with age. In reality, their symptoms may be more severe in younger individuals. Individuals can have depression even at a young age.

Is Anxiety A Mental Illness?

Yes, anxiety is a mental illness. It is a condition that often takes away people’s ability to think clearly and rationally. 

Is Anxiety Considered A Disability? 

 Yes, anxiety is considered a disability. Anyone who experiences discrimination due to this disorder may report the person to the authorities.

Does Depression Count As A Disability? 

 Yes, depression as a mental health condition counts as a disability.

Can You Get A Long-Term Disability For Anxiety? 

 Yes, you can get long-term disability benefits for depression and anxiety. However, insurance companies are the ones to determine the conditions’ severity.

Why Is Anxiety Bad For You?

Anxiety is bad for you because it can raise your blood pressure and cause chest pains or, worse, heart attacks. Anxiety, when severe, can also lead to other series of mental health disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder, eating disorder, and many more. 

Demi Lovato on stage.
Source: pixabay.com

Final Thoughts

Of course, Demi Lovato lost the respect of many fans following her awful life decisions (especially the one involved in a drug overdose). Even my parents asked why I would still play her songs from time to time. I would tell you what I often told my parents: “Demi could have been in a worse shape without music. Because of that, it’s nice to show how much I support her by listening to her incredible songs.”

Moral Lesson: Depression is common even for famous people. Even the happiest celebrities that we see from Getty images or those being interviewed at CBS Sunday morning can possibly be enduring so much pain, a hard-fought battle only they know. Some are only masking a façade of being fine, but in reality, they can be struggling for their whole life. It’s not only Demi who’s battling it as we speak; there are many more like her right now who are battling depression. Organizations like the Born This Way Foundation aim to support people struggling with their mental health. Even characters in pop culture, like Harry Potter, deal with issues that resonate with real-world struggles, including emotional pain and the feeling of not belonging.

The best thing we can do as fellow human beings – and perhaps fans – is to continue believing in them and cheering them on whenever they’re on stage to give them something to look back on during the darkest points of their lives. Just like with other physical illnesses such as stomach cancer, breast cancer, stroke, heart disease, and more, mental health, such as depression, is as important to be treated. If you’re someone who is dealing with mental health problems such as chronic depression, substance abuse, and more, journaling exercises and coping activities may only do much; it is better to consult with a medical professional to assess your situation.

Which Geniuses Suffered From Cognitive Illness?

Many geniuses throughout history have been known to have struggled with mental health conditions. Some of the most notable examples are:

Ludwig van Beethoven – The renowned composer, Beethoven, suffered from anxiety, depression, and hearing loss. Despite these, he composed some of history’s greatest classical music pieces.

Vincent van Gogh – The famous painter known for his pot-impression style struggled with bipolar disorder and depression, which evidently influenced his artwork.

Isaac Newton – This famous mathematician and physicist, known for his scientific works such as universal gravitation and laws of motion, is believed to have suffered from depression and mental instability.

Nikola Tesla- This brilliant inventor and electrical engineer had symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Virginia Woolf – This famous writer and pioneer of modernist Literature had recurring struggles with mental illness, including bipolar disorder and depression. Her experiences showed in her works.

John Nash – The Nobel laureate mathematician battled schizophrenia, which greatly affected his professional and personal life. His interesting life was portrayed in the movie “A Beautiful Mind.”

What Career Has The Most Cognitive Illness?

While mental health issues affect everyone in various professions, certain occupations seem to have been associated with higher rates of mental health challenges. Some of these include healthcare professions (doctors, nurses), emergency workers (firefighters, paramedics), social work, and those that involve high levels of stress, long working hours, and frequent exposure to traumatic situations.

Additionally, creative fields such as writers, artists, and musicians also have higher rates of mental health problems due emotional intensity involved in the creative process and the pressure of their work. Some famous people in the creative field who made their battle against depression public are Jim Carrey, Brooke Shields, Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, JK Rowling, etc.

Is Cognitive Health Condition Curable Or Just Treatable?

Generally, depression is considered curable. While some people may experience full remission of the symptoms through different treatment approaches such as therapy, medication, social support, and lifestyle change, it’s important to note that this mental health disorder can become a chronic or recurrent condition for some people. This is why ongoing management, periodic check-ins with mental healthcare providers, and self-care are extremely important to improve quality of life.

What Happens To The Brain During Cognitive Health Condition?

Several changes happen in the human brain during the depression. For one, it causes imbalances in the neurotransmitters (dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine), which affects energy and mood. Second, it causes reduced brain activity in certain regions like the prefrontal cortex (associated with emotions and decision-making) and hippocampus (emotional regulation and memory).

Moreover, the condition is seen to increase amygdala (emotion-processing) activity, which contributes to negative emotional responses.

In terms of structural changes, mental health conditions can decrease the size and connectivity in certain brain areas, which collectively affects cognition, emotional processing, and mood regulation.

What Is The Lowest Type Of Depression?

In terms of severity, depression ranges from mild to severe, while symptoms can be on a continuum. Some people may experience mild symptoms, which can still affect their daily function and overall well-being.

Others may experience severe symptoms, which significantly disrupt their ability to function and can lead to suicidal thoughts and behaviors. This is why seeking the help of professionals, regardless of the severity of the symptoms, is crucial.

Elevate Your Mental Health: Empowering Journaling Exercises For Self-Reflection

Writing to heal from depression, anxiety, and other debilitating conditions allows for more clarity of mind and a reduction of negative thoughts and emotional distress from stressful events. It also helps tremendously in improving physical health and mental well-being. Since using a diary is personal and private, it is a safe environment to reveal the genuine emotions that you experience in your daily life.

Source: wikimedia.org

Journaling Practice For Personal Growth Through Journaling

If you’re facing trauma, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, or other mental health problems, you don’t have to worry about anything since you’re the only one who has access to your diary. It can be done any time you want to start paying attention.

Try this quick example if writing the first word is hard for you in a sense. Revisit a dark battle at some point in your life. For instance, an argument with loved ones, a person you were in a romantic relationship with, your body, your emotions, your weaknesses, your complaints, your bad behaviors, or anything you’re struggling to get past.  Identify what you are feeling as you imagine it in your head. Use it as a prompt. Write a letter to your past self.

Amazing Benefits Of Writing To Heal And Improve Overall Well-Being

Journaling exercises are one of the most effective self-care techniques out there. Studies even revealed that it is a powerful tool or one of the common mental techniques that improve depression, reduce pain, and lower inflammation markers; which are some famous people with depression use this method. For enthusiasts like you, it’s pretty easy to do this and make it a new aspect of your habits.

Most people do not know how to start writing ideas in a week. They’re not even aware of what kinds of techniques to try to maximize their value and effects. In this article, we’ll discuss writing for mental health. What activities are best to improve one’s thoughts and feelings? And is it truly effective and helpful to do daily writing for self-reflection and to prevent anxious thoughts from getting stuck in your head in the future?

Techniques To Improve One’s Mind And Heart

Write About Your Daily Life Activities, Deepest Thoughts, And Negative And Positive Experiences

Journaling exercises are likened to writing diaries. You can just have to talk about your day, any self-discovery, how it went, things you did, new insights, perhaps racing thoughts, what made you smile, what made you sad, and other significant events. You can even make it a kind of gratitude journal and write the things that you feel grateful about, sort of a gratitude list.

At the start, you might find it too corny or too usual for your taste. However, as you go through the process, you’ll discover how effective it is. It’s as if you’re dumping all the baggage that you have with the help of a pen and paper. Once you have cleared all of these, your mental health will significantly improve – through a couple of writing techniques.

Perhaps you can try writing about someone you care about and how you feel about him or her. This helps you improve the way you express your thoughts and emotions. If you’re feeling down today, write about it – why does it make you feel this way, and how can you possibly get rid of this feeling even just for today?

Create A Letter From Your Fears, Worries, And Stress

Source: unsplash.com

Write a letter from your fears. This exercise is no doubt a powerful act. It’s very simple and straightforward. All you have to do is to start with the phrase below,

“Dear self, I am your fear, <insert your exact fear>, and these are everything I want to talk to you about…”

If your fear revolves around the idea of abandonment, then talk about it. Imagine that the act of abandonment is talking to you. Here, you may reveal its realities, how you want to address this fear, and the possible effects if you get too consumed with this fear.

Once you finish journaling, let yourself read it out loud. Some might be a little too hesitant to do this.

Given that they have already poured their hearts out by writing this letter, people are afraid to expose too much vulnerability. However, reading it out loud, even without an audience, will solidify its message more. You’ll feel an impact upon reading it.

Learn To Explore Your Safe Space And Be Comfortable With It

Another way to better your mental health and cleanse your stress while dealing with the anxiety of freelance journalists is to explore your safe place. Keep in mind that it does not have to be a real physical place. You may come up with your imaginary place and describe what it is by using expressive words. Make sure to create a written detailed description of your safe place with the help of your senses.

With the rise of social media, citizen journalism continues to soar as many people are seizing the opportunity to spread news, awareness, and other valuable information to the public, and despite the anxiety of freelance journalists experience. Do not just focus on what you see, but touch your other senses as well. You may incorporate various facets, such as taste, smell, feel, and sound. Ensure that all of the things you place here are those you are comfortable with.

Give credit to where it is due. Writing, as a form of emotional therapy or treatment, is effective. Various disciplines have attested to that. In addition, fixing your past traumas is one of the good things you can do for your weary mind and soul. Why? Imagination and willpower are lifetime resources you can wield to explain and track problems you need to solve so you can move forward and live life to the fullest.

Once you have set up your safe place, proceed with whatever lifestyle you prefer incorporating with it. If you reduce stress by watching the sunset in your happy place, then write about it. Always remember that there is no right or wrong arrangement here.

List Down The Things That You Are Grateful For In Your Life

Recognizing all of these things will continuously give you a more positive outlook on life. It will provide you with a different perspective that even little things are essential to someone’s joy and happiness. These are some of the best benefits of using a diary.
Source: pxfuel.com

Feelings of anger and loneliness can cause our moods to decline. Admit it or not, it’s easier to vent out our extreme feelings when experiencing negative emotions. But to give our mental health the optimism it deserves, it is also essential to exercise writing about what makes us feel good.

These allow you to list down the things that you are most grateful for. Write down the everyday things you feel thankful for. It doesn’t have to be as big as winning the lottery. You may share how a dog you saw pooping on the sidewalk made you smile.

Recognizing all of these things will continuously give you a more positive outlook on life. It will provide you with a different perspective that even little things are essential to someone’s joy and happiness. These are some of the best benefits of journaling.

Writing prompts that you can use for anxiety and depression include:

“If I could promise myself one thing, what would it be?”

Write about a moment or period when you felt grateful or successful.

“How does my anxiety feel, sound, and look like in my opinion?”

“What do I think about when I wake up every day?”

“I am so tired of…”

“I feel so thankful for…”

Final Thoughts And Takeaways To Consider

Journaling can reduce anxiety and other negative feelings, but it is not an easy feat to accomplish. Starting this activity isn’t easy, given that most people do not know where to begin. However, engaging with something like this is an excellent way to get those complicated emotions out of the way. Still, do not forget to complement regular diary sessions with professional help.

Once you’re done writing down your feelings or memories, seek the help of a professional in decoding all of this and how much progress you’ve gone through. All of these will help eliminate self-doubt and improve your life.

FAQs

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Making Time For Family While Fulfilling Journalistic Duties

The job of a journalist is most suitable for single individuals. The job is not as simple as making journaling exercises, it actually requires great time and effort. After all, it takes decades of hard work before the broadcasting company allows you to have an office job and regular hours. If you are still relatively new in the business, you should be no different from an on-call doctor 24/7. That is especially true if you want to become an investigative journalist and be known as a messenger of current events. Whether there is a car collision on the freeway or a rally at 3 A.M., you must go wherever that is happening and create a report about it immediately.

making-time-for-family-while-fulfilling-journalistic-duties
Source: usar.army.mil

Things become more complicated when you choose to come after content that’s of public interest. I am talking about news regarding terrorism, a war in foreign lands, presidential announcements, etc. You cannot rely on other journalists to share their information with you while risking their lives. Instead, you should be out there and get the data you need on your own. If that means getting on a plane and entering the war zone, so be it.

The thing is, there is no clause in journalists’ contracts that forbid them from getting married and starting a family. Many of them have spouses and kids who tend to worry about their fate every time they leave the house. At the same time, their families cannot help but feel sad whenever they cut a trip short or postpone a pre-planned celebration because of work.

If you wonder how you can make time for your family while fulfilling your journalistic duties, you have clicked the correct blog. You can achieve that by doing the following:

making-time-for-family-while-fulfilling-journalistic-duties
Source: pexels.com

Sign Up To An Instant Messaging App

The quickest way to juggle family and work is by downloading and signing up for an instant messaging app like Skype, Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp, Snapchat, etc. These platforms have features that allow you to exchange images with your loved ones and video chat with them for as long as you want. That is better than regular calls and texts, for sure.

Instant messaging apps are incredibly helpful when your kids have a recital at school while you are on the job. Your partner can send photos and video clips of the event in real-time, so you can still be a part of an important milestone in your children’s lives. If possible, you may give them a video call to cheer on the little ones personally. If you must know, kids can gain confidence when they see that both parents are supporting them, even though only one is physically present.

making-time-for-family-while-fulfilling-journalistic-duties
Source: pexels.com

Take Your Loved Ones Somewhere Special During Your Off Days

Journalists are technically entitled to have one or two days off. However, depending on the company and initial work agreement, the actual days when you can relax and stop thinking of your job may vary. That always occurs during presidential elections or if there is a terrorist attack in the country.

Anytime you get to be off duty. Therefore, you should make it special for your family. For instance, you can reserve a table at a new restaurant in town that you know your spouse and children will love. You may surprise them with tickets to Disneyland as well, assuming they can still enjoy a day in an amusement park.

It is okay if you cannot sleep for an entire day—you can do that at night with your family.

making-time-for-family-while-fulfilling-journalistic-duties
Source: pexels.com

Check-In With Your Family Often Wherever You May Be

A journalist’s family has no reason to feel like they no longer see you as much as they should when you often check in with them. Regardless of how busy you insist you are, we all know that it is nothing but an excuse these days. Texting something like “Hey, I arrived at my hotel safely” or “I’m going to work now” will not take two seconds off your precious time, after all.

Location is not always an acceptable alibi. Even if you are in a war zone in Syria or on your way up the Mt. Everest in the Himalayas, there should be spots where your mobile device can catch a signal. That should be enough to let your family know that you are okay. Hence, they won’t have to be glued to the TV all day long, waiting for tragic news about you.

making-time-for-family-while-fulfilling-journalistic-duties
Source: flickr.com

Final Thoughts

The life of a married journalist can never be too easy. You have duties as a professional and spouse, and failing at either is not an option. Similarly, you cannot slack off at work to fulfill your parental duties all the time, especially if you are the leading provider at home. Your family should be okay with your complicated work schedule as long as you try to talk to them often and look after their needs whenever you can.

Good luck!

Freelance Journalists: Risking Lives In The Face Of COVID-19

 

Source: wallpaperflare.com

Yeshiel Panchia was supposed to cover a story about a local developer who found ways on how to keep his laborers employed despite the current COVID-19 crisis. The developer would allow his laborers to stay on the construction site so that they wouldn’t have to leave the area and can abide by the pandemic rules set by the government sectors. As the journalist Yeshiel was leaving, the police caught up with him and threatened to arrest him, telling him that the media is not essential service at all and was annoyed that he was going out and about amidst the lockdowns. Good thing, the senior officer called her attention and told her that Yeshiel had the documents to do his job. Shame on them.

Yeshiel was fortunate that he brought with him his press identification car and a letter from his editor, along with the necessary papers that he was required to bring with him to South Africa that supported his travel there.

In most parts of the world, journalists are listed as essential, enabling them to travel and move to places to do their jobs during the pandemic. However, freelance journalists don’t have that same freedom, especially when they do not have complete credentials and working specs. Without these, they are unable to prove that they are indeed journalists. Also, a lot of them do not have PPEs that are necessary to do COVID reports safely. Additionally, a rapid decline in advertising due to the economic shutdown has resulted in offices terminating journalists’ assignments, which further jeopardized their incomes.

 

Source: en.wikipedia.org

A freelance journalist who does most of her assignments in Italy is now unable to leave her house despite the fact that journalists in the country are considered essential workers. Like her, other freelancers across the world are confronted with the same challenges because they could not show police and local enforcers the required documents to prove that they are indeed journalists. Thus, they are unable to work, and this tremendously impacts their livelihoods as well as the public interest as well.

On the other hand, India implemented a countrywide lockdown, causing over 1 billion residents to be devoid of credible and updated information about the current pandemic, as the country heavily depends on freelance journalists’ reports in the big cities. A lot of information from the more isolated areas of India is delivered mostly by freelancers, and that network is now completely malfunctioning. And although some of them try to report remotely, most freelancers agree that it is more difficult for poor communities. Ultimately, videographers and photographers must also be there in person, not virtually.

Outlet Cancellations

One of the most crucial occurrences happening to journalism companies right now is the termination of their assignments. There are at least 600 applications from freelancers for financial support in the past weeks, and those applications mostly mentioned cancellation of their assignments as the reason. Consequently, a lot of news outlets are initiating to report from homes to cut on costs in their efforts to minimize their losses from the COVID-19 financial decline. Freelancing is somehow an easy and exciting career. Changes: Still, as the news and entertainment industry has plummeted and continues to plummet, they have also begun to reduce the number of employees, making freelance citizen journalism ethics an even more important part of the journalism profession.

 

Source: littlerock.af.mil

Everyone is worried and anxious about how COVID-19 will impact the small and medium news facilities and even the larger newsrooms, as well as impact the anxiety of freelance journalists. They say the pandemic will most probably kill the news from the local sector. However, it is a fact that the industry has survived in journalism, both local and international, because of freelancers. Freelancers report stories that the staff is often unwilling to report on because of fear of getting infected, and the freelancers are doing this, knowing that they are risking everything without any insurance or if they’re even sure that they’re going to be paid for the assignment.

If they continue to hold off these freelancers and give them a hard time, then with their jobs that are already dwindling and opportunities often missed, the important news about the pandemic and life will simply go unreported.