miércoles, 22 de junio de 2016

It´s a kind of a funny story



Tentacles
Tentacles is the word Craig uses to describe things in his life that seem to hold him down and cause him stress. The most prevalent example is his prestigious but very difficult high school and in particular the homework, reading, etc. that he is always behind on.
Anchors
Craig uses the word Anchors to describe things in his life that he feels he can hold onto and that ground him. In his childhood, the maps he drew served as Anchors for several years; but, as he became increasingly depressed, he lost all of the Anchors in his life. As he begins to improve, he returns to the maps, and they again begin to serve as Anchors. While people like his parents can be Anchors, Dr. Minerva warns him against thinking of his fellow patients as Anchors because their relationship is temporary and he should be focusing...

1: Craig describes his stressors as “tentacles” and his support as “anchors.” What are your tentacles and anchors? Why?
2: Who is your hero and why?
3: Describe what you define as a healthy relationship. Who is your best friend and why?
4: What do you do to handle your stress?
5: What is an issue that you see today and would like to change? How would you change it?
6: Was there ever a time where you felt helpless, scared, or powerless? Have you ever felt like you couldn't go on? What made you feel that way? What made you change the way you feel? What do you do to avoid feeling like that again?

19 comentarios:

  1. Contribution sent through email (exceeded the max of words hence unable to comment!)

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  2. The protagonist of the film “It’s Kind of a funny story” uses the term Tentacles to describe evil tasks that invade his life and Anchors to explain things that occupy his mind and make him feel good temporarily. Having explained and analysed in my mind both terms, I truly believe that both sound really interesting.
    If I have to describe my tentacles and anchors I wouldn´t be as serious as Craig in the description as I do not find myself in an extreme situation as suicide is. All in all, I do not have any tentacle, I mean, I have things that sometimes make me feel stress but it is just for some seconds. I’m one of the kind that believes that stress takes you nowhere, even though life happens to be hard, the only way to succeed is to prove yourselves that you can achieve anything you want if you work extremely hard for it. That path is hard but by getting stressed and complaining you will never get to the end. On the other hand, I believe that I have many Anchors such as being with my family, friends, doing the things I love, etc.
    As I explained before, when I get stressed for some minutes I completely try to change my way of analysing the situation. Instead of losing time in believing that something is hard for me, I try to get back to it and do anything I can to get the goal.
    Also, I do not see that I have something important to change in my life, maybe some attitudes that do not really sound important for me. What I have to really do is to continue doing the things I love and avoid holding back.
    There were many times in my life I felt I couldn’t continue with what I was doing but as I said before and as for me the only way to succeed is continuity I tend to forget about the problem and progress with what I am doing. Also, I believe it is unavoidable to feel you can’t continue, but I also reckon that sometimes is good to feel frightened or stressed about some things because, at least for me, it makes me feel that I am doing things right. The hard issue is to know how to continue but as time passes by you may get used to hard situations and you will get the receipt to get through difficult times.
    All in all, if you ever feel stressed and wanting to die, dont do it anymore, there´s always someone to help you, your mind, try to mentally fight against your fears and problems.

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  4. I'd like to preface my comment by stating that I found very interesting the terms tentacles and anchors. In my case, my tentacles are many even though these are mainly caused by stress and anxiety. For instance, worrying about my future or not being able to work under pressure. These issues and many more, are the ones I'd like to change, in spite of not really knowing how. They have made me go through situations of helplessnes which led me to feel scared and powerless.

    My anchors, on the other hand, would be anything that keeps my mind off these matters. Everything that distracts and/or supports me, making me avoid feeling sad. From friends to family (despite the fact that they may be tentacles sometimes), to music (singing and listening to it), drawing, watching certain movies/tv show, writing stuff, going to the gym, getting creative, learning. Simple little things that could release some endorphines.

    I'm not quite sure who my hero is though, I've never truly asked myself that question so I can't come up with one.

    About a healthy relationship, I think it is very important for it to be plain sincere. No one hiding stuff, just being who you both really are. There is no need for having several things in common, just a few could do. A best friend should really understand and support you no matter what. They should hang out with you, make you laugh and always have you on their mind. Even if you do not get to see them very frequently, just knowing that they are there for you proves that a relationship is healthy.

    Great movie, by the way. Having seen it when I was 12 years old, there are many things in my life which have changed ever since, making me feel more identified with the character the second time I watched it.

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  5. When thinking about my own tentacles and anchors I realized there's not a single thing powerful enough to make me consider suicide as an out, contrary to the main character of the movie seen in class, “Kind of a funny story”.
    I would have to say my tentacles are my worries and over-thinking of things and situations, hence I get anxious and stressed out more than I should. An example of this is when I start pondering about my future, whether if I'll be successful or not, or if I'll live a miserable or a happy life. It takes just a second for me to get tormented by this thoughts and instantly go yellow.
    Whilst my anchors are my family and the constant support I receive from them. They are the only ones I know for sure will stay by my side unconditionally, and will always want the best for me, hidden intentions aside. Taking into consideration your family members are the ones that know you best, therefore can help you in ways nobody else can.
    Personally, I believe healthy relationships are the ones where you can be your true self, without even hesitating about it. Those in which you want both to be and do better, just for the sake of it. My best piece of advice would be that if you don't feel genuinely like your self when you are around others, you shouldn't hang out with them. In other words, if you feel uncomfortable or the need to impersonate someone else in order to be liked, that is not what a healthy relationship is like.
    When faced with a stressful situation, I usually try to talk myself into relaxing and letting go of the things that are simply not worth stressing over about. Even though it does not always work, I can tell I’ve been improving a lot since I first tried this method, once upon a time. Like I said before, the only (or at least the most important one) issue I have going on in my life is my nervousness regarding the upcoming future. The fact that it's so unpredictable not only gets me on my nerves, but also I get goose bumps.
    Luckily, I never went through a situation or a particular moment in my life where I thought I couldn't carry on anymore. Of course I’ve been saddened by many ordinary things such as loss, but I managed to cope with it, one day at a time.

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  6. When thinking about tentacles and anchors, I believe that my tentacles for the moment would be school, homework, tests, etc; and my anchors would be my family and friends, dancing and playing the piano. Those things really relieve a lot of stress and help me to keep up with school.
    I cannot think of anybody as my "hero" right now, I've never seen anybody to inspire me that much to consider him or her as my hero.
    I'm sure that a lot of people think the same, but I guess healthy relationships are the ones which the two people do not pretend to be someone else in order to seem cool or have things in common, in fact, they are just honest with each since the moment they meet. That way you can tell if that person could be a true friend or not. I reckon that it's better to know from the very beginning if you should hang out with them.
    As I mentioned before, I overcome my stress through dancing and playing the piano. Those take my mind off what I have to do for school for a while, and if I'm in a bad mood or with low energy, they certainly cheer me up!
    For the moment, I wouldn't change a thing because high school is about to be over, and things will change already, so it's a matter of waiting and see what is to come.
    Luckily, I've never been in such situation of feeling hopeless and scared. I think that the bad things that happen to us are tests that we wish they didn't happen, but that's life, isn't it? So I know that with time and a little bit of effort, things will look up eventually.

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  7. Taking into acount the terms of Anchors and Tentacles,I have the homework as the main Anchor as it what takes me most of my free time. On the other side, I have to say that I do not have a fixed Anchors as I relieved my stress through diferent metods, such as running, films, TV, music, etc.

    Regarding of the choise of a hero, I cannot picture myself picking someone but Lionel Messi. I choose him not just for being one of the greatest football players ever, if not by the fact he overcame a serious growing illness which denied him fulfilling his dreams.

    We live in a society and throughtout our life we have to build relationship, some are healthy while some others are not. In my humble opinion, there´s only one thing needed in order to get a healthy relationship and that secret ingredient is respect. If you respect somebody, you will have the chance to build something with that person.

    As I mention before, I do not have just one thing to relieve the stress. I do not have something in particular that I would like to change. The only thing I have problems with is the the high school but as I am leaving, I do not even take think about it!

    I had a situation when I was 8 years old in Mar del Plata and I got lost in the beach. To overcome this problem, I try to think the situation out of context, with a cool head. In a situation in which you are under preassure or stress you do not need to panic as it is not going to help you getting a way out!

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  8. I would say that my biggest tentacle is school and the education system because I feel like it suppresses my creative side and I don’t have any time once I arrive home, which concludes in myself not being able to do what I truly like. What I think my anchors are is my family, my closest friends and also art in its many forms; music, writing, painting, etc.
    The only hero that comes to my mind when I read the word is probably my mother, because although she had me when she was very young, she kept her ‘anchors’ real close and managed to finish law school while taking care of me as a child. I believe she’s the kind of hero who doesn’t wear a cape, as many single mothers out there.
    A healthy relationship for me is one in which you can communicate freely but respecting the other person at the same time. Also, support is a key factor in a relationship. I find these characteristics in my best friend Core, who is a ray of sunshine and never gives up on me or our friendship taking into account all that happened on our lives recently.
    To handle my stress I mostly distract myself with some music or a new book or game, but sometimes I take the advantage to exploit my feelings and I create something art-related.
    I had times in which I felt like going on just wasn’t worth it or I felt like I wasn’t able to deal with a problem, but luckily for me I always had someone by my side or something worth living for.
    “No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, show up and never give up”

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  9. When thinking about my anchors the first two words that come into my mind are family and friends. I believe this is because I can count of them whenever I want and I being with them makes me forget everything. As for tentacles, I don´t think there is something that causes me stress and nothing makes me consider suicide as an option. Sometimes I’m tired of school or I have a personal issue, but none of them are an anchor.
    As I never thought of the idea of having a hero but I won´t choose a famous character. I think my hero is my grandfather as he is the strongest person I’ ve ever met. He is always in a good humor and I believe the world needs more people like him!
    I don’t have one best friend; I have more, which is even better. We respect each other and I trust on them. I reckon that is a healthy relationship. Personally, I think you need to be yourself and not pretend to be something you are not. If you are honest and you respect the other person, everything will be OK.
    In order to handle my stress I talk to any of my friends. They are good advice givers and they know how to make me smile even in times when everything goes wrong.
    There is nothing I would like to change today, I do not regret anything so I prefer to let things change by themselves.
    There were some things that made me feel bad, things I would not like to post here. But everything can be change if you want!

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  10. To begin with, when it comes to define my own tentacles, I fully share Craig’s view regarding school. In this manner, I’m prone to feel overly stressed whenever a deadline or stiff exam approaches. What’s more, I fathom “Listening CPE section” could be likewise deemed as a personal stressor, hence included among my “tentacles”. Why? Simply since, one way or another, I always end up in distress, thus feeling rather harassed unable to focus on the assigned task. On the other hand, I maintain writing has served as an anchor since I was a green callow girl. Writing purely and simply for the heck of it. In my case, writing in the first person has proved to be productive and beneficial. What if by telling your own personal life story you’re able to help others in the far-flung corners of the globe enduring a dreadful ordeal? That’s the chief reason why I embarked upon writing in the first place. Besides, I consider my former fellow patients in “La Casita” as anchors as well. Both me and the other girls were in the same recovery process yet we were more than once told each one of us was withstanding a different storm and fighting each day towards other demons, those inner voices which led me to wrong choices through the length and breadth of the months spent in the outpatient clinic.
    If someone asked me who is my hero and why, I would without the shadow of a doubt answer my mom. She is the one who, come what may, somehow manages to reassure me, setting my mind at rest thence convincing me with her motto: “This too shall pass”. Whenever my mother is nearby I know nothing is able to damage me and that any problems arising would eventually find their way; “no storm can last forever”, as the saying goes.
    Moving on to my next point: healthy relationships. Best friends are primarily those people you can place your trust and reliance in. Ergo, I fathom you cannot know for sure who they are until you found yourself in the doldrums and need somebody to cling to you. Last year, being diagnosed a non-specific type of ED helped me spot who my loyal friends were. “How are you doing?” “Hey! Tell me how’s all going with your current nutritionist!” “I perceive a change in your behaviour, have you been eating?”. Consequently, do I really need more proofs? Unarguably, actions speak louder than words.
    (...)

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  11. (...)
    How do I personally handle my stress? Meditation with a close family member may be a great and useful answer! Time and again, I devote at least half an hour of my day to do it with my mom. It’s somehow staggering how it helps to connect with your inner self, hence lowering the levels of angst and disquiet: major reason causing stress. Similarly, going to the gym and taking either drama or singing lessons much mitigates feelings of stress, hence ameliorating my mood.
    An issue I see today that I would like to change? My disorder. Though I know there is no magic cure, no making it all go away forever but only small steps upward, I’m now conscious the only way heading towards its ultimate evaporation is attending to both my nutritional and psychological consultations. As soon as my mind is healed, I would be able to say “So long, farewell” to the nightmarish illness once and for all.
    Indubitably there was a point in which I felt petrified and vulnerable, as if unarmed. It wasn’t until this point that I experienced the queasy feeling of uncertainty in which I immersed myself in thoughts such as: “Would I be able to manage this?” “Is there a way to turn off that inner voice inside my head?” “Am I going to die soon if I don’t play my cards right?” For certain I was. What made me feel that way? Precisely, an absorbing book I was back then perusing. That one which enthralled and totally engrossed me, thus making compelling reading. What made me change the way I felt? Hundreds of doctors and therapists in their abortive attempt to actually put me in the picture regarding how life-threatening my condition was. That’s when I eventually stepped outside my comfort zone and made up my mind: I wanted to stay alive. Last but not least, surely destructive thoughts once in a blue moon come back. Anyhow, I now have that book kept under lock and key and no longer spend endless nights searching melancholic and dispirited accounts together with their pictures on Pinterest. I’m now heart and soul committed to my recovery; an easier day, an unexpected laugh, that’s what’s all about.

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  12. Currently, as I'm in a situation in which I'm one step away from making probably the biggest decision I've ever done in my life yet, I believe that that is the most prominent stressor or “tentacle” I am encountering at the moment. That decision being what I'm planning to do when I finish school. The fact that one choice can be so important really is something that worries me but thankfully I can count with anchors in my life, people who can keep me grounded and take focus away from what's making me anxious. Those anchors are my friends and family. I know I can trust them and go to them when I need to wind down and release tension or stress.
    I don't think I have a particular hero, although, I do look up to people who are brave enough to follow their dreams and do what they love no matter what gets in their way. I think that's something extremely valuable in a person and something I aspire to do.
    In my opinion a healthy relationship is one when you know you can trust each other, and that all comes down to honesty. You should feel comfortable expressing yourself and talking about how you feel without restrictions or limitations.
    When I feel stressed I try to handle it two ways. If I'm alone I find ways to get my mind off what's causing my worrying or stress by watching videos or movies, using my computer, reading or drawing. But if I'm lucky enough to have someone I trust around me I try to share my problems, maybe to come up with solutions or just to get what's bothering me out of my system.
    There have obviously been times in my life when I felt helpless, scared or powerless, I think everyone has felt either one of those emotions at least once in their life but if I ever feel that way, or anyone for that matter, I believe the best thing to do is to reach out for a friend or family member you can talk to, to put everything into perspective.

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  13. I’d like preface my argument by saying that we as teenagers are currently ongoing a phase in our lives where there are lots of changes, be it physical, mental, or in our relationships. It's not a secret that we all have our insecurities, and tho we may change our minds about them in the future, for the time being there are lots of things we are not comfortable talking about.
    To begin with, the “tentacles” that Craig describes are sometimes the cause of our anxiety, and for me those would be my lack of control over what's going to happen next, and that brought lots of issues to my life. Whereas my anchors are my family and, just like Craig, drawing. That and just spending some time alone to meditate is what works best for me for handling stress. As for healthy relationships, I find that someone in who you find a support system for when you are feeling down and a who you would choose to share everything is what a best friend should be. In short, someone who would be there for you no matter what. This applies perfectly to the relationship my mom and her best friend have. I like to consider her, my mom, my hero, as she is one strong, hard working, independent woman.
    Furthermore, the movie portrays a remarkably accurate image of teenagers. People with all types of issues, they feel scared and powerless, who handle them anyway they can, but most importantly, everyone feels, at some point, that they have it worse than anyone else. This happened to me and still does, is an issue I deal with every day but I try not to let it go too far. It happens whenever I have social anxiety, a stress overload or any personal business, but with time I learned that whenever that happens, I should look at the bigger picture and not be consumed by my fears.

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  14. I could say that one of my tentacles is me editing videos. I stress myself out sometimes by being a little bit perfectionist, but the results are always worth it (anchor), and if they are not, then getting some sleep is incredibly effective.
    I don’t really think I have a hero. However, I admire people who can do things that I cannot, such as sports. I don’t get how some people love exercising (aka suffering), and at this point I’m too afraid to ask, but I respect it and applaud them from the sidelines.
    Personally, I believe that a healthy relationship is when you blindly trust your loved one, when you encourage each other to be a better person, when your feelings are shared honestly and openly, and when you can be you without judgement from your partner.
    Usually, when I’m stressed, I just complain a lot about it and then go take a nap (optional – depending on the circumstances).
    There are obstacles you have to face in life, and some of them may lead you to feel helpless, scared or powerless, since you sometimes can’t change things. But that doesn’t mean you have to carry all the weight. You can always share the burden with somebody else, such as a friend or a family member, you just have to reach out to them and open up.

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  15. I believe my main tentacle is fear, portrayed in several different ways. Fear of saying something stupid, fear of choosing the wrong career and end up dropping out of college, fear of betraying myself and what I believe in, fear of ending up living a life with which I am not happy. Also, lack of self confidence, and my own thoughts sometimes really hold me down.
    About the anchors, I think about family and friends, of course. But also, all the little beautiful things we encounter. I am glad to say, I'm a sucker for those. Watching the stars, the smell of flowers, the changing colors of a sunset, kind gestures and heartwarming smiles; the universe is beautiful, and in this idea I find enormous pleasure and hope. Music has also always been one of the main anchors in my life, and I honestly don't know what would my life be without it.
    My hero is probably my mom, as she is the best definition of stength and selflessness that I can think about, and for that I will always be greatful.
    I don't really know how to handle stress, and this is probably the issue I would like to fix. Also, I would like to learn how to be more confident, and how to controll negative racing thoughts that end up taking a hold on me.

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  16. In my case, one of my tentacles is thinking about my future (what career I will study, etc) since I haven´t decided yet and there isn´t much time left! Another tentacle would be school as it demands lot of work and occupation at home. My anchors would be doing any sport or watching films as I relieve my stress through those activities.
    Personally, I don´t really believe I have a heroe. Still, I admire people who enjoy life and remain positive even in the hardests times.
    I believe a healthy relationship is one where both trust and try to support each other no matter what the situation is. Also, there must be respect and honesty between them.
    As I said before, I handle my stress by doing different activities such as sports or waching movies. Also spending time with friends is a perfect way to control stress.
    Taking everything into account, I believe sometimes people can feel devastated or powerless and that´s the moment where good or "best" friends should act since he or she will need it very much.

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  17. First and foremost, I would like to state I truly liked Craig using the words “tentacles” and “anchors” with dissimilar concepts. When it comes to define my own tentacles, I might say I share some points of view with the main character, nowadays I find myself feeling stressed out every time the “future” topic comes up, the fear of not actually knowing which road I'm gonna choose cause me to be a bundle of nerves. Regarding school, deadlines and homeworks are not my main concern but I usually break out in a cold sweat while working under pressure, which leads to distraction and the impossibility to focus on the tasks.
    On the contrary, my anchors consists of everything that helps me to deal with these situations or when I am feeling sorrowful and pessimistic towards different matters. Undoubtedly, my family and friends really succeed in this role. Activities I definitely enjoy doing also contribute to clearing my mind, for example, singing, dancing, doing sports, painting or simply going outside for a walk. Even though I agree ignorance is a bliss, to handle my stress I try to open up with my favourite people to wreak my anger. Whenever I do not sense I need to talk to someone else, I try to release stress putting in practise the activities mentioned before.
    For question number two, I cannot answer it due to the fact I do not consider people to be “heros”. Although a person can be regarded as “the best” in its field, nobody is perfect so I will end up finding some aspect of himself I will not be willing to follow. However, I completely admire my both parents, not only because of their inner strength but also for the way they raised and support three children, standing all the time by them.
    Jumping to healthy relationships, I believe they must contain tolerance, respect and trust for both sides. Not accomplishing these values can lead someone to act as somebody else, and therefore, not feeling himself or comfortable at all. Best friends are those who stay by your side whenever you need them, with whom you want to spend time laughing or even crying, enjoying their accompaniment.
    I am into changing some aspects of myself I don't tally with, such as the way I handle some stuff, not being able to get things off my chest or worrying about silly matters.
    Besides, I easily get my fingers burnt, suffering as a result of an unsuccessful action and feeling nervous about trying it again. (the action might have been successful for others but for me it is not anyway- I would enjoy to modify that too).
    Cutting to the chase, everyone needs to undergo some complicated situations once in a while, and we should give ourselves the possibility to spend time feeling sad because it happens! But never letting it last too long, and always putting the matter into perspective, trying to find some pros about it.

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  18. To begin with, I will refer to my own tentacles saying that I perceive doubt as the one that affects me the most. I constantly doubt about everything, from choosing the colour will use for my nails to making such a big and important decision such as what will I do next year, which is actually my second tentacle. My future. The fact of not having decided a career yet simply vexes me and makes me feel so anxious, although I know I’m working hard to make the right choice by doing research and attending to a course of vocational counselling. By the way, choosing a career is not a binding decision since there are many cases in which people change careers and end up graduating from college and succeeding anyway. I would also add to my tentacles the uncertainty of sitting for an exam at the end of the year. On the contrary, I would say my “anchors” are my family and friends who always give me their support and advise me if necessary, they play a vital role in my life. Also whenever I feel stress I try to do activities I enjoy and help me clear my mind, such as going to the gym, dancing, attending to theatre lessons, etc. What’s more, when I’m stressed out and feel collapsed I tend to ask myself what’s the point of feeling that way and tend to go on with the staff I have to do by
    being optimistic and looking at the positive side of things.
    What I definitely would like to change from my way of living is the way I organize myself and leave everything to the last minute. I’m working on being less procrastinator and changing my attitude because not only will it help me to feel less stressed at this point and with school staff but also it’s important for the future.
    Regarding the last question, I believe all have once passed through a difficult situation in which we felt hopeless and unwilling to recover. Now I can’t recall a personal experience but what I am completely sure about is that I have never being even a little close to the thought of putting an end to my life as Craig, the main character of “Kind of a funny story”, who, more than once, considered suicide as a getaway of his problems.

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  19. First of all, I decided to comment a few days after the deadline because idon't really feel comfortable at all with all these questions since I've been having a tough year and I did not want anyone to see this post. I do not feel like being open with my current situation so I will try to answer to the questions I find easy to work with
    I believe my biggest tentacle is my confidence, I tend to overthink every single situation I face and when the moment comes I remain quiet. However, I find anchors in my friends and the moments we share together. Music plays a part too as it has always been and it will always be there for me and everybody. I don't have a hero or someone who I specifically look up to. I admire people for the things they do, say or stand up for but i am not fond of a particular person. We can all make good choices and become heroes ourselves.
    A healthy relationships involves being honest all the time and never making promises you can not keep. People should always stay true to one another.
    Music is my getaway from every stressful situation, as I said before. This year has been pretty rough and that has caused me to lose or keep a distance in many relationships. What's more, I have lost interest in school and homework and I have become less passionate for things I enjoyed doing before.
    But, sooner or later, things will start to change. I hope. The winter holidays set the end of the first part of a year and the beginning of the second, and this part always turns out best.

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