Psychological Trauma – Continuing Education For Specialists
Dealing with serious issues in a patient’s past can be one of the most important things a mental health professional has to help with. When it comes to dealing with trauma, continuing education can keep these professionals on the cutting edge of new research, always ready to avail themselves of new weapons they can use in the fight against mental illness. The American Psychological Association has a number of standards and recommendations when it comes to guiding the course of further learning by psychologists and psychiatrists. These standards help to ensure that learning and teaching is done in such a way that both individuals and groups continue to advance in this field.
It has been long known by professionals in the mental health field that many issues of current mental health in a patient can be traced back to a singular point in the patient’s background. If a patient was abused or neglected or faced some terrible incident in their past, it can have a tremendous effect on their current life, even without them knowing that the incident in question was the root cause. Some could consider these concepts to be at the very foundation of much of modern psychology. Because it is so important, doctors in the field should do everything they can to stay abreast of the latest research in the field. This means reading academic journals, attending workshops, and even listening to lectures from other prominent mental health professionals.
Some professionals eschew the idea of furthering their studies after graduation, at least in anything that could be considered a formal manner. This feeling is common in many fields, actually, not just psychology. Most educational experts, however, warn that this is a dangerous position to take. In a field such as this, that is ever changing, a doctor does himself and his patients a grave disservice by not continually updating their knowledge of their chosen field. A doctor who is just five years behind the current research can find themselves hopelessly out of date. Does that mean that the knowledge that came before is worthless? Sometimes. But usually the new research simply expounds on that earlier base and a doctor who doesn’t take advantage of the new ideas in the field is a fool.
When it comes to psychological trauma, continuing education is even more important. Every day, we learn a little bit more about the human brain and how it functions. Every day, the science gets a little clearer. With greater understanding, mental health professionals can modify their techniques and have greater results with their patients.
Estate Planning – Living Wills and Durable Powers of Attorney For Health and Finance
Estate planning frequently involves more than just having a Will. Living wills as well as durable powers of attorney for health care and finance protect your estate in case your are incapacitated, but not deceased.
A living will permits you to express your wishes regarding resuscitation and life maintaining measures in the event you later become incapable of communicating your desires. It can help you try to avoid what some believe to be an undignified existence by allowing you to decline medical treatment, food, and water if these things are “artificially” keeping you alive. The choice is yours to make and physicians will honor your wishes if the proper documents are submitted.
A durable power of attorney for health care, on the other hand, allows you to appoint another person to make decisions for you regarding your medical care in the event you cannot. This power is broader than the living will. It, too, covers situations where you may be terminally ill and need resuscitation or other life maintaining measures to stay alive. Your agent, or attorney-in-fact, can decline these treatments if you give them that power. It also applies to situations where a health care decision is required but you cannot make that decision yourself (i.e., you are unconscious as a result of injury). Your agent could authorize or decline medical treatment on your behalf.
A durable power of attorney for finance allows you to appoint another person to make decisions for you regarding your real and personal property. This power is broad and covers situations where you are terminally ill or unconscious as a result of injury, but still living. Your agent, or attorney-in-fact, can manage your financial affairs as you so wish.
If you decide to create either a living will or a durable power of attorney for health care and/or finance, you will need to consider several things before you complete the documents. You will have to provide the name and contact information for the individual(s) that you nominate to make decisions for you in the event that you cannot make them.
Be sure to inform the person you nominate of your wishes. You can permit or refuse to permit donation of your organs for transplant. You can also permit or refuse to permit donation of your body for scientific or educational purposes. Some people wish to spend their last days at home rather than in a hospital. Some people wish to nominate one person to act as their attorney-in-fact for health care and another for their finance. You can express your wishes regarding these issues in these documents. Finally, you can express your wishes about funeral arrangements.
