NORMAL OR NUTS

REPORT

Name : Tria Mulya Utami Faiziah (1202619045)

Lecturer : Dr. Hanip Pudjiati, M. Pd

ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAMME

STATE UNIVERSITY OF JAKARTA

 2019

NORMAL OR NUTS
BY : LORI KOLMAN

Everyone have their own habits, but sometimes our behaviour is a little bit weird, and
it’s easy for people to attach pejorative onto individual label quirks. But don’t worry, none of
us as ‘normal’ as we think or seem. We all have mannerisms that are a bit quirky. And in
most cases, our idiosyncrasies are curable, or at least curbable. Based on the normal or nuts
article, there are ten common odd behaviour that are weighed in by the psychiatrists,
psychologists and other experts.

The first case is, “Why am I awkward around kids? I have nothing to say to people
under 12, and frankly, I don’t find them particularly cute. What’s wrong with me?” . Yes,
it is about people behaviour who don’t really get along with children. The common reason is
the ever-potent fear of embarrassment from what are the children says, such as ‘That man
smells funny, Mummy.’ ‘Wow lady, you must eat a lot of food.’ etc. So, no wonder someone
will feel uncomfortable to the children, and it is normal.

The second case is, “I cannot make a decision to save my life. Choosing between
reading and taking a walk can take all afternoon. It took me forever to choose to write this
note.” It is about the people who have inability to make a decision. Charlynn Ruan says that
the reason is often comes from being raised by such controlling parents that the sufferer never
learnt how to make decision. But it can also come from anxiety, the person become so
worried about the impact of a decision that he or she simply decides or not to decides. The
people who have this behaviour is belong to nutty, so they need a therapy or medical
treatment.

The third case is, “I’d sooner spend 20 minutes searching the shop shelves for the
thing I need than ask the shop assistant for help.” Two phobia maybe caused this problem,
there are the fear of appearing stupid and the fear of imposing someone. If someone have this
behaviour, they are belong to a little nutty.

The fourth case is, “I chew on my fingernails. OK, lots of people do that. But I’ve
taken to chewing on my cuticles and even fingers to the point of drawing blood. That can’t
be normal, right?” It is caused because someone feel anxiety, and they want to avoiding the
anxiety by chewing on his or her cuticles. It is not normal. And Ruan suggested the sufferer
to go to the doctor for an antidepressant.

The fifth case is, “My friends are all huggers, and I hate it! When they see me, they
throw their arms around me and squeeze away. I’m not a germophobe, and I love my
friends. I’d just prefer a handshake. Is that so wrong?” Not everybody like hug, because
everyone have different culture. It is a normal thing. Everyone can replace the hug with
handshake.

The sixth case is, “I have this compulsion to say hello to everyone I pass in the
office or on the street. This strikes me (and everyone else) as a little much, but I can’t seem
to stop. How weird is this?” It is normal. Maybe he or she come from a friendly place. If
someone want to tone down his or her greeting, he/she can try simply acknowledging others
with a friendly smile as he/she pass each other. Don’t worry, being friendly is no crime.

The seventh case is, “My elderly mother recently started saying things like “Oh, the
children were just here.” But they weren’t. There are no children where she lives. Is this
the onset of Alzheimer’s disease?” It is called Lewy Body Disease, a form of dementia. It is
usually happens to an old person. The Lewy Body Disease affects the part of the brain
devoted to vision, so the elderly person is truly ‘seeing’ something the rest of us don’t. It is
nuts, she/he need to prescribe medicine to make the hallucinations less vivid.

The eighth case is, “This is super dark, but I often imagine ways I could poison my
family and friends when I’m cooking dinner for them. I love them, so why do I think this
way?” If someone face this problem, maybe it is because he/she recognise how fragile life is.
Or it could be a result of latent anger. Dr. Schaub says that there may be some kind of
aggression that hasn’t been addressed. It is nuts, if she/he actually wants to murder the
family. But it’s normal if it’s just fantasise.

The ninth case is, “I am addicted to chalk. Not writing with it – eating it. Why can’t
I just crave burgers and chips?” the desire to eat non-food is called pica. It’s most common
in children and pregnant women. Dr. Reiss says that some of it is the body looking for
nutrients. But if the items eaten are really bizarre, the cause may be psychological. It is nuts,
the sufferer should visit the doctor or ask for a referral to a psychiatrist.
 The tenth case is, “Whenever I ask someone a question – for directions, for instance
– I find my mind wandering. Instead of listening to how to get to Hicksville, I’ll focus on
the ugly buttons on her shirt. Why can’t I concentrate?” If someone have this problem, it
could be that she/he is trying so hard to show that she/he is a good listener that instead of
actually listening, you are already thinking ahead. The solution is to train her/his self to focus
more. It is not too nuts.

So, the conclusion is someone can belong to nuts if she/he have the behaviour that
need to get therapy or medical treatments. But if they don’t need to get treatments or medical
therapy, it means that they are normal.