forum I Can do the Research For You

Started April 03, 2019 by @AloeVera groupMentallyImInACottage

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Anyone know much about the different interpretations of hell/heaven in different religions?

Look up Hello Future Me’s vid on mental illness. I haven’t watched it but I’m sure it’s gold based off past experience.

It's good, I watched it yesterday

Hi! Is there any way you could tell me what happens to the police force when something big goes down in a town? Like a shooting or a fire? Will the 911 calls that get forwarded to them be slower than the approximate 11-13 minute time? Something like 30 mins depending on the crime?

And if it’s too much to ask just tell me, but what crimes would be stalled upon in a case like this? Like a case of a break in or kidnapping?

When the police were called because someone threatened to shoot up my school (after school when the extracurricular kids were there, I wasn't but my best friend was) they got there in under 5 minutes. I think the actual time was 2? Then again, it's pretty close to the police station.
Same when there was an explosion downtown, cops/fire were there right away but it was also just down the street from the police station

Nono I mean the other crimes other than the big ones

I know things like shootings are first on their list. But when they’re preoccupied, where do all of the other calls go? Do they put them off?

Oh I misread that lol
I'm not sure.

So… is it okay if I ask another question?

My MC has depression and PTSD. Could you tell me about them?

(I mean, I have depression but I honestly can't separate it from the OCD from the ADHD from the autism.)

This is a heavy one! I don't think that I myself have depression but it is in my family, so I've seen it work.

WARNING: This post focuses on the affects and effects of depression and PTSD. I will try to avoid mentioning triggers in PTSD, but it is important to discuss.

What is Depression?
Though 'being depressed' is an emotion that everyone is capable of feeling, 'having depression' is different. Same with feeling anxious and having anxiety. Stage fright and feeling bummed about losing a big game is different from the obsessive consistence of depression.
Depression (major depressive disorder) is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. Fortunately, it is also treatable. Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities once enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease a person’s ability to function at work and at home.

Symptoms
-Feeling sad or having a depressed mood
-Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed
-Changes in appetite — weight loss or gain unrelated to dieting
-Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
-Loss of energy or increased fatigue
-Increase in purposeless physical activity (e.g., hand-wringing or pacing) or slowed movements and speech (actions observable by others)
-Feeling worthless or guilty
-Difficulty thinking, concentrating or making decisions
-Thoughts of death or suicide

Symptoms must last at least two weeks for a diagnosis of depression.
Also, medical conditions (e.g., thyroid problems, a brain tumor or vitamin deficiency) can mimic symptoms of depression so it is important to rule out general medical causes.

Affects
Depression affects an estimated one in 15 adults (6.7%) in any given year. And one in six people (16.6%) will experience depression at some time in their life. Depression can strike at any time, but on average, first appears during the late teens to mid-20s. Women are more likely than men to experience depression. Some studies show that one-third of women will experience a major depressive episode in their lifetime.

Differences
The death of a loved one, loss of a job or the ending of a relationship are difficult experiences for a person to endure. It is normal for feelings of sadness or grief to develop in response to such situations. Those experiencing loss often might describe themselves as being “depressed.”

But being sad is not the same as having depression. The grieving process is natural and unique to each individual and shares some of the same features of depression. Both grief and depression may involve intense sadness and withdrawal from usual activities. They are also different in important ways:

In grief, painful feelings come in waves, often intermixed with positive memories of the deceased. In major depression, mood and/or interest (pleasure) are decreased for most of two weeks.
In grief, self-esteem is usually maintained. In major depression, feelings of worthlessness and self-loathing are common.
For some people, the death of a loved one can bring on major depression. Losing a job or being a victim of a physical assault or a major disaster can lead to depression for some people. When grief and depression co-exist, the grief is more severe and lasts longer than grief without depression. Despite some overlap between grief and depression, they are different. Distinguishing between them can help people get the help, support or treatment they need.

( Taken from Psychiatry )

(Trigger Warning: Mentions of abuse, violence, death)
PTSD
What is PTSD?
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that can occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, a serious accident, a terrorist act, war/combat, rape or other violent personal assault.

PTSD has been known by many names in the past, such as “shell shock” during the years of World War I and “combat fatigue” after World War II. But PTSD does not just happen to combat veterans. PTSD can occur in all people, in people of any ethnicity, nationality or culture, and any age. PTSD affects approximately 3.5 percent of U.S. adults, and an estimated one in 11 people will be diagnosed PTSD in their lifetime. Women are twice as likely as men to have PTSD.

People with PTSD have intense, disturbing thoughts and feelings related to their experience that last long after the traumatic event has ended. They may relive the event through flashbacks or nightmares; they may feel sadness, fear or anger; and they may feel detached or estranged from other people. People with PTSD may avoid situations or people that remind them of the traumatic event, and they may have strong negative reactions to something as ordinary as a loud noise or an accidental touch.

A diagnosis of PTSD requires exposure to an upsetting traumatic event. However, exposure could be indirect rather than first hand. For example, PTSD could occur in an individual learning about the violent death of a close family. It can also occur as a result of repeated exposure to horrible details of trauma such as police officers exposed to details of child abuse cases.

Symptoms
-Intrusive thoughts such as repeated, involuntary memories; distressing dreams; or flashbacks of the traumatic event. Flashbacks may be so vivid that people feel they are re-living the traumatic experience or seeing it before their eyes.
-Avoiding reminders of the traumatic event may include avoiding people, places, activities, objects and situations that bring on distressing memories. People may try to avoid remembering or thinking about the traumatic event. –They may resist talking about what happened or how they feel about it.
-Negative thoughts and feelings may include ongoing and distorted beliefs about oneself or others (e.g., “I am bad,” “No one can be trusted”); ongoing fear, horror, anger, guilt or shame; much less interest in activities previously enjoyed; or feeling detached or estranged from others.
-Arousal and reactive symptoms may include being irritable and having angry outbursts; behaving recklessly or in a self-destructive way; being easily startled; or having problems concentrating or sleeping.

@ everyone else waiting on a response:

I am working on them but the time has come that I must sleep! I hope that none of y'all have a deadline because I get super busy but I will try my best to get to all of you by the end of the week!!!

So… is it okay if I ask another question?

My MC has depression and PTSD. Could you tell me about them?

(I mean, I have depression but I honestly can't separate it from the OCD from the ADHD from the autism.)

This is a heavy one! I don't think that I myself have depression but it is in my family, so I've seen it work.

WARNING: This post focuses on the affects and effects of depression and PTSD. I will try to avoid mentioning triggers in PTSD, but it is important to discuss.

What is Depression?
Though 'being depressed' is an emotion that everyone is capable of feeling, 'having depression' is different. Same with feeling anxious and having anxiety. Stage fright and feeling bummed about losing a big game is different from the obsessive consistence of depression.
Depression (major depressive disorder) is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. Fortunately, it is also treatable. Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities once enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease a person’s ability to function at work and at home.

Symptoms
-Feeling sad or having a depressed mood
-Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed
-Changes in appetite — weight loss or gain unrelated to dieting
-Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
-Loss of energy or increased fatigue
-Increase in purposeless physical activity (e.g., hand-wringing or pacing) or slowed movements and speech (actions observable by others)
-Feeling worthless or guilty
-Difficulty thinking, concentrating or making decisions
-Thoughts of death or suicide

Symptoms must last at least two weeks for a diagnosis of depression.
Also, medical conditions (e.g., thyroid problems, a brain tumor or vitamin deficiency) can mimic symptoms of depression so it is important to rule out general medical causes.

Affects
Depression affects an estimated one in 15 adults (6.7%) in any given year. And one in six people (16.6%) will experience depression at some time in their life. Depression can strike at any time, but on average, first appears during the late teens to mid-20s. Women are more likely than men to experience depression. Some studies show that one-third of women will experience a major depressive episode in their lifetime.

Differences
The death of a loved one, loss of a job or the ending of a relationship are difficult experiences for a person to endure. It is normal for feelings of sadness or grief to develop in response to such situations. Those experiencing loss often might describe themselves as being “depressed.”

But being sad is not the same as having depression. The grieving process is natural and unique to each individual and shares some of the same features of depression. Both grief and depression may involve intense sadness and withdrawal from usual activities. They are also different in important ways:

In grief, painful feelings come in waves, often intermixed with positive memories of the deceased. In major depression, mood and/or interest (pleasure) are decreased for most of two weeks.
In grief, self-esteem is usually maintained. In major depression, feelings of worthlessness and self-loathing are common.
For some people, the death of a loved one can bring on major depression. Losing a job or being a victim of a physical assault or a major disaster can lead to depression for some people. When grief and depression co-exist, the grief is more severe and lasts longer than grief without depression. Despite some overlap between grief and depression, they are different. Distinguishing between them can help people get the help, support or treatment they need.

( Taken from Psychiatry )

(Trigger Warning: Mentions of abuse, violence, death)
PTSD
What is PTSD?
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that can occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, a serious accident, a terrorist act, war/combat, rape or other violent personal assault.

PTSD has been known by many names in the past, such as “shell shock” during the years of World War I and “combat fatigue” after World War II. But PTSD does not just happen to combat veterans. PTSD can occur in all people, in people of any ethnicity, nationality or culture, and any age. PTSD affects approximately 3.5 percent of U.S. adults, and an estimated one in 11 people will be diagnosed PTSD in their lifetime. Women are twice as likely as men to have PTSD.

People with PTSD have intense, disturbing thoughts and feelings related to their experience that last long after the traumatic event has ended. They may relive the event through flashbacks or nightmares; they may feel sadness, fear or anger; and they may feel detached or estranged from other people. People with PTSD may avoid situations or people that remind them of the traumatic event, and they may have strong negative reactions to something as ordinary as a loud noise or an accidental touch.

A diagnosis of PTSD requires exposure to an upsetting traumatic event. However, exposure could be indirect rather than first hand. For example, PTSD could occur in an individual learning about the violent death of a close family. It can also occur as a result of repeated exposure to horrible details of trauma such as police officers exposed to details of child abuse cases.

Symptoms
-Intrusive thoughts such as repeated, involuntary memories; distressing dreams; or flashbacks of the traumatic event. Flashbacks may be so vivid that people feel they are re-living the traumatic experience or seeing it before their eyes.
-Avoiding reminders of the traumatic event may include avoiding people, places, activities, objects and situations that bring on distressing memories. People may try to avoid remembering or thinking about the traumatic event. –They may resist talking about what happened or how they feel about it.
-Negative thoughts and feelings may include ongoing and distorted beliefs about oneself or others (e.g., “I am bad,” “No one can be trusted”); ongoing fear, horror, anger, guilt or shame; much less interest in activities previously enjoyed; or feeling detached or estranged from others.
-Arousal and reactive symptoms may include being irritable and having angry outbursts; behaving recklessly or in a self-destructive way; being easily startled; or having problems concentrating or sleeping.

Thank you! I'll use this!

Anyone know much about the different interpretations of hell/heaven in different religions?

Lucky for you, I took a class that touched on this!

Let's start with an easy one

Christianity

1. Heaven is a perfect place, described as stereotypically having pearly gates, angel choirs singing God's praise all day long, no negativity and constant worshipping God. The Bible itself loves to be pretty vague, so there's nothing that can really %100 confirm this, other than when you actually get to heaven. However, we can take a look at the Bible itself in order to see how Christians interpret heaven.

Luke 12:33-34

"Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

Revelations 21:21-25

And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass. And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there.

1. Hell is just as vaguely described and controversial as heaven. Some people believe in hell but don't believe in heaven. Some people believe in heaven but don't believe in hell. Some people use hell to scare people into the faith. But what the hell is hell?

Matthew 25:41

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

Mark 9:43-48

And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’

Revelation has a lot of stuff about heaven and hell, so I recommend reading that for more answers. Just filter through all the end times stuff LOL

Catholicism

Thing about Catholicism is that it has a Heaven and Hell too! But then they said "what about in the middle?" and POOF! purgatory. Purgatory has several steps before you reach full purification, but once you have gone through all the steps, you can finally enter heaven with a pure soul. The problem a lot of hardcore Western Christians have with purgatory is that it's entire existence suggests that no one stays in hell. The other problem Western Christians have with purgatory is that it's never mentioned in the Bible.

Judaism

Confession: I don't know all too much about exactly what Jews believe. All I know is that they believe in God but not Jesus, so I can't fact check any of these articles I'm looking up.
Jews seem to suggest that a different kind of afterlife exists; Sheol.

The subject of death is treated inconsistently in the Bible, though most often it suggests that physical death is the end of life. This is the case with such central figures as Abraham, Moses, and Miriam.

There are, however, several biblical references to a place called Sheol (cf. Numbers 30, 33). It is described as a region “dark and deep,” “the Pit,” and “the Land of Forgetfulness,” where human beings descend after death. The suggestion is that in the netherworld of Sheol, the deceased, although cut off from God and humankind, live on in some shadowy state of existence.

While this vision of Sheol is rather bleak (setting precedents for later Jewish and Christian ideas of an underground hell) there is generally no concept of judgment or reward and punishment attached to it. In fact, the more pessimistic books of the Bible, such as Ecclesiastes and Job, insist that all of the dead go down to Sheol, whether good or evil, rich or poor, slave or free man (Job 3:11-19).

However, they also have a Heaven and Hell; Heaven is Gan Eden (Garden of Eden) and Hell is Gehinnom, which lasts for about 12 months before you're purified and sent to Gan Eden.

Muslim

While Jannah in the Quran is often translated as "Heaven" in the sense of an abode where believers are rewarded in afterlife, سماء sama' (usually pl. samawat) is the word for heaven in the sense of firmament or celestial sphere, as "seven heavens"
Jahannam (Arabic: جهنم‎, Bengali: নরক, Malayalam: Naraka, Turkish: Cehennem) in Islam refers to an afterlife place of punishment for evildoers. The punishments are carried in accordance with the degree of evil one has done during his life. Just like the Islamic heavens, the common belief holds that Jahannam coexists with the temporary world.

If you would like me to do more religions, let me know which ones! There are tons! Hope this helped!

Oh thank you so much!!!!! I’ll take a look at this and let you know if I need anything else, but this is really awesome! <3

Hi! Is there any way you could tell me what happens to the police force when something big goes down in a town? Like a shooting or a fire? Will the 911 calls that get forwarded to them be slower than the approximate 11-13 minute time? Something like 30 mins depending on the crime?

And if it’s too much to ask just tell me, but what crimes would be stalled upon in a case like this? Like a case of a break in or kidnapping?

Hey there! I'm so very sorry but I legitimately cannot find anything on this. I don't know how to word my google search and the results that pop up are halfway to being unrelated.
I can take a couple of guesses based on what little information I have, though!

1. They don't send all officers. Yes, there might be tons of police officers at certain emergencies, but there's more.
2. In the highly unlikely chance that the force runs out of officers for one town, I'm sure they will just send officers from another police station. The drive might take a bit longer, so there will be a bit of a wait, but they'll probably go zoom you know depending on the urgency.
3. Most of the time, first responders keep you on the line until the officers arrive, so even if it takes them a bit longer, you are still in contact with someone on the other side.

So very sorry I couldn't give you a guarenteed answer. I hope this helped!

On the Christianity one.
One of my favorite heavenly things is that the place has all the best food and wine. Another is the no dying and no pesky animals trying to kill you.
On Judaism, they do believe in some kind of heaven. David said that he would go to meet his dead son again. Here is another testament about resurrection. It's graphic but frickin metal. Also the gender roles are rather interesting in verse 21.
http://www.usccb.org/bible/2maccabees/7#21007006-b

Thank youuuuuuuu

Quite welcome.

How could one break one or more of their ribs and what would it feel like? (I’m trying to figure this out for a story, please don’t think I’m insane)

What is a broken rib?

A broken rib is a common injury that occurs when one of the bones in your rib cage breaks or cracks. The most common cause is chest trauma, such as from a fall, motor vehicle accident or impact during contact sports.

Many broken ribs are merely cracked. While still painful, cracked ribs aren't as potentially dangerous as ribs that have been broken into separate pieces. A jagged edge of broken bone can damage major blood vessels or internal organs, such as the lung.

In most cases, broken ribs usually heal on their own in one or two months. Adequate pain control is important so that you can continue to breathe deeply and avoid lung complications, such as pneumonia.

Symptoms
One of the most persistent symptoms of a broken rib is chest pain when taking a breath. Inhaling deeply hurts even more. Laughing, coughing, or sneezing can also send sharp pains shooting from the site of the break.

Depending on the location of the fracture, bending over or twisting your upper body may also trigger sudden pain. Striking or pressing on the fracture will cause pain for at least several weeks.

You may also notice swelling and redness around the break. In some cases, you might also see bruising on the skin near the break.

Causes
As the protectors of your heart and lungs, your ribs are designed to withstand a lot. But sudden and severe blows to the chest and back can fracture them.

These can be the result of:

contact sports, such as football or rugby
car accidents
hard falls
domestic abuse or other forms of personal violence
Years of repetitive actions, such as a swinging a golf club, may also take a serious toll on your ribs and muscles. Trauma caused by repeating the same forceful motions can make you more susceptible to breaking a rib.

Those most at risk for broken ribs include:

athletes who play contact sports or engage in frequent repetitive motions involving the chest or back
people with osteoporosis, a disease that reduces bone density, leaving bones more vulnerable to fractures
people with a rib that has a cancerous lesion, which can weaken the bone

Hope this helps!!

If you don't mind, could you research how people use canes and crutches to get around? I have two characters with poorly healed leg injuries who use those. Thank you!

Hope this helps!!

It does! Thank you!

Hey! Can you research how adoption does/should go? Like the process for it, the system, etc? I'm writing a story in which two characters adopt a kid and I want to make it fairly realistic. Thanks!

Hey! Can you look into the origin of merfolk, as well as their different interpretations?

And if you’re not too busy, can you look into the important things to know to write a character in the 70s?

Do you know about what common plants found in,,, say a forest could be used as medical herbs or posions?

Hey! Can you look into the origin of merfolk, as well as their different interpretations?

I hope it's ok that I decided to look into this? it seemed fun and I was curious so

anyway

Merfolk are pretty much a global phenomenon, from what I gather - you've got legends from Japan, China, Russia, Babylon, Syria, and literally every northern European country. But they're all a bit different from each other (funnily enough, not all sea folk have tails necessarily. they just live in the water).

In general, they're often associated with disaster and deaths at sea. But also a lot of stories about sea folk involve them losing a cloak, or a skin, or something that allows them to be sea dwellers, and then some man takes it and forces them into a marriage because he won't give it back. Generally, the idea is always that they only visit the human world temporarily.
weirdly enough, they're also associated with cows? There are Welsh, Danish, and Irish tales that involve them turning into cows, bringing cows with them into marriage, having cow tails, or stuff like that.

Babylon: the sea god Ea, which the Greeks called Oannes. There's a fun description I found from 200BC by this Chaldean guy called Berossus that goes like this:

"The whole body of the animal was like that of a fish; and had under a fish's head another head, and also feet below, similar to those of a man, subjoined to the fish's tail. His voice, too, and language were articulate and human… This Being in the daytime used to converse with men; but took no food at that season; and he gave them an insight into letters and sciences, and every kind of art. He taught them to construct houses, to found temples, to compile laws, and explained to them the principles of geometrical knowledge… From that time, so universal were his instructions, nothing material has been added by way of improvement"

Greece had Triton, the fish-tailed attendant of Poseidon; the fish-tailed Artemis of Arcadia (who later resurfaced in Scotland and told people to eat mugwort and that's why its botanical name for a long time was artemisia vulgaris), and of course nereids, tritonids, and later the sirens. Sirens were originally portrayed as bird-faced, and they're largely responsible for the reputation of mermaids being fatal singers and seductresses.

China: I wasn't able to verify this because apparently the source wasn't online in our uni library, but Wikipedia tells me China has jiaoren (flood dragon people or shark people) which some interpret as a reference to merfolk, and then water-dwelling people in the South Sea who spin mermaid silk and cry pearl tears.

England: called mermaids, merrymaids, or morgans. They sometimes come in from the deep to lie on rocks and breathe in sea mists. Very pretty.

Ireland: called merrows, live in a dry place under the sea and have magic caps that let them pass through the water. The maidens are pretty, but the males are green-haired and apparently pretty ugly. They have magical abilities - can prophesy, grant wishes, and perform miracles (like healing).

Wales: doesn't have mermaids, but lake fairies who live in mountain lakes

Scotland: this is where the selkies come from - I feel like selkie mythology is pretty popular on the interwebs. but the basics are that they are seals at day, but turn into people at night when they come on land, remove their skins, and dance on the sand.

Scandinavia: called necks or näcks, live in both the sea or freshwater lakes/rivers, play the harp (in Sweden, they play the fiddle so well it's dangerous)

Germany: has both Meerfrauen/nixies who come to markets and fairs on land as well as undines, who are other water spirits who come to dance with humans. When undines leave their world to marry a human, they get a human soul. (the original HCA Little Mermaid is based on undine folklore)

and a bonus fun fact I just found - in the Victorian era, some Darwinists were convinced that mermaids (with tails) were the missing link in the evolutionary chain. It sparked a gigantic debate on the definition of human nature and hybridisation.

Cool! Thanks for your help!