Alana Devar/Psychological Profile
| Alana Culemerwin Devar |
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The Profile
Alana Devar is an interesting case. How do you psychoanalyze a former counselor? We'll start from the beginning.
Being born with her gifts, Alana spent the better part of her childhood confined and held back in mental facilities. She was only socialized with the doctors, nurses and family that would visit her. She really didn't have any friends, per se, until she reached the Starfleet Academy and even then things were aggravated. Even though she involved herself academically at the Vulcan Science Academy, especially after her family's premature passing, Alana never really had the decent skills to make friends or at least try to. This would certainly be consistent with her mild case of social anxiety disorder, and self confidence issues. Social Anxiety Disorder consists of a fear in social situations. Although Alana has grown in many ways, her shyness in some areas can be attributed to her isolated upbringing.
There are also the varieties of men that have entered her life. Though she enamors many, Alana herself is sometimes unaware of the spell she casts over the eyes and hearts of those men and/or women. A smile here, a whisper there. Though she wasn't always as casual and forthcoming with her feelings, sometimes her immaculate gifts warp her perception. This is common amid the Betazoid people, especially for those with Alana's birth criteria.
Borderline Psionic Psychosis, or BPP, affect Betazoids who were born with their telepathic gifts. Having the training as she did as a child numbed some the effects that would transcend into her adult life. Other Betazoids are not so fortunate, having the condition so severely that it would leave their judgment of reality and themselves as an individual impaired.
Generally, BPP can be classified in phases - acute (or psychotic), catatonic (excitable, paranoia), disorganized (mixed, with a cluster of symptoms that do not inhibit the somewhat organization of oneself), or residual (mild, no signs of symptoms if otherwise slight). The phases work differently in every Betazoid affected. Acute patients tend to make their lives in the University of Betazed, unable to screen out the emotions and thoughts of those around them. Sometimes the condition in acute cases can lead to insanity, other mental illnesses and in extreme cases, suicide.
Alana, however, has the residual version, able to control it with barriers within her psyche. Sometimes wavelengths will break through those barriers, making Alana confused on what her emotions and true thoughts are. This is easily controllable through medication (though these 'dull' the senses to the degree to which Betazoids would be uncomfortable with) and/or psionic inhibitors. The experience with the Serpentai left some weaknesses, but Alana is overall strong despite the trials and tribulations she endured.
Alana Devar is also in love with being in love. She finds solace in that feeling and craves it to cover the tracks of her past. However, in that airy feeling, there are doors of illusion that open, projecting vast importance on others and expecting things they may never be able to give. Having her father in her life, but very seldom would he come to visit his sick daughter because of his career as an Ambassador. There are rejection issues at an early age from the male gender. This only amplified when Alana discovered that her father had a torrid affair with a Terran, Wilma Rogers, which resulted in the birth of her half sister, Carmen. Wilma was one of Devyn's Administrative Assistant to Operations.
Though she does not openly hold disgust to her father's actions, she does feel them inside. She also feels the pain of her family torn from her. The rejection issues only soared higher when her genetic bond-mate, Savek, snubbed her for a life of logic, science and Star Fleet. Having been told that her love for him wasn't logical, nor were a Vulcan and Betazoid compatible, burned a hole straight through Alana. This, in turn, birthed a deep-seeded fixation on love. Her father forsakes her mother, and the man she was to marry forsakes her father's daughter.
Later, one of her only friends from the Academy, Horne Dar Makra, becomes a romantic interest. Courtship followed, as did an engagement. The tides shifted, and they are no more. This, too, froze inside the woman. Even though it is in opinion of this writer's that Alana can perceive herself to be confident, all together woman in her mid-twenties, she is really a scared girl inside. Her reactions to Horne's department were on a whim, selfish. Having broke the connection of love being in love, Alana didn't stop to realize that his intentions were not to harm her but to discover himself. Hence, the deep seeds that are rooted into her personality.
Alana fears rejection, swimming in her insecurities. She fears that the love in her life will be the same as her father, who only paid attention when something dramatic happened. There is an emphasis of melodrama in Alana's life that she may sometimes instigate to catch other's attention. Sometimes she will turn her focus on the physical pleasures of love (Sex Addiction), serving as a stress coping mechanism for the unfortunate moments of love in her life. It is to fulfill the fantasy that she is in love.
Alana is also known to be caught in the middle of personas: from her passionate Betazoid heritage, to the stoic and calculating Vulcan upbringing. Though she was born Betazoid, most of her life she had Vulcans around her. Testing on her abilities, teaching her before she entered Star Fleet. When something pushes her Betazoid blood and it doesn't feel nice, she reverts into the cold Vulcan mode. It is her way of dealing with it, though it is not always healthy. Alana doesn't allow herself to experience things in a natural, healthy manner. For being a telepath and empath, she shields herself sometimes of the truth.
There was a recent breakthrough with Counselor Tanya Rea, enabling Alana to have a perfect harmony between the two. Though either one can show dominance at any given time, and something so integrated in the woman couldn't be completely cured just like that, it was a major stepping stone. Since, Alana has reacted and lived life a bit more... calmly.
The "Vulcan" Persona
It wasn't always so hard, nor was it always so easy. The transition between both worlds was difficult enough. Alana could not have the joys of her freedom without falling into the recesses of confined training. And, as a child, the only one's who could offer such a treatment were the Vulcans -- in effect, this would numb some of her passionate Betazoid senses thus creating a conflicted teenager and young woman.
The training the young girl had to endure almost tore her family apart. Most of her childhood years were spent in the confines of facilities, in hopes and efforts that Alana would someday be able to venture into the world and live a normal life.
The reasoning of Alana's condition was also one that drove Devyn into the arms of another woman -- Wilma Rogers, Carmen Rogers' mother. Arianna was obsessed and continually depressed of her young daugher's turmoil and constant state of hospitialization. There wasn't anything they did not try...
The offer from Tarin (Devyn's best friend and Alana's later mentor in the Vulcan Science Academy) was encouraging, but also bittersweet. After a while, the growing teenager would not be able to define herself - conflicted between her Betazoid blood and Vulcan persona. Alana even practiced techniques to where she would be able to harness the telepathy and empathy, in extreme measures she had, to be negated to the point of numbness.
However, with the death of her parents, a teenage Alana became overwhelmed with emotion. This was also about the time where her genetic bondmate, Savek, snubbed her for a life of 'logic.' Becoming cold once more, and into a state of confusion, she retreated to a vortex of ice that sent her to Starfleet.
It was Starfleet, however, that awakened the woman once more. Even though she had troubles adjusting to the personalities of people, she found comfort in two classmates: Makal Kora and Horne Makra. The friendships were good and therapeutic to her. But, the friendship with Horne became more than that: it escalated into romance, burning the ice around her heart. She went so far to call him Imzadi, and the two were engaged for a time before he broke it off. Leaving her in doubt, but even if she did not blame him for wanting to explore his own heritage, secretly Alana was heartbroken. This was about the same time did she find the true deaths of her parents and siblings.
It seemed to be a perpetual cycle that led the woman into a whirlwind of wavering personas.
A trip to Vulcan followed in Horne's leave with the assistance of Vulcan priestesses, Alana decided to increase an effort to purge all emotions to freeze her aching heart once more. A short hair do followed this, along with a stone-cold and stoic appearance that left her fellow crewmembers anxious about her mentality and welfare.
Later, Counselor Rea would help mend the threads on the mental plane, where Alana blended the two personas into one. However, one or the other can show dominance at any given time. Though the Vulcan may seem apparent, her heart yearns for recourse.
The Vulcans dimmed emotions because they were so passionate they had to. They were not emotionless, and that is where Alana made her mistakes.
List of Conditions
- Social Anxiety Disorder - Mild and Controllable without Medication Therapy
- Sex Addiction
- Borderline Psionic Psychosis - Residual
List of Therapies
As a doctor herself, Alana is always hesitant in pursuing treatments. She is the kind of person that takes care of others before herself. To help alleviate the stress in her life, the Betazoid is on a daily Yoga routine. No medication therapy has been prescribed.
She must continue to practice her mental barrier therapy to keep the strength within to filter other's thoughts and emotions from melding with her own. This therapy must be strictly adhered as a daily routine.
More information to come. Data Loading.
Prognosis
The general well-being for Alana is good, though she may have lapses during the natural events of life. There is no need to have her counseled on a daily basis, though quarterly or monthly sessions might help just so she can get things off her chest.
More information to come. Data Loading.