Integrity vs Despair Essay Example for Free

Integrity vs Despair Essay As we grow older and become senior citizens we tend to slow down our productivity and explore life as a retired person. It is during this time that we contemplate our accomplishments and are able to develop integrity if we see ourselves as leading a successful life. If we see our life as unproductive, or feel that we did not accomplish our life goals, we become dissatisfied with life and develop despair, often leading to depression and hopelessness. From what I could tell, my pt falls into the Integrity stage. He was always positive about what came his way and he seemed in good spirits even though he was sick and in the hospital. Physical: My patient was in excellent overall physical condition considering his age. Aging adults, especially the very old, are vulnerable to skin breakdown. Pressure ulcers are due to impaired circulation. My patient had a reddened area on his elbow and he said it was from getting in and out of bed and pushing his self up with his elbows. Emotional: The elderly have a development of a greater emotional complexity with better comprehension and control of emotional reactions. My patient seemed to be in great emotional status in the time I got to spend with him. He was in very good spirits even though he was in the hospital. Cognitive: The slowing that occurs in all cognitive tasks where speed of response is a factor is the most pervasive cognitive change with developmental aging. Also, oxygen is necessary for proper physical and cognitive functioning and is carried through the blood. The elderly with poor circulation may experience forgetfulness and other symptoms of poor cognition. My patient showed no signs of forgetfulness in the time I spent with him. He told me stories about when he was in the military from many years ago. He also had a very good memory. I explained to him why I pressed on his thumbnail to check his capillary refill and a couple hours later he was talking to his sister on the phone telling her what he had learned. Social: Older persons may get frustrated or embarrassed because sometimes it is hard from them to understand what is being said. They may have to have people repeat themselves, or endure shouting when a speaker tries to be heard. My patient doesn’t seem to have a problem socializing but did have a hard time understanding what I said and would ask me to repeat myself. When I spoke to him I just used a louder voice so that he could understand and hear me better.

Triangular Structure in James Joyces Dubliners Essay -- James Joyce D

Triangular Structure in James Joyce's Dubliners Within the body of literary criticism that surrounds James Joyce's Dubliners is a tendency to preclude analysis beyond an Irish level, beyond Joyce's own intent to "create the uncreated conscience of [his] race." However, in order to place the text within an appropriately expansive context, it seems necessary to examine the implications of the volume's predominant thematic elements within the broader scope of human nature. The "psychic drama" which places Dubliners within a three-tiered psychological framework  ² desire, repression, agression  ² lies at the root of a larger triangular structure that pervades many of our most fundamental belief systems and life processes. This structure forms the basis for the tenets of some of the most grand attempts at a definition of the purpose and origin of humanity, from the holy trinity of Catholicism to Freud's theory of id, ego, and superego. Dubliners, in its own perhaps less ambitious pursuit of a certain significance of life, embodies and exemplifies similarly triangular frameworks. They are arranged concentrically, relating to both content and structure and radiating out from that central psychological triangle  ² desire, repression, aggression. It is this structural mechanism, prevalent throughout the volume, which reveals the philosophical implications of Dubliners and places it within a broader interpretive context. While it is clear that this psychic drama manifests in its entirety in nearly every individual story in the volume, perhaps more important when viewing Dubliners from a broader perspective is the notion that the three elements of this drama seem to dominate respectively within the three life stages which form the org... ...ugh a connection such as Walzl makes between ancient interpretive theory and the text of Dubliners, it becomes apparent that the previously described triangular frameworks present in the volume serve to connect it to a certain tradition of philosophy and psychology which attempts to derive the purpose and the intrinsic driving forces of human life and behavior. Numerous examples of these triangular theories exist throughout the history of thought : traditional notions of past, present, and future; Freud's theory of id, ego, and superego; Lacan's division of life into what is real, imaginary, and symbolic; Barthes' idea of sign, signifier, and signified; just to name a few. It is debatable whether or not Joyce's structural decisions had any conscious relationship to this tradition of three-level thought, yet the implications are present regardless of his intentions.

Explain What Christians Believe About the Sanctity of Life and Especially Their Responsibility Essay

All Christian beliefs, believe in the sanctity of life. This means that life is sacred as God has given us life. But many of the different Christian religions have different views on the way both Abortions and Euthanasia should be handled. Catholics believe that life begins at the moment of conception. But from a quote from Jeremiah 1:5 ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you’. This shows that God has already given the child there special personalities and talents even before they are born. This quote forms the base of the Vatican’s Stance on contraception. They completely disagree with condoms, ‘The Pill’ and any other forms of contraception. They are also totally against the idea of Abortion. This is shown in the Humane Vitae. Mother Teresa is totally against Abortion as from this quote we can tell that she thinks that it is a sin. ‘Any country that accepts Abortion, is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what it wants’. This shows that she backs up the views of the Roman Catholic that Abortion is a tragic sin. But the Church of England and many other religions such as Quakers and Lutheran believe that Abortion is acceptable to have an Abortion in certain circumstances, such as rape or when mental or physical damage cause be inflicted on the mother or/and child. They disagree with the beliefs of the Roman Catholic as we all have free will and having Abortion is in the rights of free will. Also there is no quote the bible that clearly states that Abortion is wrong. At the other end of the life scale Euthanasia is also another controversial issue. All Christians believe that we as human are all created by God. This is shown in Psalm 139:16 ‘You saw my unborn body’. This shows that when David sung the psalm he was telling the people that God knew you before you were born, showing that as our bodies an minds are unique we all must treat our minds with respect as otherwise we shall be committing a sin against God. Due to the fact that Jesus was human and he was the person who saved us from original sin then Euthanasia is a sin against God. Under no personal or social circumstances could ever, can now, or will ever, should Euthanasia ever render such an act lawful in itself†. Pope John Paul II clearly states in this quote made in 1989 that he is totally against the idea of contraception. In the bible it states that God is the only person who can take a life. This shows that the Roman Catholics are all against the idea of Euthanasia, making it a mortal sin. Where as the Church of England and the Society of Friends would argue that if the person is likely to die very soon then using free will they should be allowed to use euthanasia as they no that they are going to die any way. Also they believe that someone should not be put to sleep immediately, but they can stop taking the medication that is keeping them alive to speed up the death. But this can cause the law trouble as they cannot tell completely what has happened. In the law it is illegal to have euthanasia performed on you. If you were found guilty you would have to face charges of man slaughter. In the it says that death is not the end of the road only the end of the first part.

The Benefits of Yoga and Mindfulness on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1476 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2019/08/07 Category Sports Essay Level High school Topics: Yoga Essay Did you like this example? Posttraumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is a mental health disorder that is triggered from experiencing or witnessing a terrifying or traumatic event which results in a person needing treatment from not being able to recover or cope from the incident. Psychotherapy is the primary treatment for PTSD, though more recently researchers have conducted studies to determine whether or not the practice of mindful meditation and yoga are beneficial in treatment of symptoms compared to other methods, which often present significant challenges. Mindful meditation incorporated with hatha yoga combines mindfulness through the combination of relaxation, breathing exercises, and movements that have been shown to alleviate hyper-arousal, intrusion, and avoidance symptoms. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Benefits of Yoga and Mindfulness on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder" essay for you Create order To validate this theory, participants were interviewed to determine if they met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD using the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS), which was then followed by a 10 week yoga intervention and post assessment or interview to evaluate the impact on symptom-reduction. The results clearly indicated that treatment through yoga greatly reduced dysfunctional coping, avoidance, and overall stress. This was evident through participants being able to cultivate awareness and regulate arousal, in addition to ones search for novelty. The results of the studies provide evidence that therapy based on mindful meditation and yoga are essential in providing treatment for those suffering from posttraumatic stress. Keywords: mindfulness, yoga, posttraumatic stress disorder Posttraumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is a mental health disorder that is triggered from experiencing or witnessing a terrifying or traumatic event which results in a person needing treatment from not being able to recover or cope from the incident. PTSD can develop as a result from dangerous events such as combat, sexual assault, a car accident, and natural disasters. Though in some cases people have developed PTSD from experiences like an unexpected or sudden death of a loved one, or a friend. In order to be diagnosed with PTSD, he or she must experience one re-experiencing and avoidance symptom, two arousal-reactivity symptoms, and two cognition-mood symptoms for at least a month or more (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, 2016). Re-experiencing symptoms generally cause issues throughout ones day, for they derive from a persons own thoughts and feelings. Often those suffering from PTSD will experience flashbacks to the event, reliving the trauma over in their head, or have bad drea ms that relate to the incident. For example, many people whom suffer from PTSD as related to combat are triggered by ceiling fans, thinking that they are helicopter blades. Avoidance symptoms are fairly self explanatory in the sense that those suffering simply avoid places, objects, and events that remind the of the incident. Avoidance symptoms impact the persons everyday life, for they change their routine in order to prevent being triggered, such as a women avoiding a certain street considering that was where she was sexually assaulted. Arousal-reactivity symptoms are when a person is consistently in a state of fear, or constantly being on edge, which result in angry outbursts and difficulty sleeping and eating. Lastly, there are cognition-mood symptoms that make the person alienated from friends and family due to the feelings of guilt and blame. Additionally those suffering often experience negative thoughts about themselves, often resulting in them relying on substances, or sink ing into a depression. Treating PTSD is often difficult, considering that everyone is different, and one form of treatment may not work for another. PTSD is usually treated through medication and psychotherapy, though the lack of integration between the self and the body expose issues in current methods of treatment. PTSD is a psychophysiological condition that warrants interventions that address both the physical and physiological symptoms of PTSD, and many treatments fail to direct attention to trauma that is held in the body and the mind (Johnston et al., 2015). Research has suggested that treatment for PTSD should focus on mindful meditation and yoga for it systematically approaches that incorporate both mental practices and physical poses to alleviate symptoms. Yoga has proven to be beneficial in reducing symptoms of PTSD through the combination of physical movement, breathing exercises, and relaxation. Over time research has shown that yoga has the ability to reduce musculoskeletal and mental tension, in addition to increasing both body and cognitive awareness all while helping people become more physically flexible. Breathing exercises taught and practiced in the studio aim to reduce stress and increase mindfulness through psychological and physiological change that modifies respiratory frequency. People with PTSD are low in inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma amino butyric acid (GABA), and coincidently GABA has been shown to increase in PTSD patients while practicing yoga (Johnston et al., 2015). Incorporated into yogic practice is mindful meditation, which has been shown to help people manage stressful situations by fully embracing their current life situation and help increase overall awareness. Qualities of mindfulness that benefit thos e struggling with PTSD include: acceptance, patience, trust, openness, and letting go (Snyder, Lopez Pedrotti, 2011). Practicing mindfulness and mindful meditation helps alleviate dysfunctional coping and avoidance symptoms with those diagnosed with PTSD, and provides individuals with the ability to manage their triggers and symptoms. The benefits of yoga and mindful meditation have been tested on people diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder to see whether or not the practices relieve symptoms. In 2015, Johnston et al. staged a yoga intervention to help service men and women participants suffering from PTSD increase awareness, release chronic tension and decrease maladaptive automatic reactions while inducing a state of relaxation to manage and diminish symptoms. The study was benchmarked against other interventions used on men and women in the service to see whether or not yoga has more positive results. Participants were recruited through flyers and advertisements, who would undergo a phone screening to see whether or not they were eligible for the study. Participants were then interviewed in person to ensure inclusion criteria was met, in which they would then undergo a Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) assessment. The study consisted of a 10-week yoga intervention that included poses, breathing s trategies, and mindful meditation, along with 15-min a day at home yoga practice. Instructors focused on cultivating mindful awareness in each poses to insure relaxation and responsiveness to the environment, rather then the participants displaying hyper-arousal and avoidance. When the study concluded participants were asked to complete self-report questionnaires and once again underwent a CAPS assessment. Results supported that yoga was a practical and successful intervention for PTSD as a result of a decrease in CAPS scores. Unfortunately, there were no significant findings on mindfulness likely due to a small sample size, and individual variation among participants (Johnston et al., 2015). Similarly, in 2017 West, Liang, and Spinazzola conducted a qualitative study to address treatment of PTSD following participation in a 10-week yoga program that focused primarily on trauma sensitive yoga. Participants were recruited through involvement in a previous study related to their PTSD. As previously stated the participants all mer the diagnostic criteria of PTSD, which was originally discovered through the CAPS assessment. Unlike the previous study mentioned, participants were required to also participate in psychotherapy to investigate whether yoga could target symptoms left untreated despite ongoing psychotherapy. In the interview prior to the yoga program participants were asked to describe their level of functioning. The program focused on the key elements practice in yoga; breathing and mindful silence and meditation. Additionally the program emphasized a sense of awareness, ownership, and befriending of ones own body. At the conclusion of the program, participants were interviewed using symptoms of PTSD and Organismic Valuing Theory (OVT) to describe the their experiences in treatment, in which they reflected on changes they observed in themselves. Researchers found that yoga and mindful meditation did in fact diminish participants symptoms of PTSD, in addition to learning how to control their stress and anxiety. A common theme researchers found through the interviews of the participants was that each displayed gratitude and compassion, relatedness, acceptance, centeredness, and empowerment. One of the authors Jennifer West coined the acronym G.R.A.C.E to explain the five themes. For example, centeredness was expressed by the participants having a new found ability to quiet their mind, be less reactive, and feel more positive; or acceptance which participants expressed in being able to accept their disorder and their lives and feel at peace. (West, Liang, Spinazzola, 2017). Treatment for PTSD should focus on mindful meditation and yoga for it systematically approaches that incorporate both mental practices and physical poses to alleviate symptoms. Future research should gather assessments from therapists on their clients change and growth throughout the 10-week yoga interventions. Further research is needed in order to clarify the role yoga and mindful meditation play in helping those whom suffer from PTSD recover. Moreover, research in yoga as it relates to PTSD is essential to positive psychology for its correlation to positive cognitive states and processes. Overall yoga and mindful meditation help elevate ones well-being and ultimate goal to achieve happiness.