Alcoholism is a chronic disease Essay Example for Free

Alcoholism is a chronic disease Essay Alcoholism is a progressive and chronic disease that includes controlling drinking, using alcohol even though it causes problems, having physical dependence with alcohol, or having withdrawal symptoms when one tries to cut back or stop consuming alcohol. One can have a problem with alcohol and not have it progressed to alcoholism. That is called problem drinking which means one drinks too much causing repeated problem in their life. According to the Mayo Clinic (2012), binge drinking is a pattern where a male consumes five or more drinks in a row, or a female drinks at least four drinks in a row. Binge drinking can lead to the same health risks associated with alcoholism (Mayo, 2012). Not being able to stop drinking or cut back and denying you have a problem is a few of the things that come with alcoholism Criteria for alcoholism based on the DSM V are an individual meeting any two of the eleven criteria during the same twelve month period. Examples of these criteria include: a persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control alcohol use, craving or strong desire or urge to use alcohol, and important social, occupational or recreational activities are given up or reduced because of alcohol use (NIH, 2013b). As for ICD criteria, an individual must experience certain criteria as well. ICD criteria require an individual to experience three or more of the criteria occurring together for at least 1 month or if less than 1 month, occurring together repeatedly within a 12-month period. Examples of these criteria include: â€Å"Difficulties in controlling drinking in terms of onset, termination, or levels of use; drinking in larger amounts or over a longer period than intended; or a persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to reduce or control drinking, Need for significantly increased amounts of alcohol to achieve intoxication or desired effect; or markedly diminished effect with continued use of the same amo unt of alcohol, or Important alternative pleasures or interests given up or reduced because of drinking† (Hasin, 2013). According to the article, Alcohol Consumption and Cancer Risk (2011), there is a dramatic link between alcohol and cancer. â€Å"Heavy alcohol consumption ( ≠¥4 drinks/day) is significantly associated with an increased risk of about 5-fold for oral and pharyngeal cancer and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, 2.5-fold for laryngeal cancer, 50% for colorectal and breast cancers, and 30% for pancreatic cancer† (Pelucchi, Tramacere,  Boffetta, Negri, Vecchia, 2011). Evidence proves that even one drink per day increases the risk for pharyngeal or oral cancer by 20% and 30% for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Breast cancer has an increased risk of occurrence with three to six drinks a week. When an individual exposes themselves to both alcohol and tobacco, there is a greater increase in oral and pharyngeal cancer risk. Alcohol also causes an increase in head and neck cancer when it is used alone (not used in conjunction with tobacco). â€Å"Restricting alcohol to limits indicated by the European Code Against Cancer would avoid nearly 90% of alcohol-attributable cancers and cancer deaths in men and over 50% of cancers in women† (Pelucchi, Tramacere, Boffetta, Negri, Vecchia, 2011). This article provides great evidence of excessive alcohol being linked to further health risks for individuals who indulge over the recommended amounts. A person suffering from alcoholism has many outer appearance changes throughout their life. Someone suffering from alcohol withdrawal may experience nausea, sweating, hand tremors, visual hallucinations, or seizures. These are all very common symptoms associated when an alcohol dependent person goes through withdrawal. Not only do these physical symptoms occur, but psychological symptoms also occur. Examples of psychological symptoms include depression, anxiety, i rritability, restlessness, or insomnia. Both the physical and psychological symptoms can be visible from an outsider’s perspective. An alcohol dependent person may not experience withdrawal symptoms if they are taking in enough alcohol on a daily basis that meet their required needs to feel well. Though they may not have the withdrawal symptoms, they do have physically visible symptoms from their excessive alcohol intake. Symptoms include facial redness/flushing of the skin, xerosis, dull skin tone, follicular hyperkeratosis, gingivitis, tooth decay, black hairy tongue, and weight gain. The most common though include dehydration of the skin and bloating in the abdomen or face (Drink Aware, 2014). Drinking too much alcohol deprives the skin from important vitamins and nutrients. Over time, losing these nutrients from excessive drinking can cause permanent damage from frequent flushing and redness of the skin. Facial and abdominal bloating occurs when the person experiences dehydration from the excess about of alcohol intake (Drink Aware, 2014). Prevalence of lifetime alcohol  use by age and gender graph was reported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (2013c): males age 18-24- 70% and women 55%, males age 25-34- 82% and women 65%, males age 35-44- 82% and women 63%, males age 45-55- 80% and women 55%, and males age 55 + 71% and women 39% (NIH, 2013c). According to the data from the National Household Survey, most Americans had at least one drink of alcohol by late adolescence. Among men, 70% to 83% reported consuming alcohol on at least one occasion during their lifetime, as compared to 39% to 66% of women. The prevalence rate of lifetime alcohol use among men is highest among those aged 25 to 55 and lowest among the 18 to 24 and 55 or older age groups. Similar findings were found for women, although they reported lower rates than men. The rate of lifetime alcohol was lowest among women ages 55 or older. The largest gender difference was noted among the 55 years or older age group, with males drinkin g more. The smallest gender difference was between 18 to 24 years old (NIH, 2013c). Alcoholism results from the complex interaction of genetic, social, and environmental factors. Alcohol has widespread effects on the brain and can affect nerve cells, brain chemistry, and blood flow within the frontal lobes. Neurotransmitters are affected by long-term use of alcohol. Neurotransmitters are released when alcohol is consumed, which produce euphoria and a sense of well-being. â€Å"Chronic exposure of the brain to alcohol is thought to result in long-term adaptive changes that initially produce increased reinforcement for alcohol use and over time progress to withdrawal and negative affective states, so that regular alcohol use is required to feel normal† (Chung Pittman, 2013) Being dependent on alcohol is often associated with psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, depression, or PTSD. Genetic factors are believed to play a role in alcohol abuse. The New York Times (2013), believe the amygdala, part in the brain responsible for controlling cravings, has been reported to be smaller in individuals with family history of alcoholism (TNYT, 2013). There are also many social and environmental factors that contribute to the development of alcohol abuse or alcoholism. There are mass marketing of alcohol on television, billboards, and gas stations. Marketing tends to increase the number of alcohol sales and in turn increase chance of alcohol abuse among individuals. Many young individuals are pressured by friends or even family to begin drinking at a young age. Drinking at a young age greatly increases  chances of that individual to suffer from alcoholism in the near future. During the general assessment of a person suffering from alcoholism, the nurse is to first gather accurate data regarding their drinking patterns. The nurse must ask the question, â€Å"Do you sometimes drink beer, wine, or other alcoholic beverages?† If the person states yes, then the nurse asks â€Å"How many times in the past year have you had five or more drinks in a day?† This will help the nurse gather important data regarding excessive alcohol consumption. The next step is to tell the patient to decrease the amount of alcohol that is being consumed since the chance of It is also important to ask about their life style, family, and relationships. The person may be experiencing depression or anxiety if they have lost family support because of their addiction. If this person is experiencing withdrawal symptoms during the assessment, the nurse should plan to provide comfort measures for this patient. The patient may also be very agitated, embarrassed, or not level headed, since alcohol has these effects on an individual. By simply looking at the patients’ appearance, the nurse should be able to determine if the alcohol has caused further damage to the body’s organs. For example, if the liver is failing, the person may experience jaundice. Focusing the assessment around the use of the alcohol and effects it has on his or her life will be of most concern. The patient should have a full lab workup to determine if further damage has occurred to this patient’s health. The nurse can also provide appropriate resources for help, such as AA meetings, rehab, or family counseling, which will be beneficial for the patient. Drinking too much can take a serious toll on one’s health. Alcohol can affect a person brain, heart, liver, pancreas, immune system, and can increase the risk for cancer. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (2013a), alcohol interferes with the brain’s communication pathways. These disruptions can change mood and behavior. These changes can also make it harder to think clearly and move with coordination (NIH, 2013a). The heart can be affected with cardiomyopathy which is stretching and drooping of heart muscle. Arrhythmias, stroke, and high blood pressure can also occur from over using alcohol. Research by the NIH (2013a), alcohol can inflame the liver and cause steatosis or fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, fibrosis, and or cirrhosis. The pancreas produces toxic substances that can eventually lead to pancreatitis (NIH, 2013a). Pancreatitis is inflammation and  swelling of the blood vessels in the pancreas that prevents proper digestion. The immune system is weakened. Chronic drinkers are more likely to contract diseases like pneumonia and tuberculosis than people who don’t drink. Chronic alcohol consumption increases risk for cancers such as mouth, esophagus, throat, liver, and breast Alcohol pharmacokinetics includes absorption, distribution, and metabolism. After oral absorption, alcohol is absorbed from the duodenum by diffusion (Ramchandani, 2009). The rate depends on the volume of alcohol consumed (the less concentrated the slower rate of absorption), rate of drinking (faster you drink the faster the absorption), food, and gastric metabolism. The distribution of alcohol is into total body water. There are also gender differences in body. Women have a lower proportion in total body water compared to men. Metabolism of alcohol occurs primarily in the liver in a two-step process. As researched by Ramchandani (2009), the first step, alcohol is oxidized to acetaldehyde by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase or ADH. In the second step, acetaldehyde is converted to acetate by the enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase. Then there is alcohol pharmacodynamics (Ramchandani, 2009). Alcohol is a CNS depressant. Its stimulatory effects result from depression of inhibitory control mechanisms in the brain. Characteristic responses to alcohol include euphoria, impaired thought processes and decreased mechanical efficiency. More than just a doctor is needed for the treatment of alcoholism. Alcoholism counselors, social workers, psychologists, and family therapists are a few others that may be involved. There are three stages in treating alcoholism. The first is to make sure the person is medically stabilized. Next, they must undergo a detoxification process which is then followed by long-term abstinence and rehabilitation. According to Cunha (2012), the most common medication in treating alcoholism is disulfiram (Antabuse). It interferes with alcohol metabolism resulting in a metabolite that makes the person nauseated and very uncomfortable when consuming alcohol (Cunha, 2012). If they stop taking this they can implant a device under the skin so they have to continuously take it without the freedom of being able to stop it. Other medications used are naltrexone (ReVia), acamprosate (Campral) and a class of antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) (Cunha, 2012). Alcohol withdrawal is treated by oral or IV hydration along with medications. According to Cunha (2012), the most common  medication groups used in treating alcohol withdrawal symptoms are benzodiazepines, which include lorazepam (Ativan), diazepam (Valium), and chlordizepoxide (Librium) (Cunha, 2012). Any person that is being treated for alcoholism should also receive thiamine (vitamin B1). The thiamine levels ar e usually low and if deficiency occurs it could lead to Wernicke’s encephalopathy. The detoxification stage involves stopping the alcohol consumption. This usually occurs in an inpatient setting and will require extensive support. The medication will be given and then tapered off until no withdrawal symptoms are evident. This process lasts a few days to a week. Rehabilitation can be either a short term or long term residential program. These help those who are more severely dependent and need the help to develop skills not to drink and to work on ways to help them from relapsing. Short term programs are less than four weeks long where long term programs can last for a month to a year or more. There are also several effective individual treatments delivered by professional counselors in outpatient treatment clinics. These treatments include: twelve-step facilitation therapy, motivational enhancement therapy, and cognitive- behavioral coping skills. There are also self-help programs which are: Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), women for sobriety, Rational Recovery, and SMART recovery (Cunha, 2012). These allow alcoholics to stop drinking and remain sober on their own. In conclusion, alcoholism is a very serious condition that sadly many people face in the world. There any many means of helping these patients, but only if the individual wants the assistance. Once the person is so alcohol dependent, they are in a state of denial and think that nothing is wrong with their habit, but the earlier we get them to understand their problems then the easier it is to help them through it. Alcoholism is not only a terrible disease itself, but it also leads to many other deadly diseases and illnesses. The first priority to make a difference in the world is to educate the youth about alcohol, which will hopefully decrease the rates of alcoholism occurrences in the future. The effects of alcoholism which are physical and psychological can cause many problems that affect a person’s life in all aspects. Alcohol alters one’s brain, muscles, digestion process, and other disorders that affect one’s health. It also can cause depression or changes in behavior that result in problems with their family, friends, and with themselves. References Chung, P. Pittman, J. (2013). Epocrates Online. Alcohol Abuse. Retrieved from https://online.epocrates.com/noFrame/showPage.do?method=diseasesMonographId=19 8ActiveSectionId=24 Cunha, J. (2012). E Medicine Health. Alcoholism. Retrieved from http://www.emedicinehealth.com/alcoholism/page8_em.htm Drink Aware.(2014).Health Effects of Alcohol. Alcohol Dependence. Retrieved from https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/check-the-facts/health-effects-of-alcohol/mental- health/alcohol-dependence Hasin, D. (2013). National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Classification of Alcohol Use Disorders. Retrieved from http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh27-1/5-17.htm Mayo Clinic Staff. (2012). Alcoholism. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alcoholism/basics/definition/CON-20020866) National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIH). (2013a). Alcohol’s Effects on the `Body. http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/alcohols-effects-body National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (NIH). (2013b). Alcohol Use Disorder. Retrieved from http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/dsmfactsheet/dsmfact.pdf National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIH). (2013c). Epidemiology of Alcohol. Problems in the United States. Module 1. Retrieved from http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/Social/Module1Epidemiology/Module1.html Pelucchi, C., Tramacere, I., Boffetta, P., Negri, E., Vecchia, C. (2011). Alcohol Consumption and Cancer Risk. Nutrition Cancer, 63(7), 983-990. doi:10.1080/01635581.2011.596642.

The invention of childhood

The invention of childhood Discuss the experiences of evacuees during World War 11 and consider what problems they, their families and their hosts experienced. Brown (2000) believes the seeds of the Evacuation came from World War 1 when the bombing of towns and cities killed many civilians. By 1938, war looked inevitable. Thousands of lives would be put at risk because of the power of the German air force. The nations children were the future of the country and had to be protected from danger. The big cities like London with large populations were seen as being at the greatest risk of bombing so it was decided that all the parents of city children should be encouraged to evacuate children to the countryside where they would be safer. Evacuation involved moving thousands of children, mothers with babies and teachers from their homes and putting them into the homes of strangers. It is debateable whether this was a good idea. This essay aims to consider the experience of evacuation on the host families, the parents of the children but most importantly on the children. According to Holman (1995) in September 1939, the Government started large- scale evacuation of children and young mothers from cities to the countryside. Planning had started as early as 1925. Inglis (1990) writes that the children arrived at railway stations carrying a bag with a gas mask, a snack for the journey and a few items of clothing. Each child wore a label with his/her name written on it. She says many children saw it as a great adventure and there was an air of excitement. Some were bewildered and resented being sent away. Children who travelled with their school friends and teachers had continuity in their lives but those travelling alone reported feeling isolated and frightened. According to Richard Titmus in Inglis (1990) the mothers of the children were pale and fighting back tears as they waved their children off. They were torn between looking after their childrens safety and putting lives at risk. Government posters were designed to make them feel guilty if they kept the children in the city. It was the first time many had been parted from their children. Inglis (1990 p37) says those parents who did let their children gooften felt nearly bereaved by the cruel but apparently necessary separation. The misery of being separated was made worse because parents had to make a means tested contribution towards the childrens keep as well as funding normal living costs. This put a burden on poorer families. Parents were given one rail ticket per month to visit children. These visits also upset the mothers because the found their children dressed in clothes chosen by foster mothers because they were considered inadequately dressed for the country. Parents resented being made to feel like paupers (Inglis p55). Some foster families had good but fair discipline and the children were happier because the household was calm and orderly. Visiting mothers could feel jealous of the harmony. Majorie Allen, an evacuee, is cited in Holman (1995), saying young mothers with very young children were billeted with families. This caused problems for both women, trying to cook and do washing in one kitchen. Sometimes they were expected to stay out of the house all day and had nothing better to do than walk around the roads with young children. This often meant that the children did not get proper meals, opportunities to play or have a quiet nap. Opportunities for noisy play were limited and the childrens imagination was poorer as a result. The mothers were bored and this was bad for the children. One said it was difficult to make lasting relationships with other mothers because you never knew when you were going back home. Host families had to be found for the Evacuees. After the phoney war of 1939 80% of the evacuees returned home only to return to the country a second time in 1940. Offering accommodation was voluntary at first but by the end of 1940 it was compulsory to take in an evacuee if you had a spare room. Cunningham (2006) says that some people welcomed the idea of giving children from inner cities the experience of living in the country and the children thrived but Brown (2000) says that some people did not welcome the idea of taking in children and claimed they were too ill or had no space. Hosts were paid a weekly amount to feed the children so some hosts did it for the extra money. Some foster mothers crammed too many children into one room just to get money. Inglis (1990) says there was not much effort put in to match children to families. Children were often paraded round and foster parents picked one. Naturally the clean children were picked first. Some siblings were split up. Often there were problems associated by the lack of matching child to family. Religion was sometimes an issue. Children had been told by their parents to do as they were told which sometimes meant going to a different church or in the case of Jewish children eating non- kosher food. There were reports of the very young being placed with very old foster parents who could not cope. Some foster mothers were child haters according to Inglis. One evacuee claimed she had to shop, clean and look after a 3 year old. Holman (1995) says some children suffered physically and emotionally at the separation from mothers and fathers and some children were beaten and starved. One boy spent his days scrounging for food and as a result he did not go to school. By the time he was n oticed by the police he was so emaciated that he had to be hospitalised. Inglis reports that children often returned home after a very short time because they were unhappy. One went back to London after 6 months because she preferred the bombs to being in North Devon. Some however were away for 5 years. Smith (1996) states that lots of families who took in children lived in large houses and the system highlighted the differences in the class system, Evacuation often led to class tension as middle-class hosts and working class evacuees struggled to co-exist under one roof (Smith 1996 p9). Hosts were shocked by standards of hygiene and behaviour. They had not realised that people lived in such poor conditions. Hendrick (1997) says that Angus Calder said the host families seemed to forget why they were taking in children and accused them of being bed wetters, bad mannered and infested with bugs. Cunningham (2005) believes these problems were signs of mental stress. Michael Aspel recounting his thoughts about being evacuated in Inglis (1990) says that one of the most profound effects of the evacuation was to bring to the nations attention the shocking disparity in childcare in Britain and the extremes of wealth and poverty that divided the nation. The plight of the evacuees showed how important the family was to emotional security (Cunningham 2006 p202). The problems of the evacuees were followed up by John Bowlby with his research on the effects of maternal deprivation. This led to a move away from separating children from their main carer. Anna Freud was also against separations and she suggested that the long separations were more distressing for children than the bombings. She studied young children who had lost at least one parent and noted that children regressed to childish behaviour like thumb sucking, bed-wetting and rocking. She believed evacuating children had the same effect. However, Josephine Barnes feelings are reported in Cunningham (2006), she believes that moving children to the country benefited them because not only did their health improve but they learnt to be independent and got experience of how people in the country live. Although there are reports of poor treatment there are many happy stories. Inglis (1990) writes about Mrs Ivy Moore who was evacuated to Dorset with her young son. She thought her billet was like paradise. This experience was not usual but there are many reports of children not wanting to return to the city after the war. Michael Caine states that he was determined to do well in life so that he could live in a big house like his foster home. Some families took children on holidays and taught them to read. There is little doubt that many host families did a good job. Some childless couples looked upon the evacuees as their own. They were very upset to see children returned to their parents. Evacuation was a remarkable historical happening because it enabled the haves to meet the have nots directly Cunningham (2006 p 165). Inglis (1990) says that journalists following up the evacuees reported that the evacuated children never really lost their attachment to the family even though many preferred living in the country to inner city slums. It seems that the children did not forget that foster families were temporary. Hendrick (1997) thinks that thousands of children did suffer and it has affected them all their life but thousands only remembered kind treatment and love. Susan Isaacs carried out research at the end of the war and reported that evacuees missed the simple things in life like playing in the park even though they had acres of countryside to play in. They missed being allowed to make a mess and being teased by siblings. Some of the houses were very grand. However, Inglis (1990) says children often resented being sent away from home even if the host families were kind. Many were homesick. She tells the story of one of the children who had been given a hair bow by her mother and kept it in her pyjama pocket. She went to sleep stroking her face with it for comfort. One child said her foster mother did not smell like her own mother and she did not like the smell. Susan Isaacs spoke to the mother of one child who had reportedly cried herself to sleep every night and always looked ill because she was so homesick. However, many children missed their foster families when they went back home. Parents expected the children to be happy when they returned home but some children said they were happier in the country. Some children said they felt claustrophobic because their houses were so small. Those who were dissatisfied felt guilty and ashamed of their feelings. Inglis says children had to adapt to new surroundings and then readapt back. They had to remodel their personalities in order to fit in with new surroundings (Inglis p 149). This is hard for young children. One evacuee states that she is a hoarder and blames this on the fact that she had to leave all her precious possessions at home when she was hurriedly evacuated. Another says she still remembers the feelings of isolation during moments of stress. This suggests that the effects of being separated have a lasting effect even though many bad memories are repressed. It seems there are many arguments for and against the evacuation programme but there is little doubt that it saved many young lives. It did cause a breakdown in the family and has been blamed for the increase in the number of children breaking the law between 1939-1941. This supports the theory that family breakdown is a major factor in juvenile crime. Tom Harrison, the MO Team Leader at the time is quoted saying in Inglis (1990 p 46) that 94% of parents reported that their children were happy. Unfortunately that means that 6% were not happy but there were changes for the better that were brought about as a result of the Evacuation. Hendrick (1997) states that the evacuation programme revealed the poor health and living conditions of inner city children. The Government could no longer get away with proposing that children were the responsibility of their parents. The single most important consequence of evacuation was the centring of the family in all future policies for childrens we lfare and the problems associated with separating children from parents led to new social policies being introduced Hendrick (1997 p 55). References Brown, M. (2000) Evacuees, Evacuation in Wartime Brittain, Stroud: Sutton Publishing, pp63-113. Cunningham, H. (2006), The Invention of Childhood, BBC Books pp191-192,p202,p233. Cunningham,. 2nd Ed. Children and Childhood in Western Society Since 1500, Harlow: Pearson Education Ltd, pp186-187. Hendrick, H. (1997), Children, childhood and English society 1880-1990, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp53-55. Holman, B (1995), A Very British Revolution: The Evacuation, Oxford: Lion Publishing, pp29-30. Inglis, R. (1990), The Childrens War, Evacuation 1939-1945, Fontans/Collind, pp Smith, H. (1996), Britain in the Second World War: A Social History, Manchester: Manchester University Press, pp9-42.

Drunk Driving Essay -- essays research papers, Alcohol

The Saturday night party was the place to be. Anyone who is anyone was there. John’s curfew is midnight and its 12:05. Mark had been doing quite a lot of drinking and he was John’s ride home. John questioned whether or not he wanted to get in the car with Mark, but thought about how mad his parents were going to be. He was already five minutes late. Saying to himself â€Å"Just this one time,† he decided to get in the car. John never made it home that night. Mark had rolled the car off the bridge one mile away from his house. John lost his life all because he was afraid of getting grounded. There are many situations similar to John’s, and in a lot of them, no one survives. Because of all the death and tragedy as a result of driving under the influence of alcohol, I feel that there should be an increased punishment if caught. The legal definitions of "driving" and "drunk" are open to many interpretations, which vary greatly from state to state. In some places, "driving" can include sitting still in a parked or wrecked vehicle with the motor off, or starting up a car in a driveway. Police can and do arrest people whom they believe are drunk before they get on the road and even when they've pulled off to "sleep it off," just if they're in the driver's seat. As for the definition of "drunk," there are several major factors to consider. You can be "legally impaired" as viewed by the law without ever taking a drink, if you have taken other substances like prescription drugs that affe...

The Murder Of Oneself :: essays research papers

<a href="http://www.geocities.com/vaksam/">Sam Vaknin's Psychology, Philosophy, Economics and Foreign Affairs Web Sites Those who believe in the finality of death (i.e., that there is no after-life) – they are the ones who advocate suicide and regard it as a matter of personal choice. On the other hand, those who firmly believe in some form of existence after corporeal death – they condemn suicide and judge it to be a major sin. Yet, rationally, the situation should have been reversed : it should have been easier for someone who believed in continuity after death to terminate this phase of existence on the way to the next. Those who faced void, finality, non-existence, vanishing – should have been greatly deterred by it and should have refrained even from entertaining the idea. Either the latter do not really believe what they profess to believe – or something is wrong with rationality. One would tend to suspect the former. Suicide is very different from self sacrifice, avoidable martyrdom, engaging in life risking activities, refusal to prolong one’s life through medical treatment, euthanasia, overdosing and self inflicted death that is the result of coercion. What is common to all these is the operational mode: a death caused by one’s own actions. In all these behaviours, a foreknowledge of the risk of death is present coupled with its acceptance. But all else is so different that they cannot be regarded as belonging to the same class. Suicide is chiefly intended to terminate a life – the other acts are aimed at perpetuating, strengthening and defending values. Those who commit suicide do so because they firmly believe in the finiteness of life and in the finality of death. They prefer termination to continuation. Yet, all the others, the observers of this phenomenon, are horrified by this preference. They abhor it. This has to do with out understanding of the meaning of life. Ultimately, life has only meanings that we attribute and ascribe to it. Such a meaning can be external (God’s plan) or internal (meaning generated through arbitrary selection of a frame of reference). But, in any case, it must be actively selected, adopted and espoused. The difference is that, in the case of external meanings, we have no way to judge their validity and quality (is God’s plan for us a good one or not?). We just â€Å"take them on† because they are big, all encompassing and of a good â€Å"source†.

Is Development Methodologies In Financial :: essays research papers

Introduction & Overview of the Company Marks and Spencers is a large UK based retailer with 683 branches in 2 continents. Following the deregulation of the UK financial sector in the mid eighties the company decided to use its experience, capital, and brand power to branch into the lucrative financial services industry offering personal loans, life insurance & pensions, and savings & investments services such as Unit Trusts and ISAs through the company Marks and Spencers Financial Services. Financial Services is now one of the fastest expanding areas of Marks & Spencers, MSFS employs more than 1,400 staff at its purpose built headquarters in Chester, and has dedicated financial services areas in 70 M&S stores across the country. The Information Systems department has 50 employees who come from analysis, design, & programming backgrounds, much of which has been gained with Marks & Spencers plc. The majority of these employees are based in the Chester head office, and systems are developed ‘in-house’. IS project s under development include the introduction of Individual Savings Accounts, with other likely future projects including telephone banking, credit cards, and auto/property insurance. The fact that MSFS has entered the Financial Services Sector comparatively recently and with a established IS knowledge base from the parent company has meant that existing information systems have been well developed in terms of technology and are compliant with the latest industry regulations. Therefore there is little or no need for redevelopment of existing systems in the short to medium term, and the ISD focus is almost exclusively on new market areas requiring Information Systems that can be started from scratch. The main exceptions to this are the possibility of introducing data warehousing to tap the potential of both MSFS’ and the parent company’s client database to better target MSFS customers, and the need to adapt existing systems for the introduction of the Euro, projects which will involve redesign of existing data stores and software. The company has grown very quickly, and IS projects have consequently grown considerably as can be seen by the size of the IT department. While there are still small to medium sized projects, some that are currently being considered will be on quite a large scale with several senior analysts working on each project. These projects are anticipated to require an IT department expansion of 50% over the next two years. Although MSFS’ IS projects share certain common characteristics in terms of their requirements, such as the need for a common ISD structure across projects, they vary considerably in size and strategic importance, with future developments looking likely expand those differences.

The Bento as a Culture in Japan

The bento as a culture in Japan ID NO. 12411099 Word count: 1075 It is very convenient that students who study in APU can go to convenience store buying bento as lunch or dinner. In fact, everyday there are so many people who are students or businessmen buying bento as their lunch when they have no time to eat lunch in resturant or made by hand. In some way, bento is a pretty important culture in Japan society. Bento first appeared in ancient period in Japan, which mostly stood for more wealthy class people. On the contrast, especially for the rural residents just took some rice balls when they went out do to something.The rice balls were considered formed in Yayoi era of the late (about two centuries before and after), which has been had a very long history. The rice balls was called † grip rice† (nigirimeshi), or â€Å"imperial Results† (omusubi) to the Edo period. From this point of view, we can know that bento has a long history in Japan, and it is a kind of sp ecial culture of Japanese. Lunch sale has become a highlight to attract customers to buy the bento in various large convenience stores, such as â€Å"7-11†, â€Å"Family-mart†, â€Å"Lawson†.They use lots of ways showing their bento, and constantly develop the bento in new-types and new-tastes. According to the seasons change, they make the inexpensive bento but in good color, flavor, and taste. Japanese are usually accustomed to cold food, but in the winter they can use the microwave in the convenience store heating the bento by free. It shows that the Japanese people about the natural view. Japan is a seaboard country, they accept the most of food by the sea, so they have a highly respect to the sea. The price of bento is generally in the range from 450 yen to 700 yen.The qualities of bento in lunch house and lunch share seems to be above the supermarkets and convenience stores, because the food is fresh, and probably also serves soup. Lunch of the forms from the wicker suitcase, bamboo baskets, exquisite lacquer box, aluminum lunch boxes has already evolved into today's plastic or wood containers which are more convenient to take and heat. So why is bento so popular in Japan? Firstly, the bento stores are very popular. According to the survey, every province has almost 1000 bento stores in Japan. It indicates that the bento is a very important culture in Japan.Secondly, the economics decides the popular degree of bento in Japan. Thirdly, It can keep the balance of nutrition in daily life. Especially it is convenient for the businessmen who face much pressure of working. In particular, in Japan, the businessmen who are working in Japanese company always have to work overtime up to night, they don't have much time on meal, so the bento is convenient and important for them. Most of them can buy the bento in convenience stores, or the people who have already got married can take the bento which made by their wives.Most of married men who ta ke the bento from the family will feel a sense of happiness. It can deepen the relationship between husband and wife, promote the families getting more harmonious and happy. Lastly, bento has a power invaluable. Most of schools in Japan implement activity that called bento no hi. It is a activity that let children buy the ingredients of food what they want to cook, and then cook by themselves and the parents just only tell them how to cook. It also promote the interaction between parents and children.In the school, the children will show their bento each other, and it let them know how hard cooking. It even promote that the part of children choose to research the diet or the work about the diet sell. From above all, it shows that the bento as a culture in Japan society how important. The bento has a close relationship with the Japanese culture and society. Food is full of the bento box indicates that a smart Japanese culture. Bridging culture is like a bento box that is full of so m any things in a narrow space. It is not only the quantities of requirements, but also require the qualities.Except the reduced consciousness reflect the reduced things, in society, the team spirit of Japanese people and the spirit of seriousness are as well as a kind of reflection of reduced consciousness. In other words, bridging culture is very important for Japanese people. The bento culture can be seem from the Japanese reduced consciousness. How about bento in my country? In China, in fact, there is not having so many different kinds of bento. Most of people choose to eat in resturant, family, or fast food. In some ways, fast food is seen as a kind of bento.It has so many fast food stores in China, such as McDonald's, KFC. Most Chinese students and young adults like eating these fast food. The most of fast food is cooked by fried, which is full of oil, fat, and salt. It is unhealth for body. If people eat it very much and very frequency, it will lead to caner even death. And th e fast food is not fresh, in some ways, it maybe not very clean in the process of cooking. But why are so many people loving it in China? I think it is depends on the different country country has different diet culture. Japanese people love hanami in different seasons.Especially they enjoy sakura in spring. And of course, they will take the bento with them, and they eat the bento with their families or friends in the trees while they enjoy sakura. This is a special culture in Japan. They feel it can release the stress in the daily life when they eating bento in the sakura trees. Above all of the contents, bento has a long history in Japan, bento gradually develops an art , and a kind of driving force. According to the development of bento, it shows that the development and change of Japan society clearly.At the same time, it indicates that the outlook and attitude on life of Japanese people in nowadays. According to the bento, it make a close relationship between individual and soc iety, and it make people know each other as well as. The bento culture is a backbone of Japanese culture, it is a impetus that promote the development in Japan. References: : 2008 : ,2009 (2010/3/10) (Wikipedia). http://ja. wikipedia. org/wiki. : 2008.

Orphanage Essay

There be clock in e very(prenominal) champion manners when the person introspects himself and yearning to do roughlything for the pleasure and satisf amountion of mortal. I also had such moment and so a thought of doing something for the good curtilage evolved in me. I compulsioned to do something altruistic bothy for someone and sponsor the parliamentary law which eventually get out satiate my soul and give me peace. I joined an establishment which wait ons poor children by providing them instruction and tutor them to cope up with carriage as an orphan. G overnment provides them support exclusively that is non enough. In my view, they need more compassionate and a guide who faecal matter generate their hand and show them the right path.My character reference of cave inment of gild would include takeing method figurers to such students. I feel that computer raising is necessary for everyone in incumbent magazines and thus by utilizing my sk peaked(pre dicate)s and babble dedication towards dowery the impoverished state, I would t all(prenominal) them to stand typesetters case to face with the current technological needs.I am seriously excited almost my occasion in the club. component part someone selflessly and date stamping that you can be of look on to someone is truly satisfying. The thing which my soul is under caseing is the happiness, the sparkle of achievement in the eyes of those children when they would gain intimacy and would be able to guide their life worthwhile. though, I am nervous too closely(predicate) the extent by what I allow be able to provide what they seek from me. Every person has expectations and even those students would nurse some expectations from me. I neediness to suffer their expectations and sine qua non to support them and affect their stomachs in a positive counsel. This experience will help me too and give me a come about to explore the horizons of bon ton. I would be abl e to expand my piece and hornswoggle about my own limits by which I can be worth in a orderliness. This would also give me a chance to experience the life, the experiences and everything what those orphans wear confront. It would take me to their homo which surely would even out me a person who would be sensitive and would see the arna in a interrupt carriage.Journal compliance 2 initial ReactionsThinking about volunteering and luck the needy plenty is one thing and dowery in reality is a distinguishable domain of a function altogether. The expectations, the thoughts and the planning would help, nevertheless scarcely to an extent as the things be only antithetic on paper and in material.Before I started volunteering my thought was that I would just go and t apiece computers to the children and they would exactly learn things as it happens in the school. Well, it did non happen this style. I was in truth take aback and amazed by the way things move up. I n ever actually gave a thought that an orphanhood is not a school and it is a divergent serviceman where each child lives in his or her own mini ground too. It is subdued to deal with the children who came to orphans asylum when they were infants though, the children who came to orphanage by and by few years of start of their lives, it is real difficult and not a habitual task. They all expatriate some mad baggage which may be because of their ago memories or the things which view happened in their lives before. educational activity them straight is not the way it was expected.It was want a dispute standing in front of me to splice myself stirredly to them and be their friend, which will help them be thriving with me and learn what I in hunt to teach them. I needed to make a straddle for myself in their lives, their hearts and then(prenominal) have a connection which would act like a bridge surrounded by us.Journal Entry 3 Delving into the refinementAn orphanage is a go forth where happiness is not seen a lot of times. The children be emotionally unsecure and constantly look for comforter by dint of someone or something. The children from different kinds of societies, regions and countries reside in orphanage. Again, this difference is inexistent in the children who came here when they were infants as whatever they well-read has been through the orphanage only. But, at that place argon some children who ar from various get of the ball and who have different civilisations imbibed in them since birth which cannot be washed easily.What I have felt is that the spoken language of statusinology is not classical if you wish to connect with the students. It has never been a problem to me as children connect through emotions rather than words. thence the language of faces is more significant than language of words. I have had experiences with teaching children who do not speak English, but calm down I was able to connect to them emotionally and helped them understand things which my language skills could not do. Yes, there atomic number 18 some limitations because of the language barriers but both children and me put efforts together and surpassed this limitation.The orphanage is a mini world where you would bring children of different religions, regions and some students do carry their prehistorical life with them, which inculcates different culture in them. I as a person did not pay maintenance to the differences but the similarities and the factors which joined us as a person. This is the culture which I faced in the orphanage which I in condition(p) by seeing the children of different ramble on and creed joined by the hearts. This humanity, this ingenuousness is what separates them from the real world outside this orphanage where batch atomic number 18 ready to contest for their religion, their region and are busy in enmity to an extent that they dont have time for love.I really felt blissful that because of my volunteering and the thought of helping the society, I have seen different aspects of life and each day is a crude experience for me. The organization which I have joined is the reason behind this chance which has changed my outlook towards the life. The organization is One universe 365 which helps plenty all over the world through its touch sensation that a world can be a cleanse place if we consider it to be ours and overwork towards joining hands rather than slick them. It is a business group who has a huge volunteer group universal and helps the society by providing benefit options to the needy multitude. They are into this noble cause from past 25 years and have always been upfront to help the needy and inspection and repair the world. They have their supporters all over the world and volume who volunteer are leave in each major urban center in every country which is their actual bureau by which they stand tall.They have only one mission, Unite the world and make it a better place. They aim towards eradicating the geographical and religion differences in this world and helping the needy people by providing them with their needs. Since 25 years, they are position acquit efforts towards their goals and have achieved success each day to fulfill it. There are various projects running all over the world which help people in one way or the other. for each one volunteer works selflessly and make himself 100% towards the noble cause for the society.The scoop part about this NGO is that they do believe everyone as a part of their family. Each volunteer is their family and no one is a boss. We all are family members who are out there to help people with equality among us. This kind of environment has abandoned each volunteer a hotshot of ownership and it enhances the dedication which we have and the penury which makes us administer the society.Journal Entry 4 Health and Human operateI am really happy to join One earthly c oncern 365 because I feel that their vision and beliefs are co-ordinated my visions and beliefs. I have always been careful about overall development of the society and I think that if we need to make the world a better place to live in, we need to work from all of the directions so that no aspect of the world is left behind.In this world, there are three most important things which society needs to make the world a better place. First is food, which is important to stay alive. Second is education which would uplift the minds of each individual and thus the world as a whole. Third and last would be wellness. Each person needs straightlaced health and aesculapian exam help from time to time. There is nothing more important than being healthy if you are not healthy, you cannot do whatsoeverthing else even if you intend to. My this belief is shared by One World 365 fully and they have various health and well being programs all over the world which provides health check assistanc e, emergency run and guidance to people. They have affiliation with umpteen hospitals all over the world who serve the society and the world by providing health care to theneedy people who are not able to get the assistance which they deserve.One World 365 is a complete help oriented organization which provides medical work ranging from emergency services, critical indisposition treatments, organ donations, blood banks, epidemic services and medical schools. They serve the people by not just one way of treating them and providing medical assistance. They also provide education to the students who wish to become doctors, nurses and other medical technicians because it is very important to support the students who wish to help the needy and serve the people by providing them better health. Another very important aspect which the organization covers is the cognizance and educating the society about health and medical issues. As per various reports, there are some(prenominal) myth s about different illnesses and medical conditions in the world. Moreover, umpteen diseases are ca employ by the lack of knowledge and unawareness about some facts. Thus educating and guiding people is really important which helps people live a healthy lifestyle and go along their good health for a long time.A volunteer organization has a true aim to serve the society and provide a better life to people in the world. It is a perfect(a) plat rule for people who wish to help selflessly and commit themselves towards the betterment of people around them. These kinds of organizations act as a team which joins hands and work efficaciously to provide great things to the society and eradicating the ill aspects which are prevalent in the world. Though it is seen as a noble cause and everyone loves being a part of it, but still there are many obstacles which people face traversing the path of nobility. As per my experience there are many obstacles such as some governing rules which colli de with the practical situations and which suppress our power to help the needy. The second obstacle which I faced was more of a blaspheme factor which does takes a time to body-build up amid the needy and the provider. It took me some time to build the trust between the children and me but eventually this obstacle was upset(a) down.Journal Entry 5 Post-Volunteer paradeThe whole volunteering task was an enlightening process for me. It helped me introspect and break the boundations of my thinking and beliefs which were put on in before this project. I did teach the orphan children computers and gave them the knowledge which they needed to survive in the society and face the world when they come out of the orphanage. The world is a furious place with a lot of disputation in each field and education is the weapon which helps every person to meshing and win the war once morest it. I play the role of provider of that weapon which they hold proudly and are gearing up for the bat tle. I added value to their lives in the form of education and the knowledge which would help them make their lives better and can enable them to mount in their lives.The volunteering process was a bonnie one and it really gave me peace which I would not have got by any other way. Yes there were challenges but no challenge is as big as the willpower. I faced a challenge of emotional disconnect with the children as they used to see me as an outsider to their world and stayed aloof. Gradually, the things changed and there was a sense of emotional attachment which made us control this obstacle and we shared the world where they gained the knowledge and I gained solace through helping them.The whole thing was not as I pictured it of being a simple teaching like a school. It made me see a different world altogether which I never perceived. Each child was different and traffic with them was different which made me analyze the world, the feelings of people and the emotions and their ro le in peoples lives which I never could have imagined before. The assumptions of a fair world where people are just the same broke into pieces through this volunteer task.The task was selflessly elect and I never expected anything in return other than the peace which I would get through it. I did not get any scholarly awards or any recognition by this help but it has given me the most important gift, the gift of high thinking. During this volunteer project, I had learned a lot about the people, the world and the things which I always tend to oversee. This is not a short term benefit but indeed is a benefitwhich would help me my whole life. The way I think has changed and I can analyze in a better way which would help me in my occupational group and my personal life too.This experience has taught me a lot of things and I am decisive that I would always be volunteering in one way or the other. Helping the society is all it takes to be at peace and to develop a feeling of pride. I wou ld want to volunteer again and in a better way possible. I do not want to limit myself to only education, I want to expand my horizon and help the society in as many was as possible.