An evaluation of the planning and delivering of nursing care Essay

An evaluation of the planning and delivering of nursing care - Essay Example Considering the case of the patient, this study will discuss the importance of health promotion / health prevention, the acute management of ischemic stroke, and other nursing consideration whilst living with or managing the long-term health condition of the patient. Health Promotion / Health Prevention Aspect Health promotion aims to educate the patients not only on how they can effectively prevent the onset of a disease but also ways on how they can improve their overall well-being (Leddy, 2006, p. 24). Considering the case of the 52-year old patient, this study will focus on discussing the health promotion or health prevention related to ischaemic stroke. Primary Prevention Ischaemic stroke happens in case the brain artery is blocked (Stroke Association, 2012). This causes the blood supply unable to circulate in the brain. According to Wills (2007, p. 16), the three levels of health prevention includes: the primary prevention, secondary prevention, and tertiary prevention. In line with this, primary prevention is all about implementing some strategies that could effectively reduce the risk of a disease. The risk factors of ischaemic stroke can be used to determine what specific health promotion should be advise to the patient. Ischaemic stroke can be triggered by several monogenic disorder (i.e. mutation in Notch 3 gene, etc.) (Hassan and Markus, 2000). Although genetic disorders that can lead to stroke can be hereditary by nature, most of the risk factors of stroke are highly modifiable. Since the modifiable risk factors associated with ischaemic stroke include: smoking, hypertension, diabetes, poor diet, atrial fibrillation, lack of exercise, and obesity among others (Ahmad and Lip, 2012; NHS, 2008; Sudlow, 2008; Goldstein et al., 2006), the nurses can provide a primary prevention by teaching the patient the importance of healthy eating (i.e. eat more fish, fruits and vegetables, leanmeat, whole grain, restriction on fat, sugar, and salt intake), include a 30-minutes of regular exercise each day or at least five (5) times each week, refrain from binge drinking and limit the intake of alcohol, and avoid or stop the use of tobacco (WHO, 2012; NHS, 2008). Through health teachings, the nurses can empower the patient through self-actualisation. After conducting a health teaching, the nurse can refer to patient to stop smoking clinics in case the patient is a smoker. In case the patient is at risk of stroke due to poor eating habits, the nurse can refer the patient to a professional nutritionist. Secondary Prevention The secondary prevention is all about shortening the incidence of stroke through early diagnosis and treatment (Wills, 2007, p. 16). Assuming that the patient has suffered from a mild stroke, the secondary prevention should include encouraging the patient to modify their lifestyle and receive early treatment. If the patient has a history of smoking, the nurse should educate and encourage the patient to stop smoking. Likewise, it is equally important for the nurse to encourage the patient to avoid alcohol consumption, watch his diet, and maintain his accepted body weight through regular exercise (Sudlow, 2008; Goldstein et al., 2006). On top of modifying the patient’s lifestyle, the nurse should encourage the patient to receive annual check-up and treatment for signs of risk factors related to the development of a vascular disease. Hyptertention is one of the common risk factors of ischemic

W8last-OD Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

W8last-OD Report - Essay Example If the top management has a proactive feel about the change avenues, it will always make sure that the organization is geared to achieve success on a consistent basis (Berkowitz 2003). These steps should be undertaken by the organization to make sure that the change regimes are in place and are being adopted by the different tiers within the realms of the organization. The performance regimes depend a great deal on the ways and means through which the organization is gauging the facts and figures and in light of the same, the different recommendations and conclusions are drawn up from time to time. In essence, it is always a good practice to have as much consistency within the efforts as possible as this will bring in a huge amount of success. Ethical discussions are pertinent because these embody the basis of its success in the long run from a holistic perspective. Moral values and justifications are important from an organizational standpoint as these are looked upon in a very positive way. These help the basis of building hierarchies within an organization and thus bank on the premise of bringing about a solid change, a change that is long-lasting and happens on a consistent basis (Streatfield 2001). An assessment for any organization will suggest that ethical considerations are significant and that these will tie up the employees with the rules and policies that the business concern teaches from time to time. In fact the human resources management concern has a huge role to play within the entire mix as it dictates the basis of success or failure as far as the ethical talks are related. Any organization would direly require the correct incorporation of ethics within its folds because this embodies its criteria for att aining success or the lack thereof, in the long run scheme of things (Robbins 2004). The organizational assessment gains quite a fair amount of share within the discourse that

Subsonic And Transonic Flight

Subsonic And Transonic Flight There are basically three speed ranges for the flight of aircrafts, namely; subsonic, transonic and supersonic. All the three speed ranges were taken taking the speed of sound in a medium as a reference point. In this analysis, more emphasis is given to the former two which are subsonic and transonic flight. Subsonic flight refers to flying the aircraft at speeds less than the speed of sound with no formation of shockwaves. This is the speed range where most of the commercial aircrafts operate. The ratio of the speed of the aircraft and the speed of the sound is known as the Mach number. In technical terms for subsonic flight, the aircraft is flying at mach numbers which are less than Mach 1.0 since the aircraft is travelling at relatively lower speeds than the speed of sound. There are no shockwaves for aircrafts flying at subsonic speeds. This is because the acoustical disturbances generated by the passage of a subsonic aircraft, and the sound waves suffer attenuation with distance from the aircraft due to spherical spreading (Crocker, 2007). On the other hand, transonic flight deals with flying at higher subsonic speeds ranging from Mach 0.7 to approximately equal to Mach 1.0 (Aircraft Research Association, 2012). In transonic flight an aircraft flies at speeds less than the speed of sound, but with the presence of shockwaves. This leave a question of how is it possible that shockwaves form at speeds less than the speed of sound? But the answer to this question is explained by the movement of air around the aircraft. Far upstream from the aircraft, the motion of air is in uniform manner, all at the same speed. As the air come in contact with the aircraft, some regions of the air speeds up especially the air moving above the wings, creating a differential airspeed around the aircraft. These accelerate the air molecules and they end up moving very fast. These regions move faster than the speed of sound at transonic speeds, and these regions at all times end in a formation of a shockwave. DESIGN FEATURES THAT DELAY TRANSONIC FLIGHT PROBLEMS Different aircrafts are built in different ways, so the transonic region for a particular aircraft will depend on its design characteristics. There are many design features that can be employed in aircrafts to delay the transonic wave drag. In this analysis more emphasis will be on the use of thin aerofoils, use of low aspect ratio wings and the use of swept back wings. THE USE OF THIN AEROFOILS For transonic flow the wave drag rise is roughly proportional to the square of the thickness-chord ratio (NASA, No Date). This implies that when thinner aerofoil sections are used, the flow speeds around an aerofoil will be less than those for the thicker aerofoils, due to the minimum curvature of their upper and lower cambers. This give a clear indication that even at higher free-stream mach numbers, flight is possible before a sonic point appears and before the drag divergence Mach number. The drag divergence Mach number is the Mach number at which the aerodynamic drag increases rapidly as the Mach number continues to increase. It can be concluded that thinner aerofoils delay the drag divergence Mach number to a greater value. Thin aerofoils have got some disadvantages associated with their use even though they are very useful in solving transonic flow problems. Firstly, in the subsonic range of speeds they tend to be inefficient in producing lift. Also, given that the wing is too thin, it can accommodate less structure such as the structural support and fuel tanks of which means for such structures as the fuel tank they have to be embedded maybe under the fuselage. Aircrafts with thinner aerofoils also face common landing accidents due to their landing speeds which are particularly high. THE USE OF LOW ASPECT RATIO WINGS The wings aspect ratio is another factor that control the critical Mach number and the transonic drag rise. Aspect ratio is the ratio of the wingspan to its mean chord length. When looking at the aircraft from above the aspect ratio refers to the measure of how long and slender the wing appears. It is linked to the wing plan form arrangement as opposed to its cross-sectional arrangement. In this case the wingspan is the straight line distance connecting the two wingtips. Strike (2008, pp.45) clearly stated that high aspect ratio wings have an advantage in that they form low trailing edge vortices and thus reduce the induced drag. He further explain that induced drag is inversely proportional to aspect ratio, which implies wings with high aspect ratio produces low induced drag and the ones with low aspect ratios creates high induced drag. The picture below shows the configuration of both low aspect ratio wings, moderate aspect ratio wings and high aspect ratio wings. NASA (No Date) claims that an aircraft with an aspect ratio less than about four will experience a considerable increase in the critical Mach number. This become useful at high transonic speeds as the drag divergence Mach number is delayed as the critical Mach number is increase which means an aircraft can fly at high speeds before shockwaves form. Low aspect ratio wings are used at transonic speeds as there are structurally strong since the distance from the wing tip to the fuselage is not that big allowing agile manoeuvrability at high speeds. Nevertheless, the main disadvantage with low aspect ratio wings is the difficulties they face at subsonic speeds because of the higher induced drag. THE USE OF SWEPT WINGS Wing sweep as one of the aircraft design features has an important role in delaying the transonic flight problems. Most importantly swept wings can delay and reduce the effects of compressibility. The idea of swept wings in supersonic flight was put forward by Adolf Busemann in 1935 (NASA, No Date), the idea which most of the best aerodynamists didnà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢t agree with at first. In transonic flow, swept wings delay the formation of shock waves to a far much higher Mach number. This reduces the wave drag over all these mach numbers. Shockwaves depend on the span component that is 900 to the trailing edge, and this is a far much smaller component than actual airspeed in swept wings. Aircraft wings can be swept both forward and backwards. The disadvantage of forward sweep is its ability to lose stability and handling characteristics at low speeds. In backward sweep, the wing experiences early separation and stalling at the wing tip sections resulting in ailerons loosing roll control effectiveness. The figure below shows swept wings on a two-seat F-15E strike eagle. With swept wings, the major disadvantage is the span-wise flow along the wings and for sweepback the boundary layer will thicken towards the wing tips and towards the root for sweep-forward. This span-wise flow can be reduced in a number of ways. Firstly, stall fences can be used at wing tips. These are parallel plates to the axis of symmetry of the aircraft. Stall fences helps to prevent the build-up of a strong boundary layer over the ailerons, allowing effective functioning of the ailerons. Wing twist can also be another solution to the span-wise flow condition. EFFECTS OF ICE AND SNOW ON AIRCRAFTS The build-up of ice and snow on an aircraft can have catastrophic effects on the ground and in flight. This ice and snow can form on the parts of the aircraft during flight where the aircraft will be flying on very harsh weather conditions which can allow the freezing of water molecules at high altitudes since the temperatures are always very low. Ice can also form on an aircraft on the ground during taxing or when the aircraft is not in use and is not housed on a hangar. On cold and rainy day, rainwater can freeze on the upper surfaces of the wings and if not removed, this ice can have many different effects on the aircraft. In this section the effects of snow on the aircraft is going to be analysed fully. Ice is one of the foreign object debris which when left on the aircraft can pose a very critical threat to the aerodynamics and performance of an aircraft. It can also hinder the performance of the pilot who is controlling the aircraft. Considering the aerodynamics effects of ice, it can reshape the surfaces of the lift producing parts of the airplane thus the wings and the tail. This changes the aerodynamics of these parts completely such that more drag is produced and less lift. This increases fuel consumption. Wind tunnel and flight tests have been carried and it showed that frost, ice and snow on the upper surface of a wing can reduce lift by as much as 30% and increase drag by as much as 40% (CAA, 2000). The amount of the lift produced depends on the angle of attack thus the angle between the aerofoil chord line and the relative airflow. As the angle of attack is increased, the wing generates more and more lift until a certain angle where air cannot flow over the upper surface and the wing experiences aerodynamic stall. The point where stall commences has to do with the contour of the aerofoil. If the surface is contaminated with ice and snow it will be slightly rougher and this reduces the lift and alters the point at which stall takes place. Borrell (2009) claims that for scheduled air carriersà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ commercial passenger airlines inclusive icing has been a major factor in 9.5% of fatal air carrier accidents. During ground activities aircraft contamination with ice and snow lead to potential risks during takeoff and subsequent flight. These hazards are mostly sourced by the hindered flight controls or instruments and the deteriorated aerodynamic performance. If an aircraft has engines mounted at the rear of the fuselage, clear ice that has formed on the wings may become loose during flight due to flexing of the wings and may be ingested by the engines causing a possible engine blow or failure. In most cases engine failure is the result of icing within the engine fan blades or is because ice that has formed on the engine inlet has been ingested. Icing on the propeller blades can also cause a dangerous imbalance. It is vital therefore, that no aircraft should take-off before the pilot has ascertained that all the surfaces of an aircraft are ice/snow free. Ice can also cause an uncontrollable rolling and pitching motion on an aircraft and recovery might be impossible in cases where there is too much ice. These may lead to the airplane stalling at much higher speeds and lower angles of attack than normal. The other effect is that it can cause antennas to vibrate so severely that they break end up breaking. These can result in a communication barrier between the pilots on the aircraft with air traffic controllers on the ground or other pilots. These on its own has an upper hand of causing an aircraft crash. As ice forms on the windshield, the pilotà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s visibility may be lost leading to the pilot controlling the airplane on imagination which in most cases is a very dangerous threat. According to Brandon (2000), the weight of25mm of ice on a small general aviation aircraft would be about 30-40kg, which shows how much a little ice can have on the weight of the whole airplane, so there is no such thing as a little ice. SOLVING ICING PROBLEMS Aircraft icing problems can be overcome in a numerous ways which can be classified under the two sub topics of de-icing and anti-icing. De-icing are measures that are put in place to get rid of the ice that have already formed on the aircraft structure. This procedure of de-icing can be done with mechanical or pneumatic tools or with employment of warmed de-icing fluids. Mechanically, de-icer boots are fitted in sections along the leading edges of the wing, and horizontal and vertical stabilisers. The boots are made from natural rubber and fabrics made of rubbers between which are inflatable tubes closed at the ends. The tubes are then connected to the air supply. When in operation air is pushed in to the boots using the tubes hence increasing the pressure and as a result the bond between ice and the aircraft weakens and ice falls off. For de-icing using fluids, the liquid is applied along the centreline of the upper part of the fuselage, and then over the sides. The problem with allowing the aircraft structures to ice and then rely on de-icing is that some will be invisible to the human eye and sometimes left on the aircraft resulting in catastrophic effects during flight. On the other hand, anti-icing is a preventive way of not allowing the build-up of ice on the surfaces of the aircraft structures. Glycols act an important role in this operation because of their non volatile characteristics, non-toxic, non-corrosive and having low freezing points. Anti-icing is usually performed before takeoff as the liquid is usually effective for 10-20 minutes (RIA Novosti, 2013). Anti-icing systems on flight are usually turned on before approaching an icing zone. This systems are typically, carburettor heating, fuel vent heat, pitot heat and windshield heat. Anti-icing on the wings is done by spraying the fluid from the leading edges to the trailing edges of the wing. Anti-icing as a preventive measure is the method of the two since the user is assured of no ice formation on the aircraft hence minimum or no adverse effects of ice and snow build-up on aircraft structures. BIBLIOGRAPHY AOPA Air Safety Foundation (2008) Aircraft Icing. USA: Bruce Landsberg. Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand (2000) Aircraft Icing Handbook. New Zealand: CAA. Crocker, J. M. (2007) Handbook of noise and Vibration control. Canada: John Wiley Sons. Fly Folker (2009) Ground Icing. The Netherlands: Folker Services. Kermode, A.C. (2006) Mechanics of Flight. 11th Edition. England: Pearson Education Limited. Perk, L., Ryerson, C.C. and Martel, C.J. (2002) Army Aircraft Icing. Hanover: U.S Army Engineer Research and Development Centre. Aircraft Research Association (2012) Experimental Aerodynamics. Available at: www.ara.co.uk/services/experimental-aerodynamics (Accessed: 02 February 2013). Brandon, J. (2009) Icing Conditions in Flight. Available at: http://www.pilotfriend.com/av-weather/meteo/thnder.htm (Accessed: 01 March 2013). Borrell, B. (2009) How Does Ice Cause an Airplane to Crash. Available at: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=ice-flight-3407 (Accessed: 01 March 2013). NASA (No Date) Introduction to the Aerodynamics of Flight. Available at: http://history.NASA.gov/SP-367/chapt5.htm (Accessed: 03 February 2013). RIA Novosti (2013) De-icing of Airplanes. Available at: http://www.en.rian.ru/infographics/20110114/162128519.html (Accessed: 12 March 2013).

The Future of Television and Technology :: Film Television Technology

With the development of digital technologies the future of television lies with Satellite or Cable Broadcasting. The era of Terrestrial Broadcasting is now over. In my life, I have only witnessed first hand, the effects of media and its development since about 1995, as this is the earliest I can remember. However, my huge interest in the subject has lead me to broaden my knowledge over the way media had developed in the 1980's and even earlier. I believe that what I have witnesses is in fact the most important time period in the media development timeline so far.

In my military life I have learned about aspects of other cultures Essay

A military career is not only a way to apply one’s potential toward the noble cause of defending people; for me it was also a chance to travel and to expand my knowledge of other cultures and nations. I have a twenty-year military career to look back upon. During this time I was three times deployed to Iraq, once to Bosnia, and visited Japan for six week field exercise. This, in my opinion, is an impressive record of dealing with other cultures due to diversity of these nations and their relative difference from the US. These cultures were indeed very different. One reason may be the fact that they are located at such a distance from each other and my homeland that it seems that during travels you are spanning a huge distance and land in another world. Indeed, the Southern European setting of Bosnia is very different from Iraqi deserts and the cluttered Japanese landscape. Most of all, however, I was impressed with differences in lifestyles, attitudes and different aspects of culture that I had to deal with. I realized quite often how individualistic our culture really is, with every person defending one’s own point of view, without fear that others may disagree. In Japan, for instance, I often saw that people are not willing to impose their individual ideas. Instead, they are more willing to draw on the ideas and perceptions of the group they belong to. In fact, they always seem to have this feeling of a group in the background that stands ready to support them, a quality that even made me envious of them at times. I think it is very useful for a person to see how people in different cultures perceive individualism, or â€Å"the importance of the individual as compared with collective goals and efforts† (Couto, Cabral 2004). At the same time, I found it frustrating at times how the Japanese tend to treat Westerners as outsiders. As one gets to know them more closely, one learns that their society, too, is composed of â€Å"many groups and sub-groups — and not always in perfect harmony and cooperation as it may look on the surface† (â€Å"Culture Schock 101†). One learns that there is often a division of ‘them† and â€Å"us† between the Japanese and the arrivals, so that one can spend a lot of time there without getting close to the natives. I think there is no reason to get frustrated about it just as there is little reason to be frustrated about people being different from us altogether. Acceptance helps good relations and can often overcome differences since ultimately it is not similarity, but mutual sympathy and liking that matters in human interaction. Quite a few times, I had misunderstandings with our Japanese counterparts, like, for instance, invitations to dinner that people in Japan do not really intend to make. I several times fell for these invitations only to find out later that they meant simply an invitation to good cooperation. It took me a while to realize that people make these invitations to promote the general air of harmony in relationships. I later found out how important harmony is to the Japanese and began to avoid actions that could disrupt it. When we were in Iraq, this was surely different from Japan, partly because of the political aspects, and partly because Arab culture and in particular Iraqi culture is so different. I think my first surprise was the food that proved to be something in my taste, so that I learned a couple of recipes and brought them back to the US. Then another thing that captured my eye was all the material culture they had, like ancient artefacts and modern things that are so elaborate, elegant and at the same time bright and eye-catching. Then one more thing that soon becomes obvious is the importance of religion to the Iraqi people who think in Islamic terms about their daily happenings so that their whole philosophy is inextricably linked to their religion and its doctrine. In the US it often feels as if people leave their faith behind the doors of the church when they leave the Sunday service, but in Iraq they are committed to thinking about faith on a daily basis. It is like a glass through which they see the world, thinking about it in terms of what Islam wants them to do. I think a great part of learning about other cultures and their peculiar traits is that you get a more complete picture of your own background, putting it in context. Things that seemed natural and obvious begin to look different because now you have a chance to assess them from a different viewpoint. I recently came upon the article that talks about US culture as promoting â€Å"the behavior of women like drunken, sexually aroused yobs as a way for them to â€Å"be one of the guys†, a way for them to be funny and â€Å"with it† and cool† (Faisal 2003). Without having been there, I would probably feel hurt by this description. Now, in contrast, knowing the way of life people live over there I can understand how our world might look to them. Indeed, it is often hard to bridge the gap between cultures, but with a bit of common sense a person can make it, once one realizes that many values are vastly different across the globe. As for Bosnia, I was pleased to find out that in this relatively poor area people are so hospitable and sociable. I think that Bosnia, too, has a collectivist culture, but it is one that is relatively easy for foreigners to penetrate. I enjoyed seeing the neighborhood networks that are so well-developed in their culture and how people get together in locales called kafane and kafici. I also had time to realize that it is not in fact a homogeneous culture but one that includes great diversity, including divisions between Muslims and Christians. I believe that my background allows me to realize many cultural issues that would otherwise have escaped my attention. Dealing with individuals coming from other cultures on a daily basis allows insights into deep-seated cultural values and assumptions. At the same time, presence in the country acquainted me with material aspects of other cultures. For someone new in the culture, even ordering dishes in a local cafe can be a problem since one does not know what to choose. However, as one gets hold on daily happenings, one is ready for realization of more complex things. Bibliography Couto, Joao Pedro, & Vieira, Jose Cabral. â€Å"National Culture and Research and Development Activities. † Multinational Business Review (Spring 2004). 26 Nov. 05 . â€Å"Culture Shock 101. Japanese Culture — A Primer For Newcomers. † 26 Nov. 05 . Faisal, Amr Al. Raunchy Sexy Things. 2003. 26 Nov. 05 .

Development Through the Lifespan Essay

In brief form explain why knowledge of human development over the lifespan is important for counsellors to be aware of. Learning about human growth and development signalled, to me, the importance of assessing and considering developmental goals when working with both children and adults. Life-span development theories provide a useful place to start when offering emotional support as a Counsellor. Understanding an individual’s previous stages of development and environment can give the Counselor and Client a common place from which to begin the counselling process. Essentially, the life-span development approach addresses the basic ‘nature vs nurture’ debate by allowing for both. Just as our physicals selves are determined by both genetics and lifestyle, so are our emotional selves. Considering cognitive, biological, and socio-emotional development throughout life will provide context, guideposts, and reasonable expectations for Counsellors. Knowledge of human development over a lifespan is important for counselors to be aware of because it allows them to identify natural stages and cycles that individuals will commonly go through in their lifetime. This can help counsellors to identify what is normal and what is abnormal. Being aware of these abnormalities/normalities could save the counsellor a great of time in the assessment and interview process, the formulation of treatment goals and could ultimately change the treatment plan. As a Professional Counsellor, I plan to consider life-span development to specialize in counselling a specific type of person with hopes of becoming well-versed, and therefore more helpful, in the types of experiences that group faces. Personality can be better understood if it is examined developmentally† (Santrock, 2006, p. 45). Give two short examples of how developmental knowledge would help a counsellor deal with two specific types of adult issues. A client comes to me for stress related symptoms and during the assessment I learn that he is 22, halfway through his first year of graduate school and the first time he’s away from his home town, 2,000 kilometers away. Since he falls within the norm, I may want to delve into some related issues to also be able to cross them off a list that I use to form my diagnosis and treatment plan. Had he not been in the 19-25 age range, my assessment goals would be different. If I were asked to counsel a group, I could employ a standard set of questionnaires for everyone to fill out. From there I could ascertain many important characteristics, feelings, longings which they all had in common. I could use the lifespan to formulate a generational perspective to better relate to where they are at in this part of their life cycle. Acquiring a rich amount information in a short period of time could be very valuable in guiding the group towards their goal with compassion and empathy. Development through the lifespan is a concept of how people develop throughout the lifetime. Typically, this involves a sequence of stages and describes important factors that are likely to influence development. BENEFITS: Criteria for mental health, with characteristics of unhealthy or disordered emotional functioning either explicitly or implicitly stated. This information is important in helping people set realistic treatment goals and in assessing progress. Information on how to promote healthy development and help people reduce symptoms and enhance their coping skills and satisfaction with their lives. A description of the role of the effective counselor and the desired relationship between client and counselor. Nearly all theories of counseling currently recognize the powerful impact of the therapeutic alliance and offer clinicians ways to collaborate effectively with their clients. A safe and healing environment and a caring, skilled, and trustworthy counselor are essential to successful treatment. Strategies and interventions that counselors can use to help people achieve their counseling goals. Examples include reflections of feeling, modification of cognitive distortions, and systematic desensitization. Information on treatment parameters such as duration and frequency of sessions; whether to use individual, group, or family treatment; and benefits of medication and other adjunct services. Delineation of those people who are most likely to benefit from this treatment approach. Adaptation throughout life depends on how each of us negotiates the internal and external factors that enhance or constrain our abilities to reach our full potentials. The essence of lifespan development is in how we build on our strengths to transcend these limitations over time. While a developmental perspective has been at the heart of psychotherapeutic practice since its early Freudian beginnings, the view of development as a process spanning from birth to death is relatively recent. According to Sugarman (2001), the emphasis on childhood during much of the 20th century reflected prevailing restrictive notions of what constituted â€Å"development†, as only changes that were â€Å"sequential, unidirectional, universal, irreversible, and end-state or goal-directed† were seen to count as development. Developmental theories have increasingly expanded beyond these confines, however, and since the 1980s it has been possible to talk of a whole life-span perspective (Baltes, Reese & Lipsitt, 1980) which shares certain underlying principles, formulated by Baltes (1987, cited in Sugarman, 2001) as the seven tenets of this orientation. These can be summarized as viewing development as a lifelong process which is multidimensional and multidirectional, shows plasticity, involves both gains and losses, is interactive, culturally and historically embedded, and the study of which is multidisciplinary. While such a view of development broadens the scope both for the researcher and the practitioner, it also entails that there is no one â€Å"correct† way of development, something that places particular demands on Counselling Psychologists. We need to be open-minded and able to embrace complex and contradictory notions of development on the one hand, and be improvement-orientated on the other, so changes are inevitably evaluated, i. e. measured against some ideal. While these challenges are met differently by different approaches to counselling and psychotherapy, Sugarman (2001, p. ) points out that there is overlap between different perspectives, as they describe â€Å"common themes if not of perfection, then at least of successful ageing†. Across different therapy models, the practitioner – like the life span researcher – is involved in â€Å"finding, co-constructing and interpreting the stories people create and use to describe and understand their lives† (Sugarman, 2003,p. 316). How the story is constructed is influenced by the practitioner’s orientation, but the goal is ultimately to help the client make their own choices. Evaluating some events as negative does not entail being concerned with eliminating negatives, as, for example in a â€Å"disease† model (Sugarman, 2001). In the life-span approach, negative events are rather viewed as necessary parts of life that provide the opportunity for growth (Sugarman, 2003). The move from development as something occurring only in childhood to a continuous process spanning from birth to death brings the subject of death itself to attention. If death is merely the endpoint of the life span and of development, it could easily be discarded as a subject of interest. However, even if we see death as nothing more than the end of life, as its destination, then it follows that the life course is a movement towards death and that death is in some sense present throughout life. One fundamental existential truth is that we must die. This certainty in life is also the most incomprehensible truth for us to come to terms with, as, in the philosopher Herbert Fingarette’s words (1996), â€Å"in our consciousness [we] will never know death firsthand† (p. ). Freud (1915, as cited in Fingarette, 1996, p. 150) wrote similarly: â€Å"At bottom, no one believes in his own death. Or, what comes to the same, in the Unconscious, each of us is convinced of his immortality. † This also suggests that we have a tendency to deny death, something that according to Yalom (1980, p. 59) occurs not only in the client but also in the therapist and, as he claims, â€Å"there is collective denial in the entire field of psychotherapy†. There may also be denial in the study of life-span development, as Sugarman (2001) makes scarce mention of death throughout her otherwise authoritative text on the subject. This seems odd considering that not only the structure of the life course is determined by our expectation of death but also the meanings we attach to life. In fact, as Fingarette explains, our conceptions of life and death can be seen as mutually influencing each other: â€Å"A mirror, too, is empty, without content, yet it reflects us back to ourselves in a reverse image. To try to contemplate the meaning of my death is in fact to reveal to myself the meaning of my life. † (p. 5) Death awareness thus sharpens our awareness of life, and making sense of death involves making sense of life, as, for example, through constructing our life story, an activity that requires a sense of authorship. For Yalom (1980, p. 31), who bases his thinking partly on Heidegger, â€Å"death is the condition that makes it possible for us to live life in an authentic fashion†. Death awareness is then worth facilitating in Counselling Psychology practice, as it helps clients re-evaluate life and make important changes towards a more fulfilled life. There is ample literature promoting a positive view of death, e. g. Kubler-Ross (1975) who describes death as â€Å"the final stage of growth† and â€Å"the key to the door of life† (p. 164). She believes that growth is the purpose of living and that we all have an inner source of love and strength which connects us with the eternal and that we live more fully when we are aware of this source. Stephen Levine (1986) takes this perspective further and encourages the reader to prepare to die by letting go of their sense of self, something that can be practised through meditation and through accepting and even welcoming pain. Both authors may be over-optimistic but they have something to teach all practitioners of psychotherapy and counselling about openness and compassion. Levine thinks that therapists can only give what they have got themselves and that how they deal with their own suffering determines the depth at which they are available to the client. A completely open relationship towards pain and death may only be possible for a fervent religious believer, but Yalom (1980) warns that faith may also act as a defence against death anxiety. According to Yalom, we cope with death anxiety by employing more or less healthy defences, and it is neither possible nor desirable for the therapist to completely eliminate death anxiety in the client, as some anxiety is necessary for life-enhancing death awareness. Instead it is the rapist’s task to facilitate a â€Å"sense of certainty and mastery† (p. 189) through enabling the client to create a coherent structure out of their life events. This would be in line with the above-mentioned goals formulated by Sugarman (2003) and indicates how death awareness can enhance life-span awareness and promote a more conscious narrative re-framing in Counselling Psychology practice. While death awareness and anxiety are relevant themes throughout life, they assume particular importance in mid-life. The term â€Å"mid-life crisis† was coined by Jaques (1965), who conducted a biographical study of over 300 major artists and found a marked increase in the death rate between the ages of 35 and 39 as well as a definite change in the quality and content of creative output. It has to be noted here that due to an increase in longevity, â€Å"mid-life† would now occur at a later stage, so a definition of this phase in terms of a specific age range must be viewed with caution on account of historical changes alone. Furthermore, rather than trying to determine an exact period at which mid-life occurs, researchers now tend to see it as an â€Å"ageless† phase, characterized more by themes and on texts (Biggs, 2003). However, Jaques† general observations regarding the differences between an artist’s early productions and those later in life may still be of interest today. Specifically, he notices a â€Å"hot-from-the-fire creativity† during the artist’s youth and more of a â€Å"sculpted creativity† as of the late thirties (Jaques, 1965, p. 503). To achieve the greater serenity of mature work, the artist is seen to undergo a â€Å"mid-life crisisâ€Å". Jaques regards this crisis as arising from depressive anxieties due to an awareness of one’s own inevitable death on entering the second half of life. Coming from a psychoanalytic perspective, he views youthful idealism as arising from the unconscious denial of human mortality and destructiveness (what Freud called the â€Å"death instinct†) and argues that â€Å"constructive resignation† (p. 505) to these inevitable truths at mid-life can lead to mature creativity. However, this requires the painful working-through of a depressive crisis. While Sugarman (2001) comments that only a minority of people actually experience a crisis of such proportions, Counselling Psychology clients are more likely to be among this minority. However, Kleinberg (1995, as cited in Biggs, 2003) has observed that many mid-life clients enter therapy to deal with â€Å"stagnation† rather than a crisis, although issues around ageing and finitude are also present. A more comprehensive approach to mid-life has been presented by Levinson et al. 1978), whose stage theory of the „seasons of a man’s life? has particularly illuminated the developmental tasks of the â€Å"mid-life transition† (p. 191), a term based on Jung’s description of the divide between the first and second halves of life, the â€Å"noon of life† (p. 33). According to Levinson – whose theory is restricted to men, although much could apply to women too – this is a time of disillusionment, as the current life structure and the self need to be modified and some fundamental polarities, i. . young/old, destruction/creation, masculine/feminine and attachment/separateness, need to be resolved in preparation for middle age. Similar to Jaques (1965), Le Vinson emphasises that the illusion of one’s immortality must be given up, a painful process that may, however, lead to greater maturity: â€Å"Slowly the omnipotent Young hero recedes, and in his place emerges a middle-aged man with more knowledge of his limitations as well as greater real power and authority† (p. 218).

A Grave Decision Essays - Drug Control Law, Drug Culture

A Grave Decision Essays - Drug Control Law, Drug Culture A Grave Decision A Grave Decision I come to you today not as a politician looking to say the right things or as an ex drug users looking to lecture you on the disastrous effects of drug use. But I do come to you today as a terribly concerned citizen of this great nation. As you are probably are aware of our government is pondering the idea and is leaning toward legalizing such illicit drugs as marijuana, cocaine, and heroin. There are those in this nation on both sides of the spectrum in this great debate. Some believe that the government should not be able to control what we put in our bodies and others like myself believe that the legalization of street drugs could have irreversible repercussions. For over the last fifty years drug use and abuse has been a huge problem in our society. Countless amounts of taxpayers dollars have been spent to combat the ever increasing drug problem. These tax dollars have gone towards such aids as drug rehabilitation, drug education and drug awareness. Although not overwhelming to a certain degree our efforts have worked. In 1988 it was estimated that there were 11 million people classified as addicted illicit drug users, currently that statistic is approximately five percent lower. And for those people who say that that money was not well spent, well what I have to say to that is if those billions of dollars saved just one person from the evils of drugs then to me it was worth it. Now after fighting so hard to wipe out drugs are we willing to take a step backwards, concede to the pressures of other and legalize drugs? I think not! Many believe that legalizing drugs would have lead to benefits in our nation. One point, which they often bring up, is that it would lessen the rate of crime. They try to prove the fact that the legalization of drugs would deter future criminal acts such as robbery, murder and assaults. But the facts prove that most drug related are on the down in most American cities anyway, this is do to the fact that we are crunching down on pushers and dealers which goes back to the point of tax payers money and its benefits. These same people emphasize the contrasting aspects of prohibition. When the public realized that prohibition could not be enforced the law was repealed. From this, they try to infer the same of legalizing drugs. Saying that legalizing alcohol didnt increase alcoholism, so why legalizing drugs increase drug abuse and addiction? I wont argue that Ill just straight out disprove it! In fact the percent of the population that is alcoholics is almost twelve percent higher then it was at the time of prohibition. On that note I can only imagine what the increase of drug use would be if it were to be legalized and become readily available and easily accessed in stores to all of the population. Those who have taken a stand for the legalization of drugs must be in a drugged up haze themselves or in total denial of the horrendous effects of drug abuse. The reasons why drugs should not be legalized in my opinion are endless; I could sit here all day and talk about them. Legalizing drugs would increase their accessibility to not only current drug addicts, but it would increase accessibility to those who had never experienced drugs because of a variety of reasons such as the high prices or the fact of legal consequences. We as society would be feeding addicts, instead of trying to help them kick an addiction that will in the end lead to their eventual death. Is it not the job of the government to protect the people within its control? If this true, then why would they even consider doing such a grave action as legalizing drugs? Do are national leaders even know what they are considering doing? Do they realize what the society will be like when it is considered okay to go and have a joint or sniff a line of coke or do a hit of heroin in public? I just do not think the government and