The Issues For Building Resilient Communities Environmental Sciences Essay

The Issues For Building Resilient Communities Environmental Sciences Essay Hazards are found everywhere and so the onus is always upon the communities involved to find ways to deal with such hazards (Benini et al 2008), some of which may have serious consequences while others may be less serious. Harzards which are posed by disasters may however, have far reaching effects on the local communities and in most cases there may not be adequate ways of tackling these and the communities must learn to live with such hazards. This essay will make an attempt to evaluate the nature of harzards their effects that call upon certain measures of resilience to be affected to deal with the same. It is the view of this essay that in areas where disasters are prone, there may be more hazards and hence also, more resilience responses by the members of the communities than in areas where such disasters and hence harzards are less (Garg et al 2007). But this view is only limited to the extent where natural disasters are common and not necessarily in areas where other disasters might occur, because, while natural hazards may be common place in certain areas for instance flooding and cyclone in Bangladesh due to its geographical position, fire hazards may occur in any country irrespective of its geographical location and hence the scope of this discussion will be limited to the kind of hazard that will be used (Berkes, Colding, Folke 2003, Zhou H., et al 2008). Disasters which often lead to hazards may be defined as those occurrences that are unplanned and are sudden or even anticipated and whose effects are often widespread (Benini et al 2008). Disasters have over the years struck different parts of the world and as much as they are not anticipated, there is never a guarantee that they have stopped. The essay will also present ways in which resilience communities might be build to deal with several hazards, which might arise in such a way that when such hazards arise the effects may not be too great to bear. According to Hollings (2004) and Hewitt (2004) resilience is important when dealing with hazards fro a number of ways; First, it creates a holistic approach to dealing with hazards on the basis of common notion or scientific suggestions, second, it provides the community with a multi-hazard response approach where the society will always know how to approach a hazardous situation from different perspective and lastly, being a forward looking approach, it can help a society to build response policy for dealing with hazards as and when they occur. Vulnerability of communities When a community is faced by disasters, there may either be resilience or vulnerability. In the view of this paper, resilience is the ability of the society to deal with such disasters and to overcome with little or not casually whatsoever, while vulnerability is the situation where the society is resigned to the harm caused by the disasters and the occurrence of the same will often come with devastating effects (Berkes, Colding, Folke 2003). Hazards, which are often a result of disasters, must hence be deal with using systematic or had-oc mechanisms (Islam , Deegan 2008). According to Backoff (2001), the people who live in stressed conditions are often more predisposed to cope that those in other conditions, and in the view of this report and according to (Jordan 2009), the levels of coping with such conditions may often change due to changes in the intensity of the conditions (Garg et al 2007). Different communities hence have different ways for dealing with hazards as they arise and while some may have a holistic approach to dealing with hazards for instance, tackling all hazards in the same way, others might have specific approach to dealing with the same (Zuberi 1988). There may hence be a debate as to which approach is the best. The nature of intervention build by a community may hence be viewed as a matter of tradition and culture than as a matter of snap policy. The Coast of Bangladesh This area of Bangladesh is considered the most hazardous due to the problems that are posed by environmental hazards to the residents each year (Islam , Deegan 2008). When the cyclone roars, it causes with it death and unimaginable injuries to the people living in these areas . What often happens here is that when the anti-clockwise cyclone starts offshore as a result of low atmospheric pressure, it increases the height of the water to a few meters and with a wind of about 190km/ hour, when such water is pushed to the land, it causes massive destruction (Garg et al 2007). Official figures showing the history of such disasters in Bangladesh indicates that this cyclone killed 0.5 million in 1970, and it was known as the great cyclone. Also, this coastal area is not strange to tornadoes and between 1877 and 1987, Bangladesh suffered a total of 19 serious cyclones with such tornadoes often carrying properties and depositing them tens of kilometres away and in the course of doing so, leaves masses of people, dead, injured or homeless (Salman 2009). The government records indicate that in 1987, 1988, 1998, 2004 and 2007, several floods have raved Bangladesh leading to serous deaths. In 2004, 40% of the capital city was affected, the experts have warned that the effects of global warming will become the cause of hazard in the recent times, and that Bangladesh must be ready to face it or deal with it (Salman 2009, Islam, Deegan 2008). Hazards and Vulnerabilities Bangladesh faces many problems occasioned by disasters which are both natural and man-made (Zuberi 1988), including flooding, silent but rampant spread of HIV-AIDS, Child Malnutrition and of course poverty. With relations to flooding, which will form our main subject matter, there are many contributory factors that have made this country and especially the coastal region to be most vulnerable to disasters (Kumar, Reddy 2007), first, as stated earlier, the country sits on the path of hot air and cold air meeting points making it vulnerable to cyclones and torrential rains which often cause havoc to the people in the region, Bangladesh is geographically placed on an estuary where the sea curves into the masses of land on either side at the bay of Bengal (appendix 1) and when the moist air from the sea meets with dry air on the land then the results is heavy rainfall, that may be up to several millimetres higher in a day that most places get in a several days (Salman , 2009), secondly, Bangladesh has probably the highest concentration of river estuaries within a small mass of land, than any other country, making it vulnerable to flooding when the rivers break their banks, thirdly, Banglade sh also has one of the highest population densities in the world with a density of 1045 per square kilometre (AsiaInfo 2010). With such a high population density, (Salman 2009, Malone 2009), noted that any occurrence in hazard will definitely have devastating effect on the masses. This explains why whenever there is flooding in this county, the number of deaths will always running to several hundreds if not thousands. Fourth, this country has one of the highest poverty levels in the world and certainly one of the poorest in South East Asia region (Medical News 2008, Jordan 2009), with dowry payment that often runs to more that hundreds of times of average daily wages, being blamed for such levels since families try to save a lot of money in a lifetime and luxury or even mere subsistence is non existence (Mahmud , Amin 2006, Garg et al 2007). With such levels of poverty, it is the view of this report that the government does not also have any resources to provide for its population, indeed if there are no provisions to support the population in normal times, then, such may not be available when hazards strike. Fifth, the levels of ignorance in this area and especially at the coastal regions is extremely high that the population has not ideal whatsoever about issues of climate change, or weather conditions (Martin et al 2006, Berkes 2007), and this has led to late reaction when floods are developing since people go about their businesses as if nothing is happening and by the time they begin to react, it is often very late. According to (Hudson 2008), when a society does not appreciate the issues surrounding their safety, especially when such issues are caused by natural catastrophes, then the results are often catastrophic as such societies are often well placed on the time-bomb of prolonged danger and destruction. But, lack of awareness is often related to the levels of poverty in the society and this can hence be attributed as a secondary issue of vulnerabilit y in this region of Bangladesh, since it is a result of general levels of poverty, but not necessarily of ignorance, as the people in the cities are often more informed than those in the rural areas (Martin et al 2006). But (Zuberi 1988), argued that disasters have not subjective effects, and levels of ignorance have never spared or saved a society when disasters are about to strike, however, these views are subjective, since, the nature of destruction and hazards posed by disasters largely depend on the kind of hazards in question (Malone 2009). Building resilience In an area where flooding hazard is an issue that has continued to affect the society for decades, resilience is crucial. According to (Berkes 2007) , it is important to build good resilience to ensure that the hazards are reduced and their effected minimised. Resilience, provides a society with ways of avoiding suffering not only for the present but also for the future (Kumar, Reddy 2007). However, this has to be carried out systematically, lest it fails. There is a need to ensure that there is greater acceptability of the resilience mechanism by the society in such a way that programs being given immediately take off with general consensus of the masses (Hudson 2008). It should however be noted that for issues affecting cultural practices, it is important to tread carefully, and ensure that local community heads are put on the forefront of the program. Such activities may include; the local government representatives and religious reasons. From the information presented above, it can be seen that the coastal region of Bangladesh is extremely vulnerable to flood hazard dating back to past decades. One of the noticeable but simple and less effective ways that the people in the coastal regions of Bangladesh have been doing is to build elevated wooden structures (Zhou H., et al 2008). Of course the choice of material has nothing to do with building defences but everything to do with subjection to poverty, since, in the view of this essay, stronger housing, are necessary for creating some level of defences against flooding, but, wooden structures do not provide such resilience (Bennett et al 2010). In this region, people have also adapted to creating sandbags from soil and placing them around the vulnerable areas near the river as a way of having a sustained defence against flooding caused by overflow rivers (Malone 2009) , but these methods are carried out at micro level and there is no way they can be judged as effective. According to (Zhou H., et al 2008), the government must priorities its response mechanism and involve the local community in the process. This essay holds the view that, in order to create resilience, the following must be considered; first, the government need to start long term empowerment programs where people will be empowered economically, in Bangladesh, the United Nations bodies have continued to engage the local population in empowerment programs (Swalheim, Dodman 2008), but this has been short term and aimed at putting food on the table, rather than creating long term propensity to purchase. There is a need to ensure that self-sustaining economic activities are encouraged and this can be done through the provision of facilities for cottage industry, subsidies, tax holidays and fetching for markets for the products (Garg et al 2007). Cottage industries are preferred than agriculture which the people have for so long relied on, but without tangible success, secondly, there is a need to create a nationwide awareness for cultural change where people will be encouraged to change their attitude towards marriage and d owry (Mahmud , Amin 2006, Garg et al 2007). This will obviously be very hard to achieve, but it can be made to be part of the long-term strategy to making people to spend their money, this will result in increment in the general levels of riches in the region. Third, there is a need to ensure that the population in the coastal region avoids practices that put the environment in jeopardy and instead, engage in such practices as will lead to environmental sustenance, including, responsible disposal of non-biodegradable materials, some of which are used to make the makeshift houses, and afforestation. The premise here is that, due to higher levels of rainfall every year, it is possible to plant trees in millions in the whole region and especially by the river areas. The trees to be planted should initially be such that have a faster growth pattern, which will grow fast and act as barriers to erosion and windbreakers (Garg et al 2007). This is a sure long-term defence that will transform the region forever, and guarantee life for posterity. When the forest cover is developed, it is possible to embark on agriculture and this will develop the area further as famine will be a thing of the past, and the society, which will have also developed cottage industry will be in a good position not only to provide for their food but also housing. The view held by this essay is that afforestation and development of cottage industry are crucial in building resilience. On particular importance is afforestation, which will control climate change as Bangladesh still sits on the path of the wrath of climate change. Rampant flooding, which causes with it deaths, sicknesses, destruction of property and other problems will continue to affect this area if nothing is done to develop a long term solution (Bennett et al 2010, Garg et al 2007). Bangladesh will remain on the Bay of Bengal and if irrigation continues in India and silt is deposited in Bangladesh along river Ganges, then nothing can be done from the side of India, then activities for conservation must be undertaken in Bangladesh, and everyone should participate. Discussion and Conclusion This essay has managed to highlight the historical issues that have put Bangladesh on the path of flood and hazards. Hazards have had devastating effects on a people and their property and when it is perennial, the effects may lead to a cycle of poverty that may not come to an end. The need for resilience in the societies is therefore vital and as seen in the case of coastal areas of Bangladesh, geographical disposition of the country makes it very vulnerable and especially the coastal regions which (Garg et al 2007). The people of this country are also very poor and that translates to governments inability to provide for emergency, leaving the people exposed to floods and cyclones. In this area most people, have erected elevated houses to stay above the flood lines but when such houses are built on cardboards and polythene and even wooded materials, the defence created are very much minimised and instead, lack of sanitation and these materials, cause further problems to the environment (Garg et al 2007). As much as there are issues that can be viewed as being taboos, it is important to ensure that such taboos are gradually but surely dealt with. Most notable was the issue of dowry and issues of HIV AIDS which are also contributory to disasters in this country . What needs to be done, is to create a level of higher purchasing power and this can be done through engaging the community in cottage industries than agriculture, which can be encouraged by the government who should get the market for the people and technology too (Swalheim, Dodman 2008), along with this, there may be more acceptance to embark on tree planting activities and if the government sets targets for a certain number of trees to be planted, then this will provide impetus to the people to do the same, but they must be taught about the importance of environmental conservation (Garg et al 2007, Martin et al 2006). Later on, as economic conditions improve, and when the trees have developed, people can then be taken through responsible agricultural training. The government should work with and encourage community-based organisations to mobilise and encourage the local communities to undertake such projects. By creating an enabling economic environment in the region, most people will be willing to undertake any other conservation programs that will crate long term resilience to the hazards that have continued to affect this region (Swalheim, Dodman 2008, Berkes 2007). Bangladesh, by virtue of its location, needs long-term resilience mechanism as a country to deal with hazards that are evolving. The need to understand that the problems facing this country will increase as climate change is also becomes more serious. The local population will not, on their own develop resilience unless the government leads with its resources. References AsiaInfo (2010) Bangladesh country information [Online] available from < http://www.asianinfo.org/asianinfo/bangladesh/bangladesh.htm> accessed on 25th May, 2010. Bennett et al (2010) Exploring the meaning of health security for disaster resilience through peoples perspectives in Bangladesh. Elsevier Ltd. Newcastle upon Tyne. Benini et al (2008) Resilience and Vulnerability in Long-Term NGO Clients. Findings from an RDRS Bangladesh Panel survey. Bangladesh; Berkes F., (2007) Understanding uncertainness and reducing vulnerability: lessons from resilience thinking. Vol 41., Number 2. Netherlands. Berkes F., Colding J., Folke C., (2003) Navigating social-ecological systems: building resilience for complexity and change. Cambridge University Press. Fiona R., (2010) Social Networking and adaptation in rural Bangladesh. Vol 2. Number 1. Garg et al (2007) From Vulnerability to Resilience: The Challenge of Adaptation to Climate Change. Case studies from Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, South Africa and Korea. Hewitt K. (2004) A synthesis of the symposium and reflection on reducing risk through partnerships. Winnipeg. Hollilngs C., (2004) From Complex regions to complex Worlds. Ecology and Sociology. Hudson R., (2008) International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development. Vol 3. Number 3/4 . Durham University. Islam A., Deegan C., (2008) Motivations for an organisation within a developing country to report social responsibility information: Evidence from Bangladesh. Vol 21. Issues 6. Jordan J., (2009) Rethinking community resilience to climate change: does a social capital lens help?. Belfast. Kumar, P., Reddy S., (2007) Ecology and human well-being. Sage Publications. Mahmud S., Amin S. (2006) Girls Schooling and Marriage in rural Bangladesh. Research in the sociology of Education. Vol 15. Malone E., (2009) Resilience, Climate Change, and security: Modelling the Connections. Baltimore. Martin et al (2006) Vulnerability and Risk Reduction through a community based system for flood monitoring and forecasting. Medical News (2008) Major Cause of Poverty in Bangladesh is Marriage Dowry. [Online] available from < http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/127710.php> accessed on 26th May, 2010. Salman A., (2009) Bangladeshs economy: surrounded by deadly threats. International Journal of Social Economics. Vol 36. Issue  ½. Swalheim S., Dodman D., (2008) Building resilience: how the urban poor can drive climate adaptation. Zhou H., et al (2008) Resilience to natural hazards: a geographic Perspective. Vol 53. Number 1. Netherlands. Zuberi M., (1988) Environmental, Socio-Cultural and development linkages in a South Asia set-up. Vol 25. issue 6-8.

The dissociative identity disorder diagnosis controversy

The dissociative identity disorder diagnosis controversy Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD), has been widely recognized and studied over the years. Although Dissociative Identity Disorder was officially accepted by the DSM-IV as a valid psychiatric diagnosis, intense debate about its validity is still common. There are two basic positions that dominate the controversy of DID. There are some who believe that it is a valid diagnosis. Proponents of DID argue that those who resist to diagnose their patients with DID and fail to recognize the disorder are not well trained. While others argue that DID is not a valid psychiatric diagnosis. These people argue that DID is caused by misguided individuals who look continuously searches for the right therapist until they receive the diagnosis that they wanted. In addition to that, these people believe that DID is an iatrogenic phenomenon brought on by incompetent therapists through hypnosis and suggestions. For those who argue that DID is a valid diagnosis they point out that the diagnosis of Dissociative Identity Disorder is extremely complex. One of the reasons that its complex to diagnose is because of how difficult it is to differentiate from many other syndromes. In addition to that, DID can even coexist with more familiar and less controversial syndromes. In 1984, Coons stated that DID can be confused with other dissociative disorders such as psychogenic amnesia and fugue, and depersonalization disorder. Furthermore, DID can also be confused with atypical dissociative disorder experience by those who were in prisoner or hostage situations and dissociates from the stress such as physical and emotional abuse that they endure caused by their captors. Since phobias, mood swings and conversion reactions like pseudo seizures, paralysis, and blindness are common with anxiety, affective, and somatoform disorder they may also co-exist with multiple personality disorder. In order to obtain more evidence that a patient has DID, Coons suggested that information from external sources such as family members, friends, coworkers, and hospital staff is important. When asking these people, a clinician should ask about evidence of personality changes, persistent lying, use of third person, handwriting changes, and many others subtle signs that may provide evidence of DID (Coons, 1984). In addition to Coons, in a study conducted by Horevitz and Braun (1984), they found that DID can co-exist with borderline personality. They studied 93 patients with confirmed diagnoses of DID. During the study they were only to evaluate 33 of the 93 cases. They found that 23 of the 33 or 70% of their sample also qualified for the diagnosis of borderline personality (Horevitz Braun 1984). Similar to the studies conducted by Horevitz and Braun, and Coons, Clary, Burstin, and Carpenter concluded that DID has a lot in common with borderline personality. They drew their conclusions from 11 patients who were poor and referred through public agencies and womens shelter. On their study, Clary et al. noted the difference between their findings and Richard Klufts (1982) findings. Kluft found borderline characteristics in only 22.8% of his 70 subjects. 45% of them were described as neurotic mixtures and 32% were described as hysterical-depressive. Clary et al. assumed that their results were different from Kluft because Klufts patients were from a private psychoanalytic practice. Because of this, their functioning is better because of the demands intensive psychoanalytic psychotherapy entails (Clary, Burstin, Carpenter, 1984). Proponents of DID like Carol North, Jo-Ellyn Ryall, Daniel Ricci, and Richard Wetzel point out documented physiologic differences between personalities of patients with DID. These claims were then supported by the argument that these symptoms could not be replicated by normal people or professional actors. This is because, there are distinctive patterns among the different personalities that a patient with DID has. These differences can be detected through the positron emission tomography (PET) scans, evoked potentials, voice prints, visual acuity, eye muscle balance, visual field size, galvanic skin response, electroencephalographic patterns, electromyography, and cerebral blood flow (North et al., 1993, pg. 29). Proponents argue that DID patients are quiet, unassuming, and shy individuals who do not seek public attention. According to Kluft (1985), DID patients try to disguise their conditions because they are worried about the reactions that theyre going to get from reluctant therapists. In different studies conducted by Kluft, he found multiple times the reluctance that DID patients feel when seeing a therapist. In one of his studies, he found that only 40% of patients with DID showed subtle hints of the disorder while 40% showed no overt signs at all. In that study he found that the diagnosis of DID was an inverse relationship to how clear the symptoms were in the patient. During this study he also found that multiples who enter treatment do because of affective, psychotic-like, or somatoform symptoms as opposed to classical DID symptoms. Since the presentation of the disorder is often subtle, Kluft points out that it is important for clinicians to work very hard to elicit a history compa tible with DID. Similar to Coons, Kluft specifically mentioned that its important for clinicians to use indirect inquiries for patients who show the symptoms of DID (Kluft, 1984). In 1986 he found that 50% of DID patients withheld evidence of DID during their first assessment, and 90% said that at one point in their lives they tried to hide the manifestations of DID. Kluft also found that there are some cases where the symptoms of DID are not voluntarily provided to the therapist because patients are unaware that they have the disorder (Kluft, 1986). In spite of a lack of consensus that DID is a valid psychiatric disorder, proponents of DID, like Kluft, have divided DID into subtypes. Later Kluft (1991) described the typology of DID presentation that includes the following types: Classic MPD, latent MPD, posttraumatic MPD, extremely complex of fragmented MPD, Epochal or sequential MPD, isomorphic MPD, coconscious MPD, possessioniform MPD, reincarnation/mediumistic MPD, atypical MPD, secret MPD, ostensible imaginary companionship MPD, covert MPD, phenocopy MPD, somatoform MPD, Orphan symptom MPD, switch-dominated MPD, ad hoc MPD, modular MPD, quasi-roleplaying MPD, and pseudo-false positive MPD (North et. al, 1993, pg. 30). Another person who believes that DID is a valid psychiatric disorder is Brad Foote. Foote (1999) wrote a paper that features why DID can easily be mistaken for hysterical phenomena. One of the main critiques that other people have is that DID does not occur naturally. Instead, its symptoms are a modern version of hysteria. In this view, many believe that patients may create or report dissociative symptoms both intentionally and unintentionally in order to assume the sick role. Opponents believe that this sick role is advantageous because of the attention that they get from friends, family, and their therapist. In addition to that, some proponents believe that the therapist has a big influence on the patients pathology and thus contributes to this phenomenon. According to this view, patients did not have any symptoms of DID present prior to seeing a therapist. On the other hand, those who treat DID patients argue that: 1. There is a naturally occurring presentation of DID, prior to th erapist suggestions; 2. Patients do not embrace the DID diagnosis willingly, and in fact usually fight at least as hard to reject as, for extremely ego-dystonic; 3. DID symptoms do not disappear when ignored; and 4. The disorder actually begins in childhood, in the context of overwhelming trauma, and there could not possibly be caused by the adult therapist together with the patient (Foote, 1999, pg. 321). Foote describes that for a typical DID patient, powerlessness takes place in a severe level. He states that it is common for a DID patient to have a long history of abuse, usually including sexual abuse. When it comes to diagnosing DID, Foote explains a situation in which a typical DID patient will find herself in. If the therapists bias that the DID patient is creating her symptoms to seek attention, this bias will only be confirmed by all of the drama and attention that the patient will have. Whether or not the patient does anything dramatic depends on the therapist. Subsequentl y, if the patient is talking to a skeptical listener, the patient will feel powerless and will cause her to give up, or become hysterical and desperate in her communications in order to explain to her therapist her symptoms. Furthermore, if the therapist has a strong bias that switching from one personality to another is feigned, there are no data that could falsify this statement. If the patients switch is subtle the observer would think that there is no big deal and it doesnt seem like the patient has a different personality. Similarly, if the patient has a dramatic switch the therapist would believe that her actions are exaggerated and obviously unreal. With this said, however, Foote wanted to clarify that DID diagnosis is not immune from factitious presentations for the purpose of attention-seeking. However, skepticism can become a barrier to the possibility of the diagnosis to be perceived. To conclude, Foote wanted to point out that first, DID by its nature is unavoidably dram atic and that this causes clinicians to be unconvinced before they have ever seen a DID patient. Because of this, he encourages clinicians to be open-minded and be aware of how complicated DID can be. He believes that if a clinician takes their time to patiently immerse him/herself in the world of DID, they will discover the possibilities of DID that are not readily available superficially. Second, Foote points out that its important for clinicians to, Hopefully, we can call upon our own internal resources of calmness and confidence that if a story is true it will ultimately be heard, and proceed to communicate accordingly (pg. 342). According to Frank Putnam (1996), There are three basic criticism when it comes to the validity of DID. The first one is that DID is an iatrogenic disorder caused by the psychiatrist. Second, critics say that DID is produced by the media. Finally, critics say that DID case numbers are increasing exponentially over the years. For the first argument on DID being caused by a psychiatrist, Putnam points out that there are at least two clinical studies that have shown that there are no distinct differences between those who are diagnosed with DID and was treated with or without hypnosis. Also, many patients who have never been treated using hypnosis was diagnosed with DID. This shows that the accusation that the misuse of hypnosis is responsible for the disorder is not accurate. Second, by looking at decades worth of research on the media effects on behavior, Putnam says that it is clear that exposure to specific media is not a sure cause of a certain behavior. He points out that the port rayal of violence in the media is more common than the depiction of DID. Yet, critics say that the small amount DID portrayals in the media is significantly responsible for the increase in diagnosed cases. Finally regarding DID cases increasing exponentially; Putnam says that its common for critics to inflate their numbers without any evidence supporting their figures. According to him, after plotting the numbers of published cases of DID he found that they have increased but not as dramatic as critics make it sound. In fact, over the same period of time other disorders such as Lyme disease, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and chronic fatigue syndrome have shown an equal or faster increase in published cases compared to DID. These results reflect the results of basic advancement in the medical field. Disorders increase in published cases may be due to the new discoveries of symptoms that used to be unrelated. As new symptoms are found to be related to certain disorders, the more the physicians can identify the condition. Ultimately, Putnam believes that DID meets the standards of content validity criterion, criterion-related validity, and construct validity considered necessary for the validity of a psychiatric diagnosis (pg. 263). One of the controversial topics about DID and its diagnosis is that hypnosis elicit DID. Richard Kluft, a Clinical of Professor of Psychiatry in Temple University School of Medicine believes that hypnosis or suggestion may be the reason some patients have alternate personalities. However, he believes that iatrogenesis or hypnosis do not explain DID. While Putnam (1986) did not detect and differences in clinical presentation, symptoms, or past history between patients who were hypnotized and those who werent. Furthermore, Ross et al. (1989) conducted a study where they studied 236 patients who were diagnosed with DID. They found that only a third of these patients had been hypnotized prior to being actually diagnosed with DID. In addition to this study, Ross conducted another study where he compared DID patients of psychiatrists who specialize in DID and patients of psychiatrists who did not specialize in this disorder. They concluded that DID is not iatrogenic. The idea of iatrogenes is has been continuously disputed. The study that Ross et al. (1989) found compelling evidence that shows that DID is a genuine disorder with consistent core features with compelling evidence. Nicholas Spanos, a Professor of Psychology at Ottawas Carelton University conducted two experiments which explores DID. He argues that DID patients are not passive victims. Instead, they are patients who do things to purposefully be diagnosed with the disorder. He also argued that therapists assist these patients achieve their goals. The therapists provide encouragement, information, and validation for the different identities. For his first experiment in 1984, he had forty-eight undergraduate volunteers as his subjects. They were asked to role-play an accuse multiple murder named Henry or Betty whose lawyer decided to enter a not guilty plea. They were told that a psychiatrist would interview them and might even use hypnosis. If hypnosis was used they were asked to also role-play being hypnotized. The subjects were not told anything about DID. There were three possible conditions that eight men and eight women were randomly assigned to. In the first condition, the subjects were aske d if the felt the same thing as Harry or Betty or if they felt any different. In the second condition, subjects were told that they had complex personalities but hypnosis would allow the therapist to get behind the wall that hid their inner thoughts from awareness. Furthermore, the hypnotist would be able to talk to their other personality under hypnosis. In the third, which was the control group, subjects were told that personality was complex and included walled-off thoughts and feelings. Spanos also administered a five-item sentence completion and a differential test to all subjects (it included all their different roles, where a second personality was enacted). After the psychiatrist told the subjects their personality, they asked the same four questions to each subject. The responses were rated by judges who didnt know the subjects treatment groups. The results showed that 81% of the subjects who were asked if they felt the same thing as harry or Betty or are they different and 31% of subjects in hidden-part treatment adopted a new name. 70% of those subjects who adopted a new name had two different identities. 63% of subjects in the hypnotic treatments displayed spontaneous amnesia. While, none of the control subjects used a different name or had amnesia. In his discussion Spanos makes four points. First, only the subjects who were hypnotized used another name, reported two different identities, and amnesia. Second, all but one subject who had multiple personalities admitted guilt on the second administration. Those who had no multiple personalities continuously denied guilt. Third, Spanos points out how easy it is to fake multiple personality even without the knowledge of DID. Finally, Spanos points out that multiple typically show contrasting personalities. Spanos believes that the amnesia of his subjects was a strategic way to control the subjects ability to recall a memory in response to the situation at hand (Spanos 1984). Another point that opponents want to make is that DID is well suited for providing patients a way to avoid being responsible for their actions. Kluft (1985) described some DID patients who value their disorder. In hospital wards, other patients complain that DID patients avoid accountability and responsibility. DID may also be accounted for the failures that a person with DID wants to avoid facing. DID patients use this disorder as an excuse for their difficulties or failures to explain why they were in the situation that they were in. According to Bliss, another way that DID can be beneficial to others is that it shows an outlet to express behaviors that are deemed unacceptable, such as sexual behaviors, physical aggressions, or substance abuse. An alternate personality may abuse substances or rape, while the host personality would never do such a thing. This fits the descriptions that alternate personalities are usually irresponsible and likes to act out with the host personality a s proper. Alternate personalities are also created to manage unpleasant emotions that the patient wants to avoid. Specific emotions are assigned to a personality as a way to avoid having to acknowledge strong or painful emotions. (Kluft, 1985). Since the case of Eve Black became famous Thigpen and Cleckley wrote a paper where they showed concern for the epidemic of DID cases. There were thousands of patients who travelled thousands of miles to see different therapists until they received the diagnosis that they wanted. Not only that, but they go through great lengths such as talking on the phone in different voices, sending photographs of different selves, and writing letters with different handwritings for every paragraph. When it comes to these people, these desperate actions would not stop until they were diagnosed with DID. Another category of patients wrongly diagnoses with DID were attention-seeking hysterics who are affected by the labeling process. While, the last category that they described are groups of individuals who arent satisfied with their self-concept so they use dissociation to allow the unacceptable aspects of their personalities to be expressed (Thigpen Cleckley, 1984). Proponents of DID assert that DID is a genuine disorder that has a valid diagnosis, whereas skeptics argue that DID is an iatrogenic or faked condition. These two different arguments may both be persuasive but neither of them does not answer the question of the validity of DID. It is important to evaluate these arguments to determine the extent of the diagnosis of DID. Current knowledge of the clinical phenomenology of DID cannot be considered as either proof or disproof that DID is a valid diagnostic entity. Kluft calls for active research rather than fruitless debate (pg. 3). Future studies on DID will have many opportunities to address the challenges that both proponents and opponents of DID diagnosis validity pose.

The Use And Abuse Of History :: essays research papers

The Use and Abuse of History By Friedrich Nietzsche Forward "Incidentally, I despise everything which merely instructs me without increasing or immediately enlivening my activity." These are Goethe's words. With them, as with a heartfelt expression of Ceterum censeo [I judge otherwise], our consideration of the worth and the worthlessness of history may begin. For this work is to set down why, in the spirit of Goethe's saying, we must seriously despise instruction without vitality, knowledge which enervates activity, and history as an expensive surplus of knowledge and a luxury, because we lack what is still most essential to us and because what is superfluous is hostile to what is essential. To be sure, we need history. But we need it in a manner different from the way in which the spoilt idler in the garden of knowledge uses it, no matter how elegantly he may look down on our coarse and graceless needs and distresses. That is, we need it for life and action, not for a comfortable turning away from life and action or merely for glo ssing over the egotistical life and the cowardly bad act. We wish to use history only insofar as it serves living. But there is a degree of doing history and a valuing of it through which life atrophies and degenerates. To bring this phenomenon to light as a remarkable symptom of our time is every bit as necessary as it may be painful. I have tried to describe a feeling which has often enough tormented me. I take my revenge on this feeling when I expose it to the general public. Perhaps with such a description someone or other will have reason to point out to me that he also knows this particular sensation but that I have not felt it with sufficient purity and naturalness and definitely have not expressed myself with the appropriate certainty and mature experience. Perhaps one or two will respond in this way. However, most people will tell me that this feeling is totally wrong, unnatural, abominable, and absolutely forbidden, that with it, in fact, I have shown myself unworthy of the powerful historical tendency of the times, as it has been, by common knowledge, observed for the past two generations, particularly among the Germans. Whatever the reaction, now that I dare to expose myself with this natural description of my feeling, common decency will be fostered rather than shamed, because I am providing many oppor tunities for a contemporary tendency like the reaction just mentioned to make polite pronouncements.

Conrads Obsession with Voice in Conrads Heart of Darkness Essay

Conrad's Obsession with "Voice" in Heart of Darkness For the moment that was the dominant thought. There was a sense of extreme disappointment, as though I had found out I had been striving after something altogether without a substance. I couldn't have been more disgusted if I had travelled all the way for the sole purpose of talking to Mr. Kurtz. Talking with . . . I flung one shoe overboard, and became aware that that was exactly what I had been looking forward to--a talk with Mr. Kurtz. I made the strange discovery that I had never imagined him as doing, you know, but as discoursing. Marlow in Conrad's Heart of Darkness The above quotation suggests what has been noted frequently in recent years as damnin...

Antony a better Leader than Caesar in Shakespeares Antony and Cleopatr

Antony a better Leader than Caesar in Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra: In Shakespeare?s play 'Antony and Cleopatra' Caesar, while he displays remarkable tactical skills, is calculating and cold hearted. Antony on the other hand embodies many admirable qualities and emotions which make him the greater of the two. Firstly I will look at Caesar?s military victories before examining Antony?s great human qualities. Looking at Caesar, he is highly successful in his military battles due to his great organisation skills and strategic planning. Caesar values organisation since he receives hourly reports on how matters are abroad (Act I Scene 4 lines 34-36) and keeps detailed accounts of his battles. His logical thought also makes him so successful: ?Strike not by land, keep whole, provoke not battle, Till we have done at sea? (Act III Scene 8 lines 3-4) This strategic plan allows Caesar to defeat Antony. Duty is of unmatched importance to Caesar. Caesar condemns Antony for seeking pleasure before duty and he says of himself: ?Doubt not, sir, I knew it for my bond? (Act I Scene 4 lines 84-85) So the basis of Caesar?s abundant military victories, also against Antony, are his logical tactics and his sense of duty. However, Caesar is so determined to succeed and so power hungry that he is willing to hurt and manipulate other people in order to be successful. Caesar is calculating in that he uses Lepidus to defeat Pompey yet then sees to it that Lepdius is deposed as a triumvir so that he can gain more power. Another example of Caesar?s deviousness is: ? Plant those that have revolted in the van, That Antony may seem to spend his fury Upon himself.? (Act IV Scene 6 lines 9-11) Caesar intentionally places... ...flees the battle, he does not blame Cleopatra but takes responsibility for his own actions and is very ashamed of them: ?I have fled myself, and have instructed cowards To run and show their shoulders.? (Act III Scene 11 lines 7-8) It is in particular this characteristic which makes Antony greater than Caesar. Though it would be easy to make another person the culprit, Antony always carries the burden of the blame himself and is truly remorseful of his actions. In conclusion, Caesar?s arrogant, calculating, unemotional character is opposed to Antony?s forgiving, generous, responsible one. Though Caesar is a great military leader, his success is achieved through deliberate cold-hearted scheming and manipulation of others while Antony displays true nobility through his incomparably great human qualities. Thus, in our minds, Antony is the greater of the two.

Adaptation & Accountability Essay

There are a lot of measures where accountability can be checked in a workplace. However, there are still a lot of companies that mess up with such processes. Accountability is important in the workplace especially that most companies are grounded in some sort of bureaucracy where someone is supervising a department and supervisors report to managers and so on. It is only through an accountability measures that work in such setup could be well done. Accountability does not only involve accepting a work and doing it, â€Å"true accountability involves taking ownership of your work and viewing your job as a stakeholder would (www.iaap-hq.org).† On the other hand, Robert Staub defines accountability as â€Å"a systemic issue and must be understood in terms of a systems approach if it is to really work in any group, family or organization. It is a system of individuals, linked in a chain of mutuality, taking personal and group responsibility to achieve something meaningful.† In a publishing company where I work, a lot of papers are involved as an accountability measure and they are effective. It is necessary for people to sign in or complete forms before the next process is to be completed especially for writers because they are fully responsible to the articles they write. At the start of every magazine issue, an article checklist is given to the writer in duplicate. This checklist contains the column title, article title, writer’s name, layout artist’s name, date submitted/completed and remarks. This form should be accomplished and one copy be returned to the Editor-in Chief. That form is used by the editor to follow-up the status of the articles being written or submitted to the writer. There is another form called the status report. This is almost the same as the checklist but in expanded and more detailed form. This is also accomplished in duplicate, one for the writer, the other for the layout artist. The chart contains the column title, article title and writer’s name, edited, first proof, second proof, photo and press. This guides the writer in the status of the folder he/she is processing for completion. He/she will enter the dates in the given columns to see whether everything is already completed or not. It helps the artists to countercheck whether he/she is putting the appropriate photos or the right bylines in the right articles. Sometimes, these status reports are checked by the supervisor to see whether the printing press can accommodate the printing of the magazines at a given time or if it needs to be outsourced. Moreover, it also helps the coordinator to track the articles of contributors and to follow them up. Those charts were designed to tell who is accountable for such work especially when there are errors. The employees may lie but the papers they have accomplished themselves not. Those are also necessary for evaluation purposes at the end of the publication cycle. The department may know how to be become more effective and efficient in terms of workforce and resources. These processes are made clear at the onset of training for new employees and they are mutual agreement in the department. Deborah Mackin in her article Growing Responsibility and Accountability in the Workplace, proposed the RACI Chart as one of the tools which may be similar of that above. The RACI stands for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed. It will help people to know their responsibilities, who is accountable for such work, whom he or she is accountable to, who will be consulted and how and who to inform. Basically, such chart should be present in a workplace so the management is certain why are they hiring people and people are particular at the jobs they have to accomplish. References â€Å"Accountability in Today’s Workplace.† Retrieved December 12, 2008 from http://www.iaap-hq.org/OfficeTeam_CareerCenter/accountability_in_todays_workplace.htm Staub, R. 2005. Accountability and its role in the workplace. The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area. Retrieved December 12, 2008 from http://www.bizjournals.com/triad/stories/2005/01/17/smallb3.html Mackin, Deborah. _______. Growing Responsibility and Accountability in the Workplace. Retrieved December 12, 2008 from http://www.sideroad.com/Management/accountability-in-the-workplace-responsibility.html

Absolute Truth – Is There Such a Thing as Absolute Truth

Is There Such A Thing As Absolute Truth? There are two answers for the question, â€Å"Is there such a thing as absolute truth? † The answer could be either yes or no. In my opinion, the answer is yes, because every individual lives his or her life in various experiences. Some people claim to know the absolute truth. Individuals based their truth on experiences and emotions and at times not logically consistent. When force fields such as emotions are present decisions are made then opinions are formed.For example, politics, I state politics because it never has a common ground. In politics you’re either Democrat or Republican, and both parties feel their plan is the absolute truth. As an American, we have the right to our own opinion but realize that our opinion is not the absolute truth. To make the statement that there is no absolute truth is invalid. Because one plus one does equal two so there is absolute truth which can be proven and understood. Is there such a thi ng as absolute truth?Yes, because of human conscience that â€Å"duty† within us that tells us that certain things are right and wrong. Therefore, our conscience let us know there is something wrong with pain, hunger, rape and makes us aware that love, peace, and charity are positive things for which we should strive for. In my opinion it so important to understand the concept of absolute truth in all areas of life this includes religion, because consequences exist in life for being wrong.For instance, a nurse can give a patient the wrong amount of a medication that can kill them; having an investment broker make the wrong monetary decisions can put you and your family in poverty; getting on the wrong bus will take someone where they do not wish to go; and dealing with an cheating spouse can result in the destruction of a family and potentially divorce. There are so many religions in this world that attempt to give their meaning and definition to absolute truth.Your existence is absolute truth which is simple. Through religion, mankinds seek God, we hope for the future, forgiveness of our sins, peace in the midst of struggle, and answers to our deepest questions. Religion is really proof that mankind is more than just a highly evolved creature. God implanted in man the desire to know him, and God is indeed the Creator, which makes Him the standard for absolute truth, and with His authority that establishes the absolute truth.