The Role of Psychology in Understanding Essay Example for Free

The Role of Psychology in Understanding Essay General Health Problems such as Coronary Heart Disease and Chronic Headaches Psychology has done a great deal in educating people about the processes and the ways the human mind impacts and affects body systems. Over the years, this field of science has provided people bases of understanding several cognitive processes and problems which people deal with everyday. However, as a broad field, psychology branches out to explicate other general health issues in terms of psychological causes, effects, and interventions. Some of these health problems which psychology covers today are the Coronary Heart Ailment and cases of Chronic Headaches. Hence, this paper aims to discuss and explain how the field of Psychology can be related to and how it can elaborate on these health problems. Psychology in Coronary Heart Disease Heart disease has been known all over the world to be one of the most common causes of death. In the United States alone, two weak hearts give off and die every minute due to heart ailments and other heart-related conditions (Clay, 2007). Considering this thought, it is not just the field of Cardiology that is working out on eliminating these fatal health problems. Over the recent years, a field called Psychocardiology or cardiac psychology now opens doors to explain how psychosocial factors and interventions can contribute to the acquisition of the disease (Clay, 2007). Coronary Heart Disease or CHD is a general term which pertains to the condition wherein cardiac ailment results from the shortage of oxygen that reaches the heart (Feuerstein, Labbe, Kuczmierczyk, 1986). The disease is widely recognized all over the world due to its horrible fatal rates which make information campaign about the disease very significant. Although many people know the basics about CHD, what some of them do not know yet is that there is a certain part of the disease that can only be explained by psychocardiology. Psychocardiology defines the distinct personality which has been found to be at risk of acquiring CHD the most. This was identified as the Type A person. Feuerstein, Labbe, and Kuczmierczyk (1986) explained this construct in their book, Health Psychology. Type A individuals are characterized as people who easily and/or frequently get impatient over usual everyday activities and experience difficulty in focusing on one activity at a time since they are always in a hurry accomplishing their daily tasks. People with ac Type A personality also tend to take more and more responsibilities than what they can actually accommodate (Feuerstein, Labbe, Kuczmierczyk, 1986). These kinds of people are found to be more prone to CHD since their behaviors and activities greatly induce stress and depression. Greater psychological reactivity, which causes their cholesterol levels and their blood clotting times to rise, and imposes heavier work load for the heart, was also found among Type A individuals (Feuerstein, Labbe Kuczmierczyk, 1986). Aside from this, various studies still further prove that there is direct and solid connection between psychological conditions and CHD. Psychological researchers have already focused on internal factors in order to view this presumed relationship between psychology and CHD closer. It has been discovered that factors such as depression, anxiety, and social isolation, which are all symptoms of certain psychological disorders, seem to contribute greatly to the acquisition of CHD (Clay, 2007). At some point, international cardiologists performed a world-wide survey and assessed 12,000 CHD patients. The survey includes criteria which determine whether they qualify to a state of depression before the diagnosis of CHD. The results report that 50% of the surveyed patients showed histories of depression which more likely can be considered as a major factor that led them to CHD (Marano, 2003). In reviewing these studies and researches in the field of psychocardiology, it may appear that psychology indeed associated with a lot of other health problems and issues such as alcoholism, smoking, drug addiction, eating problems and many others. Just like in CHD, all of these health conditions consist of factors and interventions which are attributed to people’s behavior, social stability, and personality and can only be explained through the principles and concepts in psychology. Psychology can enter the serious picture of CHD in a simple factor as stress. Stress is often taken for granted as a common phenomenon, but with the study of psychology and its relationship with CHD, it can be seen that stress has more to it than what people know about, because with the study of psychocardiology, it can be understood that stress can actually lead to the fatal CHD. Thus, several factors and interventions such as restlessness and stress can be taken for granted if not for the explanations brought by psychology. However, aside from CHD, there are still a great number of common health conditions which psychology tries to explore. One of these conditions is the common case of Chronic Headaches. Psychology in Chronic Headaches The pain and terrible uneasiness brought by headaches cause depression among patients all over the world. This disease has also been one the most common sources of frustration and despair due to the aggravating pain it causes (Disorbio, 2008). The main focus of relief and cure in chronic headache cases is the source of pain. Pain can be considered to be the major frustrating factor in these cases. As a physiological sign, pain is generally attributed to physical factors. However, several comprehensive studies on pain like in chronic headaches conditions have been conducted having particular focus on the psychological perspective. These studies work on identifying behavioral and cognitive factors that affect pain and also the appropriate behavioral treatment for this condition. In understanding chronic headaches in this perspective, one may discover that the process of thinking of emotional and sensory ideas has a direct effect on the intensity of the felt pain (Borkum, 2007). Related studies also show evidence that an individual’s attention to and focus on the pain indeed cause the condition to get worse in varied levels. Psychology also plays a relevant part in identifying several psychological factors which can bring about chronic headaches. The usual cases of headaches like tension headaches and migraines have been found to have some connection to an individual’s emotional stability. A person was found to be more prone to suffer these kinds of headaches when he or she is exposed to depressing family environment and is isolated from friends and other significant others (Disorbio, 2008). This was discovered to be possible since these people who have weaker emotional states tend to deal with frustration and depression more inadequately, and they also tend to have a more negative outlook on things, including pain. Thus, through psychology, chronic pain can be treated through understanding how thinking can get over the individual’s tolerance of pain. Several studies have also proven that a degree of pain control can be accomplished by deviating one’s attention to other tasks and objects aside from the pain (Borkum, 2007). In most clinics, it can be noticed that doctors are starting to teach their patients several ways on diverting their attention from the pain to other things. This is because of the consideration that psychological processes play an important part in one’s tolerance and forbearance for pain. Hence, it may appear that although these health conditions typically have the biological explanation and background in discussing their nature and treatment, the field of psychology apparently greatly contributes to understanding the other aspects of these conditions by explaining the psychological interventions and causes of such health conditions. Although the psychological explanation for these health conditions may not be as popular as the knowledge of people about their physical reasons, it still appears evident that psychology plays a significant role in understanding these health problems from a different perspective. References Borkum, J. M. (2007). Chronic Headaches: Biology, Psychology, and Behavioral Treatment. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence and Erlbaum Associates. Clay, R. A. (2007). One Heart- Many Threats. Monitor on Psychology, 38 (1), 46. Retrieved December 17, 2008 from American Psychological Association (APA) Online: http://www. apa.org/monitor/jan07/threats. html. Disorbio, M. (2008, March 27). The Psychology of pain- headaches. National Pain Foundation. Retrieved December 18, 2008 from http://www. nationalpainfoundation. org/MyTreatment/articles/Headache_TO_Psychology. asp. Feuerstein, M. , Labbe, E. E. Kuczmierczyk, A. R. (1986). Health Psychology: A Psychobiological Perspective. New York, NY: Springer Publication. Marano, H. E. (2003, Januray 3). Heart saved: treating depression may prevent heart-related deaths. Psychology Today. Retrieved December 18, 2008 from http://www. psychologytoday. com/articles/pto-20030103-000011. html.

Pip as a Sympathetic Character in Great Expectations :: Great Expectations Essays

Pip as a Sympathetic Character in Great Expectations Can you imagine being totally in love with someone who is completely turned off by you? This is what happens to Pip. Throughout the book Estella disregards his feelings. In Great Expectations my sympathy for Pip fluctuates. Pip starts out as a sympathetic character because he is poor, his parents are dead, and he must live under Mrs. Joe's strict rules. As the story moves on, my sympathy for Pip decreases in every way except one: his relationship with Estella. Ever since their first acquaintance, Pip has thought Estella to be the most beautiful girl alive. He changes when he gets around her. When Mrs. Havisham asks Pip about Estella, he answers with words like "proud," "pretty," and "insulting." Miss Havisham wants Pip to like Estella, and she tells Estella she can break his heart. As the visits to Miss Havisham's increase, Pip realizes his feelings for Estella. He practically cannot live without her, but she treats him as a common boy. Pip wants more than anything to become uncommon so Estella might come to like him. He wants her to think of him as a person and not as an uneducated blacksmith apprentice. Estella begins to realize that Pip has feelings and taunts him by asking if he thinks she is pretty. A significant scene is when Estella questions Pip about herself and she slaps him. Then she teases him more and says why doesn't he cry again. Pip replies, "Because I'll never cry for you again," but he knows this is not true and says this "was, I suppose, a false declaration as ever was made, for I was inwardly crying for her then, and I know what I know of the pain she caused me afterwards" (94). As the two characters grow up and mature and as Pip becomes a gentleman, Estella learns of the extent of Pip's feelings. She tells Pip she is to be married and says his pain should pass in no time, about a week. Pip then reveals every thought and feeling he has ever had for Estella over the years. The most important parts of his confession are in the beginning of the speech. Pip confesses, ". . . you are part of my existence, part of myself. You have been in every line I have ever read, since I first came here, the rough common boy whose poor heart you wounded even then.

Essay On Political Parties In India Essay

Posted in National Issues of India by Vijay Jaiswal On August 29, 2013. No comments In a modern democratic political system of India, with governments based on Parliamentary model, political parties are central to the working of the political system. Political parties in Indian Democracy grow up the as spokesman of organized interests. Thus a Political party system in India is an organization of like minded people based together either to preserve and promote group interests or to promote a particular ideology. Usually every party seeks to promote some particular interest and ideology. The political party constantly seeks to capture governmental powers to secure its ends. In a democracy, the party gets into power through elections. In a Parliamentary system such of India, the political party winning the majority of seats in the Lower House of the Parliament forms the Government, while the Party or Parties failing to get the majority constitutes the opposition. Thus the Parliamentary government is always a Party government. It may be the government of a single party or it may be the government of a coalition of parties. The nature of political party system in India was characterized by Morris Jhones as a dominant one party system. It means that India basically has a multi-party system but one among the many parties is dominant party and monopolizes governmental power. Since independence up to the 4th general election in 1947 this was precisely the picture. The Congress party was in power during all the twenty years from 1947-67 both at the centre and in the states with a brief exception in Kerala in 1958. The 1967 elections saw the fall of the Congress monopoly in several states where unstable coalitions were established. The sixth General Election in 1977 witnessed the fall of the Congress at the centre. The Janata Government was established. But the Janata experiment soon failed. For Janata was in reality an unstable coalition. The Congress gained back its power in 1980. Then there was a B.J.P. coalition government at the centre and in few states. On the basis of their influence and aspirations, parties in India fall into two categories: All India politicalparties and regional political parties. Thus the Congress (I) or the Jananta Dal or the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – are truly All India parties having some sort of influence throughout India and having All India aspirations. There are some other political parties which are professedly All India parties but their influence is limited to particular regions. They may be classed us regional parties with All India aspirations. The Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Communist Party of India, the Forward Block, the Revolutionary Socialist Party (R.S.P) etc. fall into this category. The influence of the C.P.I. (M) for example is concentrated in West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura. The regional political parties are those which are frankly regional in their aspirations emphasizing their ethnic or linguistic identities. The D.M.K. or the A.I.A.D.M.K. in Tamil Nadu, the Telugu Desham in Andhra, and the A.G.P. in Assam or the National Conference in Jammu and Kashmir fall into this category. There are also some frankly communal parties like the Shib Sena emphasizing their religious identity. On the basis of ideology, Indian parties may be classified into conservative, liberal democratic and revolutionary parties. The B.J.P. for example is a conservative party. The Janata Dal and the Congress are liberal democratic parties. The Communist Parties, the Revolutionary Socialist Party etc. are revolutionary parties seeking restructuring of the society along Marxian Lines, while the B.J.P. may be said to occupy the extreme right position in the political spectrum, the Congress, the Janata Dal stand at the centre while the Communist Parties and  the R.S.P. occupy the extreme left position.

The Killer of Hope Euthanasia - 1076 Words

When asked, â€Å"Why it is important to accept Euthanasia?† the answer is always about releasing patient from pain, but why take a naà ¯ve solution when there is hope? Take a second and think about how will a one say goodbye to the ones he love? The answer is obvious, it is impossible to let go of those we love. Hence, one should keep an open mind to the following lines whether you are against or for Euthanasia. Euthanasia or so called physician assisted death stand for intended cessation of person’s life at situation of terminal illness. This is done by either by proposing a fatal drug or withdrawing life-supporting therapy in order to end life of patient. Euthanasia is one of the most debatable issues nowadays as more and more people are questioning whether Euthanasia is mercy killing or hope killing. It is worth stating at this point that Euthanasia must be banned universally on account to ethical, medical and legal reasons. One of the most striking issues of Euthanasia is the ethical consideration. Supporters of Euthanasia usually suggest that we should respect patient’s autonomy and allow them to value their quality of lives. In addition to reducing risk of premature suicide. It is true that every person should have self-control over his life. However, one should take into consideration that legalization of euthanasia could lead to coercing on patients autonomy especially that a person desire to die may be influence by depression or even pain that is curable. A goodShow MoreRelatedEuthanasi Active And Passive Euthanasia995 Words   |  4 Pagesabout euthanasia in such depth until this assignment. It isn’t something completely new to me because I have heard about it, it happens everywhere, even if you or I don’t see it. But, I never gathered my thoughts about such a serious topic. Reading such opinions from these authors made me find out more about this topic but I cannot say I hav e came to a clear and set decision or opinion about euthanasia. As James Rachels states, â€Å"I can understand why some people are opposed to all euthanasia, and insistRead MoreEuthanasi Euthanasia And Euthanasia1483 Words   |  6 Pages Euthanasia is a long smooth-sounding word, and it conceals its danger as long, smooth-sounding words do, but the danger is there, nevertheless. As Pearl S. Buck explained through this quote, Euthanasia and medically assisted suicide to present a real danger. Although society refuses to see these dangers, euthanasia creates countless problems that shake society. Euthanasia remains a conditional based issue; therefore, the laws created rely on weak ideas that allow for easy manipulation, asRead MoreEssay on The Legalization of Euthanasia1420 Words   |  6 PagesEuthanasia legalization has been a controversial topic for years; studies have shown that arguments regarding the euthanasia debate are often depending on the process used to take the life of the patient. There are a lot of thoughts surrounding the issue of euthanasia and whether or not it should be legal. According to the Encyclopedia of American Law, euthanasia is categorized as a class of criminal homicide (Debate.org, par. 3). However, not all homicides are considered illegal. In today’s societyRead MoreEuthanasia Is Painless Killing Of A Patient1435 Words   |  6 PagesEuthanasia is painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma, also means to take a deliberate action with the express intention of ending a life to relieve intractable suffering. Some interpret as the practice of ending life in a mercy killing, assisted suicide, and soft slow suicide. There are two main classifications of euthanasia. There is Voluntary euthanasia which is conducted with consent. Where the patient decides for themselves toRead MoreEssay about Legalizing Euthanasia990 Words   |  4 PagesLegalizing Euthanasia Whose life is it, anyway? A Plea stated by the late Sue Rodrigues. Rogrigues, a high-profile, terminally-ill resident of British Columbia, Canada, suffered from a terminally ill disease (Robinson, 2001). She was helped to commit suicide by a physician in violation of Canadian law. Many people, like Rodrigues, want to be in control of their final days. Terminally ill patients have a terminal disease and do not want to diminish their assets by incurring large medicalRead MoreA Theological Account Of Death And Dying2501 Words   |  11 PagesEthics Essay Two Draft Word Count: 2680 How should a theological account of death and dying shape the morale debate concerning euthanasia The debate on whether it is moral to assist in suicide or euthanasia has been very strong and heated by both sides of the argument, this debate has not gone away although the bill for the arguments for assisted suicide and euthanasia was lost in the UK parliament last year.[footnoteRef:1] Using the works of catholic theologians from the fourth century to theRead MoreEuthanasi Terminally Ill Patient1321 Words   |  6 Pagesact of euthanasia upon terminally ill patient. According to Oxford Dictionary, euthanasia means the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma and according to Euthanasia (2014), it is defined as the intentional killing by act or omission of a dependent human being for his or her alleged benefit. There are many kinds of euthanasia including voluntary, non-voluntary, involuntary, assisted suicide, euthanasia by action, and euthanasia by omissionRead MoreLegalization of Euthanasia in the United Kingdom11 06 Words   |  4 PagesShould euthanasia be legalised in the UK? The matter of euthanasia and assisted suicide is one of the most widely debated public policies in the UK today. Its legalisation will undoubtedly affect family and patient-doctor relationships and also challenge the concepts of what is considered to be ethical behaviour (Marker and Hamlon, 2005). But with overwhelming public support for its legalisation and unregulated assisted dying already common place in the medical profession (Doward 2004), surely aRead MorePhysician Assisted Suicide: Permissible or Not?1610 Words   |  7 PagesRachels and John Paul ll. James Rachels, an American philosopher who specialized in ethics, authored an article titled Active and Passive Euthanasia, which describes the difference between two forms of euthanasia. Active euthanasia is defined as a circumstance in which a doctor administers drugs into a patient’s body with intent to end their life. Passive euthanasia is when a doctor withdraws from giving their patient medical attention, knowing t hat without the care they will seize to survive. AfterRead MoreEuthanasia Is Not An Acceptable Form Of Euthanasia1556 Words   |  7 Pagesof patients by physicians, whether called â€Å"active euthanasia† or simply â€Å"euthanasia,† is a topic of long-standing controversy† (Mappes, Zembaty, and DeGrazia 59). â€Å"Although active euthanasia is presently illegal in all fifty states and the District of Columbia, proposals for its legalization have been recurrently advanced. Most commonly, these proposals call for the legalization of active euthanasia. There are some who consider active euthanasia in any form intrinsically immoral and, for this reason