Pros and Cons of the DSM in Mental Health Diagnosis

Pros and Cons of the DSM in Mental Health Diagnosis Phobias Treatment Print Advantages and Disadvantages of Diagnostic Statistical Manual By Lisa Fritscher Lisa Fritscher is a freelance writer and editor with a deep interest in phobias and other mental health topics. Learn about our editorial policy Lisa Fritscher Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on August 05, 2016 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on August 13, 2019 F.Rdec / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0 More in Phobias Treatment Causes Symptoms and Diagnosis Types In This Article Table of Contents Expand History of the DSM Clinical Uses  of the DSM Pros and Cons of the DSM   Ensure Proper Diagnosis View All Back To Top Currently in its fifth edition (DSM-5), the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) is sometimes referred to as the therapists bible.?? Within its covers are specific diagnostic criteria for mental disorders, as well as a series of codes that allow therapists to easily summarize often complex conditions for insurance companies and other quick-reference applications. This method offers a number of advantages, such as standardization of diagnoses across different treatment providers. But increasingly, mental-health professionals are considering the drawbacks, including the possibility of over-diagnosis. A 2011 article on Salon.com boldly proclaimed, Therapists revolt against psychiatrys bible. In order to understand the debate, it is first necessary to understand what the DSM is and is not. History of the DSM Although its roots are traceable to the late 19th century, the standardization of mental illness classifications really took hold in the years immediately following World War II.?? The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (then known as the Veterans Administration, or VA) needed a way to diagnose and treat returning service members who had a wide range of mental health difficulties. Using much of the terminology developed by the VA, the World Health Organization soon released its International Classification of Diseases (ICD), sixth edition, which for the first time included mental illnesses.?? Although this work represented some of the earliest standards for mental health diagnosis, it was far from complete. DSM-I and DSM-II In 1952, the American Psychiatric Administration (APA) published a variation of the ICD-6 specifically designed for use by doctors and other treatment providers. The DSM-I was the first of its kind, but experts agreed that it still needed work. DSM-II, released in 1968, fixed some design flaws, including the use of confusing terminology and lack of clear criteria for distinguishing between some disorders. The DSM-II also expanded the work. DSM-III Published in 1980, DSM-III represented a radical change in the DSM structure. It was the first version to introduce such now-common elements as the multi-axis system, which considers the clients entire psychological profile, and explicit diagnostic criteria. It also removed much of the earlier versions bias toward psychodynamic, or Freudian, though in favor of a more neutral approach. Although the DSM-III was a pioneering work, real-world usage soon revealed its flaws and limitations. Confusing diagnostic criteria and inconsistencies led the APA to develop a revision. Some of these changes were based on changing societal norms. For example, in the DSM-III, homosexuality was classified as sexual orientation disturbance. By the late 1980s, however, homosexuality was no longer seen as a disorder, although anxiety and distress about sexual orientation were. The DSM-III-R, released in 1987, fixed many of the internal difficulties of the earlier work. DSM-IV and DSM-5 Published in 1994, the DSM-IV reflects numerous changes in the understanding of mental health disorders. Some diagnoses were added, others subtracted or reclassified. In addition, the diagnostic system was further refined in an effort to make it more user-friendly. The DSM-5, published in May 2013, reflects another radical shift in thinking in the mental health community. Diagnoses have been changed, removed or added, and the organizational structure underwent a major reworking. Unlike previous editions before it (which had decades between editions), the DSM-5 is expected to be revised more regularly with mini additions (such as the DSM-5.1, DSM-5.2, etc.) in an effort to be more responsive to research. More About the DSM-5 Clinical Uses  of the DSM Every therapist uses the DSM in his or her own way. Some practitioners rigidly stick to the manual, developing treatment plans for each client based solely on the books diagnoses. Others use the DSM as a guidelineâ€"a tool to help them conceptualize cases while focusing on each clients unique set of circumstances. But in the modern world, virtually every therapist finds herself referring to the DSMs codes in order to bill treatment to insurance companies. Health insurance is an extraordinarily complicated field, and a standardized set of codes allows insurance adjusters and therapists billing offices to speak the same language. Pros and Cons of the DSM   Advantages Standardizes billing and coding Standardizes diagnoses and treatment Guides research Guides therapy Disadvantages Oversimplifies human behavior Risk of misdiagnosis or over-diagnosis Labels can be stigmatizing Advantages of the DSM Standardization Beyond the standardization of billing and coding, the DSM provides a number of important benefits to both the therapist and the client. Standardization of diagnoses helps to ensure that clients receive appropriate, helpful treatment regardless of geographic location, social class or ability to pay. It provides a concrete assessment of the issues and assists in developing specific goals of therapy, as well as a standard of measure in assessing the effectiveness of treatment.?? Research Guidance In addition, the DSM helps guide research in the mental health field. The diagnostic checklists help ensure that different groups of researchers are actually studying the same disorderâ€"although this may be more theoretical than practical, as so many disorders have such widely varying symptoms. Therapeutic Guidance For the therapist, the DSM eliminates much of the guesswork. Proper diagnosis and treatment of mental illness remain  an art, but the DSM diagnostic criteria serve as a sort of guide map. In the age of brief therapy, a clinician may see a specific client only a handful of times, which may not be long enough to delve fully into the clients background and issues. Using the diagnostic criteria contained in the DSM, the therapist can develop a quick frame of reference, which is then refined during individual sessions.?? Disadvantages of the DSM   Oversimplification The latest round of criticism seems to echo a long-running debate on the nature of mental health. Many critics of the DSM see it as an oversimplification of the vast continuum of human behavior.?? Some worry that by reducing complex problems to labels and numbers, the scientific community risks losing track of the unique human element. Misdiagnoses and Over-Diagnoses Possible risks include misdiagnosis or even over-diagnosis, in which vast groups of people are labeled as having a disorder simply because their behavior does not always line up with the current ideal.?? Childhood attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is often singled out as an example. Shifts in terminology and diagnostic criteria between DSM-II and DSM-IV coincided with a massive upturn in the number of children on Ritalin or other attention-enhancing medications. Labeling and Stigmatization Other risks involve the possibility of stigmatization. Although mental health disorders are not viewed in the negative light that they once were, specific disorders can be perceived as labels. Some therapists take great care to avoid attaching labels to their clients, although for insurance reasons, a specific diagnosis may be required. What You Can Do to Ensure Proper Diagnosis Despite growing concerns by some segments of the mental health community, the DSM remains the standard for diagnosis of mental health conditions. Like any other professional manual, however, the DSM is designed to be used as one of many tools for proper diagnosis and treatment. There is no substitute for professional judgment on the part of the therapist. It is important to interview potential therapists as you would any other service provider. Ask questions about the therapists background and therapeutic approach, and choose the one whose style best melds with your personality and goals for therapy. In recent years, some mental health associations have published supplemental handbooks that attempt to address some of the DSMs drawbacks with more specific diagnostic criteria relevant to the associations school of thought. For example, five associations teamed up to create the Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual, or PDM, in 2006.?? That particular handbook is geared toward therapists who practice psychoanalysis, but others focus on different psychological theories. The goal of the handbooks is to delve more in-depth into individual differences that might affect clients with the same overall disorder. If you have doubts about the DSM, ask your therapist if he or she uses any supplemental diagnostic tools. If you have any concerns about your diagnosis, ask your therapist for more information. Finding the right therapist can be challenging, but the rewards are well worth the trouble.

History Facts and Trivia from the 20th Century

While texting is relatively new, some of the abbreviations we use for it are much older than we might think. For instance, the abbreviation OMG for Oh My God! dates back to as early as 1917. The earliest reference found is in a letter dated September 9, 1917, from Lord John Arbuthnot Fisher to Winston Churchill. In the last line of Lord Fishers short letter about newspaper headlines that were upsetting him, Lord Fisher wrote: I hear that a new order of Knighthood is on the tapis -- O.M.G. (Oh! My God!) -- Shower it on the Admiralty!! John Steinbeck and Pigasus Author John Steinbeck, best known for his epic novel The Grapes of Wrath, used to often add a symbol next to his name when signing things. This symbol was a pig with wings, whom Steinbeck called Pigasus. The flying pig was a reminder that although earthbound, it was good to aspire to something higher. Sometimes Steinbeck would add in Latin, Ad Astra Per Alia Porci (to the stars on the wings of a pig). Practice Suicide Runs On November 18, 1978, Jim Jones, leader of the Peoples Temple cult, ordered all his followers living in his Jonestown compound to drink poisoned grape-flavored punch in order to commit mass suicide. On that day, 912 people (including 276 children) died in what has become known as the Jonestown Massacre. How could one person convince over 900 others to commit suicide? Well, Jim Jones had been planning to carry out this revolutionary act of mass suicide for quite some time. To ensure full compliance, Jones had staged practice runs, called White Nights, in which he would order everyone to drink what he told them was poisoned punch. After everyone had stood around for about 45 minutes or so, he would then tell them that this had been a loyalty test. The Dots in Pac-Man When the Pac-Man video game was released in 1980, it quickly became an international sensation. As kids and adults alike moved the pie-shaped Pac-Man character around the screen, they tried to eat up lots of dots without themselves getting eaten by ghosts. But how many dots were they trying to eat? It turns out that each level of Pac-Man had the exact same number of dots -- 240. Lincoln Logs Created by Frank Lloyd Wrights Son Lincoln Logs is a classic childrens toy that has been played by millions of children for decades. The toy usually comes in a box or cylinder and includes both brown logs and green slats for roofs, which children use to build their own frontier house or fort. Despite playing with Lincoln Logs for hours and hours as a child, you might not know that they were created by John Lloyd Wright, the son of famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and were first sold by Red Square Toy Company in 1918. It would be easy to assume that Wright got the idea for Lincoln Logs by visiting an old log cabin, but that is not the case. Wright was in Japan helping his father build the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo when the idea for interlocking pieces struck him. It would also be easy to assume that the name Lincoln Logs refers to U.S. President Abraham Lincolns log cabin, but that too is not the case. The name Lincoln actually refers to the discarded original middle name of Johns father, Frank Lloyd Wright (he was born Frank Lincoln Wright). Lenin Was a Pseudonym Russian revolutionary Vladimir Ilich Lenin, also commonly called V.I. Lenin or just plain Lenin was actually not born with that name. Lenin was born as Vladimir Ilich Ulyanov and didnt begin using the pseudonym of Lenin until the age of 31. Up until that age, Lenin, still known as Ulyanov, had used his birth name for both his legal and illegal activities. However, having just returned from a three-year exile in Siberia, Ulyanov found it useful to begin writing under a different name in 1901 in order to continue his revolutionary work. Brad Pitt and the Iceman What do Brad Pitt and the Iceman have in common? Tattoos. Although the 5,300-year-old mummified remains of the Iceman, known as Otzi, was found with over 50 tattoos on his body, most of them were simple lines. Brad Pitt, on the other hand, had an outline of the Icemans body tattooed onto his left forearm in 2007. Juan Perons Hands While serving his third, non-consecutive term as President of Argentina, Juan Peron died on July 1, 1974, at age 78. His rule had been controversial, with many adoring him and others reviling him. After his death, his body was injected with formaldehyde and interred at La Chacarita Cemetery in Buenos Aires. In 1987, grave robbers opened up Perons coffin, cut off his hands and stole them, along with his sword and cap. The robbers then sent a ransom letter asking for $8 million to return the hands. Once the desecration was discovered, Perons body was sealed behind a bulletproof plate and 12 heavy-duty locks. On October 17, 2006, Perons body was moved to a mausoleum at Perons country home in San Vicente, just outside of Buenos Aires. The grave robbers have never been found. Catch-18 Joseph Hellers famous novel, Catch-22, was first published in 1961. Set in World War II, the book is a comic satirical novel about bureaucracy. The phrase Catch 22 in the novel is used to denote the vicious circle of military bureaucracy. The term Catch 22 has made it into mainstream usage to mean any two choices that are mutually dependent (for example, which came first: the chicken or the egg?). However, the term we now know as Catch 22 was almost Catch 18 for Heller had originally chosen Catch-18 as the title of the book. Unfortunately for Heller, Leon Uris published his Mila 18 novel just before Hellers book was to be published. Hellers publisher didnt think it would be good to have two books out at the same time with 18 in the title. Attempting to come up with another name, Heller and his publisher considered Catch-11, Catch-17, and Catch-14 before deciding on the title we all know, Catch-22. Insulin Discovered in 1922 Medical researcher Frederick Banting and research assistant Charles Best studied the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas of dogs at the University of Toronto. Banting believed that he could find a cure for the sugar disease (diabetes) in the pancreas. In 1921, they isolated insulin and successfully tested in on diabetic dogs, lowering the dogs blood sugar level. Researcher John Macleod and chemist James Collip then began to help prepare insulin for human use. On January 11, 1922, Leonard Thompson, a 14-year-old boy who was dying of diabetes, was given the first human experimental dose of insulin. The insulin saved his life. In 1923, Banting and Macleod were awarded the Nobel Prize for their work on discovering insulin. What was once a death sentence, people now diagnosed with diabetes can live long lives thanks to the work of these men. Why Is Roosevelt on the Dime? In 1921, when Franklin D. Roosevelt was stricken with a bout of polio that left him partially paralyzed, there were no organizations to lend support. Although Roosevelt had the money for the very best treatments for himself, he realized that there were thousands of others who did not. Also, at the time, there was no known cure for polio. In 1938, President Roosevelt helped establish the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (which later became known as the March of Dimes). This foundation was created to help care for polio patients and to help fund research to find a cure. Funding from the March of Dimes helped Jonas Salk discover a vaccine for polio. Soon after President Franklin D. Roosevelts death in 1945, the public started sending letters to the United States Treasury Department requesting that Roosevelts portrait be placed on a coin. The dime seemed the most appropriate coin because of Roosevelts ties to the March of Dimes. The new dime was released to the public on Roosevelts birthday, January 30, 1946. The Nickname Tin Lizzie Priced so that the average American could afford it, Henry Ford sold his Model T from 1908 until 1927. Many also may know the Model T by its nickname, the Tin Lizzie. But how did the Model T get its nickname? In the early 1900s, car dealers would try to create publicity for their new automobiles by hosting car races. In 1922, a championship race was held in Pikes Peak, Colorado. Entered as one of the contestants was Noel Bullock and his Model T, named Old Liz. Since Old Liz looked the worse for wear (it was unpainted and lacked a hood), many spectators compared Old Liz to a tin can. By the start of the race, the car had the new nickname of Tin Lizzie. To everyones surprise, Tin Lizzie won the race. Having beaten even the most expensive other cars available at the time, Tin Lizzie proved both the durability and speed of the Model T. The surprise win of Tin Lizzie was reported in newspapers across the country, leading to the use of the nickname Tin Lizzie for all Model T cars. Hoover Flags When the U.S. stock market crashed in 1929, President Herbert Hoover attempted to stop the U.S. economy from spiraling into what has become known as the Great Depression. Although President Hoover took action, most people agree that it just wasnt enough. Upset at Hoover, people began to give items that represented the economic crisis negative nicknames. For instance, shanty towns became known as Hoovervilles. Hoover blankets were newspapers that homeless people used to protect themselves from the cold. Hoover flags were pants pockets that had been turned inside out, symbolizing a lack of money. Hoover wagons were old cars pulled by horses since their owners could no longer pay for gas. The First Dot Com Surrounded by dot extensions, have you ever stopped to wonder what website was the very first to be a dot-com? That honor was claimed on March 15, 1985, when Symbolics.com registered their domain name. Tug-of-War Since tug-of-war has been a game played by adults for centuries, it became an official event at the second modern Olympic Games in 1900. However, its time as an official Olympic event was short-lived and it was last played at the Olympics at the 1920 Games. Tug-of-war was not the only event to be added and then later removed from the Olympic Games; golf, lacrosse, rugby, and polo also shared its fate. The First Star on the Walk of Fame On February 9, 1960, the very first star was awarded to actress Joanne Woodward. Within a year and half, over 1,500 of the stars were filled with names. Currently, over 2,300 of the stars have been awarded and two new stars are awarded each month. Barbies Full Name (co-founder of Mattel) after she realized that her daughter liked to play with paper dolls that resembled grown-ups. Handler suggested making a three-dimensional doll that looked like an adult rather than a child. The doll was named after Handlers daughter, Barbara, and is still produced by Mattel. The dolls full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts.

Is Privacy More Important than Security Essay - 1369 Words

Is Privacy more important than Security? The novel Little Brother by Cory Doctorow is about one teens’ journey to show and tell the truths about the harsh things the Department of Homeland Security, commonly referred to as the DHS, is doing and bring justice. Marcus, the main character, and his three friends, Jolu, Darryl and Van, are out playing their favorite video game, â€Å"Harajuku Fun Madness†, but when a bridge is bombed, the DHS finds the three teens on the middle of the road where they take them in for questioning and harsh punishment. The interrogator, Carrie Johnstone, believes Marcus is the terrorist in charge of bombing the bridge. Marcus tells her â€Å"We play a game together, it’s called Harajuku Fun Madness. I’m the team captain.†¦show more content†¦The two stories raise on question. Is the best security no privacy at all? The government uses extreme and unnecessary surveillance techniques in both cases of Marcus, from Little B rother, and Snowden. Marcus has to deal the government surveillance everywhere he goes, because of fastpasses, and on XBOX Universal. XBOX Universal was a secure chat room and place to game, but it was soon infiltrated with government spies. Marcus’s personal computer was also bugged by the DHS, to track every keystroke he made. Marcus finds that the object placed in his computer is â€Å"perfectly situated to capture all my keystrokes I made while I typed on my machine. It was a bug. My heart thudded in my ears.† (Doctorow 84). Later in the book Marcus experiences a similar problem when he is sharing his story of captivity to the reporter Barbra Stratford, of the Bay Guardian, who helps Marcus leak his story exposing the DHS. Barbra Stratford tells Marcus â€Å"Tell the receptionist that you’re Mr. Brown, to see me. They know what that means. No note will be taken of your coming, and all the security footage for the day will be automatically scrubbed and the c ameras deactivated until you leave†. (Doctorow 263). By doing this she is insuring Marcus that he will be safe. Marcus must evade all the cameras that were put up by the DHS, showing the unnecessary and strict surveillance the government has established. â€Å" seven months ago, the world began to learn the vast scope of the NationalShow MoreRelatedPrivacy Is More Important Than Security1594 Words   |  7 PagesPrivacy versus Security Privacy is something that is valuable, and gives trust to both sides. Everyone is endowed with some degree of privacy, right? The debate of the topic privacy versus security has been going on for a while. Most people believe privacy is more important, giving people the chance to be relaxed without anyone watching them, literally or figuratively speaking. Governments believe that security is more important, claiming it will help with terrorism and lower the crime rate. IfRead MoreIs National Security More Important Than Digital Privacy?1842 Words   |  8 Pages Is National Security More Important than Digital Privacy? The topic of national security vs. personal privacy, in recent events, has been very controversial regarding which is more appropriate. On one hand, the government can search through personal, private files without any consent from the owner, thus making the information no longer private. The opposing side argues that the government is the invading personal privacy of innocent civilians, violating the Fourth Amendment Rights to prohibitRead MoreAirport Security: Why Safety Is More Important Than Privacy1453 Words   |  6 Pages Airport Security: Why Safety Is More Important than Privacy Since September 11th, people have become concerned about airport security. The millimeter body scanner is one of the outcomes of people’s concerns. The scanner creates a full body image that can reveal any suspicious element that may be concealed on their person. While this type of image can calm some fears, the scanner is now a controversial issue. Arguments for each side focus on two main areas: privacy and safety. WhenRead MorePrivacy, The State Of Being Away From Public Attention1614 Words   |  7 PagesThroughout time, privacy and security have been two heavily debated topics. There has always been a struggle to find middle ground between a private environment and a secure environment, but the dawn of technology and the Internet has made this struggle even more difficult. The Internet has drastically decreased the expectation of privacy of any and all individuals that have ever used it. Technology in general can pose a threat to an individual’s physical and virtual security. The Internet has alsoRead MorePrivacy Is More Important? Privacy Or National Security?1278 Words   |  6 PagesDuring the past decade, an issue has arisen from the minds of people, on which is more important? Privacy or national security? The problem with the privacy is that people do not feel they have enough of it and national security is increasing causing the government to be less worried about the people. National security is growing out of control which has led to the decrease in people’s privacy and has created fear in the eyes of U.S. citizens. â€Å"Twelve years after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11Read MoreThe Security Is More Important Than Our Nation s Security And Defeating Terrorism Trump All Other Priorities.954 Words   |  4 Pagesdoubt that our nation’s security and defeating terrorism trump all other priorities.† The quote by Arlen Specter stresses the importance of a strong and persistent security system in America. 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Encounter Part Ii†John Mcphee Free Essays

Encounter Part II–John Mcphee An Island introduces Charles Fraser and David Brower, the two on a tour of Cumberland Island, Georgia. Charles Fraser, a real estate developer in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina with David Brower, a conservationist, the leader of a conservation organization called Friends of the Earth, the most effective single person on the cutting edge of conservation in this country. Charles Fraser has obtained 3000 acres of undeveloped Cumberland Island and he has bent over backwards in previous developments to preserve as much of the original landscape as he could, but he considers all environmentalists to be â€Å"druids† who will sacrifice people to save trees. We will write a custom essay sample on Encounter Part Ii– John Mcphee or any similar topic only for you Order Now Fraser considers himself a true conservationist, and he will say that he thinks of most so-called conservationists as â€Å"preservationists† but that he prefers to call them â€Å"druid. † â€Å"Ancient druids used to sacrifice human beings under oak trees,† â€Å"Modern druids worship trees and sacrifice human beings to those tree. They want to save things they like, all for themselves. † Fraser’s characterization of environmentalists as modern druids who â€Å"worship trees and sacrifice human beings to those trees† provides the charge against Brower that forms the title of the book. Brower came to Georgia in order to stop Fraser’s plan to develop Cumberland Island. Actually, Brower agreed that it would be a better candidate if Fraser developed Cumberland Island with federal protection. I think that both of them have common sense. Even though Fraser is a businessman, but he cares about the environment. I agree with Brower and I believe everyone has their own responsibility to get involved with environmental issues. Developing and environmental issue are always conflicted in current. Maybe we will find out the best solution to solve this puzzle. According to environmental ethic, we have to protect our environment first. I agree with that it is priority to protect our Earth Planet. I think it might be human nature, we always realize our mistake after we actually have made the mistake. For example in China, compare to 20 years ago, China’s economy has been developing to a very higher level, but the environment condition is going down to the hell. China has been studying and learning economic developing from Western for a long while and realized that economy is the most important thing for the country. Most of Chinese think that America is the superpower state in the world because our super economy and technology. Previous Chinese President, Mr. Deng Xiaoping, after his economic reforms, the whole country’s living standard has been increased enormously. During developing, Chinese has realized that economic developing has destroyed the country’s environment. Now it is the payback time for Chinese, even they want to spend 10 times more it won’t get the nature environment back. I don’t think that all the Chinese realize how important environment it is. I agree with most of Brower s opinion and I like to protect our green earth, but I believe that developing is very important too. Some of Fraser’s thoughts are right to me. I would like to see the developing with good environmental protection. The best asset religion offers is the moral framework by which practitioners must abide. 3] Since many environmental problems have stemmed from human activity, it follows that religion might hold some solutions to mitigating destructive patterns. Buddhism idealizes and emphasizes interconnection,[4] thereby creating a mindset that creates a productive and cooperative relationship between humans and nature. That all actio ns are based on the premise of interconnection makes the Buddhist mindset affective in generating modesty, compassion, and balance among followers, which may ultimately mitigate the harm done to the environment. One benefit of the Buddhist interconnected mindset is the inevitable humility that ensues. Because humans are entwined with natural systems, damage done upon the Earth is also harm done to humans. [5] This realization is quite modifying to a human race that historically pillages the Earth for individual benefit. When rational humans minimize the split between humanity and nature and bridge the gaps,[3] only then will a mutual respect emerge in which all entities coexist rather than fight. Buddhism maintains that the reason for all suffering comes from attachment. [6] When release from the tight grasp humanity has on individuality and separateness occurs, then oneness and interconnection is realized. So rather than emphasizing winners and losers, humanity will understand its existence within others; this results in a modesty that ends egoic mind. Another benefit of Buddhist practice to the environment is the compassion that drives all thinking. [3] When humans realize that they are all onnected, harm done to another will never benefit the initiator. [5] Therefore, peaceful wishes for everyone and everything will ultimately benefit the initiator. Through accepting that the web of life is connected[4]—if one entity benefits, all benefit[5]—then the prevailing mindset encourages peaceful actions all the time. If everything depends on everything else, then only beneficial events will make life situations better. Acceptance of compassion takes training and pra ctice, which is also encouraged by Buddhist moral conduct in the form of mediation. This habitual striving for harmony and friendship among all beings creates a more perfect relationship between humanity and nature. Lastly, Buddhist mindset relies on taking the middle road or striving for balance. Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, spent his life searching for the outlet of human suffering, eventually concluding that a balance must be established between self-destruction and self-indulgence. [7] While modern, industrial humans emphasize economic and social aspects of life and lastly environmental aspects, this view is lopsided. 5] When human preferences are leveled with environmental preferences—giving a voice to natural systems as well as human systems—then can balance and harmony be realized. Therefore, using this idealized and disciplined framework that Buddhism has to offer can create lasting solutions to amending the broken relationship between humanity and nature. What ensues is an ethic, rather than a short-term policy or technological fix. [5] When never-ending consumption patterns cease for the betterment of the world as a whole, then all systems will harmoniously interact in a non-abusive way. 5] Without needing to adopt a new religion, just recognizing and accepting this mindset can help to heal the environmental injuries of the past. Buddhists today are involved in spreading environmental awareness. In a meeting with the U. S Ambassador to the Republic of India Timothy J. Roemer, the Dalai Lama urged the U. S to engage China on climate change in Tibet. [8] The Dalai Lama has also been part of a series on discussions organised by the Mind and Life Institute; a non profit organisation that specializes on the relationship between science and Buddhism. The talks were partly about ecology, ethics and interdependence and issues on global warming were brought up [9] According to some social science research, Christians and members of the Christian right are typically less concerned about issues of environmental responsibility than the general public. [1][2] Green Christianity is a broad field that encompasses Christian theological reflection on nature, Christian liturgical and spiritual practices centered on environmental issues, as well as Christian-based activism in the environmental movement. citation needed] Within the activism arena, green Christianity refers to a diverse group of Christians who emphasize the biblical or theological basis for protecting and celebrating the environment. [citation needed] The term indicates not a particular denomination, but a shared territory of concern. [citation needed] http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Religion_and_environmentalism#Religions_and_the_environment How to cite Encounter Part Ii– John Mcphee, Essay examples

Persuasive Letter free essay sample

Possible internships for your company In such a successful and powerful company such as, MM Title Services, inc. , you probably are a very busy company. Sometimes having a few extra people around to help out in the company can be very helpful. For this reason, City College is offering well trained and qualified interns to work and internship in your company. At City College, our students are very hardworking and intelligent people. In order for us to allow a student to become an intern, they must meet certain requirements such as having completed two or more courses in the area of internship and received a â€Å"B† or better. According to our internship program: Interns that work for your company can either be paid or unpaid, should involve substantive work supervised by someone in your company and must have at least 100 hours of on-site work experience during the term. We at City College are more then willing to discuss and compromise on any of these requirements. We will write a custom essay sample on Persuasive Letter or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page You may be debating whether or not students at City College can really be good interns, but let me assure you, these students are one of the best and can be outstanding interns. I encourage you and your company to have one or more of our student’s intern in your company, you won’t regret it. Sincerely, Stephanie Morales Stephanie Morales Director of Internship Program

Interactive TV Essays - New Media, Science And Technology Studies

Interactive TV The Web and the Internet are the latest technologies to be harnessed by companies trying to develop interactive television. This paper reviews the efforts of technology companies and broadcasters to combine television and the Web in their products and activities, and how users are already using them both at home. It reviews some research on the way that TV and the PC/Internet are used at home, and suggests some way that the Web could be integrated with television use. Unlike earlier interactive television projects, where the innovation was largely conducted behind closed doors and among consortia of companies, the innovation environment in which Web-based interactive television is being developed includes a huge number of existing users, technology and content suppliers who play an active role the innovation process. The concept of social learning is suggested as a area of development of tools for understand the process of technical, social and cultural change around innovation of this sort. In particular the idea of poles of attraction is introduced to understand why a huge numbers of supply side players and users are orienting towards the Internet as a possible solution to interactive television. 1. Introduction Of all the visions of the future of television (note 1), interactive television (i-TV) is perhaps the most radical and powerful. In this vision the ubiquitous television set will change from being a device to watch television shows or films into a home terminal for access to and interaction with networked interactive technology, programmes and services. The possibilities and benefits of the technology seem self-evident, if only they can be made to work effectively and at a modest price. Many times we have been told to expect interactive television any day now. (note 2) However, after millions of dollars spent, and many pilots and service closures, most of us are still no closer to having interactive television than a few hundred searchable teletext pages, and some phone-in TV shows. In the efforts to create i-TV, numerous applications and technologies have been tried, with companies attracted by the possibilities of each new generation of technology, and responding to the continuous pressure to develop new products, be they technologies, services or programmes in order to maintain their share of consumer spending. The explosion of the Internet and Web is a new pole of attraction for interactive television developers that seems to solve many of the problems and uncertainties of earlier systems: all of a sudden the technologies, content, users and uses of interactive services are there and proving very successful, all that needs to be done it integrate them into television. For the analyst of new innovations in television, three issues arise as companies are attracted to the Internet and the Web as a solution to interactive television. 1. Instead of being controlled by a small number of corporate players, the technology and service of the Web and Internet are in the public domain, and changing fast. The innovation environment is diverse, heterogeneous, and involves a multitude of companies and most importantly users in shaping the technology and services, which makes management of innovation more complex and give the market a much stronger voice. 2. There is major uncertainty over the relevance of Web-style interactivity to the use of television. Many commentators believe that content and services on the Internet or designed for the PC terminal may not be relevant for many users of the television, while others bet on the explosion of e-commerce through TV Web terminals. 3. The television is no longer the only window for interactive services to the home. The PC is an increasingly common alternative, and is a more flexible and open platform or interactive services. The cheap web set-top box may restrict innovation and fix service and uses in a way that is frustrating to end users and service providers alike. What is more, there is an emerging paradigm in the technology industry of multiple 'low profile' terminals for interactive services. This could turn investment and attention away from both the PC and the television. What links these issues is the importance of the end users as active players in the innovation-diffusion process. It was end- and intermediate-users adopting the Internet and Web that attracted interactive television developers, and it is these users who are now directly involved in the innovation process. This paper uses social learning (S?rensen 1996) as an analytic framework of socio-technical change that includes an integration of end users in the innovation and diffusion process. Social learning goes beyond the development and diffusion of technology and content to include the

Intro to Human Services Essays

Intro to Human Services Essays Intro to Human Services Paper Intro to Human Services Paper Describe human services from the early 1900s to the present day. 2 Throughout History Human Services made a big impact and a difference in our society as we know it today. Through the sociological era in the 1900s many were faced with challenges such as financial support for the poor and no support or guidance for the children, developmentally disabled and the mentally ill. Human Services make positive and lasting differences in peoples lives, and they help improve the world. The early 1900s, sometimes called the sociological era, continued the period of social reform. During this time there were two significant events that affected the history of helping and human services. The first was the development of a new profession known as social workers. During this time social diagnosis and casework evolved. The development of social work profession was significant and represented the beginning of human services. Clifford Beers, a victim of mental illness was confined for three years in public and private mental institutions. Beers wrote about his treatment in A Mind That Found Itself (1945). In 1908, Beers founded the Connecticut Society for Mental Hygiene. This was considered to be the beginning to the mental health movement in America. In 1909 Beers proposed a national society, the National Committee for Mental Hygiene. By the end of World War II the profession of clinical psychology was created. This was due to the number of Veterans in the hospital for psychiatric evaluations reached more than 40,000. The great depression was marked by vast unemployment, failing business ventures and the collapse of banks. During this time President D. Roosevelt introduced New Deal legislation that changed the federal governments role in providing human services. President D. Roosevelt focused on two goals, one to provide short term aid to those who were unemployed and focus on the enactment of Social Security Act of 1935. 3 During the 1900s it was the first time the federal that government became involved in the provision of public welfare. This resulted in the Social Security Act of 1935. The philosophy of welfare during the 1900s was welfare provides a way for mothers to stay home and raise their children. It is okay if that process takes many years. During this time there were many unemployed and receiving services. However there were many changes to the welfare reform. The National Mental Health Act of 1946 was created to address preventative measures. In early 1960 s President Kennedy renewed governments commitment to serving the needy. President Lyndon Johnson declared War on Poverty after Michael Harrington and others discovered The Other America,specific groups of people who had not benefited from the general post war prosperity. War on Poverty resulted in a number of programs that are still important today;Community Action, Head Start, Employment and training programs, Medicare/Medicaid, and Food Stamps. President Kennedy and Johnson chose to focus on the problems of mental health and mental retardation. The Community Mental Health Centers act of 1963 was established to provide services to the population, including inpatient and outpatient care, emergency services, assistance to courts and services for the mental health of children and the elderly. (History of Helping: Content Guide. H. ) The Republican Shift). With the Mental Health Centers arising there became more of need for these individuals to get the treatment they needed. In 1966, the first human services program was established at Purdue University. Woodside, T. R, amp; McClam, T. pg. 47). In the 1950s the Deinstitutionalization movement began. During this time many were transferred from institutions to the community. Prior to Deinstitutionalization children, and developmental disabled were left in institutions with no goal or anything established for these individuals. There was no interaction with these individuals which f ostered there abilitities in what we take for granted such activities of daily living. By the 1970s, a major segment of mental health treatment had shifted from isolation of the institution to the complex 4 nvironment of the community for outpatient care. (Woodside, T. R, amp; McClam,T. pg. 47). During the 1970s the number of clients served by the mental health system increased dramatically. Human service providers could then provide some guidance to these individuals that needed it. During this same period there were two organizations that were also established that was the National Organization for Human Services (NOHS) and the Council for Standards in the Human Service Education (CSHSE), these organizations are still around today. In 1978 Jimmy Carter established the Department of Health and Human Services. The economy collapsed in the 1980s with a rapid decline in industrial employment, a whole new class of working poor was created. In 1990, Vice President George Bush, Sr passed one of the most significant Acts, this was the Americans with Disabilities Act. (ADA) This enabled people with disabilities to enter the workforce without discrimination. President Clinton expressed a desire to develop a welfare system that would encourage people to work and that would be a temporary solution instead of a way of life. The following principles guided the changes made under his administration. Strengths of welfare reform is that it does decrease dependency and can build self-respect by encouraging the individual to take responsibility. However, welfare reform seems to have created a whole new category of working poor who are barely able to survive. Many people seem to be falling through the cracks and depending on private resources such as food banks and soup kitchens. (History of Helping: Content Guide. H. ) The Republican Shift). In 1996 The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act(PRWORA) replaced aid to families with dependent children, this was to provide aid to eligible mothers with children. The support then became based on the income of the family to receive services. The AFDC then became what is now the TANF. Human Services workers then pushed the welfare to work law. However there were challenges faced with this program there was the focus of moving clients off 5 welfare and into meaningful work that would allow them to provide stability for their families. There is still debate on whether or not this reform has actually worked as there are still more women and children below the poverty line. The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003(MMA) was passed to provide outpatient prescription drug benefits for individuals on medicare, part D. ( Woodside, T. R, amp; McClam, T. pg. 54). This plan replaced Medicaid as a source of drug coverage. To help Americans in need, President George Bush initiated an effort to bring faith-based agencies and organizations into partnership with the federal overnment by creating the White House Office of Faith and Community Initiatives (Woodside, T. R, amp; McClam, T. pg. 55). With the lasting impact throughout history, Human Services has overcome many challenges for financial support for the poor and no support or guidance for children, the developmentally disabled and the mentally ill. However Society had to overcome the horrific events in the past it has lead to a better establ ishment for the poor, children, developmentally disabled and the mentally ill, this all due to the history of human services and its workers. Human Services are making a positive, lasting difference in peoples lives and are changing the world for the better. 6 References A Comparison of Prior Welfare Law with Welfare Reform:Content Guide. Philosophy.. History of Helping: Content Guide. E. )The Great Depression. History of Helping: Content Guide. G. ) 1960s Civil Rights and The War on Poverty. History of Helping: Content Guide. H. ) The Republican Shift Nixon, Reagan, George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush with the Carter/Clinton Interludes. Woodside, T. R, amp; McClam, T. (2009). An Introduction To Human Services. Belmont: CA. Brooks/Cole