Moral vs. Ethical

Moral vs. Ethical Moral vs. Ethical Moral vs. Ethical By Maeve Maddox A reader has asked for a discussion of the adjectives moral and ethical: I have been writing professionally for 40 years and I still cannot get these straight. There seems to be more than a casual or preferential distinction. One difference between the adjectives moral and ethical is that moral has been in the language longer. A similarity is that moral is a translation of the ancient Greek word ethikos from which the adjective ethical derives. Both words refer to human character and behavior. Moral entered English in the 14th century from Old French moral: â€Å"pertaining to character or temperament.† It derives from the noun moralis, from the Latin noun mos in its genitive form (moris): â€Å"one’s disposition.† The adjective ethical entered English in the 16th century with the meaning â€Å"pertaining to morality.† Note: The plural of mos gives us the word mores: â€Å"the shared habits, manners, and customs of a community or social group.† Greek philosopher Aristotle used ethikos as the title of a treatise on the branch of knowledge dealing with moral principles. Clearly, the two words, moral and ethical, are closely related in meaning. In the 14th century, moral meant â€Å"morally good, conforming to moral rules.† Moral stories taught moral behavior. Everything Chaucer’s Oxford student said was â€Å"filled with moral virtue.† The first definition of the adjective moral in the OED gives ethical as a synonym: moral (adjective): of or relating to human character or behavior considered as good or bad; of or relating to the distinction between right and wrong, or good and evil, in relation to the actions, desires, or character of responsible human beings; ethical. Both words, moral and ethical, describe human behavior in reference to right and wrong. Modern usage assigns moral to behavior dictated by internal standards and ethical to behavior dictated by external standards. Sometimes the two types of behavior coincide. For example, taking a child away from abusive parents is both moral and ethical. Sending a child back to abusive parents for legal reasons is ethical, but not moral. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Dialogue Dos and Don'tsThe Possessive Apostrophe6 Foreign Expressions You Should Know

Book Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Book Report - Essay Example She is the Director of Family Achievement Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, and a clinical professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. She has twenty years of clinical work experience, working with families and concerned parents (Rimm, 1996). In an era where there exists varying family set-ups, such as families with gay or lesbian parents, single-parent families, step families and traditional two parent families, Dr. Sylivia wrote this book to provide a parenting blueprint, especially to parents who are not in a position to meet her or attend her talks in person. She employs her compassionate, yet no-nonsense style in presenting basic strategies to parents, for guiding children from birth to adulthood (Rimm, 1996). Exceptionally arranged, this book comprises of cornerstone as an alternative of chapters. Questions are grouped per cornerstone, and answers provided at the end. To facilitate skimming, innovative skills are placed in margins, to enable those seeking advice on issues such as bedtime battles, attention deficit disorder and shyness find answers easily(Rimm, 1996). This book covers a wide area of everyday family life. Its covers issues on common annoyances and deeper issues. Sensitive topics which are rarely discussed, such as immigrant’s parents, grand parenting, and marital problems between husband and wife and its’ impacts on children are discussed respectfully. The book considers it necessary for parents to review their difference and avoid quarreling in front of their children because this kind of approach impacts them negatively. Another material covered by this book is selection of appropriate rewards and punishments, aiming at decreasing arguments and power struggles. Dr. Rimm encourages independence of parents without over empowering the children. In her book, Dr. Sylvia provides practical guides to parents on how to form a united front, how they should cooperate with school and the teachersto

The Brain All You AreIs Here Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Brain All You AreIs Here - Essay Example Through the use of fMRI, which is a non-invasive scan as compared to the X-ray, brain tumors are detected. It can also detect brain activities such as blood flow which is helpful recognizing brain activity according to the article. The article also suggests that the prefrontal cortex contains the sense of â€Å"self† in the young child. But as people mature, this â€Å"self† maybe located in different regions of the brain especially when higher order thinking skills are involved. Synapses also play a crucial role in brain development since they are points of contact during the exchanges of neurons firing to one another. These synapses grow or develop inside the brain of a fetus. Long-term memories are believed to be stored in the hippocampus ( part of limbic system) which is not yet fully developed on a child. Likewise, the amygdala can also hold â€Å"highly emotional memories† ( The Mind,p.12). Interestingly a research made by the NIMH in Maryland reveals that is during puberty period that the brain experiences another round of growth. The basic functions as well as sensory processing usually develops first in the extreme back and front portions of the brain. Next to develop in the parietal lobes of the brain are language functions and spatial orientation. This is also the reason why curriculum in the educational system is attuned to the level of development of the brain. Students in lower levels cannot process higher thinking activities unless their brain is developed. Last to develop is the prefrontal cortex where most decision making are processed. This meant weighing alternatives , making short term plans or even checking one’s self on e thical conduct is involved. Indeed, such complex mental functions can only be given to mature individuals. This just attests to the fact that people’s brain gradually develop and mature through adulthood. Aside from experiencing development, certain

Change Model Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Change Model - Assignment Example How change is introduced in an organization greatly determines how it will be accepted by the employees which will contribute to organizational success. Companies want to grow and expand in the long run but the problem arises where change is an intimidating step among the management and employees since the outcome is unknown and since they are moving out of their comfort zone (Van de Ven & Sun 2011). For change to be effective, a detailed plan has to be made in advance, implementation has to be slow and steady and most importantly is that the people it affects have to be consulted and involved in the change process rather than being by- standers. The change has to be measurable, ideally achievable and realistic. Some important questions need to be answered before introducing the change; what is it that we want to attain from the change, how will we know that we have attained the change we long for, who are the people that will be directly affected by the change and what is their expe cted response? It is by answering these questions that will form the basis of how to explain to the employees of the reasons for the change and help them understand and contribute positively towards the achieving the change (Van de Ven & Sun 2011). ... Since opening up the shop in Shanghai is for a short time, the organization may be testing the waters to see how well their company will respond to international change where the people as well as their culture are different. In the first stage of unfreeze, the organizations tries to break the status quo by explaining that these changes are necessary and should be accepted for the company to grow. The key to this stage is to develop a compelling message to the employees of the need for change perhaps due to worrying financial results, poor customer satisfaction, or just the need for improvement and expansion of the company for it to grow (Van de Ven & Sun 2011). For the change to be successful, it is important that the employees be prepared psychologically by changing their core beliefs and attitudes about the organization. If the company wants to go global, there is need to change the mindset of the employees, stopping them from looking at the company in its regional state but as an international company. For goals to be achieved, they have to be foreseen before they are worked towards achieving them. The first part is very hard and stressful since when change starts, people have to start adapting to the new ways of doing things which pushes them off balance. It is for this reason that during early stages of the new store would seem slow and progress to be almost none. If this phase is not handled carefully, rebellion is likely to be seen among the employees (Mariana & Violeta 2011). The second phase is the change part where people are inculcated into the new radical ways of doing things. People have to see that the change is meant to benefit the entire company.

Nutrition And Childrens Learning

Nutrition And Childrens Learning Abstract Does what our children eat affect their learning attainment and achievement? And if yes how serious is the effect? Those serious questions have been matters of concern among parents, educators, and health professionals. Prior studies provided evidences on the strong relationship between nutrition and education progress. This research paper is intended to highlight and consolidate the various factors that implicate learning. Also, it illustrates the negative effects of imbalanced diets on childrens health and academic future. This research suggests the serious relationship between prenatal mothers eating habits, breast feeding, anemia, mineral deficiencies, socioeconomic status, malnutrition and obesity from one side and the childrens learning outcomes in the other side. Numerous serious educational issues are addressed in this paper. Including, but not limited to, attention span problems, information processing impairment, information retention issues, cognitive growth complications, and working memory impairment conditions. Eating habits affect equally the childrens physical and mental growth. Therefore, introducing balanced meals to children, especially breakfast, is recommended to ensure healthy growth. Introduction Cognitive development, represented in thinking and learning abilities, is implicated notably by the interaction between nutrition, hereditary genes and the surrounding environment. All these components/factors combined implicate the cognitive growth of children. The role of nutrition in children physical and mental development starts during the early years of their life. Many studies have focused on the relationship between nutrition and childrens mental and physical health. Behavior also is implicated by the quality and quantity of nutrients the child receives. The role of health and nutrition in promoting child development and educational outcomes is increasingly being recognized(Bundy, 1997; Bundy Guyatt, 1996). Research findings tie the mothers nutrition during pregnancy to the childrens brain health and development after birth and during the first two years of life. The childrens cognitive development starts before birth. Furthermore, some researchers suggested that breast feeding augments healthy cognitive development and higher IQ levels. Breakfast is the most important meal especially for preschoolers. Any nutritional disorder, especially during the early stages of life, can lead to serious mental and cognitive issues. Malnutrition and obesity, both, disturb the mental and physical development of children equally. Proper nutrition has always been linked to progressive cognitive development. Malnutrition can results from administrating unbalanced meals or can be secondary to certain medical conditions. Malnutrition leads to deficiency in some essential minerals and other elements. Iron and zinc depots are always depleted by malnutrition. Therefore, malnourished children are always susceptible to recurrent infections which impede their school attendance and thus their learning progress. Moreover, it affects the childrens behavior and social interaction with others. If under-nutrition was evaluated as a negative health risk, overfeeding is viewed as health jeopardy as well. Overfeeding leads to obesity which interferes with the childrens various aspects of growth. Parents should promote healthy eating habits among their children to enhance their mental as well physical growth. Literature review The core of literature on child nutrition and its projecting implications on school performance are addressed in five major areas: (1) nutrition during pregnancy and its prenatal effects on fetuses (2) socioeconomic and medically-induced food insufficiency and malnutrition, (3) essential elements deficiency such as Iron and zinc, (4) effect of eating breakfast, and (5) obesity and its health and educational implications. Extensive research work suggested that chronic hunger, iron deficiency, and poor breakfast patterns are frequently interrelated (Taras, 2005, p 199). Pregnancy is a crucial phase of development. Improper nutrition during pregnancy affects the newborns more than their mothers. Imbalanced supply of certain nutrients during pregnancy leads to serious fetal developmental or congenital malformations. For instance insufficient dietary folic acid or B9 during pregnancy results in motor disabilities and cognitive impairment in offspring. Vitamin B9 is essential in the proper functioning of brain as well central and peripheral nervous systems. Lower levels of B9 have been connected to chronic depression and other mental disorders, as well as in birth defects that affect the neural tube cells (NutritionalSupplementsCenter.com, 2005). Those fore-mentioned serious health defects are found to forgo schooling and engaged in activities besides learning at schools. Moreover, interrupted sleep is one of symptoms of folic acid deficiency. Interrupted sleep is one of the major issues that negatively implicate childrens learning. Interrupted sleep lowers their attention, retention and concentration levels. Therefore, it can be concluded that lower levels of Folic acid insult the children learning process directly. Whether in the form of interrupted sleep issues or manifest itself as mental retardation and/or emotional instability. In the postnatal life, it was suggested that breast feeding is interrelated to IQ levels. Studies in this regard involved more than 3,000 breast-fed infants in New Zealand and England. This study revealed that breast feeding is responsible for increasing the average IQ with around 7 points. However, the same studies indicated that this IQ spurt can only take place under certain hereditary conditions. Breast-fed infants who carry special gene called FADS2 have great chances to have higher IQ than their counterparts who dont have it. Studies suggest that IQ scores are somehow correlated to school performance. Students with above average IQ typically do well in school especially in achievement tests. However, their scores might not be conclusively attributed to their intelligence. Certainly, intelligence does play a significant part in school achievement, but many other factors are also involved. Motivation, quality of education and family socioeconomic status; are all among the other factor involved in elevating the IQ. Conversely, some research studies pointed that for some reason some students dont perform well in the classroom although they have high IQ scores. Meanwhile, other students achieve at higher levels than it would anticipated from their IQ scores alone (J. E. Davidson, 2003; p. 155-156). Balanced healthy meals in the early childhood, especially in the first two years of life, are required to meet their accelerated mental and physical growth development. Therefore, it is their adult partner responsibility to provide them with a variety of nutritional diet array after the age of two. Nutritional meals should include whole grain, dairy products, protein, vegetables and fruit. Excessive intake of carbohydrates, salt and saturated fat should be avoided as possible. Whole grain is an important source of minerals and fibers. Mineral and fibers are essential for healthy growth and development. Healthy balanced diets help developing healthy strong children both physically and behaviorally. Nutritionally rich diets notably improve the childrens attitude. As children grow their share of healthy nutrition should proportionally increase to meet the growth spurt they experience. Their diet should include all the elements that support their physical growth. That includes plenty of Calcium for stronger bones and teeth as well vitamin C. raising healthy children in the early childhood guarantees successful learners in the adulthood. Sound body sound mind has proven to be true. Let alone balanced healthy meals help children establish positive relationships with their counterparts and peers; it affects their readiness to school. Poor nutrition may have knock-on effects for their educational achievement and attainment (Jukes, 2006. P14). Negative effects of malnutrition, for the most part, on brain development are manifested as cognitive impairments and/or emotional issues that last throughout their education time. Physically febrile students are subjected, more than others, to frequent sickness attacks. Therefore, they dont attend school regularly and miss more school days than average. Consequently, they miss, in total, long periods of learning. Socioeconomic status as well the general health condition can lead to malnutrition. Regarding the socioeconomic status, information provided by research about the extent of learning disabilities in low-income communities is still not enough. However, research evidence suggests that a significant number of children are affected (Jukes, 2006. P16). For example, studies have found prevalence of serious mental retardation ranging from 5 children per 1000 in Bangladesh, to 17 per 1,000 in Jamaica, 19 per 1,000 in Pakistan (Durkin, 2002). Worth noting, mental retardation is one of the serious developmental cognitive disorders that affect the early childhood. Children with mental retardation have lower to slim chances to enroll in the regular educational system. What seriously hinders their enrollment is their deteriorated mental health condition and/or the parents schooling decision. Socioeconomic status is not the only contributor to malnutrition. Some medical issues impair the absorption of certain essential elements such as Iron and Zinc. Whether Iron and/or zinc deficiencies were medically-induced or due to other etiologies, they lead to major chronic and sometimes fatal complications. Anemia is one of the most commonly wide spread malnutrition disorders. It affects mostly children and young adults. Studies on anemic children indicated that anemic children showed delayed responses than non-anemic Iron-replete children. The research findings reveled that children with iron deficiency respond after repeating orders or stimuli at least twice. However, there was no difference in the IQ level between anemic and non-anemic children. Iron deficiency anemic children were neither able to categorize information nor able to solve problems quickly. They displayed delay in their ability to solve problems than their iron-replete counterparts. All these complications were found to be attributed to iron deficiency. Iron constitutes major element in the CNS composition. Moreover, studies revealed that anemic children suffer from impaired vision. Impaired vision affects the learning process of visual learners. When iron was administrated into the anemic childrens regular meals they showed improvement in their academic performance, attitude and general health conditions. Zinc is an example of another essential element needed for children and adolescents healthy growth. Zinc is very essential for working memory. Research work disclosed that malnourished children suffer from severe information retention issues. Furthermore, they showed inability to focus their attention normally in any given task. Accordingly, they experienced severe learning impairment and performed poorly at school. Researchers concluded that zinc-related learning impairment was mainly due to their inferior attention span than normal children. Breakfast is not only the most important meal that feeds body with most energy but also it contributes to most nutrients adequacy. Breakfast consumers are more likely to have better overall diet quality and micronutrient and macronutrient and fiber intakes that more often align with current dietary recommendations (US dept. of Health, 2005). Studies revealed that breakfast skippers are more susceptible to obesity. Moreover, they are less likely to be engaged in any physical activities. Several studies support the benefits of breakfast intake. Research findings revealed that constant intake of breakfast meal enhances the childs cognitive functions; academic performance; academic achievement; school attendance rates; psychosocial condition; and mood. Breakfast consumption could impact cognitive performance by alleviating hunger the prevalence of which is well documented and has been associated with emotional, behavioral, and academic problems in children and adolescents (Rampersaud, G. ; Pereira M.; Girard, B.; Adams, j.; Metzl, J.; 2005). Studies revealed that socioeconomic status as well breakfast composition, are among the factors that interfere or augment the magnitude of academic performance. There is extensive proof that daily breakfast intake affect greatly the health condition of children and adolescents. Healthy breakfast should include variety of food groups. Studies indicated that breakfast skippers show low performance compare to others. Decreased attention and other memory related issues were also reported among breakfast skippers. Attention and retention impairment were also reported. Weight gain and its physiological and academic complications are among the health hazards associated with skipping breakfast. Overweight is another crucial factor which impacts the learning process equally to malnutrition. Researchers have studied the relative relationship between birth weight and weight gain during the first two years of life for learning outcomes. The study findings suggested strong relationship between learning expectations and weight gain. Abnormal weight gain increases the risk of failing at least one grade in school. Moreover, further studies indicated that child oversize causes impaired cognitive development and poor academic achievement. Researchers attributed poor academic achievement in obese children to the lack of self-confidence and motivation. Psychological burden associated with obesity is another main factor that implicates the overweight children academia. Conclusion Childrens performance in school is impacted by many etiological factors. Children are expected to perform well in school until some interfering factors disturb their progress. Prenatal nutrition can affect the childs adult life either positively or negatively. Improper nutrition during pregnancy can lead to both serious developmental and congenital defects. These defects are responsible for cognitive and physical growth delay or cessation in severe cases. Children with such defects are expected to perform very poorly in school. In the same time, they are not expected to achieve what they suppose to attain in their corresponding age time frame. Breast feeding was suggested to positively alter the childrens IQ levels. However, studies showed that it does affect it only if the favorable hereditary variable was present. FADS2 is the genetic variable that helps absorb fat in the mothers milk and provide the brain with all the fat needed for healthier growth. Thus, breastfeeding does elevate the childrens IQ by 7 points only in the presence of FADS2 gene. Socioeconomic status interferes with providing healthy comprehensive meals. Therefore, children from low socioeconomic classes are more susceptible to malnutrition disorders. Malnutrition and imbalanced meals can lead to behavioral disorders, memory impairment, delayed cognitive response and emotional disorders. Anemia can also develop as a secondary complication to certain health/medical issues. Whether Anemia was due to malnourishment or secondary to medical issues, it depreciates the academic performance and impairs the childrens progress in school. Moreover, it interferes with their ability to comprehend, process, and retain any introduced knowledge. Iron and zinc are major elements for healthy brain growth and properly functioning working memory. Children with zinc and iron deficiencies showed remarkably delayed responses to any given instruction, behavioral abnormalities and disturbed working memory. Furthermore, they suffered from sleeping disorders which aggravated their academic status. Visual disorders were reported among anemic children. Visual disorders negatively impact visual learners. Breakfast intake is the most important meal of the day, especially for children. Breakfast is important for the childrens daily performance and behavior at school. Studies revealed that breakfast skippers are more susceptible to obesity when they grow up. Skipping breakfast alters the glucose supply to the brain and put it into the energy saving mode. Consequently, this conservative mode disturbs the memory and the ability to stay focused. Overweight is another burden that traumatizes the childrens academic achievement. Due to the psychological inferiority which obese people experience, they suffer from lack of self-confidence. Low self-esteem, lack of motivation and inability to participate in various activities create unfavorable learning conditions. These conditions, by turn, hinder their academic progress and schooling outcomes. Abnormal weight gain increases the risk of failing at least one grade in school.

Physical Therapy :: Cheathouse Essays

Physical Therapy â€Å"Where am I? How did I get here?† is what many stroke patients say after recovering from an acute or severe stroke. A stroke is also known as a cerebrovascular accident, a life-threatening event where the brain is deprived of adequate oxygen. A physical therapist’s duty is to provide assistance and education that will help patients rehabilitate and return to a normal routine. As of today, there is a new treatment called treadmill training with partial body weight support that facilitates recovery of a patient’s ability to walk sooner after a surgery. Is the expense for treadmill training with partial body weight support which includes expensive equipment and constant physical therapy supervision worth it if it decrease the amount of time it takes a person to get better? Is it ultimately more efficient than traditional physical therapy? My argument will state that treadmill training with partial body weight support is worth the expense and provides better tec hniques than traditional physical therapy. After a stroke, patients are usually referred to physical therapy to begin the recovery process. There are many types of physiotherapy treatments for different types of strokes and injuries. The two kinds of strokes are ischemic stroke which occurs when the blood supply to the brain is interrupted by blood clots. The blood clots are caused when the arteries harden and a cluster forms which then limits blood and oxygen supply to the brain. The second kind of stroke is a hemorrhagic stroke, which occurs when there is bleeding into or around the brain. If one of the two strokes were ever to occur, getting oxygen and blood to your brain immediately is very important because permanent tissue damage and death could even occur. Physical therapists help not only stroke patients but a large variety of people who have physical limitations. A new treatment approach that is being studied involves â€Å"treadmill training† with partial body weight support. In this approach a physical thera pist patterns the movement of the involved or weak leg while the patient is supported in a sling type apparel while walking on a treadmill. This is a new technique that is showing good results. However, there are no long term studies as of yet. I believe that treadmill training is very beneficial to stroke patients because it helps them regain speed and strength in a short amount of time. Treadmill training is very costly, but increases your chances in walking by about three to four weeks faster than regular physical therapy.

Describe and Evaluate Two Approaches to the Treatment of Self-Defeating Behaviour

Word count – 2553 Describe and evaluate two approaches to the treatment of self-defeating behaviour. Module Five Jane Ovington May 2012 Jane Ovington – Chrysalis North2A – Tutor , Steven Lucas, page 1 of 9 Introduction This essay aims to describe and evaluate two approaches to the treatment of self defeating behaviour. To do this I am using the description of Anorexia Nervosa as a self defeating behaviour, one which has far reaching consequences.I will include possible origins, causes and maintenance of Anorexia and describe two of many ways in which a therapist may help with this condition whilst weighing up the strengths and weaknesses of each. Main essay What is self defeating behaviour? Self defeating behaviour could be described as behaviour that when compared to other possible courses of action, it is never the best possible action for that individual. A self defeating behaviour will at some point have been used successfully as a coping strategy to get thro ugh a difficult situation.This course of action is then stored in the subconscious by that individual as something that ‘worked’ and therefore the behaviour will be re-produced again in times of perceived trouble. The self defeating behaviour will by its very nature actually serve to ensure that the fear or consequence that the person is trying to avoid will in fact come to pass. (Chrysalis Year 2 Module5) What is Anorexia? Anorexia is an eating disorder whose main feature is excessive weight loss and obsessive exercise.A very low weight is achieved which is then maintained abnormally low for the patients age and height. The sufferer develops an intense desire to be thinner and an intense fear of becoming fat. Their body image becomes completely distorted and their body weight and shape become the main or even sole measure of self worth as maintaining an extremely low weight becomes equated with beauty, success, self-esteem, and self-control. It is not seen as a problem by the sufferer. Jane Ovington – Chrysalis North2A – Tutor , Steven Lucas, page 2 of 9Contrary to popular belief this psychological and physical condition is not usually about food. It is a self defeating behaviour used as a way of taking control and trying to make life better and is accompanied by a variety of changes in behaviour, emotions, thinking, perceptions, and social interactions. The name Anorexia nervosa is somewhat misleading as it literally means â€Å"nervous loss of appetite. † However, for people with this disorder all waking thoughts are dominated by food, weight, and body image and incredible levels of self control are used to fight feelings of intense hunger. http://ehealthmd. com/content/what-anorexia-nervosa) Approximately 95% of those affected by anorexia are female and most often teenage girls. Higher incidence of anorexia is often seen in environments where thinness is deemed to be especially desirable or a professional requirement, such as athletes, models, dancers, and actors. In order to enter the state of Anorexia Nervosa, a person must lose weight. The majority set out to do so deliberately because rightly or wrongly they feel that they are too fat.For most people, dieting to lose weight is a struggle. Most dieters ‘cheat' or give up before they lose all the weight which they had intended to shed and for those who do reach their intended weight there is a measure of satisfaction and re-education of eating habits which allow them to maintain a healthy weight. In contrast, the soon to be anorexic finds slimming easy, rewarding and something they can be good at from the start, something they can control which brings feelings of success, power and triumph.The sense of satisfaction gained from the suppression of hunger and the level of self denial required to be successful is frequently reported by anorexic sufferers to be very empowering and so here we see how effective this behaviour may be viewed by the su fferer as a coping strategy. Jane Ovington – Chrysalis North2A – Tutor , Steven Lucas, page 3 of 9 My own experience of this condition was one that arose when my best friend died at the age of 17. I knew for many months prior to her death that death would almost certainly be the outcome of her condition. I felt ‘out of control’ there was nothing I could do to change the course of events.The one thing I could control however was what went into my mouth. This gave me a comforting sense of taking control of something. Something I turned out to be good at, something I could focus on to make all the other uncontrollable feelings subside. Once these feelings arise, a fear of losing control prevents the sufferer from resuming normal eating habits. Their experience is dominated by these ‘feel good feelings' of control and power but it is perceived by the sufferer to be precarious and vulnerable and therefore threatened by any behaviour that may cause unwante d weight gain.The sufferers preoccupation with maintaining this new postition begins to distort all other interests, concerns and relationships. In some cases the current position is never enough and weight loss progresses until it becomes life threatening. In most cases it seems that the anorexic starts out with similar behaviour and similar intention to the ordinary slimmer but something goes wrong and the slimming behaviour is inappropriately prolonged (My own experience). Ironically, while Anorexia starts out as a feeling of taking control, it rapidly descends into a fear of losing the control the sufferer perceives themselves to have taken.All the while the condition is actually controlling the sufferer. While the media definitely plays a role in how we view ourselves, anorexia is a way of coping with what’s going on in a teen’s life. Stress, pain, anger, acceptance, confusion and fear can all become triggers for this debilitating eating disorder. The goal is one of trying to make their whole life better. Families can play a huge role. Some families are over protective and smothering which can create a need or rather a demand for independence. Jane Ovington – Chrysalis North2A – Tutor , Steven Lucas, page 4 of 9Some families are critical of weight gain, academic or sporting accomplishments or are rigid and even abusive. Some younger people do not feel safe in their own homes, they don’t know where to turn or what to do and the need to find a way to deal with what’s going on in their lives. Life transitions such as a break up, a divorce, death of a loved one, failure at school or at work are all stressful incidents that need to be dealt with. Genetic factors can also play its part in contributing – anorexia in teenage girls occurs eight times more often in people who have relatives with the disorder. Anorexia – a guide to sufferers and their families R. L Palmer 1980). My own Mother was grossly overwe ight at the time of my condition and I viewed her as someone who was completely out of control with no respect for herself. This was a very negative view, one which I could not see in myself at the other end of the spectrum! Effects on families and friends For parents and others who are close to a person who is trapped inside the condition of anorexia, there can seem like there is no escape. It is difficult for them to understand and empathise with self destructive behaviours.It becomes extrememly distressing to see a loved one wasting away whilst refusing offers of food which seem such a tantalisingly simple solution to the problem. Feelings of helplesness and guilt set in, along with frustration, anger and despair. (Quote from my Mum from 1991). My Mother set about criticising my ‘ridiculous behaviour’ in a bid to scare me into eating this only served to make me more determined to empower myself with what had turned from self defeating behaviour into self destructive behaviour and ultimately formed a self defeating behaviour in my Mother. Jane Ovington – Chrysalis North2A – Tutor , Steven Lucas, page 5 of 9Treatment The idea of being ‘cured’ of Anorexia by the sufferer is usually completely undesirable because what that ‘cure’ implies is that they will eat more food, put on more weight and become fat, the very thing they are trying to avoid! Therefore, Anorexia has to be acknowledged as a problem by the sufferer before effective treatment can take place. Traditionaly the disorder is treated with a combination of individual psychotherapy and family therapy to look beyond the basic issue of food intake and address the emotional issues that underpin the disorder using a psychodynamic approach. Important ethical considerationsIt is important for therapists to consider that Anorexia Nervosa, although starts out as a self defeating behaviour, it’s consequences lead to many serious medical conditions which can range from malnutrition, loss of concentration and loss of periods to total organ failure and death. Therefore a therapist should never aim to treat the condition alone, but any psychological intervention to treat the underlying causes should take place alongside appropriate medical care. Any therapists working with an anorexic client would always need written medical consent and specialist supervision and should be experienced in this field of work.However, members of the sufferers family and close friends may also benefit from therapy to address any stress, anxiety and guilt surrounding the issue and in the absence of any other contraindications, medical consent for this group would not be necessary. The psychodynamic approach The psychodynamic approach will view the clients behaviour as being derived from some internal conflict, motive or unconscious force. Once it is discovered where this conflict began the therapist can set about working through those issues to a resolutio n. Jane Ovington – Chrysalis North2A – Tutor , Steven Lucas, page 6 of 9Generally, it is believed that if behaviours are discontinued without addressing the underlying motives that are driving them, then a relapse will occur. During my battle with Anorexia, I was hospitalised and fed to increase my body weight. I ate willingly and was quickly considered cured and discharged from the hospital. However, I had deliberately manipulated the situation with the view that the sooner I could ‘escape’ the quicker I could get back on with the job. Taking control, to bring back the feel good feelings and the sense of empowerment that meant even more to me after having been ‘overpowered’ in the hospital.Clearly this treatment was very ineffective. Later I sought help through a therapist who, using a psychodynamic approach, was able to take me back through the death of my friend and deal with the grief in an appropriate way. This eventually helped me to let go of controlling my food intake as a way of dealing with these suppressed emotions. Behavioural symptoms in the psychodynamic approach are viewed as expressions of the patient's underlying needs. Often issues can disappear or lie dormant with the completion of working through these issues.However, a psychodynamic approach to anorexia is not all encompassing. During the recovery process, anorexics will frequently suffer from feelings of panic as they learn to lessen their control. As weight is gained, they will feel anxious much of the time and suffer from low self esteem or perhaps even feel that they are a ‘bad' person and have to become a ‘people pleaser' to make up for it. Anorexics are very often perfectionists and can be very harsh on themselves. All these things combined can make the process of recovery a very stressful, anxious and self deprecating experience (My own experience).A cognitive behavioural therapy approach may best meet the needs of a client feeling this way. Anorexics are often not fully aware of the initial cause of the condition and therapy may be a way to Jane Ovington – Chrysalis North2A – Tutor , Steven Lucas, page 7 of 9 lift the lid off of buried emotions to enable sufferers to deal with their underlying emotions. During the grip of the disorder the over-riding emotion felt is fear and this fear over rides the body's natural wisdom around food and eating, the sufferer distrusts themselves and fears that their ‘secret greedy self' may emerge and they will lose control completely.The sufferer will hate their ‘secret greedy self' and cognitive behavioural therapy would be a valuable tool in rebuilding self trust, improving self esteem, and overcoming fear and anxiety that arises through the process of recovery. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a time-limited and focused approach that helps a person understand how their thinking and negative self-talk and self-image can directly impact their eating and negative behaviours. CBT usually focuses on identifying and altering dysfunctional thought patterns, attitudes and beliefs that may perpetuate the sufferers restrictive eating.A researcher in the early 1980’s by the name of Chris Fairburn developed a specific model of CBT to help in the treatment of Anorexia, using the traditional foundations of CBT therapy – helping a person understand, identify and change their irrational thoughts (the ‘cognitive’ part) and helping a person make the changes real through specific behavioural interventions such as promoting healthy eating behaviours through rewards. (http://psychcentral. com/lib/2006/treatment-for-anorexia/all/1/) Strengths and weaknessesIt is clear to see that both approaches are somewhat lacking and a multi-model approach should be taken to ensure success. The psychodynamic model will uncover the initial cause of the behaviour and addressing these issues will go a long way toward a successful outcome. However, it does not address the subsequent negative thought processes that keep the sufferer a prisoner within the condition. This is something that a CBT approach can successfully address but a CBT approach could fail to prevent a relapse if the underlying reasons for the negative self talk are not uncovered.Both treatments together will hold more strength in long term success, but neither seeks to address nutritional issues, food related symptoms or deep seated behavioural rituals of the eating disorder. Jane Ovington – Chrysalis North2A – Tutor , Steven Lucas, page 8 of 9 Summary Anorexia although initially can be viewed as a self defeating behaviour, is a complicated and mulit-faceted field and I would expect a consistent and long course of therapy that may focus on a psychodynamic approach alongside person centred counselling, alongside cognitive behavioural therapy, alongside appropriate medical intervention.Hypnotherapy may also be used to improve sel f esteem, reduce stress and anxiety, coping with panic and confidence building to help the sufferer relax levels of control and resume a more healthy relationship with themselves. As the anorexic begins to regain trust in themselves and their body, they can begin to feel back in control of their emotions and thoughts, thus lessening their levels of anxiety and helping toward a successful recovery. Ultimately, the pace of therapy has to be set by the client and the client has to admit to the problem in the first place before any type of therapy can begin.References: I personally suffered from this disorder from the ages of 17-21 and some of the information used has been based on my own experiences and that of my Parents. (Chrysalis Year 2 Module 5) R. L Palmer – Anorexia Nervosa. A guide for sufferers and their families. Penguin Books 1980 (http://ehealthmd. com/content/what-anorexia-nervosa http://psychcentral. com/lib/2006/treatment-for-anorexia/all/1/) Jane Ovington  œ Chrysalis North2A – Tutor , Steven Lucas, page 9 of 9 any type of therapy can begin. has to be set by the client and the client has to admit to the problem in the first place before Describe and Evaluate Two Approaches to the Treatment of Self-Defeating Behaviour Word count – 2553 Describe and evaluate two approaches to the treatment of self-defeating behaviour. Module Five Jane Ovington May 2012 Jane Ovington – Chrysalis North2A – Tutor , Steven Lucas, page 1 of 9 Introduction This essay aims to describe and evaluate two approaches to the treatment of self defeating behaviour. To do this I am using the description of Anorexia Nervosa as a self defeating behaviour, one which has far reaching consequences.I will include possible origins, causes and maintenance of Anorexia and describe two of many ways in which a therapist may help with this condition whilst weighing up the strengths and weaknesses of each. Main essay What is self defeating behaviour? Self defeating behaviour could be described as behaviour that when compared to other possible courses of action, it is never the best possible action for that individual. A self defeating behaviour will at some point have been used successfully as a coping strategy to get thro ugh a difficult situation.This course of action is then stored in the subconscious by that individual as something that ‘worked’ and therefore the behaviour will be re-produced again in times of perceived trouble. The self defeating behaviour will by its very nature actually serve to ensure that the fear or consequence that the person is trying to avoid will in fact come to pass. (Chrysalis Year 2 Module5) What is Anorexia? Anorexia is an eating disorder whose main feature is excessive weight loss and obsessive exercise.A very low weight is achieved which is then maintained abnormally low for the patients age and height. The sufferer develops an intense desire to be thinner and an intense fear of becoming fat. Their body image becomes completely distorted and their body weight and shape become the main or even sole measure of self worth as maintaining an extremely low weight becomes equated with beauty, success, self-esteem, and self-control. It is not seen as a problem by the sufferer. Jane Ovington – Chrysalis North2A – Tutor , Steven Lucas, page 2 of 9Contrary to popular belief this psychological and physical condition is not usually about food. It is a self defeating behaviour used as a way of taking control and trying to make life better and is accompanied by a variety of changes in behaviour, emotions, thinking, perceptions, and social interactions. The name Anorexia nervosa is somewhat misleading as it literally means â€Å"nervous loss of appetite. † However, for people with this disorder all waking thoughts are dominated by food, weight, and body image and incredible levels of self control are used to fight feelings of intense hunger. http://ehealthmd. com/content/what-anorexia-nervosa) Approximately 95% of those affected by anorexia are female and most often teenage girls. Higher incidence of anorexia is often seen in environments where thinness is deemed to be especially desirable or a professional requirement, such as athletes, models, dancers, and actors. In order to enter the state of Anorexia Nervosa, a person must lose weight. The majority set out to do so deliberately because rightly or wrongly they feel that they are too fat.For most people, dieting to lose weight is a struggle. Most dieters ‘cheat' or give up before they lose all the weight which they had intended to shed and for those who do reach their intended weight there is a measure of satisfaction and re-education of eating habits which allow them to maintain a healthy weight. In contrast, the soon to be anorexic finds slimming easy, rewarding and something they can be good at from the start, something they can control which brings feelings of success, power and triumph.The sense of satisfaction gained from the suppression of hunger and the level of self denial required to be successful is frequently reported by anorexic sufferers to be very empowering and so here we see how effective this behaviour may be viewed by the su fferer as a coping strategy. Jane Ovington – Chrysalis North2A – Tutor , Steven Lucas, page 3 of 9 My own experience of this condition was one that arose when my best friend died at the age of 17. I knew for many months prior to her death that death would almost certainly be the outcome of her condition. I felt ‘out of control’ there was nothing I could do to change the course of events.The one thing I could control however was what went into my mouth. This gave me a comforting sense of taking control of something. Something I turned out to be good at, something I could focus on to make all the other uncontrollable feelings subside. Once these feelings arise, a fear of losing control prevents the sufferer from resuming normal eating habits. Their experience is dominated by these ‘feel good feelings' of control and power but it is perceived by the sufferer to be precarious and vulnerable and therefore threatened by any behaviour that may cause unwante d weight gain.The sufferers preoccupation with maintaining this new postition begins to distort all other interests, concerns and relationships. In some cases the current position is never enough and weight loss progresses until it becomes life threatening. In most cases it seems that the anorexic starts out with similar behaviour and similar intention to the ordinary slimmer but something goes wrong and the slimming behaviour is inappropriately prolonged (My own experience). Ironically, while Anorexia starts out as a feeling of taking control, it rapidly descends into a fear of losing the control the sufferer perceives themselves to have taken.All the while the condition is actually controlling the sufferer. While the media definitely plays a role in how we view ourselves, anorexia is a way of coping with what’s going on in a teen’s life. Stress, pain, anger, acceptance, confusion and fear can all become triggers for this debilitating eating disorder. The goal is one of trying to make their whole life better. Families can play a huge role. Some families are over protective and smothering which can create a need or rather a demand for independence. Jane Ovington – Chrysalis North2A – Tutor , Steven Lucas, page 4 of 9Some families are critical of weight gain, academic or sporting accomplishments or are rigid and even abusive. Some younger people do not feel safe in their own homes, they don’t know where to turn or what to do and the need to find a way to deal with what’s going on in their lives. Life transitions such as a break up, a divorce, death of a loved one, failure at school or at work are all stressful incidents that need to be dealt with. Genetic factors can also play its part in contributing – anorexia in teenage girls occurs eight times more often in people who have relatives with the disorder. Anorexia – a guide to sufferers and their families R. L Palmer 1980). My own Mother was grossly overwe ight at the time of my condition and I viewed her as someone who was completely out of control with no respect for herself. This was a very negative view, one which I could not see in myself at the other end of the spectrum! Effects on families and friends For parents and others who are close to a person who is trapped inside the condition of anorexia, there can seem like there is no escape. It is difficult for them to understand and empathise with self destructive behaviours.It becomes extrememly distressing to see a loved one wasting away whilst refusing offers of food which seem such a tantalisingly simple solution to the problem. Feelings of helplesness and guilt set in, along with frustration, anger and despair. (Quote from my Mum from 1991). My Mother set about criticising my ‘ridiculous behaviour’ in a bid to scare me into eating this only served to make me more determined to empower myself with what had turned from self defeating behaviour into self destructive behaviour and ultimately formed a self defeating behaviour in my Mother. Jane Ovington – Chrysalis North2A – Tutor , Steven Lucas, page 5 of 9Treatment The idea of being ‘cured’ of Anorexia by the sufferer is usually completely undesirable because what that ‘cure’ implies is that they will eat more food, put on more weight and become fat, the very thing they are trying to avoid! Therefore, Anorexia has to be acknowledged as a problem by the sufferer before effective treatment can take place. Traditionaly the disorder is treated with a combination of individual psychotherapy and family therapy to look beyond the basic issue of food intake and address the emotional issues that underpin the disorder using a psychodynamic approach. Important ethical considerationsIt is important for therapists to consider that Anorexia Nervosa, although starts out as a self defeating behaviour, it’s consequences lead to many serious medical conditions which can range from malnutrition, loss of concentration and loss of periods to total organ failure and death. Therefore a therapist should never aim to treat the condition alone, but any psychological intervention to treat the underlying causes should take place alongside appropriate medical care. Any therapists working with an anorexic client would always need written medical consent and specialist supervision and should be experienced in this field of work.However, members of the sufferers family and close friends may also benefit from therapy to address any stress, anxiety and guilt surrounding the issue and in the absence of any other contraindications, medical consent for this group would not be necessary. The psychodynamic approach The psychodynamic approach will view the clients behaviour as being derived from some internal conflict, motive or unconscious force. Once it is discovered where this conflict began the therapist can set about working through those issues to a resolutio n. Jane Ovington – Chrysalis North2A – Tutor , Steven Lucas, page 6 of 9Generally, it is believed that if behaviours are discontinued without addressing the underlying motives that are driving them, then a relapse will occur. During my battle with Anorexia, I was hospitalised and fed to increase my body weight. I ate willingly and was quickly considered cured and discharged from the hospital. However, I had deliberately manipulated the situation with the view that the sooner I could ‘escape’ the quicker I could get back on with the job. Taking control, to bring back the feel good feelings and the sense of empowerment that meant even more to me after having been ‘overpowered’ in the hospital.Clearly this treatment was very ineffective. Later I sought help through a therapist who, using a psychodynamic approach, was able to take me back through the death of my friend and deal with the grief in an appropriate way. This eventually helped me to let go of controlling my food intake as a way of dealing with these suppressed emotions. Behavioural symptoms in the psychodynamic approach are viewed as expressions of the patient's underlying needs. Often issues can disappear or lie dormant with the completion of working through these issues.However, a psychodynamic approach to anorexia is not all encompassing. During the recovery process, anorexics will frequently suffer from feelings of panic as they learn to lessen their control. As weight is gained, they will feel anxious much of the time and suffer from low self esteem or perhaps even feel that they are a ‘bad' person and have to become a ‘people pleaser' to make up for it. Anorexics are very often perfectionists and can be very harsh on themselves. All these things combined can make the process of recovery a very stressful, anxious and self deprecating experience (My own experience).A cognitive behavioural therapy approach may best meet the needs of a client feeling this way. Anorexics are often not fully aware of the initial cause of the condition and therapy may be a way to Jane Ovington – Chrysalis North2A – Tutor , Steven Lucas, page 7 of 9 lift the lid off of buried emotions to enable sufferers to deal with their underlying emotions. During the grip of the disorder the over-riding emotion felt is fear and this fear over rides the body's natural wisdom around food and eating, the sufferer distrusts themselves and fears that their ‘secret greedy self' may emerge and they will lose control completely.The sufferer will hate their ‘secret greedy self' and cognitive behavioural therapy would be a valuable tool in rebuilding self trust, improving self esteem, and overcoming fear and anxiety that arises through the process of recovery. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a time-limited and focused approach that helps a person understand how their thinking and negative self-talk and self-image can directly impact their eating and negative behaviours. CBT usually focuses on identifying and altering dysfunctional thought patterns, attitudes and beliefs that may perpetuate the sufferers restrictive eating.A researcher in the early 1980’s by the name of Chris Fairburn developed a specific model of CBT to help in the treatment of Anorexia, using the traditional foundations of CBT therapy – helping a person understand, identify and change their irrational thoughts (the ‘cognitive’ part) and helping a person make the changes real through specific behavioural interventions such as promoting healthy eating behaviours through rewards. (http://psychcentral. com/lib/2006/treatment-for-anorexia/all/1/) Strengths and weaknessesIt is clear to see that both approaches are somewhat lacking and a multi-model approach should be taken to ensure success. The psychodynamic model will uncover the initial cause of the behaviour and addressing these issues will go a long way toward a successful outcome. However, it does not address the subsequent negative thought processes that keep the sufferer a prisoner within the condition. This is something that a CBT approach can successfully address but a CBT approach could fail to prevent a relapse if the underlying reasons for the negative self talk are not uncovered.Both treatments together will hold more strength in long term success, but neither seeks to address nutritional issues, food related symptoms or deep seated behavioural rituals of the eating disorder. Jane Ovington – Chrysalis North2A – Tutor , Steven Lucas, page 8 of 9 Summary Anorexia although initially can be viewed as a self defeating behaviour, is a complicated and mulit-faceted field and I would expect a consistent and long course of therapy that may focus on a psychodynamic approach alongside person centred counselling, alongside cognitive behavioural therapy, alongside appropriate medical intervention.Hypnotherapy may also be used to improve sel f esteem, reduce stress and anxiety, coping with panic and confidence building to help the sufferer relax levels of control and resume a more healthy relationship with themselves. As the anorexic begins to regain trust in themselves and their body, they can begin to feel back in control of their emotions and thoughts, thus lessening their levels of anxiety and helping toward a successful recovery. Ultimately, the pace of therapy has to be set by the client and the client has to admit to the problem in the first place before any type of therapy can begin.References: I personally suffered from this disorder from the ages of 17-21 and some of the information used has been based on my own experiences and that of my Parents. (Chrysalis Year 2 Module 5) R. L Palmer – Anorexia Nervosa. A guide for sufferers and their families. Penguin Books 1980 (http://ehealthmd. com/content/what-anorexia-nervosa http://psychcentral. com/lib/2006/treatment-for-anorexia/all/1/) Jane Ovington  œ Chrysalis North2A – Tutor , Steven Lucas, page 9 of 9 any type of therapy can begin. has to be set by the client and the client has to admit to the problem in the first place before