The Role of Psychology in Understanding Essay Example for Free

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

UK Economy and Disposable Spending

UK Economy and Disposable Spending 1. Definitions in the United Kingdom economy: a) Real disposable income: Real disposable income is an economic indicator which is the personal income that households remained with after government charges and income taxes were paid, also after it was adjusted for changes in prices or for inflation. This available income can either be spent or saved by households. According to the Keynesian theory of consumption, there is a link between real disposable income and consumption level as well as savings. In the UK economy, real disposable income witnessed ups and downs since the financial crisis of 2008, in 2010 it decreased by 0.8% while in 2011 it decreased by 2.0%. One of the main reasons for this declining real disposable income is due to inflation and the rising prices of commodity goods as well as the VAT increase. b) Unsecured debt: Unsecured debt refers to a loan that is not backed by an asset, in this case if someone is not able to repay the money owned from a financial institution they won’t take any of his property since they do have the right to. Some of the unsecured debts include credit cards, student loans and medical bills. It is considered of high risk for lenders, when the borrower fails to make the full repayment they might have to go through the process of suing them in order to get their money back. Unsecured debt is the opposite of secured debt for instance, a house mortgage is backed and secured by the house and when someone fails to pay the lenders they can close it and take it. In the UK economy, in 2013 the UK witnessed its first increase in unsecured debt since the financial crisis of 2008 by 8.5 billion pounds as a result of the increasing student loans. In the other hand unsecured consumer debt stayed flat at 5,900 pounds per household. c) Real interest rate: The real interest rate is the rate that is expected to be received by investors after removing inflation effects Real interest rate is linked with nominal rate and inflation rate as it is calculated as the following: Real interest rate = Nominal interest rate – Inflation rate In the UK economy, the real interest rate remained low since the financial crisis, after 2008 it decreased from 1.4% to -1.6% in 2009, it continued in decreasing to -2.5% in 2010, while it increased from 2010 to 2012 up to -1.2% as the following graph shows: d) Durable goods: Durable goods are goods that last for a long period of time and have a useful life of at least three years. Goods that are purchased and consumed in short period of time are called non-durable goods such as medicine or food. Durable goods are goods that they don’t need to be bought frequently. Examples of durable goods are: furniture, cars, jewelry, appliances, and also on heavy assets such as airplanes or ships. In the UK economy, according to Chart C UK consumers spending on durable goods increased dramatically from 2004 to 2010. According to the Bank of England consumer spending on durable goods increased by 2.1% from 2012 to the first quarter of 2013 these spending were mostly on motor cars, appliances and clothes. The following chart displays the components of UK consumer spending on durable goods: e) Animal spirits: Animal spirit is a concept developed by John Maynard Keynesthat refers to the level of consumer confidence and its effect on the economy. It is future expectations that drive the consumers to either spend or save and the willingness of businesses to invest in a certain market. In the UK economy, consumer confidence and optimism about the future of the UK economy has been increasing dramatically over the 4 last years, from 2011 at -30% to 0% in 2014 as the following graph shows: This increase was generally due to improvements in purchasing power and increased job security. In the UK, consumer confidence is related to consumption and it is used to predict future consumption. 2. What is the relationship in normal times between real disposable income and the level of household consumption? In normal times when there is economic stability and a higher consumer confidence the relationship expected between real disposable income and the level of household consumption is that when the real disposable income increases the level of household consumption increases, also when consumer’s income gets higher they tend to save less and consume more of goods they want. When the real disposable income decreases the level of household consumption decreases since consumers tend to save more and consume only priority goods. 3. Identify and explain two non-income determinants of the level of consumer spending in the UK economy: One of the non-income determinants of the level of consumption in the UK context is consumer confidence. According to chart B when consumer confidence decreases due to reasons such as that consumers are feeling unsecure about their jobs, the attempts to make major purchases decreases as well the thing that results in high savings since consumers are not optimistic about their current economy. There is a clear impact of consumer confidence on consumption levels in the UK economy, when confidence increases consumers will make more major purchases and will save less. Another non-income determinant of the level of consumption in the UK economy is interest rate, when interest rate decreases people tend to borrow more money from banks to spend which results in higher consumption, when interest rate increases it becomes expensive to borrow money the thing that increases saving, people will leave their money in banks to take advantage of the high interest rate the thing that reduces consumption. 4. Identify and explain two macro-economic consequences of a sharp fall in consumer spending in the UK economy: A sharp fall in consumer spending can have a negative impact over the UK economy since it increases unemployment and decreases output levels. When consumer spending fall, the consumption of goods produced by firms will also fall, this can lower companies benefits and increases their costs, in order to lower costs they companies will reduce the number of their employees the thing that increases unemployment. Another issue caused by a decrease in consumer spending is a decrease in the quantity and quality of output. A decrease in consumer spending decreases demand the thing that lowers the willingness of firms to invest in capital and labor to produce efficiently and effectively. When demand decreases the output decreases resulting in less goods and services produced the thing that harms the economy of the UK by slowing it down. Deflation can also be a consequence of a sharp fall in consumer spending. Less consumer spending means less demand of firms’ products and services, firms will have to sell products to generate money in order to pay their fixed costs, as a result prices go  down and demand also go down even more since consumers are expecting prices to decrease more in the future. A sharp fall in consumer demand creates a vicious circle and less money circulation in the economy which is considered very damaging the economy. 5. Components of aggregate demand in Morocco: Consumer spending on durable goods in Morocco: 6. Extract one: The Moroccan families spending power increased over the last years according to statistics in 2011 there was an increase in spending per capita by 4.1% to $1,760, this increase is due a stable inflation rate and government subsidies on commodity goods. This increase in spending will increase consumption of goods and services and businesses will make more investments which will contribute positively in increasing the GDP which result in an increased economic growth. Extract Two: Moroccan secured debt is low and limited only for trustworthy clients with that are employed and with an income who are able to make the repayment. The number of Moroccan facing negative equity is considered very low. 6. In the Moroccan economy: a) Real disposable income: The real disposable income in morocco witnessed a continuous increase over the last 4 years from 62,096 million dollars in 2010 up to 075,937.1 million dollars in 2014. This increase in real disposable income is due to human development projects and investments on infrastructure. This increase also allowed Moroccan consumers to purchase products that were some years earlier categorized as luxurious. b) Unsecured Debt: According to the World Bank, the rate of unsecured debt in morocco is low; the majority of financial institutions are providing secured loans with a few exceptions of unsecured loans that are only given to trustworthy clients while the secured loans are given employed people with income also to businesses with strong investments. c) Real Interest Rate: According to the available data from year 2000 to 2005 the real interest rate is considered high in Morocco. The real interest rate witnessed a continuous decrease from a value of 14% in 2000 to 9.89% in 2005. In the recent years the real interest rate is increasing as the household income increases to encourage savings in banks. d) Durable Goods: Moroccan consumption of durable goods has increased over the last years due to access to loans such as for cars and houses, also to the increase in disposable income, as well as the increased consumer confidence. The next graph shows the consumer spending in morocco on goods and services including durable goods which shows that the Moroccan consumer spending increased from 472938 million dirham in 2001 up to 494499 million dirham in 2012. d) Animal Spirits: Consumer confidence is considered high in Morocco despite the decrease from 84.5 in 2011 to 74.10 in 2014. Consumer confidence is high since Moroccan consumers are showing optimism about regular income, stock market, employment and the overall state of the economy.However the recent decrease in consumer confidence is due to increased prices in commodity goods by the government such as fuel. Extract one: The Moroccan families spending power increased over the last years according to statistics in 2011 there was an increase in spending per capita by 4.1% to $1,760, this increase is due a stable inflation rate and government subsiding commodity goods This increase in spending will increase consumption of goods and services and businesses will make more investments which will contribute positively in increasing the GDP and the economic growth. Extract Two: Moroccan secured debt is low and limited only for trustworthy clients with that are employed and with an income who are able to make the repayment. The number of Moroccan facing negative equity is considered very low. What is the relationship in normal times between real disposable income and the level of household consumption? In normal times in Morocco, the expected relationship between real disposable income and the level of household consumptions is that when real disposable goes up the level of household consumption goes up as well meaning that when the disposable income increases Moroccan consumers save less and spending more. When real disposable income goes down the level of household consumption goes down as well increasing savings and lowering consumption. Identify and explain two non-income determinants of the level of consumer spending in the Moroccan economy In the Moroccan economy, people’s expectation is a non-income determinant of the level of consumption. People’s expectations about the future have an impact over consumption, when consumers except products prices to increase in the future they consume more in the present. Avoiding a rise in prices or inflation in the future increases the level of consumption in Morocco. Another non-income determinant of the level of consumption is changes in consumer’s preferences and taste which also manipulates the consumption level in the Moroccan economy The level of consumption in morocco can also be affected by demographic reasons. A young population increases the consumption, for example, young families increase consumption by buying durable goods such as furniture, appliances or cars, also the larger the family members the higher the consumption. Interest rate and consumer confidence also have an impact on the Moroccan economy similarly to the UK economy. Identify and explain two macro-economic consequences of a sharp fall in consumer spending in the UK economy Similarly to the UK, morocco can also suffer from high unemployment as a result of a sharp fall in consumer spending; firms will seek to cut down their costs by reducing the number of their employees which increase the unemployment rate in the Moroccan economy. Firms will also produce less goods and services as demand is low, investments will also decrease resulting in a lower GDP and lower economic development. 7. Comparison between the Moroccan and UK economies: From the previous analysis we conclude that, the Moroccan real disposable income increased over the years while the UK disposable income decreased due inflation. The unsecured debt in the UK is higher that unsecured debt in morocco. The real interest rate in morocco is higher than in UK. The consumption of durable goods increased in both countries. Consumer confidence is high in morocco but decreasing over time while in the UK is low but recovering. In both countries, an increase in real disposable income increases consumption level and a decrease in real disposable income decreases consumption level. Interest rate, consumer confidence, expectations, changes in preferences and taste are non-income determinants of consumer spending in both countries. Unemployment, deflation, decrease in level of output are common consequences of a sharp fall in consumer spending in both countries.

Jim Morrison :: essays research papers

Jim Morrison "Friends can help each other. A true friend is someone who lets you have total freedom to be yourself— and especially to feel. Or not feel. Whatever you happen to be feeling at the moment is fine with them. That's what real love amounts to— letting a person be what he really is.... Most people love you for who you pretend to be.... To keep their love, you keep pretending— performing. You get to love your pretense.... It’s true, we're locked in an image, an act— and the sad thing is, people get so used to their image— they grow attached to their masks. They love their chains. They forget all about who they really are. And if you try to remind them, they hate you for it— they feel like you're trying to steal their most precious possession." - Jim Morrison (1943-71) Jim Morrison Jim Morrison is often thought of as a drunken musician. He is also portrayed to many as an addict and another 'doped up' rock star. These negative opinions project a large shadow on the many positive aspects of this great poet. Many famous authors influenced Jim’s music heavily. You must cast aside your ignorance and look behind the loud electric haze of the sixties music. You must wipe your eyes and look through the psychedelic world of LSD. Standing behind these minor flaws, you will see a young and very intellectual poet named Jim Morrison. Jim Morrison's distraught childhood was a contributing factor to Jim's fortune and his fate. As a young child, Jim experienced the many pains of living in a military family. Having to move every so often, Jim and his brother, and sister never spent more than a couple of years at a particular school. Jim attended eight different schools, Grammar and High, throughout his schooling career. This amount of traveling made it hard for a young child to make many friends. In high school, Jim had an especially hard time; "The only real friend he made was a tall but overweight classmate with a sleepy voice named Fud Ford ". Although there seems to be many negative aspects of Jim's child hood, many positive aspects did arise, as well. The traveling done by the Morrison family brought Jim through many different experiences and situations. For instance, while driving on a highway from Santa Fe with his family, he said he experienced, "the most important moment of my life".

The Failure of Technology in White Noise by Don Delillo Essay -- White

The Failure of Technology in White Noise by Don Delillo One particularly unfortunate trait of modern society is our futile attempt to use technology to immunize ourselves against the fear of death. The failure of technology in this regard is the general subject of Don Delillo''s book White Noise. Throughout this novel, technology is depicted as the ominous messenger of our common fate, an increasing sense of dread over loss of control of our lives and the approach of inevitable death in spite of the empty promises of technology. In this essay I will examine Delillo''s portrayal of technology and its role in our society. The title of Delillo''s book, White Noise, reminds one of an electronic static of the sort encountered on television when a station goes off the air. But I think white noise can also refer to the indiscriminate flow of information we are exposed to on a daily basis in our modern society, that which ultimately destroys the immediacy of real life. If you see enough people gunned down on television, enough mangled bodies in twisted cars, enough violence, destruction and despair in the newspapers, you grow numb to it. In one sense, I think this is what White Noise is. Have you seen those devices they sell for insomniacs? They are white noise generators intended to put us to sleep. White noise is sound at all frequencies broadcast indiscriminately, and that is what Delillo hints that television and the modern media are doing to us now. The indiscriminate flood of information is not making our society more aware; rather, it is putting us all to sleep. White Noise is a book obsessed with death at the hands of our own technology. The protagonist is a middle aged man who is the chairman of a department of Hitle... ...e novel where the products on the supermarket shelves are quietly rearranged, throwing a sense of shock and panic into the shoppers (i.e. the masses) until they can adjust to the new system. After surviving the initial traumatic change, we see the shoppers quickly resume their mindless lives on the road to death, comfortably numb and smugly secure. This is a sad indictment of what life in this twentieth century is for our media and technology-manipulated American society. Delillo''s analysis implies, then, that safety can only be found in conformity and a dead life dictated by others. Furthermore, life is only really experienced at its fullest in the random moments when the "white noise" breaks down and becomes silent momentarily, only to quickly arise and embrace us once again in its death grip. Works Cited: DeLillo, Don. White Noise. London: Picador, 1986.

Far Beyond Everyday Superstitions Essay -- Obseessive Compulsive Disor

Far Beyond Everyday Superstitions Each day my grandfather has an impulse to touch his shoulder, then his nose, and after these actions are accomplished he touches his ear. He does these actions each and every time he says hello to a human being. It is as if he is a coach on the third-base line signaling a runner to steal home. He doesn’t know why he does these actions; he just does. He has on obvious reason and trys not to do them, but each time they come back. My grandfather feels ashamed of his actions and does not want anyone to know of them. He has other impulses as well. He turns off light switches with his thumb, only his thumb. My grandfather was diagnosed with the Obsessive-Compulsive disorder twenty years ago. The Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a strange and frightening sickness of ritual. This disease is far more common than most people would ever imagine. About one in fifty Americans have this disorder, as many as five million (11/28, http://www.zoloft.com/index.asp?pageid=14&o=060110000000GO). It is most common between the ages of 18 through 54 to be diagnosed. Typically one third of adult cases however, begin at adolescence. It is cruel because the victims of this disease know of their strange behavior and try to make it stop, but cannot. It is as though their brain is stuck on a particular thought or urge and can not let it go. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is different from the everyday superstitions that most people seem to have. For instance, many people believe in lucky numbers, knocking on wood, or keeping umbrellas closed in the house. These habits are different from the disorder for these Kreftmeyer 2 patients cannot put these actions out of their minds (Rapoport, 2). This disorder should be... ...cans need to become more aware of how its effects to ones life, due to the surprisingly high number of people that have symptoms of it. Psychiatrists are still experimenting with different combinations of medications and therapies for which will eventually help the victims even more. It is a disorder that many need to be informed about. Works Cited Coon, Dennis. Introduction to Psychology. Pacific Grove: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company, 1998. Dumont, Raeann. The Sky Is Falling. New York: W.W. Norton & Company Inc., 1996. Pharmacotherapy. National Institute of Mental Health. 30 November 2001. Rapoport, Judith. The Boy Who Couldn’t Stop Washing. New York: E.P. Dutton Inc. 1989. Treatment for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Obsessive- Compulsive Foundation. 28 November 2001. Understanding Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Zoloft. 28 November 2001.

Shakespeare’s Early Life

Although we have many records of his life as a citizen of Stratford, including marriage and birth certificates, little is known about William Shakespeare†s early life and formal education. Due to his success, many would assume that Shakespeare was born and raised in a wealthy noble family but he was actually raised in what would have been considered a middle class family in their time. He was born to middle class parents who lived in Henley Street, Stratford. His father, John, a local businessman made a living as a glove maker and owned his own leather shop. He was a well-known and much respected man that held several important local governmental positions including that of Borough ale-taster to bailiff, the highest public position of office in Stratford. William spent most of his childhood in the small English town of Stratford-upon-Avon. In the sixteenth century, the town was an important agricultural center and market place. â€Å"It is safe to assume that Shakespeare attended the local grammar school that was built and maintained expressly for the purpose of educating the sons of prominent citizens with the sons of burgesses attending free. â€Å"The King's New School was staffed with a faculty of teachers who held Oxford degrees, and whose curriculum included mathematics, natural sciences, Latin language and rhetoric, logic, Christian ethics, and classical literature. â€Å"2 As well as a strong grounding at grammar school, the other significant educational opportunity afforded all middle-class Elizabethans was the mandatory attendance at church where they read either the Geneva or the Bishops' Bible. The ‘Authorized† or King James Bible was not studied by William, as it was not published until the year 1611. Shakespeare did not continue his education and attend the university, since university education was reserved for prospective clergymen and was not a particularly mind-opening experience. However, the education he received at grammar school was excellent, as evidenced by the numerous classical and literary references in his plays. More impressive than his formal education, however, is the wealth of general knowledge exhibited in his works, from a working knowledge of many professions to a vocabulary that is far greater than any other English writer. William Shakespeare married his wife, twenty-six year old Anne Hathaway, at the age of eighteen. Their first daughter, Susanna, was baptized only six months later, which has given rise to much speculation concerning the circumstances surrounding the marriage. In 1585, twins, Hamnet and Judith Shakespeare, were born to the couple. Hamnet died at the young age of eleven by which time Shakespeare had already become a successful playwright. Around 1589, Shakespeare wrote his first play, Henry VI, Part 1. Sometime between his marriage and writing this play, he and his wife moved to London, where he pursued a career as a playwright and actor. In London, he formed an acting company in which he was shareholder, actor, and playwright. â€Å"1 In 1594 Shakespeare became a charter member of The Lord Chamberlain's Men, a group of actors who later changed their name to The King's Men when they gained the sponsorship of King James I. Just a few years later he was considered the â€Å"principal comedian† for the troupe and then later became the â€Å"principal tragedian. † Despite the fact that during this time acting and playwriting were not considered noble professions; successful and prosperous actors were relatively well respected. Shakespeare was, in fact, very successful in his career and he became quite wealthy in the process. He invested his money in Stratford real estate and was able to purchase the second largest house in Stratford, the New Place, for his parents. In 1596, Shakespeare applied for a coat of arms for his family, in effect making himself into a gentleman, and his daughters married successfully and wealthily. William Shakespeare lived until 1616 while his wife Anna died in 1623 at the age of sixty-seven. He was buried in the chancel of his church at Stratford. While Shakespeare is best known for his plays, he also wrote some of the most beautiful sonnets ever produced in the English language. â€Å"His sonnets employ-and occasionally mock-such traditional Petrarchan themes as blind devotion, the value of friendship, and love†s enslaving power. â€Å"1 Together Shakespeare†s plays and sonnets have had an enormous influence on the development on the Modern English language. More famous than his sonnets, Shakespeare†s plays constitute the most significant corpus of dramatic literature in the world. Secular drama was Renaissance England†s most original contribution to the humanistic tradition. Shakespeare took the plots for most of his plays from classical history, medieval chronicles, and contemporary romances, but he used such stories merely as springboards for the exploration of human nature-the favorite pursuit of all Renaissance humanists. â€Å"1 Love, sex, jealousy, greed, ambition, and self-deception are among the definitive human experiences Shakespeare examined in his plays. It can be concluded that Shakespeare†s drama is the first Western Literature to probe the psychological focus that motivates human action. His plays communicate a profound knowledge of the wellsprings of human behavior as revealed in his masterful characterizations of a wide gamut of humanity. The skillful use of poetic and dramatic means to create a unified aesthetic effect out of a multiplicity of vocal expressions and actions is recognized as an achievement unequaled in other literature. Finally, Shakespeare†s employment of poetry within the plays to express the deepest levels of human motivation in relation to individual, social, and universal situations is considered one of the most astounding accomplishments of the human intellect.

Alzheimer’s and the effects Essay

Alzheimer’s is a disease of the brain that causes a loss in memory. This results in dementia, loss of brain functions (thinking, remembering, and reasoning) severe enough to interfere with everyday life. When German physician, Alois Alzheimer, first described the disease in 1907, it was thought to be rare. Today, Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, affecting 10% of people 65 years old, and nearly 50% of those age 85 or older. An estimated four million Americans have Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s disease usually begins gradually, causing a person to forget recent events and to have difficulty performing familiar tasks. How quickly the disease advances differs from person to person, causing confusion, personality and behavior changes, and impaired judgment. Communication becomes difficult for Alzheimer’s patients. They struggle to find words, finish thoughts, or follow directions. Eventually, people with Alzheimer’s become unab le to care for themselves. Scientists still don’t know what causes the disease. Age and family history are possible risk factors for the disease. Scientists are exploring the role of genetics in the development of Alzheimer’s, studying chromosome 19. Rarer forms of the disease, which happen to people in their 30’s and 40’s, called â€Å"early-onset,† often run within families and appear to be related to chromosome 1, chromosome 14, and chromosome 21. Many researchers and physicians are coming to believe that Alzheimer’s is a complex disease, probably caused by a variety of influences. Alzheimer’s affects both the mental health and Social health. It is mental in the way that Alzheimer’s victims can not think clearly, remember, and reason. Patience can not deal with stress. It is social health in the way that victims can not interact well with people to build satisfying relationships. They can not communicate well with family members or friends. Victim’s may forget who people are. My grandfather Henry B. Harris was diagnosed with Alzheimers when he was about 76 he lived to be 82. During those six years he gradually forgot who members of the family were, even at times he did not remember his wife. About one year before he passed away he was in a nursing home. Knowing that  my grandfather had the disease makes the likelihood that I will have it more probable. Cases where several members of a single family have had been diagnoses with Alzheimer’s disease are rare. Much more common is if a single family member is diagnosed as having probable Alzheimer’s (meaning that physicians are 80 to 90 percent certain that it is Alzheimer’s). A person’s risk of developing the disease seems to be slightly higher if a first-degree relative (brother, sister, parent) has the disease. Perhaps family members were exposed to something in the environment that caused the disease. Everyone has forgotten where they parked the car or the name of an acquaintance at one time or another. And many healthy individuals are less able to remember certain kinds of information as they get older. The symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease are much more severe than such simple memory lapses. Alzheimer symptoms affect communication, learning, thinking, reasoning, and can have an impact on a person’s work and social life.