Multiple Sclerosis Is A Prolonged, Progressive, Wasting...

Multiple sclerosis is a prolonged, progressive, wasting disorder of the Central Nervous System categorized by distributed demyelination of nerve fibers of the brain and spinal cord. The onset of MS is usually between 20 and 50 years of age, although it can occur in young teens and much older adults. Women are affected two of three times more often than men. (Lewis, Dirksen, Heitkemper, Bucher, Camera, 2014, p. 1428) MS is five times more dominant in temperate climates such as those found in the northern United States, Canada, and Europe, as linked to tropical regions. Relocation from one geographic area to another may modify a person’s risk of developing multiple sclerosis. Immigrants and their offspring tend to take on the risk level†¦show more content†¦1432). According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (2014), â€Å"MS happens to families, not just to individuals. When a person is diagnosed with MS, there is immediate impact on all who love them. Family members may experience similar emotions to the person with MS as they adapt to MS in their lives –fear, guilt, anger, denial, grief, anxiety†. The exact cause of MS is unknown. However, its pathogenesis is associated with irregular immune responses against CNS antigens, interference of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and trans endothelial migration of activated leukocytes, as well as chemokines and cytokines, from peripheral circulation to the CNS. In active disease, there appears to be ongoing inflammatory as well as neurodegenerative processes within the CNS atmosphere. The triggering event for the first attack of MS remains projected. It is assumed that genetic and environmental factors are involved in the progress of MS. (Borazanci, 2009, p. 2) Potential precipitating factors include infection, smoking, physical injury, emotional stress, excessive fatigue, pregnancy, and poor state of health. The role of triggering factors such exposure to pathogenic agents is controv ersial. The association with multiple sclerosis is possibly random and there probably is no cause-and-effect relationship. (Lewis, Dirksen, Heitkemper, Bucher, Camera, 2014, p. 1428) According to Borazanci, â€Å"A number

Why Screening Should Be Recommended - 3247 Words

Identification of Articles Through my search for articles I discovered that there were no studies of randomized controlled trials, and there were therefore no systematic reviews or Meta analyses of randomized controlled trials related to my topic question. This limited the variety and amount of studies that could be utilized to help answer my question. I found a variety of observational studies that addressed melanoma screening that did not address my exact question I was trying to address. In my search I also discovered articles related to self-melanoma screening, which would not help address my question as well. I found that broadening my search term to skin cancer screening compared to just melanoma screening helped me find more articles related to my topic that addressed whether screening for melanoma decreased mortality rates compared to no screening recommendations. I decided on the systematic review of observational studies that addressed whether screening should be recom mended even though it addressed more areas of my topic than I wanted to cover, this helped establish a conclusion for my paper. I also decided on a prospective cohort study that had similar objectives to the first article, but also addressed high-risk patients in more detail than the first one, which relates to my question. This process aided me in selecting the best two articles to help address my question. Results Study 1 Goldberg, M. S., Doucette, J. T., Lim, H. W., Spencer, J., Carucci,Show MoreRelatedImportance Of Cervical Cancer Screening1278 Words   |  6 Pages(USPSTF) recommends cervical cancer screening with cytology testing (also known as a Pap Smear) every three years in women ages 21 to 65 (U.S. Preventative Services Task Force [USPSTF], 2016a). The USPSTF has graded this recommendation with an â€Å"A† indicating that they have a high level of certainty that the screening will prove to be beneficial, rather than harmful to the patient (USPSTF, 2016a). However, if this patient would prefer to receive cervical cancer screening every five years, the USPSTF alsoRead MoreDoes Detecting Breast Cancer with MRIs Increase the Rate of Mastectomies?903 Words   |  4 Pagesincrease rates of mastectomy. However, different studies have been performed and no proof of this has been recorded (Dang and Zaguiyan et al 937). Although many people think that mastectomy may increase with MRI’ s, I feel that these types of screenings should be more recommendable for women at high risk for breast cancer, because cancer, if not treated on time might be fatal. Mammography has been traditionally used for breast examination, in order to detect abnormalities, but women with dense breastRead MoreThe Common Sexually Transmitted Infections Essay1133 Words   |  5 PagesHPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI). This might be the reason why the pharmaceutical company Merck Co. has invested time on making sure that the country is aware of HPV. Merck Co has a few commercial about HPV and getting vaccinated. As a matter of fact the most sexual active men and women will get at least one type of HPV at some point in their lives. People have known about the Human Papillomavirus since 1956 because a group of scientist discovered it. However, it wasRead MoreBenefits Of A Annual Mammogram Is A Waste Time And That It s Not A Solution For Breast Cancer1717 Words   |  7 Pagesis a waste time and that it s not a solution to breast cancer. One hundred thousand women turn into their 30s lives could be saved by annual screening. But othe rs might not be safe those who turn forty. For every 1,000 women who have a mammogram screening only 100 of them are recalled to get more mammograms or ultrasound images, 20 of them are recommended for a needle biopsy, the other 5 are diagnosed with cancer. About 40,290 women in the U.S. are expected to die in 2015 from breast cancer thoughRead MoreThe Importance Of Preventive Care For Children1619 Words   |  7 Pagesto children from birth to three years of age not receiving any type of preventive care. Preventive care provides immunizations, health screenings, and tests that help to prevent against diseases and illnesses. There have been many studies conducted in regards to the importance of children receiving preventive care. The most crucial time frame for this care should occur from birth until 3 years of age. Millions of infants, children and adolescents in the United States did not receive key clinicalRead MoreColorectal Cancer Increasing Risk Factors912 Words   |  4 Pa gesTo start, one already has an increased chance of getting cancer if one already has a history of colorectal, ovarian, endometrial, or breast cancer. Thus, due to her family’s history of getting colorectal cancer, Ms. Wilson should have already been more wary of colorectal cancer. Although her race is not mentioned, the following races have highest occurring colon cancer rates from highest to lowest: Black, White, Asian/Pacific Islander, American Indian/Alaskan natives, and then Hispanic. With theRead MoreBipolar Disorder : A Serious Mental Condition1174 Words   |  5 Pagesadulthood or adolescence. Diagnosis is said to be obvious, when the patient is showing florid mania. If the patient is exhibiting depressive symptoms. Studies have revealed that 50% or more are diagnosed with depression initially. The reason as to why they are diagnosed this is because unipolar depression is more common than bipolar depression. Bipolar depression lacks sign and symptoms, bipolar disord er is at times missed diagnosed by MDD. 70 percent of people that are bipolar are misdiagnosed andRead MoreClinical Education Needs Assessment Hepatitis C1544 Words   |  7 PagesClinical Educational Needs Assessment-Hepatitis C Knowledge Hepatitis C (HCV) is a disease of the blood, caused by a history of intravenous (IV) drug abuse, blood transfusions received that were infected with HCV prior to 1992 when screening started, healthcare workers suffering from a needle stick, and recipients of donor organs that tested positive for HCV (Lewis, Heitkemper, Dirksen, Bucher, 2014). A challenge that I have encountered in the office with getting treatment started for a patientRead MoreHiv And The Transmission Of Hiv1354 Words   |  6 Pagesmucous membranes, such as inside the vagina, rectum or urethra (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: HIV/AIDS, 2015). The transmission routes for HIV make unprotected sexual intercourse with an infected partner the number one reason for why HIV is on the rise. Often times this transmission route is the most dangerous, because those that are affected with the HIV infection do not know they have it unless they have been tested by their health care provider. The modes of transmission ofRead MoreDomestic Violence : A Global Phenomenon1653 Words   |  7 Pagessuch as emergency room visits. This explains why preventive care is so important. Surprisingly despite the poor health status victims who experience domestic violence, there have been many shortcomings in the provision of healthcare services. Numerous medical clinics, associations, governmental agencies, and advocacy groups all recommend routine screening regarding domestic violence. Unfortunately many physicians don t always follow what is recommended. This can be due to various reasons including

Humanitarian and Communities Studies

Question: Discuss about theHumanitarian and Communities Studies. Answer: Introduction Grief may be defined as the response of a survivor to the loss of loved ones. Grief and bereavement are an inevitable part of human lives. The grief that an individual experiences is unique and incomparable. However, the pain caused due to the loss of a loved one is similar to the pain caused due to a burn. George Engels compares the psychological trauma to the physiological one. The grief person experiences can be considered a departure from the state of well-being. The intensity of pain depends on the nature of the relationship. A person may experience numerous kind and amount of grief during one's lifetime. It is during the old age that bereavement and grief occur more frequently. Older people endure the loss of relatives, former colleagues, husband, or wife, or other elderly friends. Loss of near and dear ones creates a stressful event and creates an emotional crisis. Bereavement increases the desire of death. Seeing loss of friends and relatives, one may feel deprived of death. The process of grieving is often an isolating and alienating process. It is during the death of a person that one feels completely disconnected with the outside world. It is expected that the mourner would try to relate his/her grief with someone else and try to measure the scale and extent. It is often seen that the distress is not only about the loss but also about the response that they experience. The grief gets magnified by the replies that people get from their family, friends, relatives, heath care practitioners, and co-workers. Some people think of going to counselors. Counselors try to normalize and suppress grief as bereavement in elderly people may lead to psychological illness like depression (Bowlby, 1977). While some people can cope up with the grief, some are not. The intensity and response of bereavement differ from person to person. Grief and bereavement may affect the physical as well as mental health conditions. It may lead to cognitive and communicative difficult ies. It reduces social support, changes lifestyles, and living standards, and also leads to financial hardship. Hence, it is imperative that grief related depressions must be identified in its earliest stage. It is crucial that friends and family form the life support system of the elderly person at this critical juncture. It is the role of the children to provide emotional support and better health facilities (Betz Thorngren, 2006). Senior citizens undergo a lot of bereavement in the later stages of their life. The greatest emotional blow that an older person may face is the loss of life partner. It is the partner on which people are most dependent during their last stages of life. Loss of partner at this stage may lead to mental instability and other health problems. People respond differently to loss based on internal and external factors. Grief and bereavement are shaped not only by the social and cultural context but also by the nature of the relationship between the deceased and the mourner (Bowlby, 1977). In the western society, though not explicit, there are several rules regarding grief and bereavement which are widely recognized. Such social rules determine who has the privilege of exemption from responsibilities and roles. The privileges are conditioned and granted by the authoritative figure such as a political head or a physician. According to Doka, the social rules of grieving is defined as A set of norms that attempt to determine who, when, where, how long, and for whom people should grieve (Burke Neimeyer, 2013). Many unwritten set standards in the western society describe grief. Violation of any of the set patterns may have a profound impact upon the individual who is bereaved. With the growth and advancement of technology, human beings are living for longer years. With the increase in the number of elderly people, one would find a lot of seniors who experience grief and bereavement due to loss of their spouse. Studies show that "widowhood affects three out of four women. In 1998 there were 7.8 million widowed women age 65 and older in the United States, and 1.5 million widowed elderly men (Worden, 2009). Elderly people often undergo disenfranchised grief, that is, grief not recognized by society. The grief is not recognized as people consider elderly death to be a part and parcel of life. Elderly death may be acceptable to family, friends, and relatives; it is a severe loss to the spouse who was exceedingly dependent on him/her. The grief of an individual is shaped widely by social experiences. However, the nature of the relationship between elderly people determines the extent of grief largely. The mourner passes through several stages of grief. These stages are depression, denial, acceptance, anger, and bargaining. The grief of a person begins once he/she endorses the loss and then express emotions. A bereaved person may experience a heightened sense of vulnerability (Green Grant, 2008). The mourning, bereavement, and grief of a person depend on several mediators such as the relation of the individual, the person itself, the nature of attachment, the manner the person died, proximity, unexpectedness, and suddenness among others. The nature of attachment is one of the essential mediators of grieving. The strength of the attachment with the deceased determines the intensity of grief. The more intense is the love and affection, the more intense is the grief. It also depends on the sense of security between the individuals. If the deceased were essential for the well-being of the survivor, the grief would be more. If the self-esteem of the survivor depended on the lost person, the widow is bound to experience a greater sense of his/her loss of self-esteem. The grief reaction shall be more difficult in such a situation. The feeling of security and self-esteem is very much dependent on their spouses for many individuals (Ghesquiere et al., 2015). However, after the loss of the spouse, the requirements remain the same, but the resources go missing. The ambivalence and closeness between persons in a relationship are also key determinants. There is always a degree of ambivalence in a close relationship. Though a person may love another one, there would always remain a coexistence of negative feelings. The grief reaction would be more where there is an equal coexistence of both positive and negative emotions. In a highly ambivalent relationship, the death of one person results in a tremendous sense of guilt and anger for being left alone(Galatzer-Levy Bonanno, 2012). There would always be conflicts in a relationship. In some relationships, the conflict is to a large extent and in some it is low. The conflict in a relationship affects the psychology of the survivor. This conflict is not merely the conflict during death but in the entire lifetime. The conflicts may arise from physical or sexual abuse in the past. An unresolved conflict would lead to guilt after death. The effect may be so much that the survivor may need counseling (Harris, 2010). A person may suffer from adaptation problems if the survivor is too much dependent on the deceased for daily chores such as preparing meals, paying bills, and driving. The survivor would feel vacant after the death of the spouse. However, a person less dependent would suffer less regarding daily activities. The amount and extent of bereavement in elderly people is dependent on several other factors. If a couple is married for a long time, it will result in deep attachments. The couple would be interdependent and entrenched to family roles. The death of the partner would affect the spouse deeply. The person who would be living would find it difficult to cope with the loss and adjust himself/herself to the situation. High interdependence on each other for certain activities would make adjustment for the living one difficult (Ingham et al., 2016). The bereaved may find himself/herself turning to someone who does not exist. The grief does follow any pattern or trajectory. While some may experience depression or anxiety, others may have euphoria. Some reactions include aimless wandering or insomnia. In such a situation, it is essential to take care of elders and make efforts to consider and understand the manifestations of grief. It is the responsibility of others to treat individual experie nce with respect (Klass et al., 2014). Bereavement is a very natural part of a person's life. It may have a cathartic effect. However, the subsequent period of elongated grief may prove to be harmful and may have long term consequences. A person may undergo various stages of grief namely, the acute or normal grief which is a normal reaction to the loss of the dead one. People may feel the need for isolation and alienation following the period of death. The middle stage involves longing and anxiety for the dead. In this stage, the person realizes the loss of the loved one. The person may find it hard to get support (Lindemann, 1976). People gather for funeral but soon move away to their lives leaving the bereaved person alone. In such a situation, it is not advisable to rush a person through grief as it may lead to further isolation and distress. Discussing the feelings and emotions in such a condition is essential. A person may also experience bouts of grief and emotion frequently. They may suffer a wave like grief pattern shortly after the loss. Family and friends must understand and sympathize the elders during such triggers. These waves are natural progressions in the grieving period and help the person feel in control with the emotions. Ignoring the feelings of a bereaved person or judging him/her may be detrimental (Naef et al., 2013). It is expected of an elderly person to restore his/her life after the death of the spouse. It may be an easy demand on the part of someone who is not sufferer but tough for the person who is facing the loss of a person with whom he/she has existed for so many decades. It is expected that the survivor would continue his/her everyday errand without the partner. Mary Pipher says that Its a miracle that people survive the losses of their mates. There are so many widows and widowers, and we tend to underestimate the magnitude of each tragedy. In our country we expect people to recover from grief quickly" (Parkes, 2013). While some people tend to live on the remaining life without their spouses, some are unable to do so. Individuals experience complicated grief when the process of acute grief manifests into lingering or more severe symptoms (Payne, 2005). Complicated grief is, in fact, a system that does not allow a person to accept the loss of the loved ones and resume normal day to day activities of life. Complicated grief is very much similar to acute grief but the persistence of symptoms is longer than the acute grief. Complicated grief may result in unacceptance of the loss of the loved one and intense, unbearable yearning for him/her. However, the list of sufferings and endurance may vary from person to person. Some of the criteria include inability of the person to trust others and confusion about his/her role in life. Individuals suffering from complicated grief are unable to handle the waves of grief. Elders fail to recover from such grief. However, there are significant differences between complicated grief and depression. For instance, a person suffering from complicated grief may pine for the loved ones and be even stunned because of the loss. Generalized depression lacks this pining and stunning. It is also different from posttraumatic stress as it also lacks stunning and pining for the loss (Parkes, 2013). Research shows that bereaved elderly people tend to live alone after the loss of their partners. While younger widowers and widows tend to move, the older ones remain in the same home they once lived. Living alone may be detrimental for it may arouse intense feelings and emotions. The physical surroundings shared by the couple would stimulate the memories and increase the sense of loneliness thereby leading to a sense of greater loss. Elderly people who had shared a harmonious marriage would be the greater sufferers. On the other hand, there are some who are unable to live alone after the loss and hence need familial and institutional care (Miles et al., 2016). Elderly people who are forced to leave their homes after the loss of their spouse may be at a higher risk of mortality. The loss of spouse and its effects are different for men and women. A man may face greater disruptions and difficulties than a woman. Men are more likely to face new roles; for instance, the role of a homemaker. It becomes difficult for the person to adapt the character without the partner. On the other hand, it is seen that the level of difficulty and disruption is not the same as she is more self-reliant and able to fit into the role of a homemaker. Counseling interventions may be helpful for the bereaved elderly (Harris, 2010). A significant change that a person especially, a widow would suffer the loss of husband is a radical shift in identity. It is more so in case of a woman as the identity of the wife rests on the husband. The survivor may often suffer practical and financial issues. The lifestyle undergoes a drastic change. Women realize and try to understand the financial responsibilities and men try to adapt the roles traditionally belonging to women. Such a threat and change in the identity of a person may lead to psychological distress. Also, changes occur in the use of spaces- both public and private (Green Grant, 2008). It is harder for elderly people to cope with the loss of spouse as the years spent with the partner are more compared to an adult. Old persons face severe health issues. They are more interdependent and hence their grief gets heightened. The spouse forms the emotional and other support systems. Loss of this crucial support system would naturally leave lasting effects. Loss of partner results in more struggle in life and dramatic change (Worden, 2009). The case of LGBT individuals, the sense of loss and bereavement is more compared to others as the couples of LGBT face stigmatization and marginalization from the society. They are more vulnerable to psychological trauma post the death of spouse as such couples are highly interdependent. They are already sufferers of sexual prejudice. They lack the support of institutions and heteronormative culture. In such a scenario in which the person is deemed a minor, it is imperative that the person would suffer from more severe psychological traumas. Institutions and doctors may be reluctant to help such individuals. They may receive unsympathetic responses from the society and thus the grief may be internalized and re-traumatized (Green Grant, 2008). There are many therapeutic techniques to resolve the problem of stress and trauma due to loss of dear and near ones. Reminiscing can be a useful technique to stimulate and breathe life in the elderly adults. Also called life review, reminiscing is a process that occurs naturally. It brings progressiveness in the life of the person. It brings backs the consciousness of past experiences and a resurgence of unresolved conflicts. The process of reminiscence serves the function of adaptation. Siblings and family members can act as the principal source as they are the ones who have seen the most of the person. Also, reminiscence is a way to retain the identity of the individual. Even though physically the person may not be present, the deceased is always present mentally. Reworking the past of the bereaved may have a salutary effect (Bowlby, 1977). Since much of the life experienced with the spouse is internalized by the survivor, he/she never truly loses the deceased mentally. The importa nce of continuing bonds has been recognized widely in the recent years. It is very much possible for an elderly person to be too much dependent on the children. They may see their children as a mode of survival after the death of their spouse. In such a scenario, their children can work wonders in developing new skills. This would benefit the elderly adults in mastering their self-esteem as well. It is important to make the person realize that he/she must not be dependent on someone else, even their children for little things like going to the market or calling the electrician or plumber for repairing. Such activities were earlier done by the husband (Burke Neimeyer, 2013). But after his death, the widow must learn to handle such day to day activities. She may also feel good about developing the personal skills. However, this adjustment may need some time, and it is essential to give the person some time. In a case where the bereaved elderly had been the primary caretaker of a sick spouse, it is seen that the stressful situation was stronger before the death than after it. Thus, it is not proper to always consider a death stressful. The death of a person suffering due to a severe traumatic disease may be a relief factor for the partner. Surely it would bring some emotional pain, but mostly, it would not create a stressful situation. In some cases, the process of bereavement may take a bit longer time and at times it may not have even an end point. Some may have a timeless attachment with the deceased. Some may be at a stage in which they may find the consolidation of their memories as the best option. They may draw sustenance from the memories for the remaining years of their lives (Worden, 2009). It may be possible that all the family members are not willing to come for the counseling sessions. In such a situation, the counselor must try to bring the entire family together for the sessions. It would be easier for the counselor then to assess the problems and work more efficiently. The counselor would be able to get an idea of how the family works as a unit and then give his/her recommendations. It is important that the approach of the counselor is that of a familial system. An assessment of the feelings of all the members of the family would ensure a greater probability of the effectiveness and equilibrium in the mind of the bereaved and the family members as well. To help the bereaved, it is essential that the loss and grief are acknowledged. Continual engagement with the deceased partner may be a source of support for the surviving partner. Hence, it is important not to force a person to stop mourning the loss of the partner. Dreams and memories may be a token of remembrance to the deceased. However, if the bereavement exceeds too much and the person undergoes mental illness, it is imperative that he/she is taken to a therapist so that the suffering is reduced as early as possible. While most people overcome their grief, there are numerous cases where the grief becomes complicated and prolonged. It is essential to ameliorate this hopelessness and make the life of the elderly happy and stress-free. References Almack, K., Smith, T., Moss, B. (2015). Research and policy about end of life care for LGBT people in the UK.Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans Health Inequalities: International Perspectives in Social Work, 173. Betz, G., Thorngren, J. M. (2006). Ambiguous loss and the family grieving process.The Family Journal,14(4), 359-365. Bowlby, J. (1977). The making and breaking of affectional bonds. II. Some principles of psychotherapy. The fiftieth Maudsley Lecture.The British Journal of Psychiatry,130(5), 421-431. Burke, L. A., Neimeyer, R. A. (2013). 11 Prospective risk factors for complicated grief.Complicated grief: Scientific foundations for health care professionals, 145. Galatzer-Levy, I. R., Bonanno, G. A. (2012). Beyond normality in the study of bereavement: Heterogeneity in depression outcomes following loss in older adults.Social Science Medicine,74(12), 1987-1994. Ghesquiere, A. R., Bazelais, K. N., Berman, J., Greenberg, R. L., Kaplan, D., Bruce, M. L. (2015). Associations Between Recent Bereavement and Psychological and Financial Burden in Homebound Older Adults.OMEGA-Journal of Death and Dying, 0030222815590709. Green, L., Grant, V. (2008). Gagged grief and beleaguered bereavements?'An analysis of multidisciplinary theory and research relating to same sex partnership bereavement.Sexualities,11(3), 275-300. Harris, D. (2010). Oppression of the bereaved: A critical analysis of grief in western society.OMEGA-Journal of Death and Dying,60(3), 241-253. Ingham, C. F., Eccles, F. J., Armitage, J. R., Murray, C. D. (2016). Same-sex partner bereavement in older women: an interpretative phenomenological analysis.Aging mental health, 1-9. Klass, D., Silverman, P. R., Nickman, S. (2014).Continuing bonds: New understandings of grief. Taylor Francis. Lindemann, E. (1976). Grief and grief management: Some reflections.Journal of pastoral care. Miles, T. P., Allegra, J. C., Ezeamama, A., Simpson, C., Gerst-Emerson, K., Elkins, J. (2016). In a longevity society, loss and grief are emerging risk factors for health care use findings from the health and retirement survey cohort aged 50 to 70 years.American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine,33(1), 41-46. Naef, R., Ward, R., Mahrer-Imhof, R., Grande, G. (2013). Characteristics of the bereavement experience of older persons after spousal loss: An integrative review.International Journal of Nursing Studies,50(8), 1108-1121. Parkes, C. M. (2013).Love and loss: The roots of grief and its complications. Routledge. Payne, M. (2005). Chapter 8: Social Psychology and Social Construction. In Modern social work theory (3rd ed., pp. 161-180). Basingstoke, England: Palgrave Macmillan. Ryan, P., Coughlan, B. J., Shahid, Z., Aherne, C. (2013). Older adults' experience of loss, bereavement and grief.Ageing and Older Adult Mental Health: Issues and Implications for Practice, 109. Shear, M. K., Ghesquiere, A., Glickman, K. (2013). Bereavement and complicated grief.Current psychiatry reports,15(11), 1-7. Stephen, A. (2013). 4 Bereavement and older people.Grief, Loss and Bereavement: Evidence and Practice for Health and Social Care Practitioners, 55. Vitlic, A., Lord, J. M., Carroll, D., Phillips, A. C. (2015). Increased Risk of Infection in Bereaved Older Adults: From Broken Heart to Broken Immune System.Advances in Neuroimmune Biology,6(1), 25-30. Worden, J. (2009). Grief counselling and grief therapy: A handbook for the mental health practitioner. (4th ed.). Springer Publishing Company, New York

The Dragon Cant Dance Essays - Port Of Spain, The Dragon Cant Dance

The Dragon Can't Dance The Dragon Can't Dance Often when one comes to the realization of delusion in the understanding of an event, anger at defeat kicks in. In this particular passage from The Dragon Can't Dance, Lovelace manages to provoke in his readers a sense of loss concerning one's roots and customs. The excerpt is extracted from a fictional novel, which deals with the slaves that came through the middle passage from Africa as chattels. Within this passage are manifestations of - the main character - Aldrick Prospects' frustration. Throughout the passage Lovelace uses several literary devices to further enhance the piece. With the incorporation of repetition, imagery, characterization, and symbols, the perfect mood is created for an event like the Carnival Monday to take place. The passage consists of two paragraphs: the first paragraph consists of twenty lines, seventeen of which compose one sentence; Lovelace uses this as a literary device to preserve the continuity of his descriptions and thought process. The mood is assembled with the images that are projected to the readers. Sacredness and the need to break loose of this restraining authority are the most controlling conditions under consideration in the first paragraph. The second paragraph consists of another twenty lines, but which are reasonably worded and seem to convey the narrators' observations regarding the situation. There is a distinct difference in both these paragraphs since one examines the past and the other progresses to the present. The overall effect of the piece lies in the reaction of the main character ? Aldrick Prospect ? that undergoes a change in the way he deems and perceives the significance of a particular ritual of his people. In the introductory paragraph, Lovelace describes to his readers the beginning of the day, the sweeping of the grounds, the preparation for Carnival Monday. He describes to his readers' the importance that lies in the memory of this ritual, and exactly what this memory consists of. Lovelace also establishes the setting and a general characterization of his main character. In line 3 we as readers understand from the ?beating kerosene tins for drums..? portrayal that those people do not possess the ability to buy real drums, and therefore it is conveyed that they are poor and perhaps inferior to the rest of the society. This begins Lovelaces' characterization of those people as slaves. Subsequently, he manifests through description the importance of this event known as Carnival Monday. The fact that the yards are being swept and that there is heralding to the masqueraders' arrival gives the readers a sense of what importance this event holds to the people. Following this description, there is text that identifies this ritual as having great historical significance. This is substantiated in line 5 where the author tells us that ?..that goes back centuries for its beginnings, back across the Middle Passage, back to Mali and to Guinea and Dahomey and Congo, back to Africa The setting is then further identified as Lovelace refers to the slaves that came as chattels from Africa to work in the Caribbean island of Trinidad. In continuation to this thought, Lovelace elaborates on the earlier mention of masqueraders. He characterizes the ?Maskers? as ?sacred and revered, the keepers of the poisons and the heads of secret societies,? in lines 7 and 8. Lovelace then states the function of this Carnival starting from line 10 and continuing to the end of the paragraph. Within those lines, the author seems to juxtapose the meaning of the carnival, for example in line 10, where he states that the masqueraders would affirm ?warriorhood and femininity?. Those two expressions strongly contrast against each other, and therefore the reader is presented with two different sides of what this carnival may mean. The warriorhood and depravity it consists of only to convey the people's ability for endurance, and the sensitivity linking the villagers to their ancestors. Lovelace again reinforces the importance of this event in the subsequent lines, saying remembered even now, so long after the Crossing, if not in the brain then certainly in the blood;? (lines11,12). Here the paragraph is not ended, but interrupted with a semicolon. This deviation has a purpose of separating both thoughts but not in a