Ptsd Paper Essay Example for Free

Ptsd Paper Essay Trauma, and People Kacie D. Buchanan COM/156 April 12, 2013 It has been estimated, from Michelle Rosenthal (2012), that 70% of all U. S. citizens experience some type of trauma in their life and an estimated 8% have PTSD. War veteran diagnosed PTSD have jumped up 50% in 2012, and 1 out of every five veterans that return from Irag are diagnosed with this disorder. It is sad to think of the children that go through trauma, but an estimated 15-43% of girls and 14-43% of boys will experience a traumatic event. As many as 30- 60% of these children will go through the trauma and come out with PTSD. Personal doubt has lead me to try to figure out how this disorder comes about, and if there is a way an individual can be misdiagnosed. There are many reasons an individual may have PTSD, its finding the trauma and the cause so you can then find a cure. For as long as we can remember there have been stories about the trauma that war veterans go through daily, they relive the trauma, and it can bring on PTSD. Post-traumatic stress syndrome in war veterans is very different than the trauma anyone else can go through, it is harder for them to cope with because of the level of trauma they have been through. Christine Stephens, Nigel Long, and Ross Flett (1998) had done a New Zealand study of 527 working police officers were given the PTSD test to show there results, their results were that police officers with military combat backgrounds had some of the highest test results of anyone tested. These victims of war have to relive the nightmare every time they hear a loud crash, bang, or pop they feel like they have to run for cover or hide because that fear has been put into their minds that if they do not save themselves they will die. In most cases military personnel have come home and have shown no sign of PTSD and passed all tests with a negative result for the disorder, it was six months to a year later that the individuals start to experience signs and symptoms of PTSD. These tests can include an officer sitting in front of a computer screen with random flashes of picture’s, there are children,  dogs sniffing blood, soldiers cowering in fear, and death. The doctor monitors stress levels and how many times the officer blinks and from that can see if the officer will most likely develop PTSD, because after all this is just a theory for military doctors trying to help soldier. Right now, we cant determine with certainty who will and who wont develop PTSD, said P aula Schnurr (2009), deputy executive director of the Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Perhaps with better measures, we can get closer. In 1980 is when the PTSD in adults came about with the war veterans, there were also numerous adults that had been diagnosed at this time but when it came to children there were no cases because it was primarily a disorder that had been focused around adults. (Kaminer, Seedat, Stein, 2005) â€Å"Studies indicate that children can develop PTSD after exposure to a range of traumatic stressors, including violent crime, sexual abuse, natural disasters, and war. Where relatively standardized assessment methods have been used, the incidence of PTSD among childsurvivors of specific disasters ranges from 30 to 60%. As yet there are no epidemiological studies of the prevalence of PTSD among children in the general population; however, community studies in the United States have consistently indicated that around 40% of high school students have experienced some form of domestic or community violence, and between 3 and 6% have PTSD. † When children develop these disorders some of the trauma can affect them ten times worse than that of an adult because children are so impressionable and delicate. With children and war veterans the symptoms are quite similar when concerning the nightmares, sleep disturbances, intrusive memories, and flashback experiences. In children however I have read that nightmares become more generalized and not specific, and also re-experiencing can take place through actual events and not only memories that can play in one’s mind. When dealing with PTSD we need to remember that children can be more delicate than an average human being, something that doesn’t traumatize you could definitely hurt a child and scar them for a life with PTSD. When I say normal human beings I mean it as a range of adults between the ages of 18 and over. The reason I give this age group is because anyone under the age of 18 are still considered a child and therefore I feel can still be influenced differently than someone who has been through the trauma, and it didn’t affect them at all. This is involved with civilians of PTSD, the different types of civilian PTSD can be defined as car accidents, death, change in home/work, or even going through a disaster such as angry Mother Nature. The problem with people nowadays isn’t PTSD as a disorder, because PTSD can be a real life disorder, it is the individuals that try to use PTSD as an excuse to be lazy and escape responsibility. One example of this is, recently in the news there was a murder case involving Jodi Arias. Jodi Arias has been accused of murdering her boyfriend, and to escape blame she has told the court that she has a disorder, PTSD to be exact. When faced with the tests from all the doctors you would think that she could get caught if she were faking it. According to her psychologist Richard Samuel whom was put on the stand to answer an array of over 100 questions and to defend his work he said â€Å"I made an arithmetic error which does not affect the utility of the test, Samuels insisted, adding that regardless of the changing scores because of his calculation errors, Arias still would have been diagnosed with PTSD. Each time that I scored it, Ms. Arias met or even exceeded the minimum criteria for the diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder. So when it came time to see the results we didn’t know what to believe. After all if her doctor is changing scores how to we believe that there is no disorder there. Time after time we come into contact with trauma and you have to think to yourself, Will the trauma caused affect different kinds of people differently? Well I have come to the conclusion that it does because not everyone is the same. It takes a strong individual to go through trauma and come out of the other side. Personal testimony is the best research I have done and I have been told by a close friend of mine, †You cannot let trauma stop your life, you have to learn how to get over your past and leave it there. Because after all that is where the past belongs, in the past† (Kat Brower, 2013). This individual is a very strong person, loves life and knows that there are more to worry about than past experienced, she has moved on and has let the wrong in her life make her stronger. With all of the symptoms that come with PTSD you have to be sure what you are going through, you just need to know you are not alone. Knowing whether the trauma that you have been through will cause PTSD is the biggest challenge, and also finding your cure. I have learned in doing this research that, it has helped me understand how to deal with my personal experiences in life that has made me doubt a close friend. I have decided I need to come to my own conclusions whether or not I am going to trust the disease is real or if the stories are in fact just stories. Hundreds of Americans are diagnosed with this disorder, its finding out who is using the disorder to escape the responsibility of life. References: Associated Press, (January 4, 2012), Types of Trauma: War. www. ptsd. va. gov. Retrieved on March 22, 2013. Associated Press, (November 20, 2009), Mental Health Effects of Serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. www. ptsdsupport. com. Retrieved on March 22, 2013 Kaminer, D. , Seedat, S. , Stein, D. J. , (June 2005), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Children, 4(2): 121-125. www. ncbi. nim. nih. gov. Retrieved on March 24, 2013. Crimesider Staff, Tingle, T. , (March 25, 2013), Jodi Arias Trial: Expert defends murder defendant’s diagnosis of PTSD, amnesia. www. cbsnews. com. Retrieved March 25, 2013 Personal insight and quote from Brower, K. , (March 21, 2013) Rosenthal, M. , (2012) Statistics, www. healmyptsd. com, Retrieved March 30, 2013

Moral Realism :: Judgment Fact Moral Ethics Essays

Moral Realism In this paper, I examine the connection between judgments of fact and moral judgments in an attempt to discern whether moral judgments are simply a subset of judgments of fact. I will look mostly at an argument posed by many moral realists that takes moral facts to be â€Å"supervenient natural facts which are independent of our theorizing about them†1 and in which moral judgments are determined by objective facts which relate to human flourishing or pleasure and pain. I will also, though, take a look at the fact/value gap and determine the effect on the connection between moral judgments and judgments of fact of an attempt to close this gap. In the article â€Å"Moral Realism and Moral Judgments†, Frederik Kaufman argues that judgments of fact display a certain degree of conceptual sensitivity to error which is not present in moral judgments. He concludes from this that moral judgments cannot be a subset of judgments of fact. In setting up his argument, Kaufman claims that for the most part we form judgments of fact in virtue of natural facts being a certain way, entailing that correct judgments are causal consequences of natural facts.2 Under this conception, moral judgments, if they are indeed a subset of judgments of fact, must also be causal consequences of natural facts3. This conception also gains for the moral realist the idea that moral knowledge is possible, for if there is a causal connection, then the moral judgments gained are gained because of certain natural facts. The next question necessarily revolves around the delivery mechanism. Moral realists must argue that moral judgments have at least an initial plausibility, for if grave errors are made in either the causal connection or the delivery mechanism, it would not seem that there would be a valid reason for believing that any of the moral judgments we make are judgments of fact. As David Brink argues, â€Å"the degree of credibility of considered moral beliefs probably corresponds more closely with the credibility of these [credible theoretical beliefs] Ãâ€" All I claim is that considered moral beliefs have initial credibility.†4 Taking this to be true, Kaufman argues that there is every reason to believe that on the whole our moral judgments will tend to be true. Furthermore, when we take the moral realist’s argument that morality has a deep connection with human flourishing, there are evolutionary reasons, Kaufman believes, for believing that there is a connection between moral judgments and actions that for the most part promote our well being.

Ethics and Professionalism Essay

The first principle, Universal Access to Information, basically stipulates that it is important to make information universally available to all. ACM believes it is important because it will have impacts on economic growth, education, and public health among other things. I would have to agree with this principle. When people have access to information it allows for growth in all areas. People can use information to expand on ideas and make advancements on others inventions and so forth. The Intellectual Property principle is in regards to making laws that will govern the right to copyrighted intellectual property. I would tend to agree with the principle though only to some degree. I feel it is important to have laws that govern intellectual property but one must realize limitations and not waste all resources and efforts in trying to completely stop software and intellectual theft. The Internet has grown too large too fast and I believe it is a waste of money and time to try to stop file sharing etc. because it will never happen. The third principle is Computer Encryption and Security. ACM believes to reach its full potential the net must be secured. This is completely correct. The Internet can be used for transactions of all sorts. Whether it is between businesses or consumers. If it is not secure and people are afraid of sending confidential information across the net like credit card numbers then it will never reach its potential. The fourth principle states that the 1st Amendment must be upheld on the Internet. ACM promotes speech and opposes censorship of the net. I do not agree with this. Freedom of speech is important everywhere including the Internet but I feel there must be a line drawn somewhere when it comes to speaking ones mind in regards to such topics as hate crimes etc. I do feel that industry will choose not to follow this principle though. Freedom of speech includes everything from opinions on sports to opinions about the holocaust. When people try to publish web pages on things such as Neo Nazism and how to create pipe bombs they are usually censored by authorities. I can not foresee this changing. Number five is in regards to Funding of Science Research. ACM is committed to pursuing funding for science research. This is definitely a good idea. This type of research leads to advancements in all kinds of different fields in life. The research can be expensive and without funding wouldn’t get done. The government should fund this as it directly affects the country’s economic and technological growth. The sixth principle is Privacy. This is definitely a principle that needs to be upheld. I feel privacy is important and if you do not have privacy on the Internet then you are essentially taking away ones individuality. It is true that there are people who abuse this privacy to commit cyber crime, but more resources must be used elsewhere to help catch these criminals. You can not be spying on the innocent and stealing their right to privacy. The seventh and last principle is Internet Governance. ACM supports and works with companies and groups that develop technical standards, set policies and influence the future of the Internet. I feel this is also a good policy as someone has to set standards for software and the Internet or big companies such as Microsoft would be able to do whatever they please including releasing bug laden software. Essentially these companies are the law makers for what is allowed and disallowed on the Internet and what constitutes good business practice for software and computer companies in general. In general all of these principles are a good idea. I do feel that most will be followed to try and control and better industry standard. The only one I think industry will not particularly accept or follow is the fourth one. I think that freedom of speech is an important thing, to some degree. I believe that total freedom of speech can be a detriment to industry. Freedom of speech means freedom to say anything whether it is politically correct or not. When people begin spreading racism or hate crime on the Internet it cannot be allowed. Industry knows this and will not buy into freedom of speech.

What Happens During a Lightning Storm

Lightning is like a giant natural circuit breaker. When the balance in the atmospheres natural electrical charge becomes overloaded, lightning is what flips natures switch and restores the balance. These bolts of electricity, which emerge from clouds during thunderstorms, can be dramatic and deadly.   Causes As atmospheric phenomena go, lightning is extremely common. At any given second, 100 bolts of lightning are striking somewhere on the planet. Cloud-to-cloud strikes are five to 10 times more common. Lightning typically occurs during thunderstorms when the atmospheric charge between a storm cloud and the ground or a neighboring cloud becomes unbalanced. As precipitation is generated within the cloud, it builds up a negative charge on the underside. This causes the ground below or a passing cloud to develop a positive charge in response. The imbalance of energy builds up until a bolt of lightning is released, either from cloud to ground or cloud to cloud, restoring the electrical balance of the atmosphere. Eventually, the storm will pass and the atmospheres natural equilibrium will be restored. What scientists arent yet sure of is what causes the spark that triggers the lightning bolt. When a bolt of lightning is released, it is five times hotter than the sun. Its so hot that when it tears across the sky, it super-heats the surrounding air extremely quickly. The air is forced to expand, causing a sonic wave we call thunder. The thunder generated by a bolt of lightning can be heard as much as 25 miles away. It is not possible to have thunder without lightning. Lightning typically travels from cloud to ground or cloud to cloud. The lighting you see during a typical summer thunderstorm is called cloud-to-ground. It travels from a storm cloud to the ground in a zigzag pattern at a rate of 200,000 miles per hour. Thats way too fast for the human eye to see this jagged trajectory, called a stepped leader. When the leading tip of the lightning bolt gets within 150 feet of an object on the ground  (usually the tallest in the immediate vicinity, like a church steeple or a tree), a bolt of positive energy called a streamer surges upward at 60,000 miles per second. The resulting collision creates the blinding white flash we call lightning. Dangers and Safety Tips In the United States, lightning occurs most often in July, typically in the afternoon or evening. Florida and Texas have the most strikes per state, and the Southeast is the region of the country most prone to lightning. People can be struck directly or indirectly. Although the vast majority of people struck by lightning survive, about 2,000 are killed worldwide every year, usually due to cardiac arrest.  Those who survive a strike may be left with damage to their cardiac or neurological systems, lesions, or burns.   When a thunderstorm occurs, you can do some simple things to protect yourself from lightning strikes, whether youre indoors or outside. The National Weather Service recommends the following precautions: If youre outside, seek immediate shelter. Houses and other substantial structures with indoor electricity and plumbing, which are grounded, are your best option. Vehicles with solid tops (not convertibles) are also grounded and safe.If you are caught outdoors, move to the lowest ground possible.  Do not seek shelter beneath trees or other tall objects.Avoid plumbing or running water.  Metal pipes for water and sewage are not only excellent conductors of electricity, but the water they carry can be laden with impurities that also help conduct electricity.Dont use landline phones with cords or desktop computers.  Electricity can also be transmitted through the wiring of your home. Cordless and mobile phones are safe to use.  Stay away from windows and doors.  Lightning is a gorgeous sight, especially when arcing across a night sky. But it has been known to strike people after passing through glass or unsealed cracks along doors and windowpanes. Sources Centers for Disease Control and Prevention staff. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Lightning Strikes. cdc.gov.Moskvitch, Katia. We Dont Actually Know What Triggers Lightning Strikes. Slate.com, 18 August 2013. National Geographic staff. Lightning. NationalGeographic.com.National Severe Storms Laboratory staff. Severe Weather 101: Lightning.  nssl.noaa.gov.