Reflection And Reflection Of Group Counseling - 916 Words

Reflection of Group Counseling As I began the Group Process and Dynamics course, I was excited to become educated and experienced with group counseling. Group counseling is a topic I have enjoyed in the past and have continued to be fascinated by. I have learned the elements of a group process through observation and research. The group process consists of several elements that come together when the group begins and ends when the group is terminated. I have observed group norms, group cohesion, the generation of trust, the manifestation of resistance, the emergence of conflict and resolution, healing forces, the reactions of group members, and the various stages a group develops through (Corey, Corey, Corey, 2010). Throughout this course, I was able to derive a conceptualization of groups. From this course I will take with me the understanding of how effective group counseling can be for individuals. Groups have been known to be as effective as individual therapy and a great source of treatment. Group counseling is designed as a part of a treatment plan that helps individuals and guide them through change. Group counseling is a versatile practice, which can be used in several settings and with different populations (Corey et al., 2010). This course has given me the opportunity to reflect on my own personal leadership style, the challenges that may arise, and an action plan to continue my group leadership knowledge and skills. My Leadership Style Through this course,Show MoreRelatedGroup Counseling Reflection1746 Words   |  7 Pagesissues. Now days counseling is something very common that is offered by a professional counselor in different types of setting. When we talk about counseling some individuals might think of having a one to one session with a counselor. However, the reality is that even though one to one sessions are very common, there is also group counseling which is â€Å"an excellent treatment choice for numerous intrapersonal and interpersonal issues and for helping people change†¦Most of these groups are not unstructuredRead MoreGroup Counseling Reflection Paper4779 Words   |  20 PagesStudies in Counseling Reflection CPY 540 Paladino: Advanced Theory and Practice of Group Counseling As I reflect upon my experience as a group leader in this class, I learned that therapeutic factors can be group driven or facilitated by the group leader. Cohesion stood as a vital aspect of an effective group, and I realized that as a group leader I needed not only to facilitate the group but to remain as a vital part of the group to assure cohesion. By subsisting as an effective group leader, IRead MoreReflection Of Group Counseling Process And Mental Health Group Activities829 Words   |  4 PagesA Reflection of Group Counseling Process and Mental Health Group Activities One might say the best teachers are the ones who go over and beyond the call of duty to assist their children. This idea could especially be proven true given the factors that are affecting the social and academic capabilities of the students we teach on a daily basis. One emerging, yet commonly overlooked factor is mental health. Mental health is one of those issues seen to be taboo in schools but is becoming a widespreadRead MoreGroup Counseling With South Asian Immigrant High School Girls : Reflection And Commentary Of A Group Facilitator1854 Words   |  8 PagesThe article, â€Å"Group counseling with South Asian immigrant high school girls: Reflection and commentary of a group facilitator,† focused on integrating South Asian girls into a new school in a new country through group counseling. The first author was South Asian herself, therefore, she felt that she was competent to work with these students. She explained that the South Asian people are collectivist therefo re; a group setting would match the student’s cultural norms and values. The authors beginRead MoreCounselling Reflection1203 Words   |  5 PagesRUNNING HEAD: Reflection on counseling 1 Reflection on counseling session recording Chua Ci Jie Introduction to Counselling James Cook University, Singapore Reflection on counseling Reflection on counseling Counseling is interpreted as a therapeutic practice of utilizing dialogue to assist clients in better understand and coping with their individual problems or health issues (Counseling, 2003). The individuality of the counselor has been extensively regarded as a vital tool in the provisionRead MoreTheory Of Group Counseling Paper1438 Words   |  6 Pages Theory of Group Counseling Paper Alex Dossett CHRD 766; Group Counseling South Dakota State University Describe how your experience of the leading, participating in, or observing groups have informed or influenced you regarding your own group leadership skills, leadership style, and perception about groups; Describe your perspectives about the functions of a therapeutic group in assisting client changes; Discuss the elements or factors contributing to the development of the group, and changesRead MoreA Research Study On Mini Lecturing1351 Words   |  6 Pagesstudent led counseling groups. The primary skill used depended on the group. Overall, I think encouraging and supporting were the primary skills used to alleviate anxiety and generate group discussion. This was evident during the all the group sessions where the group leader’s success relied heavily on group participation and interaction with the member’s and the leader’s. The first group relied more on mini lecturing and information giving which was appropriate for psychoeducational group. Mini-lecturingRead MoreThe Definition Of Multicultural Competence873 Words   |  4 PagesThe definition of multicultural competence means in part to approach the counseling process from the context of the personal culture of the client (Sue, Arrendondo McDavis, 1994; Sue Sue, 2007). Professional ethics compel counselors to ensure that their cultural values and biases do not override those of the client (ACA, 2005). The presenters shared personal examples of their individual cultures and how these impacted their personal and professional lives, including their professional self-awarenessRead MorePastoral Reflection paper1611 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿ Pastoral Counseling Reflection Paper University Abstract This paper shares a reflection of my pastoral counseling experiences. My experiences have been while serving overseas as a M, along with my time serving at Church as the Assiocate Pastor. In this paper I will share past events and what I have learned from them when it comes to counseling. I will share what I have learned through reading the assignment required by PACO 500 and how it has changed the way I view my past experiencesRead MoreGroup Reflection : Group Process767 Words   |  4 PagesGroup Reflection Group My concept of what a group consist of is a story that needs to be told and heard from many people with similar issues or problems. The group is a tool to help each member to gain some insight on how they can change or make a difference in their lives for the future. I feel that a group is a place where new relationships can develop and to find self again. Group Process The group process is facilitated by a counselor by the process has to be done by the members. It can be easy

Homosexuality And Its Effects On Society Essay - 1650 Words

Many people believe and have debated whether or not homosexuality is a choice that one freely makes, while others believe a combination of genetics, hormones and environment have a factor in one’s sexuality and sexual development. Homosexuality is something one cannot choose to be. Primarily, homosexuality can be defined as a romantic or sexual attraction that involves people of the same gender. Male homosexuals are referred to as gays while the female ones are called lesbians. Ideally, since time immemorial, there have been controversies worldwide whether homosexuality should be allowed or banned in the society. In the same way, there have been cases where people are segregated in the community because they are gays or lesbians. Notably, the United States of America is among the countries that have legalized homosexual relationships and marriages. However, in other countries that have traditional cultures, homosexuality is usually going against the ethics and ethos of the co mmunity and whoever is involved may be shamed, persecuted, prosecuted (jailed), or disowned by the community. The Western world has been pressuring and influencing many countries that has diverse cultures that do not allow people of the same gender to get married or be in relationships to change their views and policies However most countries are still attached to their culture and values. Nevertheless, there is a small percentage of homosexuals living in those countries, but they choose to live privateShow MoreRelatedHomosexuality And Its Effect On Society924 Words   |  4 Pages However, homosexuality can also be defined as a sin. First Corinthians 6:18, â€Å"Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexual immoral person sins against his own body.† Many people look down on homosexuality because it is unmoral. This immorality caused great debates, and stirred up hatred between various individuals. Furthermore, these argume nts forced homosexuals to fight for acceptance and equality across the nation. Homosexuality was anotherRead MoreHomosexuality And Its Effect On Society896 Words   |  4 Pagesnecessary to write an article on the subject of homosexuality. It wasn’t a topic that was discussed in public, it was illegal, against the law and those who were engaged in any type of same sex relationship did so quietly and discreetly and largely away from the public eye. That was to change dramatically with the increase of Postmodernism, as a more tolerant and inclusive society emerged, the subject of homosexuality was brought out into the open and society had to deal with it. At first there was a clearRead MoreHomosexuality And Its Effects On Society1387 Words   |  6 PagesHomosexuality remains a sensitive matter to the heart of individuals in America. From the past to the present, protests, debates, and laws have showered American history, showing a divided nation to eyes from the outside. H owever, with the growing exposure to homosexuality in this nation, it is becoming more clear that Americans are expressing and accepting it as a society norm. Of course, this spectacle started way back when Moses scribbled down the Lord’s word and created the book of LeviticusRead MoreHomosexuality And Its Effects On Society Essay870 Words   |  4 Pages Homosexuality is genetic! How can this statement be true? It is indeed true in the precise fact that Romans 3:23 points out, â€Å"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.† Humanity has been cursed with being genetically embedded with sin and a sinful nature. The current worldview is that homosexuality and multiple sexual orientations come from nature, and not nurture. This viewpoint is correct in that it is human nature to sin and seek out one’s own selfish desire. Only, what is not beingRead MoreHomosexuality And Its Effect On Society Essay1307 Words   |  6 PagesHomosexuality has existed g oing back to 600 BC or maybe even longer. It was never accepted in cultures all over the world until 2000. In recent years the United States has legally accepted same sex marriage by a Supreme Court ruling. The reasoning behind why it was never accepted were various different reasons. Some of those reasons are tied into religion, taboo due to the norms, or from an individual’s personality. From these major reasons, it has caused homosexuals to be discriminated from verbalRead MoreHomosexuality And Its Effects On Society1502 Words   |  7 PagesHomosexuality has been defined and constructed around the character of sexual identity, whether by nature or nurture, biology or culture, genetics or environment. In researching this topic you will find that homosexuals were quite comfortable in Germany prior to 1933 and their persecution by the Nazi’s. The discrimination and persecutions of homosexual was traumatic and continued many years after German liberation, and even the unification of Germany. The term homosexuality did not seem to be presentRead MoreHomosexuality And Its Effects On Society2470 Words   |  10 Pages Homosexuality is genetic! How can this statement be true? It is indeed true in the precise fact that Romans 3:23 points out, â€Å"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,† Humanity has been cursed with being genetically embedded with sin and a sinful nature. The current worldview is that homosexuality and multiple sexual orientations come from nature, and not nurture. This viewpoint is correct in that it is human nature to sin and seek out one’s own selfish desire. However, No one isRead MoreHomosexuality Is Not a Psychological Disorder Essay1003 Words   |  5 PagesHomosexuality is not a psychological disorder†¦ In the past, homosexuality was considered to be a psychological disorder, up until the APA removed it from its list of mental illnesses. This was due to the fact that homosexuality causes no form of impairment on the individual’s judgment, stability, reliability, or general social and or vocational abilities. This decision made over 30 years ago, has caused a lot of criticism, many believe that the APA’s decision was made due to the amount of influenceRead MoreThe Relationship Between Religious Institutions And Society1456 Words   |  6 Pagesresolution within the Catholic Church about homosexuality has also reopened the original debate on the propriety of a coexisting homosexual Christian. This has been a concern in not only the Catholic Church, but sub-religions within the entire Christian community. It is interesting to comprehend the relationship between religious organizations and society—mainly how one influences the other in doctrines, values, and belief s, specifically in regards to homosexuality. Regarding the relationship betweenRead MoreThe s Natural Law Theory1219 Words   |  5 Pagesadapting to society s views by my fellow classmate’s discussions and posts. The specific challenges that I will discuss are: Birth control, cloning, genetic engineering, and homosexuality. Hopefully by the end of this paper I would have given you enough explanation to why I agree or disagree with these scientific enhancements that are occurring in the world today. In order to get my point across I will discuss the challenges in a different view, why they are considered moral in today’s society, and why

Poverty and hunger free essay sample

And both Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean seem to have turned a corner entering the new millennium. After steadily increasing from 51 percent in 1981 to 58 percent in 1999, the extreme poverty rate fell 10 percentage points in Sub-Saharan Africa between 1999 and 2000 and is now at 48 percent an impressive decline of 17 percent in one decade. In Latin America and he Caribbean, after remaining stable at approximately 12 percent for the last decades of the 20th century, extreme poverty was cut in half between 1999 and 2010 and is now at 6 percent. l However, despite its falling poverty rates, Sub-Saharan Africa is the only region in the world for which the number of poor individuals had risen steadily and dramatically between 1981 and 2010. There were more than twice as many extremely poor living in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2010 (414 million) than there were three decades ago (205 million). As a result, while the extreme poor in Sub-Saharan Africa represented only 1 1 ercent of the worlds total in 1981, they now account for more than a third of the and China comes next contributing 13 percent (down from 43 percent in 1981). We will write a custom essay sample on Poverty and hunger or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 3 How poor are the extremely poor? Have they become pooprer in the last three decades? Figure 44 plots the average daily per capita income of the extremely poor in the developing world as a whole, in the Sub-Saharan Africa region, and the developing world excluding SSA. As shown, the average income of the extremely poor in the developing world has been rising and steadily converging to the $1 per day poverty line. In 2010, the average income of the extremely poor in the developing world was 87 cents per capita per day, up from 74 cents in 1981 (in 2005 US dollars). If the extreme poor in Sub-Saharan Africa were not included, the average income of the worlds poor would have converged even faster to the $1 line. This increase in incomes of the extreme poor in unfortunately not seen in Sub- Saharan Africa. Between 1981 and 2010, the average income of the extremely poor has remained flat at approximately half of the $1 line in that region. Accelerating extreme poverty reduction is a huge challenge in both Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, given that there are approximately 400 million and 500 million extreme poor people in these regions respectively. The depth of extreme poverty is commonly measured by the extreme poverty gap. When expressed in dollars based on Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) calculations, the extreme poverty gap represents the average amount of additional daily income needed by the extremely poor to reach the poverty line of $1 per day. Thus, from figure 45, we can see that the average gap of the extremely poor in the world is 38 cents per day, or approximately $140 per year in 2005 PPP dollars. Since there are 1. billion extremely poor individuals in the world, the aggregate extreme poverty gap amounts to approximately $169 billion dollars in 2005 PPP dollars, or approximately $197 billion 2010. Measuring poverty continues to be a barrier to effective policymaking. In many countries, the availability, frequency and quality of poverty monitoring data remain low, especially in small states and in countries and territories in fragile situations. Institutional, political and financial obstacles hamper data collection, analysis and public access. The need to improve household survey programs to monitor poverty in these countries is urgent. The main programs of Mdg 1 . A are: Department of Agriculture l. Banner Programs II. Locally-Funded Projects Ill. Foreign-Assisted Projects V. Other Programs Department of Agrarian Reform

Whatever Happened To My Perfect Life free essay sample

Perfect? Well, close enough. Thinking of the different types of families who exist, I can say with pride that my family works. We personify the typical nuclear family: my mother, my father, two brothers and me. And we function! Big family activities include dinners where we talk, biking in Prospect Park, or going to quilt shows. I am a published poet, and actively involved in Boy Scouts. My younger brother has written a novel. My mother has a growing massage therapy profession, and my dad is advancing in a city government job. We live in a big Victorian house in Flatbush. We never had a lot of money, but we always had a lot of fun. One big happy family. Things were going perfectly. Then, five years ago, my mom discovered she had breast cancer. With a capital C. She had a lumpectomy four years ago, and a mastectomy two years ago. We will write a custom essay sample on Whatever Happened To My Perfect Life? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Each time we blindly believed that it would be gone for good. Last spring it appeared in her lower back. After radiation, we again thought the cancer would be gone. With heavy hearts and stupored souls we learned that it was back, and it was threatening her life. We were in shock. Now what? First, Mom had to take care of herself. Second, we had to take care of Mom. She became our top priority. My familys distribution of responsibilities has always been reasonably equal. But now that had to change. Cancer was thrust into my perfect teenage life. My dad, my brothers, and I took over the chores, along with the stress and worry. My domestic skills became more than supplementary, they became essential. But, what about me? Arent these years my years? The time for my ego to be in front? Isnt this my time to shine? Senior year in high school, sculpting abilities and an identity through talents. Writing and reading poetry, starring in my own TV show, applying to colleges, going for Eagle Scout. This isnt fair. This happens to other peoples moms. But it happened to mine. So I had to learn how to balance my needs, to be up front and on stage, while placing my moms needs ahead of my own. Have I lost? Hardly. Ive gained in maturity, in insight, in reasoning to put myself and my priorities aside. My abilities to balance others needs along my own. Ive learned that when Im tired, stressed out, and I just want to collapse, I dont. I search inside myself for a fresh source of energy. A place to put aside my problems, and help my mother. This is what college will be like. Challenges, courses, classes, projects, homework, finals, and a thesis. Not to mention all the distractions of frat parties, all nighters with friends, and excuses that will detour me from my true course of education. But with these life lessons, I know I can survive the complexities of college. Life is not perfect. But successfully conquering any imperfections, and coming out triumphant over your problems and all others is what makes life really worth living.

The Us 1900-1909 Essays - Sons Of The American Revolution

The Us 1900-1909 The United States: 1900-1909 The early 1900s was a great time for Americans. The early 1900s brought many reforms, changes, and inventions to the country. Many people, around the world, began to recognize the US as a world power. With the nation's growing economic and naval power, it was obvious that the US was a major contender for world domination. Throughout the early 1900s the United States was dramatically changed from a little nation to a nation of great wealth and prosperity. The United States entered the Twentieth Century as a world power along with older world powers of Europe (Angel, vol. 1) such as France, England, and Germany. The United States achieved this power by stepping up its navy. The navy won national support and began its expansion to supremacy, by sending the ?great-white fleet? around the world on December 16, 1907 (Angel, vol. 1). This was done to show the world the maturity of American engineering as well as the substance for the ?big stick? policy (Dictionary of American History, vol. V). The United States wanted to show and warn the other countries of the world that the US was here and they meant business. Mark Twain said: ?We have pacified some thousands of islanders and buried them?burned their villages, and turned their widows and orphans out-of-doors?subjugated the remaining ten millions by benevolent assimilation, which if the pious new name of the musket; we have acquired property in the three hundred concubines and other slaves of our business partner, the sultan of Sulu, and hoisted our protecting flag over that swag. And so, by the Providences of God ? and the phrase is the governments, not mine ? we are a world power.? (Angel, vol. 1) From 1900 to 1920 there was a staggering increase in iron ore and crude petroleum production in the United States. For example, in 1900, there were 27,300 tons of iron ore and 63,621 barrels of petroleum produced in the US. In 1910, there were 57,015 tons of iron ore and 209,557 barrels of petroleum produced. In 1920, there were 67,604 tons of iron ore and 442,929 barrels of petroleum produced (Angel, vol. 1). As the production of iron ore and petroleum grew, so did the population. At the beginning of the century the United States population was 75,995,000. The cities around the Great Lakes, Chicago, Cleveland, and Detroit, expanded a lot faster than the average cities because coal was available locally for fuel in the factories and because there was good rail and water transportation (Angel, vol. 1) From 1900 to 1920, many cities expanded greatly in numbers of people. New York went from 3,437 to 5,620. Chicago went from 1,699 to 2,701. Cleveland went from 382 to 797. Detroit went from 285 to 994 (Angel, vol. 1). Overall, urban population grew a lot faster than rural population. In 1900, the rural population in the country was approximately 45 million people and the urban population was only 30 million people. By 1920, rural population was only at 52 million while urban population had passed that at 53 million (Angel vol. 1). Even though changes were made, many things did not change until later on in the century. ? By 1900, only a few states had outlawed factory employment of children under ten or twelve years of age? (Angel, vol. 1). Children were disadvantaged until the second decade. In 1903, Mary ?Mother? Jones lead an army of kids from Philidelphia to Long Island to protest the employment and exploitation of children. The black communities, despite the Ku Klux Klan, succeed, in a way, because the lynching numbers went down significantly from 1900 to 1915. In 1900, there were 110 lynching. In 1905, there were only 60 lynching, and in 1910 there were 58. But in 1915 there were only 55 lynching. From 1900 to 1915, the lynching number was cut in half (Angel, vol. 1). The KKK did all it could, in the south, to prevent the blacks from getting the vote. On April 27, 1903, the United States Supreme Court sustained a clause in the Alabama constitution that denied African Americans the right to vote (Angel, vol. 1) 1900 was a very exciting year in America. Dr.

The Lottery Essays - Dystopian Literature, Films, Human Sacrifice

The Lottery Essays - Dystopian Literature, Films, Human Sacrifice The Lottery The Lottery: Symbolism Essay submitted by In The Lottery, Shirley Jackson uses symbolism to make us aware of the pointless nature of humanity regarding tradition and violence. The story starts off on a beautiful summer day in a small town. The author describes the day as very euphoric but strikes a contrast between the atmosphere of the town and the atmosphere of the people gathered in the square. The atmosphere is subdued, where the children are gathered around quietly. The black box is the central theme or idea in the story. It symbolizes at first some type of mystery, but as we read the ending we realize that it is synonymous with doom. Someone's fate lies in an inanimate object, the black box. We do not always enjoy change, even if it might prove beneficial to us. The box is symbolic of our loathing of change; it is old and splintered showing that we cling to what is familiar rather than change and it also symbolizes the traditions of the community. No one in the little town questions the origin of the black box, but accept it as an intrical part of their lives. The lottery itself is symbolic of the paradox of the human psyche between compassion on one hand and the thirst for violence and cruelty on the other. An example of this is when the children are enjoying a break from school, playing and being children, and suddenly they are being joined by rational adults in stoning a mother to death. It appears that tradition has blinded these people in an irrational way, making them unable to think of a reason why this possibly should not be happening. When forced with the possibility of death, human nature in all its complexity, comes down to one instinctive urge, that of survival. When Tessie was in no danger she was gossiping with the other ladies and even encouraged her husband to go and pick a piece of paper. When Tessie wins the lottery; she pleads for another chance and screams for mercy. She demands that her daughters take their chances as well, which is indicative of regression toward our basic instinct of survival. The pieces of paper that are lifted away by the breeze is not only symbolic of the ease with which life can be taken but is also symbolic of vast civilizations that were doomed to eventual failure for believing in and acting on tradition and not living according to the word of God. We see that even as Tessie is being stoned to death does she not question the reasoning behind the lottery, but why it should be her that has to die.

CAPM Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

CAPM - Assignment Example CAPM has theoretical limitation, which include impractical assumptions and instability of the beta values. The Arbitrage Pricing Model and Rolls have criticized the theory indicating that it may be unreliable and invalid. This study will examine the theoretical limitations and criticisms of the theory. Theoretical Limitations of the Theory The theory argues that all investors are risk avoiders and that the returns are normally distributed (Ma, 2011). This is not the case because investors are normally risk takers who are willing to make huge returns when their predictions favor them and lose when they fail. Assuming that returns are normally distributed is also unfounded because investors are not usually sure of the yields on their assets (Ma, 2011). The assumption that assets are free from risk is also unrealistic because it is hard to find such stocks in the real world. The theory argues that short-term securities offered by the government are free from hazards because the state as sures investors certain returns on the assets. This is not the case because the risk on the assets is in the form of inflation, which is the instability of prices in the market (Ma, 2011). Inflation leads to the loss of value of money, and this means that, assets also lose their worth when prices rise in the economy. Since money loses its value then it means that investors face the risk of lower returns when their stock matures. For example, when the state pays 10% on its short-term bonds then inflation rises in the country by 2%, investors get 8% returns on their securities in real terms. This means that investors face the risk of inflation, which reduces their earnings. This also indicates that the CAPM model is applicable in an ideal world, an occurrence that is impossible (Ma, 2011). Roll’s Critique of CAPM Roll criticizes the validity of the Capital Asset Pricing Model equation. The equation is as indicated below: E(Ri) =RF +?i [E(RM) - RF] Where E(Ri) represents the yie ld on security i. RF is the risk free rate of return. Bi is the market risk that security i faces. Roll’s first critique was that the model could not be tested using current data because it is constructed based on historical data. The impossibility of testing the model arises from the fact that it is based on market values of stocks, real estates, jewelers, and labor. Rolls argue that it is impossible to find the market value of this portfolio because no accurate data of these factors exists in reality. Thus, Roll argues that the CAPM cannot be proven right or wrong because of the impossibility of getting accurate data (Ma, 2011). Roll argues that economic models should be easy to test using future data because they simplify the real life. However, according to him, CAPM is complex because of the inability of being tested using future data, and this makes it unreliable. Roll also postulates that it is impossible to get efficient stocks whose values and rates of return have li near relationships ideally (Ma, 2011). Therefore, Rolls argument generally argues that CAPM is unreliable because it has never been tested using real data, and it is still impossible to do so because of uncertainty of prices, which is common in the real world. Arbitrage Pricing Model (APM) The APM addresses the weaknesses of CAPM by doing away with the assumption that the

The Perfect Gym Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Perfect Gym - Essay Example The researcher states that the gym floor is cemented and its lighting is dim even though it is not too dim nor is it too bright and the gym is fitted with mirrors all over. Dumbbells in the gym go up to 180lbs though I have never witnessed anyone exploit them because the highest I have observed anyone use is 130lbs resting on a flat bench. During the workout, music is often played which is a combination of alternative, hard rock, rock, and heavy metal depending on the station playing the music. The gym has various payment plans that include $33 per month, $12 per week, and $5 per day depending on the preference of an individual; as well, the gym offers a three-month plan, a six-month plan as well as a one year plan without contracts. Upon paying, the management of the gym records the client as well as the date of termination of the client’s subscription. The gym is large and has the clean weight room with machines, dry towels at several points, hot towels in locker rooms, clea n locker rooms and multiple sections for showering and changing stations that enable people to shower and then dress quietly. The gym is located in an upmarket area where most local residents do not train despite the gym having plenty of gym facilities and beside them a spa. Although the gym does not have a personal training studio, the regular gym area stocked with weights, machines, elliptical, treadmills as well as a warehouse space ensures that the gym offers the best of everything. Since it offers enough space for stretching as well as floor exercises separate from other things like the weight machines; therefore, being a member of the gym makes me feel like I get what I paid for. Moreover, the gym’s staff is friendly and not imposing as well, the gym has tags users can place on machines to indicate that a machine is broken, which are then repaired within the shortest period possible.

Sport, Health and Exercise Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Sport, Health and Exercise Psychology - Essay Example Performance on the field does not matter as much as it should. Informal performance appraisal by the team's owners and influencers detract from focusing on playing better as a team. I believe that the interventions which I initiated should be persisted with, and that the team management should be counseled to isolate the players from non-football aspects of each other's lives, and from the financial fortunes of the club as well. The recent misfortunes and desultory match performances of Hull United should not detract from the sterling achievements of reaching the Premier League of football. No team can aspire for this distinction without large measures of skills and talents. I have a decade of experience in sports psychology, though I am more accustomed to on-going assignments with younger people. I must confess to some trepidation at the prospect of a mere 2 months to effect dramatic changes in a team of professionals. This does not sit well with theories and best practices in sports psychology. ... both Hull United and I commit to an assignment without thorough discussions on realistic and feasible performance goals for myself as a sports psychologist. A Basic Approach I began preparations for the Hull United assignment by careful reflection on my past successes and failures in the profession over the past 10 years. It is easy for sports psychology to intrude in to fields of technical training for specific sports, and to attempt some general psychology, and even amateur psychiatry as well. There are situations in which such tangential efforts can pay dividends. Most contact sports, and even ones that are contests of wit and other mental skills, are seamless in terms of physical techniques and mental attributes. Football at the Premier League stage in particular, involves strategies which are combinations of techniques and mental strategies. All team games involve high degrees of inter-personal communication, which is both intense and largely non-verbal. Hence, separation of sports training and sports psychology is never easy, and may not even be desirable. The media, fans, and club management, exert such pressures on team members that a majority of professional sports people require psychiatric help in any case! There are social stigma attached to seeking this kind of professional help, and it can affect the stereotyped public image if it becomes known that a player is under psychiatric treatment. Therefore, sports psychologists and even coaches are forced in to situations which force them to perform some of the tasks of a psychiatrist. I decided to stay away from these traditional meanderings of sports psychology, at least for this Hull United assignment. A 50-day period would never be enough to build bridges with the coach and the players, to an extent

Importance of strategic Planning

Importance of strategic Planning The following report is on the Importance of Planning and the main differences between Operational and Strategic Planning. The writer has discussed the relevance of Planning from the point of view of a business along with the two main types of planning, Operational planning and Strategic planning. He has also thrown some light on the difference between Operational and Strategic planning. The writer has referred and drawn ideas from online materials, articles, journals, and text books and would like to thank the authors and publishers and all the experts whose ideas works have helped me with this report. Special gratitude extended to Mr. Dele Amusan, Lecturer, College of Technology London, for guiding students with the topics and also to Dr. Leslie Roberts, Lecturer, College of Technology London, for the assistance she provided regarding referencing. Discussion Management is effective utilisation of available resources, which includes human resources, finances and assets for the attainment of a particular objective. Management consists of five main steps or in other words functions Planning, Organising, Staffing, Directing and Controlling. (Higgins, 1994) Planning according to the writer can be called the primary function of management as it is the foremost step to be taken in management. Planning as J. Higgins says is continuous course of action of developing tasks and objectives and determining the course for their attainment. (Higgins, 1994) Planning is the preparation of a series of action steps to realize a particular objective or purpose. Effective planning enables the attainment of the goal in a much shorter time period. (Dudiy, 2002) Time-management.com compares a plan to a map. They say that the progress towards the goal is clearly visible when following a plan. (Dudiy, 2002) Business Plan Business plan is an indispensable tool for developing ones business.(Kotelnikov, 2003) A Business Plan is any arrangement or preparation that allows a business to look ahead, assign available possessions like funds and assets and also prepare the business to face difficult situations and opportunities. Tim Berry says that A simple start-up plan includes asummary,mission statement, keys to success, market analysis, and break-even analysis. Such a business plan provides a clear idea about the business and its external environment. It tells if it is worth money and time to go ahead with the business or not but this kind of a plan is not quite sufficient to actually run the business (Berry, 2009). As Fred Adler quotes The seeds of every companys demise are contained in its business plan. (Adler, 1987) The external environment plays a major role in every businesses success or failure. An entrepreneur no matter how good or experienced will still have a hard time succeeding in a business within an adverse environment. For example, A restaurant near the city dump can hardly hope to succeed; same would be the case of a designer boutique if opened in a village. Therefore it is advisable to study the external environment before investing in a business. The main objective of every entrepreneur or a business is to formulate profit. For this the satisfaction of the customers is a necessity. A good business plan can help in identifying the factors affecting the business and can tell if the business can succeed or fail. Such a plan can also help in then recognising the solutions to existing problems. It helps the entrepreneur to have a brief idea of what can be done, how he can do it and where he should do it. (Siyavula Uploader, 2009) Business Plans themselves are categorised into two major types Operational Business Plan, and Strategic Business Plan. Operational Plan The Operational plan might sound mundane but it is an indispensable element for your business plan. It forms the basic foundation of a business plan and answers the elementary questions such as the type of product or service provided and by whom, the daily activities of the business, who the suppliers, dealers or vendors are and how they are used, what the labour requirements are and also details regarding the types and sources of raw materials used. This kind of a plan educates the reader how the business is taken to consumer, that is, how the customers get access to the products or services provided by the company. (Bissaillion, 2005) Imagine if a person was to start a business. In his Operational plan he would have to include at least the following details. * A general outline of the daily operations, timings, and working days. * The location of the business, its value and weight. * The required equipments, its worth and the financial arrangements to buy them. * List of possessions, property and resources and its worth. * How and from where you will get the resources or raw materials required. * Details regarding production of goods or services provided, explaining the time taken, facing potential problems etc. * Estimate on product or service pricing. (Ward, 2009) It is important for an Operational plan to contain the above given data, but in certain cases depending upon the type of business more data maybe required or sometimes some data provided above could be insignificant considering the business planned for. Strategic Plan A Strategic business plan is generalised and usually a five year plan focusing on long-term goals and objectives of the company. (Berry, 2008) A companys growth depends upon the quality of the strategic plan and its effective usage. It maximises the growth potential for the business with a rational view of the future. The purpose of a strategic plan is to look ahead of your daily activities assessing the future of the company and establishing your priorities. (www.businesslink.gov.uk, 2009) For making a good Strategic plan one must have a clear idea of three chief rudiments of his business The present status of the business, Future position of the business, and How to get there. (www.businesslink.gov.uk, 2009) * Assessing the current status of the business requires a good understanding of the business in a whole. How it operates, the kind of market it is in and its profitability. * Where you want to take your business is basically your objective. It involves establishing your goal but it must be realistic because the plan should be achievable. A strategic plan is made not just to work for; it is made with an aim to achieve it in the considered period of time. So it is important that the plan is set high and yet practical. * The method of getting there involves understanding the working of the business. Understanding the processes helps in making the right decisions and changes, and thereby, modify the working of the business according to the plan and the set goal. Differences between Operational and Strategic Planning A strategic plan must never be confused with an operational plan. A strategic plan is always made for a long period of time, commonly three to five years and sometimes even up to ten or twenty years in case of some companies, where as an operational plan is never that long. Strategic plans always have a clear concept and vision and most importantly a clear idea of the direction it should progress in. On the other hand an operational plan does not require these because of its short term of implication, but it has to be tactical and immediately executable. Since the Operational plan has a short term of action its effects can be seen in the business and therefore it is possible to evaluate it. (www.planware.org, 2004) Conclusion Planning plays an important role in all the facets of life. Without proper planning it is impossible for a business to grow or even succeed for that matter. Even the best plan cannot be effective without proper implementation and therefore it should always contain the methods for executing the plan for realization of the desired objectives and succeeding in the business. The two major types of planning are Operational planning and Strategic planning. Operational planning deals with mainly the daily activities of the business and helps in achieving short term goals. Strategic planning on the other hand aims for goals on the long run and emphasises on the future of the company. References Adler, F. 1987, Read This Box, Save $5,000,000, Inc. Magazine, [Online], Available from URL: http://www.inc.com//magazine/19870201/8146.html, [Accessed 26 November, 2009] Berry, T. 2008, Different Types of Plans for Businesses, [Online], Available from URL: http://articles.bplans.com/growing-a-business/different-types-of-plans-for-businesses/82, [Accessed 24 November, 2009] Berry, T. 2009, What is a Business Plan?, [Online], Available from URL: http://articles.bplans.co.uk/writing-a-business-plan/what-is-a-business-plan/384, [Accessed 24 November, 2009] Bissaillion, B. 2005, How You Going To Run Your Business, Business Operational Plan, [Online], Available from URL: http://www.business-plans-guide.com/operational-plan.html, [Accessed 25 November, 2009] Dudiy, S. 2002, What is planning and why you need to plan,[Online], Available from URL: http://www.time-management-guide.com/planning.html, [Accessed 26 November, 2009] Higgins, J. 1994,The Management Challenge,Second edition, Macmillan. Kotelnikov, V. 2003, Business Plan,[Online], Available from URL: http://www.1000ventures.com/business_guide/bp_main.html, [Accessed 25 November, 2009] Siyavula Uploader, 2009, The business concept, [Online], Available from URL: http://cnx.org/content/m22589/1.1/, [Accessed 23 November, 2009] Strategic Planning, 2009, [Online], available from URL: http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/layer?=enr.s=scr.l1=1074404796r.lc=enr.l3=1079687477r.l2=1074446322topicId=1079687477r.i=1079693661r.t=RESOURCES, [Accessed 26 November, 2009] Ward, S. 2009, The Operating Plan Section Of The Business Plan, Writing The Business Plan: Section 7, [Online], Available from URL: http://sbinfocanada.about.com/cs/businessplans/a/bizplanoperplan_2.htm, [Accessed 24 November, 2009] Introduction to Strategic Planning, Business Planning Papers: Developing a Strategic Plan, [Online], 2004, from URL: http://www.planware.org/strategicplan.htm, [Accessed 26 November, 2009]

Dog Day Afternoon :: movie film

In the movie, Dog Day Afternoon, there were many things that the police and the FBI did wrong. It seemed as if there was no manual to guide the police officers and the FBI through the hostage situation. Sonny and Sal never really thought about what they would do if they were to get caught. One of the first mistakes that officer Moretti made was when he called the bank to let Sonny know he was in there. I think that there never would have been a hostage situation if officer Moretti would have let Sonny and Sal think they were going to get away and grab them when they came out the bank. I never knew if someone in the bank hit an alarm or if the insurance man let the police know the bank was getting robbed. From the beginning, it seemed as if there was no clear picture of who was in charge. The police should have closed off the block farther away from the bank than they did. There was not any crowd control. When Moretti tried to talk to Sonny on the bullhorn, he really could not talk because the crowd was making a lot of noise. If Sonny and Sal had come out of the bank shooting, many people would have been hurt. I thought that when someone was robbing a bank, the FBI was the ones who were supposed to be in charge. Moretti never let the FBI agent lead the hostage negotiations until late in the movie. When the FBI arrived, they should have taken over the hostage situation as soon as possible. Another thing that I noticed about the movie was that the police officers were running around everywhere. Without any command, they were trying to get through the back door and it caused Sonny to fire a shot. Whenever Sonny walked out of the bank they were pointing their guns at him while Moretti was telling them to get back and put the guns down. There were never any hostage negotiators at the scene. Moretti did all of the negotiations. The FBI agent did not really negotiate anything. The FBI agent and Moretti did the number one thing that should not be done during a hostage negotiation; they both met with sonny face to face on numerous occasions to try to negotiate with him. You are never supposed to meet with someone when you are negotiating face to face.

Kings philosophy Essay

The aim of this essay is to critically evaluate platos justification of rule by philosopher kings. First the essay will try and stress how plato understood the way the state has to be governed in conjunction with philosophy. In Platos most famous work Republic he puts forward the view that only the study of philosophy would allow man to see what was good and just. Therefore to cure the ills of society it would be necessary to either make kings philosophers or make philosophers kings. I intend to show how Plato justifies this view and then attempt to point out some possible problems with this justification . Platos starting point was his recognition that justice was one of four cardinal virtues, along with wisdom, courage and moderation, that when working harmoniously together in a high level of order – he felt equaled the elusive good life . Kahn and Charles (2004). Plato thought that the best way to discover what justice was, was to create a perfect soul – this he did by first creating a theoretical perfect city , which would have a good soul and all four virtues. Using the theory that the polis is the individual writ large he intended to compare his perfect city with a perfect person and subsequently evaluate justiceTarà ¡ (2001) Plato s perfect city was to be a model of order, efficiency and discipline. Above all it would be governed by the strict adherence to what White refers to as the natural division of labour . This was to take the form of vocational and social division within the city. Everyone had one job in order to specialise and become good at it. We forbade our shoemaker to try his hand at farming or weaving or building and told him to stick to his last, in order that our shoemaking should be well done. Kierkegaard, (1992). More fundamentally however the city was to be divided into three distinct social classes, in which pe ople would be raised from birth. These classes consisted of the producers, the guardians and the rulers. These correlated to a high degree with their microcosm in the individual soul in which they took the form of reason, spirit/emotion and appetite/desire. The producers were to be the farmers and artisans who were responsible for the supply of food, clothing and other such essential but basic needs. They would be highly specialized and allowed money and private property as their main incentive. In the individual soul the producers equated to desire as they were not governed by true reason. In the same way that ungoverned desire e.g. I must eat this cake even though it is not mine, created conflict in an individual that must  be controlled, the producers were susceptible to the temptation to take land with better soil or more area for example. Therefore a second class was necessary – to protect from both internal and external threats and keep both the city and the soul in order. The perfect city maintained order by using guardians, the guardians were the warrior class that protected the city. These warrior characteristics made them a potential internal threat, so Plato decided to neutralise volatile factors such as greed or envy by denying the guardians access to money or private property. The guardians equate to the spirited or emotional side of the soul, which was usually tamed by reason, but might spontaneously follow desire. Nails, (2006) The third class in the perfect city is by far the most important and complex. Rulers were chosen from the guardian class on the basis of aptitude (but with some degree of assumption of hereditary traits). Plato felt that as a pre-requisite to rule they must have a thorough understanding of the theory of forms including the essence of justice and the other virtues and ultimately the true essence of good by grasping which the philosopher will finally achieve a full understanding of all the rest. Vlastos,(2006) . Plato explains in his allegory of the cave, along with his theory of the line and the sun, how the philosophers who understand the theory of forms are the only ones with true objectivity and how the rest of society is merely staring at shadows – mistaking them for reality and so they would believe that the shadows of the objects we mentioned were in all respects real Therefore by the theory of forms a philosopher is able to release himself from the subjective world of the rest of humanity and enter the world of objective views. Salli (1999). The distinctive step which Plato has taken by the time of the republic is to suggest that forms which are the object of definition are entities in themselves, subsisting outside time and space, in which particular things come to share or which they imitate . The ruler class then is selected by aptitude and educated through a rigorous process until his understanding of the theory of forms is so complete that he understands the forms of the virtues of justice and even good, this then entitles him to rule. Plato connected the rulers with the reason aspect of soul. Just as the rulers were able to judge right or wrong for the city, the souls calculating part told a person the rational side of a situation. Plato  consolidated all of this with the myth of metals taught to all, whereby the rulers had gold in their veins, the guardians silver and the producers iron and bronze, but they were all brothers and should all be happy in their situation. For the perfect city all three classes must work in harmony – the producers making materials, the guardians protecting and ensuring stability from both above and below, and the rulers determining through their enlightened reason what was good or bad. The soul would work in a similarway. Melchert, (2002) Plato felt that he had now found justice through the concept of the ideal city and soul. If the soul was in order then the cardinal virtues of wisdom, courage, moderation and justice would exist in the person. The wisdom was present in the rulers of the city and the calculating part of the soul. The courage was present in the guardians of the city and the spirited part of the soul. Moderation was found when all three groups of the city and soul worked together, moderation was best seen in the soul when all three parts were equal, moderation showed harmony. Justice was created when every part was doing what it was supposed to do. With all of these different parts put together Plato created what he considered to be the ideal city and soul. Vlastos,(2006). It can be seen from his point of view, therefore, that philosophers must be rulers as they are the only ones with true objective understanding of justice and good as defined by Plato and are therefore the only ones competent to lead t he rest of the population towards them. There are however a number of problems with Platos argument. In his ideal city where philosophers are kings, it is necessary for order and efficiency that everybody sticks just to their own job – this is fine in theory but would soon lead to a lack of unity through a lack of understanding, empathy and therefore sympathy. Without these the obligation to help each other would soon be overrun by a lack of motivation. This would throw the whole system out of kilter. Plato may have argued that this may have been circumvented by education but he seems fairly a dam Anton a strict division of labour. This phenomenom would also spread to natural disaster, for example if the city was to burn down there may be insufficient carpenters to rebuild it, or insufficient doctors to treat disease. Plato himself admits that once philosophers gain the knowledge of the good they would usually prefer to reflect on it, rather than sully themselves in actual politics. To go back to the allegory of the cave, once they have discovered the real world, what motivation would they have to enter the dark world of the cave and participate in the pointless games? He argues that they will do it because they are just men and that their reluctance is not only a good thing but is actually necessary as it prevents dissension and strife over who shall rule. I think that in reality some would be unable to overcome their reluctance and that those who do enter face a very large chance of being corrupted by their superior knowledge. Plato makes the huge assumption that knowledge of the good is sufficient motivation to act in a just way, this, I feel , is a very dangerous assumption and the corrupting influence of power has been proved time and again throughout history. As Karl Popper quotes I think we must face the fact that behind the sovereignty of the philosopher king stands the quest for power. Argument can also be found in the works of Aristotle that dispute Plato s claim that philosophers should be king. Aristotle felt that Plato relied far too heavily on theory and disagreed with Plato s theory of forms, instead believing that actual instances in this world (rather than other-worldly forms) were the key to universals. This heavier reliance on experience allowed a more amateur approach, rather than years of formal training, to be acceptable. Another argument against Philosopher kings stems from the Christian influence. The core-belief of Christianity was that faith, rather than reason, held the key to salvation and so the good life , This created the need for a separate private and public sphere that would be unacceptable in Plato s ideal city. This would be compounded by the democratising effect of faith – which all can have, rather than reason which is restricted to the few. In modern times the faith aspect of the separation of public and private spheres has significantly diminished, however it has been replaced by a fierce belief in individualism that is underwritten by a nebulas concept of equality enshrined in individual rights and constitutional checks, perhaps based ultimately on the free-for-all concept of capitalism. Nails,(2006). In conclusion can be observed that even during platos days the philosopher king could have been difficult to achieve  because let alone any other since then given the nullifyi ng concepts from Aristotle to Christianity to Capitalism. I tend to agree to some extent with Karl Poppers view that Plato allowed himself to be seduced by the idea (as many others have since) that he (and his theoretical like in the philosopher-kings) were the only ones that could see objectively and so should rule. It is a trap more dangerous, possibly, than any other and democracy (in the modern, rather than Greek sense), its antithesis, is a far safer – if far less than perfect alternative. REFFERENCES Kahn, Charles H. (2004). â€Å"The Framework†. Plato and the socratic dialogue: The Philosophical Use of a Literary Form. Cambridge University Press Kierkegaard, Sà ¸ren (1992). â€Å"Plato†. The Concept of Irony. Princeton University Press Nails, Debra (2006). â€Å"The Life of Plato of Athens†. A Companion to Plato edited by Hugh H. Benson. Blackwell Publishing Tarà ¡n, Leonardo (2001). Collected Papers 1962-1999. Brill Academic Publishers Kraut, Richard (Ed.) (1993). The Cambridge Companion to Plato. Cambridge University Press Melchert, Norman (2002). The Great Conversation: A Historical Introduction to Philosophy. McGraw Hill. Salli John (1999). Chorology: On Beginning in Plato’s â€Å"Timaeus†. Indiana University Press Vlastos, Gregory(2006). Plato’s Universe – with a new Introducution by Luc Brisson, Parmenides Publishing

Pain Under the Left Breast Is It a Heart Attack

Pain Under the Left Breast Is It a Heart Attack SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Pain under your left breast or rib cage can be really scary, especially if you’re worried you might be having a heart attack or other medical emergency. However, most cases of chest pain under the left breast and rib cage area are caused by benign or easily treatable conditions. In this decision guide, we’ll first help you determine if your chest pain could be an emergency. Then, we’ll review different kinds of chest pain under the left breast, the potential causes, and how you should address the issue. Chest Pain Under Left Breast: Is It an Emergency? You may think: chest pain under my left breast? Time to call the ER! However, if you have pain under your left rib cage, it's unlikely, though possible, that you are experiencing a cardiac emergency. The main worry people have when experiencing pain under the left rib cage is that they are having a heart attack. While a heart attack won’t always have the same symptoms, here are some indications your pain under the left rib cage could be heart-attack related: The pain from a heart attack (or myocardial infarction) is typically not sharp or localized. Instead, it can feel like crushing, burning, squeezing, or tightness deep within the chest. It is also typically spread over a wide area of the chest (and potentially the arms, neck, and upper back). In general, you cannot relieve the pain by changing positions, breathing, stretching, etc. The pain typically increases gradually over several minutes. Here are some other potential symptoms of a heart attack: Sudden-onset vomiting or nausea Sweating or flushing Light-headedness, fatigue, or confusion Shortness of breath Tingling, numbness, weakness in arms Fever If you suspect a heart attack, call 911 or go to the emergency room. Be aware that while your primary concern may be a heart attack, there are some other medical emergencies that can also cause chest pain under the left breast. We’ll briefly go over these here. Pulmonary embolism: A pulmonary embolism occurs when a blood clot gets lodged in one of the arteries of the lungs, typically traveling from somewhere in the legs. Major clots can be life-threatening. These are the symptoms: Shortness of breath (main symptom) Sharp chest pain under the left breast (or right breast if the clot is on the right side) that extends into the arm, shoulder, neck, and/or jaw and gets worse with breathing, coughing, or exertion Fever, sweating Light-headedness, fainting, dizziness Heart palpitations Coughing up blood or bloody sputum Pain or swelling in the leg (typically the calf) Pneumothorax: A pneumothorax, or a collapsed lung, can be caused by lung disease or chest injury, but it can also occur apparently spontaneously. While a small pneumothorax may go away on its own, a severe pneumothorax can inhibit the flow of blood through the chest and be life-threatening. The main symptoms are: Sudden, sharp chest pain on one side of the body Shortness of breath If you think any of the above emergency situations might apply to you, seek medical attention immediately. Next, here are some indications that you are probably not having a heart attack: You’re feeling a stabbing, sharp pain under the left breast You can pinpoint the location where the pain is coming from Pain increases from breathing or coughing Pain comes and goes in sudden, shocking stabs Chest pain improves with exercise Pain follows eating spicy or heavy foods; you may also have a sour taste in your mouth Changing positions relieves the pain Note that some of these symptoms may be caused by chronic cardiac conditions. So if you are experiencing pain under the left rib cage, you should make an appointment to see your primary care physician to get checked out even though you most likely don’t need to go to the emergency room. Moody doctor will see you now. Types of Pain Under Left Rib Cage Even if you feel confident it’s not an emergency, you probably want to know what could be causing chest pain under your left breast. The first thing you’ll want to consider is what type of discomfort you’re feeling. Are you feeling sharp pain under the left rib cage? Dull pain under the left breast? A stabbing or burning sensation? The type of pain you are feeling on the left side of your chest can help you narrow down the potential causes, because chest pain under the left breast can be caused by a wide array of underlying complaints. Also think about the onset of your symptoms. Was the pain preceded by physical activity? Stress? A Big meal? These kinds of questions will help you figure out what your pain might be caused by. Here’s a table describing different types of chest pain under the left rib cage and some potential conditions on the right. Click on a condition to be taken to a more in-depth description of that condition. Type of Chest Pain Potential Conditions Sharp/stabbing; worse with breathing Bruised rib Costochondritis Pleurisy Pneumonia Pneumothorax Pulled chest muscle Pulmonary embolism Sharp/stabbing; not worse with breathing Angina (especially in women) Mitral valve prolapse Myocarditis Panic attack Pericarditis Pain accompanied by uncomfortable sensation of pressure, tightness, or squeezing Angina Aortic valve stenosis Asthma Coronary artery disease Heart attack Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy Severe anemia Myocarditis Pericarditis Pulmonary hypertension Pain localized to a specific area; tender to pressure Bruised rib Costochondritis Pulled chest muscle Shingles Burning chest pain Acid reflux/GERD Angina Aortic valve stenosis Coronary artery disease Heart attack Peptic ulcer Cardiac Causes of Chest Pain In this section, we’ll focus on causes of chest pain under the left breast associated with the heart. While discomfort due to heart disease often manifests as a dull pain under the left breast that feels like uncomfortable pressure, it can also be a burning or even stabbing pain depending on the condition. Conditions are listed alphabetically. Angina Angina refers to the discomfort caused when your heart muscle isn’t getting enough oxygen. It is typically caused by a narrowed or blocked coronary artery due to plaque buildup and is a warning sign of heart disease. Kind of Chest Pain: Uncomfortable feeling of squeezing or pressure; may radiate throughout the upper body to the shoulders, arms, neck/jaw, and back. Can sometimes also feel like indigestion/heartburn. Pain typically comes and goes and is often made worse by exertion. Women may also experience angina as a sharp chest pain under the left breast or breastbone. Other Symptoms: Shortness of breath Sweating Dizziness Angina symptoms may be different in women than in men. In addition to chest pain and also symptoms, a woman may also feel: Nausea and vomiting Abdominal pain Actions: The pain of angina may feel very similar to that of a heart attack, and often sends people to the emergency room (better safe than sorry!). However, it’s actually a warning sign of heart disease. Your doctor will probably recommend medication to help widen the arteries, as well as lifestyle changes. You may also need a procedure like stenting or, in serious cases, coronary artery bypass surgery. Aortic Valve Stenosis Aortic valve stenosis refers to the narrowing of the aortic valve (the valve that allows oxygen-rich blood to flow from the heart into the aorta). The narrowing of the valve causes the heart to have to work harder, potentially leading to eventual heart failure. Aortic valve stenosis can be congenital or it can caused by infection or calcium deposits that form as you age. Kind of Chest Pain: Pressure or tightness. May also feel like burning. Can radiate to the arms, shoulders, and neck. Other Symptoms: Minor stenosis typically has no symptoms. If stenosis becomes more severe, chest pain on the left side under the breast and the following additional symptoms may appear: Dizziness/fainting Irregular heartbeat Fatigue and shortness of breath Actions: Minor aortic valve stenosis will be monitored by a physician, who may recommend lifestyle changes to help protect your heart. Severe stenosis may require valve replacement, an open-heart surgery. Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) Coronary artery disease occurs when plaque builds up in the walls of the arteries that bring blood to the heart. This causes the arteries to narrow, which limits blood flow to the heart and deprives the heart of oxygen. This can lead to heart attacks and heart failure. It is the most common type of heart disease and the most common cause of death for both men and women in the United States. It is typically related to lifestyle factors like smoking, lack of physical activity, and unhealthy diet. Kind of Chest Pain: Pressure or squeezing chest pain; may also feel like burning. May radiate to the left shoulder, the arms, back, jaw, and neck. Physical exertion or stress often triggers the pain. Other Symptoms: Shortness of breath Irregular heartbeat Nausea Fatigue Dizziness Weakness Actions: CAD has serious consequences if left untreated. However, risk of complications can be lowered dramatically through lifestyle changes and medication. Surgery may also be needed to clear plaque from the arteries and restore blood flow to the heart. Mmmm, the sweet taste of lifestyle changes. Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction) A heart attack occurs when one of the arteries in the heart becomes completely blocked, depriving part of the heart of oxygen. Kind of Chest Pain: As mentioned above, the pain from a heart attack usually feels like a crushing, burning, squeezing, or tightness in the chest. It may radiate throughout the upper body, shoulders, arms, and neck. The pain is not really relieved or changed by shifting positions, breathing, or stretching. The pain typically increases gradually over a period of several minutes. Other Symptoms: Sudden-onset vomiting or nausea Sweating or flushing Light-headedness, fatigue, or confusion Shortness of breath Tingling, numbness, weakness in arms Fever Actions: If you are experiencing a combination of the above symptoms and suspect a heart attack, call 911 or go to the emergency room. Pharmaceutical treatment can decrease the damage done by a heart attack, but drugs typically need to be administered within 1-2 hours of the attack. You may also need bypass surgery. You will likely also need to make lifestyle changes and take medications to decrease risk of future heart attacks. Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy refers to the thickening of the heart muscle, typically between the ventricles. The thickening of the muscle makes it stiffer, which makes the heart work harder to pump blood. While many people with this condition remain asymptomatic, it can lead to abnormal functioning of the valves of the heart or decrease the size of one of the ventricles, which can cause symptoms including chest pain. Kind of Chest Pain: Chest pain or pressure that appears during/after exercise or exertion, but may also occur at other times, like after meals Other Symptoms: Shortness of breath (especially during exercise/exertion) Light-headedness and fainting (especially after exercise/exertion) Heart palpitations/irregular heartbeat Fatigue Actions: See a healthcare provider, as untreated hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can have serious complications. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can normally be managed with medication, but surgery may be recommended. Be aware that this condition is sometimes misdiagnosed as exercise-induced asthma. Mitral Valve Prolapse Mitral valve prolapse means that the mitral valve (one of the valves in the heart) bulges backward into the left atrium of the heart instead of closing evenly over it. Sometimes this causes blood to â€Å"leak† back from the left ventricle to the left atrium. People with mitral valve prolapse often have no symptoms, and will never experience health problems related to the condition. Some may have a murmur or other symptoms, including chest pain. It can be a progressive condition, getting worse over time. Kind of Chest Pain: Stabbing pains that come and go, sometimes with exertion but typically when at rest Other Symptoms: A heart murmur or irregular heartbeat dizziness/lightheadedness/fatigue Shortness of breath Panic/anxiety Numbness/tingling in hands/feet Actions: Serious mitral valve prolapse can have similar symptoms both to panic attacks and heart attacks, so patients may end up in the emergency room. If symptoms are more mild (heart murmur, etc) see a cardiologist. You may need medication or surgery in more serious cases to manage the condition. Dr. Frog will see you now. Myocarditis Myocarditis is the inflammation of the heart muscle, most often caused by viral infection. Symptoms normally develop 1-2 weeks after an infection. It can also be caused by fungal or parasitic infection or by autoimmune disorders. Kind of Chest Pain: Sharp/stabbing pain or feeling of pressure. May spread to shoulders/neck. Other Symptoms: Shortness of breath: first from exertion, then at night while at rest Heartbeat irregularities Light-headedness and fatigue Painful or swollen joints Other signs of infection, like fever, headache, diarrhea, and sore throat Actions: See a medical professional. They will conduct tests, and if you do have myocarditis, they will treat the underlying infection or cause and potentially prescribe medications to help your heart operate while you recover. You will likely need to rest and eat a low-salt diet. Most patients will make a full recovery in several months; a minority of patients will have chronic heart problems and may need a heart transplant. Pericarditis Pericarditis is the inflammation of the two thin, lubricated sacs of tissue that encase the heart. The cause is often unknown but it can be a complication of respiratory infection or of taking certain medications. Kind of Chest Pain: Typically a sharp, stabbing chest pain on the left side under the breastbone or on the left side of the chest, but can also manifest as a duller pain and pressure. Leaning forward in a seated position often eases the pain. Coughing typically makes it worse. Pain may spread to left shoulder or neck. Other symptoms: Fever Fatigue and weakness Shortness of breath Coughing Heart palpitations (irregular heartbeat) Actions: Like several of the other conditions described here, the pain of pericarditis may send individuals to the emergency room due to the fact that its symptoms can sometimes resemble those of a heart attack. However, pericarditis usually resolves on its own within a few weeks unless there are complications to be addressed. Pulmonary Hypertension Pulmonary hypertension refers to high blood pressure in the arteries that move blood from the heart to the lungs. It can have a number of causes, including genetic abnormalities, lung disease, heart disease, autoimmune conditions, drug use, and even sleep apnea. This condition causes the heart to pump harder to move blood to the lung, which can ultimately cause heart failure if untreated. Kind of Chest Pain: Pain/pressure towards the front of the chest Other Symptoms: Shortness of breath with light exertion/activity Fatigue Fainting/lightheadedness Ankle/leg swelling Dry cough Coldness in the extremities due to poor circulation (or secondary Raynaud's) Actions: Pulmonary hypertension is progressive (it gets worse over time) so seeking treatment early is important. Treatment will vary based on the cause of your pulmonary hypertension, but your doctor will likely recommend lifestyle changes and medication. In severe cases, your doctor may recommend surgery Delicious, delicious lifestyle changes. Lung and Respiratory Causes of Chest Pain In this section we’ll describe some of the main causes of chest pain on the left side due to lung or respiratory issues. Respiratory causes of chest pain often manifest as a sharp pain under the left breast. Conditions are listed alphabetically. Asthma Asthma is a chronic condition in which irritation (which can be caused by a number of triggers, depending on the type of asthma) causes the airways to narrow and fill with mucus, making breathing much more difficult. Kind of Chest Pain: You may experience chest pain before, during, or after an asthma attack. Before and during the attack, you may experience a feeling of chest tightness or pressure. Following an attack (especially the next day) you may feel soreness in your chest as a result of using accessory muscles to breathe. Other Symptoms: Coughing (especially at night) Unusual shortness of breath Wheezing Fatigue and trouble sleeping Actions: Because asthma is a chronic condition, it is important to be under the care of a physician. They will help you create a treatment plan to manage symptoms. Pleurisy Pleurisy (or pleuritis) is a condition in which the tissue encasing the lungs and lining the inner chest wall (the pleura) becomes inflamed. Pleuritis can be caused by a variety of underlying conditions but the source is often a bacterial or viral infection, like the flu. Kind of Chest Pain: Sharp pain made worse by inhaling; you may also feel pain in your shoulders or your back. Your chest may also feel tender to external pressure. Other Symptoms: Shortness of breath (primarily because taking deeper breaths is more painful). Cough Fever and chills Unexplained weight loss Actions: If you repeatedly feel sharp pain under the left breast that gets worse with breathing, see a medical professional. A variety of tests may be performed to diagnose pleurisy. Your doctor may remove some of the pleural fluid with a needle for testing. The symptoms of pleurisy may be relieved through splinting, but to treat the condition the underlying source of infection or other condition will need to be addressed. Pneumonia Pneumonia is a lung infection caused by viruses or bacteria (and sometimes fungi or other infectious agents) in which the air sacs of the lungs fill up with fluid. It can occur in one or both lungs. Because it is typically accompanied by a host of other telltale symptoms, it will probably be pretty clear to you that your chest pain is from some kind of respiratory infection. Pneumonia is often a complication of the viral flu or the common cold. Kind of Chest Pain: Sharp or stabbing, often on the side of the chest. Typically gets worse with coughing or deep breathing. Other Symptoms: Phlegmy cough; your mucus may be red-brown, green, or have blood flecks Fever and chills Shortness of breath from chest congestion. Weakness and fatigue Gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea Headache Confusion (common in older patients) Actions: If you think you have pneumonia, go to a doctor to manage treatment. Because pneumonia can have serious consequences if left unchecked, it’s best to be under the supervisory care of a physician. They can also prescribe antibiotics if they suspect the pneumonia is caused by a bacterial infection. With treatment, you’ll likely get better in 1-3 weeks. Bacteria bad guys can cause pneumonia. Pneumothorax (Collapsed Lung) Pneumothorax occurs when air gets into the space between the lung and chest wall, causing part or all of the lung to collapse. It can be caused by chest injury, certain medical procedures, or lung disease. But sometimes the cause is unknown. Men are much more likely to have a collapsed lung than women. Kind of Chest Pain: Sudden and sharp, on one side of the chest Other Symptoms: Shortness of breath A severe pneumothorax may cause the following symptoms: Chest tightness Dizziness and fainting Fatigue Rapid heart rate Blueish color to the skin (from lack of oxygen) Actions: While a small pneumothorax may go away on its own, a severe pneumothorax can inhibit the flow of blood through the chest and be life-threatening. If you suspect a collapsed lung, seek medical attention. Treatment typically involves inserting a tube to drain the air. Pulmonary Embolism A pulmonary embolism occurs when a blood clot forms in another part of the body (usually the legs), travels through the bloodstream, and gets lodged in one of the arteries of the lungs. Kind of Chest Pain: Sharp chest pain that extends into the arm, shoulder, neck, and/or jaw and gets worse with breathing, coughing, or exertion Other Symptoms: Shortness of breath (main symptom) Sharp Fever, sweating Light-headedness, fainting, dizziness Heart palpitations Coughing up blood or bloody sputum Pain or swelling in the leg (typically the calf) Actions: Major clots can be life-threatening; seek medical attention. Long flights can increase your risk of blood clots. Musculoskeletal Causes of Chest Pain This section reviews pain in the left rib cage due to damage to bones, cartilage muscles, and ligaments. If your pain is musculoskeletal in origin, you’ll likely have a specific area of pain in the left rib cage or pain under the left breastbone that’s tender to pressure. A Broken, Fractured, or Bruised Rib Trauma to the chest can cause rib injury, which naturally causes chest pain. Excessive coughing can also cause rib injuries in some cases. Most rib breaks are cracks or fractures; complete breaks are rare and very serious. Kind of Chest Pain: Site-specific pain on one or more ribs (you will be able to pinpoint the general area); will most likely feel worse with pressure, with deep breathing, and when bending and/or twisting. Other Symptoms: An injured rib may impede your breathing, which can lead to headache, dizziness, shortness of breath, and fatigue. Trauma strong enough to cause rib injuries can also sometimes damage internal organs and blood vessels, which could cause their own symptoms. Actions: If you suspect a damaged rib or ribs, see your doctor. Broken ribs are primarily treated through rest and pain management so that you can continue to breathe relatively normally to lower your risk of developing pneumonia. Costochondritis Costochondritis refers the inflammation of the cartilage that connects your ribs to your sternum (or breastbone). The cause is often unknown, but it can be caused by strenuous exercise or lifting, intense coughing, chest injury, or viral infection. Kind of Chest Pain: Typically a sharp pain in the breastbone area that gets worse when you apply pressure to the area. Pain will be increased by deep breathing or coughing and eased by rest and quiet breathing. Other Symptoms: There typically are not other symptoms of costochondritis other than the pain. Actions: This is one of the more benign causes of chest pain. Costochondritis typically goes away on its own within a few weeks. Treatment focuses on pain management. However, if you develop other symptoms like trouble breathing, a high fever, etc, you should follow up with a health care provider. Similarly, if pain does not resolve, your provider may perform a chest x-ray. Pulled or Strained Chest Muscle A strain or tear in the muscles and ligaments around the chest could be caused by a traumatic event or just from simple overuse, particularly related to sports or exercise. Kind of Chest Pain: The chest pain will likely accompany weakness and get worse with certain motions, especially of the arms. You may also feel that the area is tender to pressure. Other symptoms: Swelling Muscle spasms Actions: If pain is minor, you can treat a pulled muscle at home with ice, rest, and over-the-counter painkillers. If pain is severe or does not improve, see a doctor; you may need physical therapy or other treatment. Be careful, Santa Claus! Don't tear a muscle. Digestive System Causes of Chest Pain Issues in the digestive system can cause chest pain. Because both heart attack pain and digestive system pain can manifest as intense, burning pain under the left breast, digestive issues are often mistaken for a heart attack. However, if the pain seems impacted by your food consumption, the issue is probably digestive in nature. Acid Reflux/GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease) Acid reflux occurs when stomach acids move up into the esophagus, causing pain. If this is a chronic problem, you likely have GERD- a defect in the esophagus. Kind of Chest Pain: Burning chest pain after eating that gets worse when you lie down and improves in an upright position. Often worse at night. Some people mistake the pain of severe heartburn for a heart attack. But if the pain follows eating a heavy or spicy meal or is improved by sitting upright, it’s most likely not a heart attack. You may also feel pain below the left rib cage area. Other Symptoms: Hoarseness (from vocal cord irritation) Bitter or sour taste in mouth or throat Nausea Difficulty swallowing Dry cough Actions: You can relieve occasional acid reflux by popping a couple of antacids. But a chronic issue can damage the esophagus if it's not addressed. Your doctor might prescribe a medication to reduce the amount of acid in your stomach. You will also likely need to make some lifestyle changes (especially dietary ones) to manage your symptoms. Peptic Ulcers Peptic ulcers are sores in the stomach or the first part of the small intestine. They develop when the mucosal lining of the stomach thins and gets irritated by stomach acids. A variety of underlying issues can cause ulcers, including H. Pylori infection. Kind of Chest Pain: Burning pain that gets worse on an empty stomach and at night. You may feel pain below the left rib cage. Other Symptoms: Difficulty digesting fatty foods Nausea/vomiting; vomit may look like coffee grounds Bloating Weight loss Appetite changes Dark/black stool (from bleeding) Actions: It’s important to seek medical treatment because untreated ulcers can cause serious complications like tearing in the stomach, intestine, or blood vessels, and scarring that obstructs the digestive process. This little organ can cause major chest pains. Pain Under the Left Breast: Other Causes This section has a few other potential causes of chest pain under the left rib cage. Severe Anemia Anemia means your body is not producing enough healthy blood cells. There are a number of causes of anemia, including nutrient deficiencies, genetic abnormalities (like sickle cell anemia), and rapid blood loss. This means your heart has to work harder to pump oxygen through your body. When anemia becomes severe, your heart may not get enough oxygen-rich blood, leading to chest pain. Kind of Chest Pain: Feeling of pressure or tightness in the center of chest. Other Symptoms: Intense fatigue Shortness of breath Heartbeat irregularities Persistent feelings of coldness Paleness Headaches and dizziness Trouble concentrating; irritation Actions: While mild to moderate anemia is often not very serious and is typically easily treatable with supplements and/or lifestyle changes, long-term, severe anemia can have major consequences, like heart disease. If you suspect you are anemic, see a doctor. Panic Attack Panic attacks are intense, sudden-onset anxiety episodes lasting about 20 minutes to an hour, with unpleasant physical and emotional symptoms. They can be brought on by intense stress or the cause may be unknown. Repeated panic attacks are called panic disorder. Kind of Chest Pain: Sharp/stabbing, lasting for short bursts. Pain is often directly behind the breastbone. Other Symptoms: Feeling terrified, anxious, and out-of-control Feeling of dissociation or unreality Fast heartbeat and shortness of breath Feeling of choking Shaking/trembling Sweats and/or chills Numbness, tingling Abdominal pain or nausea Dizziness, lightheadedness Weakness Actions: Many people confuse initially confuse panic attacks for heart attacks, particularly because panic attacks are so scary. However, the chest pain associated with a panic attack is typically different from a heart attack as it is sharp and intense, lasting in short bursts. If you do have a panic attack, see a doctor. They will help you figure out coping strategies should the panic recur. If you have panic disorder, you will likely to treated with some combination of therapy and medication. Shingles Shingles, or herpes zoster, is a viral infection that causes a localized, painful rash, often on the side of the chest but sometimes elsewhere. It’s caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. Anyone who has had chickenpox (or varicella) can get singles. Shingles is fairly common; about 1 in every 3 people in the US will get it at some point in their lifetime. Kind of Chest Pain: Before the shingles rash surfaces, many people feel intense pain at the infection site. Because the rash often appears on the side of the chest, many people experience a band of tight, intense chest pain on one side as the initial symptom. Other Symptoms: The main symptom of shingles is the rash itself, which, when it emerges is typically very painful. It typically blisters. Before or during the emergence of the rash, you may also experience chills, nausea, diarrhea, or stomach pain Swollen lymph nodes Headache and/or light sensitivity Fatigue Actions: If you suspect shingles, get to the doctor as soon as possible after the rash appears. Shingles is rarely life-threatening, but if you catch it early enough you’ll be able to take antiviral medication, which will shorten the course of the infection and reduce the chance of ongoing complications. Wrong kind of shingles. Pain Under Left Breast: Action Points If you’re feeling pain under your left breast, you may be worried that you’re experiencing a heart attack. The pain from a heart attack typically feels like a crushing or tight sensation. You probably won't be able to relieve the discomfort by changing positions, stretching, or breathing. If you suspect a heart attack, call 911 or go to the emergency room. However, most chest pains are not heart-attack related. If you feel a sharp pain under your left breast, it’s probably not a heart attack. With that said, you should still probably make an appointment with your doctor just to get checked out. Any kind of chest pain under the left rib cage can be a cause of an underlying chronic issue in need of treatment even if it’s not an immediate medical emergency like a heart attack. Early treatment of such chronic conditions dramatically decreases the risks of complications further down the line. In this guide, we went over most of the common causes of chest pain under the left breast to help you identify what the issue could be and what actions to take. Even if the cause of your chest pain is not serious, it’s important to consult with a medical professional. What's Next? Do you have shingles? Is shingles contagious? Here's how to treat that painful shingles rash. Need help understanding your blood pressure reading? Let us explain!

The Pros and Cons of the Federal Reserve Essay Sample

The Pros and Cons of the Federal Reserve Essay Sample es in the United States economy and produces many publications. An example of a publication made by the Reserve includes the Beige Book (Pozen 56). Structurally, the Fed consists of a Board of Governors appointed by the Head of State. Another name for the Board of Governors includes the Federal Reserve Board. Other parties appointed presidentially include twelve regional Fed banks situated in big cities of the United States of America. In addition, other presidentially appointed bodies in the reserve include the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), several American member banks and different advisory councils. A fundamental committee in the Federal Reserve includes the Federal Open Market Committee. It is a crucial body in this reserve since it sets monetary policy. Moreover, it comprises of all the seven Board of Governors members as well as the twelve presidents of the regional banks. Out of twelve residents of the regional bank, only five of them are legible to vote at a particular time. These include the president of the New York Fed and four other presidents. These four rotate through one-year terms each. There exist both public and private components in the Federal Reserve System. The foundation of this reserve was encouraged with a crucial aim of serving both private bankers and the public. Therefore, the structural characteristics of the Federal Reserve stood out as unique as compared to other central banks within the state. Another factor that tends to emphasize the unique nature of this bank includes the fact that its currency is made by the US Department of the Treasury (Wells 76). The Board of Governors defines the Reserve as an independent body due to the fact that the Fed makes its monetary policy resolutions free of the approval of the president. Furthermore, these monetary policy resolutions occur without any further approval from members of the legislative or executive branches of the government. Next, it receives no appropriated funds from the Congress. Finally, all the terms of the participants of the Board of Governors span many congressional and presidential terms. All the members of the Federal Reserve Board get appointed by the Head of the State and affirmed by the senate. These also include both the chairperson and vice chairperson of the Board of Governors. Although this occurs as a privately owned body, the government still possesses a hand in its management. For instance, the government possesses the duty of establishing the salaries of the high-level members of the reserve (Broz 34). The reserve possesses numerous advantages especially to the economy of the USA. Several advantages were described in the above section of this essay. However, it is vital to look into these merits in a detailed manner. This enhances the better understanding of the reserve and its characteristics. The first benefit of this reserve includes the fact that it provides maximum employment opportunities to the state. Citizens of the United States of America possess the ability to access employment through the Federal Reserve System. In addition, the reserve offers highly payed jobs for the high-ranked employees. Moreover, most of these high-level members have their salaries determined and set by the government. Some of the members that benefit in this manner include the bank presidents and all the participants of the Board of Governors. The readily available job opportunities also largely raise the standards of living of the employees. High salaries paid to the members also increase the efficiency of service provision by this privately owned bank. The Federal Reserve also appears as a fundamental body since it ensures stable prices in the state. This helps in maintaining the financial stability of the state (Gup 24). Another vital role of the reserve that is fundamental to the state includes the fact that it loans money to banks at a 0% interest rate. Therefore, this enables the rapid growth of the banks and other institutions. As stated earlier, this bank works on controlling and adjusting banking institutions. In addition to that, it offers financial services to the depository institutions. Furthermore, it offers financial services to other foreign official agencies and the entire government of the USA. All these services help in improving the economic state of the nation. Eventually, the living standards of all the citizens are improved. This occurs since they possess the capability of accessing loans at a 0% interest rate. This offer of the Federal Reserve System appears to be one of its most fundamental advantages. The Reserve is a private bank that should have only the private service. On the contrary, it serves both in private and public sectors. This breaks the boundaries of its functional boarders thus, enabling a range of service provision (Virginia 49). To that effect, the Federal Reserve appears as a fundamental element of the growth of the states economy. It carries out duties that occur crucial to the economic state of the nation. In addition, it serves both the private and public sectors. Thus, it does not base its functions and services on the basis of the fact that it is as a privately owned Bank. The Federal Reserve Board views this institution as a more fundamental one than all the other government elected central banks, since its functional benefits tend to surpass those of the government elected central banks. All the above-mentioned merits of the Federal Reserve prove it crucial nature to the economy of the United States of America. It is as a financial body that the state requires in order to fight problems of unemployment and high interest rates charged on loans by other banks. However, as much as the Reserve appears as a fundamental entity to the state, it also possesses several demerits. First, one of the main aims for which this bank was established included avoiding financial panics within the state. The bank intended to carry out this responsibility by evening- out the business cycles. Since the Fed encountered over-leverages and many bets, it failed in this duty. This occurred since the Reserve is the only central bank offering such a kind of services. Thus, most of its roles and functions end up unfulfilled due to this. The bank turned out to be immensely vulnerable to failure since it offers more credits to its customers than the returns it gets. Due to its unique nature, the Reserve poorly plays its role in enhancing competition in the banking sector. The Fed Board states that this bank offers loans with a zero percent interest rate. Such a policy kills the effective competition that should exist amongst different banks. The wealth and power of the central bank appears to be at a rather minimal rate. This occurs since it offers high loans with fewer returns from its debtors. It formulates its banking policies independently, not considering its own political power. This places the Reserve in a risky financial position. Other disadvantages of the Federal Reserve System tend to influence directly the citizens of the state. This occurs since the bank controls the monetary policy. In addition to that, it possesses the role of printing all the money within the state. This appears risky to the citizens since the Fed possesses the power over the government and countrys economy. Thus, it can destroy the currencies in order to suit its own benefits. Eventually, this may bring raise to a wave of inflation that may distort any semblance of the purchasing power. In addition, the existing corruption amongst the members and employees of the Federal Reserve can lead to a drastic collapse of the states economic. This can occur since the members of the Federal Reserve serve in the bank for a period of fourteen years. This period is long enough to destroy the economic state of any country or state. The government of the United States of America pays less attention to managing policies of the Federal Reserve. This occurs since the state avoids destructions in the functioning of the Reserve. Moreover, the bank possesses a fundamental responsibility of lowering inflation within the state. In its efforts to carry out this role, the Reserve tends to raise the interest rates. However, this act of raising the interests to reduce the inflation rates faces detest from the Congress. The Congress finds this step as a politically unpopular move. In addition, some economists claim that the trend of raising interest rates in the event of inflation might pose a risk to the economy of the state. All the alterations, carried out by the Reserve, have a long-term effects on the economy of the state. Furthermore, the bank portrays a monopoly structure in the banking industry. Thus, it establishes its own lending rates instead of letting the market affect the rates. This further lowers the competition among banks in the banking sector. Policy makers in the Federal Reserve lack the required up to-date information to enable them work on the current situation in the economy of the state. The Congress formed this reserve. Thus, the Congress possesses an upper hand in making some of the crucial decisions. The government carries out little follow- ups on the trends of the reserve. Despite this, the reserve still possesses a key role in providing a more flexible, safe and stable monetary and financial system. It ensures that the inflation rates remain low throughout the year. It does this by raising interests, although the Congress views this trend as a politically unpopular move. In conclusion, the Federal Reserve refers to a central banking system in the United States of America. It possesses some fundamental roles in maintaining a stable economy of the state. Some of its roles and responsibilities include ensuring maximum employment, moderate long- term interest rates and stable prices. The overall functions of the reserve increased in the past decades. Some of the additional functions of the bank include carrying out the monetary policy in the state and ensuring financial stability of the state. It does this mainly by increasing the interest rates in the event of inflation. In addition, the reserve works on foreseeing any future depreciation in the economic trends of the state. Hence, it takes the necessary precautions to avoid the negative outcomes. To summarize the pros and cons of the Federal Reserve, it occurs crucial to note that this body plays an important role in regulating the financial conditions of the state. Despite the fact that it acts as a private entity, the reserve offers financial services in both private and public sectors. Other bodies that benefit financially from the Reserve include the government of the United States and foreign investors. However, the Fed still possesses a number of disadvantages. One of the main disadvantages includes the fact that it does not encourage competition in the banking sector. Next, given that it acts as the sole maker of monetary policy, it may pose risks on the citizens. The Reserve acts as the only bank that makes money in the state. Thus, this gives it an upper hand over the government. Moreover, the bank may use this opportunity to distort the currency in order to suit its own financial desires. Hence, as much as it works on regulating the states financial well-being, several measures should be taken in order to avoid the financial calamities the bank may bring.