Category: Fear

Introduction

This study focuses on investigating the impacts of shootings on fear of crime on campus. It discusses whether awareness has any impact on students’ behavior and decision-making processes. The results indicated that information with regard to shootings increased fear of crime among university students. The role played by both print and non-print media is emphasized in the study.

Increased shootings on campuses have become global issues. Fear of crime has been an issue that has drawn attention of many scholars, especially in relation to shootings in colleges and other institutions of learning (Kaminski et al. 89). The way learners perceive fear of shootings has been a focus on the literature. The increase in fear results from an increase in mass shootings in colleges and universities in many nations across the world. For example, the shootings in Virginia Polytechnic and State University, whereby 32 learners died and 17 others were injured, are among a few shootings that have become well known in the media (Kaminski et al. 90). This has been one of the sources of influence on fear among learners. Learners are concerned about whether there is safety on campus. Media play key roles in influencing learners’ decision-making processes regarding crimes (Muschert 67). The knowledge acquired from the media, especially television and newspapers could make learners aware of crimes and their effects on campus, and influence changes in behavior. Campus shootings influence perceived fear and feelings of safety. This is based on how killings have been displayed (Muschert 70). To investigate whether information regarding killings that is passed through the media has any impact on fear on a campus, a study was conducted on university grounds to find out if there is a link between awareness through the media and crime on institutions of higher education (Schafer, Huebner and Bynum 289). The study concentrated on investigating the number of shootings that have taken place and learners’ reactions to them. From the study, it was found that the more the number of shootings that the students had experienced, the much they feared (Schafer et al. 300).

It is evident that certain behaviors can lead to an increase in fear of a victimized individual. It is worth to note that victimization of colleagues makes an individual change the attitude toward some behaviors and avoid crime (Woolnough 45). For example, possession of a dangerous weapon, reducing time of moving from one place to another, and movements at night have great impacts. According to crime theories, such as routine activity theory, crime is not a random event (Woolnough 47). The theory posits that a crime originates from lifestyles and continuous activities of an individual (Woolnough 48). In addition, for a crime to take place, there must be an offender, i.e., person who begins committing criminal activity (Woolnough 49). Moreover, there should be conducive surroundings in which crime would occur.

Therefore, it is important to investigate if there is a relationship between campus shootings and fear of crime. This study focused on answering the following research questions.

1. What are the effects of campus killings on fear of crime on campus
2. Does students’ awareness have any influence on their attitudes toward fear of crime?
3. What are the effects of media on crime on campus?

In the study, the following hypotheses were tested. First, there is a relationship between campus shootings and fear on crime. Second, there is a relationship between students’ awareness and fear of crime. Finally, there is a relationship between media and crime on campus.

Method

To find out the impacts of campus shootings on crime on campus, the researcher conducted a survey at the University of Central Florida, which constitutes the largest population, gaining more insights about learners’ understanding of fear of crime on campus. A sample of 436 students was used for the study. The survey was distributed among learners in a classroom on the campus, and the respondents were informed that it was voluntary. The participants were expected to be 18 and above. The survey was advertised online to make students aware of what would be taking place on campus. After the survey was done, the data were recorded and analyzed statistically through Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS).

In the study, the fact of whether a learner owns any weapon was independent because it focused on allowing multiple items to be selected. Follow-up questions were asked learners who used the options that were provided. Thus, these acted as independent variables. After the application of the independent variables, learners were requested to write how afraid they were using a scale that ranged from “not afraid” to “very afraid”. Later, the learners were asked to rank themselves based on how fearful they were during the day and at night. In addition, learners ranked their familiarity with campus shooting that ranged from “never heard about it” to “often hear of it”. This concentrated on evaluating whether there were mass shootings on the campus. Questions were styled in three different ways to authenticate learners’ answers. A five-point Likert scale was used to examine the amount of time wasted by students in thinking about the mass killings on campus. This utilized a scale that ranged from “never” to “often”.

A guide was made using learners’ perceptions about mass killings, specifically in the institution. Four options were provided. They included “I have never heard”, “I have once heard of them”, “I have always heard of them”, and “not very familiar”.

The study included a control variable with the aim of determining learners’ fear in their residential places. Learners were asked about their locations in relation to the university. The options that were included were campus dormitory, society house, and off-campus.

Findings

The sample population of 465 that was used in the university of Central Florida is reported in figure one. Out of 465 learners, 30.2% were male, and 69.8% were females. Their average age was 21 years. Among the many races, Caucasians were composed of 62%, Blacks 14%, Hispanic 15%, Asians 5%, and other races were 4%. Many of the students were freshmen (36%), juniors were (25%), seniors (15%), and graduate (4%). The students identified their locations while attending school as follows: dormitories housed 36%, and 61% lived off-campus, and 3% lived in society houses. With regard to possession of weapons, out of 465 learners, 44.2% possessed weapons, and 54.8% did not own a weapon.

Representation of findings in the tables

Figure 1: sample demographics of 465 people

Not that all numbers are expressed as percentages except the average age.

The frequency of fear of crime for the sample population

Figure 2: A table, showing how frequent students fear crime

Note that all figures are expressed in percentages.

Figure 3. A table showing students’ exposure to campus shootings

Students who acquire information from the media regarding massive killings

Figure 4. A table showing different media that are used by students

Conclusion

As aforementioned, the study focused on investigating whether knowledge of shootings on campus has any impact on an increase in fear of crime in learners. In the first hypothesis, it is clear that there is a relationship between campus shootings and fear of crime. This is evident in figure 2, whereby a large number of students demonstrated that they were very afraid of crimes. This could be attributed to the effects, such as suspension and expulsion, which students are subjected to after they commit a crime. However, it is notable that they do not fear possessing weapons, despite the fact that they are attributed to crime. From figure 1, the number of learners who owned weapons is quite large, although it is not larger than that of those who did not own. Arguably, it implied that learners were concerned about their safety, and they had to keep weapons to protect themselves. It was also deduced that massive shootings on campus have increased fear of crime in students. This is indicated in figure 3, which shows that rarely do students waste time in starting fires on campus. From the results, members of society and teachers seem to have been sensitized. This is for the reason that there are fewer cases of fires in the institutions that are opened by the community and instructors.

Regarding the role of media in informing learners about the effects of shootings, the study found out that many students utilize both print and non-print media. However, the non-print media, the internet and audio-visual media platforms were the most used types. Thus, the second and the third hypotheses are correct. The media could have brought about more fear of crime in learners through their sensitization programs, leading to fewer fires in the institution of learning.

Therefore, it is hoped that this study will form a basis for other studies to investigate the impacts of mass shootings on campuses. It is advisable to involve many institutions in future studies to compare the results and make better conclusions. Nonetheless, the time for conducting the research should be adequate to allow adequate collection and analysis of data. Finally, it is important to recognize the role played by the media in sensitizing students in relation to crime. This is for the reason that a relatively large number of students that uses media could be a factor for the decrease in crime rates among learners.

Works Cited

Kaminski, Robert , Barbara, Koons-Witt, Norma Stewart Thompson, and Douglas Weiss. “The impacts of the Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University shootings on fear of crime on campus.” Journal of Criminal Justice 38.1 (2010): 88-98. Print.

Muschert, Glenn. “Research in school shootings.” Sociology Compass 1.1 (2007): 60-80. Print.

Schafer, Joseph, Beth, Huebner, and Timothy, Bynum. “Fear of crime and criminal victimization: Gender-based contrasts.” Journal of Criminal Justice 34.3 (2006): 285-301. Print.

Woolnough, April. “Fear of crime on campus: gender differences in use of self-protective behaviors at an urban university.” Security Journal 22.1 (2009): 40-55. Print.

In the past decades, illegal immigration was prevalent in the United States. Illegitimate European immigrants who were undocumented faced few repercussions in contrast to today’s state of foreigners. The individuals who resided unlawfully in states in 1940 were secured from deportations by enactment, while in 1930, thousands of inhibits had amnesty to reside. The people who did not have the amnesty or statute of limitation had another medium of protecting themselves; until 1976, the authority seldom deported parents of children who were US citizens. There was no restriction on public reliefs that one was supposed to access when one was not a citizen in the states until 1980 when it was essential for a migrant to have documentation to be hired (Vimo, 2019). The enhancement of strict immigration laws was due to the transfer of immigrants out of Europe to foreigners from Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Where in 1971, the governor created restriction laws on access to public benefits for authorized immigrants. In 1996 congress debated public benefits to immigrants where they added more restrictions on federal benefits.

Thus today, non-citizens face more severe consequences for their felonies than their white antecedents. Employees are not allowed to hire undocumented immigrants, which influences the low status of living to the co-inhabitants. The foreigners pay taxes, yet they are not eligible for public benefit if they fall ill or lose their jobs. Unlike the prior generation of documented immigrants, today’s policies have implications for illegal residents in the country. They are denied access to public associates and live in fear of separation via deportation, which integrates racism. President Trump used racial criticism to criticize the immigration of people from Haiti and Africa. However, the Biden administration’s immigration would help reverse racial inequity. Biden plans to allow undocumented residents already living in the US and are not victims of committing offenses to apply for legal status in the country. Through the use of this model, it will enable a creation of a society that is racial just.

Reference

Vimo, J. (2019). All (Immigration) Politics is local: Immigration politics in US cities from Hazleton to San Francisco. Migration Studies. Web.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a movie adaptation of an eponymous novel written by Hunter S. Thompson. The movie tells a story of a journalist, Raoul Duke, and his attorney, Dr. Gonzo, who under the influence of psychoactive substances explore a dark underbelly of Las Vegas (Gilliam, 1998). The initially assigned purpose of their journey was to report on a motorcycle race; however, after consuming substantial doses of stimulants, sedative-hypnotics, hallucinogens, and other types of drugs, the protagonists decide to cover a district attorneys’ convention while wandering mindlessly around bars and hotels of the city.

The aim of this paper is to analyze the movie from an addiction counselor’s perspective. The paper will discuss substance use, its effects, and treatment options.

Analysis

The movie opens with Duke and Dr. Gonzo riding a car across the Nevada desert after taking orally a large dose of a hallucinogen—mescaline (Gilliam, 1998). Both protagonists appear distant and have hypersensitivity to light; therefore, they are wearing dark glasses. The journalist experiences both auditory and visual hallucinations that take the form of giant bats that swarm over the car in a random manner. Even though mescaline is less potent than tryptamines such as LSD, it is an extremely powerful drug effect of which may last for 12 to 15 hours (Hermle, Simon, Ruchsow, & Geppert, 2012). Later in the movie, under the influence of the drug, the protagonists experience other visual hallucinations that are manifest as altering shapes. Many hallucinations have upsetting qualities during the highest point of the hallucinatory phase: Duke sees moving walls and colorful interplays of carpet patterns that make him anxious. The protagonists constantly increase the dose of the hallucinogen, which leads to “a quantitative increase in the effects of the experience” (Preedy, 2016, p. 117).

At the certain point, the characters’ response to mescaline becomes qualitatively different: they appear to lose connection to the real world and hardly differentiate their surroundings (Preedy, 2016). At the peak of hallucinatory experience, Duke feels extremely anxious and feels that he is in the middle of a “reptile zoo” (Gilliam, 1998). Upsetting qualities of his visual and auditory hallucinations completely change with the change of setting: negative reactions slowly subside. With lowering of the intensity of distress caused by abnormal perceptions, the protagonists feel the urge to administer other drugs, which they have in abundance. At the beginning of the movie, Duke states that they have “two bags of grass, 75 pellets of mescaline, five sheets of high-powered blotter acid, a saltshaker half-full of cocaine, a whole galaxy of multi-colored uppers, downers, screamers, laughers… Also, a quart of tequila, a quart of rum, a case of beer, a pint of raw ether, and two dozen amyls” (Gilliam, 1998). It has to be mentioned that mescaline is associated with a side effect—vomiting. Duke and Dr. Gonzo experience this response several times throughout the movie. However, it is not a single negative response that the characters experience from the intake of the drug. In the pursuit of new ‘highs’ Duke and Dr. Gonzo combine mescaline with other drugs that include but are not limited to cocaine, amphetamines, marijuana, and alcohol. In addition to producing adverse physiological effects such as a hypertensive crisis, the combination of hallucinogens and amphetamines results in “an exacerbation of the hallucinogenic response” (Preedy, 2016, p. 118).

Consequences of Drug Use

The use of psychoactive drugs may result in adverse psychological effects that cannot be overcome by a user who is under the influence of a substance (Preedy, 2016). Intoxication with mescaline or amphetamines often leads to irrational behavior. Even though the use of hallucinogens is not associated with neural damage, if it is protracted it may result in addiction. Users that develop tolerance to mescaline may even overdose and die. Furthermore, one of the most common adverse attributes of the drug is posthallucinogen perceptual disorder. Also, frequent users of mescaline can experience flashbacks caused by the release of fat-soluble psychoactive components of the drug from adipose tissues (Preedy, 2016). Users of amphetamines, which are neurotoxic drugs, may suffer from “a persistent reduction of serotonergic nerve terminals” (Preedy, 2016, p. 118). Alterations in serotonin systems may be long-lasting, and they depend on the quantities of consumed drugs. Persistent use of amphetamines is associated with antisocial tendencies and personality disorders.

Treatment

The pattern of drug use displayed in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas suggests that Duke and Dr. Gonzo suffer from chronic substance abuse. The characters often engage in reckless disregard for their safety, show lack of remorse, and fail to fulfill their occupational obligations and conform to social norms (Brooks & McHenry, 2015). The unique focus of treatment should be on the patients rather than on the drugs that they abuse. A counselor’s goal in the treatment is to help the clients to reassess their relationships with substances. It is especially important, due to the fact that neither Duke nor Dr. Gonzo has tried or even considered abstinence; therefore, the counselor has to motivate the men to engage in drug treatment. Given the severity of substance abuse, “medical intervention and inpatient detoxication” (Brooks & McHenry, 2015, p. 138) are needed to support them in the process of withdrawal. It seems that the clients lack coping skills, which means that they have to be encouraged to discuss their fears associated with the treatment. The counselor has to realize that the clients that show symptoms of mescaline, amphetamine, and cocaine dependency can resist the idea of being referred to a drug treatment facility.

Motivational interviewing can become a potent instrument for dealing with the clients’ ambivalence about the addiction treatment. Given that the counselor lacks therapeutic leverage such as a potential incarceration for noncompliance with treatment recommendations, they would have to create the groundwork for the future treatment (Brooks & McHenry, 2015). Preparation of clients will reduce the chances of Duke and Dr. Gonzo missing their referral appointments. Taking into consideration the fact that the clients have not shown the willingness to discontinue their use of substances, they will not be encouraged to engage in complete abstinence during the initial treatment. Instead, the counselor will help them to develop personal recover plans. They will also assist the clients in learning about negative consequences of their addiction, thereby preparing them for future growth. When Duke and Dr. Gonzo are ready for treatment, the counselor will help them to locate the best addiction treatment program and schedule an initial screening appointment. There are several levels of care and dimensions of severity, on the continuum of treatment; therefore, the counselor has to consider multiple factors in order to determine the optimal level and dimension for the point of progression of clients’ addiction (Brooks & McHenry, 2015).

Conclusion

The paper provided an analysis of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas from an addiction counselor’s perspective. It discussed substance use, its effects, and treatment options for the movie protagonists—Duke and Dr. Gonzo.

References

Brooks, F., & McHenry, B. (2015). A contemporary approach to substance use disorders and addiction counselling (2^nd ed.). New York, NY: American Counselling Association.

Gilliam, T. (Director). (1998). Fear and loathing in Las Vegas[Video file]. Web.

Hermle, L., Simon, M., Ruchsow, M., & Geppert, M. (2012). Hallucinogen-persisting perception disorder. Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology, 2(5), 199-205.

Preedy, V. (2016). Neuropathology of drug addictions and substance misuse: Stimulants, Club and dissociative drugs, hallucinogens, steroids, inhalants and international aspects (Vol. 2). New York, NY: Academic Press.

Introduction

Someone somewhere is afraid of wolves while another one is afraid of spiders. There are people who are afraid of water, plants, light, bad smell and even other people. People live in constant fear of diverse things, actions and even emotions. Some of these fears are normal while others are quite abnormal. Why do people develop fears? People develop fears because as they interact with various things in the universe, they tend to develop some psychological detachments that may end up producing a certain kind of antipathy towards some objects (Bourne 9). This kind of fear generates hatred towards the specific object and any encounter with the said object will elicit irrational behaviors from the subject.

Xenophobia

Fear is also called phobia and one of the most common phobias is called Xenophobia. Xenophobia is associated with foreigners. It is also associated with guests and even strangers. The feeling of high levels of antipathy or fear towards foreigners is called xenophobia (Wolpe 111). This fear is usually irrational and is associated with some emotional problems though sometimes it can be exhibited by people who are emotionally sound. People with post-traumatic stress disorder are likely to exhibit this irrational fear. In most cases, this fear is connected with past associations with members of the grouping that the foreigner or the stranger comes from.

For example, there was a white woman in the UK who was brutally attacked by two black men. They left her with a deformed wrist. After the incident, whenever she came across any black person, she would develop panic attacks and run away from the people (Kessler 12). This fear is irrational because it tends to associate people of a certain group with a past action. This reaction of the woman is xenophobic because it highlights fear and hatred of people of another race emanating. Xenophobia is not just a fear of persons whom the subject considers foreigners or strangers. It also entails any aversion to the cultures, the norms, values, belief systems and the practices of the strangers or the foreigners in question.

This means that it is a very wide concept that entails things like origin, linguistic conventions, ways of life, habits and even religious dispositions (Latimer 45). Xenophobia is not racism, but racism is a subset of xenophobia. This is because not all people of a different race are foreigners but someone may hate a foreigner just because of his or her racial background. Xenophobia in most cases has to do with nationalities though in some cases, the issue of race creeps in.

There are cases where xenophobia and racism are used to refer to the same thing especially in Eastern Europe where there are very few natives from other races. In this case, every person of another race is considered to be a foreigner and the fear and hate directed to that person is actually based on racial grounds. However, Xenophobia transcends race and culture because this irrational fear can be extended to people on very many other grounds.

Xenophobia is a concept of fear that has two vital components. The first component is a sub-set of a population that is usually not part of a larger society. This subset represents the immigrants. The immigrants may be recent immigrants or past immigrants that have already been integrated into that society. Xenophobia emanating from this component is very dangerous because it can degenerate into violence or even genocide. There have been cases of mass expulsion of immigrants and foreigners due to this fear of foreigners in some parts of the world recently. The best example of xenophobic reactions was witnessed in South Africa, where foreigners were expunged from major cities by the locals.

The reason behind these xenophobic attacks in South Africa was that the immigrants had taken over the jobs that were meant for the natives and these foreigners were also creating competition for business and economic activities.

The success of the immigrant populations in South Africa intimidated the locals and they feared that the foreigners were going to eclipse them economically. The xenophobic tensions lasted for the better part of the year 2000 leading to hundreds of deaths and massive displacements of immigrants from other parts of Africa (Audie 23). The main targets were Zimbabweans who had run away from the economic crisis that had hit their country then. Other targets of the xenophobic attacks included Somalis, Kenyans and Zambians who were excelling economically in South Africa.

The second component of xenophobia entails the fear of cultures and the main target of this form of xenophobia is some behaviors and practices that are considered to be strange. Every culture has some influences from the outside. There are some cultures that are considered impure because they do not conform to the native cultures and the owners of these cultures can be victims of xenophobia. This is one problem that faces Indians.

Their cultures and practices are usually considered strange in many parts of the world and they have increasingly become victims of xenophobia especially in Europe. However, this type of xenophobia is mild and in most cases, it does not elicit aggression.

The fear of foreigners from a racist perspective is another common form in the world. The form of racism that the Anglo Americans suffer in the United States of America is not xenophobic. There is no fear in this racism. However, the form of racism that is extended to the Latinos in the United States of America is xenophobic. The Latinos are feared and loathed by the natives in the US and they are usually regarded as criminals. This xenophobia emanated from the concept of illegal immigration. Most of the Latinos that are in the United States of America are illegal immigrants mostly from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba and many other Central and South American countries.

Illegal immigration is considered a crime in the US and anyone who gets to the country without the required immigration paperwork is considered to be a criminal. This means that the Latinos, because of the fact that most of them are illegal immigrants, are viewed as criminals by the natives of the United States of America. This has presented a big problem to the Latino population in the United States of America because the natives have developed an irrational fear of the Latinos and in case of an incident of crime, the Latinos are usually implicated.

This fear of the Latinos has generated hate that has seen a lot of negative stereotypes emerge about the Latinos in the US. Apart from the criminal stereotype, Latinos are also considered to be very unintelligent and this stereotype emanates from the fact that most criminals are people who never made it to school. This means that the people of the United States of America believe that Latinos are not intelligent because they are criminals.

Illustrations of Xenophobia

Is xenophobia justified, especially in the 21^st century? This is the time that the world should be celebrating cultural diversity but lurking in the shadow is this black menace called xenophobia. The future of the world lies in the acceptance of diversity that is there in the universe and showing utmost tolerance to other people, their practices and belief systems. The world we are living in is different from the world that was there a century ago. In the past, people used to live under geographical confines and it was hard to come across foreigners or people whose values and practices were not in tandem with those of the locality.

However, the world has changed and in this era of globalization, movement from one point of the world to another is very common. This means that the chances of having an encounter with a foreigner are very high. The world has reached a point where it is inevitable to live without foreigners which means that if there is to be peaceful co-existence in the world, then the tolerance of other foreigners and their entire cultural systems must be practiced. There are some forms of fear of foreigners that are justifiable because of the psychological connections that are there but there are some that can be fought (Crozier 67).

This is because some instances of xenophobia emanate from attitudes that are formed against people of certain origins. This means that if these attitudes are quashed, these forms of xenophobia can be eradicated. For example, the fear of foreigners especially people from specific African countries by South Africans was a result of the formation of attitudes towards those people. Instead of appreciating that these people are working hard to uplift the economy of their country, they develop fears that the increasing numbers of African immigrants in South Africa are threatening economic and business opportunities.

The fear of the Latinos in the United States of America is also based on a false belief that all Latinos are criminals because they entered the country in a manner that is considered criminal. Xenophobia is very harmful to a society or a country. It can easily lead to violent reactions or even genocide. This is because intensive fear generates hate which leads to anti-social practices against the targeted population (Audie 23). The genocidal killings that took place in Europe during the Third Reich were partly because of the irrational fear of the Jews and their geographic expansion which led to a war against them that saw their near extermination by the Nazi regime.

The fear of foreigners is something that is supposed to be unheard of in the 21^st century yet cases of xenophobia are increasingly being reported. In the UK and the US, xenophobia or the fear of foreigners has taken a religious twist and it has become Islamophobia. Their fear of Muslims nationalities has heightened and this has led to the development of a climate that is unconducive for the Muslims in the two countries.

Muslims have become targets of antisocial behaviors including exclusion and even bullying. In the UK, this fear was aggravated by the London bombings in the middle of the last decade while in the United States of America, this xenophobia widened after the catastrophic terrorist bombings of September 11, 2001. In the two countries, a person from an Islamic background is always viewed as a potential terrorist. The fear of the Muslims in the two countries is evidenced by the specialized checks that the Muslims undergo at the airports before they can be allowed into the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

This action by the two countries has elicited the same kind of response towards American citizens living in Islamic countries. Americans living in Islamic countries have been victims of xenophobic attacks. To start with, the Americans are usually considered to be spies sent on a mission to track terrorists meaning that the nationals in the Islamic countries especially in the Middle East live in fear of the Americans who live in their countries. Secondly, the tensions between the Islamic countries and the United States of America have generated hatred towards the Americans living in those countries and this has heightened xenophobia that is directed towards them.

Conclusion

In conclusion, human beings will continue to live in fear of different things depending on the nature of interactions between them and those things but the worst form of fear is the fear of the other human beings. This is because this is the fear that can have the most dangerous consequences.

Apart from the emotional trauma arising from the aftermath of the actions that are triggered by this fear, xenophobia has led to the wiping off of millions of people from the face of the earth during various instances of genocides. In the 21^st century when the world is said to be a global village, the levels of hatred and intolerance that are brought by xenophobia can be very dangerous especially towards the dream of integration of cultures that is expected to unite the people of the world.

Reference

Audie, Katherine. “International Relations and Migration in Southern Africa”. Institute for Security Studies: African Security Review Vol 6 no 3, 1997.

Bourne, Edmund.The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook. New Jersey: New Harbinger Publications. 2005.

Kessler, Edward. Prevalence, Severity, and Comorbidity of 12-Month DSM-IV Disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication, 2005, Archive of General Psychiatry, Volume 20.

Crozier, Ray. International Handbook of Social Anxiety: Concepts, Research, and Interventions Relating to the Self and Shyness. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 2000.

Latimer, Paul. Phobia and psychology: NY: Sage. 2009.

Wolpe, Joseph. Psychotherapy by reciprocal inhibition. Washington: Stanford University Press.

While analyzing the theme of violence against women (VaW) in The Sopranos, the most significant aspect is to investigate the purpose of depicting violence in the TV show. Thus, the major research question will be “Does The Sopranos endorse or criticize VaW through the frequent depiction of the scenes of cruelty?” The hypothesis of the research paper will be “The portrayal of VaW in The Sopranos promotes the vicious treatment of women by men.” To check the hypothesis, the primary and secondary sources will be addressed.

Among the primary sources, there will be TV series episodes and scholarly articles focused on the gender (sexual) inequality theory. Secondary sources will include academic papers on VaW and the concept of patriarchy.

To find an answer to the research question and prove or reject the hypothesis, it is necessary to analyze all sources carefully. The theme is closely related to the sexual inequality theory, and Brewer and Smith’s article helps to understand this issue better.

In their research, these scholars investigate the impact of sex-based inequality on female victimization. Brewer and Smith conclude that social aspects, such as the level of education and the degree of poverty, have a more significant effect on women’s victimization than gender aspects (187). However, researchers remark that their findings do not necessarily reject the possibility of victimization to be influenced by gender inequality (Brewer and Smith 187). They suggest analyzing the question from different perspectives and with a larger sample.

In her article, Yodanis investigates the relationship between VaW, gender inequality, and fear. The scholar argues that females’ occupational and educational status is closely associated with the prevalence of VaW (Yodanis 655). Moreover, Yodanis notes that such prevalence differs between countries and, thus, those with the lower status of women tend to have higher levels of violence (655). As well as Brewer and Smith, Yodanis concludes that women’s social status is the decisive factor in men’s predisposition to demonstrate cruelty against them. The author argues that gender inequality has a twofold nature: on the one hand, it is structural and on the other hand, it is ideological (Yodanis 656).

The ideological character of patriarchy is manifested through values and norms associated with females’ roles and status in society. Meanwhile, the structural aspect involves females’ access to various social institutions and their position within them (Yodanis 656). Yodanis argues that VaW is not less related to gender inequality than it is to fear (661).

In the article analyzing the interview with The Sopranos’ creator, David Chase, Johnson discusses the perceptions of violence in the TV show by the audience and offers Chase’s justification of such depiction. Johnson remarks that the creator and writers of the show are familiar with “ongoing debates in feminism over sexuality and power” (Johnson). However, despite such awareness, The Sopranos’ makers do not seem to acknowledge the extent to which they advertise VaW, considering the viewers’ reaction as “misinterpretation” (Johnson).

In one of Chase’s interviews, he tries to redirect attention from the theme of cruelty to the “larger fields of cultural violence,” such as family values and capitalism (Johnson). Still, as the author remarks, The Sopranos seems to “make a knowing reference” to the history of the “feminist sex wars” (Johnson). Therefore, it is viable to assume that the makers of the TV series intentionally portray VaW as a promotion of such behavior among men.

Works Cited

Brewer, Victoria E., and M. Dwayne Smith. “Gender Inequality and Rates of Female Homicide Victimization Across U.S. Cities.” Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, vol. 32, no. 2, 1995, pp. 175-190.

Johnson, Lisa. “The Stripper as Resisting Reader: Stripper Iconography and Sex Worker Feminism on The Sopranos.” Feminist Television Studies: The Case of HBO, 2004. Web.

Yodanis, Carrie L. “Gender Inequality, Violence Against Women, and Fear: A Cross-National Test of the Feminist Theory of Violence Against Women.” Journal of Interpersonal Violence, vol. 19, no. 6, 2004, pp. 655-675.

• General purpose: To describe
• Specific purpose: To teach my listeners the method I use to speak confidently in public and learn new skills.
• Central idea: Trying to attain perfection and fearing mistakes will only make you commit more errors, even in trivial situations. To succeed and attain confidence, one needs to overcome their fear and focus on being good, not perfect.

Introduction

Attention Material

1. Hook: What comes to your mind when you are told to present in public?
2. Many people are afraid of speaking publicly and making mistakes while doing so, believing that people will notice and think ill of the speaker’s competence.
3. WIIFM? By using my method, students can learn to manage their fear of public speaking. They will become able to use English excellently and deliver their points in a manner that resonates with the audience.

Orientation Material

1. Public speaking is a stressful affair since one is constantly afraid of failing in front of a crowd of people.
2. People obsess over perfection and criticize themselves unjustly for every mistake they make while speaking (Grieve, 2019)
3. You do not need to be perfect (Preview main points) I was once an international student who also strived for perfection until this tendency led me to freeze up during a self-introduction, following which I learned that it is all right to feel scared and make mistakes and overcame my fear.

(Transition: Let me share my story …)

Body

As an international student, I wanted to perfect my English

1. I started my first class as an international student wanting only to master English.
2. To me, speaking English perfectly meant never making any mistakes (DiRiesta, 2018).
3. However, this desire only led me to make even more mistakes instead of reducing their number.

(Transition: But how did it do that?)

In a practical situation, I froze up and was unable to speak a single word.

1. At one point, I was asked to introduce myself in front of my classmates.
2. My brain went blank, my heart started racing, and I kept quiet for seconds.
3. I forgot every single word in English because I was focused on not making mistakes.

I learned that it’s OK to make mlistakes.

1. As long as the message is delivered, people are willing to overlook smaller mistakes (Humphrey, 2017).
2. Feeling scared is OK, and one should strive to be good, not perfect.
3. I still feel fear, but it motivates me to succeed by overcoming it instead of stopping me from functioning.

Conclusion

Summary

1. Being able to make mistakes and go on gives you more control over how your speech occurs. As a result, you can deliver the message successfully and create an excellent speech despite the problems.
2. In these circumstances, fear motivates you to be better and persevere through difficulties instead of collapsing under their weight. As such, it is healthy to acknowledge it so that it may be overcome.

Clincher

The things that I have learned from my past failures at public speaking have enabled me to deliver this talk with confidence. If you take what I said to heart, you, too, will be able to speak publicly without making the mistakes that I have made.

References

DiResta, D. (2018). Knockout presentations: How to deliver your message with power, punch, and pizzazz. Morgan James Publishing.

Grieve, R. (2019). Stand up and be heard: Taking the fear out of public speaking at university. SAGE Publications.

Humphrey, J. (2017). Impromptu: Leading in the moment. Wiley.

Although fear is something that most people consider a natural thing, claiming that only fools don’t fear a thing, there are a number of fears called phobias that are taken as psychological deviations by the scientists and doctors. In such cases, the faster the patient is cured, the sooner the society gets rid of another maniac-to-come. The most obvious but not necessarily the most correct decision, it is still the prior one for most people in the modern society.

Cassie Harper never thought that her journey to the Solomon Islands would end at the psychologist’s.

“I am a programmer. I understand that this is not the very profession that a twenty-seven-year old blonde is supposed to have, but this is how the things went for me. If only you could imagine all those scornful looks that men used to cast at me as I only began working! But times changed, and they finally understood that this is something they should take for granted.”

Cassie stopped. It was understood that she had difficulties with explaining the nuances about her past. Whenever it was hard or not, it still was something she was used to and now deprived off.

Indeed, the life that she has abandoned now is something dreamy for a young lady of thirty, with all the prospects of a brilliant future ahead, and with the years to live for happiness and future adventures that might take her to whenever she wanted.

However, there could be something that a professional doctor could suggest her. But first…

The trip to the islands seemed to her a great idea. Without thinking much of what she should take with her, or where the trip would take her, Cassie had bought the tickets and soon was flying away to the islands where the world would be different for her, where the people will seem not the way she used to see them, and where she would experience the new traditions and customs that she had never heard of.

The next few days were bliss, though getting accustomed to the new environment did take some time. She went to every single attraction that could be found there for the tourists hungry for impressions, and nothing could stop her from diving in the sea or trying the new national dish in the local café.

Then it was all about the fire.

Was it really the malfunction of the appliances? Or did someone left a cigar burning in te hotel while Cassie was sleeping in her bed, all tired after the yesterday’s looking for another set of impressions? Hardly anyone knows the answer to this question. Anyway, the hotel was set on fire, and, though Cassie managed to get out of the burning house and stay alive. Her face got terrible burns.

She was taken to the hospital immediately.

“We will do everything possible”, the local doctors said but the result of the operation drew Cassie nearly crazy. Her fade did not belong to her anymore. It was someone else looking at her from the bottom of the mirror, face twisted, all ugly and unrecognizable.

One might think that the next station for Cassie would be the lunatic asylum, but it is not the ending yet.

As she got home, there were no mirrors in the flat anymore.

Since the insurance covered the plastic surgery, and the doctors in her home city did their best at restoring the ways she used to look. In fact, they succeeded with flying colors, and the only thing that could remind of the accident was the fear in Cassie’s eyes.

As she recovered, she tried to look in the mirror for the first time since the bad accident.

To her amazement, she could not do it.

The very shape of the glass made her tremble. As someone approached her with a looking-glass in their hands, she could not help gasping with terror.

From this time on, she opened a new page in her life, and this page was sewn with terror.

Every encounter with a mirror was a shock. Even going to the hairdresser’s would be a problem, making her think that in the end he or she will say:

“Now take a look at your new hairdo, ma’am!”

There was nothing that could help her to solve the problem, and that made her escape it.

The job did not seem so wonderful anymore, and the sun did not shine that bright. It seemed a total madness, because she did have a normal look, and it seemed that there was nothing to fear! This was what her mind told her, but as she tried to overcome the fear and look into the shining surface of the mirror, each time she would avert her gaze.

Poor Cassie thought that it was high time for her o consult a psychiatrist or even address to the asylum.

“After all, they will take a good care of me the way no on else ever has,” she grinned. “And maybe then I will finally start to eat well and regularly.”

The clouds did not go by even as she tried to take a break from work and find a hobby to think about. The haunting fear was following her, and every shingle surface that held her reflection at least for a second drove her mad.

Finally, there came the day when she decided to take hold of the situation.

“Stop fooling around, a psychologist is not going to bite you,” she told herself as she passed the threshold of the private clinic.

The surrounding was inviting to relax, and the whole situation reminded of paying a visit to a friend rather than consulting a doctor.

As her turn came, she entered the doctor’s study.

Doctor Stamford was thinking hard. The case seemed far more complicated than he originally thought.

“I am afraid that when I look in the mirror there will be – someone else, not me. Or that there will be my face with all those terrible scars and burns which I had after the accident. Or – “

“Yes?”

“Or that someone will pop out of the mirror and take me to the burning house again to spoil my face and my life once again.”

Indeed, the case was more than complicated.

Summing up the problems that Cassie and Doctor Stamford were to solve, these were the tragic scar that the arson left in Cassie’s memory, and then it was the catoptrophobia itself – the fear of mirrors. (Ronald 2008) And, finally, everything was getting even more complicated, because the plastic surgeons gave Cassie her face back, but did not kill the fear that was growing in here ever since.

It was like something that has been locked twice, or even thrice, and the process of recovery promised to be very long and wearing-out.

However, the patient was rather young, and that raised the hope that she would find the forces to fight the disease quicker than the doctor supposed.

Drawing the plan for the patient to be cured, Doctor Stamford marked the following stages.

What was truly amazing was the fact that the patient had already taken some steps to the recovery.

First, Cassie acknowledged that she was afraid of mirrors, while most people tend to conceal from the rest of the world and from themselves as well the objects of their fear. The reasons for that are multiple, but the main on is that they want to be considered as “normal”. Cassie already passed that stage, and that was something that made the doctor feel positively sure that the patient will be able to get over the phobia.

Then, it was a huge step that she made as she decided voluntarily to come to the hospital and be treated. Not fearing to show that she had certain problems, she was open enough for the doctor to conduct the necessary treatment.

And, finally, she began to realize what exactly made her fear mirrors. Unlike in most cases of people who had catoptrophobia, her fears were not connected with the superstitions anyhow. It was not the scary monster that she was afraid to see there, but the very image of her, distorted by the blind force of fire.

In spite of the fact that so many things have already been done, there was a lot of hard work ahead.

The steps that the doctor marked as the most necessary ones that have to be taken in the first line were the following, marked red in his notebook

The first paragraph read that Cassie had to realize that her fear was irrational. She was already on the way to this idea, and all she needed was a little push. These might be the conversations aimed at her realizing the fact, and the talks that were sewn through with the idea of her fears as a fake that bothered her life.

There should be something that could distract the patient from the gloomy meditations, the doctor though. The core idea was to make Cassie understand that a mirror is just an object that does not carry anything identifying her personality.

However, it is well understood that psychology is the science where there are no common cases and laws. Every patient is unique, with his or her unique problems, as well as methods to solve them. What might have worked with Mr. Doe, will be completely wrong to apply to Mrs. Roe. Dr. Stamford was to think of something that linked Cassie’s character and the ways to defeat the enemy within.

He analyzed the patient once more. A strong and determined personality she was, much of a man-like type. With the need for the new experiences and the new dangerous things to face and to handle, she needed a specific approach that would be focused on her temper. This was the typical case of the rat and the lever (Chance 2008, 138), where the necessary string to pull must be found.

Since the case was something completely special, there was supposed to be the according treatment. Basically, it should involve shaping Cassie’s attitude towards the fear that she was prepossessed with.

First of all, the following plan was to be adhered to.

Using the technology of shaping and chaining, the doctor was about to create a specific strategy that Cassie could adhere to. “The reinforcement of successful approximations”, which chaining is (Chance 2008, 141) involved basically meant that the doctor was to outline the so-called triggers that the patient would react to. The idea was that each step that she would take would be a kind of a mark that would encourage her to go further.

First of all, the doctor must shape Cassie’s reaction to the mirrors.

The things to pay special attention to were seeing the mirror, recognizing it as an object, recognizing its properties – in the given case, the property to reflect – and, finally, watching her own reflection.

Thus, the plan of chaining consisted of the following positions:

1. First, Cassie needed to get used to mirrors without looking into them. So it could be a good idea to place one with its backside up and ask her to look at it, touch it and maybe hold it for a while, not looking in the very mirror.
2. As the patient gets used to the idea that nothing bad happens after touching a mirror, the doctor will ask the patient to take something in her hand and bring it closer to the mirror. Cassie will see the reflection of the object, but will not see the reflection of her hand or fingers, for she is not ready for this yet.
3. After a number of tries, which will involve step one and step two, that is, touching the mirror and watching the reflection of an object there, it will be the right time for Cassie to see herself. Not fully, though. She will try to see the reflection of her clothes in the mirror – a sleeve, for example, or a scarf, or a glove – something that she has on.
4. The fourth element for Cassie will be watching her hand in the mirror. This will be a significant progress already, and as she comes to this stage, it could be said that she is halfway there.
5. Finally, the time has come for Cassie to see her own face. This might be only for a single moment, but this step is the most important one. The success of the previous actions that have been worked on for a number of times will drive her to the idea that nothing will happen if she takes a quick look in the mirror.

After making all these steps, Cassie will get rid of her phobia for sure.

The results were astounding. Cassie played the part that was prescribed to her with the diligence of a schoolgirl, starting from watching the reflection of a pen in the mirror to watching her scarf reflected in the mirror.

However, the final stage – watching her face in the mirror – did cause certain hesitations. She feared the last link in this chain hard, and the doctor invented specific behavior that she had to follow.

Cassie was told to smile as the mirror would be turned on her. And as she looked at her reflection, smiling broadly, she felt easier.

Now, a year and a half later, Cassie is a cheerful woman who cannot help looking in the mirror at least once an hour to fix her hair, or to apply the makeup, or simply to admire her gorgeous look.

The role of shaping and chaining in fighting with phobias cannot be exaggerated. It is one of those great discoveries that have helped people to understand the nature of a man’s psychology. The factors that make people accomplish a certain action have been unraveled with the help of these theories, and, despite the apparent simplicity of the procedure, it works right in most cases.

The pattern of treatment strategy that they give can suit to heal any phobia known to psychologists. Like any other means of treatment in the sphere of human’s soul, these can, and should be modified according to the kind of phobia and the character of the patient, but the core idea has to remain the same.

Programming a patient for a success I his or her actions, a psychologist gives him or her a pattern that they will remember as a successful one, and that will both make them believe in themselves and see that the phobia that they are possessed with is curable. With such treatment, there will be less and less people suffering from phobias, which is definitely a great prospect to pursue.

Reference List

Chance, P. (2008) Learning and Behaviour: Active Learning Edition. 6^th Ed. Stamford, CN: Cengage Learning.

Ronald M. D., Kahn A. P., & Adamec C. A. (2008). The Encyclopedia of Phobias, Fears and Anxieties. New York, NY: Infobase Publishing.

Fear is a natural emotion prevalent in human beings as a result of anticipation of danger. It could have both positive as well as negative impacts in the life of an individual depending on a situation. It for instance puts individuals in a better position in regard to responding to danger and threats.

Nonetheless, fear could grow to an extent where it becomes unhealthy thus causing abnormal and violent behavior among individuals. This piece of work looks at the aspect of fear as illustrated in the article “Fear” by Phil Barker. The article is very informative giving various aspects that are related to fear. According to the author, there is some form of fear that is understandable and advantageous to an individual while there is also some fear that accounts for conflicts that result in war. Fear can occur in different stages.

There is real fear which is based on a real situation for instance when you get hurt or experience some pain out of a certain happening, it is automatic that you develop fear of such a happening even in future. Realistic/ possible fear on the other hand is the fear that is natural and can be seen as in individual’s effort towards avoiding threats through all means, for instance, avoiding walking at night for safety reasons.

The third form of fear is what is considered dangerous and could lead to violence and war. Barker asserts that the fear that brings about conflicts which in return lead to war or violence is the exaggerated or emotional fear. This entails a person not only remembering past fears and happenings but also associating it with current occurrences. It is closely associated with conflict as it determines an individual’s capability of handling danger or threat related situations (Barker par 2).

The author gives an elaborate explanation of the issue of fear through providing various perspectives of fear as well as the attributes associated with it including the causes, why fear matters as well as how fear can be handled. Through the information given, I strongly think that the author’s explanation is a reasonable way of enhancing our understanding on the issue of historical violence in relation to the concept of fear.

This is because the author gives a clear relationship between fear and violence and how history plays a critical role. The author first states that conflict is fuelled by unfulfilled needs and desires and the fears associated with the needs. Identity is usually a very essential aspect in every individual. For this reason, any chance of losing identity and security could result in fear for instance that related to extinction and oppression.

History has been depicted to be very crucial in creating fear especially that which is connected to violence. This is because historical or past experiences play a great role of shaping how individuals and groups of people perceive and respond to threats and any form of danger.

It therefore follows that if a person or a group has been wounded or hurt over the past, the experience affects their status today and also in future in terms of how they view fear as well as how they may tend to handle it. A good example that the author has given us is that of the tension that exist between the Palestinians and the Israelis. All the happenings that occurred between these groups often rejuvenates among the people and it has created some form of fear in the people making it difficult for them to relate in a friendly manner.

This is despite the fact that things could have changed. History creates some form of fear cycles. This is for example where a certain group is mistreated causing fear and the feeling of weakness and for this reason; they become susceptible to further discrimination or mistreatment as they believe that since they were hurt or done wrong in the past, the probability of the same happening in future is very high.

This is however exacerbated by the fact that those who endured some pain out of any occurrence tend to feel betrayed and bitter and instead of trying to accept the situation and to look for strategies of coming out of it, they stay withdrawn thus making chances of being hurt once more high.

In order to enhance our understanding on the concept of fear and how it is related to violence and war, I will give some examples. As noted earlier, historical memories play a great role in shaping an individual’s life for instance through how he or she perceives things and people. A person who was hurt in the past is more likely to be bitter and have an urge to revenge. This is usually done through violence which is connected to fear.

During childhood, there occurred some war in my hometown and I witnessed policemen arrogantly hurting people whom I considered innocent. Although we as children were not affected, the memories of the happenings are still fresh in my mind. I not only developed fear towards policemen but also some form of hatred. Up to now, I do fear them and try as much as possible not to cross my lines and have an experience with them although in the real sense, they ought to solve problems.

Another example is the historical violence that existed between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland. This is evident even today where there is some way people from either group treat the others as a result of fear brought about by occurrences that transpired between the two. It is very hard to see a Catholic being comfortable among the Protestants and vice versa. This is because there is some form of fear and each group values itself to be more superior to the other hence the tension.

It is evident that fear entails a lot, not just what can be thought of at the mention of the word. Fear could be useful, for instance, in helping an individual to be more prepared concerning responding to threats and dangers. It could also be dangerous where it goes to the extreme and causes violence.

For this reason, there is dire need of leaning on the strategies of dealing with fear in an effort to avoid instances of exaggeration where it could cause negative effects not only to the victim but also to those around him or her.

Some of the strategies ought to be personal while others could be initiated by the responsible people for instance relatives and counselors. Generally one should be aware of the fear and the consequences linked with it, accept it, and identify ways to express the fear, determine the factors that contribute to fear and more so, implement strategies that could in one way or the other reduce fear.

Works Cited

Barker Phil. “Fear”. Beyond intractability, 2003. 7 September 2011 <https://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/fear/>

Fear of flying, otherwise referred to as aerophobia is a condition that results in anxiety and fear, thus hindering chances of taking a flight as a means of travel. Aerophobia may be connected to numerous and unnecessary frightening issues. But sometimes it manifests independently. Sometimes aerophobia is coupled with claustrophobia or acrophobia; these imply panic that grips individuals in enclosed places and a fear of high altitude common in flights, respectively.

Aerophobia is estimated to take the toll on about 25 percent of the public, although a full-scale condition of phobia is considerably less recorded across the world (Allen, 2010). Although, cancellations of flights or delays are ordinary cases in the airline industry, such developments can aggravate the fear of flying.

An experiment that could help investigate this phenomenon

Aerophobia is a serious condition that can be uncovered when a victim is closely engaged by a psychotherapist in a relaxed environment (Baker, 2010). Several sessions often yield positive results, because the victim will feel relaxation over time. An expert should use the first sessions primarily to look into the general facts of the condition of the victim.

This enables successful ventilation of any relevant facts concerning the issue. It is also imperative to clearly outline the best course of action that would enable a victim of aerophobia to shun the habit. This method of allowing a victim adequate time to slowly and individually recognize the condition and appreciate the essence of a recovery process is equally imperative.

The building of trust between a victim and a psychotherapist is paramount to the quest for better solution, as this has a bearing on the speed of treatment initiatives. But the lack of trust only serves to raise more anxiety in the victim. In general, anxiety is an impediment to such sessions as this condition erodes the respondent’s courage in taking part in the diagnosis and treatment sessions.

The use of Imaginal hypothesis against aerophobia

The use of imaginal approach enables aerophobia victims to draw the actual picture of the problem in their mind (Vanden, & De Raedt, 2008). Through imaginal approach, a psychotherapist would guide the respondent on all details of an air travel, until the plane touches down, while maintaining the sense of relaxation during the treatment session.

The expert may then pick a general conversation for sometime about the victim’s experience. Such conversations are normally received well by the victims. A keen observation of his or her face may reveal the positive response through some sort of a smile or approval through a nod.

A relaxed parting short may have far reaching effects. In view of this, toward the end of a recommended short session lasting about an hour, the victim should be taken through ways of ridding themselves of the fear of flying, though it is important to expose the gritty issues of facing the condition head-on, while closely monitoring the reaction of the victim of aerophobia, in order to achieve favorable outcomes (Allen, 2010).

The main aim of the careful explanation of the positive reasons of recovering from the condition is to enable the victim to have a feeling of absolute calmness as the session winds up and to contentedly recall the important points of eliminating the problem.

For instance, an effective session of counseling a victim on aerophobia should not end without the victim being asked to envisage engaging in a relaxed activity; such activity may involve strolling along a fine-looking water front and encouraged him to give an account of the attractiveness of the place. At this juncture, the victim may be asked to recall an activity that led him or her to adopt the attitude of fear flying. The victim may then be asked to ‘return’ the fear of flying to wherever it originated (Baker, 2010).

This development may trigger some worry in excessively nervous victims; however, if the victim becomes anxious the session should be paused to offer room for thought and possible unwinding. Positive outcomes would be registered if the victim grins, and says the fear of flying has ‘returned’ to its origin. It is important that a therapist and his or her victim review the significant issues of the discussion, before taking a drink to revive the lost energy.

Predictions

Although, aerophobia is a condition which can be eliminated by effective therapy options, such friendly sessions rarely exist (Baker, 2010). Nevertheless, the successes of aerophobia sessions are pinned on correct timing and presentation of the issues that matter most to the elimination of the condition (Vanden, & De Raedt, 2008).

The slow release of uneasiness meant that the respondent needed psychological and body relaxation before and after the session. The diffusion of extreme anxiety, normally prepares aerophobia victims psychologically for the session. Within three months after the completion of the therapy session, a victim should have developed flying confidence, and taken at least one flawless flight.

Implications of the study

The study implied that aerophobia varies from one person to another, but with proper intervention measures in place, the condition may just be temporary. Additionally, it is an established fact that victims of aerophobia are uncomfortable to continue experiencing the condition; therefore, most of them are willing to ‘return’ the condition where it originated and move on.

In view of this, aerophobia victims should make arrangements with their doctor to discuss how best to handle the situation. Professional therapists can then diagnose the fear of flying; establish whether the patient has any parallel disorders, and come up with an individualized plan for managing the condition.

References

Allen, J. (2010). Fear of flying. Therapy Today, 21(3), 47.

Baker, J. (2010). Fear of flying. Rural Society, 20(1), 21-34.

Vanden, B.A., & De Raedt, R. (2008). Cognitive vulnerability in fear of flying: the role of anxiety sensitivity. Depression & Anxiety, 25 (9), 768-773.

The fear of death is one of the most spread fears experienced by human beings. However, each person fears different concepts related to death. For instance, “some people fear death itself, while others fear being shut in a coffin and buried underground” (Sass, 2002, p. 52). From the religious perspective, some people know about their sins committed on earth in their life and are afraid of the punishment for those sins as opposed to people who believe in God and His wisdom and know about the salvation that will come and the peace they will find after death.

“Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid. God has come to test you so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.” (Biblica, 2011, Exodus 20:20). As the fear of God is viewed as one of the most powerful ways of preventing people from sinning, they should be afraid of God and His wrath. In this respect, the only thing that people should fear is God’s power and his ability to punish the sinful instead of worrying about the earthly things that would not influence the peace of their souls.

It is claimed in Genesis 23:1 “Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old” (Biblica, 2011). This means that people became afraid of death because they did not live long and no one could tell them how long they can live. This reflects the Christian perspective regarding death because people became vulnerable since they were banished from paradise and could rely only on themselves. As such, people that believe in God claim that the moment will come for every person.

I believe that the humanistic existentialistic philosophy explained by Bevis (1989, p. 50) best fits my understanding of human nature, human society, business, and the Good as integral parts of the nursing profession and principles of our work. When my grandfather died, I was little and did not understand the concept of death but knew that this was an even full of grief for my father. Now, I know perfectly what it means to be a nurse and how I, as a professional, can bring relief to patients and communicate with them using the humanistic existentialistic philosophy which presupposes acknowledgment of human nature and human needs prior to the business.

Nursing can best incorporate moral obligations of love injustice only if every staff member realizes the difference between decisions made when he/she experiences love or when he/she is led by the moral obligation of justice to fulfill the professional duties and responsibilities. For instance, I had a case when a patient was waiting for a living donor organ for almost a year and was eligible for it; however, the organ was given to a person who was brought to the emergency room and would die without this transplantation because the organ was injured. So, my patient did not get the organ but we all, including him, knew that this was a just decision.

In a time of Fear and Death, Christian integration functions effectively as never before because people feel the need for compassion and try to support those who suffer from loss or need more attention and some warm words to feel stronger and confident the next day.

Reference List

Bevis, E. O. (1989). Curriculum building in nursing: A process (3^rd ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Biblica. (2011). Bible: New International Version. BibleGateway. Web.

Sass, von R. (2002). Threads of fate determine human life. Rio de Janeiro: Ordem do Graal na Terra.